Dolor Aeternum

I am in....

Glad you are getting to know the cuddly ooze man so well 🙂

The momentary ingenuity of Karuna’s actions caused her to earn some respect from her usually gruff travelling companion who had labelled the young woman as nothing more than an inexperienced witch with potential that he did not have the patience to hone. Now free of the nuisance of the cavern, Agony stood rather statuesque as his eyes scanned over the Broken Plains. The soft light of the moon caused much of his armor to gain a harsh luster which was an odd property of Obtenebra’s peculiar texture. The amorphous being did little more than stand there robotically as Lunara and the Shadow situated themselves. Karuna’s next words, however, caused his head to shift and his red gaze to fixate on her fatigued form rather eerily. Humans and their limitations. Agony regarded Karuna’s carnal husk with even more attention than he had offered back in Purgatory where they had started this journey. He witnessed her labored breathing and her slumped positioning once again reminded of the conditioning he held from centuries of hardship. The other members of the Triumvirate held similar limitations and he held little sympathy for those shortcomings as well. He had taken this route to expedite the completion of this mission and now this dainty little girl wished to delay him further? The intensity of his gaze heightened as his desire to ensure that Karuna would not become a hindrance to the success of his absolution urged him into action. “Do not cling to your humanity as any excuse for your weakness. You have ten minutes to gather whatever energy you can. Fail to use your time wisely and you relinquish yourself to me.” Stepping forward and away from Karuna, he moved up another slight incline and attempted to see further into the distance. A massive hand fell at his side and caused a metallic clank that evinced the currently hardened texture of Obtenebra as well as his growing impatience though this was likely a baseline for his faerie companion. The reasoning behind the annoyance would perhaps surprise them all, however. The desire for redemption scratched at him relentlessly as the burdens he had caused needed to be lifted. The power he had allowed to become stifled by distraction back at the Anima Imperium needed to evolve and he would not allow any fairy or human to divert his momentum now.

@Roen Helianstranos is up

The vivified environment around Agony triggered a repulsion within him that did not manifest itself before Helianstranos or Lunara as he internalized his disgust with robotic efficiency…at least for now. Stabilizing his pace, the sentient being chose to ignore much of the gesticulations of Roen’s servant though acknowledgment was given in the way he maneuvered himself between the Other and Lunara protectively. The volatility of this situation did not allow for much control over what occurred next but he adamantly strived to maintain what he already had. His mind was capable of resisting the attempts of whatever entity attempted to govern this area to drill through its defenses. Though he had laid his mind bare before the power of the Great Devourer’s mental prowess before it had been by choice. Hardened by tortures long passed, Agony found himself slowly cementing his bearings even as madness aimed to perpetuate chaos and confusion. As he gradually reclaimed the majority of his faculties, he considered his options now. He had chosen to execute this mission given to him by the betrayer only to take the minimal burden off of the nuisance from their benevolent Patian host and restore what little grace he might have garnered before but the worth of this plan was swiftly waning. What did the stability of this place help him gain when the ire of those he had wronged was destined to resurface at the sight of the meek woman they deposited their efforts into? The fact this structure had been edified by the wayward hands of the betrayer only amplified his desire to render himself neutral instead of becoming the opposition that whelp wished for him to be. When Lunara taunted the entity who seemed amused by their presence here, Agony simply stood erect and silent as he felt himself become highly unaffected by the spatial manipulation that had plagued him before. The familiar jaundiced eye finally emerged only to see Helianstranos swiftly move to attack. The resulting laughter from the entities that surrounded the registry combined with the audible fear Marigold’s words from before suggested the contraption might be a conduit of considerable potential that the human did not wish to fully experience. Yet again, however, what did that matter to the Triumvirate? If such vast power were to be unleashed upon Terrenus or Genesaris, Agony could not fathom how this would be a deterrent to their goals. If it consumed the Blood God and even the Devil of Patia along with the rest of the acute minded Terrans or Genesarians would it not be a boon to their goals? Agony considered this mad entity before them a peripheral nuisance whose machinations he held little concern for. As the entity attempted to tether and warp his mind, he could feel similar attempts upon those around him. While Helianstranos seemed impervious to the intrusions, his faerie companion seemed to lose much of her usual behavior which spurred a violent reaction within Agony that had him lunge toward the grotesque observers around the registry. Several sharp objects protruded from the mass of Obtenebra, his form whirling around in a circular motion to force the slicing protrusions to dismember much of the crowd. Those that extended their hands in praise for daemonhost would feel them cut off while others would fall as whatever kept them erect was cut beneath them. A thunderous baritone rippled out of an unseen orifice as Agony began to speak. “Release the fairy from whatever tethers her to you and I will not obstruct whatever freedom you desire…”

