Mission | EKLI'SES

[ironwood]

Characters: Gene Khan (wrathfulkhan), River Tam (problematical), Skulduggery Pleasant (skeletonenigma), Zatanna Zatara (backwordscompatible)
Date: After the Summer Jubilee event
Location: The Death Realm
Situation: Milyn is looking for volunteers to retrieve a locket from the Death plane, while hopefully learning more about the plane. OOC Plotting located here.
Warnings/Rating: Possible violence, adult language. Will edit as needed.

---

Milyn will welcome the four to her apothecary in the Water Sector, saying that she prefers familiar surroundings to perform this undertaking, and also cheerfully point out that if any of them react badly to the Gha'nal venom, she'll have remedies right on hand! (She either ignores or is oblivious to the fact that this will probably not be of a comfort to them!) Her examination room has been furnished with four semi-comfortable cots (it's not like they're going to be awake in this plane to complain if they're lumpy) and after getting them settled, she'll come around and give them all injections of the Venom, hovering nearby until it takes effect and they awaken to find themselves in the Death realm.

The plane of Death is nothing if not uncooperative, particularly given Malicant's influence. Characters may confront manifestations of their fears, ranging from ambiguous (such as the group passing through a cemetery when one fears death) to detailed (such as a specific canon figure appearing to torment a character) before they arrive at the temple.

THE TEMPLE

The Temple has come to be known in rumors as "The Temple of Shadows," though the origin of this title (translated from kedanese) will be explained with different folklores and urban legends. Whatever its original purpose, the once grand onyx building has been reduced to modest ruins, much of its old structure inaccessible. The small shrine, based on Milyn’s description, rests beside much of the ruin, atop a large hill, and overlooks chaos and destruction in all directions. The climb up can be achieved either by way of the steps, constructed of ornate and artistic collections of bones, or on the hill itself, whose earthen surface seems made almost entirely of ash.

The stone structure is equal parts enclosed and open air, with ash scattered throughout and clinging to the worn and faded tapestries and banners hung inside. The collection of wooden furniture that may have once made the shrine quite welcoming is now scattered as bits and pieces. At what is clearly the focal point of the back room, a single wooden box rests atop an obsidian construct which might have one been an altar. As if in a bubble, no ash, dirt, and other such debris has settled within an inch of the box; its condition is pristine. It cannot be removed, however, only opened.

And that's when the trouble starts.

If characters open the box, they will find the locket inside as promised by Milyn, but opening the box will also release a set of Ekli'ses that have been locked away for far too long.

EKLI'SES

It's impossible to tell if the Ekli'ses are technically of a single entity or if each is unique. They are made from darkness and shadow and are constructed completely of what they can take, feeding on the lives and light of others.

Tendrils of darkness will reach out to steal the participating characters' shadows from them, each twisting and stretching until the respective Ekli'se perfectly resembles the character whose shadow they have stolen – excepting, of course, that every part of them is made solely of darkness rather than any color or life. Ekli'ses will have all equipment, abilities, and temperaments associated with their respective characters, but will be unable to communicate verbally.

The group may choose how to engage the Ekli'ses.

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To unlock the second part of this mission, characters must make the following choices ICly (meaning it must be threaded out) and then contact Kate or Li with the following:

• Part 1: Did the group take the skeletal staircase, the ashen hill, or both?
  
• Part 2: Did the group open the box or not?
  
• Part 3: If the box is opened, will the group attempt to engage the Ekli’ses with combat or try to talk to them?

Comments

At the Apothecary

[ironwood]

Milyn's Apothecary is in a quiet part of the Water Sector, which she hopes will not draw attention from the Palace for this mission. Characters can arrive together or separate and discuss before being injected with the Venom.

[backwordscompatible]

[Zatanna hadn't been quite so eager to leave her suite that morning, and arrived shortly after the initially agreed upon meeting time. Her feet dragged, but she remained otherwise alert and observant. If quiet. Her eyes immediately fell to the ceiling-high shelves in the room, absently taking note of the variety of herbs and plants and inventory for the apothecary.]

[Some of them actually reminded her of her magic shop; the two trades tended to overlap at times, so that was hardly surprising.]

None of my old pediatricians' offices ever looked anything like this, that's for sure.

[cherrywood]

What did they look like?

[ Milyn's bustling about the room and setting thing away; while they're gone, her shop will be closed so they're not disturbed. ]

My grandfather bought this place, though he never ran it. It was to be a gift for me when I finished my training.

[backwordscompatible]

Oh, you know. White walls. Floors that smelled like lemon-scented bleach. Chairs that were somehow colder than the snow....

[The bustling about didn't seem to bother her any. She would have offered to help, but this was her first time in the shop. She wouldn't know where to put anything.]

Was? I thought this was your place.

[cherrywood]

Oh it is, it is. I only meant... well, grandfather was very old and he took ill. He never got to see me finish my training nor... be granted a title, by the Emperor.

[ She shrugged a little, though her usual exuberance is back a few seconds later. ]

But enough about odd little me, let's get you all settled in the back.

