knightsoflegend | bermuda triangle ♔ hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel

[ it's zatanna who suddenly stares past her father at the approaching army, stricken by the realization. ]

All those who've disappeared here in the Triangle... enslaved just as you just were.

They guard this place. [ she sounds as if she's going to be sick, and turns to look desperately at the unresponsive woman in her arms again ] But my mother-- I don't understand--

[ it's at that moment that sindella starts to slowly turn her head, fixing her gaze first on her daughter, then on zatara. the cloud behind her eyes seems to slowly dissolve, and she drowsily says: "... my darling." it's hard to tell which of the two it's directed at -- maybe both -- but after a moment, fear floods her eyes and she shakes her head weakly, sounding almost panicked. "You shouldn't... have come... they'll take Zatanna... I have to--"

and it's at that moment, as the crowd of brainwashed guardians gather around them on all sides, armed with pikes and swords and scowls, that a sound like lightning crashing through a tree rends the air, and a few steps in front of where charming is running for his sword, a breathtakingly beautiful woman appears out of nowhere, garbed in exquisite violet robes accented with expensive jewels. in her hands is a staff of her own, that seems to be solid gold, tipped with a blood-red ruby. her expression is hard, radiating anger and displeasure, and her other hand is raised in the air, where a crackling ball of lightning glows within her grasp. it's pretty clear that she intends to chuck it at whoever makes a move in her direction first, too. but for now, her eyes are only for the woman crumpled upon the dais. ]

ENOUGH.

[ her voice echoes off the buildings around them, magnified to a near deafening sound. ] There's nothing left to be done, Sindella. You've carried your burden - your duty - to its end, and it is time for your heir to take it up for you. It is the only way to save yourself now.

This city must stand, if our people are to live on.

[Francesca fades back into visibility as the guards close in around them, still standing over Hook. She narrows her eyes at the woman, her booming voice, and the lightning ball in her hand. It's obviously more than their small group can handle physically so she takes a step forward, to the front of the group, sheathing her weapon in a show of good faith. When she speaks up, she sounds calm yet hopeful (Diplomacy check of 43).]

But there is another way. If we help you to break this curse, you can end your exile, correct? You could be free.

[ risa shifts past them, backing up towards where gold is - and she lays a palm on his shoulder, warm light coursing through her hand (28 hp restored). her eyes are on francesca and the mysterious mage, however. the latter speaks up, scoffing slightly: "It would be the only way, yes. But what do you know of magic powerful enough to counteract such a curse?" ]

[Gold lets out a sigh of relief and nods a polite thank you at Risa before craning his neck to give Emma a look.] If you would, Ms. Swan.

[aka let me go, so I don't kill myself getting out of your grapple.]

[ zatanna, in the meantime, is still talking to her mom quietly... those up on the dais can make a listen check of 17+ to hear that she's whispering something quietly which is leaving zee protesting with wide eyes ]

[With his sword in hand, Charming hurries back to the group, looking around wildly at the approaching army. He doesn't have time to hear any secret conversations because he is FUCKING CONCERNED WITH THE APPROACHING ARMY??? GUYS???

Despite the earlier events, Charming instinctively steps to Emma's side.]

Everyone alright? [He says while... probably stepping over Hook.]

[ emma lets gold go, eyes immediately flickering over to charming in concern. sry hook her concern for you taps out at stopping you from dying, and he may be unconscious but he's definitely not dead, so now she's moving to where charming is, putting a hand on his shoulder. ]

Looks that way. Are you - ? [ she studies the wound from where she'd shot him, grimacing, but this is really not the time. she slowly turns her head to glance out, past the zataras, at the armies advancing. ] I think we've got bigger problems.

[With David's listen check of 20, he does pick up on Sindella and Zatanna's conversation, and while the army closing in on them demands his direct attention, he can't help but throw some back to them as well.]

If you have any ideas, ladies, now would be the time.

[ sindella seems to be regaining more and more of herself, and is gesturing to zatanna to leave her side. zatara seems torn between wanting to address the issues at hand, and wanting to figure out what she's aiming at. a tearful zatanna violently starts saying "No, no you can't!", and after a moment, zatara tries unsuccessfully to pull her away.

