Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

[C S]

Desrium looked back at the senior guard, his rouge eyes burning into the soldier's own, flashing occasionally. His intimidating gaze was called upon the merman not because of what he did to Septimus. No, Desrium's attention was caught by a faint sense of recognition, not of the individual, but of the language he spoke...

[Godzilla Forever]

Nitsunobue growled, the demonic state he's in forcing him to fight beyond the point of reasoning. However, the venom's full effects fell upon him. Moaning, the wyvern slumped to the ground, as his reasonable side broke through long enough to speak.

"Thank..... you..."

The wyvern soon fell asleep.....

[dinoman666]

Tetto'eko paused for a moment, cautiously approaching the unconscious wyvern. He looked over the body, confusion evident on his face. "I don't understand. He was on our side up until now. It just doesn't make sense..." The Skink was interrupted by the strangest sound: an echoing, dark chuckle that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Make sense? Aw, what fun is there in making sense?"

Tetto'eko perked up at the sound, looking around curiously. That voice... where have I heard that before? he thought.

As if reading his thoughts, the voice continued: "Did you miss me, Tetto my boy?"

Suddenly, there was movement: a tree on the side of the path began to shiver, two of its branches pulling down, the rest of the tree canopy pulling back to expose the trunk. There was a bright white flash, and the leaves of the frontmost branches seemed to vanish, forming a pair of "arms," and knots and whorls in the trunk's bark shifted and twisted into a vague facsimile of two eyes and a grinning mouth, which protruded with one large thorn, like a fang. A yellow, glowing light with a red dot at the center appeared in each "eye socket." The eyes flicked back and forth, staring at the group, the tree's face remarkably lifelike as it spoke.

"I missed you. It gets so lonely encased in stone. Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? After all, it's not like I've ever turned Lizardmen into stone. Or dragons, for that matter."

Tetto'eko's eyes widened in realization. "Wait... Discord?"

The tree laughed. "Oh good, you DO remember me! Enjoying your vacation?" Tetto'eko's surprised face twisted into an uncharacteristically furious hiss. "How dare you show your face to me again, you scum!" The Discord-possessed tree rolled its glowing eyes, examining the tips of its arms' branches casually. "Ugh, I forgot how grim you are, Tetto. It's really quite BORING..."

Unbeknownst to the group of travelers, Discord was floating high above, still using the clouds to hide, puppet crosses in his hands and one wrapped around his tail. The crosses dangled sparkling strands of energy that quickly vanished from sight as they descended down past the clouds and magically attached to the tree's branches, unseen by the group below. It was a combination of illusion and physical manipulation, blurring the lines between what was reality and fantasy, as was typical of the chimera. Even more insidious was Discord's voice: it was far more than his usual oratory skill. Instead, he had added a magical, hypnotic effect that worked on a subliminal level: it didn't truly take away free will, but merely sounded so incredibly interesting to the travelers, that the entirety of their attention was drawn to the sound of his voice. It certainly didn't stop them from voicing their own opinions, but it was an incredibly effective distraction, if only for their minds.

And that was all Discord needed: his presence was felt in more than just the tree he controlled. The Chaos being was working his way into the group's minds as well, but in a completely different way from what would be expected. Discord did not attempt to read the travelers' conscious thoughts. He slipped past their distracted conscious mind and entered the unconscious: the deeper memories that weren't thought about on a daily basis. Of course, pressing too far would bring their attention to his presence, even with the hypnotic powers of his voice. Instead, he barely scratched the surface: names, places, small memories, basic details. Nothing particularly unique, but things he could use in the future for his own purposes of psychological warfare. If he needed deeper, darker memories, he could attempt more... invasive procedures later, when they would be more hard pressed to stop him...

[Godzilla Forever]

Nitsunobue twitched in his slumber, his mind in a state of chaos within, a literal battle occurring...

