Blood Magik

JP with Winteroak and Omni

Below the strange scene unfolded slowly. Each person knelt on the sand and placed the egg in front of their knees.

The woman with light brown hair and dark robes walked around the group waving her censers in the air murmuring words that the night air could not quiet carry to Malacost and Voah. She circled behind the group give times before returning to the centre of the circle, dropping the heavy metal censers into the group.

She pulled a curved dagger from her belt, looking up at the sky and murmuring those strange words. She slowly walked to stand on front of one of the men and his egg as her voice started to get louder and louder.

Her eyes flashed red and Malacost looked at Voah in surprise, as the woman sliced her palm open with her dagger. She raised her hand over the first egg, still chatting, letting her life essence drip on top of the shell.

Where it touched the egg tendrils of white smoke rose into the night air and into the nostrils of the man kneeling in the sand.

Malacost pulled his blade out murmuring a prayer to Zinheim and his Mortal Shadow.

The witch stood back a few steps as the egg cracked loudly echoing across the the dunes. A shape tried to wriggling free from the broken shell, covered in greenish goo.

They both watched as a scorpion the size of a small melon emerged from within.

The word 'Skara' was shouted by all those kneeling in the sand, until the man in front of the being was bid to continue by the witch. He pulled his own blade out cutting his hand and placed it on the animal as if feeding him.

Voah watched the scene trying to push down the revulsion she felt building in the pit of her stomach. As the creature fed on the man's blood the witch continued her incantation.

They swore the scorpion was growing under their gaze.

Skara… Voah recognized the word and easily paired it with the recollection of the relief sculptures underground during their visit to the Muros temple, specifically the ones portraying the Neph’Kin fighting giant scorpions.

Back when she tried to fathom the Pillars. It turned out that she and Gonyaul were correct in some of their assumptions. Vastad‘s words and demeanor made it seem as if he was looking at Arcadia for the first time and he admitted to the fact that the faithful opened the gates to them. She wondered still whether she was right about any of her other theories regarding their divinity…

Standing before her she beheld their enemy, Magik. Specifically Blood Magik… it seemed to be aging or growing the Skara to become larger faster… and she decided to measure the cost before she acted.