The Black Soul Gem
Octavian stood in the midst of the Pharaoh’s inner sanctum. The vault door laid open behind, and around him lay numerous treasures. But in front of him stood the real prize. Held aloft by 4 claws of black iron, the Black Soul Gem, the size of a human torso, hummed with power. Lines and circles of some kind of ritual surrounded it. Octavian could sense the potency gathered around it. It seemed to be a ritual to focus its energies somewhere when called upon. It wouldn’t stop him from taking it. He took a step forward.
What does he do with the Black Soul Gem?
Xin knelt in the temple in meditation. His dreams had become more disturbed of late. He was accepted into the temple’s service several years prior. It was a secluded place of peace, though the peace had diminished somewhat with the increased defenses, both mundane and magical. He was one of the carefully vetted noviates, and had seen the Dragon Emperor himself as he renewed the wards in place. Xin was faithful and loyal and. . .
The Pharaoh awoke.
There was no physical change, aside from the peaceful expression on Xin’s face morphing into one more imperious and arrogant. He had buried his consciousness deep inside a constructed personality, made to infiltrate this northern temple. An enchantment powered by a Sindari soul gem allowed him to further disguise his reformed body’s potential. It had taken a trade of a monsterous spear that the Pharoah had acquired a long time ago, but thus far had proven an excellent trade.
The Pharaoh breathed out and closed his eyes. He had surreptitiously weakened the wards around the temple, but they could not fail to notice his reclaimed power. An alarm rang out before he could silence it. His dark magic surged through most the wards and magical traps, destroying them. Screams echoed out as stone rumbled and cried as stirred energy detonated.
The Pharaoh stride to the center of the temple. A guard rushed at him, but the Pharaoh weaved around him, his hand whipped back and snapping his neck. He resumed his stride, entering the wellspring of the temple.
The elders gaped at him, moments before being swallowed by a wave of dark power. The wellspring centered in a room covered by inscriptions of life and growth. The wellspring itself appeared no more than a deep pool, though the Pharaoh’s could sense the roaring power emanating from it.
This power, fostering incredible growth and life throughout China, flowed from the void. The Dragon Emperor came from there, as well as other monsters. Now, the Pharoah would expand the gate, and the Black Soul Gem he had spent so many years creating would act as the bait. It’s size and pure power made it impractical to transport as he had originally planned, and the failure of the Atlantean invasion had forced him to be more discrete. But he had formed a connection between this site and the soul gem.
The Pharaoh began the preparations for the ritual. This would require careful haste. He allowed himself a grin. The Void monster who slumbered between worlds and whispered in his dreams would soon arrive, and the Pharaoh would become a god in truth.
The storm came to Arkanus, the capital of Egypt and home of the Oynx Pyramid. The skies crackled with power, black clouds rolling above as two Sindari descended on a garrison of soldiers on the outskirts of the city. Lightening flashes down from the sky, bursting apart the building, sending molten stone and flaming wood flying away. 3 more times Wavebringer called down the lightening, sending a small tower down. The thunder rolled over the city, and when it faded there was deafening silence. Cries arose from the rubble, and shouts from the city as the citizens of Arcanus ran, some towards and others away.
A guard stumbled to his feet. His face and body was scorched from the heat of the lightening strikes, but he leveled his spear and charged at the 2 Sindari. Archaementes drew his twin swords and with a quick slash sent the mans head and body tumbling to the ground. Few stirred in the rubble.
The two Sindari faced the gathering crowd. The faces of Arkanus’ citizens were hostile and wary. Most lived good lives in the capital city and were loyal to the Pharaoh. As the Sindari began to deliver their message that the gods had turned against the Pharaoh and his rule. They could not help but listen, for what could summon this power except the gods themselves? Darius , skimming through the crowd, bound the will of the most resistant citizens, making them enthusiastic for the Sindari. The crowd gradually swelled as Wavebringer and Archaementes delivered a vicious indictment of the Pharaoh. The sound of marching boots announced the coming of the Pharaoh’s men, and a choice would have to be made to retreat or fight the oncoming soldiers.
On the other side of the world, Turangol sat on the deck of the expedition ship in the Pacific Ocean. His mind was awhirl with all the possibilities. The Pharaoh had eclipsed everything, throwing dark shadows across the rest of the future. He saw Octavian in front of the Dark Soul Gem. Taking it would present its own dangers, but leaving it would allow whatever monster the Pharaoh was trying to summon able to cross. The Dragon Emperor would likely be lost, rushing to the Northern Temple to stop the Pharaoh’s scheme, unaware of the Hunter lying in wait. Where does Turangol focus his efforts?
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Topic: Sindari: Immortals (Read 32674 times)