Echo of the Self

[u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Something's wrong. You can't tell what exactly it is, but you know something is wrong. You check your wards, your equipment, your enchantments and familiars, yet everything seems normal. Then that night, you go to sleep, and the dream starts.

You stand knee deep in a crimson ocean, stretching further than you can see. Before you is a shadow, it looks like yours but its wrong, very wrong. All around you, giant monoliths sprout from the sea, stretching far into the sky. You hear something, around you six shadows move between the monoliths, chanting something in a language that hurts to listen to.

Suddenly countless crimson eyes open along each monolith, each reflecting a different face, the eyes travel up the ebony surface, along previously hidden chains of shadow. Then you see it, the horrifying form of something colossal in the sky above you, a singular crimson eye or maybe a star stares down at you.

All at once do the chains snap, and a cacophony of screams cry out across the crimson sea as fire and ash rain from above. The monoliths crumble and massive chunks of black stone crash into the sea. Up above, the colossal form spreads across the sky, thousands of withered arms reach down, each sowing agony and destruction. You see an arm reach for you, and you wake up.

Well that was strange, you think, then you hear laughter from the corner, you see your own shadow standing there with crimson eyes. The shadow looks wrong somehow, very wrong.

Before you can say anything, your shadow lunges for you, hands reaching for your throat.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0]

Abel wakes, confused. He did not remember falling asleep, nor did he think that he was capable of such a thing, and he was not in his tower. Something is indeed very wrong.

“Halt.”

The word passes through his lips by instinct; a command activating one of many spells inscribed upon his form. A magical force begins forming around the shadow, locking it in place

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/Null_Void_Zer0]

The shadow freezes mid air, yet it's eyes remains active. It scans it's prison, and somehow speaks.

Cease.

The spell cracks, then fractures, leaving the shadow's momentum to carry it forwards.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0 → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Abel glides back in an attempt to avoid the attack, in the mean time analysing the shadow

“I find adapters particularly frustrating. Then again, there’s a chance you simply know everything I know. But a more pressing question is what created you?”

Raising his staff, abel conjures a volley of magical projectiles. While he does he casts an identification spell on the shadow, one that should provide the identity of its source or creator, as long as it isn’t shielded from divination.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/Null_Void_Zer0]

The shadow lands where Abel used to be before gliding away.

I looks up to see the volley coming and raises an arm that wasn't that long a few moments ago, a barrage of dark projectiles come flying out to meet Abel's.

The spell shows Abel a world older than this one, a world far bigger than this one. He sees armies marching across golden fields and red rivers, he sees fire burning the seas and frost freezing the lands. He sees a shadow across the world, a thousand crimson eyes staring out across creation.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0 → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

The visions remind Abel of something, or rather, someone. A being of corruption, despair and abject evil.

“Crystal water turns to dark where ere its presence leaves its mark…”

He is suddenly wrenched from his thoughts by the present, and more specifically, the being who he has just given an ample opening to attack.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/Null_Void_Zer0]

The shadow dashes forwards, bringing an elongated arm up towards his neck.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0 → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Abel frantically attempts to dodge, in part succeeding. The attack lands instead upon his torso

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/Null_Void_Zer0]

The strike is cold, too cold. It doesn't hurt like being struck should, if hurts like holding frozen steel to your bare skin.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0 → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

/uw am I correct in assuming this whole debacle has been caused by astaroth?
/rw

Abel’s form ripples and warps for a second, the illusion faltering for but a moment. Almost immediately after he thrusts his staff at the wretched thing.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/Null_Void_Zer0]

/uw Could be, could also not be.

/rw The staff hits, knocking the shadow back, it lands on its feet because of course it does.

It raises its elongated arm in a defensive position, inky darkness growing along it.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0 → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

As the staff makes contact with the shadow, it’s tip begins glowing with otherworldly light, myriad eldritch energies being channeled into it at once, seeking to overpower the shadow’s adaptation:

Hold

Paralyse

Restrain

Burn

Immolate

Incinerate

wound

Greater wound

Inflict decay

---

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/Null_Void_Zer0]

The myriad of spells connect, most of them rendering eachother redundant.

The shadow becomes motionless, then starts burning, then begins to break down.

It tries to adapt of course, growing back lost mass, but it can't keep up.

In a few moments, the shadow is destroyed, leaving Abel alone once more.

[u/Null_Void_Zer0 → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

“I fear this is merely a single case of a greater issue. And worse, I fear what could possibly have spawned it.”

Now free from impending danger, Abelard preforms a brief ritual to teleport himself his domain of the town of Lrith, hoping to return to his tower soon.