Sun Snake nodded, and helpd up a finger to Water Hornet, as if to say 'one moment'.

Sun Snake walked across to Sun Fox. "I may need your help in a moment, but I think while Water Hornet and I make the initial scans of the Agarashi mind, your time might be better spent helping scan the structure from the inside. Perhaps with this new perspective and your new powers, you may able to better direct an assault on the magic here."

Sun Snake beckoned the others who may wish to scan the area, but concentrated on creating a link with Sun Fox first. "I will try to establish the link to us all, but your own skills may be such that you can replicate what I am doing another time. So if we link minds first, and then once the link is established I remove my mind, see if you can replicate what I have done and hold the link."


Once Sun Snake was happy that the rest of the group had a working link and combined awareness, he let his own mind slip fro mthe link and walked back to Water Hornet.

"The last time my group encountered an Agarashi - an old one - in the caves of the Vashnites, it had been possible for me mentally to link with the agarashi, but it would have been a true link. So it is possible to ride that mind, and even try to make its will common to another's. At that time though, I could not actively push my mind with Psi-surge as I can now. I had not fully understood how to link to others minds and link them as now, and...well, I think I finally understand the true way our mental powers work. I think I have found that aspect of Kai's gift we term the lorecircle of the spirit. I believe I have a greater ability to mask my own mind from its mind, or turn its own mind against it. Still... I don't believe that would be quite enough."

Sun Snake took a breath to try and explain himself. "Your abilities in Animal Control are probably far more suited to steering the creature. Perhaps together, I can use my previous abilities to get close to linking with it, and my new abilities to push further and manipulate its mind more, as conduits for your own. Perhaps you can use my psi-surge as a conduit for your own pushes with Animal Control. I believe my ability to reinforce or turn back upon itself a creature's mindforce for defense, along with Inviisbility, might be a way to make it painful to have certain instincts, and positively reinforce other instincts. At worst, if this does not work, we may well be able to get a better sense for what the creature desires and fears, and in battle use those two things to our advantage."

Sun Snake frowned. "Even if it doens't work, there is still the strong possibility I could link myself to the agarashi to steer it that way. However, that would be foolish unless we are desperate. However, in that case, Sun Fox is now a strong psychic too, and strong of will. She may be able to be my anchor - and be able to pull me free. But in that case, I suspect you need to be in that link. You would far easier be able to sense the creature's mind and my own, and guide the efforts to pull them both apart that Sun Fox and myself would need to undertake to destroy the link before it destroyed me."


No pressure :)

Swift glanced towards Raven with a smile, although there was a trace of awkwardness in there, perhaps some regret for her earlier outburst now that her temper had cooled off and faded along with the nagging ache of the wounds that had plagued her.

"Well, shall we see what we can do?" she asked, moving closer to Sun Snake and Sun Fox, shifting the small pile of Sun Shards with her as she went.

Once there, she returned the mirrored shield to her back and slipped the Jade Spike out of her tunic sleeve and returned it to her belt before closing her eyes, concentrating intently on keeping her mental barriers open...


OOC: Okies, will do some co-ordinated poking around and see if we can make something go kaboomie! :)

After Sun Snake connected their mind, Sun Fox closed her eyes, eventually nodding along so that Snake himself could move to work with Hornet while she helped Swift Fox.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:11, Mon 02 May 2016.

While the others were talking and he allowed the sun shards to wash over him, Fox drew his swords and moved to the entrance

"I'll take point on our exit. At least that way Sun Fox can suprise them with the Sommerswerd if need be"

SIlver Raven nodded, moving next to Sabre Fox and saying, in his usual, plain tone:

"I'll lend you a hand should you need some magic support then - it's not like we have to watch our backs now."

So that combined mental scan showed no one coming down towards us, right?

"We that was...less than pleasant..." said Sun Snakem letting his mind drift to the edges of the link for a moment. "Still, I think that answers that. We can indeed do something less drastic than I feared. This foe is as unpleasant as the one I encountered before, but very suited to attacking our foes. We can indeed drive that creature upwards or outwards if I help you. Or it seems its mind is so simple that I could simply destroy it now, and instead us it as a temporary distraction."

Sun Snake looked around to Sabre Fox. "Sabre Fox. I do not believe we have any unwelcome visitors coming. But perhaps you can weigh in on the best uses of our own forces and the Agarashi if we let you feel the positioning of the forces around?"

Swift's eyes remained closed, as the mind link was established.
Although, as she remained under it, anyone watching her would notice an occasional hint of something more in her blank expression.  A hint of the burning rage that had been in her from the beginning, as if something had woken it up again.  Though this quickly faded.

