Jalyk Mellir - p4 - Blightsteel

Mellir- "Ok what part of Theros are we in?"

"Last time I came out near Setteslers thing... the Amazon ladies. Most the time I end up near stronger sources of Green mana. I'm a fungus if you hadnt guessed and no i dont really mind." he pulls himself off of you and pulls a small pack with him, inside his pack is a multi armed cloak that he slithers into to give him better shape. "But you did bring up a good point. What was going on when all this started? Jareth just told me he got crushed, and Yaoel gotten beaten, and you were helping her. Lightning angel are in short supply since Ob Nixlis."

Mellir- I quickly explain what the situation was before we lost. "Then I turn, see Yaoel being attacked by Eligos, the man-being beside me said he was in control of the Colossus, and I was sent back to earth. First thing first we need to find out where we are."

(Setessa- G/W city 'built' around world tree size trees. Well the city is built around 1. quasi amazoness society, that believe men learn there strength by going on adventures so encourage teens to leave town, and Woman learn from marital training in the military. The city is also known for taking in any and all orphans and its patron is Karametra, God of the Harvest. You read up on it already in character) *Gregory doesnt know alot about thereos*

"Okay so i'm gonna vote we do something more along Divide and conquer. Since none of them are planeswalkers at least they cant rabbit on us. But i'm gonna guess they also have something like my ambulator cause this Eligos guy doesn’t sound local." *(Did you tell him about the machine orthdoxy?)

Mellir- *Yeah what little i know about them, and about the phyrexians...* "We could try going to the oracle here, I have had success with the oracle in another town."

"Okay so they definitely have to have something like my ambulator but bigger. No way we are fitting something as big as your describing on it. Kinda sounds like the Darksteel Colossus from Argentum. with the lighting like bolts surrounding it. Those things are industructible, diffrent kind of magic needed there. If this nightsky dude took it from them that means at least there not all allied against us, so maybe the Phyrexian at least took off for the momemnt and we got to deal with just Eligos, Nightsky dude and Darksteel. But not all at once." He looks around focuses for a moment then summons up a wierd little tree sapling that had a face. "I deal with plantlife though and small charms, what you do for combat?"

Mellir- "Toe to toe bruiser. I punch things till they stop moving. I do not know how to use any magics, but i do know a touch of psionics."

“Okay, solid enough to work with. I have some fast enhancement magic that might help you here or there, but nothing really long term for fights so make them count (Gaint growth style spells).” He looks around at the sky. “Um, I understand this place is ran by Gods. Any which god, or whose minion did the damage to ya? And how to defeat one?”

Mellir- "I believe it was a minion of Erebos, I am aligned with Ephara, goddess of protection. Eligor could easily be manipulating Erebos or have actually aligned with him... matter of fact its possible Eligor is the one who brought the phyrexians here."

"Okay then, how do we challenge a God?"

Mellir- "Not sure the god is even the problem. The guy who was beside me just dispersed Ephara's blessing, he could be his champion."

"Thats great then at least, God kinda sounds like something big to fight. So we seek out Erebos's Champion and make him tell us? Does each of the Gods have a champion, and can they have more then one?"

*From the reading you did, they only ever seem to have 1, and dont always have 1 anyway. There can be more then one Oracle, the speaks a gods will*

Mellir- *wait there can only be 1 and ephara chose me? wow i am badass * "One champion as far as my reading stated, but could be multiple oracles, or just someone high up like a priest or something. Either way our first goal is to find out where we are, and how far we are from either (town she was captured in) or (town the oracle was in)

(You are like an hours walking from Settassa *the town you claimed you were from originally and i explained about above* She was taken in Asphodel, and you met with the Oracle in Meletis*

"Well last time it took me about 4 days walking to get to Meletis from here, i don’t know where Asphodel is." You remember from the map asphodel is only 2 days SW from Setassa, but requires you to pass through Nylea's forest. It will take an extra day to go around.

Mellir- "We could go through Nylea's forest or around it. Asphodel is to the south west."

