Date unknown, Location: Battlement atop the wall surround Camelot, Time since Awakening: 0.5 hours
The fight has been draining. Everything is blurry, especially with the hags running rampant. Socks is dropped by the hag he fights, most of his throat in her claws. Another throws a lightning bolt. Too slow. Too. Slow. Lightning courses through my body as I lose consciousness again. Nanfoodle grants me life and the will to fight again. Sometime during my near death experience Chicago did something. He is now foaming at the mouth, muttering "Daleleoth, Render of Veils," repeatedly. But he points out the last hag. I throw Caliburn with everything I have. The mighty blade replaces the hag's spine and the nearby area grows silent.
My knights. They flock to me as I recover. Nanfoodle recovers Socks as well. Socks comes to me, as I discuss with the knights what to do about the Picts in the city. They suggest that they handle the chaos in the city while I recover as I had been targeted multiple times throughout the fight. Socks asks how he can help, and if he can be a knight too. It doesn't take me more than a few seconds before I agree. Bors and Lionel look wary, Vel disgusted, and Draco is inscrutable as ever. Shortly the five Knights head into the city while I take the others to the castle where we can rest.
Realizing that Camelot has an enormous library we decide to do some research after relaxing. I start looking for information on the Holy Grail, Aukan looks for information on something called the Blackstone of Urgh, Chicago looks for the Inward Facing Circle, and Nanfoodle searches for the Green Man. Seravin instead starts looking through the armory for better gear.
My research is fruitful. Others were looking for the Grail before we arrived. Sir Pelanorae took half of the Knights of the Round Table into the Red and Pleasant Land. He is searching for the Holy Grail and the Questing Beast. Aukan finds a book with descriptions of other lands. The Blackstone of Urgh is the largest piece of Onyx in the Dreamlands. It resides in the country of Ooth-Nurgeye. The capital of this land is Ingaknock, a major trade hub. It provides Onyx for all of the Dreamlands. Aukan also found the way to this place. He described it as 'across the Starless Sea, or a long way by the Land of Mnar, the gnomish lands, and through the Forbidden Zone.' Chicago didn't find much, just the phrase, 'Rend in the Veil, at Veil'. Nanfoodle couldn't even discover who or what the Green Man is.
After the library my Knights have returned. The Picts are mostly slain, they are going to begin the cleanup. A minor ceremony is held while I get my rightful accouterments, including my crown, a signet, ring, staff of office, etc. Then we take a trip to the Royal Armory and discover more weapons and armor than we can imagine, including several suits of full plate. I take one, Aukan and Nanfoodle ask for one each as well. Something pulls me to make a Pact with them. With Aukan, he is to be my vassal for 18 days in real world time, Nanfoodle, my Court Healer and Advisor. They are both made Knights of the Round Table. Caliburn thrums, pleased that another seat in the court is filled.
Next order of business is to find Diviticus and stop him. I grab Socks and Lady Vel, my Court Inquisitor, and start asking for answers. Diviticus was once the magic adviser for the last young king. He became the defacto ruler when the king passed and he continued gaining power. He pursued more and darker magic, then was expelled as a Black Wizard. He appears to be a Warlock of a Great Old One. He leads a cult of witches that almost worship him, but each individual Witch makes a pact with a different entity. Socks says most of Diviticus' power comes from his staff, and that he is likely a Druid because Socks saw him doing 'Druid magic.'
That's enough information for me. We begin heading out to find Diviticus' camp after Socks gives us a general direction. Seravin, the stealthiest of us, goes to find it. He does, then reports back saying Diviticus is sending people out to do something while he works a new ritual. We head out immediately, leaving the Knights to perform more clean-up.
We find the man summoning another large tentacled abomination, just like the one at Fort. He is in a small clearing, surrounded by small trees and rocks, and three more Green Hags. Diviticus sees us and turns his staff into an enormous Cobra, green with yellow markings all over it. The tentacled thing is in a rift that Diviticus is slowly opening more and more.
The hags are quick, holding Timmy through some foul magic, then nearly killing him with their claws. Chicago sees an opportunity and punts Diviticus into the rift with the tentacle thing. He floats, black anger flickering across his features. He then closes the rift and drops in front of Chicago. The snake, seemingly intelligent, chases after Nanfoodle, providing us with support and healing. Seravin defends our healer with his blades, leaving massive cuts in the side of the snake. Two witches begin flying while another sends a lightning bolt through Nanfoodle and Timmy. Ozone. Burning flesh. Things are quickly growing chaotic.
"Diviticus! I will end you and all of your foul deeds!" Caliburn ignites with righteous fury in my hands as I chase him down. There are whispers, digging into my mind standing next to this champion of darkness. He flees and I bring holy justice down on him as he does so. Then he starts something else, calling up a void, a piece of space from between the stars. There are horrible slurping noises surrounding me, the void is pitch black. I can't see. I can barely hear. But I know which direction Diviticus lay in.
Each step is a mire. The ground sucks at my boots. My plate clanks and still doesn't drown out the sounds around me. I exit the void and immediately hear a crunch from the other side. It doesn't matter, Diviticus is in front of me. Chicago rushes around the bubble as I advance. A voice calls out for freedom. Powerful. Angry. The hags in the air scream as they are rent in two, the witches inside dragged out of them and back into the void between worlds. Nanfoodles' cry. "Green Man is free!"
[zombify_post]
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