Toryr

OOS:

Prep Thread is [Here] Please read before posting.

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Posting this basic thread so Kotie can get his first post up.

The fifty year old mouse was sitting on a mist-chair outside the Ruuk castle, with his cape over the chair. With his eyes closed and in full concentration he raised his arms up stretched out to pull out a heap of grey mist, then used his hands to sculpture a little fox out of it. He muttered by times the things he creates, like the head, body, limbs and tail.
When he was done with creating it, he opened his eyes, looked at his work and brought it to life.

The little fox stretched its legs and then started to bounce playfully around the chair of the mouse. The Mouse chuckled with a smile on his face to see his new pet run around. Now if he could only let it speak, then it is really great… But letting mist creatures speak the human language, is difficult, but it can be done. So he closed his eyes once more, concentrated deeply on the mist-fox, the human speech spell and started to mutter a series of unpronounceable words, while he moved his hands from his mouth to that of the mist-fox. The last two words he spoke was “Voice activates”. Then said the mist fox suddenly “Hello Sagasus, I am Nash, nice to meet you.”

Sagasus opened his eyes and replied “Hoi Nash, nice to meet you too.”

The massive grey-white Mist Dragon rose into the air, bellowing its hatred, as around it, hordes of lesser Mist Life gathered. Vaelas stood on a cliff overhanging the battlefield below, and spat to the ground. Look behind him his Master Sagasus lie wounded, unable to battle, and his beloved knelt next to the old mouse.

"We don't have much time." Vaelas said as he turned back to see the dragon slowly move forth. "I want you to take my Master and head back to Aldra."

His beloved nodded and helped Sagasus to his feet. "Promise me you'll come back to us."

Vaelas turned back to them and grinned. "How could I not come back to you?"

With a short kiss, Vaelas turned and drew a sword and shield from the mist. He shouted, "I am Vaelas, Master of the shifting Mist and Lord of these lands!"

The Mist Dragon screeched and dove at the bluff. Vaelas dodged to the side and deftly sliced a long wound across the dragon's face, before jumping on to its back. He quickly ran down to its tail, cutting a long streak into its side to whole way.

Vaelas flipped off of the tail and into the massive gathering of Mist Life. As he fell, he chated and turned the mist to fire, scroching all below him. The dragon turned and came back for him, breathing a stream of acid. Vaelas rose his shield and blocked. He raised his sword high.

"Now, monster, do you have anything to say before I return you to the mist?"

The dragon pulled back, and grinned, opening its mouth. A loud knocking noise issued forth from its throat, before it spoke.

"Hey, Vaelas, go out and get your Master, he is working outside the Castle again."

Vaelas blinked, confused, and then awoke with a loud crash to the floor.

---

"Just a dream" He muttered as he sat up, rubbing his, now sore, head. The guard at the door knocked again, "Alright, I'm up." Vaelus yelled.

He hastily got dressed, and readied his satchel and books, making certain to grab his cane before leaving his apartment.

The guard at the door greeted him, "Ah, morning Vaelus, your Master went out early this morning into the mists. You know it can be dangerous out there alone, even for a Nebulmancer as skilled as Sagasus."

Vaelus sighed. To live out in the mists away from the Castles, it was most Nebulmancer's dream. The mist was where their power came from, but even the most powerful couldn't be certain they could live unmolested by Mist Life.

"He's probably creating Mist Life pets. I'll go join him..."

The guard nodded and lead him through the enclosed streets of the Castle of Ruuk, to the outermost walls. "Remember o be back within the walls before nightfall. The doors swung slowly open, revealing the mist shrouded moon beyond. In the sky a blue planet hung above the haze and a red sun gleamed in the distance.

Sitting and chatting with a newly formed Mist Life fox was the aging Master Nebulmancer Sagasus. Vaelas walked over.

"Good morning, Master. You could have told me you planned to leave the Castle walls today."

---

OOS: Ok, posted. I wanted to start with a dream sequence, heh.

Dawn’s light penetrated the thick mist blocking the towers gaping windows, flooding the floor with its burning menace. Lylia waved a hand at the intrusion, casting more of the comforting haze into place.

“Come to me.” A deep voice beckoned in her mind. She tried to close it off, but it simply shattered her defenses “Come to me, we have work to do.”

