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xp_logsThe four re-enter the hell dimension.
Crossing over into Olivier''s realm was like a brief walk through a short sharp autumn rain; a brief shiver of sensation before stepping into the smoky dark area. The room was massive, vaulted in black basalt that formed into heavy vaults, reached together overhead to create a huge, cave like interior. Thick pillars streaked with lines of gray and red quartz lined a central passage leading directly to a heavy throne in the place of an altar. Before it, in a large bronze banded brazier, a spectacle of Olivier's black flames rose, casting their eerie purple light around the chamber.
Garrison led them quickly down the centre of the space, pointing as he got closer.
"The masks are on the four compass points around the central fire."
The hot air smelled like ashes, sulphur, and sex. Jean kept both her physical and mind's eye alert while they approached, their footsteps echoing across the chamber. The unease she felt almost turned into nausea but she tried to shove it down.
"Does it matter what direction we choose?"
"No. It's just a matter of selecting all the masks in turn."
"How the fuck do you even know that?" Kyle grumbled. "So what, we grab a mask and then what the fuck do we do?"
"Amanda. While I've been undercover, Amanda has been researching all the elements I saw in here every time Olivier had me back to abuse. This is what her research says about how we break this." Kane said. "I can go first if you need."
"And do what?" Jean said, his words not having gone unnoticed. "You still haven't told us what happens. What are we breaking? How do we break it?"
"I'm not sure. Unfortunately, Olivier didn't bother to leave a manual on how his magical crap works. According to Amanda's research, only a person corrupted by Olivier can take the mask and, if they can break that corruption, destroy it." He said. "The masks are clay, I think. In theory, we should be able to shatter them if we break the magical protection. Maybe there's a second trap? Or some kind of spell that triggers when we take them? But this is the only way to break the connection between his world and ours."
Gabriel snorted. "Corrupted. Lovely." It was convenient, all the things that Amanda had decided to leave out. Somewhat arbitrarily, he moved toward the mask that occupied the south point on the compass. He leaned close to study it, but he wasn't even sure what he was looking for. "Doesn't look like much, does it?" As if he knew. It's not like he had a sixth sense about magic.
The pit in his stomach was back, and he knew that the longer they waited here, the more likely it was to grow. Which was pointless, because he was already standing here. "God, this is so fucked." Before anyone could tell him not to, he grabbed the mask.
"I swear to fuck, I hate magic." Kyle stuck his fingers through the mouth of one of the masks, and yanked hard. He grabbed it with both hands and drove it down on his knee, barking at the pain as it did not break. 'Well, guess I'm fuckin' corrupted. Now what?"
Jean approached the northern mask. "It may take all of us picking them up to do it," she surmised. For a moment she hesitated before reaching out, taking the mask from its place. She expected some sort of reaction but, like the others apparently so far, felt nothing...yet.
"And I make four." Kane picked up the one closest to him. They all looked at each other and the masks for a moment. "Um, Amanda. I don't think it is work-" There was a thunderclap of sound and a deep violet light washed over all four of them.
Crossing over into Olivier''s realm was like a brief walk through a short sharp autumn rain; a brief shiver of sensation before stepping into the smoky dark area. The room was massive, vaulted in black basalt that formed into heavy vaults, reached together overhead to create a huge, cave like interior. Thick pillars streaked with lines of gray and red quartz lined a central passage leading directly to a heavy throne in the place of an altar. Before it, in a large bronze banded brazier, a spectacle of Olivier's black flames rose, casting their eerie purple light around the chamber.
Garrison led them quickly down the centre of the space, pointing as he got closer.
"The masks are on the four compass points around the central fire."
The hot air smelled like ashes, sulphur, and sex. Jean kept both her physical and mind's eye alert while they approached, their footsteps echoing across the chamber. The unease she felt almost turned into nausea but she tried to shove it down.
"Does it matter what direction we choose?"
"No. It's just a matter of selecting all the masks in turn."
"How the fuck do you even know that?" Kyle grumbled. "So what, we grab a mask and then what the fuck do we do?"
"Amanda. While I've been undercover, Amanda has been researching all the elements I saw in here every time Olivier had me back to abuse. This is what her research says about how we break this." Kane said. "I can go first if you need."
"And do what?" Jean said, his words not having gone unnoticed. "You still haven't told us what happens. What are we breaking? How do we break it?"
"I'm not sure. Unfortunately, Olivier didn't bother to leave a manual on how his magical crap works. According to Amanda's research, only a person corrupted by Olivier can take the mask and, if they can break that corruption, destroy it." He said. "The masks are clay, I think. In theory, we should be able to shatter them if we break the magical protection. Maybe there's a second trap? Or some kind of spell that triggers when we take them? But this is the only way to break the connection between his world and ours."
Gabriel snorted. "Corrupted. Lovely." It was convenient, all the things that Amanda had decided to leave out. Somewhat arbitrarily, he moved toward the mask that occupied the south point on the compass. He leaned close to study it, but he wasn't even sure what he was looking for. "Doesn't look like much, does it?" As if he knew. It's not like he had a sixth sense about magic.
The pit in his stomach was back, and he knew that the longer they waited here, the more likely it was to grow. Which was pointless, because he was already standing here. "God, this is so fucked." Before anyone could tell him not to, he grabbed the mask.
"I swear to fuck, I hate magic." Kyle stuck his fingers through the mouth of one of the masks, and yanked hard. He grabbed it with both hands and drove it down on his knee, barking at the pain as it did not break. 'Well, guess I'm fuckin' corrupted. Now what?"
Jean approached the northern mask. "It may take all of us picking them up to do it," she surmised. For a moment she hesitated before reaching out, taking the mask from its place. She expected some sort of reaction but, like the others apparently so far, felt nothing...yet.
"And I make four." Kane picked up the one closest to him. They all looked at each other and the masks for a moment. "Um, Amanda. I don't think it is work-" There was a thunderclap of sound and a deep violet light washed over all four of them.