[backwordscompatible]

[Oh...]

[Zatanna wasn't sure whether or not she should offer her condolences, when suddenly, she was being ushered into the back room.]

What exactly is all this for again?

[cherrywood]

The Emperor has given me some information from his files on this locket, but I'm afraid the details have quite escaped me until I have a chance to go back over them again. But don't worry, he would not ask this if not for an important advantage, that's just the way he is, you know. All business, not an ounce of fun.

[backwordscompatible]

Suddenly, I remember why I like him so much.

[Her sarcasm was so thick it was a wonder actual words made it out.]

Do we get to see these files, or are we going on the honor system?

[cherrywood]

[ Milyn smiled, the sarcasm rolling right off her. ]

He does what he can, dear.

Don't you trust me?

[backwordscompatible]

Not entirely. No offense.

Definitely more than the Emperor right now. Though that still doesn't answer my question.

[cherrywood]

None taken, I suppose I've not earned it yet.

The reason the files haven't been shared, well... if things don't go well, it would be better if you knew as little as possible.

Facing Fears

[ironwood]

Once they've fully reached the Death plane, their fears and insecurities are fair game for this realm's dark intentions. They may face trials both mental and physical, targeted to them or broad enough to alter the landscape itself as they travel towards the temple.

[backwordscompatible]

[There was an old cliche inspirational quote: the only thing we have to fear is Fear Itself]

[Zatanna was starting to think Mr. Roosevelt had been onto something.]

[This was her second time coming face to face with the doors of the Death plane, and somehow, knowing what potentially awaited her only made things worse. Even before she crossed the threshold, the memories threatened to take over. The thing she had seen the last time. Nightmares coming to life...so to speak. Which only made things worse. She was leaving herself open.]

[And alone. Isolated. So very, very cold. Not like Jack's cold, either. His cold was always like a breath of refreshing air. Exciting and alert. This was a painful cold. So bone-numbingly chilled that one might easily forget what it felt like to feel warmth ever again. Her arms came up to wrap around her, increasingly deep breaths coming out in thick puffs of smoke.]

Hello?

[Nothing. Emptiness. Not even the comfort of her own echo.]

[She had been abandoned. There was no one left. They were all gone.]

[wrathfulkhan]

[Gene has been to the Death plane before, without too much incident. But apparently it had just been biding its time for an assault on his mental health.

He recognizes the feeling of the trial gearing itself up for him; it was similar to the one from the guardian of the eighth ring. He remembers the world of nightmare it had trapped him in, the endless waves of Tong, his stepfather sneering at him.

This is similar. Once again he finds himself running through a thicket of bamboo, and he tries to stop his feet but he can't. His stepfather is sitting on the steps of the house that belonged to the woman he murdered, Gene's mother, and as Gene approaches, Zhang stands.

And a set of black and gold armor envelops him. As he approaches, he seems taller even than the armor would allow - or maybe Gene seems smaller. Whatever the case, Zhang looms over him, towering in the armor, and Gene's throat goes dry. He instinctively hunches up, trying to make himself smaller, regressing to the frightened child he had once been. The fog of terror has overcome his rational thought; he doesn't even think to use the rings to fight. The Death plane is getting to him more than he cares to admit.

The degree to which Zhang looms over him in the armor is perhaps reminiscent of how his size would be compared to a small child.] Poor pitiful motherless Gene, [he says as he did once before, smiling cruelly down at the child who had been his charge.] You are weak. You have always been weak. And weakness is death.

[The armored figure grabs him by the neck and he goes quiet and still, his eyes going blank, not even daring to fight. He's not even aware of the fact that his companions may still be around, may still be witnessing this. He can't think, he can't rationally remind himself that this is Malicant's doing.]

Temple & Ekli'ses

[ironwood]

Upon arrival, the true test begins. Can they work together to achieve the goal of this mission? Will they be able to agree on a course of action and if they can, will it even be the right one?

[skeletonenigma]

The infamous Temple of Shadows was a difficult building to find. Or at least, Skulduggery assumed it was infamous; the way Milyn talked about it put him in mind of an ancient Aztec or Mayan temple, equal parts revered and feared by the locals. He wasn't sure if it was difficult to find because the Death Realm was fluid enough to keep sending them in the wrong direction, or because Malicant was deliberately putting obstacles in their path to mask its location. Either way, even Skulduggery managed a sigh of relief when they finally came upon a structure that could only be described as an ancient blackened Temple of Shadows.

Its infamous standing was certainly well-earned.

Skulduggery stopped before they could enter it. There was one good thing to be said about the Death Realm - the overwhelming amount of pure death was intoxicating, but resisting it didn't make his skull start pounding with pain. It almost made the resistance easier, and for that, Skulduggery was grateful. The idea of entering the crumbling black structure, however, still probably wasn't a good one.

"Milyn said the shrine was on top of a hill," he said, his voice echoing in the quiet. "Let's walk around and see if we can find it first."