"Forest? I'm good with forests. Unless we got prissy elves around, there not all that charming of folk." Another little plant creature appeared. "Haven't really met one i like, and there all over the place, I mean like every plane seems to have more elves then trees." He says as he starts walking what you hope is SW.

Mellir- "Thinking about it i haven’t heard of any elves in the books, so we are probably safe."

"Well thats fantastic. What do we know about Asphodel?" As you follow him deeper into the woods he seems to have a small patch of mushroom covered saprolings following him.

Mellir- I quickly explain everything I know of Asphodel, it isn't much. "But the big problem is of course, the phyrexians, they are an unknown variable on this plane, but they definitely are affecting it."

“Well phyrexians only have 2 modes when invading a plane, sleeper or full scale. Sleeper is where they send out there weakest fleshinglings that intergrate with society, try and sow some havoc by influence the humans and what not to war with each other until there both so weak Full scale is ready to go. Unless they know they can deal with it, then they normally merge there plane partially and send in thousands of troops. Fighting them was a bitch, and they taste like shit during the clean up. Now I know Phyrexia itself the plane is gone, so I’m not sure how they are getting between realms anymore, or where they’re coming from. They all should be dead.”

Mellir- "There is some kind of open portal in Ashpodel, Yaoel thought it was going to be some form of artifice she could destroy."

"Yeah, like the ambulator. Theirs most be an open doorway of some kind. Kind of impressive then, cause mine is no where near as advanced." You guys get deeper into the woods, so far beside small rodents and insects you havent seen any larger forest creatures. "I dont know how to work it, but i'll be able to break it down. Dont really want to though, Wouldnt mind getting another one, maybe use it to help Jareth get off the plane he's stuck on."

Mellir- "Fare enough, but if it is linked to a phyrexian plane i doubt it would be good to open it up to anywhere else."

"I bet if we could find Karn he would be the best at defeating them. Hes a golem planeswalker, never met him either but Jhoira of the Ghitu talked about him alot aswell. Think she said that Venser another 'walker was apprenticing under him, anyway Vensers the one that designed my ambulator, bit of a workaholic that one was, but he figured out the jump without a spark so i'm not complaining." A satyr appears from the woods up ahead, his shadows were fill with starlight like he was forged from the nightsky. "This one of the locals?" Gregory ask.

"The Great Mistress of the Hunt did not invite you to enter her woods, leave or be made part of them." The Satyr speaks up in French. French or Sylvan is apparently the base language of most green creatures.

"You open your eyes recently, I am the Woods." Gregory snaps out before you get to respond.

Mellir- "Tell the Mistress of the Hunt we are trying to leave the woods, but we must go through them to fight one of her enemies. The monster's coming from Asphodel are our foes and due to the necessity of time we must pass through her realm."

"The Child of Ephara decides who is and who isnt Nylea's enemies now? Does she believe that she can stretch her will even to here? Away from the polis and foolish humans that think they an extert there will over everything?! I'm sure you will be down at the bottom of the ocean soon enough telling Thassa when she will let the tides come in. Entering Nylea's woods will be your last mistake. Here you have joined the hunt." A large beast made from starlight breaks through the bushes nearby. It looks as if it maybe related to an Elephant from sheer size. The satyr draws a bow and knocks an arrow, letting it fly. two other Satyrs drop down from trees, each of them are brandishing sword forged of starlight.

One of the mushroom packs (saproling) hope in front of the arrow taking the blow. Gregory reach out his hand and cries, "BACK TO NATURE" shattering the bows, swords and seeming to rip away a strong amount of the starlight from the Satyrs and Beast, though hurt they dont seems cowed yet.

Each Satyr and Beast are within charge range if you like.

Mellir- "Ephara, I ask your protection." I pray as I focus my mind into my own protection.

(inertial armor)

The great beast rushes at you, it gets slapped by several of the small mushroom things as it goes by, but seems to ignore them. It rushes into you and past, you are able to dodge beneath the great creature, barely missing its legs as you go, as you stand back up your psionic armor covers you and you can feel a warm weight spread across your body as the ghostblade posses you.

