Seesion 03: The Iris of the Far Realm

There are few famous people I know of. Soulerio, I knew nothing of until I saw him shackled to my mistress’s wall. Pellegri too was but an unknown until I saw her wearing the same colors as I. Indeed, their entire group, though whispered, was nothing to my history lessons. Elena, was the exception however. All know her name. Indeed, all worship her name. For she was the one who gave the killing strike against Kyuss, and thus, according to the bard’s songs, single handedly slew the Worm God, preventing the apocalypse. It was why she had to be saved, for we needed such a hero with us if we were to prevent yet another destruction of the world we knew.

There was another group of adventurers as well that were famous. In fact they were perhaps the most famous. These were the Outsiders. A warforged and his obsession with creating magical trinkets. The mummy and his obsession with uniting all religions. And their leader, the half-tielfing whose lust for the Far Realm, created the magic that would summon creatures from said place.

These three were famous for two reasons. The first was their achievement in defeating an evil that was very personal to them and the ones they cared for. Before them, there were so very few adventurers who gained true fame. Yet for such unlikely allies to come together and easily (if the stories are to believed) stop the plane of Carseri from enveloping the Material plane, is a true inspiring tale; one that would encourage others to oil their scabbards and take up their own personal causes.

The Outsiders are also famous for another reason, though there are none to pen this. For indeed, no one outside my circle of current companions is alive to even do so. I speak of course of the destruction by Vanthas and Demogorgon of my world. The Outsiders were famous and powerful warriors, much more than me and the piddly band I was forced to bring with me to stop the demon lord and his lackey. What could the Outsiders have possibly had to do that was more important than saving the world?

Now they, like the Harbingers, have been conscripted into the mission. It would have been easier if people had stepped up when everything was much easier a task to accomplish. Now it will take a mission outside of time itself, to do something that the Hand of God, the collection of divine powers, and a delayed blast fireball should have been able to take care of with ease. Their inaction however has created a situation of absolute chaos.

Trickery, anarchy, and my divine calling are what I live for these days. It is why I wake up in the morning, for it follows me wherever I walk. And on this morning, that cycle continued in a big way. There is another calling however, one that almost bothers me. This too came knocking upon my conscious, to loud to be ignored. I will not speak in riddles or anything, rather straight to the point; loyalty. Today the bell tolled for champions to fight side by side in the face of certain death, and rather than flee to a comfortable corner, I answered the cry with great fervour. This is how it began...

It was only moments after the defeat of the goblin hexer. Pellegri used her new songs of awakening to heal the wounds of Soulerio and Elena, allowing them to rise to their own two feet. A moment to be thankful for sure as it was our true first test in this new world. We had won. Barely, but we had done so, and as a team. Now discussion turned as to what to do next? In our old world, we would have spoken to the head of the dead goblin for information, yet such powers were beyond our grasp at the moment.

It seemed there was no love whatsoever between Elena at Soulerio. An offer by the latter to neuter the Deadman was turned down. As there was no "Dumber than a grain of sand," reply, I deduced correctly that Soulerio's fear of Elena ran deeper than his hatred of Pellegri. This was quite the disheartening revelation as Malfurion was counted on us all to work together to stop the omega.

On the subject of Malfurion, my trust of him was not very great. It was he who had betrayed my actions to Gustav, thus nearly ruining my whole plan to even get the man and his wench to the Isle of Dread and try to stop all of this mess in the first place.. And although "Dark One" was one of the names of my goddess Malcanthet, in this world, the term might also refer to another being. Malfurion, Demogorgon, Vecna, perhaps even AO? There were many possibilities, but we knew that simply standing around would get us nothing.

Through our discussions, Soulerio suggested something of value, that being that we should leave clues to the other groups of adventurers that would be trying to do what we were doing in this timeline. Soulerio also admitted to something that suddenly became a detriment to our mission. He revealed that he had been telling every god who would listen what their place would be in the next creation. This in itself was likely the cause of the good gods being subjugated by the demons.

At the moment there seemed only one person we could trust, that that being Malcanthet. And so it was to her that we went. We left the wererat above for Elena to slay and then began the walk to the great chapel of the Sisterhood. Along the way, Soulerio donned the flame robes we had found and was quite fond of their fit. I left them to their own research in the library while I myself went to talk to my friend Fharlanghn. Along the way I stopped a most eloquent suit of plate armor in shop window, but sadly my funds were not nearly enough.

As I awoke the next morning, a breakfasted with Fharghy. Our repast was soon interrupted by an event in the sky. At first, it seemed to be an eclipse as a black dot opened up, covered part of the sun. Soon however, more of these dots opened up, and it became evident that these were portals. I asked Fharghy to fly me closer, and as we approached, we noticed creatures swarming out of them. They were like nothing I had ever seen and are all but indescribable. Their flight was directed towards the Sisterhood chapel.

I directed Fharghy to fetch Soulerio and Elena, and the three of us flew to try to save my goddess. Fharghy left us a few feet from the temple and then flew off, not wanting any part in the fight. At the doors were Malcanthet, Shami, and Nephilim, along with a host of priestesses, including Pellegri. They readied their crossbows and fired at the influx of eyes and tentacles bearing down on them.

And then everything stopped.

Only myself and my comrades were unaffected, as well as the hundred of creatures. That left the question as to whether we run or die. Pellegri stood her ground. Elena stayed by her side. Soulerio cast a barrier to prevent anyone from going through the doors, and I stood in front of my goddess to prevent harm upon her.

