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== Kerrithrim: The Great Beast == | == Kerrithrim: The Great Beast == | ||
===The Fall of Kelsys=== | |||
Within the Ayhesa cliffs along the eastern coast, a group of Spellshaper | |||
students gossiped in hushed voices. Their master, Saayar, was plotting | |||
something. | |||
Irruel du Vallianse was the first to discover Saayar's plan, after much | |||
snooping and questioning, and confronted Saayar with his knowledge. A | |||
tense conversation took place, as Saayar strongly denied the accusations | |||
and Irruel threatened to intercede. Others soon discovered the plot, the | |||
most notable being the members of the Magi Guild. | |||
Saayar's plot was of grave concern to the Magi, for it involved the | |||
elemental links of the Silver Spire deep beneath the ocean in the Kelki | |||
city of Kelsys. His plan was to harness the power of the links, so that | |||
he might achieve his goal: Destruction of Spinesreach and its citizens, | |||
whom he believed to be hiding knowledge from the world. | |||
The Magi interrogated Ireia, the Spellshaper Enchanter and ex-Magi, who | |||
was quick to realize the risk the Magi offered to the plan. She conjured | |||
up a lie, deceiving the Magi into thinking Saayar was mentally unstable | |||
and was merely a figurehead. She offered up her own plan to the Magi, | |||
which involved going along with Saayar's plan long enough for him to be | |||
weakened by his own workings and then disposing of him. The Magi were | |||
untrusting, and after much debate amongst themselves, they grudgingly | |||
accepted. | |||
On the 2nd of Severin, year 276 of the Midnight Age, Saayar was ready. | |||
Annica, Cariv, Esylana, Mazzion, Tralendar and Yarel, all of the Magi | |||
guild, arrived at Saayar's office disguised amongst the other | |||
Spellshapers. There, Saayar unveiled the latest in Spellshaper | |||
innovation - a modified portal wand with enchanted golden rings looping | |||
it. He went on to explain that the golden rings would allow the portal | |||
to be cast from one location to another, without needing a target to | |||
focus upon. Moreover, the actual portal created by the wand offered a | |||
vast improvement over the normal sonic portals. It would distort time | |||
and space to physically connect the two locations, as if they were part | |||
of the same place. One could, in theory, create a portal from a city to | |||
deep under the ocean, and the water would flow straight through the | |||
portal to flood the entire city. | |||
In shock, the Magi looked on as Saayar proceeded to demonstrate the | |||
capabilities of the portal wand by connecting his office to the Silver | |||
Spire. The portal wand glowed and vibrated violently as it established | |||
the connection, burning away to ashes while the golden rings clattered | |||
to the ground. The group proceeded gingerly through the portal, | |||
following Saayar, Ireia and the other Spellshaper Masters as they set | |||
themselves up inside the Spire. The next stage of Saayar's plan involved | |||
casting a protective ward around the Spire, protecting it from both | |||
damage and intruders while he manipulated the links. This part of the | |||
plan was important to the Magi, for Ireia had told them it would | |||
significantly drain Saayar of energy when he cast the ward, and that | |||
would be time for their betrayal. Spellshaper and Magi alike worked | |||
together to channel the elements into a crystal orb constructed to | |||
contain the energy. A flash resonated through the Civic Dome of Kelsys | |||
as energy exploded outward from the crystal orb. The light cleared, and | |||
it became evident to all present that a glowing magical field surrounded | |||
the Spire, cutting it off from the rest of Kelsys. An equally intangible | |||
glow surrounded each of the Spellshapers. | |||
Smirking, Ireia informed the Magi, "You may attack. Much good may it do | |||
you." As the rest of the Magi struggled to comprehend what had just | |||
happened, Mazzion angrily ordered an attack upon the Spellshapers as he | |||
realized their fears of deceit were well-founded. A desperate battle | |||
began, as the Magi unleashed their combined elemental forces towards the | |||
Spellshapers. Their attacks landed upon the Spellshapers to no effect, | |||
neutralized by the shield surrounding each one. Realizing the futility | |||
of the attack, Mazzion ordered a retreat from the Spire. | |||
The Magi regrouped, heading back to Saayar's office in the Ayhesa Cliffs | |||
