[i][h3]The Vale[/h3][b]The Crypt,[/b]
[b]Currently[/b][/I]

"Surrender your thoughtless crusade to the Light, so-called heroes, and perhaps you might do well in service to this realm where you have failed elsewhere. No matter your choice, I will never allow either to lay claim; I did not bend knee to the Darkness and I shant do so to your Light!" The man began casting a spell, although his attention shifted to the animal monk harrying him, affording the light-bearer an opportunity to pass, at least for the moment; seeing her withdraw, the [i]Green Man[/i] aimed his warpath squarely at the pair that had informally gathered and dove shoulder first with all the wild rampage he had before.

[i]"By'saial a'feradrai, ulthide ela'shan!"[/i]

Of the two, the follower of the light with both his weapons drawn was the first to receive the feral blade's bite as it came alive with a wash of red flames; dodging as he was, using a blade to turn aside what might have well been the Light's final embrace of him, the masked crusader still suffered strong injury for his troubles, albeit those not nearly as grim or mortal. As foretold by the [i]Green Man's[/i] beckoning of magic however, words uttered in the precursor Sylvan tongue, the fires of nature's rage burned and laid themselves upon Theodore with hunger. Now mantled in the burning cloak that clung to his every inch, he immediately suffered further - like whiplash between the cold bite of steel and searing heat of conventional flame guided by spell.

The attacking weapon discharged of its magic and withdrawn, outreaching arm taken back again, the man once more maneuvered between the heroes and struck out at the mage's exposed back. Yet having suffered this injury before, the woman shrewdly managed to evade the silvery point and ornate weapon unlike her past experience with it; she was not about to endure it again, not if she did not need to.

"That includes you, [i]zealot[/i], lest [i]these[/i] flames suit you too." He growled, swinging the sword before him in a display of menace as it cut the air; all too clear was it that one of nature's warriors had no interest in allowing the Kingdom of Light any advantage here, but the real question was to why? Why was it these now twilight crypts so prized a tenuous balance between obvious goods and distinct evils? The Light seemed to cast a long shadow indeed, for the darkness the bard sprinted toward was almost as black as the pit in which they had fallen. Could evening the flame truly be the solution and if so... how?

How could the aura of golden, even painful, light shield Cesar Bolivar against overwhelming darkness? Was the fire's run some test of faith or trial, this entire ordeal leading up to this that is, or were these events just all circumstance? It was hard to say in a moment, let alone now. Although as the draw to the other shrine near pulled the man clean out of his sea boots with urgency, the words of the arrogant sorcerer, for all the frustrations he caused then and now, might well have been correct...

[i]"Like one giant light in the darkness, drawing all the things lurking outside it right to it."[/i]

The only threat ahead was not just bound to be the warden... no, the Kingdom of Darkness and its say in this realm awaited him.

[hider=Sylvan]
[i]Flames of nature, come to my aid![/i]
[/hider]
[hider=Effects]
The [i]Green Man[/i] rolls at disadvantage against Theodore after moving to meet them, negating a critical hit, yet still inflicting damage with a lower roll. The ranger suffers 9 points of slashing damage and 5 additional points of fire damage from the attack. Each turn at the start of his turn, Theodore must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer added fire damage. If he succeeds in breaking the enchantment, the flames extinguish, but he can otherwise put them out with an action or have another do it for him. Likewise, as quasi natural fire, he could put it out as one could regular fire, such as with water.

The focus of the remaining assault turns to Wick next, although in her favor the savage paladin's second swing misses her. The [i]Green Man[/i] then continues his movement and ends where he is located on the map. Cesar on the other hand realizes and witnesses he is bound to head deep into the heart of the dark in the crypt, likely in tremendous peril...

[b]Score[/b]
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEQThgfXT30]A Battle for Balance[/url]

[b]Map[/b]
[i][url=https://www.myth-weavers.com/map.html#id=4370]Seat of Radiance[/url][/i]

[b]Initiative[/b][list][*] [b]Initiative - The Seat of Radiance [/b]
[*] Cesar (19)
[*] Theodore (18)
[*] [i]The Green Man (14)[/i]
[*] Wick (10)
[*] Katia (9)

[*] [b]Initiative - The Surging of Darkness[/b]
[*] [i]Valmjr (18)[/i]
[*] [i]Thea (18)[/i]
[*] [i]Birbin (15)[/i]
[*] [i]Shadow Summoners (10)[/i]
[*] [i]Haemar (8)[/i]
[*] [i]Shadow Sorcerers (4)[/i][/list]
[/hider]
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