A small wave attacked us, included three small tentacled ones and two that were all eyes. Elena used an attack called Aspect of Might and obliterated one of the small ones in a one-two hit with her chain. I charged at an eye one, feeling the feelers of a tentacled one failing to reach into my mind. Summoning a Majestic Halo, I smashed the larger one to writhing pieces of flesh. Soulerio separated his mind in two as he concentrated on the impeding bubble, while sending a snaking line of dark energy to rot away the flesh of one the other tentacled ones. It retaliated by sending a cone of slowing fog, encompassing everyone but myself and Pellegri. The fellow priestess of Malcanthet used her magical voice to send a Thunderous Shout through the minds of all our enemies. The remaining tentacled one took a chain strike from Elena, that, though slowed, still did some damage.

Sensing the bubble, one of the small ones charged towards it, but its feeble mind could not penetrate the barrier. Selfishness is something I know well. And even though my mind said to strike at an enemy, my heart screamed to do something to help someone out. Thus I used a power I had held back for myself and instead sent the beam of energy towards Elena, removing her slowed state. Soulerio meanwhile rotted away more of tentacled flesh, yet still it stood, and it was becoming more and more evident that all of our attacks were having a reduced effect on our foes than they would a normal monster.

Tentacle backed up a step and fired a ray of magic that left my mind unable to make my body do any sort of actions. Even in this state, my armor was solid and the little monster that came after me simply bounced harmlessly away as it connected with my shoulder plate. The other one however went right for my exposed throat, and there was nothing I would do to stop it. Pellegri sent a devastating psychic suggestive magic into Tentacle and Soulerio finished it off with his rot magic. With Pellegri's last song, it became evident that these things had at least one vulnerability.

With this revelation, Pellegri sent the same song into the mind of a small one, obliterating it in an instant. Elena used an Overwhelming Strike to wound the remaining small one. It retaliated and after hitting the woman, she found herself paralyzed. Both myself and Soulerio struck the thing hard, but it was Pellegri's song that slew it.

All this time, the many hundred of other creatures were flying high above and looking upon the battle as though analyzing all of our actions. And it soon became evident that they had determined the one who was keeping them at bay as four large ones suddenly flew down towards Soulerio.

Elena charged one and hit it hard with her chain, while Soulerio summoned a disembodied but it failed to grasp one of them. Two of the creatures lashed out a full twenty feet with their tentacles and struck Soulerio. The other two, larger Eye versions of the previous small ones, fired to energy rays at the Deadman that nearly sent him back to the grave as he barely stood after the attacks. Pellegri sang to him to heal some of his wounds but it was evident that the man was doomed. She sent another psychic attack at a Tentacle beast and slew it instantly. I took on an Eye one, but the Challenge it felt from me went unheeded as still had its sight upon Soulerio. It looked at Soulerio and it seemed as though Soulerio and the things position switched places several times, before Soulerio stayed where he was, clearly out of breath as though he had just fought a titanic battle.

Another tentacle lashed out at Soulerio, hitting the defenceless man. Nothing I could do seemed to bring the things at me to face. The Eye one facing me accepted the divine wrath of my god for not trying to strike me and instead sent a ray of pain that dropped Soulerio without even a cry of pain. The bubble magic wavered, but Pellegri sang a song to heal some of Soulerio's wounds. Not knowing what happened, but knowing instinctively what to do, he kept his concentration upon the bubble; no enemies would pass while he was alive!

A flurry of attacks by myself and Elena dropped a Tentacle beast as it seemed the most damaging ones. Yet that was not the case as an Eye one again looked upon Soulerio, and this time, as end of the rapid exchange of bodies that took place, it was the Eye one that was in the doorway of the chapel, and the bubble of with Soulerio several meters away.

Needing some sort of weapon to end the fight quickly, I saw the staff that Malcanthet held solidly in her timeless hands and thought it might be a more powerful weapon against these things if she had come out to face them with only that. Thus, used precious seconds to wrench it from my goddess's grasp, gaining a weapon of unknown power, and discouraging looks from my allies as they clearly thought I was stealing it. Soulerio moved himself back to the doorway as the Eye one that had entered was making his way deeper into the chapel. The other Eye one took mighty mock from Pellegri, sending it crashing to the cobble stones.

Now more of the things were flying towards us and we were faced with an impossible decision; fight or flee. Some noble heart was guiding us all that day as we closed the doors on the Chapel, finding ourselves inside its walls. It seemed that we had all silently decided to fight to the end. We prepared ourselves to run after the one that was already in the chapel. The urgency of this was made more evident as a booming voice from outside ordered it and its fellow being to slay the time dragon.

It seemed Malfurion had been under our noses all this time and we had been unaware. If we could save him, then perhaps he could finally give us the answers we sought. But there was one answer I believed I had. I knew who or what this being was who was organizing this attack, and in all likelihood who the dark one was. I looked to my companions and said the only name that made sense...

It was a flawless plan. Or nearly so. These saviours from the Material Plane were not supposed to be so resilient. But they didn't stand a chance. After all, know one could stand up to the Master of Timestop and the Far Realm.

He looked on with admiration at the hundreds of his children around him. They would slay Malfurion, of that there was no doubt. In the same world, in another time, his other self was currently in the process of slaying Sur'Kil. Once their powers were his, his ultimate goal would be complete. For he was not content with his current position. No, he had a much greater crown to seize. He would become the Master of the Past and Present. No one had ever claimed to be such. But he, Verodemocrium Moraztardia, would become the one and only to do so.