This quest is for Aggron/Shadow of Nevinrryal. Only WPLs of the project and Shadow may post here. Any who dare to post here will be shown to my special door.
Looking around Aggron could find no immediate sign of any building resembling a House like the ones from Estark. In fact everything around this area looked abandoned and derelict. While looking over the edge of the canal Aggron heard a light and slightly scratchy male voice call out to him, "You look as though you are searching for someone or something, stranger..."
Aggron twitches convulsively, but he manages to keep from whirling. Carefully, he straightens and looks around. <Yes, I am. The House of the Golgari guild. Who am I talking to...?> His thoughts are still slightly scattered, and his 'speech' reflects that.
Aggron turns to see a thin and lean pale white elf with high cheek bones and long black dread locks pulled back into a loose pony tail. There the elf stood, eyes completely black and devoid of white, in tattered green and black silk shirt and pants with shoeless feet resting on the paved ground.
Turning his head so that the elf appeared to be looking at Aggron the elf bowed his head only slightly saying, "I am simply known as Naba. Though normally one offers their own name before asking for that of another, Stranger."
<Sorry. I've been a little on edge for a while. I'm Aggron.> Aggron looks at Naba carefully, recording the image in his mind.
<Not to be rude, but do you know how or where I can get in touch with the Golgari? All I was told was 'this area', and there's no obvious place to go from here.>
Naba looked at Aggron as if the reptile were blind before saying, "No obvious place...?"
Naba simply shook his head looking at his own feet as he walked up to Aggron's side placing his hands behind his back. Stopping at Aggron's left, Naba looked up gazing upon the landscape saying, "You need to learn to observe everything. To understand the meaning in a place. To know that which you seek. You think there are no obvious paths for you to take? You seek the Golgari without understanding what they are!"
Bringing forth his left arm he motioned with his hand at the landscape saying, "These buildings have long been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. All along their sides you can see nature's growth coming to consume. There you can see the fetid mass of decay. There you can see the shambling mounds of life thriving off the death around here. All are signs."
Bringing his hand back behind his back, Naba turned to Aggron saying, "Signs speak to all of us. They tell us secrets and stories. Follow the signs and you will find all that you seek. Ignore and glaze over the signs and you will quickly find yourself lost."
Letting the words sink in, Naba walks over to the edge of the canal and sits down. There he breathes in steadily before asking, "Why do you seek the Golgari?"
OOC: I actually made a version of Aggron with the Spore creature creator. I hadn't realized this before, but his eyes are exactly opposite each other on his head. He can look forward because they rotate forward...and because they bulge out of his head...
Aggron blinked, then looked around again for a moment. I suppose that guard did say 'life and death'. When he puts it that way...this looks right. But there's still no obvious place....
He shook his head briefly. He summons a little dark mana into his palm, then shakes it away and looks directly at Naba with his left eye.
<That's what I'm here about. I know black magic--death magic. It's been my power since I learned to summon mana. But it's one-dimensional, and it's not enough. I want to learn to handle green mana. Life magic. The constructive side. And I'm told that the Golgari know how to do it.>
'm as talented as any mage I know. If Golgari mages can handle life and death, then I can too. I just need a teacher.>
Aggron looked at Naba again. This time, instead of just thinking of his image, Aggron considered what it meant. An elf, with back eyes, wearing green and black clothing. He's a druid. A Golgari druid. He has to be. And he's probably the gatekeeper.
I guess I'll have to play his game, as best I can.
<Sorry. I'm not used to anything beyond immediate survival. Give me a few moments here.>
Slowly, Aggron lowers himself to the ground. He looks around, not assessing the area for threats or anything, just looking around at everything the elf had talked about. He pads over to the side of the road, puts his hand in the loam, feels it. He looks at the undergrowth, the mixture of rot and new life. And when he next 'speaks', it's much slower, and much less confident.
Aggron shifts around to look back at the elf.
<Let's...start there, I...suppose. This whole...this area. I can see...two things at work here. One...one of them, the decay...I understand it. But the...the regrowth. Not only is it....happening, but it's...interacting with the decay. Somehow. I think...there's layers and layers of...complexity here....but I don't understand them. And...I want to.>
Aggron's looking all the way at Naba now, and the elf can see the mute appeal in his eyes. 'm...not any good at this. But I'm...here to learn. Whatever it is...that the Golgari teach.>
Standing up Naba turns to Aggron saying in a calm and collected voice, "If you truly wish to learn then follow me and answer my questions truthfully and without hesitation."