Lylia rose, the mist falling falling away before the sunlight, the radiation glaring and burning at her bare skin. She took a robe from a hook and wrapped it about herself, protective against the cold air and the burning of the sun as her feet mindlessly carried her out of her room and down the tower’s steps.

She could feel herself die a little bit as the oppressive consciousness guided her to its sanctuary. Mist hung everyone in the castle; it covered the floor, the ceiling and the walls. There was a single table set in the great hall. Lylia felt her body pause, and she almost fell as the consciousness released her.

“Thank you.” She gasped, picking herself up and retying the robe. She picked up a plate and loaded it with the offerings, mainly wild roots and fruits, but also some freshly cooked bacon.

These days were like nightmares to her, though she barely dared to think about it. Even with the little freedom accorded to her during breakfast, the consciousness was hovering nearby, waiting for her to try to rebel. To even resent it.

Its jealousy threatened to bitter her food, so Lylia carefully closed her mind up like a box so she could enjoy the tastes presented to her. It was chilling day, the sun hadn’t been up long enough to warm the air, and she hadn’t been given time to properly cloth herself. Not that it would have mattered. All to quickly that through ended her breakfast

“Enough” the voice demanded. She felt the empty plate fall from her hands and felt jagged glass underfoot while her body carried her past the table and into the sanctuary beyond.

There was no mist here, it stopped suddenly at the door and wandered away as if disinterested in what lay beyond. Any of it caught in the folds of the robe fell away as she crossed the threshold.

A circle of light candles burned silently in the middle of the dark room, runes carefully drawn in the sand.

The consciousness left her again, more gently this time.

Lylia gulped. “Freely I lend that which is mine to you, master.” She said it without animosity, with clear intent. The robe fell to the floor and she stepped into the circle.

“Your parents would be so proud.” She felt herself say, their spirits fluttered briefly before her eyes. “We have more work to do today, near Ruuk.”

The spirits disappeared and the figure of a fierce, wizened figure replaced them. It pointed to her and she felt a surge of pain as it gave her its instructions. She opened her eyes to find the figure gently stroking her arm.

“Of course, you’ll need a disguise.” The spirit suddenly became corporal and seized her by both shoulders. Lylia cried out in pain as her body shuddered and shifted into a large male owl. “You’ll find clothing and supplies next to the portal.” The spirit stepped out of the circle and strode over to a richly decorated chair with a large crystal orb on a table next to it.

Lylia nodded complacently and walked to where he had indicated. Rough trousers and a silk tunic with some sort of richly decorated robe where what had been selected for her today, while it seemed her supplies consisted of a simply hewned staff and pouch filled with food and wine skin. She took them and without looking back, activated the portal on the wall. It’s surface shivered as the quicksilver activated and hadn’t even settled before she walked through.

She quickly made her way through Ruuk, not pausing long enough to get her bearings or attract any attention. The gates were closed, but it was a simply matter to get the guard to crack them open for her to escape into the mist.

“At last.” She muttered, her voice unpleasantly masculine. She drew a circle on the ground and began to coalesce into the first of many creatures.

"Good morning, Master. You could have told me you planned to leave the Castle walls today."

“Good morning young Vaelus. My apologies for not waking you and telling you that I went outside. But you needed the rest, and I had something important to do. Anyhow, did you had a good rest?” Saga responded in a kind and calm voice.
When he mentioned the Fox name, the little fox ran over to much bigger fox, which Sagasus followed with his eyes, who ran around his feet, then sat down in front of him, looked up as he was studying him and when he was done he said “Hi fellow fox. How do you do?”

“I think he likes you, Vaelus.” The mouse said with a chuckle.

Sagasus had a very good reason, why he didn’t woke him and told him that he went outside, to be exposed to the mist and the dangers of it. He had created allot of creatures in the past and sent then out on missions, like scouting, protecting objects and persons, and doing some errands. Now today it was the day of hearing out their reports. Most of them had to report nothing unusual , except from a few that are scouting in the heart of the mist. They found at last the ruins of castle Drisk, a few parts rebuild from mist to look as new, by who, that is unknown, but you can say that someone is rebuilding it. Plus, they still haven’t found, what they are looking for, so there is still some hope.

After the meeting they all scattered back into the mist, back to work. Coming only back when they have something important to report, or else over 3 months.

