Voldrax snorted and started forward. Within a heartbeat, mystic metal rang and sparked as gray-haired man reacted to the addition of a third opponent. For all their size and power, the huge warriors didn’t have much affect on him, he just countered and attacked, size-stepping thrusts and driving his glowing blade for vulnerabilities. He moved with amazing fluidity and speed. Before Bannor could figure out a way to assist, one of the Baronians was down clutching a gash in his chest. Voldrax’s other second fell only instants after that.
Whoa. Who was this fellow? He thought Senalloy and Dulcere were good!
Voldrax must have been considerably more skilled than his seconds, because the gray warrior was not able to immediately defeat him. The fight went on, blood began to fly as the two opponents began to take each other’s measure and strike with greater authority.
Bannor’s head was beginning to clear. The savants near him seemed to be getting their wits about them as well.
More attackers were appearing, these newcomers did not bother with stealth, they poured from the ceiling like a rain of death.
As they dropped, the elf guardsmen summoned by the commotion fired on the only opponents they could see. Dozens of shafts lanced into the invaders, peppering their bodies as they dropped. He heard King T’Evagduran hollering orders, and saw spells flashing out.
The pandemonium outside the gates of Asgard had nothing on the chaos rising around him. He was just glad that Senalloy had gotten Sarai to safety.
He pushed toward his nola senses again and was rewarded with a flare of colors and lines that represented the thread world. He could see again. He reached toward Voldrax to abort the battle with Desiray’s husband, but six new opponents quenched any thoughts of that.
“Look out,” he yelled, stumbling back. Damn, he needed a weapon. He wasn’t going to be able to use the Garmtur effectively while boosting the powers of all the other savants.
Wren shot forward, contrails of flame streaking from her limbs. Her speed made her barely more than a blur. She left the ground and launched a kick that smashed into the face of the nearest Baronian, sending him tumbling where he crashed into the stone steps.
Azir followed his sister’s example, slamming the huge warriors with bare-handed mêlée. Vanidaar and Ziedra lashed out with blasts of magic that shredded the enemies not already engaged.
In a span of instants, the four savants defeated almost a dozen of the alien intruders. Clearing the area around them.
Wren stared down at her glowing hands. “Whoa.” She looked up at Bannor. “What did you do?”
He drew a breath. “It was a four way link up last time. This is a seven way, and as we know—Daena is a lot stronger.”
“It is unsettling,” Vanidaar said, keeping an eye on the fight.
“It’s great!” Wren’s brother Azir cheered. He pounded a fist into his palm.
“It’s making me dizzy,” Ziedra told them. “I don’t think we were meant to channel this much power. In fact, I don’t think we should be able to without burning ourselves up.”
“That’s Bannor,” Wren said. Her voice echoed with the power that was channeling. “Lord of the impossible.” She drew a breath and put a hand to her face. “Whoa. It is pretty intoxicating.” The blonde savant shook her head. She put a hand on Bannor’s shoulder. “You don’t look so good. Can you do this for very long?”
“I’d hurry,” he said.
“Good enough for me,” Wren said. “Zee, you can hit anything in the room from here. Guard Bannor would you, I’m certain he was who they were after.”
The dark-haired savant nodded. “Be careful please.”
“Father, Azir,” Wren said. “Let’s break some heads.”
“Get him,” Bannor pointed to Voldrax. “He’s the leader. We need him alive.”
Voldrax and the gray-haired warrior were oblivious to everything but themselves, swords a-blur, sparks cascading from the clash of powerfully swung mystic metal.
“Oh spit, Loric—!” Wren breathed.
The blonde savant shot forward toward the duel completely heedless of the perimeter of whirling death around the two males. She leaped up and over Loric to bring her shoulder straight into the chest of the Baronian. Like a shell launched from a catapult, Wren exploded into Voldrax. At that precise moment Loric’s blade had plunged toward the Baronian’s heart, the tip of the magic weapon struck her back. Wren cried out as a white flare of light surrounded her body.