Two forms, one that is bathed in white, and another, shrouded in darkness, collide with each other, again and again, both trying to regain control of the wyvern's mind, as his poor, neutral conciousness is caught in the crossfire.

"You have caused enough trouble, anarchy! Return to your corner until you are needed!"

"NO! I AM STRONG! WHY DO YOU TRUST The ELVES, TRANQUILITY?! THEY ARE WEAK, WHILE WE ARE STRONG! THEY GOT US HURT!"

"You are wrong, anarchy! The archdemon harmed us for his own gains, and you got us hurt again by them because you attacked, despite me warning you otherwise!"

"THEY PROVOKED US! WE HAD THE RIGHT TO DESTROY THEM, IF YOU HAD NOT INTERFERED!"

"It is not our right to kill innocents who wish to destroy evil, anarchy! You are wrong, and you cannot win here, or anywhere else!"

"NO! YOU LIE TO YOURSELF IN A SAD ATTEMPT TO USURP ME! YOU HOLD NO TRUE POWER IN THIS WORLD! I DO ALL THE WORK! I DEFEND US! I KILL THE DANGERS! WHAT DO YOU DO, TRANQUILITY?! YOU TREAT WITH HALF-BREEDS AND ELVEN KIN!"

The two collide again, focused solely on putting the other beneath them...

[Giratina93]

Akuro also noticed that the trees were rapidly thinning out. He could already begin to pick up the scent of the castle once more. unaccessable... as if. the Kitsune growled mentally as he continued to follow the others, carrying the sleeping beast on his back...

"I understand that, but couldn't he have chosen someone else to ally with, other than those.. savages." Mara replied, the word savages coming off in a very distasteful way. Not too far away, once again came the same bird call, that told that Viral was still nearby, watching...

[Godzilla Forever]

The stalkers continued along, but Gorgoroth, or the wasteland for that matter, were still no where in sight. They still had a while to go....

The horses soon began to trot down the thin, rocky path. The Castellan glanced down for a moment, before turning to Mara.

"There are few others in the wasteland that would join us. The Chaos Dwarves are the closest thnigs to "allies" we have in this blackened realm," Sharavuras explained. "Our alternative would be the goblin tribes within the Great Forest, or the thralls of the undead in the White Dunes to the east. The tribes hate each other more than anything else, and the undead are... less than trustworthy allies." The castellan paused. "At worst, the dwarves will terminate themselves in the coming war against the Asterians. At best, we force them to assimilate under Gorgoroth's rule."

[Hopeflower]

Arsenic, after the initial shock of first seeing Andruil, had drawn his bow. Now he aimed a nocked barbed arrow at the wyvern's throat, just on the chance that it showed any signs of attacking again. Aviva and Zar swooped low overhead, the wind created by their wings making Arsenic have to duck. Forget the wyvern for now - the shield, Arsenic! Aviva cried to him mentally, forcing her way into his mind to strengthen their defenses against the illusions and their minds.

Zar, which his consciousness joined with his mate's, focused on protecting the minds of his companions, pushing out the forgeign presence. The hypnosis would do nothing with the dragon's mind in the way; the presence could gain nothing from the minds of his allies. Fierce pride in his species suddenly swept through Zar. Their mental defenses only strengthened with age. At the same age as Aviva, almost nothing slipped past him.

Aviva herself concentrated on helping Arsenic maintain the protective telepathic bubble around the party. Oh they could still see the manipulated tree and hear the voice; but like the sweet rain, the illusion held little power. There was no interest beyond that of finally seeing the illusionist; there was no mental tampering. The distraction went only as far as the fighters allowed it to; which seemed to be, not at all. "Foolish beast," she snarled aloud. "If the first illusion didn't work, what made you think this one would?" Her sharp gaze searched for the real creature, lip curled. "Coward," she hissed.

[Godzilla Forever]

The wyvern grumbled in his slumber, the fighting in for his mind growing more intense. Soon, the victor would be decided...