Having said this Naba immediately turned his back to Aggron and walked to the edge of the canal. There he looked over his right shoulder to Aggron saying, "First, you will tell me everything you know of black mana. What does black mana mean to you? How did you first come to harness the power and why? Where do you believe black mana comes from? Think of these things and answer truthfully."
As if to give emphasis on the word think, Naba stepped over the edge of the canal falling out of sight of Aggron...
Aggron almost loses his trance as he sees Naba disappear. Clamping down hard with his will, he calms himself. He gets up slowly, walks over to the canal, and looks into the spot where Naba vanished. Even as he does this, he's beginning to think of a response....
There Naba stood on moss covered ground. Seeing Aggron looking down at him, Naba turned away and began walking towards some derelict moss covered buildings...
In spite of his mood, Aggron grins internally. I think I was right about him.
Then he returns to the task at hand. He jumps down into the sewer, lands agilely, and begins to walk after the elf. As he walks, he begins to think...
<To me, black mana is about survival.> The pace of his speaking has increased slightly; he's now more thoughtful than unsure. <Black mana means the power to survive, usually by killing those in your way. For me, at least, knowing black mana means having the power of death. I use this power to keep myself alive, not because I enjoy killing. I don't.>
As they continue to walk, his thoughts continue. 's...what was there. I was about a week and a half into sentience when it happened.>
Unbidden, the scene comes back into his mind, and he describes the most relevant parts of it to Naba...
The group had been traveling for a few days after they'd wrecked the lab. They were still in the midst of what Aggron discovered was Grixis, a place filled with death.
Those few days had been eventful for the former thrinax. The humans had been talking to him, not just around him, and he was slowly picking up on their speech. Most of the pain in his body had subsided, and he was growing used to his new metallized form. He'd started walking on his back feet, and in his new body, it felt okay. He'd even begun to use his absurdly long tail; it wasn't getting in his way so much.
His mind was the real miracle. As he learned the language, he became more adept at the sendings. He could almost hold a conversation with the humans now, although the words and grammar of his half were somewhat lacking. He wasn't just a refugee anymore--he was one of them. Just as he was getting used to being in a group, though, they were attacked.
The zombies and assorted aberrations of the plane had been after the group before, but this time they made a real effort, as though they were being driven to the task. Being undead, standard weapons didn't work so well against them. Aggron and his allies slashed and hacked, and the sorcerers among them them burned and blasted, but there were just too many attackers. Even Aggron could tell how it was going to end.
And so, in desperation, he tried his own magic. He'd been trying to use magic since he'd seen one of his allies set a zombie on fire with a spell. But the fire just didn't come to him. He could sense it, emanating from his companions, coursing deep underground when he strained to find it. But it was foreign to him. He'd seem it before, long ago, but they'd never used it in the lab, and it wasn't so strong here.
But there was a kind of energy that he HAD seen more often. The zombies used it; the mages in the lab had used it; everything in this plane seemed to use it. He could sense this one, sometimes without even trying. And in desperation, he grabbed for it and demanded.
Waves of death spread from him. Some of his allies saw what he was doing and managed to run, but the ones who were badly wounded succumbed to the dark energy. The zombies, though-they were not so lucky. They fell in droves. In hordes. A few of the largest ones were merely crippled, but all of the smaller ones dissolved in the raging current of darkness.
Aggron never could repeat that one, single spell he'd used, and he was afraid to try--he'd lost at least one companion to it. But from then on, he was irrevocably linked to the pervasive, dark mana of that plane...
Naba stopped walking and looked back at Aggron with a frown. Then speaking he said, "You dare call yourself a talented mage? You have failed to understand the core of your power. Yes, you experienced that crucial moment of bending the mana to your will, of experiencing the thrill of power over others. But what did you do after that? You allowed your sense of morality to blind you!"
Naba again turned his back on Aggron and walked into a small clearing covered in moss. There he walked on, hands behind his back, and spoke saying, "You succeeded in the first task of being a wielder of the swamps: you demanded power and took it for yourself. But then for some reason you allowed the views of others to effect you, to stunt your growth and potential."
Naba turned slightly and looked into Aggron's eyes saying, "Know this to be the truth: There are no rules, laws, or moralities! There exists only that which you impose on yourself!"
Naba shook his head in frustration and walked into the shade of one of the moss covered buildings. There he leaned against the building and motioned for Aggron to stand in the open area.