with hope that the portal was still open. To their luck, it was, and as | |||
they stepped through the gloating voice of Saayar could be heard, "Magi! | |||
Stop me if you will, but this Spire, this Silver Spire - it grants me | |||
power beyond what even you did!" Infused with the power of the elemental | |||
links, Saayar gathered more and more energy to him as he prepared for | |||
his strike upon the city of Spinesreach. With his voice amplified by his | |||
new-found power, he shouted "Your doom is at hand, Spinesreach! At last | |||
we have won, thanks to the idiocy of the pitiful Magi!" as he began to | |||
direct the energy into a powerful attack. | |||
A great influx of energy surged through Saayar as he arrogantly gathered | |||
more of the powers of the five links to him. Horror filled the leader of | |||
the Spellshapers, for he had made a terrible mistake - he had harnessed | |||
more power than a single man could handle. The Silver Spire exploded as | |||
uncontrolled elemental energy swept across Kelsys. Domes shattered and | |||
the ocean poured in, greedily flooding the city. Raw primal forces | |||
ripped apart those closest to the source of the explosion, shredding | |||
both Spellshaper and Magi alike into nothingness. | |||
No longer stable, the elemental links collapsed as a giant, swirling | |||
vortex of elemental energy rose violently out of the ocean. As the great | |||
forces tore about city of Kelsys, a giant tidal wave formed from the | |||
explosion. It bore down upon the village of Shastaan; looming over the | |||
small fishing village with an indomitable presence before it brutally | |||
broke itself upon the shores of the hapless settlement - everything | |||
within its path decimated. | |||
However, that was not all that befell Sapience on the fateful day, for | |||
deep beneath the ocean near Kelsys, a monstrous creature stirred, awoken | |||
from its slumber by the giant explosion... | |||
===The Awakening=== | |||
A giant, swirling vortex of the elements dominated the eastern horizon | |||
in wake of the disaster visited upon Kelsys and Shastaan. Raging with | |||
raw power, the uncontrollable energies of the vortex served as a | |||
reminder that disastrous consequences can await those who lusted for | |||
power beyond their mortal reach. Turbulent waters now wrack the eastern | |||
coast, their fury fueled by the towering vortex. | |||
Bodies of both Kelki and Shastaani began washing ashore shortly after | |||
the carnage, many of them mutilated by the elemental vortex. Two notable | |||
corpses amongst the mass of cadavers were that of Saayar and Ireia - the | |||
two Spellshapers most responsible for the disaster that had occurred. As | |||
more victims washed ashore, one coughed and stirred, rising frantically | |||
to his feet with a wild expression. He was the harbinger of an even | |||
greater terror to come. | |||
As if compelled by some powerful presence, the deranged man began | |||
heralding the arrival of one known as the "Almighty Kerrithrim". As he | |||
raved, he suddenly threw back his head to laugh with a terrible madness, | |||
before collapsing into the sand; the psychic force exerting itself upon | |||
him taking its toll. | |||
An ominous silence descended over the area as the observers considered | |||
what they had just witnessed, broken only by the roaring of the | |||
elemental vortex. However, their moment of contemplation was soon | |||
broken. A towering monstrosity rose out of the ocean amid the vortex, a | |||
multitude of glowing red eyes the only colour upon its black, humanoid | |||
body. Masses of tentacles hung down from its oversized head, strands of | |||
seaweed tangled among them. Raising a mighty foot, the beast began to | |||
crash towards the shore. | |||
Many foolish mortals flocked to Shastaan as the creature approached, | |||
hoping to better observe the foreign creature. The Almighty Kerrithrim | |||
paused, looking down at the mortals from a vast height. Then, its red | |||
eyes flared with a volcanic light that swept over the crowd; | |||
incinerating all who stood assembled in one deadly strike. Parasitic | |||
creatures called Thrim dropped off the monster's great body and started | |||
tearing across the area, latching onto mortals and bending them to their | |||
will. The two-mile high Kerrithrim swept its gaze across the land, | |||
seeking a target for its rampant destruction. As the glittering city of | |||
Enorian caught its attention, the Kerrithrim advanced southwards, each | |||