Quazzidan Residrag peered over the walls of the city from the lofty perch of the top of his tower home. He was agitated. The guilds most recent expedition into the mist had failed, and they wanted him to make the attempt on their behalf. Apparently it was of improtance. Though what, he wondered, makes them think he would fare any better than the last group? Just because he has wings does not make him fare better or worse. Especially since he highly dislikes violence. Quazzi sighs heavily, and shifts the satchel about his chest uncomfortably. Absently, he fingers out a book and stares down at its spine. 'Faded Trails'. He grimaces. "Faded trails indeed." He mutters, considering the pointlessness of a book based on trails that cannot be tracked or followed within the mist.

He makes a glance at the stars, then spreads his wings. "Sometimes this guild makes me wonder... there are many other guilds...hmph." He takes a jump off of the tower and begins to wing wis way over to the mist.
THe mists cold grasp makes his gasp as he first enters into the thick substance. "Don't know how the hell I'm supposed to navigate very well.." He looks through the mist at the terrain below. Nothing very familiar he decides. The smaller mist-thingies below seemed curious as they looked up at Quazzi's passing.
Quazzi pulls out some parchment from his satchel and begins reading the notes from the last group that went on the venture.

Notes begin

Hostile mist creatures hampered our sampling of the dark matter orb we found. They seemed to be driven mad by its mere presence and attacked.

Dark Matter made up on nodes that pulse and shift into and out of eachother. Glestin tried to touch it, and his hand turned black within an hour. Upon further investigation of the problem, it was found that the black that covered his hand was some type of external virus looking almost like pure black spines. Approach with caution. In case of contamination, we found that outside of powerful healing magic, only a combination of disenchantment and fire magic worked. Suspected that astral plasma may work as well.


Notes end.

"Right... not a pretty sight." He circles in the air as he begins to encant a directional spell of a star base.

Lylia contiuned her work, drawing a circle of circles, each of which had a single mass of mist concentrated within it. She drew several runes within the middle of the large circle where she stayed and worked.

It took the better part of an hour for the work to be done, each of the circles contained a fraction of the larger creature. She was breathing heavily and took a drink of water before going back into a trance.

The pieces danced around each other, occasional a stray piece of mist was gobboled up and added to the creature.

There was soft thump as she finished the work, the creature lying on the ground covered by its large eagle wings.

"There there." She whispered with her odd voice. "It will be okay." She breathed into hard beak of the griffin, bringing it to life. The creature struggled agains her hand, its massive body and claws ripping at the grass and dirt. "This is Ruuk, you most patrol here and obey the master's orders." She whispered, channeling those instructions into the creature, stealing its rage into herself.

She broke the connection and stumbled away from her creation. Most of her energy was spent, but the creatures fury burned through her veins. Her task for the moment was over, giving her a freedom she rarely had outside of Drisk. Mist floated over her, comforting her a bit, but the demand for blood was high.

“Hi fellow fox. How do you do?” The little creation spoke.

The old mouse chuckled as he spoke, "I think he likes you, Vaelas."

Vaelas smiled as he knelt down to scratch behind the small fox's ears. "I slept well enough, before the guards rushed in and woke me to fetch you." He slowly came back to his feet, looking to his Master. "What troubles you so, that you'd leave the safety of the castle walls?" Vaelas tapped his cane on the ground and the mist coiled around as a chair coalesced.. He sat, and the little fox jumping into his lap.

"Still waiting for your scouts to return?"

The mist tugged on Vaelas' senses. Someone was using a good deal of mist near Ruuk. He shrugged, it was not as if such a thing was uncommon. Putting the thought from his mind, Vaelas placed his satchel the ground, and lay his cane on the side of the chair. He put his arms out wide as mist flowed around him. A small low table formed slowly before himself and his Master.

----
OOS: The formation of simple things from the mist is pretty effortless. Its only when one tries to create things of complexity that there is any real difficulty involved.

Sorry for the shortness. Was not sure how much notice you wanted us to take Phi. Maybe Saga's sense would be more attuned to exactly whats going on... not sure.

OOC: However much notice you think would be necessary.

IC:

Lylia's breathing slowed to normal, but she was still tired from the Griffin's consturction. Drisk had never bemanded a single creature of such complexity before, and she hadn't been allowed to use her nebulmancy powers to that extant for several months.

