Ah... now this was pleasant. The dark figure felt at a deep longing as it that through the musty dungeon. Down a long winding staircase covered in webs. Dimly lit torches lined the walls. Walls that seemed to be made entirely of bone... human bone? Who knows. Her scythe tightly in hand as it's long snath hit each step with a echo. Elizabeth had not found a better place than this in all of Terrasphere so far. What a perfect place to explore, gather for her rituals, and possibly even find more connections to her dark gods. Truly magnificent! ------------------------Earlier------------------------------------ Merkaba had been told of this place by a dark mage while checking for new quests in Stokbon. He said that beneath a old abandoned church on the city outskirts one could find a secret path behind a large angelic statue. Behind it was the path to the underworld they say. Or so he said... Elizabeth had been intrigued and decided to investigate. It was further out from the city then she had expected. Taking a good hour of in game time to reach the reclusive location. It was just like home in way. Elizabeth herself lived in a secluded area outside New York City. It was simply much better for conducting experiments and rituals without snooping interlopers and more importantly the authorities. The church grounds was fairly generic. Straight out of a horror movie setting. Twisted dead trees, a dark sky seemingly covered in storm clouds only over this particular area, and of course a creepy graveyard that seemed to go on for miles behind the church. What a place... Merkaba was right at home. Too bad it was not a church for any dark gods. The place held symbols that she was not fond of personally. Upon entering the church's hall, Merkaba eye'd the place looking for the angel statue. The old doors had swung open easily. The place almost seemed too clean inside. Was there a caretaker for this place still? A old priest that refused to give up on the place? Whatever, nothing would stop Merkaba from finding these rumored catacombs. She had much she could gain from repeated ventures into them! Walking silently through the hall. Her scythe pulled from her equipment bag. The place was extremely dark. There was no lighting other than the occasional lightning flash from through the stained glass windows. Merkaba was accustomed to seeing in dark places but it still hampered her progress. She also did not use magic good for lighting. Luckily, knowing she was heading to place of such darkness. Elizabeth had thought to bring a torch. Not that it helped much either. The darkness of this place seemed to choke out the light. How wonderful! After a few quiet moments of investigation in the dark place. Merkaba's dark red eyes would widen to a sinister look of delight... before her was the angel statue, dimly lit by her torch. Merkaba began to get to work looking for the passage. The statue was larger than a human. Towering over Merkaba. It stood on a pedestal that looked cracked and uncared for. Odd considering how everything else in the darkness was not as dusty as one would expect. On the pedestal were engraved words in another language. It was not anything from the prime dimension... curses! Elizabeth did not know this tongue and had yet to see any mention of it. She would have some research to do for these new languages. After a time, Merkaba openly sighed and made a look of anger at the wretched statue. It would keep it's secrets from her wouldn't it? Wretched, wretched thing! Elizabeth decided it time to head back. Without being able to read this and no signs of any switches or paths. Merkaba would be stuck for now. Turning and preparing to head out, she swung her scythe downward to her right in a annoyed huff and prepared to turn to leave. Then it happened... a click was heard from where the scythe hit the ground. It was a extremely small hidden switch in the floor! And she had hit it! Excellent, her gods were guiding her! Indeed they must feel her worthy of limitless dark power and knowledge... and maybe more. The entire church suddenly began to shake. It was so sudden that Merkaba was almost thrown to the floor. She steadied herself on her scythe with a look of expectation and waited it out. The angel began to turn and rise out of the ground. Underneath the pedestal was now a door. It was engraved with more unknown characters in this new language. Wonderful, it was time to see these catacombs and what she could gain from there depths for herself.... ----------------Present-------------------------- So here she was. At the bottom of the long staircase lined with torches... lit ones at that. Were they kept alight by magic? Merkaba was unsure and did not really care. The important thing was to keep her menu open and keep track of where she went as she delved deeper. Before her was a hub like area filled with bones and carvings of demonic figures. This was truly a dark mages paradise. The dark aura was so strong in fact, that it made no sense as to why it was under a church. This was not the usual 'just a elaborate tomb', type of place. It was full of symbols engraved in bone that held no such holy or good alignment meanings. Hmmm.... eight paths right from the beginning? This would take awhile but she had to see more. Her dark witch senses were tingling!
