![](http://cobalt-company.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/writing:2026-06-07-heart-of-fear:imperial-vizier-zor-lok/style="margin:/medium.jpg) |
| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Almeiria, Anareline, Atley, Caspis, Colson, Estel, Gwenivene, Shine, and Shun begin the push into the Empress Shek'zeer's stronghold. The first major enemy they face is Zor'lok, the killer of the paragon Malik. ~4100 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: Sha of Fear
The strike team arrives at the front gate of the Shek’zeer Imperial Palace, the structure in a great kypari tree that is the center of the concentration of sha. The team climbs the steps to the front gate, flanked with glowing mantid sonic beams.
Estel seems fully comfortable and at ease, although her [Fear Ward] might be helping with that. This is familiar territory for her.
Shun rolls his shoulders.
Shine keeps his one-eyed gaze fixed on the gate ahead. He does not look at the blackened landscape behind them or the roiling sky above.
"Gloomy !@# place," Shun mutters.
Atley chews, slowly finishing off the rest of his jerky as he stares up-up-up at the structure. "This is it, then."
Anareline checks her armor one more time, and faces the structure, her expression hardening. "There will be more gloom ahead."
Colson adjusts his gauntlets with a serene expression. He inclines his head to Anareline.
"Or death," Almeiria offers, as if that is not gloomy.
Caspis lays a hand briefly on Anareline's shoulder, gazing solemnly ahead.
Atley shakes his head at Almeiria, gaze still on the structure. "Not for us." He moves to stand beside Anareline. "Let's get in there."
Colson inhales deeply, setting a hand over his heart, and tracing a [Fear Ward] sign.
"Death for our enemies," Anareline says. "Do not let the atmosphere dismay you."
Colson doesn't let the atmosphere dismay him.
"May the Wild sharpen your eyes and speed your claws," Caspis murmurs.
"Anything else we should know before diving into this?" Shun asks.
Estel looks at Shun. "Uh, some of the mantid are on our side. The paragons."
"They wear fancy $%^& right?" Shun asks.
"Bad ones wear fancy *!@# too," Shine observes. "And the good ones aren't always… nice about it." He shrugs.
Anareline considers. "This place will be thick with the sha of fear. So if you feel frightened, be aware that it may be the sha. And… yes, do not fight Klaxxi, if we see them."
Shun grunts.
"But White Squad can tell the Klaxxi apart from our foes. Aye?" Atley says.
"We know most of 'em, aye," Shine agrees.
Colson inclines his head. "I will recognize the ones we have met."
Anareline nods.
"Has anyone considered making them wear blue?" Almeiria asks.
Shine smiles very faintly at Almeiria.
"Yeah, we'll point out the paragons," Estel says.
Atley grunts. "Let's get to it, then."
Colson gets to it.
Caspis pulls a rather rumpled Cobalt Company tabard from his pack and slips it on.
Anareline points at Kaz'rik. "Do not slay this one."
Shun eyes Kaz'rik warily but stays his blades.
Shine nods politely to Kaz'rik.
Atley eyes Kaz'rik warily before he inclines his head. "Well met."
"So you have come here, to the heart of the pollution," Kaz'rik says. "We will aid you. Our song will resonate through the walls of this twisted place, weakening the resolve of those who have forsaken our race."
Caspis peers at Kaz'rik with narrowed eyes.
"We value your aid," Anareline says solemnly.
"Great," Estel says. "Appreciate it."
Ahead, Inside the archway, mantid guards are arrayed, defending a short corridor.
"So now, we fight," Anareline says, drawing her sword and eyeing the mantid ahead.
Shun applies venoms to his daggers, then vanishes into the shadows.
Atley nods, drawing Thunderfury and his shield. "Right."
We do slay these ones. The guards fall.
The corridor opens into an antechamber, filled with mantid. It is lit by a structure in the center of the ceiling, swarming with glowflies. Four decorated pillars support the high ceiling. The floor is a mosaic and the walls are hung with banners.
Atley squints. "Stranger… Even than the nerubians."
By the archway, Klaxxi are impaled, still alive.
Shun raises a brow at the impaled mantid nearby.
Colson doesn't make a face. This is fine. Lots of bugs. Twitching. Totally fine.
Gwen gasps at the sight of the twitching, impaled klaaxi.
“We are the extension of our Empress's will,” comes the rasping voice of a mantid from down a righthand hallway. “Ours is but to serve in Her divine name. Never to question, nor to contemplate; we simply act.”
Atley eyes the impaled very briefly before refocusing. "Klaxxi dissenters?"
