Relief

[Anastasia]

Wounded and hobbling, the Grand Master is able to do just that, fleeing at rapid speed.

Going to do anything or just wait and see?

[Nephrite]

He will continue to wait a mile away and watch the portal.

[Anastasia]

The portal lets out a great burst of steaming air. Air that sets fire to the grass around it, flames erupt all about. Heat waves come forth and clouds form not high above the ground. From the comes not rain, but little sharp little daggers and knives that plunge into the ground.

[Nephrite]

Not unexpected. Moore will continue to wait.

There is nothing to do but continue to do so - it must be on Elysium for there to be any chance of this working.

Because there is always hope.

[Anastasia]

The gate opens wider - the ruined realm is seen. A graveyard of steel and broken weapons. Bones litter beneath them, as if ivory given in tribute to violence.

The ground shakes even from this far away.

The Hecatoncheires comes before the portal. You can only see a little of it, the portal simply not enough to see such a massive creature.

[Nephrite]

He continues to wait.

Authority of Patience, give him strength today.

Authority of Hope, give him wisdom today.

Because there is always hope.

[Anastasia]

A sound, a roar mixed with metal on metal. Raw fury, raw anger, raw frustration. It comes from the Hecatoncheires, but it is no closer to coming through the portal.

[Nephrite]

Perhaps it's time, then.

He says the command word for the Empty Knight's recording stone - it should be enough to say it from far away without any divine power.

[Anastasia]

From over a mile? I'm not the most strict about things like that, and I don't see a range listed on the SRD as it is, but that makes me head tilt.

[Nephrite]

Sorry, I assumed that, because of his divinity, he could make his voice heard from a mile away and therefore activate the stone with it. Is that wrong? That had been my interpretation of the whole 'bardic musics go a mile' thing.

[Anastasia]

Turns out there's no range requirement on command words that I can find. Go figure.

The stone activates.

Do the stones have any special properties besides being stones?

[Nephrite]

I imagine we tried to make them a little more resilient than an average stone given what we were dealing with, but other than that no.

[Anastasia]

The roar is loud as the Hecatoncheires reaches one huge hand through the portal. From it a massive sword comes, launched like a javelin. It's going right at the stone. The portal bulges from this, cracks appearing in the air around it, tracing back to the portal.

Chance to react if you want.

[Nephrite]

Moore simply waits.

If it destroys the stone, then it destroys it. Its purpose was to play the recording, so that task is finished.

The Hecatoncheires has to come through of its own volition. If these words don't reach it to convince it, then they will simply have to find another way.

Because there is always hope.

Because there is always hope.

Still, he prays for wisdom.

Holy Mountain, give me the hope I need for this to work.

[Anastasia]

The sword shatters the stone, cutting through it and sending shards of it in all directions. Then hands - so many hands - grip the portal and begin to tear. Cracks spread as it opens wider, as if reality itself is being torn open.