powerful stride quaking the land. | |||
As the Almighty Kerrithrim loomed over the city walls, the metallic | |||
voice of the God of Valour resonated across the land, "Courage, Enorian! | |||
Steel yourselves, and meet this threat with Honour!" The abomination | |||
looked up in surprise to see Lord Arion racing across the clouds upon | |||
the back of His noble steed, Azaliel. "This... creature is one most | |||
unlike any I have seen, and experienced," observed the God, as He drew | |||
the Blade of Valour from its scabbard and held it poised above His head. | |||
Spurring Azaliel into a charge, the Lord of Battle yelled "I am your | |||
challenger, Monster!" and He thundered towards the great beast, which | |||
easily dwarfed the God with its colossal size. | |||
The Almighty Kerrithrim shifted its stance to meet the God, raising its | |||
arms before its chest and poising its tentacles. As Arion rapidly | |||
approached the monster, tentacles lashed towards Him from all | |||
directions. The Blade of Valour strikes faster than is fathomable; its | |||
flurried strikes a series of blurs as the Lord of Battle fought to get | |||
past the enormous appendages. "Now fall, monster!" the Lord exclaimed | |||
triumphantly as He struck a brutal blow to the monstrosity's neck, | |||
nestled deep within the forest of tentacles. | |||
As Arion emerged from the tangle once more, dripping in green ichor, He | |||
brought His valiant steed around to observe the damage done. The monster | |||
straightened up, green blood dripping from deep within its tentacles, as | |||
it turned its piercing gaze upon the God. Arion paused, tired; His | |||
features marked with uncertainty as the creature seemingly disregarded | |||
the lethal blow. With humbling realization that the monster He faced was | |||
stronger than He had initially thought, the Lord of Valor shouted, "I | |||
cannot defeat this foe! It was created to stand against Us!" as He | |||
prepared to spur His steed for another charge at the creature. As the | |||
God approached, the Almighty Kerrithrim swung a hand furiously at Him, | |||
sending both rider and steed flying into the Siroccian mountains. | |||
Already weakened by His fight with the creature, Arion's essence was | |||
quickly diminishing by what seemed to be a casual attack by the | |||
Kerrithrim. Several of His followers immediately rushed towards the | |||
Siroccians to find the God, but could only stare with disbelief as | |||
the God of Valor faded from their very sight, leaving only His | |||
mangled armour and broken steed. Broken hearted, all they could do was | |||
mourn the passing of their Lord as Ravek, Phoenecia and Lycian carried | |||
the fallen God's armour, and His brave steed's body back toward Mostyn, | |||
the island that Arion called His own. | |||
With the God of Valour now out of its way, the Almighty Kerrithrim turns | |||
its attention back to Enorian. As it advanced, the monster suddenly | |||
stumbled, instinctively raising a hand to the wound at its neck. Massive | |||
droplets of the beast's green blood splashed upon the ground, and it | |||
shot a sullen glare towards the Beacon of Light. With a last glance, the | |||
monstrosity retreated, leaving a trail of blood behind as it took mighty | |||
steps towards the ocean. Reaching the coast, the Almighty Kerrithrim | |||
strode into the turbulent waters, gradually sinking out of sight. | |||
At last, Sapience breathed a collective sigh of relief. The threat, for | |||
now, had passed. | |||
===The Devouring=== | |||
For two months, an uneasy wariness fell over both the mortals and Divine | |||
of Sapience alike, as they waited for the inevitable return of the | |||
Almighty Kerrithrim. Deep beneath the ocean, the monster slept as it | |||
recovered the minor wound it received from the fallen God, Arion, during | |||
their quick battle. | |||
As if to mock the God of Valour, the Almighty Kerrithrim returned one | |||
night in the middle of spring - the month of Arios. Emerging from the | |||
ocean near Shastaan, the beast's great bulk left only a dazzling corona | |||
visible from the bright display of the elemental vortex. Yet again, the | |||
Kerrithrim advanced upon Sapience. | |||
With epic strides, the Almighty Kerrithrim crossed the Siroccian | |||
mountains easily, coming to a pause before the Tower of Artifice. Its | |||
red eyes glared disdainfully at the structure, and with one mighty swat | |||
it destroyed the building completely. Barely sparing the Tower a second | |||
