AbyssalRoadTrip
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Abyssal Road Trip - 108 - Broken
🕑 Added 2021-09-04 03:40:11 +0000 UTCAmdirlain held Yngvarr’s mind in her grasp, rendering him insensible to the physical world as Rana and Alfarr worked. His healed stump needed to lose a few centimetres off the end before spells of regrowth could start their work. Instead of invoking sensation, Stimulation pressed numbness across his shoulder and down his arm. Telepathy allowed them to sit together in her Mind Palace and look at the constellations within her darkness. The platform had changed since last she’d visited. The opaque material which had hinted of things concealed was now a transparent substance. Its internal crystalline structure turning the sun’s light into prism-like auroras radiating from its surface. Yngvarr sat on the platform’s edge, clearly torn between examining the energetic splashing water and the patterns of light.
“I hope it’s not too disconcerting,” Amdirlain said hesitantly.
“This is all the excess energy you’ve been hiding away?” Yngvarr enquired, looking curiously at a pair of waterspouts that were jousting.
“A lot more than when I first got control,” admitted Amdirlain, gesturing to the layered amusement park she’d needed to grow.
“I now believe Amrúngwen’s warning about meeting with you, wasn’t for our protection, it was for yours,” stated Yngvarr. He wasn’t able to meet her gaze even in the beauty of this space, but eventually he forced himself to look at her. “I should have realised from the way she spoke. She didn’t want you to suffer heartache if we reacted badly, and I did that regardless.”
“It’s all good,” Amdirlain responded gently, hoping to put it behind them.
“No,” insisted Yngvarr. “It isn’t all good. I can’t give a strong enough apology for the way I treated you. You listened to my advice and yet I didn’t take the time to consider your situation in return.”
“Stop berating yourself over it. Admit it, I was doing some pretty freaky transformations,” Amdirlain chided, nodding to emphasise the last words. “We got through it, and we’re clearing the air, not leaving it to fester. Did you and Alfarr sleep alright last night?”
“No nightmares,” admitted Yngvarr with a nod. “I think the Lady’s Blessing did more than restore Alfarr to life. He slept soundly for the first time since we’ve been staying here. Though he indulged himself with jokes about having a craving for ribs.”
“His sense of humour is seriously worrying, but people handle things differently,” conceded a bemused Amdirlain. “You’re supposed to be relaxing while Rana regrows your arm.”
“I half expected you to leave without saying goodbye,” Yngvarr said, ignoring Amdirlain’s attempt to change the subject.
“Nah, if I’d done that, Azex might have kicked you all out, and you needed the time to heal,” contended Amdirlain.
“Or eaten us,” Yngvarr replied, peering at the rippling water.
“I hope he wouldn’t go that far, but he inhales a lot of food even in Elven form,” teased Amdirlain. “Hope you realise it’s just how I see it. It’s my Mind Palace, in someone else’s mind it would be completely different. The Githerazi use visualisations of ice, steel, or stone, compressing it tight together.”
“Your mind presents the power to dominate others very playfully,” stated Yngvarr, gesturing towards the nearest water slide. “I’ve seen nothing like that.”
“This isn’t that power Yngvarr,” refuted Amdirlain. “This is purely charismatic energy, a follow me effect, the alluring fascination that causes people to stare at me. Honestly, I never brushed either of you with my Willpower, that I’d never push against friends.”
As Yngvarr looked about to argue Amdirlain just shook her head reproachfully.
“No, not one bit. When I used Dominion to help the ladies, I focused my will on keeping myself in a moment of tranquillity,” Amdirlain explained. “I hadn’t applied my Willpower against you until Rana asked me to help you avoid the pain from your arm regrowing. Even now I’m keeping your mind away from your flesh as gently as I can; it’s more a continual diversion rather than stonewalling or controlling.”
The mention of his body called Yngvarr’s attention away, and her quick words pulled his attention back.