Gregory splits his swarm up to keep the two ex-swordsman busy as he goes after the ex-bowman. His hands touch on the Satyr, grabbing its arm, i black necrotic plague seems to spread from his touch destroying huge swaths of flesh as it moves. Satyr still delivers a powerful kick catching Gregory in the gut.

Mellir- I grin feeling the ghostblade. I charge the beast.

You charge the giant spined ?Porcupine? delivering a great jab (27damage) and then a perfect uppercut sending it reeling back (46damage crit) and as it lands it fades to just starlight and vanishes. The spines that hurt when you hit it, your knuckles got blooded by them a bit (5damage total).

Gregory has left the first satyr to get mobbed down by the saprolings, while he went after the second one, doing the poisonous touch again, and taking another solid blow from the Satyr. The third Satyr took off up a tree and is digging in a satchel for something while the saproling slowly try to get up that tree.

Mellir- I quickly charge over to assist Gregory. Or whatever Satyr was needing to be punched.

There one being mobbed by saprolings and is poisoned, a second that is in close combat with Gregory, and a third that is up a tree searching his satchel

Mellir- How far up the tree?

Hes on level 3, so in the 10-15ft square.

Mellir- ok. I move to the tree and climb it.

You get to the base pushing past the fungus and climb up the side without much difficulty. The satyr gets a syrinx (pan pipes) out of his bag and spend his turn starting to play. He's playing a tune on it like his life depends on it, but it doesnt seem to be doing anything to you.

Mellir- I unleash hell onto him with a stunning blow to start.

You practice it until perfection and unleash that punch that leveled another fighter in a single blow, but the footing on the tree is just to odd, as you shift your weight to deliver it, you slide on the moss and cant catch yourself as you slide out of the tree falling to the ground. The mushrooms reach out and help with the landing, though you got it covered with slowfall anyway.

"Nooo..!" You hear Gregory scream out he turns leaving the satyr he was on alone, that satyr looks like his grinning through the pain of the black stuff spreading across his side. Gregory seems to be walking towards you with a jerky motion like hes trying not to.

Mellir- Back up the tree and unleash hell at the pipe player!

Dozens of little vines reach out to embrace you and make it harder to get to the tree, you are able to pull past them and there not able to get a grip on you as you make your way back up the tree. The piper seems surprised that you are back so quickly but he keeps playing those pipes.

As you get back on top, you feel a pulse of dark energy erupt inside your stomach, spreading through the rest of your body quickly causeing you to feel nauseous for a moment but you fight it down. Whatever it was, it wasnt strong enough to cause you harm.

Mellir- Stunning blow, and follow up attacks to drop the satyr

This time your opening strike lands beautifully, the satyr doubles over gasping for breath as he drops the pipes, your second strike trips him up and you ride him to the ground as part of the third strike. He disperses into green dust as you land. As you look around Gregory seems to be fine now, and the other two satyre are black and puterfying as the saprolings move over and looking like there wading into the bodies. Gregory moves over to one, moving the satchel it had out of the way and put a hand into the muck aswell. "These things barely have any substance. They seems to be made mostly out of mana and star dust."

Mellir- "Summons then?"

"I was kinda thinking that, but summons turn to pure mana on there death and fade back into space between planes. These guys are still flesh, but its like they are partial mana constructs." He starts digging through the satchel.

'A strange creature, an intelligent fungus. Your ally knows corrosive magic that belongs to the many things that mold. Keep it hidden from Pharika or she may want him for herself. He is right, somehow you are sheltered from the world as you grew. The servants created by the Gods are born in Nyx, the lands of they sky. They are partially mana to show there ancestry but also part of the worldly plane, for we must be the ones to act for the Gods. A God moving across the worlds itself may cause great problems from there presence alone so use there Nyxborn as there hands to exert there will more directly. I am the Ghostblade Eidolon, my blades craft the finest warriors.' You 'hear' /feel inside your head 'Nylea will not be happy to hear of someone killing her servants, even if it was completely justified, the wild ungrateful keratins. You should keep moving.'

"There a book, not a lot of use, but it does show how to grow trees readily." Gregory says holding up a thick bark? covered book.