Shadow and light collided back and forth, both flinging bolts of their element at one another and the whole of the realm was in tatters. The arch nemeses locked eyes with each other, their wounds evident on thier glistening or blackened forms. This time, Anarchy spoke up first.

"YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME, TRANQUILITY! MY POWER IS FAR GREATER THAN YOUR PUNY MAGIC!"

Tranquility blasted Anarchy again, the shadowy creature stumbling back from the attack.

"No..... you overestimate yourself, and underestimate me."

The black beast lunges forward, attempting to strike Tranquility, but is smashed over the head by a tail.

"Now, I will let you come out right now and fight, but you must swear that you will fight for the elves."

"NEVER! THEY ARE NOT WORTHY OF US!"

He is smashed over the head again.

"Submit Anrachy!"

"NO!"

He is hit again multipel times, Anarchy nearly being beat to a pulp.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! BUT JUST THIS ONCE!"

"No, for all time."

"FOR ALL TIME."

"Swear it, swear it upon your name."

"I SWEAR, FOR AS LONG AS I RESIDE WITHIN NITSUNOBUE, I WILL FIGHT FOR THE ELVES! NOW LET ME OUT!"

"Granted."

Nitsunobue awakens, twin jets exitting his nostrils. He soon smelled a familiar scent: the chimaera....

[dinoman666]

Discord had been lightning fast, and his search had been very brief. By the time Arsenic and the dragons had raised a mental shield strong enough to repel him, the chimera had withdrawn, already satisfied with what he had seen: names, basic information, and the like. Things he could have gotten from a good friend. It wasn't much, but it didn't need to be, and he had no reason to be greedy just yet. Discord laughed raucously. "Oh, you naive little lizard! Not even you, with all your mental fortitude, can comprehend the difference between truth and lies! This is no longer a simple illusion. You're in the real world now, and it's about time I showed you how it worked!" His gaze flicked briefly to Nitsunobue, acknowledging his presence, but doing nothing to him. He had all he needed from the wyvern.

"And as for that 'coward' jibe, I'll have you know I'm only here to talk, Aviva!" Discord hissed, putting an ever-so-slight emphasis on the dragon's name. "I only sent your horned friend back to give you such a warm welcome to test you, as it were. I don't kill people; too monotonous. Of course, you already knew that, right? I mean, how couldn't you? I'm sure Tetto has told you ALL about me..." The tree's attention turned to Tetto'eko, who's scowl turned to an nervous frown. This elicited a smile from the chimera, who added, "Oh, I guess he didn't warn you, did he? He didn't tell you what I am truly capable of? The former High Astromancer of the Temple-City of Hexoatl never told you WHY he has 'former' in his title? Why he is so far away from Lustria? How disappointing..."

[Hopeflower]

"What does it matter?" Aviva snarled in reply. "His past is his own to divulge; frankly, I don't care who or what you are, and I won't in another hundred years." She carved a wide banking turn. "As for truth and lies, I know the difference very well. I also know you've been attempting a subtle hypnosis; clever, but it won't work." A smirk curved her reptillian lips as her mate's red wings flashed by. "Not with three of us repelling you."

[dinoman666]

Discord didn't seem particularly perturbed by that news. Instead he merely rolled his eyes. "Oh dear!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and mock surprise. "A pair of Extraxl and a mute Elf assassin stopped my mental powers with the power of their united consciousnesses! How did I not see THAT coming?!" Discord sighed. "Look, I've been around doing this well before you were even conceived, Aviva. If you really want to surprise me, you're going to have to do better than that. You're just like every other dragon I've met: unimaginative, cocky, and boooooring!The last time a dragon thought he could outsmart me, he was possessed by an Archdemon..." The chimera laughed. "That wiped the dopey little grin off his face in a real hurry! Hehehe!

[Hopeflower]

"You're particularly annoying and boring yourself," Zar rumbled, amused. "You offer us no real challenge, just the wyvern and smoke and mirrors. Honestly, I begin to think you just enjoy the sound of your own voice." With that the two dragons lasped into mental communication, flying almost in a figure-eight pattern.