She froze for a moment, confused until she realized what had caught her attention. She had been abled to named the consciousness that had ruled her, it usually blocked those thoughts from her. She buried her excitment, afraid it would notice when she returned to the castle.

A shadow briefly passed over her, she glanced up and glared at a small airship leaving Ruuk. She could just make out a crewman hanging over the side.

She extened her hand, the owl's claw and gathere a bunch of mist into a serrated knife. She threw it up, calling up a burst of elemental magic to propel it at the figure. She snarled as it buried into the figure and jerked her hand back, pulling the character off the ship and down the moon's surface below.

Saga listened patiently to his friend and student, while he sensed and his mouse whiskers twitched on that, that someone was using a very complex mist spell to create a creature. What for kind, and from where, he can’t say, but it is being made nearby.

“Typical something for the guards to do that, then going self after me…” Saga said with a sigh. “Guards are to protect people not to hide behind walls and letting only Nebulmancers getting into the dangers of the mist. Can you understand that Vaelus?”

Self he knows, that he can work on the nerves of the guards, the king and queen, for going out the caste unarmed. But so long he stays close to the castle it should be safe, and nothing to worry about.

The fox enjoyed the ear scratching and after that it leaped onto the lap of Vaelus, he curled up for some sleep, but also to watch over him. Sagasus created him to watch over him.

“Nope, they have been here already and told me what I needed to know. Now they on their way back.” Sagasus said, and with a simple spell he filled the table with two tea cups, a pot of hot tea and placed sugar and milk. Then with a simple hand gesture the tea pot floated up, filled the two cups and floated back to where it stood.

He took his cup and took a couple of sips from it. It was nice to be out of the castle, once a while. Since you can’t make a habit out of it, but that comes from the mist and it dangers inside of it. Now that they are both here, Saga found that it was time to teach his student to make living creatures, as he saw that he was good making easy mist things.

“Did you have ever tried to create a mist creature, Vaelus? By the way your little friend’s name is Nash.” Sagasus added, as he had forgotten to tell him his name.

It had been four months.

He was far from home, working to capture mist life that swam in the upper atmosphere. Having just sold a group in Ruuk, he readied to board his ship. He secured the riggings, and readied his nets. Slowly his ship lifted above the mists, and he allowed his mind to wander. He thought of his wife and little daughter waiting in far away Beligast. He sighed, the money he gained from this trip would finally allow him to afford to have his daughter tutored by a mage of real skill. Leaning over the side of his ship, he cast his gaze to the beautiful blue planet above, dreaming of what might be.

He then felt an impact, followed by a terrible piercing pain, as he fell to his knees. He felt a jerk as he was ripped from the side of his ship and plummeted, and knew no more.

---

"Can you understand that Vaelas?"

Vaelas nodded, as he spoke, "I understand, Master, but there is mist within the castles to work with as well."

Vaelas knew that the mist outside the walls was so much more potent. He and his Master had this conversation many times before. Sagasus crafted a pair of cups and a pot filled with hot tea, with milk and sugar at the side. Vaelas reached in a picked up a cup, after the cups set back down, and began sipping slowly.

“Did you ever try to create a mist creature, Vaelas? By the way your little friend’s name is Nash.”

"Well, it is nice to meet you Nash," Vaelas looked to his Master, and spoke, "I have tried, but I cannot seem to create anything more complex than a small insect. I'm not entirely cert-"

He stopped abruptly as a man fell with a sickening crunch against the table before them. Startled Vaelas kicked his legs out which sent him rolling out of the back of his chair, sending tea and mist-fox spiraling alike. Sagasus stood up quickly and looked up to see the ship above, as Vaelas recovered and looked to the body.

"He's dead..." A knife, obviously formed of mist stuck from his chest. 'Is this what I sensed earlier?' He thought to himself.

Vaelas stood and picked up his satchel and cane. "Master? I think whoever did this is in this direction. I sensed mist being funneled in large amounts just moments ago." Vaelas pointed towards Ruuk's side.

---
OOS: Nothing like giving a random murder victim goals and a family. :p

Lylia charged forward after throwing the blade, her adopted blood lust only teased. She took flight, summoning air to help her clumsy mimickery of bird flight.

She could already make out panicked and confused noises on the small airships deck. Their attention was to the fore section, while her flight brought her up to its aft section.