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes with what appeared to be an intense effort of willpower.
Her gaze seemed unfocused though, looking in Sun Snake's direction and settling slightly to the left of him and staring at a point beyond the wall behind him.
Her voice too when she spoke up appeared hesitant and slower, as if she wasn't used to speaking.

"If I may add something to the...  To the tactical discussion" she said.
After pausing a moment and frowning as if trying to remember what she was going to say, she continued.
"The lava flow, it is another...  Another puppet, like the Ghost.  They control it through...  'Keys' for lack of a better word.  A, a complex system in many places."

She frowned again, muttering several words in the Giak tongue that sounded vaguely like place names.
"One is near this place.  One in a dungeon complex outside the citadel.  One is..."

She suddenly broke off, closing her eyes, as if speaking with someone else in her mind for a few seconds, then opened her eyes again and continued.
"Like me, it wants to be free.  Wants to burn, to destroy, to wreak utter havoc on the ones who captured it, chained it."

She seemed to regain focus for a moment, her gaze moving to fix itself directly on Sun Snake.
"The... 'Keys', trigger the traps that use the lava, they can...  They can incinerate an attacking force in mere seconds if triggered.  But one Key is...  One Key overrides all the others.  The one that belongs to the owner of the citadel.  Vyctar had it, but now he's dead, and the Key is a broken link, waiting for someone to take control..."

She blinked, her eyes losing focus again.
"I could take control.  Could manipulate the traps and the flows at will then.  Or...  Or..."
A rather feral grin came over her expression then.
"I could smash the locks, release the chained forces far beneath us.  Let them wreak the vengeance they yearn for."

She shook her head then, regaining her focus.
"Once the magical shackles are released, we would have two hours maximum to escape here before Gazad Helkona and probably most of the surrounding land is blasted into oblivion.  Can we escape in that time?  Will be unstoppable once it starts...  Can we...?  I can try to keep control of it if you prefer, use it to help us.  Or, we can blast this place right back to Naar...  Maybe you should make that choice though...  Don't...  I don't trust my mind right now, not with this influence on it..."

She fell silent again, closing her eyes, although she seemed to be waiting for a decision...


OOC: So yep.  Basically, Swift can take control of Vyctar's link to the enchantment that manipulates the power of the lava flows linked to traps and use them to incinerate any enemies that happen to wander too close to them.

Or, she can break the enchantment holding the lava in check and trigger a very very VERY big explosion that will wipe the entire fortress and everyone still inside it off the map within approximately two hours.  Obviously, once that reaction has started, it can't be stopped.
(But it will make for an epically cool finish if we can escape in time!  hehe) :)

Also, if Swift and Sun Fox do retain the mind link and use it to control the traps, Swift may remain slightly...  weird and spooky, due to the influence and her own inexperience at mind stuff (don't worry though, she won't stab anyone.  Though she might give in to the temptation to release the lava and blow us all up!)  And her and Sun Fox will likely not fight too well due to being not completely focused on the physical world.

Since both my OOC and IC decision is currently to nuke the place for epic fun, I'll leave it up to you guys if you'd rather discourage Swift from that course of action :)
(I've been assured that the two hour time limit is beatable, though probably won't be easy!  Then again the enemies will be aware of what's happening, so the smart ones might panic and flee.  Assuming any of them are smart of course...)
This message was last edited by the player at 20:29, Mon 02 May 2016.

Want to let Water Hornet weigh in, but the combination of controlling an Agarashi and ruining a fortres seems fun!

So tempted to go for the option where we nuke the agarashi's brain though, send its decaying body out of the fortress, and have it collapse after saying 'run' at the same time Swift Fox sets off the timed nuke :D

"With a bit of luck I'm being paranoid and no one will come from this way for a while" Fox replied to Raven

He then looked back into the room at the others

"That thing about taking out Vyctar really burned you." He said "did you just think I was trying to chase glory? After all I've already killed the leader of the Ceners"

Raven frowned, then answered, curt:

"I don't have to justify my actions nor thoughts to you."

After which, he turned toward Swift Fox, eyeing her detatched attitude with a bit of worry before finally saying:

"We took about that time to make it down the well, didn't we? I think that, if the enemies above don't stop us for too long, we should have the time to make it - although if this place is really to become even more hellish than it is now, I'd rather steal a few kraans and escape by air than attemmpt to make it past the walls and the forest again. After all, flying away is how we made it out of Argazad, as well."