When Aggron finally stood there Naba continued explaining, "I now know why you feel black mana is one dimensional. You only scratched the surface of your potential! You must understand that there is nothing holding you back but yourself. This is a truth. Accept this truth and free yourself of the multiverse's shackles."
Naba stretched his neck as if he had a kink he was trying to work out before continuing, "The epitome of black mana is power. Black excels in acquiring this power thanks to the properties of the swamp imbued into the mana. The swamps represent decay and death. It is this property that allows black mana to seep into the cracks and destroy anything. This is but one of many ways to gain power. To avoid your own death you need to be strong and powerful, capable of destroying your enemy before they can destroy you. You do this by embracing death, making death your tool to be dealt where you see fit."
Naba narrows his eyes at Aggron saying, "The moment you accept the laws and moralities of others is the moment you develop cracks in your being. Your mana should have taught you that such cracks are a weakness that can be corrupted and destroyed. This is why it is so crucial for you to understand that the only limits that can be placed upon you are the limits you accept to be truth. Know that there are no laws, no rules, and no morality. Accept this and we can move forward. Falter for just one moment and you will be destroyed."
Naba pushed himself off the wall taking a step closer to Aggron asking, "Do you understand now? Do you see why I scorn your remark of talent? Do you see how much you have limited yourself? The potential and power wasted by your misconceptions of reality?"
OOC: Maybe it is time I started playing the black mage properly. It's actually kind of funny; this is, in every way, the EXACT opposite of me in real life. Probably why I made these mistakes.
IC:
It took a moment for Naba's words to sink in. Aggron had always thought of himself as a rogue, not bound by the rules of typical human society.
But then he began to think.
Why do I do things?
He thinks of how he's been acting. Always, he's tried to help his companions, put up with their quirks, let them get away with things that he wouldn't have done to them.
What it came down to was that he felt in debt to humans. They had saved him, covered his back, and he'd always treated them like they deserved good treatment.
But as he thought about Naba's words, he realized. They don't.
If I choose to help someone, that's my choice. But I don't have to. I don't owe anyone anything.
I control my own actions.
It's not 'our world'.
It's mine.
<MINE.>
<Dragon's blood, what have I been doing?!>
Aggron doesn't actually realize he's lapsed into thought-speech. For a moment, he's filled with self-contempt, but in an instant, it becomes iron-hard resolve.
<It's about damn time I took my share.>
<My share?>
<No.>
<Everything I can get.>
Aggron turns to the elf, and his whole attitude has shifted. He isn't cocky anymore; he's not insecure either. He's resolved.
<Naba. See this?>
He digs in his satchel for the dagger he'd taken.
<This is the dagger of one of my enemies. I took it to remind me how I feel about killing people. It used to make me feel guilty.>
The hand that's holding the dagger fills with black mana. There's suddenly a great pressure, and the dagger shatters into hundreds of fragments.
With some distaste, Aggron cleans his palm. <You're right. it's time I got rid of such foolish conceits. I appreciate the advice.>
<Now let's continue.> Aggron's 'voice' is no longer a question.
Naba smiled widely nodding in agreement as he said, "Yes, let us continue..."
Leaping forward Naba called upon a surge of mana causing his veins to pop out. As Aggron watched him he noticed Naba's veins had turn green and black while black blood leaked from his black eyes.
Naba then brought his right fist in front of his eyes and made a crushing motion. Rising out of the ground before Naba was a collection of roots that encircled his feet. Reaching out to these roots, Naba tore off a section that disintegrated in his hands strengthening him further.
Lowering his arms to his side, Naba let out a controlled breath and then breathed in deeply through his nose before saying, "Now is the time you become death. Show me what you can do strange one."
Aggron had expected something like this from the gatekeeper, but all the internal reflection had caught him off guard. Mana sizzles into his palm, washing away the last of the dagger. With a quick, practiced motion, Aggron twists it into a familiar goblin shape...
Naba raises his head and breaths in deeply causing the veins in his neck to press against his pale skin revealing the green and black color flowing through them. Exhaling he levels his eyes on Aggron and tears off another piece of the roots surrounding him. This he channeled into a green spell invigorating him causing his veins to pulse rapidly.
Then as he drew upon yet more mana black blood began to drip from his eyes once more as he muttered in a pained yet ecstatic voice, "Power at any costs..."
With that he slammed his palm against the ground casting another enchantment. Then rising from the ground another walls of roots arose. As he had done before he tore off another piece wrapping himself in yet another enchantment.