Lylia rose above the deck slightly; a single sailor manned the ship's wheel. She dove and caught the rat at the nape of his neck, breaking it with her powerful talon. She screamed in pain as she abandoned the owl form, returning to her own naked body. Her spasm jerked the ship's wheel violently sending the ship to the side. She kicked at a lever, causing the ship to begin to loose altitude.

The crew's attention quickly had quickly turned to the naked woman crashing their craft. They struggled against the violence of the ships altered course, but were unarmed and too late.

The ship's panic broke through the rage Lylia had absorbed from the griffin. The blood lust scattered, leaving her confused, clinging to the wheel of a crashing ship. She righted it quickly, tossing most of the crew back to the ships deck. She fled back to the aft section and leaped from the transom, catching a rope from the ship and using it to slow her fall.

The ship had fallen dramatically already leaving its keel a mere thirty feet from the ground. Her hands burned from the rope, but she hit the ground softly and released it. Yells from the ship faded as it regained altitude. She lay there for a moment before gathering mist about her and turning it into a simply white robe. The blood rage was gone; the panic was gone, leaving her hollow as before. Drisk's instructions burned in her tired mind, the alien will forced her to stand. Her muscles burned from the effort of flight and shape shifting.

Sagasus saw where the man came from. His ship floating away low and hardly in control from castle Ruuk. He heard what Vaelas said, but kept watching to the ship, as there was something going on there.

“Vaelas! Look up, that ship!” He said a bit loud to the student. But he looked quickly to the direction he pointed out, then looked back to the ship. Just in time to see that someone or something jumped off the ship and sliding down the rope to the ground and the ship slowly gains altitude.

After that the air show was over, he looked at the man on the table, seeing an unpleasant expression on his face, on the moment he got stricken by the knife. It was a painful death for him. Sagasus had met this man before, he wouldn’t do anyone harm, a nice fellow. ‘But why had he to die?’ he wondered. Shall he find an answer on it, or shall this be forever a mystery?

“Vaelas, I sensed it too, but for making a knife, you don’t need allot of mist for it. All I can say that there was made something big and complex, possible something dangerous. Now we have a few options, going to the place where the knife was launched from, to the place where something escaped the ship, or going back to the castle and informing of what just happened? It’s your call.”

The fox landed on his side and out cold, when he was thrown off from the lap of Vaelas.

Vaelas looked up as his Master directed, in time to see a robe fall from the side of the ship, and a form slide down it. "Thats our culprit, then." He said, as he noticed the little mist-fox unconscious on the ground. Vaelas picked him up, and roused him awake. "Are you alright Nash?"

The little one shook his head quickly, as if clearing it out, and then nodded, "I will be fine"

Sagasus spoke "Nash, go back to the castle and tell to the main guard that the Mist seller is dead, he fell out of his ship with a knife in his chest. Also tell them that we went further ahead, to find the one responsible."

"We could use some help, if you can get it." Vaelas added as he put the little fox down. Nash looked back, and then dashed off towards the Castle.

Vaelas looked to his Master, and set off in the direction the ship had went.

Quickly, they came to a young woman wearing a robe. She stood, clearly where the form had slipped from the rope earlier.

Vaelas readied his cane as he spoke, and gestured behind him, "Are you responsible for that display back there?"

---
OOS: Posting to keep things flowing. Sorry it isn't longer.

OOC:That's ok. I have several things going on in this post, so I hope it isn't to confusing.

IC:

Back at the broken table.

The frozen facial expression melted away, and the deceased's pupils diluted completely. Its arm rose, touching the knife handle and evaporating the blade.

"After the fox, Griffin." It growled as it sprung to its feet, setting off after the master and apprentice, pleased with Lylia performance so far, aside from letting the ship escape momentarily.

The griffin's hunt
The griffin nodded from where it was hiding, cloaked in the mist. It immediately took to the sky, still wrapped in a shroud of mist.

It took only a moment for the creature to find the fox, galloping through the grass directly towards the castle. It was a young creature, foolishly not making any effort to conceal itself. That bored the griffin, who had hoped for a more sporting kill.

Leave it alive, it will give Lylia something to “fix.” the master's voice whispered again.

The griffin growled in response, deprived of its first meal. It thought back to the airship that had escaped, and of all the tasty flesh already spooked there.

Distracted, for a moment, the griffin's attention was called back into the hunt as the castle's turrets appeared out of the mist.

