Post
by arcanus » Tue May 26, 2009 8:54 pm
The water tower was one of the few places that had survived the Great Fire of 1871, the only Public building to survive and one of the few landmarks to have survived any damage within its time in the CZ. The common rumour before the 'Bug City' tragedy, among awakened circles was that the building was charmed, not magically charmed but maybe something more wonderful.
In the dark times of 2057 the tower had gained a new mission, for some reason the bugs gave it a wide berth, not in the same way as the Shattergraves, they just seemed to ignore it.
Which is why it had become a perfect haven for a motley collection of spirits that had become trapped by the Metaplanar fog that had settled over the CZ.
The collection numbered elementals, nature and city spirits and a few oddities, including a curious arabic looking man.
The collective was uneasy, their defacto leader was a huge ancient spirit, a creature that had only recently escaped containment within the Aztech Pyramid within the core.
Unearthly roars tore through the astral fabric of the tower, shaking the very world itself, the spirits even the most powerful hesitated.
Only the arab moved forwards up the stairs, until he reached the chamber at the top, the roaring was accompanyed by explosions of fire rippling across the astral plane.
The creature within was a free Salamander, an enbodiment of elemental fire, resembling an emmense brass lizard of dinosaur like proportions.
Nazir didn't like to guess at the scale of his power, it was enough to have reshaped the astral boundries of the upper chamber, enlarge it, extend it.
Nazir stepped into the chamber, his own powers struggling to reflect the dancing flames, his eyes squinted trying to avoid the almost solar glare of the intensive orange fire.
The beast spun, seeming to cool his rage, slightly.
He roared at Nazir, who felt the frizz of his hair singe.
"SALMARIN" he bellowed, failing to raise his voice above the fiery whoosh
"SALMARIN" he bellowed again, his protective powers failing to keep all of the damage from his form.
Salmarin seemed to shudder, breaking into panting like some huge hound, shaking the rage from himself.
The arab breathed out slowly, allowing his own fear to drain out, in many ways he was still all to human.
The Elder Salamander slowly shifted down into a form reminescent of some monstrous brass statue, the two spirits looked upon each other neither asking of each other for an explanation.
"It grows worse stated the elder
The arab merely nodded
Nazir had noticed it as well, the spirits were trapped, a fog or heaviness had settled over the CZ in the early days of its formation, numerous spirits had been trapped unable to flee to their home planes. Many had been slaughtered by the Bugs and worse, until 'Salmarin' had destroyed several Hives as an object lesson, however now they faced a graver more inevitable foe.
Toxicity, the pure metahuman misery of the Zone was toxifying the astral landscape and with it the trapped spirits, not even the towers charm was able to keep it out and the spirits within were turning,becoming more and more feral, slowly twisting.
"You can flee, the guardians of this place cannot hope to stop you" Nazir stated, even the great one above would be hard pressed.
"Such would be dishonour, to leave bretheren to a fate worse than final death" Salmarin replied
"Instead you risk becoming a threat more grave than anything within this place forsaken by the gods!" Nazir observed
"The City Father is falling, and with him all of the realms children"
Again the arab nodded, only the greatest of cities had a father or mother, an Avatar, a spirit of huge enormity, should the Chicago Avatar fall then the Windy city would truly become a hellhole.
"No we must find a way, we must get all of the realm children out of here!"
Nazir nodded and left the Elder considerably more calm, now he just had to find Miss Alban's astral form, despite being everliving he seemed to have such little time!
