“Nabu!” One of the slave handlers yelled. Nabu, a young man at the age of 20 looked up from his meal. Some soggy stuff given to him in a clay bowl. It was small, but to his surprise it contained tiny bits of meat. “Nabu, you’re up! Put the food down.” His handler yelled again. Nabu, instead, began to quickly scoop up the goo with his fingers to get as much in him as possible. After about four scoops his handler had gotten close enough to slap the clay cup out of his hands. “When I say you’re up, you head to the door. You got that?” The man, with those sapphire blue eyes, got up in his face before he pulled him up from the ground and pushed him along. Nabu’s heart was beating heavily in his chest. Ever since he had been hauled down the strange, subterranean place he felt dread come over him. They said that slaves went in but they never came out. Nabu sure had seen his fair share of corpses too. But also different things. Giant broken statues in places where no giant statue should be. He heard rumors of demon-flowers. Which blossomed if you got dark and would open up to reveal a monstrous thing that could tear you apart.

A rope held Nabu’s hand together, though it gave enough leeway so he could move them still. It was more about reminding him who he was. A slave. Expendable. The gate opened when one of the Sapphire eyes wielding a strange, golden-trimmed slate touched it. Beyond it was a long corridor. Both sides flanked with fresh water. Plinths rose from the water, holding statues that looked inwards. “Look out for the blue glowing ones.” His handler said. Several other slaves, armed with torches and desperate courage, pushed forward into the corridor. Observing every statue as if they could discern the meaning of its figure. They were weird. Showing human-like creatures but that had strange protrusions from their far too flat face. Nabu found himself staring at one statue. Until the distance lash of a whip woke him up from his own curiosity. “Move along Nabu! You’re not here to stare!” Dutifully. Fearfully, Nabu continued on. There was one small side room running from the main route. None of the other slaves had entered it. It was dark, looked small and empty. Handlers never liked their slaves suddenly vanishing. But it almost felt as if something was calling Nabu towards it. Like a whisper at just the edge of his mind. Slowly he walked in, illuminating the small room. It was indeed empty. Save for a small totem. One Nabu picked up to examine closer.

It was cold.  Before anything else, Nabu noticed that.  It stung to hold for too long.  There was no explanation for that, as the totem itself was simple polished black stone.  Or perhaps, not.  As Nabu looked at it, it seemed less opaque.  Almost like it was dark glass.  The slave strained to see something in the totem, and was met with an open eye, glaring at him from within the object.

He yelled, fell down and dropped the totem. Scrambling away from it before turning around and trying to make a mad dash towards the corridor. There his handler was already yelling for him. His mind chose not to process what just happened. He just needed the safety of others. Then, suddenly, people began to yell and scream and holler. Something cracked and gave way. Light faded. Stone fell. Blocking the entrance of the small room. Dust billowed up all around Nabu, who had to cough and protect his eyes. “Nabu! Nabu what the hell did you do!?” His handler yelled from the other side. Nabu, confronted with the sealed entrance, just turned around to look at the dropped totem. Fearfully awaiting the demon to crawl out of it and eat him whole.

It was watching him.  The eye looked almost human, but only almost.  It was too large, its movement was too smooth as it tracked him from across the room, and it was also glowing.  There was a hum in the air, and the walls spoke to Nabu, “Hmmmmmmm, why do you run, slave?  You are as surely dead out there as in here, slave.”

Nabu kept moving around. Hoping to lose the attention of the glowing eye. Behind the collapsed entrance he could hear the commotion growing. Stones were being dragged away. Within a few minutes more Mystics would move in to clear the rubble. When the walls began to speak Nabu whimpered and moved away from them. Trying to stay in between the totem and the walls. “I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna die.” He kept whimpering. Mostly to himself.

“They will kill you, slave.” The walls thrummed,  “If they clear the way, they will kill you.  They brought you here to die.”

Nabu shook and tried to shield himself from the demon's gaze.  Its voice seemed to vibrate the room, drowning out the shouts from beyond.  It dominated his hearing, but as it droned on the slave found it was not the only one he could hear.

[color=7070db]“But you don't have to.”[/color]  A feminine voice whispered in Nabu’s mind, [color=7070db]“You can live, Nabu.[/color]

His eyes opened. The strange presence was still there. But maybe something else as well? He didn’t want to die, and right now he would do anything to live. “I just… want to live.” He said out loud. On the other side of the room two small tables with sand on top of it were carried before the rubble. Two Mystics with wands walked up to the tables and began to draw their runes in the send. Preparing their magic to remove the stone. “Just…please… show me how I can live.” Nabu pleaded. Knowing that his fate would be sealed if the rubble was gone.

[color=7070db]“Speak the demon's name.  Ungaaraad.”[/color]  The second voice answered softly, [color=7070db]“Speak its name and it will grant your wish.  Others will pay the price, but you can live Nabu.  You can be safe.”[/color]

The slave approached the totem on his knees. It was still unnerving, but as the sound of moving stone grew louder, he knew he was doomed either way. So with the totem in his hands he said: “Ungaaraad. Please, help. Ungaaraad!”

The walls stopped vibrating, and cracks began to appear on the totem.  The same voice that had shook the walls reverberated from the demon's cage, “I answer, slave.  Speak your hope, and your hatred.  I require both.  Speak.”

“I-I just… I just want to get out of here!” He exclaimed. Tears were welling up. He was just a boy tending the land. Loving a girl. How did he even get involved in all this!? His eyes looked out at the rubble. Light from outside began to peer in already. It wouldn’t take long before they would grab him. Them, who had put him in ropes. Imprisoned him. Fed him gruel. “And I want them to die.”