Breathing steadily Naba grinned at Aggron saying, "This is what can be born of a union with nature. Life flows through me freely, yet I do not fret about it being precious. Every piece I have summoned is MY power, subject to MY will. All can be sacrificed for my gain. Can you say the same for your magics?"
OOC: Someday, Aggron will learn Maelstrom Pulse...but it is not this day.
IC:
<My magic is certainly subject to my will. But you know better than I do the limitations of pure black magic, and I have hardly mastered it. Without great mastery, and without green, I have to rely on tricks like this.>
Aggron's second mana orb is ready. He pulls mana from each, and it purifies somewhat as it streams through his fingers. He shapes the large statue he'd fought so long ago, in the artificer's cave. He grimaces briefly. <it isn't much, but it's what I have to work with.>
Naba smirked saying,"At least you are admitting your own limited understanding. But remember what I have told you: There are no true limits except those you place upon yourself. Pure black mana is not limited. You simply have not embraced all that it has to offer."
A wicked grin spreads across Naba's face as he asks, "For instance have you ever tried using this aspect of the swamps?"
Punctuating his question were streaks of red flames launching themselves from his head to Aggron's. With a small cry of pain black blood spurts from Naba's ears gathering in three puddles at his feet. Still grinning he said, "Such magic is one of the swamps specialties. But the true cycle of life exists only when you work with the power of the forests like so..."
This time a powerful enchantment surrounded the two. Naba was far from done though as he ripped a piece of vine absorbing it's power. Focusing this power he wiped some of his black blood from his ears and flung it out in front of himself. There it quickly expanded into a zombie humanoid. Then rising from one of the three blood pools was another zombie identical to the one standing before Naba.
OOC: The only fair way for me to play this is if Aggron didn't know the Bloodbond March was coming. Because if he knew....well. Holy crap. Banshees everywhere.
IC:
As the mental tendrils reached for him, some of Aggron's oldest memories--ones he was barely even conscious of--dissolved away. But all he felt was a brief sting; he was barely conscious that his mind had been attacked.
As the enchantment swirled into being, Aggron's eyes and mind snapped wide open. He recognized what it could do...and he was amazed. Somewhere in his mind, he realized that he'd been searching for something like that when he was looking for the Golgari in the first place. But that was a revelation for later. Now...now he had other things to worry about.
<That's a very strong ability. I think I'll make some use of it later.> Aggron could tell that the enchantment changed the whole battle.
<But for now....take your best shot.>
Aggron's hands wove a couple more goblins into being as he stared intently at the enchantment, trying to rethink his strategy.
Sorry mate but Lord of the Undead says " Other Zombie creatures get +1/+1." and Festering Goblin is a zombie. So please redo your turn taking this into account. An edit should be sufficient unless you wish to delete the post and simply repost the new action.
Naba doesn't waste a moment as his mana restores itself. Drawing further upon the swamps he cast the spell that sent flaming spikes into their heads. Again blood pooled out of his ears and onto the ground. He was already casting another creature spell, a broken vine dissolving in his hand, as he spoke to Aggron saying, "Let's see what you sacrifice this time..."
OOC: Cast the skeins and then a ravenous rats while maintaining priority. Waiting to see if you have a response before finishing his turn.
OOC: I assume all seven discards go through. Can I even discard that many?
IC:
This time, Aggron realized what the mental attack was. As the lines flash toward his head, he focuses. Images of his damaged memories flash before his eyes as the attacks take them all.
You can only discard 5, so two of the rats abilities will simply do nothing. Edit in your discards and I will post the rest of his turn after I finish enjoying my steak.
Despite the blood staining the sides of his neck and clothing, Naba still stood strong eying Aggron as if the he were prey. With the rats forming into existence out of the puddles of blood Naba was building a small army. Then smiling wickedly he cast two spell in quick succession tearing even more memories from Aggron. A small laugh escaped Naba as he spoke saying, "Crack after crack I will find till there is nothing left to support your mind. Ah, so that is why you called yourself talented. You were wise enough to harness that power. Hmm, I think I shall enjoy sending this creature against you."
With that Naba raised his hand summoning a zombified nantuko that came to stand in front of the Lords of Undead.
OOC: I'm assuming no responses because there is nothing you can do about the extirpates. Your turn.
Looking around Aggron could find no immediate sign of any building resembling a House like the ones from Estark. In fact everything around this area looked abandoned and derelict. While looking over the edge of the canal Aggron heard a light and slightly scratchy male voice call out to him, "You look as though you are searching for someone or something, stranger..."