"Oh well if your gonna be like that" Fox sniggered "I was going to tell you that wasn't the case as I said and it was simply a matter of eliminating him immediately as I've seen it happen before that Darklords revive. So quick action was needed. Nothing about anyone in particular..... But hey ho, you be all moody for a change" he sniggered

"I was at Shadow Pass too, you realize? And that has nothing to do with it, anyway. Nor I think it necessary to talk of this any further."

And with that, the Magnakai moved outside of the Darklord's chamber, to heck that the well was effectively free of occupants.

Silver Raven is member of the second batch, just like Sabre Fox and Sun Snake are, in case anybody had forgotten. Meaning he too made it through a war as a teen... except he was more affected by it than other people, and it occasionally shows.

Also (perhaps more importantly) he was never a good conversationalist, and he has a few issues which makes him react very strongly, and which he's not very keen to discuss with other people. Hopefully nobody will be offended by that! :)

This message was last edited by the player at 13:46, Wed 04 May 2016.

Unsurprisingly, it took Water Hornet more time to recover from linking their minds, than Sun Snake needed.

Shaking his head, Hornet said: "Indeed. You're right: let's aim the beast's anger at its brethren and erstwhile allies. I suggest we drive it to the ground level...and then you destroy its mind." There was a flash of aggressiveness on Hornet's face as he voiced the last words.

"Swift, if you could unleash such a destruction on this place...I vote to do this." He paused for a moment. "Although we do have an important mission and cannot throw our lives away now. But I think it could also help our escape. And this place contains so much evil... It's a unique chance to wipe it from the face of Magnamund with one strike."

OOC: I say let's shepherd the Agarashi for a while and burn its brains when it (and us) gets closer to the surface.
And regarding the option to completely blow Gazad Helkona up...let's go kaboom! :D

Sun Snake nodded to Swift Fox, and Water Hornet's sentiment. "I agree, let us blast this place from the face of Magnamund. There is an army arranged against us outside, awaiting us, - I think thinning that herd of any sensible enough to run, certainly the Drakkarim forces - is not to be under-estimated."

Regarding driving the creature through the ground, Sun Snake had a counterpoint - directing it at first towards Silver Raven. "The problem with any air travel is that there is a very powerful controller at the top of the citadel. It was directing the search for us before, I daresay it could direct the assault against us in the air instead. Worse, the air is where the Skyrider is vulnerable, as you may remember from the war. We dare not call in the Skyrider to us, nor draw a large air force behind us towards it. However... if we can perhaps use the Agarashi to instead clear the way to the roof, and kill the controller, a task it can do easily I have no doubt, then we reduce the effectiveness of the air forces and clear that path of potential escape. Flying creatures will not care as much regarding the destruction of this place, however if the Agarashi has any way to kill in the air, and if we can use the combined force of all our Nexus users and battle magics to thin the air creatures while the ground soldiers look on helplessly...that might be a better tactic?"


Sun Snake looked around for any consensus.

I'm oh so shocked you would go for the "blow everything up" option. Who could have ever seen that one coming? ^_^

Sun Fox nodded to Sun Snake, then turned to Sabre Fox and asked him, her tone curious:

"Sabre, you're the one with the most military experienc out of all of us - what do you say would be better, the ground route or the sky one?"

In reply to Sun Fox (msg # 987):

Based on the information we have, is it possible to make a military diplomacy roll to try and answer Sun Fox's question?

"Short answer is that no choice is better than the other. One is easier to get to but harder to escape. The other the reverse"

He then took a breath before speaking

"Escaping by ground may be easier due to disarray in thier forces that we created. It should be relatively simple to escape to the firest that way. Bad news all the Kraan would be on us and no doubt drawing the forests inhabitants again. Plus if we were slowed, we could easily not escape Swifts trap"

He then took a moment

"Getting away from the fortress by air will be hard. We have to bypass something they have in the air and a skilled opponent to boot leading them. And of course there's always a chance of falling to our death. However should we do that we will escape very easy. Despite pursuit the Skystrider should take care of them and it would negate time on being in Swifts trap or the forest"

Suffice to say,
Ground route = easy fortress escape, hard chase
Sky route = hard fortress escape, easy chase
 

Water Hornet weighed in, his tone serious: "Directing the Agarashi to kill the enemy leader - the one commanding the air forces - could be a good move. I'm just afraid that by pushing the beast towards that specific target using our mental abilities, not to mention the psychic attack on its mind afterwards, would prevent the Agarashi from fully exploiting its abilities...," the young Magnakai looked at Sun Snake for confirmation, "but perhaps I misinterpret what we...discovered linking to its mind?"

