GodMod RP...that's right! Feel free to blow up the universe!

[Thaliat Everwood]

"ARMELLE!"

Now that Thaliat knew the girl's name, something about her first use of the moniker in a yell did not seem right. But then, this seizure or whatever it was that Armelle had lapsed into was not right either.

Instinctively, Thaliat reached out to steady the girl, but forced the helping hand back before she could touch the girl's body.

Idiot! You fought demons enough to know a possession when you see one. What, are you trying to get yourself killed, or worse? Thaliat chided herself silently and slowly took a few steps backwards, drawing her crossbow again as she moved.

Thaliat did not want to shoot the girl, not unless she was attacked outright. Still she readied her weapon. If push came to shove, Thaliat could shove back with the best of them. She watched Armelle cautiously, trying to figure out how to help her...or if she even could help her now.  

[Xanatos Forever]

Xanatos remained where he stood by Armelle, his eyes shimmering as the strange voice uttered from the girl's mouth. Shifting his footing, he pivots his body to face the possessed shell, arms folded across his chest and wings resting over his shoulders. "...And?" he inquires nonchalantly to the spirit, waiting to see whether it would continue speaking its tongue or revert to a more common language...  

[Sentama Lin]

In front of their eyes the fallen Armelle metamorphosed. Her blond hair paled and became the colour of silver, almost white, surpassing the glow of the celestial bodies. Her skin darkened to an even tan - her complexion seemingly shining like pure gold. Her body writhed slightly before rolling around in the flowers, her hands pushing on the ground to lift herself up. She straightened her robe in front of the visitors, her eyes closed the entire time.

A flash seemed to appear. Six wings, blazing and bright as the sun, and a seventh wing, a beautiful ebony the colour of rich obsidian, flashed momentarily in front of their eyes. Her staff floated to her hand, morphing into an ornate harp with golden strings. Her hand strummed the strings once, an eerily peaceful melody flooded the surroundings causing a strange calmness.

"You all... you all are the cause of my dear acolyte's disbelief?" She said, her voice a strange mixture of Armelle and of another, one of a male of calm demeanor. She opened her eyes, orbs of glittering gold gazing at all of them.  

[Thaliat Everwood]

Thaliat looked at the new being, momentarily in awe of its appearance. Then she heard it speak and remembered her concern for Armelle. The girl was kind of nice and Thaliat couldn't understand why this being would rob Armelle of her body.

"What did you do to Armelle?" She glared at the new being. "If you hurt her..."

Thaliat tightened her grip on her crossbow and narrowed her gaze.

"Let's just say you won't get another chance to possess anyone else."  

[Sentama Lin]

"Possess? What do you mean?" She replied as she set her harp to the side. "She is devoted to my cause; Armelle... my cleric. Her life... her body... has been devoted towards my purpose and whims..." She added as she circled the group slowly, her golden eyes scanning each individual.

"Lord Veron..." He said finally after completing the circle around. "Lord Xanatos..." He added, raising his harp once more. "I cannot forgive what harm you gave my dear Armelle."

(( Damn... I wish Veron was still here... ))  

[Xanatos Forever]

Xanatos scoffed quietly at Shinaroth's remark, reaching up and cleaning out an ear lazily. "Yeah, yeah, take a number, pal" he muttered, not really speaking to the entity, "I've got a long list of people waiting for me to finally accept damnation as a curse." For a moment his expression seemed to soften, and absently he placed his palm upon his chest, his voice working at the lowest audibal range, "Fools don't realize I already have..."  

[Sentama Lin]

"I would never give damnation, lord Xanatos..." Shinaroth, the being inside Armelle, replied as he played another melody - the energies of the harp seemingly moving towards a nearby tree. "It is not my duty in the pantheon for that..." he added, continuing the song, aeolian in nature, simple and haunting. A cluster of adamantite began to form on the tree, growing rapidly and preserving the poor plant in a prison of crystal.

"I am here to bring eternal peace..." He said, a wicked scowl forming on his face as he began the melody again, pointing his harp at Xanatos's general direction. "Let me bring stillness to your body, lord Xanatos..." He said, his fingers slowly moving towards his harp once more.  

[Thaliat Everwood]

Thaliat felt a steady unease creep down her spine. She did not like this entity that claimed Armelle's sole purpose was to endure it's purposes and whims. Watching it imprison a tree in crystal sealed the deal in Thaliat's mind. This being was malicious.

How could she help Armelle...or, for that matter, any of them? What mess did she stumble upon here. She wasn't even sure what purpose either Xanatos or Veron had here. She wasn't even sure why she had come here, aside from the fact that she had thought Armelle was in danger, and only sought to help.

"Good one, Thal," She muttered to herself. "Try to help and look where you land yourself."