Turning his head so that the elf appeared to be looking at Aggron the elf bowed his head only slightly saying, "I am simply known as Naba. Though normally one offers their own name before asking for that of another, Stranger."
<Not to be rude, but do you know how or where I can get in touch with the Golgari? All I was told was 'this area', and there's no obvious place to go from here.>
Naba simply shook his head looking at his own feet as he walked up to Aggron's side placing his hands behind his back. Stopping at Aggron's left, Naba looked up gazing upon the landscape saying, "You need to learn to observe everything. To understand the meaning in a place. To know that which you seek. You think there are no obvious paths for you to take? You seek the Golgari without understanding what they are!"
Bringing forth his left arm he motioned with his hand at the landscape saying, "These buildings have long been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. All along their sides you can see nature's growth coming to consume. There you can see the fetid mass of decay. There you can see the shambling mounds of life thriving off the death around here. All are signs."
Bringing his hand back behind his back, Naba turned to Aggron saying, "Signs speak to all of us. They tell us secrets and stories. Follow the signs and you will find all that you seek. Ignore and glaze over the signs and you will quickly find yourself lost."
Letting the words sink in, Naba walks over to the edge of the canal and sits down. There he breathes in steadily before asking, "Why do you seek the Golgari?"
Aggron blinked, then looked around again for a moment. I suppose that guard did say 'life and death'. When he puts it that way...this looks right. But there's still no obvious place....
He shook his head briefly. He summons a little dark mana into his palm, then shakes it away and looks directly at Naba with his left eye.
<That's what I'm here about. I know black magic--death magic. It's been my power since I learned to summon mana. But it's one-dimensional, and it's not enough. I want to learn to handle green mana. Life magic. The constructive side. And I'm told that the Golgari know how to do it.>
'm as talented as any mage I know. If Golgari mages can handle life and death, then I can too. I just need a teacher.>
Again Naba shook his head before looking at Aggron saying, "Surely you jest?"
I guess I'll have to play his game, as best I can.
<Sorry. I'm not used to anything beyond immediate survival. Give me a few moments here.>
Slowly, Aggron lowers himself to the ground. He looks around, not assessing the area for threats or anything, just looking around at everything the elf had talked about. He pads over to the side of the road, puts his hand in the loam, feels it. He looks at the undergrowth, the mixture of rot and new life. And when he next 'speaks', it's much slower, and much less confident.
Aggron shifts around to look back at the elf.
<Let's...start there, I...suppose. This whole...this area. I can see...two things at work here. One...one of them, the decay...I understand it. But the...the regrowth. Not only is it....happening, but it's...interacting with the decay. Somehow. I think...there's layers and layers of...complexity here....but I don't understand them. And...I want to.>
Aggron's looking all the way at Naba now, and the elf can see the mute appeal in his eyes. 'm...not any good at this. But I'm...here to learn. Whatever it is...that the Golgari teach.>
Having said this Naba immediately turned his back to Aggron and walked to the edge of the canal. There he looked over his right shoulder to Aggron saying, "First, you will tell me everything you know of black mana. What does black mana mean to you? How did you first come to harness the power and why? Where do you believe black mana comes from? Think of these things and answer truthfully."
As if to give emphasis on the word think, Naba stepped over the edge of the canal falling out of sight of Aggron...
Then he returns to the task at hand. He jumps down into the sewer, lands agilely, and begins to walk after the elf. As he walks, he begins to think...
<To me, black mana is about survival.> The pace of his speaking has increased slightly; he's now more thoughtful than unsure. <Black mana means the power to survive, usually by killing those in your way. For me, at least, knowing black mana means having the power of death. I use this power to keep myself alive, not because I enjoy killing. I don't.>
As they continue to walk, his thoughts continue. 's...what was there. I was about a week and a half into sentience when it happened.>
Unbidden, the scene comes back into his mind, and he describes the most relevant parts of it to Naba...
Those few days had been eventful for the former thrinax. The humans had been talking to him, not just around him, and he was slowly picking up on their speech. Most of the pain in his body had subsided, and he was growing used to his new metallized form. He'd started walking on his back feet, and in his new body, it felt okay. He'd even begun to use his absurdly long tail; it wasn't getting in his way so much.