The speed and power of Wren’s intervention drove Voldrax crashing backward. His huge body thundered to the floor and skidded into a stone column with a crunch.
Wren rolled off of huge fighter clutching at her back. “Aie aie aie!”
Sword clutched in his fist, the fierce expression on Loric’s face became one of dismay. “Oh damn, Wren!”
Bannor didn’t have time to worry about her. Using what little energy he had left he grabbed hold of Voldrax’s threads, threw several loops around him and jerked them tight.
He needn’t have worried, Azir and Vanidaar were quick to Wren’s aide. The brother sent a punishing blow into the stomach of the burly juggernaut who even after Wren’s powerful tackle was stirring. The power of the strike made the room echo, as did Voldrax’s yell of pain.
The Baronian folded around the attack even as shafts of magic from Vanidaar and Ziedra pinned him to the column. He heard both the mages growling and struggling even with the combined power of six savants shining in their bodies. With a final yell the immensely powerful creature went limp under the crushing power of their magic.
“Lords,” Ziedra muttered. “Like trying to subdue ten rhinotaurs!”
Around the room, the battle went silent for an instant as all the warriors under Voldrax’s command froze at the sight of their commander’s defeat. Obviously, that was something they had neither seen nor expected.
A yell went up from the back.
“Shield him!” Bannor yelled pointing at Voldrax.
In that instant, Bannor saw Quasar appear by Voldrax, Wren, and her brother. The four of them vanished before a withering barrage of magic and weaponry meant to obliterate the downed leader shrieked into that location.
Voldrax’s subordinates and sub-commanders, distracted by the task of preventing his capture were punished for their efforts as arrows and attacks battered them.
In a matter of a few instants more the strike force members all vanished as a group. Leaving the party chamber a smoking ruin. Injured and gasping party goers falling down in exhaustion.
Bannor fell to his knees letting loose the combining. He saw the other savants relax as they were released from the joining.
“Where did that creature go with my daughter!” Vanidaar growled. “She was injured.”
“Damn,” Loric muttered again. “It happened so fast—no time to pull my strike.”
“I didn’t see,” Aarlen said striding up. The huge pale woman was a blood splashed mess, her staff and sword still dripping with gore. She herself was covered with cuts and bruises already turning dark. If all the injuries troubled her she showed no sign of it. “What happened?”
“Wren jumped in the way at the last instant, to keep Loric from killing the commander. He was subdued, but Quasar took him.”
“Damn her!” Aarlen snarled slamming the butt of her staff against the floor.
“Who is this Quasar and why did she take my daughter?” Vanidaar growled.
“I want to know what this whole thing was about!” King T’Evagduran bellowed. The tall elf like nearly everyone in the room sported multiple injuries and bled from a couple deep gouges in his face. “Why do these ogrish creatures attack us?” He stopped to kick over the corpse of one of the slain Baronians and shook his head.
“Dom’ista it’s a long story,” Bannor said.
“Where are Our daughters?” Kalindinai asked with a growl. She too had taken a beating in the battle, her royal raiment ripped and torn by combat.
He looked around at the other people pick
ing themselves up. Members of the honor guard were helping the injured members of the Felspar clan.
“Matradomma, Senalloy took them to safety,” he answered.
“I’m sure she’ll bring them back soon, Matradomma,” Corim said walking up with Tal at his shoulder.
Aarlen dismissed her sword and staff with a gesture, the two powerful items fading from her hands. “The witch just wants some private time with him. That’s why she took the children as insurance.”
“Will this creature injure my children?” Euriel asked stomping up. Like Aarlen, the Aesir woman looked hardly affected by the battle though she sported many injuries.
Eclipse, the Kriar who guarded Bronawyn, stepped up with a sigh. “She would see no benefit in it,” he said. “It is as Aarlen says, she took them both to shield them from the attack and to act as insurance.”
“Can you find them, Bannor?” Vanidaar asked.
He let out a breath, and nodded. “I can sense Wren.”
“Good,” Euriel said. “You will take us to them immediately.”