“I’ve set up a book with the better base classes. You’ll like some of the Wizard ones. I considered a few of them, but while spells are fun, Wizard isn’t my focus.”
Yngvarr blinked for a few moments, and the link between them strained before he finally responded, his curiosity getting the upper hand with the help of a few nudges.
“You’d still entrust the information to me after the way I behaved?”
“Even if you had wanted nothing to do with me, I planned to pass the book along,” assured Amdirlain.
“You’re too kind and trusting,” murmured Yngvarr. His sad smile made Amdirlain glad she’d kept the link between them as light as possible.
“Not as trusting as I was,” admitted Amdirlain, her expression becoming rueful. “Though I hope I’m still kind to those that deserve it. You make nothing better by being mean spirited to those deserving kindness.”
“I think your assessment of such is broader than most peoples,” countered Yngvarr. “Has Azex given you information about your old life?”
“He told me a few things. In my first life, apparently, I was an adequate Singer and dealt with things physically and recklessly,” offered Amdirlain before intentionally changing the subject. “Why don’t you tell me more about Livia’s boyfriend? How’s she been?”
The ploy quickly distracted him as the mischievous thoughts stirred between them.
“I’ll let Livia know her mother’s worried about her sex life,” Yngvarr teased, the lightness of his emotions a relief.
“You can let her know,” huffed Amdirlain. “You’d better also tell her I’m too young to be a grandmother. I’ve already sent a message of my own. I’m glad she’s found someone that isn’t intimidated by her insights.”
“She’s too focused on gaining levels in her four classes to be a mother yet,” reassured Yngvarr, but the mischief didn’t leave his gaze.
“Good.”
The energy in Amdirlain’s statement had Yngvarr practically glowing with amusement.
“What do you have planned next?” enquired Yngvarr, after some time had passed with them watching the antics in Amdirlain’s water park.
“Heading back to Ternòx next and maybe Ijmti. I think Naz’rilca’s planar locked there it would be good to remove her from the board,” replied Amdirlain, casually dropping to sit beside Yngvarr.
“It’s a never-ending board,” cautioned Yngvarr, his gaze growing concerned at the lack of seriousness in Amdirlain’s tone.
“That it is, but I’ll get practice taking pieces from it, and new ones remain weaker for some time,” Amdirlain contended with a smirk.
“But you’re talking about sticking your nose into the primary Sisterhood Stronghold!” exclaimed Yngvarr.
“No, I’m not going into it,” Amdirlain disagreed, gesturing for him to calm. “You’re jumping to a conclusion there. Yes, she’s Planar locked, but if I use a Greater Gate spell on the same Plane, I might snatch her from the Stronghold.”
“If you can force her to respond to the spell,” insisted Yngvarr with a frown.
“I don’t believe Willpower is her strong suit, since treats could distract her. Hopefully I now have an excellent shot. If not, I’ll raise my Willpower then see how she does staying away,” responded Amdirlain, blatantly unconcerned. “I’ve still got nearly ninety years with her planar locked, and she was oh so proud of her Home Plane, so I’m guessing it will be there.”
“How do you intend to achieve that?” asked Yngvarr, turning from the sight of the playful water.
“Killing Slaadi, and massive numbers of Demons,” Amdirlain said, affecting a casual tone.
“But the Spawning Stone is already returning to normal, according to Morgana,” rebutted Yngvarr.
“The Slaadi are always dangerous to others, just like Demons,” countered Amdirlain.
“You won’t rest, will you?”
“No rest for the wicked Yngvarr.”
“Amdirlain,” chided Yngvarr, grumbling wordlessly when she just grinned.
“One day Yngvarr, one day. At least I can sit in the Sun here. Your arm’s almost fixed, the skin is darkening at present, and your fingernails just finished growing back in.” Amdirlain informed him as she rose.
“How are you watching it?” queried Yngvarr, his confusion drawing a smile from Amdirlain.
“I wasn’t watching. I have a link to Rana as well,” She replied, releasing Yngvarr to the real world.