[dinoman666]

Discord's smile broadened. "So, you want a REAL challenge, eh? I think I can arrange that..."

[Godzilla Forever]

As soon as the wyvern had pushed himself to his feet, he threatened the chimaera.

"NO, I GIVE YOU CHALLENGE, COWARD! COME DOWN AND FIGHT ME!"

The wyvern stomped his feet intimidatingly, smashed his tail against the earth, and growled at Discord, knowing he was nearby....

[dinoman666]

Discord chuckled. "Fight? Since when do I ever fight? Sorry to disappoint, Nitsy my boy, but not today."

Tetto'eko stomped the end of his Stellar Staff against the ground, and the sound of a booming thunderclap resounded from the cloudy sky, the storm beyond Arashi's control for only the briefest of moments. "ENOUGH!" the Skink shouted, his voice magically amplified to be heard by all present. Discord narrowed his eyes, briefly annoyed. "Yes, Tetto? Something you want to say?"

The Skink narrowed his yellow eyes. "What do you want, Discord? You have already taken everything I have. Why come back to haunt me now?""Oh, it's always about you, isn't it? So selfish, I swear. Alright, fine, I'll tell you all why I'm here, but I'm only going to tell you MY way...

To retrieve the answers to your questions, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan, then find your answers opposite of where you began..."

As he finished his riddle, Discord's presence vanished in a bright flash, the tree suddenly reverting back to its original, static form. Even as it did so, Discord's voice trailed in the wind, echoing around the travelers as he chuckled darkly...

Above the clouds, Discord had released his hold on the tree and was floating on his back, laughing hysterically, unheard by the group below. "Oh man, that was gold!" he said between chuckles, halfway aimed towards Arashi. "These guys are going to be the most fun I've had in eons! Bahahaha!"

[The Kingpin]

"It might be wiser to avoid generalising where Dragons are concerned, Discord, lest you forget you are in the company of one" rumbled Arashi's voice as the Dragon's shimmering silver figure flew past him, the thump of his wings almost unnaturally loud. "And please, do me a favour and DON'T make them incapable of behaving naturally in a normal environment. I intend to get some use out of them once you're done" he added, before ascending, disappearing amidst the clouds, the boom of thunder overhead enough to send a shockwave through the chimera's body...


"Why do I always get the annoying jobs?" sighed Andruil as he moved towards Furax, checking on Arsenic and Vix. "Are we really so interesting that some twisted mind-meddling abomination joins in with the Archdemon and whining King? Next thing we know a flying demonic FROG will join in as well" he grumbled...

[dinoman666]

"Oh, I do hate generalizations myself," Discord muttered. He shouted after Arashi, "Prove me wrong, then, my boy!" He glanced down at the path below, then zipped off to prepare his game. "As for your friends... well, we'll see soon enough, won't we?"

"I never thought I would see that creature again..." Tetto'eko muttered. "I thought I could forget about the only being in known history who could incite even the slightest idea of rebellion among my people, and somehow pin it all on me..." He glanced at Andruil. "If there is one creature in this world that you should not underestimate, it is Discord. He can turn the closest of friends into hated enemies with the mere power of persuasion. He sows chaos in all its worst forms: anger, deceit, avarice, cruelty, faithlessness, and anything else you can think of. This is all a game to him. He does not owe allegiance to anyone, not even an Archdemon. He is doing this for the sheer fun of it..."

[C S]

Rows of smooth curved-roofed buildings lined the streets of the submerged city. The roofs were grooved, being akin to shells and were of many colors. Some were a mix of red and pink, others were pearl white and a few had dazzling azures and greens. The road seemed to be made of compacted sand, hard sedimentary rock with bits of polished gems and crystals embedded within, creating sparkling paths underneath the shimmering dome. The sparkling reminded Desrium of the moon shining down onto the Daaven lake. The people, "Zuppolandians" walking through the city stopped to watch the sight of the dragon being escorted by the guards. Their surprise was amplified once they laid eyes on the armored being, their emotions practically etched on their faces. The aquatic people had glossy skin of many different tones, such as shades of blue, white and green. They wore light clothing reminiscent of togas, the cloth extending just past their knees and being of bright colors and patterns to emulate the fish of the reefs...