The tunnel that Merkaba had chosen was as expected of a catacomb, long and winding. The walls were rippled as if they were lined with the ribs or spines of various creatures. The floor stared up at her as her black pumps clipped and clacked across it's engraved skull faces that were as if they were melted into the floor. The magical torches were very helpful down here. It allowed the dark witch to put away her torch and use her scythe properly. It would actually be disappointing if there were no creatures of the dark waiting to taste her blood down here. She could only imagine there shrieks of delight in seeing a living soul for them to claim, but claim they would not. For Merkaba was to eventually be their master, not their lunch. A turn to the right, then left, then right again. It was a zigzagging tunnel of bone. One that which was growing somewhat tiresome to Elizabeth. Did it lead all the way to Stokbon's rumored underworld? It did not seem to be holding anything of import but she held out for pleasant (or unpleasant) surprises. After what seemed like hours down here but really was about 15 minutes of wandering a single path. The witch heard a sound. It was muffled but still something that made her press on. It grew louder as she progressed. Echoing off of the bone carved walls. It was a haunting sound. Yes, a lich? No, it was too intelligible A ghast? Maybe... Perhaps a banshee? No, a banshee sounded female, this was obviously male if not like that of a creature. The dark witches mouth wet with anticipation as she gripped her weapon more and prepared to greet the creature that seemed to be approaching her in the tunnel. Then a shadow appeared from around the bone corridor. It flickered in the dark lighting. Merkaba stopped moving and awaited her host, or perhaps a fellow wanderer of this dark place. The sounds of skittering footsteps, nowhere near as poor or sluggish as those of a zombie were heard. Finally the creature would appear. It's flesh rotten and dark, eyes pearing out in hunger, and it's mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Merkaba smiled at the lanky creature before her. A ghoul was it? They normally feasted on the dead. Why was it not in the graveyard rather than here? Perhaps that is where this path led? How dull if that was the case. Elizabeth was hoping for a greater discovery. The creature would begin to approach and groan even louder. Then it growled fiercely as it swiped it's claws at her from a distance. Merkaba continued to smile gently as she backed up a step getting in position to cut the undead creature into pieces. It's corpse parts may be useful for her in the future.It did seem that it was intelligent enough to speak with, if so she would have loved to ask about this place and maybe convert the creature, but alas.... what will be will be. Merkaba would not use her magic specifically on the creature. A creature of the night such as this was best handled with abilities that were not of her alignment. Even so, her scythe would get to rend the rotten flesh nicely. But to ensure it would attack her how she chose was important. Focusing on her mana. Merkaba gestured in a circle in front of her. The walls of bone would grow dark as a black substance like acid would rise up from them. The decaying magical substance spread quickly to form a complete ring around the hall. The best would have to literally leap over the boiling mass or even it's rotten flesh would become stuck in the burning goop and be completely at her mercy. The ghoul was not foolish and readied a leap with it's long hideous tongue swirling from it's mouth at her. Or was it foolish? Merkaba timed her attack and swung her scythe vertically at the leaping ghoul pinning it in the back and dragging it down into the black rotting goop she had generated. The night creature howled as it wreathed between her scythe tip and the black stuff. Only trapping itself more. Merkaba's face went from somewhat entertained to giving a hint of her own bloodlust as she removed the scythe from the Ghoul's back and repeated the downwards motion, over and over, and over again. After a moment of screeching from the ghoul and the sounds of the hacking blade into the creature. Silence would fall upon the corridor of bone once again. A colored bar would appear over the mutilated creatures melted and pierced body. Blinking with 0 Health. Well, that was nice. At Merkaba's will, the goop vanished and she collected a few pieces of bones and flesh for her item bag. Then she ventured on hoping to not come out in the graveyard like she predicted. There was potential here.... and of course there were many other routes to take. The passage did not lead in a obvious circle, so she should not end up back at the catacomb entrance....
