Wardove's Rumble in the Jungle

Game Master Laithoron

Arion held the flask at arm's distance, exclaiming, "We should treat this as a trap!"

One hand securing the flask, with the other he began his Transmutation to augment his intelligence.

"See if you can discern whether anything lies within. Enlist aid if you must!"

Bowing his head instinctively, the Agent turned his attention back into the chamber and replied, "At once, Your Highness!"

His draconic chant echoed off the thick stone walls as the Elven Wizard's spell began to form; a divination aimed at the flask.

Arion enhanced his own Intelligence with Fox's Cunning and afterwards began Detect Thoughts in the direction of the Iron Flask.

Grak looked up at the Princess with a thoughtful look on his face. The voice coming from his lips was Lureene's however still. "The only reason I can think of is the Iron Flask was created to trap ME inside it. Certainly Mother knew you and I are quite close, therefore she probably believed you could unknowingly trap me inside of it."

As Arion continued his investigation, his magically enhanced senses trained upon the device, the Princess frowned. "What would that accomplish? If it's warded so that only I can open it, couldn't I just release you again?"

Just then, something occurred to her. "Unless if the act of opening it was to affect me somehow too..."

With a cautious hand Arion returned the threatening device back within the cube of force.

Once outside of the vault, the report was delivered in common, to allow Lureene to share her input.

"There is indeed some sinister spirit inside. I seemed to have been able to sense a rather simple mind; simple yet direct in its hostile nature. That nature reminded me of those few demons whose wills failed to keep out my mind probes. I believe this monster is bound in service to some horrible will."

Arion nodded grimly toward Grak while adding, "There but for the grace of our Angel, I suspect this Eidolon would have shared the bloodthirsty and chaotic lusts that permeate the outsider trapped in that Iron Flask. For, the mind within that container is structured in similar sentience to Grak."

Grak's face contorted in surprise as Arion delivered his chilling report. The serpent was silent for a moment before Lureene's voiced emerged, "A serpent? In the Flask? Lis! THe Shiv...could it be...the one trapped is Yarzoth?" The last barely a whisper.

Without his books nearby, Arion had to pause and delve through the storehouse of his knowledge, trying to remember where he had read the name of Yarzoth. Had it been within the intelligence report investigating the findings of that Professor of Archaeology?

"Dear Lureene, I think the being to whom You refer had a much higher intelligence than the monstrosity trapped inside the flask. The mind I encountered within the flask was much more like that of Grak."

Arion reached up and patted Lureene's linked Eidolon as a friend.

"How many others from The Abyss choose to summon and link to such a similar Eidolon, I wonder?"

Theme: Nothing Can Be Explained

"Well," Alis mused, recalling what Arion had explained to her in the tongue of angels just moments before, "there's also the fact that Yarzoth wasn't an outsider. You said the flask imprisons outsiders, nothing else, correct Arion?"

The scribe nodded in silent reply.

She gently ran a hand over Grak's head, face pensive. "El, didn't you say there were other winged serpents like Grak in your your dreams? Didn't your mother have one too?"

The eidolon nodded in reply, as Lureene recalled the encounter with the priestess back on the island Shiv. As Alis finished her thoughts she recalled the details of the Tower in her dreams. "Yes, while it could not be Yarzoth who is trapped, but the one she serves. As for the serpents, yes there were multitudes of those serpents I saw...and Mother did have one as well. What I don't understand is WHY one would allow itself to be trapped in the flask. All outsiders I know value their freedom greatly."

"Is this one of those dark places then, this city?"

Thinking back to the scene she had witnessed atop Arrowhead from the deck of the Zephrys, she laughed at herself and shook her head. "I'm just saying, aside from the devils and demons and evil wizards it doesn't seem like such a bad place. Why, you should have it all cleaned up in no time."

Continuing his talk in his native language, "No time at all." He smiled. "I want to finish my project and train some soldiers as soon as possible. This city needs the Lightbringers."

He continues after a brief pause, "However, I'd like to spend as much of my free time as possible with you." He looks into her eyes.

The Sky Elf had never enjoyed exploring lore of the evil and chaotic layers, spread through planes bordering upon his own material world. His thoughts drifted to tales of the ancient Elven Capital that fell and became the Daemonshade.

Always lurks the peril of study leading to lusts for the dark arts of the enemies.

"Magical containers such as that one are used to contest the willpower of outsiders. Should the extra-planar being fail to resist, they are compelled into the vessel. Glyphs utilizing the True Name of an outsider serve to WEAKEN their volition and overpower their self-control."

Looking deeply into the eyes of Grak as he spoke, Arion made clear to the consciousness of his lover that the meaning of his words hinted a warning to Lureene about what had been applied to the Iron Flask; the Abyssal symbols involving her Name and bloodline.

While Grak's eyes gazed back at him, he could see the fear erupt from his lover's eyes. Her voice echoed with a note of fear, "I...I think it is not safe for me to stay here. Please take care of 'Lis and I will talk with you again soon. I...I love you." Grak then planted his tongue up on Arion's face in a gesture of affection before he sees Grak's pupils transform from Lureene's dark-blue irises to the more familiar sky-blue hue of Grak.

Memories of that mythic day, when Wingilmë ascended, returned. Arion's eyes looked far away and he mused upon her prophecy. In a low voice he uttered the words,

"Be not afraid, Lureene...because it is by love that you will save others."

Almost to himself he said, "If it is true, that demon kind never feel true joy, while angels seek love, beauty and to oppose evil, I wonder how the prophetic assurances will play out within this equatorial arena."

Returning to duty, he asked, "What shall be the next order of business? Because I could really enjoy a glass of wine about now."

Alis did not cringe as Lureene 'kissed' Arion by way of Grak, yet she instead breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes reverted to sky-blue.

The further El and I are from that flask, the better. Though I do wonder... what is inside?

As Grak shook his head and wondered at the strange taste on his tongue, Alis commented, "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? At any rate, a glass of wine sounds like a fine idea. Let's get out of here."

As Lureene and Mister Lori signed off on a lease, and Darvesch and Greasha enjoyed their evening, the Princess and her secret agent returned to the regions of the Palace that existed outside the realm of rumors. As they sipped wine and compared intelligence, the time drew nigh for seeking the aid of 'The Mad Count' of Freehold...