The Portal

[Lollercide]

First Step Forward

Zack stretched his long and slender digits across the cover of a book, raking his pointed nails across its smooth surface. Night had fallen, taking away the daylight he had been using to read. Not that it would hinder the tiefling's enhanced vision, but the growing noise of crickets and the other nocturnal creatures had become too frustrating for him to read. It was probably best either way, he could now keep an ear out for any that might approach.

"Whatever," he thought as he quietly closed the book, tucking it into a pouch dangling from a limb overhead. He then stretched out on the limb, resting his back against it and letting his limbs dangle from it, complacant with what he had accomplished in learning that day. A step forward, more than anyone else was giving, he thought behind his conceited smirk.

His eyes shut, but even that wouldn't quiet his mind; wanting to continue, wanting to achieve more during this gifted moment of consciousness. Strike while the iron is hot, place that second step forward before his will to accomplish that is burning vigorously within becomes snuffed out.

He brings his right hand his horn and twists the tip of his index and thumb around the horn's point, sifting through his thoughts, working out his ideas. Up until an unpleasant memory interjects, washing the smirk from his face with a frown.

"That Woman," he thought, dropping his hand to join his other limbs in dangling.

He couldn't understand. It was his business, so why should she be ... No, she has no reason.

"Why the hell is she so interested in where Zack goes and what he does?" he grumbles, thinking with absolute certainty that it must be some trick, some kind of trap.

"Whatever," he lifts his head just enough to drop it back against the limb's bark, avoiding the thought that has worry and anxiety trailing so closely behind it, because, of course, that would be counter productive.

[Lollercide]

Supposed Wizard, Supposed Brother

Zack's eyes snapped open, quickly bringing himself to a sitting position ontop of the branch. It took him a while to take in where he was and what time it was.

"Shit," he thought, "Must have nodded off sometime last night."

The morning sun beamed through the treetops and found its way into Zack's left eye. In response, he closed it and groaned, trying to recollect his thoughts before heading out.

"The book.. I'll likely need him to help me with it. He'll probably understand this shit better than me at least," he spoke in a drowsy tone while reaching for the pouch dangling from the branch above him that held the book. Taking it, he carefully prepared himself to drop from the limb to ground.

Thud.

He landed rather gracefully for it being this early in the morning. His knees ached from the fall, but it was far from crippling in any way. Slowly, he raised his slender frame into a straight posture and wiped the rheum from his eyes with the back of his hand.

Zack knew where to find him, and he was the only reliable person Zack had when it came to... Well, anything. Everyone else only chastised Zack for trying so hard to fix this problem -- Whatever. They're useless anyway, he convinced himself.

He was quick to prepare for travel, for he didn't have much to take anyway. Just his light scale armor, the pouches and what it contained strapped to his armor, his knife, short sword, and the book.

With all of that Zack would head through the Viridale, through the Glade, and up the long wooden stairs leading to the Ranger's Outpost -- To Nocte. Only pausing occasionally to enjoy the morning rain.

Finding Nocte, he would greet him with a simple, "Let's begin."

[Anks]

The Study

"Of course," Nocte slightly yawned afterwards.

Recieveing the book from Zack, Nocte nodded slightly already knowing what was to be asked of him. He looked for a quiet spot within the rangers outpost. Haveing read a tome like this only once before, he would try his best to make of it.

Haveing found a place of solitude within the outpost. He ravaged through his robes to look for his reading glasses, soon after he found them he took off his hood as he stared at the book, "This will take a while." He yawned slightly as he opened the book whithout causion and began to read, trying his best of what ever knowledge of the arcane he may posses to assist him in this matter.

Hour past, his mind became impatient and wandered off a bit, he would begin to fiddle with his horn a bit, but only to keep him focused as the task at hand, every once in a while he would stand and pace a bit to ponder even futher of something he might of read.

[Lollercide]

Zack's eyes followed Nocte as he paced around, joining him in a yawn. He wracked his own mind with what he already read. The knowledge was there, but could they use it? Was it enough, at least to point them in the right direction?

An uneasy frown touched Zack's lips when thinking of who might behind this portal, and what might happen should they meet him. Nocte was definitely the better half when it came to combat and the arcane, but even together -- What chance would they have against beings that so easily enslave and summon demons?

Bane-bowers weren't known for kind negotiations and diplomacy, after all.

