It was still deep into the night when Nicora stirred from her dream of carnivals. For the moment, she wasn't in any pain or discomfort, either. After being in the heads of other people (and goddesses) it felt nice to just be alone.. until she noticed a letter resting against an unused (but still dribbly) bedside candle. It was expensive looking parchment, and sealed with wax, but not stamped.
"How did this get in here without me knowing? No one should be able to do that," Nicora comments as she sits up and rubs over her eyes, trying to push away both sleep and memories of childhood that a carnival brings up. It is actually many minutes before she even looks back to the parchment as if it is probably some sort of death sentence. She picks it up and while still unopened, turns it over and over in her hands, inspecting it.
There are faint traces of an aura still clinging to it: Sil. She must have brought it, saw that Nicora was asleep.. and just left it where she would find it. The various guardian creatures were used to her, after all.
"It is probably some request to curse somesuch or other will a terrible case of ass rot," Nicora remarks a bit dryly as she works the seal loose with her claws sp as to not damage it or the letter.
The seal pops off without any issue, and the letter unfolds..
With Humble Respect to the High Priestess of Gorphat,
I hope you can help me with this request, for I know of no other personage who might be able to. I seek out an audience with the creature called Scourge, which serves your Mistress. It is about a matter involving a form of madness, which Scourge was able to cleanse from the mind of an afflicted man. If you could pass along this message, I would be most grateful. I will be waiting on Mt. Inala in the chamber where we last met for the next several nights should Scourge deign to join me.
Yours in Faith, Mage Cyprian of the Sphere of Mind.
"Ah, so tall dark and spooky wants to speak with the slithering fungus," Nicora remarks to the room as her claws go tap-tap-tap on the parchment. "Also brave for willing to wait on Mt. Inala for a visitor. But I suppose the worst that could happen to him there is a surprise buggering." She shrugs her shoulders slightly as she thinks. "I suppose I should see what he wants. Having 'The Avenger' as an ally, even if in name only, has its benefits."
There isn't anyone nearby - at least nobody awake. Sil and Fon and their children are closest, but all sound asleep. It wouldn't be difficult to sneak out of the temple.
"Must still be late, or very early," Nicora remarks. She takes a deep breath and sighs softly, "So, no time like the present." She slips down to the floor to avoid awkward positions upon waking and closes her eyes; not to sleep, but to concentrate. To disappear into shadow and be reborn as something else; more animal than person. Well, animal in form at least.
The glow of the wall fungi is soon reflected back by the dark skin of Scourge, who adds its own bioluminescence to the room.
"If he asks me to be his pet and wear a saddle I will curse him with something unpleasant," Scourge mutters as it stretches out to re-learn the feel of its body. Once comfortable, it slinks its way back through the temple and out into the cool night air. "The only fungus the Temple of Inala often saw dripped from between the legs of its Priestesses. Well, it gets a new one tonight," it mutters as it takes flight.
The dungeons of the Temple of Inala are.. comfortable.. to Scourge. The mustiness, the dankness.. it seems appealing. But there's one cell in particular, where it once sucked the madness out of a man, that it seeks out now. The door is open, and the restraint table is empty. There's no sense of the Mage - not via sussing, certainly - but his presence is given away by a pair of glowing red eyes in one dark corner.
"If you are so into dungeons, I do happen to know of a Yodhinala that would probably indulge such fantasies ... for an appropriate donation that is," Scourge notes as it slithers into the room to join the glowing eyes.
Cyprian steps forward into the slightly-less-dark shadows of the cell. "Thank you for coming," he says. "I was hoping you could help me with an experiment."
"Me in specific? Or those I happen to know?" Scourge inquires as it settles down onto its haunches. "What is this experiment?"
"It is to do with the man that was brought here," Cyprian says. "I've been working on his recovery after the madness was removed. Given the nature of it, I thought it would be useful to create a defense against. However, I cannot test it. Are you able to induce the same.. or similar.. madness?"
"I ... have no idea. Potentially, I suppose. I have not tried. I know that I look like a monster, but rarely do I act like it," Scourge notes.
"I thought of you first, although I understand the Shrine Maiden has select powers from each of the Sisters, which would include Blakat," Cyprian says. "But that madness was more alien.. the alieness seemed to be a large component of it, in fact."
"In what way? Can you explain your impression of it?" Scourge inquires as it curls its tail about itself.
"The man described.. exposure to something that broke his notion of reality," Cyprian says, and begins to pace to make up for Scource settling in. "An offense to reality."
"Such as passing a horrible bout of gas in Inala's house of pleasure?" Scourge remarks a bit dryly as an odd metaphor to doing something that breaks reality.