[Godzilla Forever]

"Don't tempt fate," Nitsunobue grumbled at Andruil. They were already in enough chaos, and Nitsunobue's temporary insanity almost got them killed earlier. If only he had killed the chimaera when he had the chance.... then they wouldn't be in this predicament....

[TyrannoTitan]

A few hours prior...

The goblin taskmaster stood in the forest with two remaining Vul'nul guards, exhausted and frustrated by the fighting that went on. The unknown attackers, which he compared to hairy, baby humans, took down one of the Vul'nul and sent the Kobolds fleeing in the forest. Now they were alone, waiting for reinforcements, though upon further examination, the attackers didn't seem to occupy the lumber yard. With as little protection he had left, however, he wasn't about to sound the all clear and head back into what was possibly an ambush. As he waited, he could hear the faint sound of...something approaching their position. Unlike the stealthy little worms that attacked them, this sounded large, numerous, and fast. Before he could get the Vul'nul to pay attention, the approaching creatures were already in sight: Forest trolls, which he remembered being told lived around the camp. Although they were more then enough for his Vul'nul guards to handle, they stampeded past them all, much to their amazement, howling and growling as they went. "What the...?" the taskmaster said as he watched the lumbering creatures go, scratching the back of his green head. Turning back to where they came from, he noticed a light in the distance. Soon that light began to expand at an alarming rate, and it was then that he recognized what had spooked the trolls. "Oh hell, not again!" he exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and forcing the Vul'nul to follow with a swift crack of his whip, the three of them racing away from the approaching forest fire...

At present...

"What do you mean, 'some creatures'? If its causing that big of a fuss, it has to be something more then just wildlife gone mad." Bolthammer questioned, irritated by this news. Apparently, some of their trading partners were being attacked by strange nocturnal creatures. This was, of course, bad for business, and they needed a solution. "I don't know, boss. That's what the suppliers have been saying...And we've been getting reports of unidentified creature attacks, during storms or at night..." the goblin, one of Bolthammer's trusted magi, explained, hoping the Trade Prince would get what he was implying. Bolthammer sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger in frustration. "Great. Not only are they taking away our business, but the little ******** have the nerve to attack us directly? I won't a few mangy animals destroy my trade empire." the Trade Prince growled, slamming a fist onto the arm of his throne. As the mage was about to continue, another goblin burst into the throne room, running up to both of them. Despite the dramatic display, the goblin had been trying to gain an audience with the Trade Prince for hours, trying to convince the guards he had a good reason to see him. "Boss, we got problems!" the goblin, a taskmaster by the looks of it, gasped as he neared, clearly out of breath. "How cliche. What do you want? We are busy." Bolthammer asked, his irritation still evident on his scowling face. "Boss...boss its back! That damned inferno is back and its heading straight for us!" the taskmaster exclaimed, still trying to catch his breath. Bolthammer's frowned deepened, and for a second both of the other goblins were scared for their well being. "Are you sure? Did you see him?" the mage asked carefully when the Trade Prince did not answer. "No, but I am a veteran of the last one, and that one cost me my inheritance! Er, I mean...my parents! I know what the damned thing looks like!" the taskmaster responded hastily, looking at the Trade Prince. To both of their surprise, he was smiling. "Boss...?" the mage said, unable to see what was good about such a dire situation. "This solves everything!" Bolthammer said suddenly, grinning. Both of the other goblins continued to stare at him, confused. "I believe the term is 'two birds with one stone'." he explained, and it was only then that the other two understood...