Colson attempts to heal the Klaxxi, but it's a bit of a losing battle.
As the team continues to fight down the hallway, the voice continues. “We fight, toil, and serve so that Her vision for us is made reality. Her happiness is our reward, her sorrow our failure.”
Anareline looks over in the direction of the voice with disapproval.
Atley raises his gaze to the ceiling as he listens before he glares ahead at the next corridor.
Estel refreshes her [Fear Ward].
"This fellow," Shine says, with quiet venom.
"You sound acquainted," Shun remarks.
After a small fight, Atley looks from Shine to Anareline. "You know him, then?"
"I know that voice," Anareline says. "He slew Malik."
Shine nods once at Anareline.
"He killed Malik." Estel scowls. "Just sort of shredded his body instantly."
"We will repay him in kind," Almeiria says.
In this new chamber, there is a gathered throng of mantid, all looking up to an orator hovering over them, Imperial Vizier Zor’lok.
“We will give our lives for the Empress without hesitation. She is the light, and without Her our lives will be lost to darkness,” Zor’lok drones on. “The chaff of the world tumbles across our doorstep, driven by fear; Her royal swarm will whisk them away."
Atley assess Vizier Zor'lok from afar.
Colson's hands tighten into brief fists at the calling the Empress the light.
“They are but the waves crashing upon the mountain of Her divine will. They may rise again and again; but will accomplish nothing,” Zor’lok continues. “We are unfazed. We will stand firm.”
The mantid in the room have subjugated yaungol with them.
Atley points ahead with Thunderfury. "Yaungol?"
"What is that on their heads?" Shun asks.
Anareline nods. "They enslave them. It's a mental control ability, sonic."
Colson nods, as he adjusts his gauntlets.
"Not unfamiliar to us. We have seen it before. There is a paragon who specializes in the technique," Almeiria says.
"That's horrible. Can they be saved? Can we remove the device?" Gwen asks.
"The yaungol aren't our friends either," Shine says. "Doubt they'd thank us."
"They would kill us anyhow," Caspis says gently to Gwen.
"If we do… they are yaungol," Anareline says, frowning. "Cobalt has been fighting them in the north, yes?"
"We have,"Shun grunts.
Atley grunts.
"All the same…all beings deserve to be free," Gwen mutters.
"Granting them the peace of death is the better option," Almeiria says.
"We'll give them a clean death," Atley says.
Zor’lok turns to see us enter. “The Divine challenges us to face these intruders. And so it falls to us, Her chosen voice.”
"'Divine.' Another god, mm?" Atley inquires dubiously.
Colson's jaw now clenches at the designation of the Empress as The Divine.
"I believe he just means the Empress," Anareline says, frowning.
"Yes, as do I," Colson agrees. "They have turned her into an object of worship."
"Anything else you lot can tell us about this one?" Atley glares up at Imperial Vizier Zor'lok, as if performing his own quiet assessment.
"Do not underestimate him," Anareline says grimly.
"He grabbed a guy and shredded him," Estel repeats.
Colson murmurs a prayer to the Light for them all.
Caspis's ears droop.
Shine nods grimly at Estel.
"A paragon famous for being unscathed," Colson adds.
Shun grunts.
"Don't be grabbed," Almeiria says simply.
Atley lifts a brow with visible disdain. "Right then. He'll rue the day. On me!"
Colson is on Dane.
As Zor’lok dives into combat, he cries, “The divine chose us to give mortal voice to Her divine will. We are but the vessel that enacts Her will.”
Atley meets him head on, shield first, with a fierce battlecry.
Low-lying toxic gas flows along the floor, making a choking cloud that the strike team will need to find higher ground to avoid. Zor'lok flies to one of the three platforms.
"Oh, $%^& off," Estel says, and then begins coughing as she rushes after Zor'lok.
Almeiria covers her mouth and runs towards the safe platform.
Colson presses his lips together hard, as the Light empowers him to run faster, out of the gas to get in range of Dane's sprint.
Caspis gasps and chokes as he crosses the cloud, temporarily unable to cast spells as he struggles just to breathe.
Shun shadowsteps in to get behind the big bug to start stabbing away.
Shine shadowsteps toward the new platform and in behind Zor'lok.
Gwen inhales deeply, then blinks halfway through the gas and runs like the dickens the rest of the way!
Atley swings Thunderfury, slicing through the air, generating a vacuum that launches him at Zor'lok like a bullet. [Heroic Leap]
Anareline leaps and charges in right by Dane's side, and then shifts to stand between the mantid and the casters as the Vizier focuses on Dane.
