Crystal escort

[Nephrite]

"I understand." Moore says.

[Anastasia]

Thus you step within the next room.

It is vast and within it is a chained dragon.

A dragon screaming, scales gone. Flesh and muscles are revealed, constantly being eaten away into nothingness. Yet he slowly regenerates against the tide. Patches of bone appear constantly as flesh dies and dissolves, only to be restored in a never ending dance. The dragon thrashes, a constant flood of blood from his injuries, hitting the floor and flowing towards and down drains.

Only the chains keep the dragon in place, hundreds of them, holding the great wyrm back. The dragon screams yet no noise comes, no noise from that or his thrashing, unnatural quiet the only companion here instead.

"He's ever so slowly losing ground," Ruby's voice is tight, controlled. "We can't even ease his pain, this spell refuses that."

[Nephrite]

Moore takes a moment -- this could have what he could have suffered himself, if he was more unlucky.

"Have you petitioned anyone yet for aid?" He asks. He knows the answer, but he will ask nonetheless.

[Anastasia]

"Several skilled healers, who have not had any success yet," Ruby says, voice tense, "It is not our policy to petition the divine save in times of the greatest emergency - and never for Mister Sisatar, by his own orders."

[Nephrite]

"I'm not willing to let his pride be his downfall." Moore says. "You're familiar with Eblis, right?"

Since she said spell, Moore is going to take 10 on Spellcraft for... 97 to analyze this.

He would also like to find out the caster of it by using the epic skill usage.

[Anastasia]

An apt Spellcraft result.

The spell is a self reinforcing consumption. It preys on Sisatar's magic and magical nature, fueling itself and bonding to it, making it impossible to remove by normal means. What's worse is that it's essentially a disease in magical form, a hybrid more potent than the sum of its parts. You don't think dispel magic will work, you can't dispel someone's very magical nature, can you? Antimagic might suppress it, but it would also suppress his regeneration: In this condition, he'd die instantly.

The caster was Ulamos.

Go ahead and make K:P on that to cut out the middle man.

[Nephrite]

Take 10 for 105.

[Anastasia]

You've only heard the name once - a whisper in a darkened tavern, from a shaking loremaster who mentioned it as a daemon that supported and serve the new Oinoloth, the Adversary.

A new daemon, an old one with a new name, or merely one never known: Who can say with the yugoloths?

[Nephrite]

Theoretically, with what Moore knows (and has experienced) what does he think would happen if he was anti-magiced on Ysgard?

[Anastasia]

In theory, and assuming this disease isn't even nastier than you know now, he would die and then be reborn with the dawn. In theory.

[Nephrite]

The problem would be getting him all the way there...

"I have an idea that might work, but I don't know how to accomplish it." Moore says. "It... also wouldn't cause us to violate Sisatar's wishes, technically. But before I even suggest it, a moment, please."

He uses his sending stone to send a message to The World Serpent.

'World Serpent, I hope you can forgive me for sending this message to you, I do this out of urgency. I would ask for your aid again for a noble cause, if you would be willing to hear my request.'

[Anastasia]

There is no reply to your sending.

[Nephrite]

If he wants his help he's going to have to find him again, then...

A breath in and out. Fine.

"When I was cursed by Orcus, the ultimate thing that saved me was having The World Serpent breathe his poison on my body and soul. I died, but it also sheared the curse away." Moore explains. "I think the same idea would work with Sisatar. The problem, of course, is that he'd have to make his way there, which he's in no condition to do."

A shake of his head. "I could petition the World Serpent, which... I think would work, as if you have a noble cause and are a noble warrior, there's no reason for him to deny it."

But... is there another way? Maybe some way to weaken the disease?

Hmm... ...wait.

"Wait a minute. Just completely nullifying his magic would kill him, but... what if instead we approached this from a different angle? The disease itself works off of Sisatar's magic... what if we simply try and weaken that somehow, to the point where we can remove the disease? It should be easy enough to keep him healed through that process." Moore explains.

[Anastasia]

A pause, a consideration, "If so," Ruby says slowly, "Then perhaps energy drain, if applied properly..." she says, eyes focused on Sisatar now.

[Nephrite]

"Is it all right if I bring my allies to help with this?" Moore asks. "I have no objections to you performing the same tests on them as you did me, but I know a talented healer and the help of another would help with this, I think."