“Let's play a game.” It said to itself, circling down towards the gate. There was a clear line where the fortress's defenses drove the mist back. The griffin could see the rustle in the grass where its diminutive prey sprinted towards safety, it could smell the creatures fur and hear its blood thumping through its veins.

Nash broke from the grass and mist, and started to call out to the guards. It's warning was cut short by the piercing scream of the griffin that echoed through the walls of the castle, as it silently swept the fox from the ground and into the air. The fox bravely tried to bite the griffin, buts teeth couldn't penetrate the hard scales of its taloned front feet, and soon the fox blacked out in its merciless grip.

The griffin circled around, smiling at the panicked alarm being raised in the fortress.

Fool Now they'll still mount a patrol[/i] The master chastised. Drop the fox to the Lylia, and then after the ship. I want the crew dead and in my control before the hour is out.

That meant it could only eat a few of the airship's crew, but the griffin smiled at the pleasant slaughter that awaited it. It carelessly dropped the fox's body after a few moments of flight, sure it missed Lylia's head by mere inches but still be alive enough for her healing necromancy. It then winged it after the airship, climbing higher into the sky.

The airship was at watch, but they mainly watched the ground. It was clear to the griffin that they expected a pirate assault. It smiled its toothy grin, folded its wings, and plummeted to the ship's main mast. The warning cries of the crew were drowned out by a crackling noise from the mist as electric arcs danced around the ship, striking the metallic weapons of the crew. The griffin roared as it launched itself into the middle of the summoned storm, its blood rose it effortless annihilated the helpless men. The first bodies were already rising to their master's call as the last crew fell to the griffin's talons and it settled to its first meal.



Back at Lylia

"I dun, don't. I mmm..." Lylia stammered, her mind a jumble of confusion. "The ship, jerked and I..."

A sickening thud saved her fractured mind from having to invent any more lies.

"Nash!" The young fox in the back screamed running towards the broken form that had follen next to Lylia.

"Back." She growled, touching the mist creatures fractured body. It was still alive, the griffin's claws had grasped it without crushing. She mumbled a word, green energy channeled down her arm and mingled with the mist and the creature's body, knitting it back together.

"So sweet." A deep, hollow voice called behind the mouse. "Now it simply must die again."

"Nooo." Lylia called, trying to cast up a protactive shield as a burst of power struck her and the fox, knocking them backwards.

Unaware of that the dead mist seller, really dead is and just had raised up to be undead to follow them, plus ordering the capture of their foxy friend Nash.

It was a good idea from Vealas to have some backup, if this person is dangerous, but it was doubtfully if they would come in time.

As he saw the young woman in a white robe and heard the question of Vaelas, who took a sort of fighting stance. Self he took a friendly stance, but on alert for change in the situation. Listening to the answer she was giving, he sensed that something was wrong with it, but what? “So you fell overboard?” Sagasus finished her sentence for them. “Is that it?” he said questioningly.

Then suddenly was the questioning interrupted by a thud and both Saga and Vealas looked in its direction where it hit the ground. There they saw a mangled shape of a young fox laying on the ground, barely alive. In first sight it was unsure to say who it is, but then it came through, slowly, that it was Nash the fox! The name of the fox was clearly said by Vealas, while saga said it softly and added, “poor thing.”

Quickly Saga looked up, to see who brought him here, but there was nothing there. So whatever it was it is now gone, and looked back down to the fox and seeing that the girl had rushed to him to give him medical attention.

Sagasus self has also some healing powers, but to heal serious injuries he would need go to a healing mage, who is specialized in it.

“What?” Hearing suddenly a voice coming from behind him that made Saga jumping up, turned around to see who said it. He saw that it was nothing more than the dead mist seller without a knife in his chest and being undead. Now it casted some sort of spell to the fox and the girl to push them away.

‘Lightning come alive and light the mist around this undead one on fire.’ Said Sagasus in his mind. He had learned to speak in his mind the combat spells, so that your opponent doesn’t know what for kind of spell you are using, so that it can anticipate on it. Just as he said the spell, a dark cloud raise above them and a fell lighting strike hit the ground, setting nearby mist on fire, followed by a loud thunder sound.