Thaliat glanced from Veron to Xanatos and wondered if they all face the same fate as the tree. She, for one, had no desire to be entombed in crystal, and there was no way she would go down without a fight. Thaliat knew her way around demons enough to still be standing today. How much more different would this entity be? Thaliat judged the difference to be that this headache carried a harp of death rather than something more ominous in appearance, but she grinned darkly and squared her shoulders. This was a game she liked to play.

"So, who are you...the musical harbinger of death? Because, in case you wondered, I hate the harp. Just sort of gets on my nerves. I'm sure you understand if I ask that you not serenade us."  

[Sentama Lin]

His hand stopped moving to the strings, instead dropping back down to his side. He looked over at the girl, turning his attention away from the other targets.

"Death? My powers go beyond death." He replied with a small smile. "I am Shinaroth, deity of eternal peace, bringer of eternity." He smirked as he moved towards the crystallized tree.

"Isn't it beautiful... this tree... is ever preserved in it's peaceful state. It no longer must suffer the agony of living, nor feel the pangs of death. It merely exists. It... it merely is..." He said as he rubbed the tree trunk.  

[Thaliat Everwood]

"That's the problem...it just is. I don't want to merely be. To be entrapped in a crystal prison for all time, sorry, but I'll pass. Seems a little dull to me."

Thaliat jerked her head toward Xanatos and Veron.

"Can't speak for the problem children here, but I rather like that challenge of living."

Thaliat watched Shinaroth rub the tree and began to focus intently on its crystal tomb. I have to try. It may be my only chance. For a moment Thaliat looked as though the tree's very presence angered her. Then she burst out into a hearty laugh. It was a mix of a realization and a memory that made her smile, and suddenly she knew what she could do.

"Yeah, I think I will continue living on this plane of existence a while more. I've already crossed the spirit plane once; I'm pretty sure they'd rather not see me return any time soon."

She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned up at Shinaroth as if his presence was perfectly normal. All anxiety had left. In fact, Thaliat felt pretty darn good about things.  

[Xanatos Forever]

Xanatos had remained silent as he listened to Shiranoth's little speech. So, he thought to himself, he uses petrification. As Thaliat laughed at the deity, he readied himself. Shiranoth claimed to be benevolent, but Xan was quite sure he wouldn't take too kindly to being mocked...  

[Sentama Lin]

"All will eventually feel peace... and I will ensure that fact..." He said with a smirk, looking over at the other three. He ran his fingers over his harp and closed his eyes.

The sky seemed to twinkle even more, flashing momentarily before small shards of crystal fell softly from the heavens - scattering the landscape around them. The song transitioned to another section, the crystals littering the ground and the other three - beautiful yet unnatural. The shards sparkled on the grasses and wildflowers as dew in the morning before each sparkle began to slowly grow.

"Relax... You will all find rest soon..." He muttered calmly.  

[Thaliat Everwood]

Not good! Not at all good! Thaliat's glance darted around her as she watched the terrain around them begin to shimmer. Her eyes fell back upon the tree. Thaliat re holstered her crossbow and narrowed her gaze on the tree. She licked her lips, then raised her hands in front of her, her palms facing inward.

"Please, let me be right." Thaliat closed her eyes and stood very still. Slowly her lips began to move again. "Crystallum Fragmentum....Fragmentum..."

Thaliat's eyes shot open and she thrust her hands in the direction of the tree with rapid determination.

"FRAGMENTUM!"

A crack began to race up from the tree's very roots and branched out with a sickening crackling sound as it made its way about the tree.  

[Xanatos Forever]

Xanatos remained where he stood as the god unleashed his power. He observed the shards calmly where they fell, his brow arching as they began to expand and engulf the plains. He paused for a moment to look over at Thaliat, but seeing her already defending herself with her magic, spread his wings and took to the air, hovering a few feet above the shimmering ground. I wonder if he's a one-trick pony, Xan thought to himself, glancing at Shiranoth from the corner of his eye, the pure white orbs masking the action...  

[Thaliat Everwood]

"FRAGMENTUM!"

Thaliat screamed the word and the ground that was beginning to crystallize near her now began to crackle with the alarming sound of pond ice breaking beneath a child's foot. A brief wave seemed to ebb away from Thaliat, crystals rising up a few inches then tinkling softly back to earth. Fractured crystal shards lay scattered about the ground and a few still fell from the tree.

Thaliat smiled darkly.

"So, I was right after all." Thaliat twirled her hand a few small pieces flew toward her, coming to rest suspended in the air just above her finger tips. Thaliat wiggled her fingers as the small shards danced in the day's light. " I can't make crystals myself, no more than I can make dirt. But it seems they are just as obedient."