AbyssalRoadTrip posts
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Abyssal Road Trip - 379 - Other side
Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western ReachesThe first technique scroll for Ki State involved layering the energies to support each other like she’d seen Master Payam use. Being familiar with multiple melody components supporting each other, the technique made perfect sense. Unfortunately, that initial success didn’t continue, and most of the scrolls contained concepts that didn’t mesh with Amdirlain’s per...
Abyssal Road Trip - 378 - Still here
Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western ReachesWhen the clerks verified the last student’s Affinity, Erhi came to the office and added Amdirlain’s payment to her white jade pendant. Though she appeared composed, Amdirlain could hear the confusion and shock that still roiled inside her.“I can tell you’ve got a question,” prompted Amdirlain.Erhi shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t wish to appear ungrateful o...
Abyssal Road Trip - 377 - Good girl
Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western ReachesWith Ebusuku’s disappearance, Amdirlain returned to the duty pavilion and looked over its eight-story pagoda. The Outlands’ sunlight glistened off the lacquered red tiles that covered the eaves and the polished redwood of the window’s shutters and trim. The fittings inside were all lacquered redwood with golden decorative ornaments that drew on Middle Eastern and ...
Abyssal Road Trip - 376 - Happiness
Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western ReachesBetween time spent in contemplation and discussions with Custodian, Livia had taken nearly a day composing seven simple tenets. In that time, Amdirlain had restored almost half a million prisons to pristine condition and ensured the rest each had at least twenty million years’ capacity. Amdirlain then returned them to Livia’s study, where they found Silpar still wai...
Abyssal Road Trip - 375 - Purpose
Amdirlain's PoV - Outlands - Custodian's safeholdCustodian's pronouncement about champions caused Livia to frown."What do you mean by that?" asked Livia."Aspects are the personification of the concepts, but we're not allowed to work directly against each other," replied Custodian, and they slowly started turning, sending rays of light from opposite sides of their spherical form. "If we could do that, lesser bei...
Abyssal Road Trip - 374 - Champion
Amdirlain’s POV - Outlands - Annex of the Monastery of the Western ReachesThe concealments made it appear to the students that the four merely sat calmly observing the presentations. Throughout the lesson, none of the students had risked inviting Master Payam's ire even to glance their way. However, once the chime signalled the lesson's end, Klipyl attracted open stares from most of the students. The archon hummed happily and exchanged ...
Abyssal Road Trip - 373 - That's what it takes
Amdirlain’s - Outlands - Annex of the Monastery of the Western ReachesSharing tea and conversation with Livia had been a pleasant change from her meditations upon the pain within her past lives. When another Master’s servant delivered a scroll with matters that needed discussion, Amdirlain left her to the monastery’s business and headed for the training arena. Temporary wooden stands provided ten tiers of seating around a raised stone platf...
Abyssal Road Trip - 372 - Better
Amdirlain's PoV - Outlands - Annex of the Monastery of the Western ReachesLivia teleported them into the meeting room overlooking her mansion’s rear yard. The room's decorations blend objects and styles from four cultures.Amdirlain took in the sounds of the Monastery’s inhabitants, and only when things seemed calm did she move from their arrival point. As Amdirlain put a hand on the back of a chair, she received word from Silpar that ...
Abyssal Road Trip - 371 - Helping hand
Amdirlain's PoV - CírbannFuichon drew a bolt of inky-black cloth from a shadow near her and set it on the table’s edge. “Shadow Fey cloth, enough for several sets of clothes depending on their style. A token from my domain to you as host of this discussion, Amdirlain.”“I appreciate your token, Fuichon,” replied Amdirlain. “I’ll put it to good use.”Nendes presented a horn that produced endless fresh water with equally glowing ...
Abyssal Road Trip - 370 - Gods
Amdirlain’s PoV - CírbannWhen Klipyl vanished to deliver the invitation to the Mantle holders, Sarah gave a disappointed huff and shot Amdirlain a knowing look.Yeah, she knows what I’m up to with the invitations.“A Succubus!” gasped Silpar. “Kli was a Succubus?”“A born Succubus at that,” confirmed Amdirlain.Sarah growled with laughter. “I have to love how she threw that out so flippantly. I’m sure she knew it would get a reac...