He winced. “It’s not that simple.” Wren’s thread led to someplace immensely distant, somewhere beyond the gulf of stars.
Senalloy reappeared with the three elven princesses. Sarai immediately tackled him in a hug, while Janai and Ryelle fretted over their injured parents.
“Damn it, don’t do that to me again,” Sarai whispered fiercely in his ear. “I was so scared I would lose you!”
He hugged her tight. “Now you know how I feel all the time.”
Sarai frowned, arms trembling as she pulling him tight against her warm body. He snuggled close, enjoying her warmth. He looked over to Senalloy. “Thanks for keeping her safe.”
The silver-haired Baronian nodded.
Cassandra had joined the group and had an arm around Loric. She, Desiray, and the other woman Dorian had gathered close together.
“I gotta tell ya,” Tal said, looking around at the devastation. “You Malanians throw a party like nobody else!”
Continued in Gaea’s Legacy: Savants Ascendant
* * *
Glossary of Term
« ^ »
— A —
Aesir — (also Aesirian) The name given to the Lords of Asgard. There are two clans in Gladshiem consisting of pantheon lords and their issue. There are the more well known Aesir, and their often rival brothers the Vanir.
Alostar, Damay — Eldest of the Kel’Varan’s and reputed to be the most powerful. Damay fought many epic battles against Mandrimin (c.f.) the Ta’arthak Nola (savant of matter) in her time. About 6000 years ago she fell to Aarlen Frielos in a duel of magic, she was approximately 2900 summers old at the time. It is unknown exactly how or why, but Aarlen trapped Damay’s tao essence in an amulet of shael-dal metal. It is surmised that the amulet was an experiment to create a magical item fueled by the essence of a savant. Apparently, the item was never completed. In 1091 N.I.S., Wren Kergatha came into possession of the amulet. She later resurrected Damay by rejoining her tao with a suitable body. Shortly thereafter Damay and Aarlen dueled again, this time resulting in a draw. Damay’s current whereabouts are unknown, but some sources surmise that she has returned to Starholme Prime.
See Also: tao
Alpha — Alpha is the name given to the entity which procreated life in the body of Gaea and is thus the progenitor of the elder races that diversified to become the various forms of life throughout Eternity. Many scholars speculate that Alpha and Gaea are merely metaphors for the burgeoning of life. Others cite differently quoting texts that indicate that both Alpha and Gaea were actual creatures that pre-dated all other forms of intelligent life. The Alphaforce is the spark said to be carried by savants. This spark is sometimes referred to as a ‘tao’.
See Also: tao
arminwen — Elvish. Respectful way to address a princess when your caste and rank are inferior.
arwen — Elvish. Respectful way to address a princess when your caste and rank are superior. Queen Kalindinai would address Princess Liandra Kergatha as “Arwen Liandra”.
See Also: titles/honorifics, T’Evagduran, Kalindinai (Queen)
ascendant — Term coined by Bannor Starfist to describe savants who have access to their full immortal powers. “Ascending” can take place in one of three ways. The first (and intended) way is when a savant alpha joins with the pantheon lord who is their beta body. Daena Sheento joins with Hella to become the first ascendant in ‘Neath Odin’s Eye. As an ascendant she had the physical potential of a pantheon lord coupled with the mastery of a universal force.
The second way ascendance can take place are when a savant uses their tao-form or astral-body to overlap a creature with immort characteristics. Wren Kergatha did this with both Desiray Illkaren Felspar and with her mother Euriel Kergatha. In the events of Gaea’s Legacy, several savants do this with bodies created expressly for this purpose by Marna Solaris.
The third and last way a savant can ascend is by having their original physical body modified to take on immort characteristics. This happens to Bannor during the course of Gaea’s Legacy after his tao-inhabited body created by Marna is destroyed and his original body is heavily damaged.
Ascendants gain power over time and with experience. Daena, though her body was technically inferior to those possessed by the created ascendants was more powerful because her tao was in complete synchronis with her body.