* * *
The portal opened right through Eyrarháls’ wards, Morgana’s grin at Yngvarr’s shocked expression making her feelings clear. Familiar scents came through as windswept droplets of an early spring rain sprayed across the threshold.
“But I gave you no image of where our home was!” protested Yngvarr. “How is that possible?”
“You need to improve your skills, Elf; don’t waste the achievement My Liège pushed you into gaining,” chided Morgana, as she gestured towards the open threshold.
“Achievement, what do you mean?” stammered Yngvarr, as Alfarr turned to regard Amdirlain.
“From what Azex said, it should stand you in good stead for at least level ninety,” Amdirlain chirped before giving Morgana a frown. “Rana was going to break the news.”
“I wish you would come and relax,” Yngvarr said, looking between Morgana and the portal in concern.
“If you waste expensive materials opening a Gate that allows me through, I’ll be cross,” grumbled Amdirlain, pushing Alfarr towards the portal. “Spend it on the ladies instead.”
After he crossed the threshold, Yngvarr turned and invited Rana to cross. The invitation causing a flare of light between them in True Sight, making the Bond between them obvious.
When Morgana closed the portal, she regarded Amdirlain for a moment before she spoke with a hint of concern in her gaze.
“You’re not the kind to rest, are you?”
“Rest! I only worked part days this last week,” Amdirlain retorted, before Planar Shift carried her away to the closest edge of the Abyss.
[Planar Shift (Self) (4 -> 5)]
* * *
Planar Shift hadn’t let her reach for Ijmti directly. With its depth in the Abyss, her nascent Power would require progress to transfer to it in one hop. Abyssal Lore had provided the names of Planes to use as waypoints along the way, and none of them had appealed. Venturing back into the Abyss had smashed against her senses with the repugnance of a suddenly opened septic tank. She’d stored the shadow vines on the early hops and formed a set of disposable clothes, not sure how bad her destination would be as the Planes grew worse.
Ijmti.
The Plane’s essence sucked her into its existence with a lingering sense of violation. Impossible nausea hit her in waves as its energies battered against her. Bereft of Abyssal Adaptability, instead Angelic Aura levelled - not once but five times in rapid succession. Protean churned as injuries accumulated, her skin quickly awash with a rash of blisters and oozing abrasions from the air itself that her Power raced to heal.
What could have been pristine nature was drowning in undiluted corruption. A majestically beautiful forest shrouded in a soft night’s embrace and drowning in toxic waste. Fluids and grasping mists lay across plants and a parody of natural beasts alike, staining the place and everything within. Its odour slid with gagging, implacable malevolence across her tongue . The air intruded into her pores and lungs with a sickness worse than Lêdhins’ display with the corpses in his lair. The depraved defilement that he’d inflicted on them was a lesser evil than what rubbed longingly against her now.
Fluids slid from living things everywhere she looked, leaving behind bubbling, necrotic ulcers exposed to the polluted smog filling the air. Primordial vitality healed the injuries in an eruption of pus or rot, only for the next brush of fluids to inflict further damage. The scale of the cycle of injury and renewal obscenely pressed against her mind. A 12-point buck, maggot-like tendrils writhing in place of eyes raced away from her arrival. As it moved, its closest side was a mass of deep blisters that burst to show flesh and jutting ribs.. As it leapt, flesh slithered back into place, and brushing past a fluid covered shrub raised blisters anew.
Fluid from an overhead branch slid free and Amdirlain spun clear of the worst, Flight holding her above the defiled earth. Still, droplets splattered a trailing hand and dripping from her aura, flesh from her fingers went as well. As flesh continued to slide free and the rot spread, Amdirlain cut the hand free, severing it nearly at her elbow lest it spread within. Her empty sleeve wafted in the dank breeze for a moment before Protean reset her form. Precognition and Danger Sense screamed, and she teleported above the highest branches. Where she’d been, a rotting fallen trunk lurched upright in a burst of regrowth. The real danger hadn’t been from its growth but the wave of fluid that sprayed over everything nearby.
