The atmosphere at the Mesthelia pier remains thick with ozone. Draelik grips the charred railing, his mirrored mask reflecting the horrified expressions of the onlookers rather than his own intent.
Draelik
The council will not tolerate such interference, relic. You have shattered the anchor, but the tide is already rising.
ID
Stand down, Councilman! Your presence here is an anomaly, and that... that light you summoned has crippled the harbor’s foundations.
Draelik
Do you truly believe your petty oaths matter when the architecture of Etheria is fraying at the edges?
Arion Touvengard
He is stalling. The void residue is still beneath his fingernails. He is not just a conspirator, he is a conduit.
Arion steps forward, his host’s body moving with an eerie, mechanical grace as the teal energy pulses rhythmically from the blade, pinning Draelik’s gaze.
“"I dont know why a councilman would deem it worthwhile to strike at the city he governs, but I am sure the other members of the 8 woukd love to hear of your treachery, unless you think you can match you vlade against my ancient techniques"”
SUCCESS (Good Intimidation, rolled +0)
Arion Touvengard
I do not know why a councilman would deem it worthwhile to strike at the city he governs, but I am sure the other members of the 8 would love to hear of your treachery. Unless you think you can match your blade against my ancient techniques.
The teal glow pulsing from Arion’s sword intensifies, coating the host's body in a flickering, ethereal aura. Draelik stiffens, his mirrored mask warping under the pressure of the arcane display. The City Guard Captain draws her steel, her eyes darting between the two figures.
Draelik
You are a relic, Arion. A ghost clutching at a puppet. You do not understand the scale of the debt you owe to the void.
ID
Drop the blade, both of you! I will not see the pier leveled by this madness.
Arion Touvengard
He is reaching for something in his cloak. If I strike now, he will burn. If I wait, the harbor sinks.
+ Scene Quest Added
Force Draelik to surrender and depart the pier
“While feigning to put away my weapon, Arion uses his inhuman speed to quickly grab the device Draelik was attempting to pull from his robes.”
SUCCESS (Superb Agility, rolled +2)
Arion’s blade dips, the teal radiance dimming to a deceptive hum. Draelik relaxes his posture, his hand curling around a blackened obsidian sphere hidden within his robes. The shift is subtle, but to Arion, it screams of impending detonation.
Arion Touvengard
You mistake my lethargy for weakness, councilman.
Before Draelik can utter a retort, Arion lunges. His movement is unnatural, a blur of muscle and magic that defies the weight of his human host. He bypasses the councilman’s guard with supernatural grace, his fingers locking onto the obsidian sphere just as it clears the fabric of the robe.
Draelik
Impossible. The void should have paralyzed his kinetic anchor!
ID
Stand down! I will not warn you again!
The orb vibrates violently in Arion's grip, veins of shadow-light spider-webbing across his host’s palm. The pier beneath them groans, the wooden planks buckling under the sudden release of localized arcane pressure.
Quest Complete
Force Draelik to surrender and depart the pier