Mellir- I strain my mind towards the Eidolon, 'Your assistance and knowledge is apprecaited. I was hoping we could convince Nylea to join us against the Phyrexians, guess that is a failure so far. Any other information i should know?', "Growing trees seems useful for some... not so much myself."

"I'm already rather adept at it, so not much use to me either. Come on boys, we got to keep moving, you had plenty of time to eat." He says clapping one of his sets of hands together. He pulls the satchel on and puts the book back inside. "Well its kinda of an odd thing, I think cause of how much mana they are inherently made up of, these guys might be immune to phyressis, the infection the phyrexians use to help propagate themselves. They could never use it on summons before, and might not work on these things either." He points towards SW again and starts walking with his fungus bed following. There is one plant taller then the others, looks more like a creature made of vine instead, walking at the center.

'I have been warned by Kruphix and the God Ephara that your band may have knowldege that is detrimental to the realm, because of this i will not be listening to your conversations so that i will not glean that knowledge but if you direct question to me, i will answer to the best of my knowledge.' -Ghostblade

Mellir- 'Excellent, I appreciate your honor Eidolon.' "That may be true, but i doubt all the creatures on this plane are the same way. Humans, Minotaurs, ect."

"Well lets get out of here. Hope they dont have any Slivers either, my people have had a hard life." Moving deeper into the forest maybe a bad idea with the forest God mad at you but at this point it really can't be helped. The forest is dotted with World Trees, Tree so large you could build cities on them, and braches reaching so high they brush against Nyx. There are still large swathes of forest though that are normal big tree so not as bad to walk around. "Slivers are not natural to any plane, the phyrexian scientist on Rath, sorta quasi volcano, that researched other methods of endless destruction made them. Then unleashed them. Serpent like creatures with one arm with a sharp bone spike on it, they have a hive mind and a genetic thing where they 'evolve' all the adaptations of any one of there numbers that are nearby have. Like if one could Fly, all of them could, another had sharper claws, or could see better, all of them could then. Though they were never Phyrexissezed cause they were more of a sleeper project, they were endlessly difficult to kill."

Mellir- A shiver runs up my spine, "That sounds absolutely terrifying. Like literally trying to fight against evolution."

“Tell me about it, my people fought them for ages near the forest of Llanowar, we outgrew and overwhelmed them when we could, constant battles, with the dead being the supper for the winner each day. Coming out of the cold put us at a disadvantage, but that she-devil of a witch Freyalise used her all powerful ‘walker powers to take control of the Sliver Hive and the Thallid Rot Farm, just to fight off against the Phyrexian. She lost control of both to the Weave King, he used us to stage mock battles and merged us with a phyrexian army to try and dominate everything, Sliver, Phyrexian and Thallid. I don’t actually know what happened to him, but that’s also when I realized I didn’t have to listen like the rest of my kind. He has used the Slivers as shock troops and there forces where decimated when he lost control, it was an easy mop up, and they Phyrexians that had made up the forces, were total artifice, mobile cannons or Tanks as they called themselves and destroying them was the easiest battle we had had up until that point. A great fighter like you though, I saw what you did to that overgrown Porcupine during the fight, and the crushing blows on the Satyr- Hell you even brushed off my Putrefy spell like it was nothing, you must have some great war stories from Earth or your time with a lightning Angel.”

Mellir- "No battles on earth. Competitions of skill against each other. Till the vampires and devil came. They were more difficult. Here its only been a couple of things. Oxen, undead, and a phyrexian angel. I am unsure why your spell failed, perhaps coming from an artifice plane has made me more resistant to magic."

“Wouldn’t have helped, that spell deals with artifice as well as flesh just as readily.” You round a larger tree and standing there stock still like it got caught in your headlights is a huge Hydra. Around his neck there is a collar that reads in French ‘No harming Nylea’s Hyras’. After a moment the 5 head roar in unison. “You have got to be joking. We aren’t allow to hurt it because of some God?”

Mellir- "How fast are you? I say as i prepare to run."