See Also: Felspar, Desiray Illkaren, tao
avatar — A creature who has been bonded to another through avatarism (c.f.)
— B —
Baronian — A race of created warriors whose true origins remain unknown. They are humanoid in nature but appear to be the product of an extensive breeding and isolation program. Baronian warriors and mages are renowned for their physical endurance, pain tolerance, and mental faculties. In addition to simply being physically strong and durable, Baronians also possess the ability to metabolize raw energy which can be used to power spells or even heal wounds.
Accounts of Baronian culture is that they are a slave race to a group of beings known only as the ‘masters’. Within the Baronian hierarchy, females are primarily considered chattel, with certain prominent members able to earn free status through outstanding service to the various war causes. What little is known about the Baronians was gleaned when a party of Protectorate warriors accompanied Vatraena Marna Solaris and her aides to the Kriar Homeworld of the Karanganoi. There they discovered a force of Baronians had over-run and enslaved the entire Kriar civilization. In return for information and cooperation, Tal Falor made an agreement with a group ten Baronian slave women to help them escape. Tal kept his word and these slaves were broken free. These females now work in the employ of Isis. Notably among this group is a female warmage named Luthice who is the blood sister of Senalloy who Corim Vale frees from Rakaar.
See Also: Falor, Talorin {Tal}, kriar
belkirin — Combat grade rank in the Kriar military equal to a commander. See also Kriar Ranks.
See Also: kriar, kriar ranks
Bertrand Kirnath Valharesh — See Vinax, Koass.
biophase — A form of energy that can be tapped by the proper magical rituals. This energy is often used to dispel fatigue and reinforce the body. Mages utilize it to boost the efficiency of their spells.
Utilization of biophase has a strong euphoric effect that makes its use dangerous. Despite the hazards, biophase is one of the commonly manipulated powers in “carnal energies”.
Blackwater — Town in the north-eastern reaches of the Barony of Tenax. The town sits at the foot of the pass that leads through the Radigast Mountains.
bloodguard — The “Bloodguard” is a the name of a group of created Valkyrie’s who serve Odin. The Bloodguard and the “Chosen” sisterhoods are bitter rivals in their service to the Aesir.
bloodwood — A wood characterized by its reddish color and fra
grant odor. Mostly a decorative material.
— C —
cada — A common Kriar acknowledgement, usually in response to ‘Saeba’ c.f. It’s meaning is ‘I am well’ or ‘fine’.
See Also: kriar
chimera — A monster found in various parts of the realms. It is a composite winged creature with three heads, that of a goat, great cat, and serpent.
chronal — Used to describe anything that relates to time or event sequences.
chronon — A standardized unit of time which coincides with the time it takes an electron to complete one circuit around the nucleus of an atom. Roughly 1038 chronons occur per second.
Coormeer — A small Kingdom to the south and east of Ivaneth. Coormeer is known for its moderate climate and the fertileness of the hills spread through the heart of its territory. Coormeer makes most of its income as a nation that barters trade. They have a large seaport and a sizeable overland freight industry. Cormeer is also known for its vineyards, and kingdoms from all over Titaan import the different wines made there.
A few notable figures have dealings with or are part of Coormeer. The Justicar Sir Laramis De’Falcone hails from there and his family owns one of the major vineyards. Lord Mazerak Duquesne the savant of storms also hailed from Coormeer. Lastly, Princess Janai T’Evagduran of Malan holds the title of Baroness in Coormeer, and owns extensive lands there as a widow of one of the Kingdom’s nobles.
See Also: De’Falcone, Laramis
Corresont, Senalloy Moirae — Baronian battle-nurse originally serving Rakaar Hespian Steelsheen. Senalloy’s true origins remain a mystery, however it is certain that she spent quite some time on Karanganoi homeworld (c.f.) gaining the trust and confidence of the Kriar indigenous there. She speaks the Kriar high tongue fluently which requires some ten to twenty cycles of study. Her knowledge of Kriar technology indicates a close relationship with someone possessing engineering skills.
Reality's Plaything 3: Eternal's Agenda Page 43