His mind was the real miracle. As he learned the language, he became more adept at the sendings. He could almost hold a conversation with the humans now, although the words and grammar of his half were somewhat lacking. He wasn't just a refugee anymore--he was one of them. Just as he was getting used to being in a group, though, they were attacked.
The zombies and assorted aberrations of the plane had been after the group before, but this time they made a real effort, as though they were being driven to the task. Being undead, standard weapons didn't work so well against them. Aggron and his allies slashed and hacked, and the sorcerers among them them burned and blasted, but there were just too many attackers. Even Aggron could tell how it was going to end.
And so, in desperation, he tried his own magic. He'd been trying to use magic since he'd seen one of his allies set a zombie on fire with a spell. But the fire just didn't come to him. He could sense it, emanating from his companions, coursing deep underground when he strained to find it. But it was foreign to him. He'd seem it before, long ago, but they'd never used it in the lab, and it wasn't so strong here.
But there was a kind of energy that he HAD seen more often. The zombies used it; the mages in the lab had used it; everything in this plane seemed to use it. He could sense this one, sometimes without even trying. And in desperation, he grabbed for it and demanded.
Waves of death spread from him. Some of his allies saw what he was doing and managed to run, but the ones who were badly wounded succumbed to the dark energy. The zombies, though-they were not so lucky. They fell in droves. In hordes. A few of the largest ones were merely crippled, but all of the smaller ones dissolved in the raging current of darkness.
Aggron never could repeat that one, single spell he'd used, and he was afraid to try--he'd lost at least one companion to it. But from then on, he was irrevocably linked to the pervasive, dark mana of that plane...
Naba again turned his back on Aggron and walked into a small clearing covered in moss. There he walked on, hands behind his back, and spoke saying, "You succeeded in the first task of being a wielder of the swamps: you demanded power and took it for yourself. But then for some reason you allowed the views of others to effect you, to stunt your growth and potential."
Naba turned slightly and looked into Aggron's eyes saying, "Know this to be the truth: There are no rules, laws, or moralities! There exists only that which you impose on yourself!"
Naba shook his head in frustration and walked into the shade of one of the moss covered buildings. There he leaned against the building and motioned for Aggron to stand in the open area.
When Aggron finally stood there Naba continued explaining, "I now know why you feel black mana is one dimensional. You only scratched the surface of your potential! You must understand that there is nothing holding you back but yourself. This is a truth. Accept this truth and free yourself of the multiverse's shackles."
Naba stretched his neck as if he had a kink he was trying to work out before continuing, "The epitome of black mana is power. Black excels in acquiring this power thanks to the properties of the swamp imbued into the mana. The swamps represent decay and death. It is this property that allows black mana to seep into the cracks and destroy anything. This is but one of many ways to gain power. To avoid your own death you need to be strong and powerful, capable of destroying your enemy before they can destroy you. You do this by embracing death, making death your tool to be dealt where you see fit."
Naba narrows his eyes at Aggron saying, "The moment you accept the laws and moralities of others is the moment you develop cracks in your being. Your mana should have taught you that such cracks are a weakness that can be corrupted and destroyed. This is why it is so crucial for you to understand that the only limits that can be placed upon you are the limits you accept to be truth. Know that there are no laws, no rules, and no morality. Accept this and we can move forward. Falter for just one moment and you will be destroyed."
Naba pushed himself off the wall taking a step closer to Aggron asking, "Do you understand now? Do you see why I scorn your remark of talent? Do you see how much you have limited yourself? The potential and power wasted by your misconceptions of reality?"
IC:
It took a moment for Naba's words to sink in. Aggron had always thought of himself as a rogue, not bound by the rules of typical human society.
But then he began to think.
Why do I do things?
He thinks of how he's been acting. Always, he's tried to help his companions, put up with their quirks, let them get away with things that he wouldn't have done to them.
What it came down to was that he felt in debt to humans. They had saved him, covered his back, and he'd always treated them like they deserved good treatment.
But as he thought about Naba's words, he realized. They don't.
If I choose to help someone, that's my choice. But I don't have to. I don't owe anyone anything.
I control my own actions.
It's not 'our world'.
It's mine.
<MINE.>
<Dragon's blood, what have I been doing?!>
Aggron doesn't actually realize he's lapsed into thought-speech. For a moment, he's filled with self-contempt, but in an instant, it becomes iron-hard resolve.
<It's about damn time I took my share.>
<My share?>
<No.>
<Everything I can get.>
Aggron turns to the elf, and his whole attitude has shifted. He isn't cocky anymore; he's not insecure either. He's resolved.