A bright light peels through the mist, shining down on Quazzidan's flying form, then shooting off from him in a straight path to his immediate right, the only point of origin changing is that of Quazzi's circling body. Knowing the spell would only last for a brief few minutes, he realigns himself to follow the stream of light and begins his flight to the location of the targeted dark matter orb. When the spell fades, the man casts his eyes about warily, his wings pumping hard to keep lift in the chill enviroment of the mist. His sense of time began to fade until only the tiring repetitions of his wing strokes kept his mind on task.

Quazzidan was feeling tired from watching the shadowy landscape below, straining his sharp eyes to see through the mist. His head nodded and he rightened it about seven times as his eyes began to slowly close. In the back of his mind he bagan to feel a rising of static and energy in the air as he flew. He snapped awake with a jolt as he realized that he must be near his target. Bringing himself on a lower flight path to the ground, he searches for any signs of hostile mist life. The area appeared to be vacant and devoid of life however, and he landed upon his feet heavily on the ground. He could feel the orb calling to him, hungering. He shudders. What kind of a monstrosity is this? He wonders in fearful amazement of its power. Whatever it is or its intention...hath it any, it cannot be of any good nature.

As he walks the remaining twenty feet to the dark matter orb, he could hear an angry buzzing raging quietly in his ears, his skin prickling, and the sense of static power became at large. From a distance the orb seemed small. As he drew up to five feet of it, he found it to be massive; fifteen to twenty feet tall as wide at least. He shuddered as a cold chill slipped down his spine. TOUCH ME! The orb must be sentient, he decides, feeling the power the orb was emitting just to draw attention. Quazzidan leafes out a notebook and quill from his satchel considering what to note down. FEEL MY POWER Truly, he was beginning to get unnerved at the manipulation on a psychic level that the dark matter possessed. No wonder the creatures in the area went mad. "Can't touch..." He mutters under his breath as the psychic connection from the orb drew the commanded desire from his body. He quickly began to want and crave the dark matter orb. It made him sick to the stomach. Closing his eyes, he concentrates on blanking out everything around him, retaining a measure of control over himself.

Vaelas stumbled as a cascade of energy sent the robed girl to the ground, quickly being caught in the wave, he too fell. He hit his head hard on the ground and blacked out.

There was a loud crashing, like thunder, and Vaelas was jarred once more awake. Looking about with blurry vision, he saw the mist alight in flame around what looked to be the man who fell from the ship moments before. He winced at a sharp pain on his head, and put his hand to his forehead. Blood. Vaelas shook away the blurry haze and slowly stood. The blood ran down into his left eye, which he clamped shut.

Seeing his cane on the ground he bent to pick it up, and then, just remembering what had happened, he looked back to see if the girl and Nash were alright.

---
OOS: Kinda lost where I was, so I think this should help sort it out. If I should expand this post, please say, I'll be happy to edit, if need be.

The reanimated corpse's scream quickly turned into a raspy chuckle. "Play with my friends, I have other matters to attend."

Figures started to form in the mist fire, and quickly leaped from the crackling fire. The cloud split into three fire spirits, each wielding spiked whips.

The spirit lumbered towards the three people and the young fox.

"Begone, imp child." The scorched cadaver whispered, raising a boned finger at Lylia. It felt as if her inwards twisted in on the themselves, and then jerked back into their correct orientation. The pain caused her to black out briefly, and when she regained consciousness she found herself on the deck of a familiar airship, with the sound of bone crunching nearby.

OOC: Sorry for the briefness, but I'm running. Figuratively at least.

Sagasus frowned on the word ‘friends’, as he had seen no one else. He also wondered what those other matters are, as it sounded not good.

He took a step backwards to where his friends are, while he looked how the figures took shape and leaped from the fire. Softly he muttered some words and a sword of mist formed near his hands. He grabbed it firmly with both hands and took a fighting stance.

Saga looked over his shoulder for a moment to look how the others are, and to warn them of the danger. “How are you three?” he said a bit worried “if you can fight, fight as we got trouble!” He then turned back to look at the three attackers who got closer and closer, while waving with the sword to hold them back.

OOC: It’s a fox Phi, not a wolf… unless you changed it to a wolf….

He was in a rough situation. Quazzidan was sweating with effort after ten minutes of struggle between the orb and his very will. His breaths had become haggard and his pulse rapid. His mind was swimming, desperately seeking a means of victory. meteor-fire tempest-earthen spire- volcanoe- hurricane- thunderbolt, his mind raced for a useful spell as his agitation grew only worse and his concentration dwindled. Gravital pulse- Twilight- Earthquake- Plasma- "Plasma!" He shouts as he considers how to form the spell usefully. "And fire. But how..." He questions after. He had to come up with an answer and fast.