"That would be an offense to fantasy," Cyprian notes, raising one eyebrow. "My goal is a shield that should keep out all influences, but in order to deal with something alien.. I must be creative. I need to add a filter. Something that replaces the experience with something the mind can handle."
"And thus you want me to drive you insane?" Scourge asks next, its brow ridge arching slightly.
"Or.. provide something that would affect my mind," Cyprian suggests. "A test of the filter, to see if it censors out that which disturbs me."
"You are the foremost expert on mind magic. The likelyhood of me being able to affect you in the best of times is likely minimal," Scourge notes simply, "But I can attempt to do so if you wish."
Cyprian holds up his left hand, which seems to have a glowing egg in it. "This is the spell. I will activate it when I feel you influencing me. Also, to be more realistic.." And suddenly Scourge sees Cyprian, via sussing. He's dropped his mental cloak, and his mind is an icy blue.
"One small warning; you might experience what it is like to be attacked with tentacles," Scourge warns ... about five seconds before Cyprian's head is engulfed in the split-apart tentacle-tail of the strange creature. Scourge isn't sure how exactly to do this, so calls upon its own memories of things that seemed to break reality; the disturbing baby-monsters that were destroyed sometime back. It tries to draw how how those things felt and seemed ... then somehow wiggle them into Cyprian's brain via ear .... tentacles, metaphorically speaking.
The Eeee's reaction to being tentacled comes as little surprise, as he grabs at them. His aura tints towards purple, so something is getting through. And then his left hand crushes the spell-egg, which turns into a glowing mist that.. goes up his nose. The effect is that his aura.. hardens. It seems to take on the nature of an eggshell itself.
And since this is a test, Scourge tries to focus on the shaper, more screaming parts of that memory and push them against the aura. Taking the egg metaphor here, something sharp and narrow is more likely to fracture it than a simple blunt hit.
There are cracks, at first.. but they fill back in. The purple penetrator becomes milder, moving to green.. a less traumatic color.. when it touches the shell. None of these keeps Cyprian from still trying to peel away the tentacles though.
So of course Scourge tries to distract Cyprian by grabbing him about his waste via a split apart tongue. The spell needs to hold up to distractions, after all. Anything to break focus ... like a tongue tine slipping inside the robe and a bit low.
While the distractions are causing Cyprian physical distress, there's no change in the shell - it may be independent of mental acuity.
So the tongue draws away from Cyprian's waist and wraps around his face like some sort of demented face-hugging kiss. And Scourge redoubles the assault by drawing up every memory of every baby-monster that it had fought from first to last ... then to even its walk through the mists.
More purple fractures appear, but turn to harmless colors before they can crack through. Cyprian is still having other issues though, like breathing.
Scourge decides to be kind and lets the Eeee go before he passes out. Tail and tongue withdraw. "You are not easily distracted," it notes.
After he catches his breath, which also involves leaning over and holding his chest, Cyprian notes, "That was very distracting. If the shield was influenced by that, however, it would be of no use in battle."
"That was the point of the distractions, to test it," Scourge notes. Its head tilts a bit. "What did you experience?" it asks.
"I.. don't remember," Cyprian claims. "It was like a nightmare.. the sort you don't remember, but was bad enough to wake you. The tentacles were worse."
"I tried to impress on you the monsters of the mist and the weirdness they create around them. It was the best approximate to a broken reality I could think of to try," Scourge notes. "And I am really that horrible in your eyes?"
"Being grabbed by tentacles is not, in my experience, a pleasant thing," Cyprian notes, regaining his composure. "Although I'm sure there are some who enjoy it, I'm afraid it is a failing of mine."
"You need to relax more. When you are surrounded by horrors, find some fun in it, it makes it easier," Scourge comments.
"I'm not known for being all that fun, I'm afraid," Cyprian notes. "Now, I don't suppose you can use the powers of the Sisters as well? Or must I seek out the Shrine Maiden to test the shield against those?"
"She would be the best choice for those. Plus, I rather imagine you would find her company better than mine," Scourge notes. "Which powers specifically do you still wish to test?"
"I recall the moment that Inala's power manifested in her Avatar," Cyprian says. "It was an aura of.. well-being and wonder, I suppose. If the Shrine Maiden possesses similar abilities related to each of the Sisters, it would be wise to test the shield against them as well."
"Do you intend to battle the Sisters, then?" Scourge inquires, curious and brow arched.
"No," Cyprian says. "But their powers are different than magic as we understand it. If the shield is proof against those, then it should be proof against anything the General might field."
"How long will you be here? It may take a bit to find her," Scourge notes. "It is not as if we all hang out together in a hot spring somewhere."
"I can wait," Cyprian says. "The shield should last for a day, if I put enough power into it."