OOC: That's what I understood (maybe I'm wrong about it, though): only one option of commandeering the Agarashi around allows it to use its adaptive abilities. And we (Hornet and Snake) chose not to go that way, because of the possible consequences. Even though, let's thin out the opposition as much as possible with the Agarashi hunter.

"Besides that, however, I'm more inclined towards trying to escape via the air. After all, the enemy leader is not the only one able to control Kraans' minds." Rather than cracking a smile, Hornet's face turned a little more grim. "And this is no attempt to brag about my abilities, I was more thinking about using his connection to the flying creatures to deliver a psychic blow from that direction. Similarly like with the bug controlling Cener. Plus, Dusk Rat did do something I considered nigh impossible with the snakes in the Vashnites temple...so why not follow in her footsteps?"

"The psychic attack will effectively kill it, yes, and I'll be controlling the creature in its dying throws. But with our combined skills I believe we can hold it on a light leash, and allow it to use its abilities to their fullest against whatever forces block our way to the top, and hopefully the controller too. I believe the Agarashi more powerful than it."

Sun Snake looked to see what the others thought.

Sun Fox nodded, serious, and commented:

"It's decided then: Swift breaks the chains on the magma, you send the Agarashi to put the flying troops in disarray, and then we all fly away. Is everybod ready?"

Sun Fox's gaze moved across the group, checking to confirm their committment.

Everybody please make a post to confirm your agreement in character, and then we can go.

Sun Snake nodded, and patted Water Hornet on the shoulder. "Shall we send our new friend to make friends, then?"

"I'm always ready" Fox smirked before looking at his swords "Then again, I've never actually dueled in the air, let alone on a Kraan. I could easily add that to my 'done it' list"

There was a very short pause, before Water Hornet answered. "Yes, let's make the Evil turn on itself," he said, preparing himself for an another foray into Agarashi's mind.

OOC: And off we go! :)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:03, Wed 11 May 2016.

"...Yes, let's make the Evil turn on itself..."
The words resonated through Swift's mind, locked into a psychic embrace with that other force that lay deep beneath the fortress.  Perhaps Magnamund itself seeking to purge the Dark stain from its surface.

In the deepest part of the structure, ran a river of fire and molten rock.
Unseen to normal eyes, glowing chains snaked around the banks, crossing over the river itself, containing its fury, disappearing into the walls in places, and all meeting at one point where they were secured by a lock, with a keyhole that no physical key could ever be made to fit.

Two small figures, also invisible to normal eyes, approached the lock, walking over the blazing magma as though it were solid ground.  One, a blonde girl wearing the green cloak of a Kai, the other a much younger girl wearing a ragged and tattered hooded black cloak.

"It's interesting how this all worked out.  I wonder if someone did intend for all this to happen, or if the world is just full of curious coincidences..."

"I don't suppose it matters now.  We suffered in the past, and now...  Now, we found an ending to that.  Something to live for perhaps.  It's a new experience at least..."

"Indeed.  What is done, is done.  Now we just have to hope it ends well, that everything we suffered for wasn't in vain..."

"Well if it is, then at least we get to give the Darkness a little payback!"

"Let's show them what we can do!"

Together, the two figures reached out towards the lock, their forms merging into one as their hand closed around it.
Golden fire flared up, searing and buckling the ethereal form of the lock and melting the chains around it.  Then it exploded outwards, shattering the chains into burning fragments.

The burning river of fire began to glow brighter as the chains fell from it, rising up with what almost seemed an eager hunger, beginning to consume the remnants of its prison.
In the midst of the inferno, the blonde-haired figure grinned to herself then faded away into nothingness...


Back in the fortress, Swift's eyes flicked open again.
As she quickly began to gather up her equipment and offer the pile of Sun Shards to anyone who wanted one, she glanced around the room her gaze settling on Sun Snake.
"We need to leave.  Right now!" she said...


OOC: To borrow a line from Hellboy...  "You should be running!" ;)
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:12, Wed 11 May 2016.

Indeed! Also, Swift Fox, you get 1 FP for your magnificent post. :)

"If you ever need my help, just ask for it."

Sun Fox squeezed Swift Fox's hand, offering her a reassuring hand, before letting go both the hand and her mind-link with the smaller girl, and turning toward the others and declaring:

"Let's go then, and let's show these monsters what the wrath of a kai looks like!"

Thread closed.

This message was last edited by the player at 12:08, Thu 12 May 2016.