glance, the monster moved onwards, crossing the Siroccian ranges. | |||
Its destructive path through Sapience continued until it eventually | |||
reached the edges of the great Ithmian forests. The Abyssal Horror swept | |||
its gaze over the extensive range of canopies, eerily still as it seemed | |||
to contemplate the wilderness before it. Red eyes flaring with | |||
incomprehensible anger, the Almighty Kerrithrim stomped a foot down in | |||
the middle of the Western Ithmia. Trees splintered and exploded as a | |||
giant shockwave swept through the area, leaving naught but a massive, | |||
gaping black pit of indiscernible depth in its wake. | |||
As the monster paused to observe its destruction, a trail of green ichor | |||
dripped down from the under its tentacles, hinting at a still-open wound | |||
out of obvious sight. The Almighty Kerrithrim turned away from the | |||
burning forest and started striding back towards the ocean near Shastaan | |||
to finish recuperating the injury received from the God of Valour, | |||
Arion. | |||
Nearing the coast, the great monstrosity was suddenly confronted by a | |||
Goddess - Khepri, the Seething Chaos. Currents of chaotic energies | |||
flowed erratically about Her form as She hovered before the monster, | |||
which towered over the Goddess. Momentarily surprised, the Almighty | |||
Kerrithrim was forced into stillness as Khepri raised a hand. Smiling, | |||
the Goddess gestured downwards with the hand, commanding "Sit! You are | |||
of My domain, Harbinger of Chaos." The creature simply stared at the | |||
Seething Chaos in abject confusion, before taking a step towards Her. | |||
Ire marked the Goddess' features as She demanded once more, "SIT! | |||
Together as one force of Chaos We shall consume this world!" Her voice | |||
faltered slightly, and became trill as the monster loomed over Her. | |||
Looking up into the Almighty Kerrithrim's piercing red gaze, Khepri took | |||
a small step backwards and attempted to demand once more "SI-" but was | |||
cut short as a monstrous hand shot out to grab Her in a powerful grip. | |||
Shrieking with rage, the Goddess yelled, "Unhand Me, and heed My offer, | |||
Almighty Kerrithrim! You do not comprehend what I am saying to you, | |||
proposing to you!" Her words were ignored as the Almighty Kerrithrim | |||
slowly rose its hand towards its maw. Screaming, Khepri attempted to | |||
break free of the beast's fist, but Her struggle was futile. The | |||
Kerrithrim's great maw opened, saliva splashing far away to the ground, | |||
and jagged, triangular teeth were seen to await the Goddess. Then, with | |||
utter lack of ceremony, the Goddess was shoved inside the Almighty | |||
Kerrithrim's mouth, and with grim, abrupt finality the great maw shut. | |||
Lady Khepri screamed no more. Followers of Khepri shouted in rage at the | |||
death of their Goddess, but were forced to watch helplessly as the | |||
Kerrithrim walked once more into the sea to rest and recover. | |||
Once more, Sapience was spared the full wrath of the Almighty Kerrithrim | |||
- but many began to wonder if they would be so lucky the next time beast | |||
awakens. As such, many plans were proposed and arguments broke out over | |||
what chance any mortal stood against such a Godkiller. Eventually, | |||
Corporal Cazin of the Enorian Army proposed what some called "a suicidal | |||
plan" - use catapults to launch mortals at the beast and attempt to find | |||
a weak point. Cazin called an old engineer friend, Rhulin, out of | |||
retirement to assist with building the catapults. Grumbling the entire | |||
time, Rhulin worked diligently to construct the catapults as others | |||
helped him by supplying the resources needed. Meanwhile, over in | |||
Spinesreach, Severn, the Manipulator, was busy formulating His own | |||
machinations. He ordered the city to begin recruiting more troops to use | |||
against the Kerrithrim when it next arose, to serve as a distraction | |||
while He carried out His plan. | |||
Leaders of the five major cities met with each other, discussing | |||
tentative alliances for the purpose of turning the Almighty Kerrithrim | |||
back. Enorian and Spinesreach were quick to form an alliance, with | |||
Ashtan, Duiran and Bloodloch eventually deciding to join. However, as | |||
Villi Selannor, the Ard-Dhasani of Spinesreach, calculated the number of | |||
their combined armies, she had doubts. They did not have near enough men | |||
to stand any sort of chance of distracting the abomination while mortals | |||