<Naba. See this?>
He digs in his satchel for the dagger he'd taken.
<This is the dagger of one of my enemies. I took it to remind me how I feel about killing people. It used to make me feel guilty.>
The hand that's holding the dagger fills with black mana. There's suddenly a great pressure, and the dagger shatters into hundreds of fragments.
With some distaste, Aggron cleans his palm. <You're right. it's time I got rid of such foolish conceits. I appreciate the advice.>
<Now let's continue.> Aggron's 'voice' is no longer a question.
Leaping forward Naba called upon a surge of mana causing his veins to pop out. As Aggron watched him he noticed Naba's veins had turn green and black while black blood leaked from his black eyes.
Naba then brought his right fist in front of his eyes and made a crushing motion. Rising out of the ground before Naba was a collection of roots that encircled his feet. Reaching out to these roots, Naba tore off a section that disintegrated in his hands strengthening him further.
Lowering his arms to his side, Naba let out a controlled breath and then breathed in deeply through his nose before saying, "Now is the time you become death. Show me what you can do strange one."
Life- 18
Cast-
Overgrown Tomb paying 2 life.
Elvish Spirit Guide ability.
Utopia Sprawl enchanting Overgrown Tomb naming black.
Wall of Roots
Wall of Roots ability for green mana.
Utopia Sprawl enchanting Overgrown Tomb naming black.
Battlefield-
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
2x Utopia Sprawl enchanting OT.
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (1x -0/-1 ; 0/4)
Graveyard-
Exiled-
1x Elvish Spirit Guide
Aggron had expected something like this from the gatekeeper, but all the internal reflection had caught him off guard. Mana sizzles into his palm, washing away the last of the dagger. With a quick, practiced motion, Aggron twists it into a familiar goblin shape...
Life: 15 (20)
Field:
1x Swamp, T
1x Festering Goblin, Q
Yard:
None
Then as he drew upon yet more mana black blood began to drip from his eyes once more as he muttered in a pained yet ecstatic voice, "Power at any costs..."
With that he slammed his palm against the ground casting another enchantment. Then rising from the ground another walls of roots arose. As he had done before he tore off another piece wrapping himself in yet another enchantment.
Breathing steadily Naba grinned at Aggron saying, "This is what can be born of a union with nature. Life flows through me freely, yet I do not fret about it being precious. Every piece I have summoned is MY power, subject to MY will. All can be sacrificed for my gain. Can you say the same for your magics?"
Life- 16
Cast-
Wall of Roots ability
2x Farseek getting 2x Overgrown Tomb
Overgrown Tomb paying 2 life.
Elvish Spirit Guide ability.
Utopia Sprawl enchanting OT naming black.
Wall of Roots
Wall of Roots ability adding green mana.
Utopia Sprawl enchanting OT naming black.
Battlefield-
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
2x Overgrown Tomb 2x:symtap:0x:symq:
4x Utopia Sprawl enchanting two OT.
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (2x -0/-1 ; 0/3)
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (1x -0/-1 ; 0/4)
Graveyard-
2x Farseek
Exiled-
2x Elvish Spirit Guide
IC:
<My magic is certainly subject to my will. But you know better than I do the limitations of pure black magic, and I have hardly mastered it. Without great mastery, and without green, I have to rely on tricks like this.>
Aggron's second mana orb is ready. He pulls mana from each, and it purifies somewhat as it streams through his fingers. He shapes the large statue he'd fought so long ago, in the artificer's cave. He grimaces briefly. <it isn't much, but it's what I have to work with.>
Life: 15 (20)
Field:
2x Swamp, all T
1x Festering Goblin, Q
1x Guardian Idol, T
Yard:
None
A wicked grin spreads across Naba's face as he asks, "For instance have you ever tried using this aspect of the swamps?"
Punctuating his question were streaks of red flames launching themselves from his head to Aggron's. With a small cry of pain black blood spurts from Naba's ears gathering in three puddles at his feet. Still grinning he said, "Such magic is one of the swamps specialties. But the true cycle of life exists only when you work with the power of the forests like so..."
This time a powerful enchantment surrounded the two. Naba was far from done though as he ripped a piece of vine absorbing it's power. Focusing this power he wiped some of his black blood from his ears and flung it out in front of himself. There it quickly expanded into a zombie humanoid. Then rising from one of the three blood pools was another zombie identical to the one standing before Naba.
