Elemental Planes Role Play Part 2

[Celadon's Penultimate]

I rush over to the large metallic monster. I have an idea and decide to give it a try. Perhaps I can use magnetism to warp the metal of the monster's arms. If nothing else, it'll make it harder for the thing to get back up.

[Philote]

Neo's metal arms become pinned to his side as if a giant chain was being wrapped around his body. Wulf's magnetism was taking hold and Neo was unable to absorb it away in his current state.

The Colossus was pinned down, brought to its knees, and stripped of its minions, it could not be any more open to Marv's careful strike. The claw slides into Neo's chest easily, having been guided by the artifact it had felt nearly no resistance.

The King's Bloodstone falls out from the back of Neo as the claw reaches through to the other side. Moments later, Neo falls loose himself from the metal built up around him and begins to pick himself up.

[Philote]

Neo staggers for a moment before regaining his composure. He walks over to the King's Bloodstone, confident that he can handle its power now and picks it up. Facing off against the gate blocking the group's path, Neo readies his power and rends the gate and the mountain behind it in two.

The chamber the Shadow man had traveled to is cleaved open and he is left staring back at the group in shock. The third Artifact lies concealed behind him, but he knows he is defeated so he raises his hands up in surrender.

"I know when I am beat" he speaks to the group "You've destroyed my house, my master, and have even bested my Artifact. I can do no more against you all, I am at your mercy, but if you spare me then my influence in the Elemental Planes will be yours."

(Decision time, work out how you all want to deal with his fate)

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"How can we trust him? He's not exactly a model citizen." I exclaim to the group.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"I agree. He's dangerous. What's more, if we allow him to accompany us against the Elementals, and he finds a way to turn against us, then we're even worse challenged than before. It will probably risk our lives. If we're lenient with him, we'll have to be on our guard at all times. Though, to be honest, I'm willing to be the optimist. The raised guard may well be worth it."

[Philote]

(Going with Wulf's "Trust him warily" decision)

The group discusses their captive's fate. The discussion begins with members voicing their concern about the Shadow man's trustworthiness, but the topic slowly shifts to describing his usefulness to the group. Finally a decision is reached, the Shadow man would be spared only so that the group could use him as a tool in the future.

Neo takes initiative to deal with the Shadow man so that he could not betray the group while they deal with the Elemental King. The King's Bloodstone amplifies his powers and the Shadow man is imprisoned within Neo's special energy absorbing metal. He would not be going anywhere until the group came back to fetch him when their quest was complete. Afterwards, Neo passes his Artifact to another in the group, he had had enough of it for one day.

With the Shadow man dealt with, the group's attention turns to the object that they came here to retrieve, the third Artifact and the last key needed to bring them to the Elemental King's dwelling. The Artifact was a large golden key covered in elemental runes and gears to change the key head to fit several different combinations of locks. Whatever defenses that had protected the Artifact had already been removed by the Shadow man and Neo's rending of the mountain. Now, the Artifact was left inserted into a metal pedestal, ready for it to be picked up and claimed, with a plague below reading "Key to the Planes."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Who do you think should go up to get it?" I say, feeling a hesitant optimism rising in myself.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"Why don't you grab it? I'm already holing on to this one, " I say indicating the artifact in my hand.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Well..." I say, growing less nervous, "Alright. Worth a shot."

I grab it, and look down at the amazing key-like artifact.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"Huh....I was expecting something climactic to happen." I say with a confused look.

[Philote]

As if on cue, the Artifacts react to each other, beams of light connect the three till a golden triangle is formed. The radiance of the Artifacts expands out until it encompasses the group within a portal. The trip through this portal feels different than the ones before, the group feels as if they are remaining in place as they watch the planes move around them. Each Plane converges on the group before stretching away as the group reaches its destination.

The group arrives on a cliff that extends into the horizon and drops down into pitch darkness. Snow falls from the sky to land on jagged rocks and arching plants, as if the team was standing on the intersection of several Planes. The portal remains behind the team but the Artifacts that created it do not, instead returning to their owners. From the portal a beam of light points into the darkness off the edge of the cliff.

Phi lands on the very edge of the cliff and quickly staggers backwards before he topples off the edge. "So we made it?" he says between breaths "We are on the Elemental King's doorstep?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

I look back to Marv, still quite amazed at the artifacts' power.

"Huh..." I chuckle nervously, "How's THAT for climactic?"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"I.....uh......wha......" I reply.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Indeed!" I say, still holding the Key, "Now let's get a move on! I think I'm feeling a second wind!"

I gesture forward, and a scrap of metal bends, catching my attention immediately.

"Wait..." My eyes grow wide, "Did I just do that?"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"Do what?" I inquire. My eyes aren't focused on my companion, instead they are fixated on the landscape around us.

[Mik_Hael]

"Whatever you did let's hope you master it soon, we're probably going to need all of the help we can get in here."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to move. I say we follow that beam of light."

[Philote]

"How do you expect us to do that?" Phi asks "We can not even see our destination, and even if we could, we would plummet to our deaths trying to get there."

Phi picks up a loose stone to demonstrate his point and tosses it off the edge of the cliff. The stone travels in a natural arc until it crosses the border created by the cliff edge, at which point it is as if gravity loses control of the stone and it gently floats along the path created by the beam from the portal.

"Oh, that is how" Phi replies to himself.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"Well? what are you waiting for?" I question in a joking manner. With a running start I leap forward off the cliff with the beam of light.

"Geronimo!"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Hehe...I second that 'Geronimo', good sir!" I say, grinning wildly, and take off after Marv, aided by electromagnetic repulsion.