Above the canopy, the forest ran to the limits of her perceptions in all directions, save one. A glimmer of light there promised a hint of open water. The Plane’s night sky hosted bleak toned nebula, unblinking alien eyes that glared down, hunting for a glimpse of prey. A wind shift above the trees swirled the smog around, shredding clothes and flesh alike. As pieces began dripping from her, Amdirlain quickly plane shifted away. The Planes she skipped past - blurred by as quick as her Power allowed - until she settled on a Plane she knew.
Though her arrival point in a rocky region of Hrz’Styrn was new, she took the risk and stopped. The consuming energies still clinging needed to be dealt with soon. Floating, she shed her outer flesh and let it splatter to the stone. The diseased mess didn’t just sit there but chewed the ground. Sickness eating at the rock clearly breeding true, and as the ground grew necrotic Amdirlain moved quickly to one side. The Plane’s air screamed in rage as she unleashed a pillar of Yang flames. The Celestial energies were a dangerous signal flare of power, but their flames were a sure way to destroy what she’d cast away. True Sight showed scrying spells flickering into existence, prompting her quick departure. Though not before another spell set an expanding orb of Yin to consume whatever might remain.
Fuck!
Teleport had set her flayed Elven form floating near the crevice where she’d first exited the Necropolis. Now the crevice’s darkness was simply that and not a boundary into Death. A glimpse showed she’d lost more health than she’d possessed when first evolving to Fallen. Although not in any immediate danger with Health sitting just under eighty thousand, the damage’s still prompted her to move into the shallow crevice and set spells to aid Protean recovering Health. With it climbing in leaps, she checked amid notifications to see what the journey and brief stay had earned her.
[Angelic Aura [J](20->32)
Protean [M](20->22)
Planar Shift (Self) (4) -> [B](6)]
Considering options while her Health restored, Amdirlain extracted a rock section from deep under the crevice’s stone floor. Finding a place to deposit the resulting rock shards a distance away took longer than the rest of the work combined. Eventually, she stood in a domed chamber whose roof started far beneath the crevice’s marker point.
“Welcome to the batty cave.”
The words echoed oddly as stage two started, and holding an image of the circle’s formation, she pulled the inner line from the stone. Checking and re-checking her work against grimoires, she slowly measured and added runes beyond the first circle, triple-checking each before she moved to the next. The etching took cycles yet even after a week its construction wasn’t complete.
Etched into the perfectly flat floor Inventory had provided was now a circle mould whose inner ring was precisely two metres across. Layers of runes for containment, concealment and binding were woven together to complete further circles. Its complexity was achievable only by dumping knowledge points into Rune Lore. Even then, the construction had forced her proficiency in it and Inscribe along, while Arcane Lore provided her guidance in knowing what to attempt next. Repeatedly she’d stopped to go over all the etchings, checking her sources each time and venturing out to test individual runes away from her hiding place. The last layer of the circles had an outer diameter of nine metres. Though it looked accurately carved, only using it would show for sure.
Before leaving, she set a canvas in place to prevent settling dust from clogging any of the fine marks she’d need kept clear. Preparations changed her form into a black-eyed elven featured ivory-skinned Succubus. A form ripe with alluring curves, the spiked wings of Culerzic, and bluish-black hair in a page cut far shorter than she’d see any of them wear. It was an existence she’d longed to get out of, and she attempted it hesitantly. Now, instead of fighting raging urges, it was merely another form. With a thought, she overwrote the quick slot that had once held her normal Succubus form; sure it was far safer to never use it again. The absence of her body’s previous demands halted her in consideration before Dominator leathers enfolded flesh.
Was it from my Species, the Abyssal energies, or Viper always playing games?