tried to scale it and Severn executed His scheme. | |||
With the aid of Dhasan Elene Arcan, Villi set off on a diplomatic | |||
mission to the various villages and communes of Sapience. Together, the | |||
two utilized various methods such as bribery, flattery and the promise | |||
of favours to add more to the alliance's forces: fifty Trolls from | |||
Hashan, thirty illusionists from the Mit'olk, twenty-five necromantic | |||
students from Tasur'ke, thirty bandits from Three Rock, one hundred and | |||
fifty orcs and ogres from the Barony of Dun Valley, and seventy of | |||
General Xaeon's goblins from Azdun. The idea was not lost on Enorian, as | |||
Kylan D'ashil and Edhain de Verdigris also sought the assistance of | |||
various places, eventually managing to acquire forty of Gladius' finest | |||
Red Knights and twenty-five mages from the settlement of Salma. | |||
The Almighty Kerrithrim continued its slumber. All knew it was only a | |||
matter of time until it awakened yet again - but the next time, Sapience | |||
was ready. | |||
===The Alliance=== | |||
Silence. Apprehension. All within Sapience held their breaths, as the | |||
surface of the ocean rippled beside the now eradicated Shastaan. The | |||
Kerrithrim had come once more, as if the very ocean itself had conceived | |||
the creature. Slowly, but steadily, the monster rose and rose, as it | |||
took heavy steps towards the shoreline. Its form once more dominated its | |||
surroundings, as the creature came to its full height to tower over the | |||
land. | |||
Panicking, the dwarven engineer, Rhulin immediately yelled for the | |||
immediate retrieval of the catapults. Voice tight with panic and hands | |||
trembling from anticipation, the engineer quickly began a hurried lesson | |||
on the usage of the catapults. Many came, and started to move the | |||
catapults toward the Kerrithrim, but it was Severn, the Manipulator who | |||
acted first against the Abyssal Horror. As if in waiting, shadows | |||
surrounding the Kerrithrim quickly wrapped around the creature as it | |||
stepped upon the shore, in attempt to impede its progress. His attack | |||
incomplete, shadows began to recede from the entire realm, as the | |||
Manipulator began to draw His power together for His next barrage. In | |||
response to the quick action of the Manipulator and in attempt to impede | |||
the Kerrithrim's seemingly unstoppable path of rampage, the Earthen | |||
Lord, Ivoln, tore the Raphaelan highway in two, creating what appeared | |||
to be a bottomless pit. | |||
However, it was the cloud of dust from the Earthen Lord's destruction of | |||
the highway that obscured and enraged the Kerrithrim, as it came to pass | |||
over Shastaan, causing the creature to swat at the dust and debris to no | |||
effect. Its effect was only momentary, however, for the soon the | |||
Kerrithrim began to stride through it. As the monstrous creature arrived | |||
beside the Raphaelan Highway, drops of its blood from the grievous wound | |||
struck by the God of Valour marred the landscape beneath, dripping from | |||
its tentacles. | |||
In its pause, a roiling mass of thunderclouds quickly converged around | |||
the Kerrithrim, bolts of lightning arcing towards like cracked whips, | |||
tearing the ground asunder wherever they struck. It was not long before | |||
the clouds parted to reveal the sight of a mysterious Goddess, wreathed | |||
by wisps of air and water. Calling out towards the creature, the Goddess | |||
enthused the Kerrithrim to cease its attacks, for She was its Master. As | |||
she descended to her beloved pet, the monstrosity responded in kind, | |||
sending a tentacle to caress its master in affection. The contact, | |||
however, proved a dangerous mistake; for as the Almighty Kerrithrim | |||
touched the Goddess, it immediately began to try crushing the Goddess' | |||
arm. Shrieking loudly in pain, the Goddess' form began to waver, and | |||
suddenly the ripple of shadows gives way to reveal the form of the | |||
Manipulator. | |||
With grim resolution, the God summoned His Blade of Artifice to hack | |||
away at His arm to free Himself, before immediately retreating; shadows | |||
trailing behind His path. Blade still steady within His remaining arm, | |||
the Manipulator tore asunder the very fabric of reality, creating a rift | |||
into the Shadow Plane. As He stepped through the Rift, the God turned to | |||
give a fateful glance toward the monster and one of the fists of the | |||
