[hider=Volaris’ contemplation]A twisted, ethereal hand skimmed over the surface of the scrying pool, the image scattering with the ripples and a new one forming as they stilled. All of his mouths twisted into grotesque grins as he watched the outcome of the massive end game brawl. Originally, he planned on being there but he decided for a day in with the guild members who logged in the last day. It was pleasant all things considered but… He cast ripples over the surface again, casting the magical eye out over the Eldrin Wastes where he and Stauffenberg picked up the item that unlocked Rule34’s racial option. He chuckled at the memory. A few people wandered the blasted landscape and egged on the cannibal tribes that lived there. He sighed and let the pool turn clear once again. 

The timer flashed two minutes.

He felt the familiar tug as he activated his guild ring and around him Azazel’s field swayed gently in the artificial breeze. He looked around and sighed. All this work for it all to fall apart. How disappointing. He let himself enjoy the sight a few moments more before switching between all the rooms, committing each detail to memory. 

The timer flashed one minute.

Volaris ended up in his tower last, on top the observation deck he built for Anna. He watched the undead scuttle aimlessly around at the base of the Cathedral and he decided it was enough. He descended into the gloom of his tower, settling in the one chair he bothered keeping. He could feel Rule writhing near him.

The timer flashed thirty seconds.

He spent the last seconds of his game life reflecting on everything accomplished in this building. They had done so much, time gone but not wasted, and made an impression unlike anyone else in Yggdrasil. He chuckled in the darkness. His routine would have to change.[/hider]

The timer stopped at zero.

Volaris stared at the zeros as they faded away from his vision. Despite the official timer stopping… Nothing changed. He could still feel Rule nearby, the tower still whispered with his aura… He made to pull up the main menu. It didn’t appear. His mouths frowned as he stood again, ghosting through the room back into the main chamber. Nothing seemed out of place but Volaris felt an itch in the back of his mind, just a incessant prodding that suggested something was wrong. 

The ring flared and the familiar tug pulled at his gut and the scrying room appear around him. He stared at the item for a long moment. The idea of heading to the scrying sanctum to see if anyone else was still around had barely crossed his mind. And he didn’t activate the teleport command. Had they pulled a elaborate prank and just needed the servers clear for a massive update? 

[color=ed1c24]“Show me the Cathedral of the Damned.”[/color] His voice was raspy and echoed in the chamber for a long time as fifty mouths spoke just slightly off each other. The image didn’t appear. He repeated the command, casting the hand with his ring over the surface. The cathedral slowly appeared, as if being pulled from the bottom of the pool, and he focused on the image. For the moment, everything was silent. He flicked his wrist, casting the magical eye flying across the surrounding area. He repeated the action. 

[color=ed1c24]“Show me Baron.”[/color] The image faded and the Cathedral’s steward took its place. It would be the reference. He commanded the scrying pool to show him ten different locales he knew the pool could see, returning to Baron after each failed attempt. Each one was a failure. He straightened from his stooped position. If the very location of the guild had changed, it wasn’t unlikely the guild’s defenders also suffered some changes. His interest was piqued. The ring flared briefly and he materialized at the steward’s side.

[color=ed1c24]“Baron, seal off the Cathedral completely and bring the other guardians to the Scrying Sanctum. I will need a report of all our holdings once you do so.”[/color] Volaris commanded before disappearing back to the Sanctum. He checked his reflection in the pool briefly. Still twisted and horrifying. Excellent. He returned to the image of the Cathedral, looking around the immediately area in an attempt to find anything familiar.