"Tch," escaped Zack's lips as he crouched , resting his hands on his knees. He might not be a fighter, but when it came to weasling himself out of tight corners and escaping he's up there with the best with his resourcefulness ... Or so he would think, having survived all this time with his tiefling heritage.

He would have to find comfort in this, because he wasn't willing to back down. Not now, not with this lead.

"Think, Zack, what is the next step?"

[Anks]

Haveing gotten bored of reading through the book , Nocte walks off from The Rangers Outpost. Towards The Exigo Tradeing Post, Soon after he had arrived, Nocte stumbled into a interesting conversation between a Hin and the Female Thayan Knight over gods.

A few words where exchanged then. Something happend, a large creature appeared, at first Nocte thought it was a demon but then something else came...It walked to the hin and it spoke, "Mortal, Be still. Was it you who summoned me? No. No it was not." The creature then turned to Nocte and growled. Nocte took a few steps back in fear , it spoke in a strange language he did not comprehend. Shortly afterwards it charged at him with this. Nocte ran towards the crossroads shortly after catching his breath. He turned towards The Rangers Outpost to continue reading the book. In hopes he will be able to cross referance what had just happend with the book.

[Phantom Lamb]

After much reading, Nocte finds this passage:

Chapter Five: The Outer Planes

House of the Triad
Home of Helm, Ilmater, Siamorphe, Torm, and Tyr.

...a few pages into the chapter...

Celestial Residents
Archons:
Archons are celestials from a lawful good-aligned plane. Archons speak Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic, but can speak with almost any creature because of their tongues ability.

From left to right:
Lantern Archon--Lantern archons appear as floating balls of light that glow about as brightly as a torch. Only their destruction can extinguish the glow, though they can try to hide it.
Hound Archon--Hound archons look like well-muscled humans with canine heads.
Trumpet Archon--Each Trumpet Archon carries a gleaming silver trumpet about 6 feet long.

[Lollercide]

The Portal ... Closed?

"W ... I see," Zack managed to spit out through his surprise. He lowered his eyes from the man draped in red robes and inclined his head before turning away.

"That means ... Something else is behind this. Someone else," Zack thought while furrowing his brows. He slowly places one foot in front of the other, not minding the mud collecting on his boots nor the rain pattering on top of his head.

"Adamant was not only attacked once, but twice. First by a Celestial being, then by, from the sounds of it, a devil. What does this mean? Now that the Bane-bower's portal has been closed, who the hell is summoning these bastards? Who is even capable other than ..." Zack pauses to bring his hand to his horn, twisting his index finger and thumb around its tip.

" ... Right ... " It seemed so obvious now, the common denominator, but he questioned if it was worth continuing now that his original goal had been achieved.

Why help a man that will surely be the death of him, anyway?

[Anks]

Once again, Nocte innocently stood by the campfire as another starange accurance happend. A creature which he belief to be Deva came out of the portal, it first struck Cazen with a pair of arrows and then shortly afterwards Nocte. Oddly enough he was engulfed in these feeling for affection towards that Thayan woman Lauan, as was Cazen.

These feeling lingered but as the day went on they became weaker, Once again Nocte stood alone in the Rangers Outpost thinking and mumbleing to himself. "Why the hell do these damn celestial keep showing up? And where has my knight in shinning red armor gone?"

[Phantom Lamb]

After some heavy reading, Nocte finds an interesting passage:

"Dimensional rifts have occured from careless, rushed magical rites and rituals. These rifts, which often lie dormant, can open temporary portals to other dimensions.

Rifts can be activated by random surges of energy, whether it be heat, electricitiy, or even life itself. Activations are usually temporary, but in rare cases, have resulted in cataclysmic events.

Most often, rifts are sealed with Dimensional Lock spells."

[wangxiuming]

Alyrian couldn't help but feel that Zack's request was just a little ... fishy. But he had offered to help, and even if the Banite portal had already been sealed, Alyrian felt like he had to keep his word.

... on something, at least.

He made his way to the Sundren University - Zack and Nocte's information had been specific enough, and yet still managed to leave Alyrian with barely a clue as to what he was looking for.

"A dimensional lock ... what in the hells is that?"

[Lollercide]

Finding the Dimensional Lock

Zack, having the information relayed to him by Nocte, goes to the place he knows to be frequented by the most -- The Exigo Trade Post.