Droplets fell upon his outstretched hand, coaxing him into an indulgence that was no natural occurrence back within Illyria. Climate was manufactured for they could not have the luxury of allowing seemingly random events such as rain and sunlight to prevent them from surviving. The smell of the rain and the feeling of the raindrops sliding down his fingers motivated him to take a deep breath and tilt his head upward to lose himself briefly yet again. These simple seconds were refreshing and he could not contain the joy that surged through him in this moment. Silvery eyes shone that much brighter, an unseen radiance of tranquility coating his entire body as he allowed himself these few moments before dragging himself back into the reality that he will have to endure here. He was still very much a foreign king within a realm of dark politics he knew little of. Even though he held a bond with Gabriela of considerable depth, he remained largely oblivious to her plight given the distance between them. Now forced to also investigate the machinations of those in power around him, he could no longer live in the isolation that Illyria afforded him. Concern weighted him to the floor of this structure now and Charlotte’s next words seemed timely as his mind became grounded. “You spend so much time here in the capital, even though I am sure your country must need you very much….” His smile quivered as it threatened to leave his face but he found himself endeared to Charlotte’s following actions, watching her expression of immediate regret regarding her words though he did not receive them bitterly at all. Shifting to fully face her, the rain providing a sort of misty background behind him he listened to her attempt to pivot her words into a more favorable light. “What I mean to say is you must be very taken by our Queen to manage to make time enough to come and see her.” “Have you met her baby? Little Philippe? He’s absolutely the most stunning child I’ve ever seen..” The calm king’s eyes focused rather hard on the golden eyes that were nothing like the queen Charlotte spoke of. Had it not been for what he had regrettably done before by touching her, he might have responded with a bit more humor than the soft words he chose to let escape. “Your Queen’s benevolence toward me and my people’s struggle forged a friendship I do not intend to end any time soon. Still, my visit was more of a courtesy given our current predicament. It would have been rude of me to not visit when Illyria now resides so close to the beauty of Orisia.” A rather safe response had been given despite how fortunate he felt he had been to have been able to see Gabriela yet again and how he would have gladly made some time away from his people to enjoy her presence for just a few moments whether it was a diplomatic endeavor or not. “Yes I saw him. He was definitely a sight to behold with very intriguing parentage.” One could tell that there was much more within that statement that he could divulge but he decided not to. A slight hum was now heard before his staff abruptly appeared near his robes. His lack of surprise as he shifted his head to look at the staff hopefully prevented Charlotte from becoming startled. The hovering item decorated with an assortment of jewels slowly began to move its way toward the king until it nudged him harshly as if scolding him for some false abandonment. His hand rested on the top of the staff’s shaft before he spoke. “What are your plans after this rain subsides? Is it interrupting any of your training?” Casual conversation may have been something others with his concerns would have avoided in lieu of more pressing matters but this king seemed unconcerned at least for now. Whether it was an evasive maneuver to avoid the hardships to come or tacit confidence that all would be resolved was something no one else would ever know.

Here we go again

Maze: Roen @FirePenguinDiscoPanda Dolor Jaistlyn Fire is up

Hmm everything ok Roen?