The totem shattered.  Light, noise, motion, everything stopped.  There was a second between when Nabu made his wish, and when it was fulfilled, and in that second he saw a shadow made of teeth.  Then he was alone, in the light.  Far from Angehbad, standing tall on a grand prairie with a great gleaming temple calling him in the distance.  It was a safer place.  One made by another being than that which freed him.

That being stayed behind, in the dark. Waiting for the rubble to be cleared. “I’m going in.” Nabu’s handler said as enough of the stone was removed to crawl over it. He did so to be greeted with a massive, dark room. “Nabu! You piece of crap. I swear to the gods this is one step too much.” He was clearly not amused. Soon after several more handlers crawled into the darkened room. The mystics manning the sand-tables remained behind. Though most of them found it odd that not even the torches were visible from the room.

Then, a scream. And another. They echoed from the room. The rubble was cleared. One man came running into the twilight of the room. Bloody, missing an arm. Screaming like he was possessed. Something seemed to grab him and pull him back into the darkened room. The wide eyed sand-table Mystics cleared and redrew their runes. Summoning fire and launching it into the room. To no avail. The darkness reached out at them as tendrils. Wrapping them up and pulling them into the room. Kicking and screaming.

It came for everyone.  Mystics, Slaves, all were attacked as the darkness seemed to seep out of the room.  Torches were extinguished and screams died in the throats of terrified men and women as they fled.  Darkness spilled over people, and they did not emerge from it.  Of those who ran, the barest fraction escaped.  Nabu’s second wish saw the ornate statues he’d marvelled at painted red with the gore of those who’d beaten and cared for him indiscriminately.

Behind the lucky few who’d survived the room growled, and loping fanged creatures that scaled the walls with ease exploded outwards.  To the survivors luck they seemed to scurry deeper into the labyrinth, rather than give chase.  Behind them, just in the doorway of the chamber where so many had died, familiar faces peeked out, only to retreat back in when seen.

Terrors had been unleashed, and for explanation those who returned would find only a few words, crudely carved into the stone amidst the abattoir: A Slave’s Price 

It was a warning.

[hider=Summary]Nabu, a random slave, is forced into the Labyrinth for reasons unknown to him. His handler forces him ahead into a yet unexplored corridor. Where he observes the various statues with a critical eye. The Mystics remain behind, letting the slaves trigger all the traps or show where the golems are. Nabu, curious in spirit, found a small side chamber and despite knowing his slavers don’t like it, jumps in. There he finds a small totem and picks it up. Triggering whatever was inside to look at him.

The slave scrambles back but the entryway collapses. A voice speaks to him, but he’s far too afraid to respond. Until the Patron herself speaks to him. Telling him to wish for one good thing and one bad thing to happen. Meanwhile outside the Mystics are already working to clear the rubble. Surely he would be punished for this. So he decides to make the wishes: get him out of here and kill those outside the rubble. The demon in the totem happily obliges. Nabu is teleported to the Plains of Sol.

When the rubble is cleared, several Mystics went inside the very dark room. Only echoes of shouts escape it. Those mystics remaining outside notice a strange entity within and decide to launch spells at it. To no avail. The monster grabs them too. Turning the entire corridor into a bloody mess before it crawls deeper into the Labyrinth. Leaving behind a final warning to the Mystics.[/hider]




[hider=MP]

-3DP Created the Legendary Beast Ungaaraad.  A terror of Anghebad’s labyrinth, Ungaarad is a servant of the Patron’s.  Any who speak the beast's name free it from its prison, and gain their greatest hope, and hate.  The patron will grant these things to them.  Anyone who only mentions their hope, or their hatred, will find themselves devoured and the beast free for weeks or months before it reverts to a totem.  Fail to speak the beast's name, and it will merely taunt you before collapsing the roof on your head.

-1MP Teleported Nabu to the Sunlit Temple.

-2MP Created Illusory Crawlers.  Strange mammals with fur the color of rock, these creatures are blind carnivores that use their sense of smell to hunt. They are renown for their venom, which renders their victims paralyzed and nearly invisible, blurring into their surroundings. Using this venom they pick off groups in silence.  They are now found in all Labyrinths.

-2DP Created Shades. Ghostlike entities that roam labyrinths, these creatures are mostly harmless, save for their proclivity to imitate people's voices and appearances and lead groups deep into Labyrinths. Many have lost their way, searching for a friend that had long since taken another turn.  Some shades mimic the dead, and call to the living.  These are less common, but certainly notable. They are now found in all Labyrinths.

-3MP Created Dark Branches.  These sections of Labyrinths are often found behind false walls or stemming from secret passages.  They are made from smooth, polished, black granite and are notable for their near impossibility to navigate.  Distances are uncertain, turns can take you back where you came from, and rooms can be larger or smaller than they appear they should be.  These paths are treacherous, but they are also a shortcut to other regions of the Labyrinth, for those who can navigate them.  Moreover, Dark Branches often contain secret libraries.  These small alcoves, filled with stone tablets, tell a tale of dark creatures lurking within the Labyrinth and what may be gained from them, should their names be uncovered.  References to a prison, a chamber deep beneath the earth, which contains one of these creatures, are ubiquitous in secret libraries.  They are now found in all Labyrinths. [/hider]

[hider=Prestige][b]Post Length:[/b] 8.9K Characters
+4 Prestige >> The Mystics[/hider]