Abyssal Horror struck at the deity; sending His crumpled form flying | |||
through the rift as a stream of pure white essence sped away from it. | |||
In the meantime, those who manned the catapults positioned the bulky | |||
equipment beside Delos, ready to strike at the creature. However, as the | |||
operators of the catapult began to fire brave combatants haplessly onto | |||
the Raphaelan Highway instead of the Kerrithrim, Rhulin was forced to | |||
return and give yet another hurried lecture. | |||
As the mortals once more began to aim for the body of the creature, | |||
however, the Lady Dreamer began Her attack too. The Goddess Omei | |||
materialized in midair, though it wavered uncertainly as She began Her | |||
charge in the form of a Rajamalan Huntress. As she neared the abyssal | |||
creature, Her appearance shifted and boiled, morphing into various | |||
creatures both known and unknown, before striking into the Kerrithrim in | |||
a guise not unlike its own. The creature, however, was unfazed by the | |||
Goddess' attack, and responded in kind with an angry, yet careless | |||
strike. The creature's fist collided with the Dreamer with such force | |||
that Her very form dissolved into an immeasurable mass of moths, before | |||
descending upon the Ithmia. | |||
Next to respond to the threat of the creature was the God of Death | |||
Himself, calling at the Kerrithrim to face its judgment for its crimes. | |||
Without hesitation or apprehension, Dhar raised His gloved hands up | |||
towards the sky, calling forth a pillar of white flame to singe the | |||
giant hulking form of the seemingly indomitable Kerrithrim. The pain | |||
such that it could not endure, the Kerrithrim's cry echoed throughout | |||
Sapience, resounding almost deafeningly as the monster transformed its | |||
pain into rage, and lashed out at the Underking. Though the God is able | |||
to avoid the agile attacks of the creature for a moment, a fateful | |||
strike at the back of the rapidly tiring God was enough to cause even | |||
Him to stagger in agony. Tendrils of essence pouring from the ashen | |||
wound, the flames over the Abyssal Horror began to extinguish, having | |||
lost its source of power. | |||
Sensing its upper hand over the fallen God, the Kerrithrim immediately | |||
raised its gargantuan foot in attempt to crush the Underking, but in a | |||
moment of desperation, the God struck at the earth beneath Him, tearing | |||
the land asunder with a flash of blinding light. From within the rift, | |||
thousands of translucent forms of varying shapes and sizes began to flow | |||
out, collecting into a single unified force before closing into the | |||
Kerrithrim with blinding speed. Souls from the Underworld, they were | |||
able to momentarily stun the Kerrithrim, as the Underking threw Himself | |||
through His created rift, sealing it behind Him. The souls dissipated | |||
soon after, leaving the Kerrithrim unopposed once more. | |||
Without ado, a tumescent glimmer in the distant horizon preceded the | |||
arrival of the Sky God Galleus, clutching the staff of the Triptych | |||
Lemniscate. With one powerful movement, the Sky Sovereign hurled His | |||
staff at the Kerrithrim, spinning in extreme speed as it neared the | |||
giant form of the Kerrithrim. The Kerrithrim did not deem the attack as | |||
remotely dangerous, as with indifference, it simply swatted the | |||
projectile away, and struck at the God from its great distance away. The | |||
lash connected with Galleus' face, it tore out His eye, causing the Sky | |||
Sovereign to scream in pain as mercurial blood streamed out from the | |||
deep gash. Filled with abject pain and unfamiliar blindness, the God | |||
conjured spiraling torrents of wind that churned the earth beneath Him | |||
ineffectually. A churning in the deep belly of the Horror gripped the | |||
God's now empty gaze only for a moment, causing the God to retreat | |||
hastily into the starscape before the Kerrithrim was able to strike once | |||
more. | |||
However, more trials awaited the monster as the armies of various | |||
villages and towns amassed, to face the Kerrithrim in what seemed to be | |||
a suicidal march. From the necromancers of Tasur'ke, to the Nazetu of | |||
Bloodloch, and to the bandits of Three Rock, everyone in Sapience united | |||
to face the creature, in attempt to stave off its destruction as the | |||
brave fighters launched themselves at the Kerrithrim's body. There, they | |||
faced hundreds of the mind-controlling Thrim, latching themselves at | |||