"Do you require any additional company during your wait? Or anyone else you wish to speak to that I may be able to find?" Scourge asks.
"I am fine on my own," Cyprian assures. "Besides, last time it was the silver dragon, and she made me feel self-conscious."
"How?" Scourge has to ask.
"She would stare at me," Cyprian says, looking uncomfortable. "And she was always naked. It was distracting."
"Ah, so you were attracted to her," Scourge observes. "I should tell her such the next time I see her."
"Must you?" Cyprian asks. "The Shrine Maiden will be challenge enough."
"Why? That one is an ugly human," Scourge notes. "And what is it worth to you for me to hold my silence on the matter?"
"I had not expected this," Cyprian notes. "What is it that such as you would find value in? A favor?"
"In truth, nothing. I was more just curious as to what your answer to the question would be. I have no need or wish to demand things of others," Scourge notes as it rises back to its feet.
"Thank you," the mage says, and bows his head.
"You are as bad as the Barsunala. You both need to relax," Scourge notes as it heads for the door. "You are both more than your titles."
"We both prepare in our own ways as well, I imagine," Cyprian comments.
"But beyond the titles, you are both still a person. Life is short, enjoy it some before it is over. Well, except I guess I cannot say that of him; life is not short for him. It is just lonely. I also imagine you know how he feels; he heard the same screams of death and anguish as the ones you made that airship captain hear," Scourge notes at the door.
"Rockmore.. deserved that," Cyprian says quietly.
"I didn't say he did not, only that he wasn't the only one that heard it," Scourge notes.
Cyprian nods. "I hope they were able to cope," he says.
"He is still scarred," Scourge notes, then heads out the door.
The mage returns to his shadowed corner to wait.
Hours pass, and the eastern horizon is beginning to glow. This doesn't affect Cyprian of course, since there's not much light that can reach the dungeons anyway. He does allow himself to lean against the wall though.
"There are better brothels than this in town," Snowcora notes as she enters the cell from ... somewhere. She is, thankfully, cloaked. "I hear the place called Paradise is reasonably decent and cater to most interests in a safe environment."
"I've had my fill of Paradise, I'm afraid," Cyprian says, and bows to the Shrine Maiden. "I am grateful that you could come, milady."
"Have I already came? But we have done nothing," Snowcora remarks as she draws her cloak hood back. "What did you wish of me? I was told something about tempting you with the virtues of the Goddess or somesuch."
"Ah.. something like that," Cyprian says, a bit more hesitant now. "I was wondering about your gifts. Can you induce madness, like Blakat, for instance?"
"Some claim that a strip tease can do that to any man," Snowcora says with a coy smile. "But to answer the question more directly, yes I can."
"I do not know how much Scourge explained," Cyprian says. "But I am testing out a new mental shield, one that could protect people from the influences of chaos that the General might unleash. I would also like to test it against divine influences as well, to see if there are weaknesses."
"Aww, and here I was ready to spread my legs and let you deflower me," Snowcora teases as she circles the Eeee. She even runs her fingers along his shoulders. Perhaps it is just more distraction techniques because when she comes back around and looks him right in the eyes ...they twitch as she pushes a feeling of raging madness towards the mage.
Cyprian does lean back, and his eyes flare. Still he manages to say, "How can one deflower the Flower?" He's probably feeling the pressure of the aura at least. The shell is glowing red as well, as if heated up.
Snowcora grabs the mage right between the legs. "I see your education is lacking, then," she counters as she pushes both the feelings of rage and then the feelings of arousal. Talk about a barrage of mixed feelings.
Whether the aura is having an affect or not, being grabbed certainly does. The bat squeaks.
The shell is pink now, and.. throbbing a bit. It may be near its limit.
And then to top it off, Snowcora turns on the lure for monsters ... and then adds in the disrupting influence of Zakaro, Mistress of crappy magic.
Cracks appear in the shell.. but even before it gives in, Cyprian's eyes burn bright and he grabs Snowcora. He yanks the cloak away from her left shoulder, and bites down on base of her exposed neck!
Well, that causes Snowcora to squeak and drop the auras! She wasn't expecting that to happen! She has to calm herself first, then try to reverse the directions of the auras lest the mage do something he will be ashamed of later. She may tease, but she is not out to hurt someone in that way.
It isn't clear if his ardor was really roused, but he does keep drinking from Snowcora for a moment more. When he does release her, he looks embarrassed. "What.. what was that? The one that wasn't lust or madness?"
"Ah, the last? A technique to lure monsters out," Snowcora claims. "It is effective on vampires, living and unliving as well."
"What else is it effective on?" Cyprian asks, still seeming a bit drunk.