“Honestly not that fast, but if you can outrun it, I bet I can blend in instead and just catch up to you.”

Mellir- "Try to keep up then." I book ass away from the hydra, yet trying to still go in the direction towards the town.

Your speed is probably the stuff of legends when you really book it. The undergrowth slows you up a bit, but the tree themselves murder the Hydras speed as he tries to pursue. You quickly outdistance Gregory and the Hydra. The crashing is fairly far back as you start to slow down. This part of the woods has heavier overhangs, causeing it to be quiet dark, aswell as several pools of stagnant water, but the worse parts are the silken strands of web that run through the branches.

Mellir- 'I really hope Gregory will be able to catch up.'

'It looks like Pharika is pushing into the nessian woods. These webs are probably made by the Nyx Weavers, a nasty type of spider about your size. There acolytes of Pharika in a lose sorta of sense."

Mellir- 'Perhaps they will engage the hydra, but if they go after Gregory i might be in trouble.'

Are you just going to wait quietly here for Gregory to catch up?

Mellir- Find a spot to hide, and keep a look out.

It doesn’t take terribly long for a blanket of mushrooms to move into the area. Gregory make his way over to your hiding spot, “Did you know there are nearly a dozen spiders in the trees above you? That hydra is still moving this way but it keeps stopping to kill every saproling that attacks it on its way so it might take a bit time. I suggest we keep moving.”

Mellir- "good idea, lets go. Also the spiders may or may not be sentient and with a different god than the one whose minions attacked us earlier."

“Freylisa’s cowl!(said like a curse word) Is everything on this damn plane belong to some God? Is this one neutral or an enemy? I don’t think any of them really seem to be allied.” He starts moving around the webs and deeper into the spidery part of the forest.

Mellir- "No idea, lets just keep moving and hope they deal with the hydra instead."

The trees get shorter, and spread farther apart. Larger pools of stagnant water is found, but the spider webs above are just as prevalent. This is looking more like a marsh then a forest now. “Only thing around these part they say were a couple of Elk, and a ponds a few areas has a great big boa.”

Mellir- "Lets try to avoid anything that might slow us down, we have other things we need to attend to right now."

The pair of you make it out of the forest area without much issues, but are now slowly transversing a Marsh. Looks a lot like the one you took a nap on before you and Yaoel entered Asphodel so you must be getting closer.

Mellir- Excellent. "We are getting closer to Asphodel, it is my hope that they still have her there, and they wont be expecting a summon to return."

"What’s our entry plan look like? I play a pretty good leper, but it doesnt look good if we need to go somewhere nice"

Mellir- "Town of the undead worshipping an enemy god. Entry is sneaky and fast as best we can, then likely fighting our way into the temple."

You get tired out crossing the marshes and have to sleep at some point, Gregory does what he considers sleep aswell. The Marshfield is massive, and your lack of flight makes it take a bit longer. Its late afternoon on the next day before you see Asphodel, You could probably still make it there but it will be after dark.

Mellir- "How well do you see in the dark?"

"Same as day, which is a good thing with how dark this place is." He has nearly an acre of saprolings following you guys. "I have a weak army to help storm the place. or should they wait outside?"

Mellir- "If they can sneak in and be quiet they should be helpful. You will have to lead, I do not see so well in the dark."

"Yay, blind leading the blind. What am i looking for?" You guys press on then, arriving just after nightfall.

Mellir- I explain what the temple looks like an its location in the town. "Beware the two demon guards above the doors."

You make it pass the walls easily, once your inside the town only candles here and there give off any light. The Returned still seem to be going about the business without any care, and the saproling swarm following and are keep out from under peoples feet. The saproling help him find the temple faster and when you arrive you find no demons around. Gregory is hidden under his hooded cloak as you guys move around town.

Mellir- "Ok, so slip in the back door and quickly explore the building. Looking for both Yaoel and the portal."

“Um, sure.” He waves his hand forward and dozen of the saproling move across the courtyard and into the temple. None of the Returned around seem to care. “Not all that intelligent, but they can tell me what they find.”

Mellir- "That is really useful."