The winds were heavy and the roaring of thunder deafening, but even that did not stop the campfire dwellers, or Zack. There he found Alyrian, the elf, who had offered Zack his help many days ago.

"Perfect," the tiefling thought, bringing his arm across his chest while closing his eyes. Without opening his eyes, Zack points to Alyrian and begins speaking, "You said you'd help Zack if he needed anything -- Remember?"

"Sure," the elf replied, "What is it?"

The tiefling's eyes slowly opened, looking to Alyrian through the rain and flashing of lightning, he speaks, "Zack needs you to go into Sundren City, a place Zack can not go himself. Then go to the University, or anywhere you can get a Dimensional Lock spell."

"Dimensional Lock? What's that?" the elf asked, his expression and gestures masked by the rain.

"Something Adamant needs to close the rifts around the fire," Zack answers with agitation in his tone.

"Wait, I thought those were sealed?"

Feeling the questions were unavoidable, and the answers were well deserved in Alyrian's position, Zack explains the situation in full detail to Alyrian.

One final question was asked from the elf before he headed off to find the spell, "... this isn't something that's going to get me thrown in jail, is it?"

...

"Can't imagine why it would," Zack responds, looking to Nocte at his side.

"Mm," Alyrian frowns skeptically, "Alright, I'll take a look - I'll let you know if I find anything."

Zack then watches the elf take his leave down the muddy road heading out of the Trade Post, supposedly going to the University. Zack didn't feel satisfied, though. It couldn't be that easy -- Could it? Or the paladins, legionaires, or whoever would have fixed this by now.

...Right?

"Doesn't matter, keep stepping forward, Zack," The tiefling reassured himself. Zack would then go speak with Elassir Dranae, the scroll vendor that Zack witnessed dealing with shady characters (OOC: Underlined might be misinformation, since he's an NPC and any player can trade with him. Zack has seen him trade with Drow, Banites, etc. Please excuse me if it is.) Either way, he would try to figure out where else he might find this spell, scroll, just in case Alyrian's efforts do not prove fruitful.

[Verrath]

Annie, when she finally hears of the portals and what might be needed to seal them, begins keeping her eyes open for quartz crystals, and she also asks the Keeper and all the Druids to gather any they find. The portals are a threat to the Balance after all....

She also resolves to head to the Triumvirate to ask what they are thinking...

[HollowedHeart]

Brother Artimis finds himself in a mental dilemma after hearing that the Triumvate refuses to help with sealing this dangerous portal he has heard of....He cant help but weigh the intrests of the church against the Greater Good....But knowing himself all too well, he knows what is truly important in the larger scale of things and resolved to do the right thing as soon as he can get out of bed.

[Lollercide]

Thirty Pounds of Quartz

... The solution to the problem, the components needed for the Dimensional Lock, the information on both spread like wildfire when Zack told Alyrian. Many of the larger factions were informed; The Thayans, the Legionaires, the Triumvirate, and even the Druids. Despite Zack's greed in wanting the reward to himself, getting rid of the rift was far more important to him. After all, it was just as dangerous to him as it was to anyone else.

He asked himself, "Who knows what will come from the rift next?" Fairies, Celestials, and other odd and rather harmless creatures have come so far ... but Zack had a feeling, perhaps only his tiefling paranoia, but he had a feeling. What happens if this rift isn't shut, and soon?

Something terrible, he was sure of it. "What if the rift opens up a portal to a plane of hellfire? Or by mistake, some terrible beast is unleashed from another plane?" He asked himself again, shivering at the thought of being taken out by such a thing.

There was no doubt in the tiefling's mind that the risks were too great. Every time a portal opened, Zack would run as hard as he could and without hesitation -- Never looking back. Too scared to see what it is, in fear of what it could be.

Best course of action for staying alive, right? Whatever.

It was between portals that he would team up with his supposed allies, Nocte, and the Thayan Knight, Lauan and work towards the solution With them and while being mindful of the Exigo's law, they would spend most of their time asking any and all adventurers, travelers, paladins, merchants -- Everyone, (OOC: Including NPCs that do and do not exist in the Trade Post) if they have any quartz to purchase, or know of anyone selling any.

Thirty pounds. A lot, but that's what they needed. That's what they were going to get.