"It's the only way," sindella says, a strangely calm conviction in her sad smile. ]

[ the golden haired woman seems oblivious to whatever the zataras are doing over there now, stepping forward again, eyes trained now on francesca. ]

I ask you again: what power could you possibly wield that we have not already tried? We have searched for eons, across the reaches of time and space, to no avail. Your claims are empty. [ she raises her staff. ] Submit, or be destroyed. [ and a hundred pointy weapons are lowered at them. ]

[ She can hear zatanna and sindella talking (listen 27) but can't make out exactly what they're saying in the middle of her own conversation. But she gets the "It's the only way." part before the blonde woman speaks again and she's really hoping that's some semblance of a plan being worked out back there <.<

She's just gonna stall, for now (with a nat 20 bluff check + fast talk for a total of 59 if it matters). ] It's not power we wield, but knowledge. Our organization specializes in combining scientific and magical research in order to create something beyond both. Something better. We wouldn't have come here without an offer. For help, and an alliance.

[ unlike most of the party, risa sees no cause to be a dick to hook, so she's gonna heal him too, gurl. (30 hp) because it beats carrying his broken ass out of here through a giant army, if it comes to that. ]

[Now that he's free and healed and only concerned with the approaching army, Gold's capable of actually thinking clearly and he limps up to join Francesca.]

It's not as if you stand to lose anything by indulging us. [(Diplomacy 24)]

[ the mage keeps her eyes on francseca, but lowers the staff. ]

An offer.

If we take this offer, it does not change the fact that Sindella's vessel can no longer support the Medulla Jewel. It must be transferred to her daughter before this day ends, or she will die. The jewel needs a host to control its energies: and without one, this city will collapse, the spells we need to conceal our home unraveled. We will stand exposed to your world. Our guardians will flee.

I cannot risk that for my people. If Zatanna will stay, we will accept your alliance.

[ zatanna stands up defiantly. ] You keep these people against their will. They're no more than slaves, who you force to kill! You keep them from their families, their loved ones... You steal their lives just to shield yourselves from your own curse.

I will not be party to that.

Once we find a way to break the curse, no one will have to be party to it. [Charming doesn't like the sound of any of this, but the terms the blonde has put forward don't really seem negotiable.]

We won't leave her here alone. [They have no way of knowing if the state Zatanna's mother has been left in is the product of years of exposure to this jewel or minutes. And if one or more of them stay, they may be able to stall. He looks to the others, leaving Emma for last.] Go. I'll stay. [He wouldn't be much use to them in solving a magical problem, anyway, and his sword might be of use here to keep the girl safe.]

What? No! [ she drops her voice, realizing she could jeopardize their attempts at diplomacy, and pulls charming closer. ] No! Are you out of your mind? No one is staying here, their civilization being revealed is not our problem. The fact that they're enslaving someone to protect it is.

I'm with Emma.

[His voice isn't as low because he frankly doesn't care. Because these people mind whammied him and if he has any beserk button, it's that.]

These people are using magic to screw with innocent people and it has to stop.

[Meanwhile Hook missed all the exposition and is REALLY REALLY CONFUSED. He slowly stands up and turns towards Risa.]

...what's going on?

There has to be another way. [ zatara seems torn between looking at sindella and his daughter. ] There must. We can't leave Zatanna here, but you --

[ sindella shakes her head, and gives him a tearful smile. "I love you. Go," she says, and closes her eyes. she begins chanting something, and slowly a light begins to grow around her skull. ]

[ don't think she doesn't catch that. her head snaps in that direction, and horror floods her expression. ] What is she doing?! [ it's all but screeched in the desperate tone of someone who already knows the answer. she raises her staff and jerks it to the right and zatara and zatanna are wrenched away by an invisible force, knocked off the dais entirely as the magi starts stalking in that direction, as she snarls at the knights: ] You planned this. Your offer was a trick!

[ risa hops onto the dais, and reaches out to touch sindella's shoulder, bestowing her with spell resistance lest the mage try and stop whatever she's doing. ]

When this is over, let the record show that we did try to be diplomatic. [It's not clear if he's saying that to the mage or the rest of the assembled group, but he holds any action. Like Francesca, he seems more interested in how this is going to play out than showing any desire in interfering with it.]

[ still clutched in her father's grip, zee finally manages to get a hold of herself enough to act at the sight of the approaching mage who is stalking towards her mother. She waves a hand looking suddenly furious ] Mrasid! [ at the shout, the staff is wrenched from the woman's hands and goes clattering near charming and Emma. ]

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