Abyssal Road Trip - 369 - Looking at me
Amdirlain's PoV - CírbannAmdirlain attuned a new plate to the local surveyors to replace the one Isa had taken with her to meet the hound archons. Zoomed in on the display with the cavern used for scale, it was clear to the others the closest pack was only forty kilometres away, with their settlement set into the valley wall. Though Amdirlain could hear their melodies, their minds were beyond her telepathic reach, and with the trip insuffici...
Abyssal Road Trip - 368 - Haze
Amdirlain's PoV - CírbannThe cavern floor was nearly two hundred metres beneath where the Portal released them onto the ledge. The place was vast, with a fenced-off section at the end furthest from a carved passage that led out onto the mountain's slope.Each Frost Giant corpse sprawled for four and a half metres, like massive trees felled and left discarded. Flames and impacts had ruined their thick enchanted hide armour, all the exposed...
Abyssal Road Trip - 367 - Within
Amdirlain’s PoV - OutlandsAt Amdirlain’s question about her discovery of the world, Livia waved a hand absently to her left.“Its Portal is out in the forest beyond the fields; its manifestation caught me by surprise,” admitted Livia. “I stepped around a tree, which had formed an arch with its canopy linking to another, and stepped through it. I could have sworn it wasn’t there until I passed between the trees. There wasn’t any sign ...
Abyssal Road Trip - 366 - Come on now
Amdirlain's PoV - OutlandsThe thick forest they appeared within looked to be composed of silver-barked oak trees, the canopy rustling under the ministrations of a strong wind."Do you think Rana's Goddess will take you up on your offer?" enquired Silpar.Amdirlain shrugged. "I don't know. Danu would have invested a lot of effort to get an Avatar onto the world and in a state it could remain. She might consider it better for ...
Abyssal Road Trip - 365 - Ignition
Amdirlain’s PoV - Foundry.Much to Gail’s delight, she earned provisional approval from Gilorn after three hours of performing complex melodies and fun folk songs.Amdirlain had closed up the container with the orrery after Gilorn’s first sound of approval but didn’t secure it until the pair had finished their haggling.“I’ll let you know when I’m ready to get summoned,” Isa told Gail as Gail and Roher prepared to leave.When Gail and...
Abyssal Road Trip - 364 - Get through
Amdirlain’s PoV - Foundry.Gilorn’s strings rang and strummed thoughtfully after Amdirlain provided her list. “We’ll go back to the fundamentals. How many centuries did this take you to achieve?”“Decades,” advised Amdirlain.“That’s something. At least you’re not a slow learner,” replied Gilorn primly. “Your Soul is once again concealed from me. How do you manage that?”“Have you heard of the Hidden?”The light within th...
Abyssal Road Trip - 363 - Reveal
While she cleaned the first mountain site of the Eldritch distortion, Amdirlain’s surveyors discovered another contaminated site a thousand kilometres north. The crystal plate display showed the stray entities in enough detail to allow her to capture them at a distance. As she imprisoned each, Amdirlain presented them to those celestials who had lingered to observe the cleanup. Their appearance by the score, especially another mature pair, drew...
Abyssal Road Trip - 362 - Take a hint
They arrived at the encampment's edge, just beyond wards so fragile, they seemed like cotton thread.A patrolling Astral Deva, his wings compressed within a green-skinned elven form, walked along the warded perimeter. He wore no visible armour, and from what Amdirlain could tell, he relied on his Angelic Aura and reflexes to keep him safe, as the earthen-hued cloth had no protective enchantments. His clothing had a pattern of horns crossed wit...
Abyssal Road Trip - 361 - Monsters
Amdirlain’s PoV - FoundryThe pair sparred for nearly six hours, and Amdirlain’s mind steadily regained a clear focus. When the last fuzziness had cleared, Amdirlain called a halt and used Analysis to retrieve Gideon’s work list. There was no sign that the work would end, with just as many items on the list as previously. Yet the work required the performance of increasingly complex melodies that stretched her limits. For a few of them, Gide...
Abyssal Road Trip - 360 - Pushing ahead
Amdirlain’s PoV - FoundryDespite her uncertainty, Amdirlain recorded the melodies for Claughuthruuazex’s demi-plane. She contemplated pushing True Song Architecture when the Alliegiance Bond she still held with Sarah hummed. An image came from Sarah of her working hard to keep up with a gliding Claughuthruuazex, who looked far more at peace than when he’d been resting in his lair. ‘I’ll tend to his list and let you know if there are idi...