"Virtually any monster, from grave worms, to zombies, to disturbing tentacle things," Snowcora notes as she rubs her shoulder. "Anything off from what is considered 'normal' for a species."
The vampire blinks, and realizes he's bitten Snowcora. He falls to his knee and bows his head, saying, "Please forgive me for the bite. I know that my.. condition.. is not a favored one among the Kindly Ones."
Snowcora waves a hand. "Bear it no mind, you are not the first, nor will be the last," she notes, "It is a trait you share in common with the Barsunala, so you are not in terrible company."
Cyprian stands, and still looks concerned. "I don't usually do that, but.. that aura blew right past the shield, and touched something very primal. I'm wondering if it could be replicated with magic. Would you mind doing it again.. just.. not so intense this time?"
"Right. You just want to 'test' it again," Snowcora remarks with a smirk. Still, she does as asked. It is far lighter this time, and its intensity increases slowly; a gentle draw instead of a tremendous yank.
Cyprian is focused on Snowcora now. His aura is also shifting. But he doesn't lose control, now that he knows what to expect. His breathing does become a bit more rapid though. "That.. that is enough, I think," he finally relents.
Snowcora waggles her bared brow a few times, increases it for a split second, then lets the whole thing dissipate as if she simply breathed it all away.
"I think that that could be very effective for dealing with.. unfriendly creatures," Cyprian says after taking a deep breath. "Does it only work on a being you focus on, or is it like a beacon?"
"It works as a beacon," Snowcora explains. "It draws them all out and to the source ... which is naturally set up as a trap to capture or destroy them."
Cyprian looks thoughtful, and perhaps excited in a rather intellectual way. "Ideal for an enchantment on an object.." he notes with a smirk.
"Except that it makes you drool," Snowcora notes, reaches out, and wipes the Eeee's lips. "Risky for any vampire to be around."
"Perhaps it can be fine-tuned then," Cyprian suggests. "How is the bite wound? Does it ache?"
"Of course it does, but it is nothing major. As I said, I am used to such things happening. It will heal fine," the human notes.
"Please, allow me?" Cyprian asks, gesturing to the shoulder.
Snowcora shrugs slightly and drops her hand. "Go ahead," she offers.
Cyprian draws back the cloak again.. and licks the wound. Vampire saliva does help with such things, after all.
Note: fix Cyprian's eyes to green.
Snowcora rolls her shoulder lightly. "Better. Thank you," the human says and draws the cloak back up once the numbing action sets in. "Is there more you wish to test or ask of me?" she inquires.
"Oh, much more, but nothing I could bring myself to utter," Cyprian claims. "Your teasing did not fall on deaf ears, milady. Such would be inappropriate of course. Although I would like to meet again, once I have something to test."
Snowcora chuckles a bit at that and raises her hand for a moment. She actually tries to reverse any feelings of lust or whatnot so the Eeee does not feel any more uncomfortable. "So you can focus better," she claims. Though, it is more out of respect; she wishes him no real discomfort.
"Thank you, again," Cyprian says, bowing his head. "It would have been awkward returning to the Guildhall with.. suspicious bulges."
"A joke should only ever be taken so far and you deserve more respect than some malicious tease," Snowcora comments as she draws her hood back up to conceal her face. "When you have need to test more things, contact me. You seem to have your ways of doing so."
"Is there a means of contacting you directly?" Cyprian asks. "I would not want to put out Scourge or the Yodhgorphat needlessly."
"Come here and locate the silver dragon you like; she can contact me quickly," Snowcora suggests.
The man's ears blush a bit. "I will do what I can then," Cyprian says, then bows again. "Is there anything I can do for you, Shrine Maiden?" he then asks. "Have you need or use of magic?"
Snowcora thinks about this for a bit, her head tilted within her cloak. "Nothing I can think of at this time," she admits. "I do not lead a life so interesting as you possibly think."
"I wouldn't try to imagine the life you lead, Shrine Maiden," Cyprian claims. "I only hope it is enjoyable."
"Not as much as you might imagine. My life is difficult and lonely," the Shrine Maiden notes and shrugs, "Much as I expect yours can be. Positions are difficult and restrictive, even those that look enjoyable and interesting from the outside. I bid you a good evening, and thank you for your allowance of my moments of tease. It was meant only to amuse."
"Farewell for now, milady," Cyprian says, and bows again. For a moment it seems like he might take Snowcora's hand and kiss it, but instead he straightens up, sweeps his cloak about himself, and leaves the cell.
Snowcora closes the cell door behind them. Darkness falls across the hallways, leaving only the sound of footsteps in its wake. And even those, they fade soon enough; leaving a old and lonely temple empty again. When darkness and ends come, it is always done alone; and this is no different.