Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

Their armor prevents you from doing so and follows up with a fairly powerful electrical shock.

 

I quickly retreat back into Artemis, who backs off and instead tries climbing the outside of the generator to get a better look at it.

 

Touching the generator feels like a bad idea; it’s so hot to the touch it feels like molten rock that just began to cool.

 

Artemis moves away from the generator, not wanting to burn herself.

Artemis instead decides to focus, tapping into the earth, world and life around her to try and overgrow the generator with plants; vines, small trees, moss and mushrooms attempting to crawl up from the ground and worm their way into the generator.

 

The earth is dry and desolate, and there isn’t much life around her.
The plants wind up getting incinerated, the two guards seeming fairly unamused.
“Are you three clowns even going to try to escape, or what?”

 

Neither Artemis or Stephanie give a response, both trying to think of a way of shutting down or even destroying the generator.

Artemis takes to trying to swiftly decapitate the guards with a shrouded shadow katana, frustrated and angry.

 

Despite the bulk of their weapon, the guards are able to easily parry every attack you throw at them - except one, which treats you to another massive electric shock.
"If circumstances were any different, I'd request a duel. The King of Shadows is a name known by many mercenaries... I almost regret needing to deal with you here." One says.
"This chamber is sealed, there's no reason you two couldn't go for a duel." The other guard offers.
"Work before pleasure, unfortunately."
"Nobody else would know, I'd keep my mouth shut."
"A duel requires consent from both parties regardless."

 

Artemis backs off again, before quietly leaping upwards toward the ceiling; a shrouded pair of dark wings helping her. Once there, she shoves shadow katana into the ceiling and begins cutting out a large chunk around the guards.

 

The ceiling deflects Shadow Katana; you can barely make a scratch.

 

Defeated, Artemis glides back down to Stephanie, who takes out a deep purple crystal carved with runes.

Artemis and Stephanie briefly appear, the cloaking spell wearing off as they're surrounded with a purple aura, before disappearing again; escaping to Praecantatia's islands.

 

They instead find themselves in Xlentia's palace, the rift back now heavily warded, shielded, and perhaps most concerningly of all is an Emerald levitating at the doorway with eyes glowing purple eyes.
"Protect the rift... Defeat the hive master... Obey Praecantatia..." She chants in a dull droning voice, gathering a ball of magic energy as she stares straight at the trio.

 

Artemis gives Stephanie a concerned look, and she stands tall.

"I am the daughter of Praecantatia. It is her will that I am protected, for she loves me, and would wish no harm upon me or my friends." Stephanie calls to Emerald.

 

Emerald tries to reach out to Praecantatia, though fails due to the barriers and the state Praecantatia was/is in.
“She did not respond to your name. Begone.” Emerald drones, aiming the likely soon-to-be magic blast directly at Stephanie.

 

"Allow us to leave, and we shall cause you no trouble," Artemis says, pointing toward the rift, "We are native inhabitants of the reality through that rift. We would wish no harm upon it, we seek to protect it the same as you."

 

"Only Praecantatia is to be trusted. She did not acknowledge you. Consider this a warning." Emerald says, loosing a cataclysmic blast between her and the group that knocks the trio to the ground.

 

Stephanie's armour seems to absorb quite a bit of the blast, and Artemis seems quite resilient despite being lightly armoured.

"Allow us to speak with her," I say, appearing next to Artemis and helping her up, before turning my attention back to Emerald, "How can we trust your word over the goddess'? I do not acknowledge you as a vessel, and thus, I cannot trust you to deliver the true word of Lady Praecantatia. We shall cooperate if you can arrange a meeting with the deity you supposedly obey."

"You understand it is a great form of blasphemy to take a god's name in vain, correct?" I add.

 

"She has not given permission for me to do that. Stand down and turn back." Emerald drones, another two energy orbs forming in her claws.

 

"How can I believe that you're telling the truth about that?" I bark in response, "How do I know you're not just a liar using her name to try and inflict some fear on us?"

"We mean you no harm, we don't want to fight!" Stephanie says desperately.

"If your duty is to protect the rift, and you waste time attacking those that also wish to protect the rift, would you - in a sense - be compromising the overall safety of the rift, and thus be not protecting the rift and failing the orders of your goddess?" Artemis quizzes.

 

"You have not been identified as allies. There is only one alternative." She drones, purple eyes staring into Artemis' as she fires a smaller blast towards you.

 

I dispel the blast with shadow katana, standing strong against the recoil of it.

"How would we be labelled as allies, and what do you consider allies, then?" Artemis asks, "Is everyone but yourself an enemy? What about followers of Praecantatia?"