In a quick decision, he decides to have the two elements spiral a path around the assailing orb to possibly counter its connection to him and force it to attack the disrupting patterns around it. Hurriedly, he changed all of his concentration towards a formula adjustment to make the spell. He did not have long as his body already began to crawl towards the orb intently. Frustration grated him to his limits as his finally figured out a means to the spell. He began to focus on casting the spell, slowing his quick advance towards the Dark matter, but still his body moved. Three feet away...two feet away...half, his arm began reaching, but the spell had just ended upon his tongue. His body lashed backwards from the force of the plasma and fire firing off with a great tail from his palms. The elements ran a path like rapid moons around the gravitational pull emitted from the Dark Matter orb. Quazzidan lay back exhausted, and his mind went completely blank for ten minutes of him breathing heavily and recouperating from the draining battle.

When he decided that he could once more, Quazzidan stood. His eyes watched the orb try to fight off his spell hopelessly. He searched about his book of notes that he had dropped during the struggle. The book layed upon a rock haphazardly but appeared otherwise undamaged. He thanked his luck with a sigh of relief. Now he could really begin his studies.

Sagasus yelled out to Vaelas and the girl, when there was a sharp crack like the sound of bone and the tearing of tissue, as the young woman disappeared. Vaelas stared for a moment after she had gone before turning to meet their nearly arrived foes.

"Master... the girl is gone."

One of the figures darted forward quickly, catching Vaelas off guard, and ripping a hole in his sleeve. He stumbled back and called on the mist to help prop himself back up. He jabbed forward with his cane, cracking his opponent in the face, sending him reeling.

OOS:

Meant to post earlier than this.

Lylia scrambled to her feet, rushed to side, and hurled over the railing. She hung off of it for a moment, her mind catching up to her body. Pain shoot through her nerves, burning into her muscles.

"I could put you out of misery." The griffin growled at her.

"I could roast your carcass and use your plumage to make a new hat." Lylia screamed back at it. She wiped vomit from her mouth and crossed over the deck to the first corpse she saw. "Corpse, regain that which you lost, to my will be tied." Green fire followed her finger as she recited the spell and traced a rune. The power fell, lingered on it for a moment before the corpse sitrred.

"This magic, consume this ship. All that are dead to me return." Lylia continue, holding her hand on the corpse's forehead and channeling power through it and the ship's deck. Sparks leaped around the ship as mist swirled and green fire raced along it. Soon the corpses rose to their feet and went about their ship duties.

"Take me to Arbogand." She whispered to the captain before taking leave of the deck and heading into the captain's cabin. Exhausted, she laid upon the bed and slept.

The three fire golems closed on the two nebolmancers, 'causing the possessed cadaver to smile. Drisk's projected spirit could feel the body falling apart, soon he wouldn't be able to maintain the possession since he had sent Lylia on her way.

There was a thud as an arrow struck him on the back of the new. The city guards had apparently mounted a search. He would have to punish the griffin later for its lack of stealth.

"Grasses, grasp and pull and rip. Feast on that which tramples on you." He laughed, casting his hand out towards the city. The grass shuddered, and then exploded outwards grabbing at the figures in the distance.

He turned back to the nebulmancers struggling against the golems. The two wouldn't be killed so easily, but this bodies time was short. He breathed in, sucking mist that surrounded him. The corpse bloated, smiled, and then exploded sending magic shards tearing through space behind a fiery shock wave.

OOC: A little self inflicted corpse explosion never hurt...

It took Quazzidan a good day to do a decent amount of research on the Dark Matter Orb, but he was only half satisfied by the end of his 24 hour study. He has to return as staying much long may draw an encounter with something more powerful than himself. Such are the dangers of the mist. Carefully, he repacks his satchel and takes to air once more, aiming to return to his workshop to compare notes and write something of value from his research.

The return flight was not soo simple as getting to the location. There were a few times where Quazzi had to destroy a mist form or flee, which got to be fairly disorienting. His luck shone though as he eventually ran into an armed patrol and was escorted back to the safety of his tower, where he promptly went to sleep.