Life- 16
Cast-
Swamp
Delirium Skeins discarding 1x Lord of the Undead and 2x Wall of Roots
Bloodbond March
Wall of Roots ability.
Lord of the Undead
Battlefield-
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
2x Overgrown Tomb 2x:symtap:0x:symq:
1x Swamp 1x:symtap:0x:symq:
4x Utopia Sprawl enchanting two OT.
1x Bloodbond March
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (3x -0/-1 ; 0/2)
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (1x -0/-1 ; 0/4)
2x Lord of the Undead 0x:symtap:2x:symq:(SS)
Graveyard-
2x Farseek
2x Wall of Roots
Exiled-
2x Elvish Spirit Guide
IC:
As the mental tendrils reached for him, some of Aggron's oldest memories--ones he was barely even conscious of--dissolved away. But all he felt was a brief sting; he was barely conscious that his mind had been attacked.
(Discard 3x Treetop Village)
As the enchantment swirled into being, Aggron's eyes and mind snapped wide open. He recognized what it could do...and he was amazed. Somewhere in his mind, he realized that he'd been searching for something like that when he was looking for the Golgari in the first place. But that was a revelation for later. Now...now he had other things to worry about.
<That's a very strong ability. I think I'll make some use of it later.> Aggron could tell that the enchantment changed the whole battle.
<But for now....take your best shot.>
Aggron's hands wove a couple more goblins into being as he stared intently at the enchantment, trying to rethink his strategy.
Life: 15 (20)
Field:
3x Swamp, 2x T
1x Guardian Idol, Q
3x Festering Goblin (3/3)
Yard:
3x Treetop Village
OOC: EDIT: I totally forgot he was an old-style lord. Everything is now changed.
OOC: Cast the skeins and then a ravenous rats while maintaining priority. Waiting to see if you have a response before finishing his turn.
Life- 16
Cast-
Swamp
Delirium Skeins discarding 3x Ravenous Rats
Wall of Roots Ability.
Ravenous Rats while maintaining priority.
Battlefield-
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
1x Overgrown Tomb 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
2x Overgrown Tomb 0x:symtap:2x:symq:
2x Swamp 1x:symtap:1x:symq:
4x Utopia Sprawl enchanting two OT each.
1x Bloodbond March
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (4x -0/-1 ; 0/1)
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (1x -0/-1 ; 0/4)
2x Lord of the Undead 0x:symtap:2x:symq:
Graveyard-
2x Farseek
2x Wall of Roots
Exiled-
2x Elvish Spirit Guide
IC:
This time, Aggron realized what the mental attack was. As the lines flash toward his head, he focuses. Images of his damaged memories flash before his eyes as the attacks take them all.
Discard the following to the Skeins:
1x Keening Banshee
2x Severed Legion
Discard the following to the Rats:
1x Severed Legion
1x Gravedigger
EDIT: And now I think I'll get my dinner as well.
Despite the blood staining the sides of his neck and clothing, Naba still stood strong eying Aggron as if the he were prey. With the rats forming into existence out of the puddles of blood Naba was building a small army. Then smiling wickedly he cast two spell in quick succession tearing even more memories from Aggron. A small laugh escaped Naba as he spoke saying, "Crack after crack I will find till there is nothing left to support your mind. Ah, so that is why you called yourself talented. You were wise enough to harness that power. Hmm, I think I shall enjoy sending this creature against you."
With that Naba raised his hand summoning a zombified nantuko that came to stand in front of the Lords of Undead.
OOC: I'm assuming no responses because there is nothing you can do about the extirpates. Your turn.
Life- 16
Cast-
Extirpate taking out Keening Banshee
Extirpate taking out Gravedigger
Nantuko Husk
Battlefield-
1x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:0x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
1x Overgrown Tomb 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (enchanted with two Utopia Sprawl named for black.)
2x Overgrown Tomb 1x:symtap:1x:symq:
2x Swamp 2x:symtap:0x:symq:
4x Utopia Sprawl enchanting two OT each.
1x Bloodbond March
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (4x -0/-1 ; 0/1)
1x Wall of Roots 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (1x -0/-1 ; 0/4)
2x Lord of the Undead 0x:symtap:2x:symq:
4x Ravenous Rats 0x:symtap:4x:symq: (SS)
1x Nantuko Husk 0x:symtap:1x:symq: (SS)
Graveyard-
2x Farseek
2x Wall of Roots
2x Extirpate
Exiled-
2x Elvish Spirit Guide