"Not the strongest little guys, and they are smarter when you grow them instead of summoning, but they are versatile." He cocks his head like hes listening. "I've been growing them since we arrived, okay, so... The inside is broken down, mostly stones and pools of water. Several pile of gold laying about. There is two undead people, they are taking note of them, and one human. They say hes covered up to his elbows with blood but seems to be the person in charge. There spreading toward the back… and it leads outside. Oh! There a massive whole and lower level, but the undead have moved to keep it closed.”

Mellir- "ok lets go in. i'll take the human in charge. Gimme the layout of the place so i can move right to him."

Very basic layout, big open area, walls and everything is slanted. The center towards the back has an alter and podium where the people are. You and Gregory move forward with the rest of the swarm.

Mellir- Move to the leader soon as the door is open. Not a charge though.

“Opusti ruku tvoyu voina Ephara, etot khram utverzhdayut bol'shoy Erbos seychas. Phenax byl izgnan za svoye prestupleniye otsyuda i etot gorod.” The Leader says as you approach. The guards move to intercept you, they end on either side of you, while you are face to face with the human, who is up to his elbows covered with blood, and a long thin needle that is roughly 10 inches in his right hand. Behind him is a number of other blades and needles.

Mellir- Stunning blow oughta shut him up, followed up by a fist in the mouth effect.

The stunning catches him perfectly, (25damage) he’s falls forward trying to catch his breath as you uppercut him (26damage) and a round house knocking him against the back wall (31damage). He is bleeding from his mouth, and maybe a head wound. The Guards ignore you and immediately move to assist him. “A… Jalyk, he said Champion of Ephara please do not attack, Phenax was cast out of this temple for his crimes. This is a temple to Erebos now.”

Mellir- I actually stop... "Then you have no complaints if we search the place." I say my hand waving towards the fungi. *the fact that he took those three blows and is still ok is terrifying...*

(he's -2 health, hes actually dying)

“Um, actually I think you might have killed him.” Gregory moves up to check on him, one of the guards turn to stop him. “YA priroda tselitel’. Yesli u vas net kakoy-to sposob ostanovit' yego ot smerti. On ne mozhet byt' tol'ko zhivyye chelovecheskiye v etom gorode, poetomu, pozhaluysta, otoydite.” The guards moves back as Gregory approaches. “I’ll send some of the saprolings with you go and look down below.

Mellir- "Shit..." I say as I look at him. "No one knows any healing magic? or has a potion?" I shake my head and move to explore the lower area. War has casualties, how was i supposed to know this place no longer belonged to the enemy?

Looks like Gregory is trying to heal him. Nature has life magic right? The center of the room has a heavy wooden floor, but the saproling show you were the door is that leads down. Underneath there is an ambient gray glow, and a spiraling staircase that leads downwards. You can hear drips everwhere, the floor looks as if its flooded. The saproling start jumping down into the water and seem content with it. The cavern is probably 5 stories deep, and a good bit wider then the temple itself. The Blightsteel isn’t in here, but you could see that it had fit. Near the bottom on the north side there seems to be a tunnel.

Mellir- Follow the tunnel along as well. I have enough speed hopefully to make this search quick.

The water is about thigh deep, the tunnel is about big enough for the blightsteel if it crawled. It slopes up a bit and goes on until you find a ladder that leads up to nowhere, the roof looks like someone sprayed steel across all of it and let it harden. There a space along the wall that has runemarks, writing in what looks like Russian around a spot large enough for a door. Looks like someone was trying to contain what was inside but its gone now.

Mellir- i cant get through the spot that used to be a door can i?

Not without some kind of blow torch. Looks like this was a place they probably horded things of worth, and this tunnel was a quick way out of the city. the Runemarks are surrounding where the Ambulator was set into the wall, but they must have closed it up and left, so at least the Phyrexians aren't here anymore. Best guess is the phyrexians closed off the roof entrance for some reason.

Yaoel said she figured that portal in the image was an artifact that let you go between realms, she had never actually seen one before though so she wasnt sure. Either way it was an artifact, and disenchant would deal with it just as easily.