[backwordscompatible]

Zatanna hung back, instinctively, as she knew her strengths lay more in long-distance battle and covering her teammates from behind. She wasn't flying, not wanting to waste any more energy than necessary, but she could feel the magic energy inside her charging up. Ready to summon at a moment's notice.

The chill from her initial Death Realm encounter had yet to leave her; she was still absently rubbing at her arms even as they approached the Temple. Eyes scanning everything, while her innate ability to detect magic was still in overdrive from the Realm.

Skulduggery had taken the lead. Fine. But it wasn't until he abruptly stopped and sighed that he warranted her momentary full attention.

"I think I've seen this movie before." She joked half-heartedly. Even her voice came out weaker than usual. "Whatever we do, let's try not to split up."

[wrathfulkhan]

"Yeah, that's not something I'd recommend," Gene drawled from the middle of the pack. He'd been hanging back, unwilling to spend too much time around Skulduggery. Not due to any consternation about his skeletal form, but due to the last encounter they'd had. He still wasn't comfortable being around the detective.

The rings were on his hands now; he didn't want to be caught unarmed, as it were.

[problematical]

River hadn't been very vocal up until this point, though she clearly was following along with everything and had occasionally spoken up, she seemed satisfied enough to let the others take the lead. Indeed, it was possibly even a question on their minds why someone like her would have been chosen by Milyn for this sort of mission at all.

Even more questionable when she starts singing under her breath, crouching down to poke at the edge of the ashen hill.

"Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies. Ashes, ashes..."

[skeletonenigma]

"... we all fall down," Skulduggery finished for her, muttering under his breath. "Very morbid, for a children's song."

But, in this case, apt. The original subject matter was death resulting from the bubonic plague, after all. And they were faced with a hill that seemed to be made entirely of ashes.

"Let's try to avoid touching them," he said, a little louder for River's benefit. "We're in a place called the Death Realm, and about to walk into a place called the Temple of Shadows. Somehow, I doubt that touching anything would be the wisest move to make. Does anyone see a shrine yet?"

[backwordscompatible]

And the quiet one speaks. Sort of. A strangely eery, sing-song tone that earned a long second glance out of the corner of her eye.

"Hands off the posies. Noted." She took a few more steps--away from the group, but still close enough to be within each of their views--as she stared at the soft ground. Kneeling down. Even with her gloves, she wasn't inclined to brush her fingers over it. "She has a point, though. I think. This place is covered in it. And it all looks undisturbed."

[wrathfulkhan]

"Let's keep it that way." Gene wasn't going to go out of his way to disturb things here. This place made his throat ache. The singing girl wasn't helping; she frankly put his teeth on edge. Not to mention he was still shaken enough from his encounter with the Death realm's particular brand of fun.

[problematical]

"They don't come here on feet," River said, looking over at them. She raises her finger to the ashes and looks intently at it, bringing it close to her face almost as if she intends to lick it clean (but thankfully doesn't) before letting it fall to her side.

"Only we do. But we're leaving tracks, they'll find us."

She looks back at their trajectory, and while they have left some general marks of passage, it's hardly tracks per se. Another metaphor?

[skeletonenigma]

River had been charmingly obscure for most of the journey. It was easy to handle with two sane people alongside, particularly since Skulduggery knew one of them from before this mission. But the more River spoke, the more Skulduggery wondered how obscure her words actually were. He'd known many Sensitives in his world who enjoyed speaking in obscure riddles so much that they never spoke in anything else, and deciphering their visions became a study in patience.

So he didn't dismiss her this time. 'They,' whoever they were, didn't use feet. That could mean they were as simple as birds, or it could mean something else entirely.

"I can fly," Skulduggery said after a moment. "Shrines usually employ stairs, but if River's right and they don't have any, we can at least keep the ash undisturbed."

PART 2

[ironwood]

As the characters have attempted to communicate with the Ekli’ses rather than engage in combat:

Though the Ekli'ses cannot speak verbally, they are intelligent and able to communicate through ideas planted directly into the characters' minds. That is, they will not speak in specific words, but will convey entire thoughts. The entities are intelligent and will listen if characters attempt to reason with them. If characters are persuasive enough, the Ekli'ses will express that they are willing to leave the team in peace in exchange for:

The characters' shadows: If characters agree to give up their shadows, the Ekli'ses will depart as promised. Simple as that.

Stuff: If characters don't wish to give up their shadows, the Ekli'ses will be willing to accept one item of interest or importance from each character instead. If this is done, they will return the characters' shadows as promised, take the item, and disappear. The character must have the item on hand to be able to give it to the Ekli’se. The item will be considered permanently lost.

Memories: In place of shadows or stuff, characters can instead also sacrifice a memory of some importance or significance to them. If agreed upon, the memory will simply be gone, the Ekli'se having taken it. Once the memories are gone, they will return the characters' shadows as promised and leave. There is no current timeline for when the memory might be returned.

Each character can make their own decision about whether to give up their shadow, an item, or a memory. If any of the team refuses to give up one of the three options, however, all Ekli'ses will fight.

Please let Li know whether characters will engage in combat or what each character will be giving up.