Having come away from her little ghoul encounter victorious. Merkana continued ever deeper in the bone corridors. Originally Elizabeth felt that the path would lead out to the Graveyard. However that would not come to be, at least not yet. The path would eventually split two ways. Really now? Merkaba turned to a wall a began to chant some words as she drew on the wall with her finger. A dark pentagram was left in the spot now. Merkaba needed to leave this in case to keep track of where she has been. If the path's continue to split, she could become lost. The fact it was a magic seal allowed her to be sure no one but her could under it, since it would require the exact words she used said backward. After finishing, she made her way down one of the paths. It began to steadily slop downward... wonderful, this meant that it would not lead her to the graveyard. Rather it will take you down into the unknown. Elizabeth began to hear more moaning as she went along. This time from through the walls. As if other passages that ran parallel to this one held more monsters. How many creatures were actually trapped down here? Did Merkaba opening the secret entrance to this place set them free? The thought actually brought her joy. Let the creatures of the night rise to surface and torment the living! Elizabeth could only hope so! A couple more split paths, a couple more symbols to keep track of her route. Her energy was starting to wane a little. Was this endless? A cursed tunnel with no end? What a joke on the dark witch that would be. Then she came across the first ever actual chamber. A room with a rounded bone ceiling and a large symbol on the ground. Analyzing it, Merkaba discovered it was the same as the symbol that lied on the bone floor at the entrance of this place. Hmmmm.... this may have a purpose. Merkaba looked around and saw the path kept going on. Truly this place may have been more than she had bargained for. It was only a matter of luck and her dark gods protection that she had made it so far without too many encounters. Well, might as well push a bit more. Just as she began to head through the next path. The two torches to her right and left lit up brightly and a menacing voice echoed though the chamber. It rumbled the ground and Merkaba steeled herself but did not show the possessor of the voice any fear. In the dark world showing fear often meant unworthiness which would bring only death. If they were lucky. "YoU HaVE COMe LitTLE SPawn OF MAN, bUt Do YOU Know WhErE YOu arE TrESPaSsing?" Merkaba could not help but feel a bit hurt that such a obviously dark entity would see her as a 'little spawn of man'. It was true, but come now, she had dedicated her life the dark. This was not acceptable! "I am Merkaba. In the prime world I am Elizabeth. In both I am a devote follower of the dark gods. I exist to bring their dark truths to the masses." Elizabeth wanted to make it absolutely clear that she was not this being's enemy. Hopefully this was not some trick either. The deep horrific voice would pause for a moment before it replied to her claims. "I DO NoT KnoW OF ThiS PRIme ThAT YOu SpeAK OF. NOR Do I caRE. HoWEVER to BE ABle to HeaR my VOIce YoU must bE aTTUNED TO My POwer. THere MaY BE HopE foR You. HA...HAHAHA....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....." Merkaba was not sure whether or not to be pleased with this but she would find out. "How do I know that you are of the darkness? Appear before me! Prove your power and that I should consider you a superior! Or else I would claim myself yours!" Merkaba was treading a very thin line. If she angered the being it may just smite her, but if she believed every word without challenge she may be seen as a fool. This required a very specific approach. Elizabeth hoped to turn the narrative to where she wanted it. The room rumbled again and the two torches ahead suddenly expanded into a large wall of black fire that kept Merkaba back. The voice returned. "HAHAHAHA....FOOLisH CHilD of MaN. IF you ThINK YOUrsEF A chilD of darKNeSs. I wouLD TesT YOU InstEAD. YOur POweR IS NotHING. You WhO CANNoT EVen UNderSTAND ThE TaSK BEfore yOU." The dark symbol on the ground glowed as the voice spoke. Merkaba began to see where this was leading. The being was not going to play by her rules, but rather it's own. Cute, she had gotten the obviously proud creature to offer her a way to prove her ability. Elizabeth would conquer this challenge of its, prove her worth and see who this pest was. "BriNG The CRystAL SkuLL of NY-RAkaTh." The voice suddenly stopped but the flames ahead did not go out. Merkaba tapped her scythe on the ground for a moment to see if there was more. That's it? Bring some skull of the goat headed beast of Chulhu legend?Did that mean she had to go all the way back out and return with it? Ridiculous! Cursed being, Elizabeth hated being controlled but if it was truly a being that served her gods, or if it was even one of them hiding itself from her... then she would have to accept. The crystal skull of Ny-Rakath. That would have to be added to her to do list. Perhaps she could find ways to manipulate others to assist her in this endeavor as well. Very well, she would see if it was possible to clear this task. For now it was time to leave. There were other paths however, maybe the skull was down here and she simple had to find it? Searching all of these long winding paths would take forever though and she had much else to do. For now she would return to the surface world. [COMPLETE]