whoever was closest and turning allies into enemies. The group of | |||
attackers persevered, however; managing to drive the Thrim and those | |||
controlled by it back, coming to the grievous wound left by the fallen | |||
God of Valour. It was there that the attackers reopened the wound, and | |||
through that, entered the very body of the foul creature itself, to | |||
strike at where it was truly vulnerable - its great heart. | |||
Before long, jade-tinged clouds began to form over the giant Kerrithrim, | |||
the form of the Goddess Chakrasul barely visible within its mass. Heavy | |||
acidic rain began falling from the jade clouds to descend upon the | |||
creature, causing it to shudder and utter a chilling cry that echoed | |||
throughout Sapience once more. Before the Kerrithrim could retaliate, | |||
however, the Goddess called forth seeds of Corruption from the Nazetu | |||
troops of Bloodloch, sending them spiralling downwards towards the | |||
Kerrithrim and causing it to stumble further. Angered, the Kerrithrim | |||
turned its attention towards the Nazetu. Intervening, the Goddess Iosyne | |||
appeared with a flash of light, speaking words of lost tongue that | |||
seemed to agitate the Kerrithrim, distracting it from attacking the | |||
troops. | |||
Throughout the Pantheon's relentless attacks on the Kerrithrim, however, | |||
the attackers within the creature's body cleft and hewed their way first | |||
through the creature's esophagus, then into its intestinal tracts. From | |||
the gut of the creature, the attackers found themselves fighting hordes | |||
upon hordes of the neverending Thrim, before the Blackwind Lieutenant | |||
Sryaen was able to cut through a vein to reveal the way to the heart of | |||
the great Kerrithrim. As they entered, the attackers were faced with a | |||
fierce Thrim resistance, overwhelming most that were there. It was the | |||
Dreadlord Missari and the Azudim Warlord Mazzion who were able to battle | |||
on, destroying the heart of the Kerrithrim in the process. | |||
The effect was instantaneous - the Almighty Kerrithrim arched backwards | |||
in agony, a deafening roar escaping its gaping maw as the creature bent | |||
forward and vomited violently. Its green ichorous blood poured out from | |||
its mouth as it faltered, carrying with it the attackers within its body | |||
and depositing them onto the highway. The gargantuan form of the | |||
Kerrithrim began quaking in its pain and agony, sending both Thrim and | |||
attackers flying from its body. Toppling over, now weakened, the | |||
creature fell backwards into the crevasse that was once the Raphaelan | |||
Highway, its persistent roaring continuing as it fell through - and it | |||
is never heard to strike bottom. | |||
Sapience breathed a sigh of relief, having finally felled the creature | |||
that had so devastated its landscape. However, it is not long before | |||
breaths are held once more, as a mottled, battered hand flies up from | |||
within the chasm, grabbing hold on the ledge. Deafening snarls echoed | |||
upward from the chasm and it was not long before yet another of the | |||
Kerrithrim's hands joined its struggle to climb up once more. Red light | |||
burst outward from the black recess and the monster levered itself | |||
upward, propping its form against the edge of the chasm on its elbows. | |||
Green blood streamed from the creature's broken face, many of its eyes | |||
put out by the fall. | |||
Was the Kerrithrim truly so unstoppable? Was it truly so invincible? It | |||
began to drag itself onto the highway once more, dragging its way inch | |||
by laborious inch, before it collapsed onto the highway with a wet, | |||
ichor-like wheeze. Giving a final, vengeful glare, however, the | |||
Kerrithrim fell beside the chasm, and stirred no more. | |||
At last, the Abyssal Horror was finally defeated, and no longer did it | |||
terrorize Sapience. The experience was not without effect, however, for | |||
now the mystery of whence the Kerrithrim came from has arisen. The | |||
question burned in the minds of many mortals, for whose form did the | |||
Manipulator assume, and why did the Goddess claim that the Kerrithrim | |||
was Her pet? What was conclusive, however, was that the arrival of the | |||
Kerrithrim has revealed to all within Sapience that there is still much | |||
to the world that is unknown to mortal mind. | |||
== The Dreikathi Invasion == | == The Dreikathi Invasion == | ||
== The Discovery of Delve == | == The Discovery of Delve == |
edits