Mellir- I will return to greggory and see if he can destroy whatever is there rather than just block it off.

"With how massive the tunnel is, you would sink hole the area if we brought down the roof, more an likley need to fill it in with... um dirty or what not." The Pain Seer seems to be doing better when you return aswell.

Mellir- "Can we destroy the portal rather than just blocking it off?

The portal isnt actually there anymore. Just the space on the wall where it was.

Mellir- *misunderstood that

*Without anything to go off of, there figureing the Portal will open in the same place each time. So someone tried to Ward the spot it came in at last time.

Mellir- *good thinking actually* "So, sorry about the aggressiveness, but last time I was here we were ambushed, where is Yaoel?"

Gregory translates for you, sounds Russian. Probably Abyssal speech. “He says he doesn’t know who that is. Apparently Phenax made a deal with a very powerful Demon so they could fight a common enemy. The Phyrexians by the sounds of it. During and afterwards though he disrespected Erebos, Ephara, Atheroes, and murdered dozens of the citzen in town here during the battle.”

Mellir- "Where did he go? The demon he made the deal with is our target."

“No one had heard of an Archdemon before, but no one has seen or heard of him since there battle. Phenax retreated takinge some great statue with him into Nyx.” Gregory spoke to him so more. “Says mortals aren’t allowed in Nyx, but there is rumored a way in at Kruphix’s greatest temple, the one at the edge of the world where it bleeds into the skyitself.”

Mellir- "Then to Kruphix's temple we go." I turn to the Seer. "I am sorry for our disrespect. I ask for Erebos' blessing before we go. What I do, I do on behalf of all living and unliving things on this plane. The Archdemon and the phyrexians are a greater threat than can be explained, I will fight for you, but I will need your assistance as well."

“Um, something about Erebos understand his place and is at peace with it, others should do the same. Phenax most know his place as a lesser god.” Gregory asks him a few more things. “Apparnetly the only person to ever make this voyage was Callephe, so we should probably seek her out as most captains would never find it. Great, How the hell are we supposed to find a random Captain? This guy says he was unable to divine it before we arrived.”

Mellir- "The oracle might have more information for us. Lets start there."

"I am Oracle" The man said heavily accented.

Mellir- "Oracle of Erebos... ok and you have no idea where to find Callephe? I guess we should go to the biggest port and start there."

"Hey what do you know! I know where that place is, Meletis. That where Ephara's Oracle is. Maybe he can see where the Captain is if death can't seem to find him." Gregory said. Even if the Oracle didnt speak english, he seemed to get that gregory was jabing at him. Gregory got up and started waveing his saproling out the door.

"Dazhe yesli vy ne zastrakhovany ot smerti!" the Oracle yells at him as he walks away.

"Moi lyudi pitayutsya smerti , my rastem ot nego na vsyu zhizn' nakhodit svoy put' . Erebos by prosto moya samaya bol'shaya prazdnik ." and Gregory walks out.

Mellir- "Thank you, and Erebos." I say with a bow then follow Gregory.

The Oracle nods to you before you leave out. Outside there is a small congration of Return standing around the temple. One of them, a Minotaur originally says "Is the Oracle alright?" In spanish. Gregory has his moving carpet to the side, waiting for you by the looks of it.

Mellir- "Yes, Gregory healed him. Sorry for the intrusion."

The crowd slowly disperses. Gregory looks around kinda bemused. "Weird bunch of zombies arent they?" then starts to head out of the city. "Not that i'm fond of flying, but Meletis has got to be like 4 days from here easily if we are just walking."

Mellir- "So what is your plan then?"

"Well, actually that was a lead in hopeing you had a better idea. I dont know the country here all that well. maybe a chariot or something... "

Mellir- "I travelled with Yaoel here last time. Give me a second." 'Eidolon, what would be the fastest way from here to Meletis?'

'From Asphodel to Meletis? Flight would be your fastest route, mobile transportation, the type of boats they have wouldn't be much faster then walking... the Marshes hinder Chariots and horses, so flight or walking.'