Prepared for her planned infiltrations, Teleport shifted her again. Her arrival point was out of sight from the glowing Portal leading to Ternòx. With no caravan nearby, Amdirlain layered more concealment spells in place, finally moving forward wrapped in veils of invisibility. After her preparations, the absence of waiting enemies was a letdown. The cavern with the ramp heading into Ternòx looked nearly identical to how it had appeared over a decade ago. An enduring landmark amid the Abyss’ Chaos, countless caravans passing this way having stamped it in place. Debris across the passage lay thicker than last time she’d been here.
Her Power and Skills needing a push, she cast Telepathy’s net wide, feeling for minds as she moved along. It was nearly two days before she felt a patrol on the edge of her awareness. As they slowly moved deeper into her mind’s web, she halted near the tunnel’s wall. Considering her options, there was one she’d been looking forward to experimenting with. As her fingers touched the stone, activating it was a simple thought. Cold seeped through flesh and nerves as fingers sunk knuckle deep into the stone. It wasn’t a natural cold, carrying a sharper presence than some incorporeal undead she’d fought in the Necropolis. The thought of their pain sent a shiver down her spine, and a notification pinged as her arm came free again.
[Spirit Passage (1->2)]
The entry and exit of flesh through rock had consumed Ki as expected, but Amdirlain had more she needed to learn. Once the five points each way would have been worryingly significant, now she simply smiled and set to trying its limits. When her arm was fully inside the rock, she teleported to the passageway’s middle and reappeared with her limb intact. The arm was misty at first, but as the Ki expenditure occurred, it became solid again.
[Spirit Passage (2->3)]
The promised range of Advanced Telepathy comforted her that the patrol she wanted to test against was hours away. Experimenting, she slowly worked with the Power, the continual cold from its use shivering through flesh. She didn’t know the cause, but each use poured ice water along nerves as flesh brushed through the stone, and her imagination provided visualisations of twitching limbs freezing within the rock. The mental images disturbed her awareness despite knowing she’d flayed herself more than once, most recently only a week ago.
Spirit Passage had pushed up close to the Apprentice ranks before she risked moving fully within the rock. Flight drifted her backwards into the stone, and Willpower locked instinctive rebellion away as it sealed around her. The surrounding rock held and mingled with her essence as Flight kept her steady. The ice water along her nerves had sunk deep into her bones, and a blizzard’s cold settled in to stay.
The minds of the slowly approaching patrol still seemed on course towards her as she hovered in the darkness. Slowly at first and then with increasing steadiness, the surrounding rock changed. It gained vibrant energy against her skin that came in irregular wavefronts that washed through her. At first, they were soft, but their warmth started affecting Amdirlain’s nerves as they slowly grew. With Ki’s unfaltering reassurance, she held herself in place until feeling spikes within each wavefront made a vague sense.
[Power: Tremor Sense Unlocked!
Tremor Sense (1)]
The next pulse carried the same vibrant energy and trying to pick a wavefront apart gave her a new awareness. Each hit was a warm individual droplet on her nerves, a heated spray that mingled with each until the wave blurred over her completely. Warmth battling the cold painted a picture across her skin. The fading waves echoed back a hollowness ahead of her, the void stretching off in both directions. Knowing the passage lay ahead, even the rough outline made complete sense. The wavefronts carried eddies in their midst that impressed across her skin. Hollow echoing points providing her with a sensation of the distance and weight that caused them. An expanding trail of circles spread through the stone from every impact, mingling with each other. Flight drifted her back further through the rock as Spirit Passage kept her incorporeal.
[Tremor Sense (1->2)
Perception [M] (41->42)]
The rage and hatred in the minds she reached into were familiar sensations from the past. Tracking them was easy enough with the noise of projected thoughts and emotions. Beyond the outbursts of emotional thoughts, accessing their upper mind was wading in filth, so she focused on one alone. Smells translated by a Hymadan’s nose were constantly being catalogued within its mind. Though what he smelt didn’t just invoke recognition, rather, each brought emotions and spurts of memory association. A moment of raw desire gave her a memory of its last glimpse of the city gates of Qcppxtýpcd.