He had expected Lunara to exacerbate the situation and likely could have prevented her from doing so but he had elected not to. Imposing his own will upon the fairy was something he reserved for dire situations which this scenario before them was not. Even with the ever elusive exit before them and the creatures that spawned, Agony just stood there annoyed but steadfast. Acid dripped along the black surface of his chestplate, trickled down the contours of his helm, and bubbled lightly all over his body but produced little reaction as well. These horrors of Yh’mi might have shocked and disturbed his companions or even the many fallen that were being reanimated around him but this felt common to the amorphous being. Unnaturals held a sort of special place within Agony’s understanding that made him averse to destroying them unlike those who had already become indoctrinated by the stigma that Terrans preached and deposited around so carelessly. The more Yh’mi pushed against him, the more he pulled it into his odd embrace. His blood debt urged him to distance himself from this stance for now, figuring that beings like Karuna and Lunara did not hold the constitution necessary to withstand the grotesqueries of these lands and remain fully intact like him. The permanence of Lunara’s existence was exalted above Yh’mi’s inhabitants and Karuna would simply benefit from being in the proximity of his protective bond over the diminutive fairy. Long strides allowed him to keep up with Karuna during her light jog, adding his massive frame as another element to her impromptu experiment as he stood by her side, creating a balance with two entities on one side while the fairy and the shadow creature remained on the opposite side. He’d humor the witch’s attempt for now simply because a solution that did not involve subjecting her and Lunara to more pain escaped him. Not witnessing any immediate change from the cave exit itself, he noticed the masses of animated corpses and skeletons encroaching upon their position too. If Karuna’s plan failed, she would undoubtedly force him to reveal how false this guise he paraded around in was. To show how easily Yh’mi could accept him as its own.

I lied. Will try and pump something out today

It is likely that my post will be coming no later than tomorrow.

@Roen still waiting on you in Maze.

The sleek surface of Obtenebra shone next to Lunara’s light, the bright glow reflecting off of his makeshift armor even as she took it upon herself to lead in front of him with a confidence he had learned to respect even when it defied his own desires. The faerie had earned a perpetual reprieve from the wrath such actions would normally inspire through no benevolence on his part. Though he was indebted to her for convincing her to join him in depths that the Triumvirate were not prepared to traverse, the amorphous being knew it wouldn’t have taken much effort for her to convince him to travel here blood debt or not. Even though he had been the catalyst to the attentions of beings who held the resources to end her very existence and the never-ending wrath of a queen who had nearly crushed the very life out of her frail body, this very volatility of their partnership was what cemented their paths together. What could be considered a blip of contentment surfaced within that momentary reflection before Agony began to take action again. The silence that suffocated his companions felt comforting to the sentient they traveled with as he much preferred to be reserved with words. The fact he felt compelled to spill so many of them should have tipped him off to the failure that had been the kidnapping of the Orisian queen back then. Silent, minus the soft steps he took forward that managed to be muffled by the moist floor beneath him, Agony moved forward though he slowed down a bit and ended up directly to the right of Karuna once she let out her disgust for their environment which was actually quite relaxing to Agony. The tranquility he felt was shattered once the mumbling words Karuna let out were returned and amplified viciously upon his auditory senses. He immediately closed off those senses much like he had in their first encounter with one of Yh’mi’s aviary threats enduring the pain just before it became silent yet again. A burning sensation fell upon Obtenebra as the acidic droplets rained upon the black surface but Agony remained unhindered, the odd liquid sliding down his helm and the rest of his massive frame with little reaction. Mild concern was extended toward Lunara but he would not coddle his partner by offering her any shelter. Instead, he moved his massive hand toward Karuna’s back to coax her forward and inform her that he would be traveling directly beside her for the remainder of this trek toward the cave’s exit. His bulky palm would press against the middle of her back gruffly but soon retract as Obtenebra rippled along that same palm in response to the outside influence of the acid above and the contours of the witch’s spine. Completely calm, his massive form moved with surprising stealth, the soles of his massive boots losing much of its rigidity to lessen the impact of his steps that were sensitive to the acid that left very shallow pools along the ground due to the fact that his entire frame was composed entirely by Obtenebra. What would be lingering pain to many was akin to pleasure to this masochistic entity that vowed silently to see this mission completed with both of his companions intact as long as the loquacious fairy could pick up on their current predicament as fast as he thought she would.

This acid and silence is nice for Agony. 🙂