Mellir- 'We have no way to fly, so i guess walking it is. Thank you again Eidolon.' "The eidolon says walking or flying are our only options due to the swamp, so i guess we start walking."

“This seems weird, and disgusting, but you move way to fast. Here let me just…” And he attaches himself to you like a backpack. You feel an infusion of mana, not the fire an emotion like lightning caused, but strong resilence, like your made of something stronger like solid wood, but living. “You run, and I’ll just feed you mana.” And for the moment his 100lbs or so of weight doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Mellir- "Ok this is lighter than my old military gear. Shouldn't be difficult to do a forced march like this."

“You feel fine, but honestly that was a lot more exhausting then I had planned for. Also, the water around here is to salty. I prefer freshwater marshes.” The army of sparolings had died out not to long after you started running, they couldn’t keep up and he said he was able to turn them into mana for the journey. Meletis was just as you left it when you had hurried away with Yaoel nearly two weeks ago. “I can probably walk, but whats the cover story? I don’t look like a Dryad enough to pass as one, and apparently there all big deals on this plane. I normally joke I’m a male one, and we aren’t as pretty but all the dryads here are from nyx. That makes a lot more sense why it’s a visual thing now then when I showed up last time.” He is adjusting his robes after letting you go. He summons a fungus and pulls it up on his shoulder like it’s a piece of living armor.

Mellir- "We have more important things than appearances to be worried about now. Lets just go visit the oracle."

"Easy for you, i've enter town that have tried to burn me at the stake." He pulls the robes around him better and follows you up to the city gate. There a guard there waiting to check you guys for books and ask about your business.

Mellir- “Our business is with the Oracle. We have but one book on us." I motion to Gregory, "I am sure you already have a copy in the library."

"Whether there is a copy or not, it will be brought to the Great Library anyway. Here is a note to pick it up when it has been transcribed." He hand Gregory a note and take the book. Stop and looks back up at Gregory. "Sir, what are you?"

"I am an plant, granted life by Ephara to aid her Champion. The Oracle will back his claim."

"Excuse me for holding you up then. Guards, please Escort these travelers to Kruphix's temple to see the Oracle, and gain proof of there claimed status." You now have 8 guards to deliver you.

Mellir- Wonderful, we follow them to the temple.

You have a bit of a parade around you as people stop to watch. Gregory is a bit jumpy at it, little surprising as he pushed through a city of zombie already, but get worried about living humans. The temple comes into sight and there is a Nyxborn Triton with an spear and net, dueling with the Oracle. The battlewise lead you to the skirmish.

“I told you yesterday that he was going to be here today! Don’t you people spread my messages?” The oracle said while trying to get into the Nyxborn’s reach. “Hey Bloodless! Guess what! The old man was a servant of Phenax! Can you believe that? He’s gone now.”

Mellir- "Oracle, if you could explain to the guards that my friend here is a blessing from Ephara to assist me i would appreciate it."

"O protectors of Meletis, how do you not recognize a blessing from Ephara when you see one? Kruphix has granted me visions of your Champion, and has already allowed me to aid him once before. You best of all should know ever path shall be blocked 3 times." He says in a grandiose voice.

"Sorry about the trouble, if you would stop by the Library later, we would like to give you a proper welcome. It has been some time since Ephara has chosen a champion." One of the guards ask you before they leave back to there duties.

The Oracle wave you inside, "Okay now that there gone what in Erebos is that?! You had the pretty celestial with you last time, this has got to be a downgrade. Wait, is that the celestial? Did something happen to her?" He asks in the main hall.

Mellir- "Yaoel has been taken by a demon allied to Phenax. This is Gregory, another ally who aided me in returning to this plane to find and rescue her."

"What comes out wont be pretty, if there is anything even left, but my last vision of her was over a week ago, she hung with her arms spread like she was on a rack, parts of her soul was ripped away while she hung suspended in Nyx. I've been checking each night to see if she has become a constellation but since that vision i have seen nothing of her." He waves to a painting of what he just described.

Mellir- "We need a route to nyx asap. and any assistance we can get in stopping Phenax and the phyrexians, and rescueing Yaoel."