None of the emotions were positive: their thoughts were continually awash with greed, jealousy, fear, hatred, and rage. The churning in the hollow pit at every thudding step of the massive Skëll Drake drowns its greed in mind-numbing fear. The smell of raw flesh in another’s pack twisted the endless hollow pit of its stomach in knots. Bitter lingering viscera coated the inside of its nostrils as it kept alert for scents. The mammoth Demon’s torso-sized axe had bathed in the spiders that had attacked cycles past, but even clean the weapon still smelled of their ichor. The thought of the spider-like Nox invoked rage that the one patrol mate it owed coin continued to survive.
The memory of the fight let her count the number still present, and the Hymadan’s fear or contempt towards each let her assess their relative power. Though aside from the Greater Skëll, most of the others felt close to it in Power from his reactions. Memories showing the fear and struggle in the battle with Corrupted Nox Hunters gave her a gauge for their strength.
As the thudding steps of the Skëll Drake drew closer, more details of the passage and the rock within became clearer. The echoes revealed hollows, flaws, and the changing density of the rock in places. When at last the Skëll was in the passage ahead, she moved.
Flight pushed her back out into the passageway, and the patrol was as she’d expected: a mix of Hymadan, Dretch, and even some Hümsi. The hyena-faced Hymadan wore enveloping chain armour, much like the red-skinned Hümsi in the patrol. She’d only seen the latter in Lord Qjiadlóv’s service, but it seemed they hired out to others as well.
The Hymadan were sniffing the air in slow motion as she emerged. Several already focused on the spot where she’d repeatedly touched the wall. Their gaze had only time to start widening, as her misty form became flesh, and she attacked.
Her focus wasn’t on them but the Skëll; its red-scaled hide showed old scars from many fights. Despite it being five metres from the wall, her leaping axe kick struck first. Compared to the others, it turned swiftly - but still far too slow. Muscles bulged as its axe moved, but the Demon’s balance had only begun shifting. Amdirlain, intent on pushing Psi energy to disrupt its muscles, didn’t expect the result. The Ki empowered kick broke through protective enchantments with ease and as the energy carried, on the Skëll came apart. Corded muscles relaxed not just from Psi but death.
After holding back against the Slaadi, the result of cutting loose surprised her. Along the kick’s arc armour, hide, flesh and bone exploded. Before it could fall, the follow-up wheel kick she’d expected to need smashed the remains away. The hulking body folded across her leg before the force flung it through the rear half of the patrol. Weapons slowly raised as she moved towards the rest. Psi energy wrapped around the fastest, slowing it unnecessarily and giving her a chance to practice. Slipping by a sword, an elbow strike shattered a skull. A spinning kick turned the corpse into another projectile. The sword spinning from its dying grasp, an open palm deflected it into another’s leg. None of them truly had a chance to even ready their weapons.
[Combat Summary:
Dretch x3
Hümsi x2
Hymadan x 18
Greater Skëll x 1
Total experience gained: 53,808
Fallen: +10,761
Scion: +10,761
Psion: +10,761
Sora Master: +10,761
Warrior Monk: +10,761
Psychometabolism [Ap](10->12)
Psychoportation [J](32->33)
]
It looks like I relaxed the Skëll even as I killed it.
This is what Torm warned about, becoming accustomed to easily killing foes.
The memory of Balnérith moving from her seat sent a shudder down Amdirlain’s spine. The Hymadan’s mind had shown her shifting places like a speeding car, not a blur of light.
Pillaging the dead, she tucked coin purses away and the few items that glowed to True Sight. Analysis having determined their minor enchantments. As she lifted the Skëll’s massive axe, the difference between them became even clearer. Where the Skëll’s muscles had bulged from hefting it, the weapon’s mass felt merely awkward rather than a burden. Pushing its enchantment to activate, the blades’ edges crackled with Lightning as she twirled it overhead like a baton.
