[If you are interested in joining a setting like this, check out: roleplayerguild.com/topics/196759-ise…] RP GOAL - Find Penny? @DoubleChecker - Severin Vaust Asset Goal: ? @Book - Liu Fei Asset Goal: ? @pkken - Vetreus Draedora Asset Goal: ? @Red Hood - Esther Keaten Asset Goal: ? @Nakushita - Penny "Iron Maiden of Pax" Asset Goal: ? [hider=Music] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0euNw-4YOo [/hider] The clearing has become a stage for a new, terrifying confrontation. The air crackles with tension as the party faces the entity now wearing Penny's form. As the Voice declares them "disorder," its power begins to manifest. Before it can fully unleash the forest's wrath, Severin acts. A silent, invisible wave of energy bursts from him, cloaked in illusion. It isn't aimed at the Voice, but at the four dormant Scrying Orbs still hovering near the party members. A series of sharp, distinct CRACKS echo through the clearing as the lenses on all four orbs simultaneously shatter, rendering them useless. The Luminary's eyes and ears are now blind and deaf to what happens next. When Severin commands "Knowledge!", his eyes flare with azure light. Spectral, arcanic chains erupt from the ground, shooting upward to bind the Voice's limbs. The entity, still wearing Penny's serene face, meets the assault not with physical struggle, but with a surge of raw power. The golden light in her eyes intensifies, and a wave of chaotic life energy pushes back against the magical constructs. For a tense moment, the two forces are locked in a perfect stalemate. The chains strain and groan, their ethereal links glowing brightly as they fight against the entity's immense will. They do not break. The binding holds, but it is a tenuous victory; the Voice is immobilized, but the sheer power Severin can feel pressing against his spell is immense. While the chains hold her fast, Severin's true spell takes effect. His mind is flooded with a torrent of esoteric information as he peers beneath the veneer of the possessed maid, analyzing both the vessel and the spirit within. [hider=Knowledge!] [The Voice of the Verdant] Type: Symbiotic Entity (Primordial Fragment + Human Host) Threat Level: B Attributes: Mana B, Resilience B, Strength C Abilities: [Command Flora], [Chaotic Life Burst], [Host Integration], [Song of Order] Weakness: Purifying Energy, Sever Connection. The host body remains vulnerable to conventional harm. [Appraisal]: The entity is the Heart of the Verdant artifact, now fully merged with its chosen host, Penny. It is no longer a dormant object but a true, sentient being. Its primary directive is to impose its definition of "order" on the surrounding environment, which it perceives as chaotic. It views the party as agents of disorder. [Arcana/Religion Analysis]: This is not a simple possession. The Heart has initiated a full symbiotic integration. It is rewriting the host's biology on a fundamental level, using her as a conduit and an anchor in the physical world. The connection is centered in the host's heart and nervous system, where the artifact's energy is most concentrated. [Sixth Sense - Soul-tethers]: Two souls now occupy one body. The dominant soul is the ancient, powerful will of the Heart. However, a second, much fainter soul-signature is still present: Penny's. It is suppressed, overwhelmed, and trapped within its own body, but it has not been extinguished. It flickers like a candle in a hurricane, a potential weak point in the entity's absolute control. A sufficiently powerful spiritual or emotional shock could potentially disrupt the connection and give the host's soul a chance to fight back. [/hider] Simultaneously, Esther kneels beside the terrified child. As she speaks, she snaps her fingers, and her Appraisal magic flows into the child. [hider=Appraisal] [Lily] Type: Human (Child) Status: Frightened, Disoriented, Soul-Resonance (Minor). Note: A local child who went missing near the forest's edge several weeks ago. She was drawn in by the Heartstone's "song." Her soul bears a faint, residual echo of the Heart's energy, but she is not possessed or corrupted. She is just a lost little girl. [/hider] The child, who can now be identified as Lily, looks up at Esther with wide, tear-filled eyes, too scared to speak. The Voice, now identified as Penny, reacts to Severin's binding spell. The being is now hostile. It will use its actions to attack the party, prioritizing the one who has just attempted to restrain it. Voice's Attack 1 & 2: [Root Impalement] Target: Severin (as the primary aggressor). Action: The Voice will raise both of Penny's hands. From the ground beneath Severin's feet, two massive, sharpened roots, thick as spears, will erupt violently, attempting to impale him from below. This is a powerful, two-pronged physical attack. Roll: This is a direct attack. Roll 8d2 for the attack roll. Severin will need to defend. Voice's Attack 3: [Grasping Vines] Target: Vetreus and Esther (as the next closest threats). Action: The thorny Razorvines that line the clearing will come to life, lashing out like whips. They will attempt to wrap around Vetreus's and Esther's legs to immobilize them. Roll: This is an attempt to restrain them. Roll 6d2 for each target. Vetreus and Esther will need to defend against being grappled.