Abyssal Road Trip - 359 - Pass this on
Amdirlain's PoV - LimboThe Plane Shift had placed them under the purplish-black sky of Limbo; the vast whirlpool of material and surging chaos overhead was an eerie sight despite all she'd seen. Amdirlain closed her eyes and took in the rippling tones before exhaling a long, sustained note that pressed her will against the Plane. The Plane responded to the sound, and a dimensional eddy formed before them, a racing whirlpool that had Silpa...
Abyssal Road Trip - 358 - Crashing down
Amdirlain’s PoV - CulerzicAmdirlain moved between a few scores of towns whose locations she’d learned while travelling through Zozzuth’s city. She left devastation in her wake at each mining town that supplied the city with ore. The town wards cracked and shattered when the ground gave way beneath their anchors. Buildings were scooped up and crammed into mine shafts, open pits, or occasionally stuffed full of demons, and she filled the ston...
Abyssal Road Trip - 357 - One shot
Amdirlain’s PoV - IjmtiThis time, Silpar's arrival point set them few hundred metres from the fortifications."Just to mix things up," said Amdirlain as they waited for instructions to approach."I only go there when I feel I need a reminder. Though I try not to arrive outside the wards at the same location twice, just in case someone has placed a trap for one of us."Amdirlain winced. "Being so close to the ward's edge...
Abyssal Road Trip - 356 - Life
Amdirlain's PoV - FoundryWhen she opened a Gate to the most straightforward song, the view beyond its threshold was of an inky void from atop an icy rock."What must you do to this asteroid?" asked Silpar."I need to set up changes to adjust its orbital speed only when it reaches a specific location relative to its sun," replied Amdirlain. "There are few like this to handle."Amdirlain crossed the threshold with no decomp...
Abyssal Road Trip - 355 - The Pact
Amdirlain’s PoV - FoundryDancing over the broken ground, Amdirlain’s swords blocked Silpar’s strike and sent Cyrus’s staff above her head. Across the platform, Ilya recovered her sword and teleported back to attempt to pincer her. It was a familiar scene to Sarah and Isa, who had both stayed to watch the weeks of gruelling practice Amdirlain had endured to date. Gail and Roher were currently absent, having taken on the creation and popula...
Abyssal Road Trip - 354 - Hazards
Amdirlain's PoV - Ijmti - Cloister of the FallenThough his blows repeatedly knocked her down, he pushed at her capabilities without being overtly damaging. What injuries he inflicted, Phoenix's Rapture healed before she even reached her feet. He used different forms, techniques, and weapons to keep her on the back foot and force her to adjust. She endured nearly a half day of Silpar's surgically precise combat instruction before the h...
Abyssal Road Trip - 353 - Snap
Amdirlain's PoV - The Hunting GroundsA guarded passage beyond the first cavern led to the surface, with powerful wards to prevent teleportation and plane shifting. Three times she passed through defensive structures where goods were being ferried over walls to the warehouses beyond. Besides the Dretch and Schir performing that manual labour, she didn’t sense any non-succubi.She constantly ignored the hungry glances from succubi intrigued by...
Abyssal Road Trip - 352 - One on one
Amdirlain's PoV - Culerzic - Ashen Plains"I'll assume you learnt the location of Zozzuth," smiled Silpar.Amdirlain smiled ruefully. "Psionic techniques work well with the evolution of Advanced Telepathy and my Willpower. Perhaps too well. I've not stretched the Power for a while. I've got a broad range of powers and skills that I've let languish because the combinations between them provide solutions.""Inst...
Abyssal Road Trip - 351 - Walls came tumbling down
Amdirlain's PoV - Undeveloped Demi-Plane"Are you setting up this place as another training ground?" Silpar asked."This is one I didn't include in the list for others to use. I want to test something to annoy Orcus before we go anywhere," replied Amdirlain.The song dug into the demi-plane's boundary and inflated it further until it was an empty sphere with a thirty-thousand-kilometre radius. While she worked, Silpar hov...
Abyssal Road Trip - 350 - One way or another
Amdirlain's PoV - Training ground Demi-Plane"I'm unsure how quickly I can get confirmation from Bahamut. I'll have to send a message through a friend as Moradin has spoken to me a few times, but I've not met him outside memories," said Amdirlain.Bahamut’s focus on them increased, and an Avatar came into existence. The Elf had silvery hair, liquid metal eyes and porcelain white skin with blue veins, while his silken shirt...
