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Post by TheGratefulNed on Aug 4, 2008 0:27:59 GMT -5
OOC: So are we milling around the Foundry before we go to the Gym? I can't do this being in two places at once thing,... makes my lil head hurt too much? ((I have no problems with it either. Might as well maintain chronological consistency and finish this up before doing any more on the Gymnasium thread.)) Nuuko nods and leads the two Athar back down the hallway to the spiral staircase. Ascending several floors, he walks to the end of a short hall in only two long strides. Stopping in front of the only door on that level, the Athasian knocks a few curt taps on the aged wood with his knuckles and waits for a reply from within. |
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Post by Stix on Aug 14, 2008 12:29:49 GMT -5
"Enter," says a clear tenor voice on the other side. The door swings open on well-oiled hinges, the heavy scent of frankincense wafting out to mask the odors of the rest of the Foundry.
A fine-featured, angelic aasimar sits studiously at his desk, his ink-stained fingers laboring carefully as he delicately scribes flowing calligraphy into a large, blank book. On the inside of his wrist is a tattoo of the Believers' sword-and-corona insignia, with one to match embroidered on the back of his white tunic and a third shown in relief on the silver circlet that holds in place his cascade of shoulder-length blond hair.
He spares a sidelong glance, a fleeting smile, and a nod away from his work. "Nuuko, is it? What can I do for you?"
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Post by TheGratefulNed on Aug 14, 2008 14:35:35 GMT -5
"Ah, Master Kavulus," Nuuko says with a respectful nod as he enters the sage's study. "I don't know if the chant has reached you yet about the bebilith that showed up on the other side of the city, killed some members of the Ciphers faction and disappeared." With a gesture toward the two Defiers he continues, "these two came to the Foundry looking for information about it and anyone willing to help them follow it. Ombidias gave us the name of a contact of his amongst them. We were wondering what knowledge you might have about these things in general. I know only what Ombidias said, that even fiends fear them." The planar cant seems oddly emphasized and unaccented as compared to the rest of his speaking, as though he's still trying to grasp the use of some of the words.
After he's spoken his piece, the towering elf glances curiously about the aasimar's study and returns his assiduous gaze to the blond-haired half-celestial. He makes note of the three Believer symbols about the factioneer and looks down at the chain which bore a small medallion hanging against the front of his armor. Perhaps it's time to add my new faction's symbol to those of my tribe. While these thoughts are occurring, he unthinkingly traces one finger along the patterned scar tissue on the right side of his neck.
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Post by Stix on Aug 19, 2008 14:01:00 GMT -5
"I've heard tell -- Ombidias told me as such," Kavulus starts, a frown playing over his perfect features. "Bebiliths prey on tanar'ri -- or, according to some accounts, punish them -- and on several occasions, baatezu legions have turned a battle to their favor by luring one into strategic positions. For whatever reason, the chaos-fiends, and indeed, all intelligent beings of the Abyss refuse to strike at one. Vimalanda Rey's Magic and Mystery of Ind suggests that they communicate telepathically with one another, but no record of their dealing with other sentient beings exists -- outside their own kind, they appear to be little more than sadistic predators.
"The bebilith can only be wounded by enchanted weapons," he continues, pausing from his work to dry his hands and select a volume from a nearby shelf. He leafs through it for a few moments before finding what it is he's after. "Some accounts say the second degree, others the third. They are surrounded by a protective aura and project a feeling of futility at all times... and their fangs carry a fast-acting lethal poison that kills the victim within minutes and consumes the corpse in flames unless blessed. Their spinnerets can fire nets of flame-retardant webbing up to sixty feet in diameter. ...Oh, my." The priest pauses, rereading the text.
"It says here that the creatures can pull themselves and their prey to the Astral from the topmost layer of a plane." He pauses again, mumbling as he skips through the text... "Wars of annihilation... greater fiends... mating habits... ah, here -- they are highly resistant to magic, but attack forms that can breach their innate resistace always injure them, regardless of their nature." Looking up from the text, he adds, "This would imply that they don't share a fiendish resistance to lightning, fire, or the like."
He closes the book and replaces it. "Bebilith spinnerets fetch a heavy purse with the right spellslinger... but taking them is, of course, a dangerous business."
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Post by artemis on Aug 19, 2008 15:56:02 GMT -5
Xianna listened intently as the priest reads. What in the nine hells did we get ourselves into, she wondered. "Well, I don't know about you boys, but my weapons aren't enchanted. I can place a lesser enchantment on a weapon, and I can throw magic missiles, an acid arrow, and chill touch. However I don't think I'm keen on getting close enough for the chill touch." she said.
She looked at Nuuko and Drej, wondering if they were still commited after hearing such a heavy bit of dark.
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Post by Stix on Aug 19, 2008 21:33:42 GMT -5
"You aren't... planning on hunting it, are you?" Kavulus' shock is plain on his face.
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Post by artemis on Aug 20, 2008 7:33:08 GMT -5
"Hunt it? Hells no, that would be barmy!" Xianna replies. "We are just on an dark finding mission, though we may get close to the thing, and if so, we need to be prepared." She looks at Drej, "Devas, Abyssal Lords, Bebiliths, what has Caylean got us into?"
"Tell us Kavulus, is there any reason a Bebilth would be stomping through the Cage, other than the fact that it can?"
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Post by TheGratefulNed on Aug 20, 2008 13:17:54 GMT -5
Nuuko listens intently as the aasimar discloses the various bits of information regarding the giant spider fiend. Fangs and spinnerets, he silently notes to himself. Even if we can't bring it down, doesn't mean something else won't."Well, I don't know about you boys, but my weapons aren't enchanted." " You aren't... planning on hunting it, are you?" Kavulus' shock is plain on his face. Replying to Xianna and the priest, the Prime shakes his head. " Mine are not magical either, but I only intend to track it, not kill it." "Tell us Kavulus, is there any reason a Bebilth would be stomping through the Cage, other than the fact that it can?" " From the sounds of what Ombidias said, it was just passing through and killing some Ciphers on it way." |
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Post by Stix on Aug 20, 2008 16:59:56 GMT -5
"It's very unusual for a bebilith to leave the Abyss -- and since they can fade into the Astral, I can't imagine one would have cause to travel knowingly by portal. In Rey's book, he cites a spellslinger named Brahmadatta who harvests three spinnerets from a bebilith that had been drugged unconscious. When next anyone tried to contact his village, it had been laid to waste and covered in webbing.
"Unless it's to inflict great suffering or take retribution... I couldn't even begin to guess."
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Post by Stix on Sept 13, 2008 18:23:51 GMT -5
(Given that this has been at a lull, I'm going to go ahead and close this scene; we'll pick up at the Great Gymnasium.) |
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