“Through the air we breathe. She strengthens our voice,” Zor’lok says, slowly inhaling.
Estel huffs in irritation and blasts Zor'lok with Shadow.
As Dane is taking the brunt of the giant mantid's attention, Caspis focuses his healing on him, but he glances regularly toward Anareline to check her condition.
Atley continuously avoids being shredded, although his shield does get battered and he gets knocked around. Still, he keeps his feet and ripostes with Thunderfury when able.
Caspis seems to be having trouble moving nimbly enough to keep up with the others. He would use the excuse of being ten thousand years old, but Anareline.
“Her gifts are many, our gratitude immeasurable,” Zor’lok begins to make a buzzing sound, and damaging waves ripple out from him. In several places nearby, little honeycomb shields appear.
"The shields! Into the shields!" Atley booms. Raising his own shield, he leaps inside of a protective honeycomb.
Anareline takes one step back toward Caspis and the others, ducking inside a shield.
Estel grabs Caspis's arm and pulls him with her underneath a shield.
Caspis is so used to being puzzled in general that he does not even seem to question the shields, simply getting behind one. Belatedly.
Shine weaves and dodges. When the first wave of damage ripples through him, he cloaks himself in shadows and sidesteps into a shield.
Shun slides into a shield while slicing mantid ankles.
Colson shields himself with another smaller shield inside the shield. It's a nesting doll of paladin bubbles, as he invokes a hammer of light to heal the group clustered around the mantid.
Almeiria steps into the shield with a confused frown. "What are these?" she mutters to herself.
Seeing the shields and everyone rushing to them, Gwen squeaks and blinks into one!
"Are these… from the Klaxxi?" Anareline asks herself, looking up at the shield in puzzlement.
The sonic power ripples out, but the force and verve of it is dampened by the Klaxxi's protection.
Caspis sends a regenerative aura around his fellow combatants to further ameliorate the impact.
The mantid seems annoyed that his burst of sonic power didn't kill everyone, and he refocuses on Atley. The shields slowly wink out.
“Behold the voice of Her divine wrath!” Zor’lok cries and exhales sonic power at Caspis.
Anareline dives into the path of the breath, bracing her shield against it. “No, you don’t.”
Almeiria glances in the direction of Caspis and Anareline, but it seems that situation is being handled. She refocuses her assault on Zor'lok.
Estel throws a Shield around Anareline in between focused beams of Shadow at Zor'lok.
Atley winds up and strikes at Zor'lok with a bellowing growl.
Shine directs some mundane wrath at Zor'lok's carapace.
Annoyed, Zor'lok takes to the air.
“She tests us. We will not disappoint Her,” Zor’lok rasps, moving to the left-side platform.
Atley keeps his gaze on Zor'lok, and gives Thunderfury a spin. He leaps into the mist to chase after Zor'lok.
"Ugh." Estel tosses out a handful of spectral feathers, rushing over one to increase her speed as she holds her breath in the fog.
Shine cloaks himself in shadows before sprinting through the poisonous vapor.
Shun grunts as he shadowsteps past the fog to keep chase.
Anareline leaps after him, landing into a charge that takes her directly onto the next platform. She nods at Atley.
Almeiria also makes a noise of disgust as she has to rush through the fog to keep up.
Colson proves how fast an emergency medic can move when the Light compels him, and he rushes to keep the others' ankles in his line of sight.
Zor’lok begins to make another buzzing sound, in a different pattern this time. Little damaging orbs of sound waves rotate out from his form.
"Move!" says Shine. "Move!" He dodges to one side, weaving among the orbs.
Shun hisses under his breath as he starts shadowdancing to avoid the orbs while keeping up the pressure.
Atley reacts fast, and begins jogging to his right Zor'lok, maintaining his strike as he moves.
Estel weaves between them, circling, but she can't cast most of her spells while on the move. She starts Shielding members of the group.
Colson remains serenely calm, as he a Hand of Protection goes onto Caspis first, and then he shields himself in a Divine Light.
Caspis tries desperately to focus on healing magic while running wildly from orbs. He casts a grateful glance toward Colson.
Almeiria is forced to stop casting as the orbs disrupt her positioning. Instead she calls a small Sha-ling from the void to fight for her.
Anareline dodges the wrong way first, close to Zor'lok, and winces in pain as the bright orb vibrates through her armor. Then she sees the pattern, and begins to circle Zor'lok, striking at him when she gets an opportunity.
Colson dances from the orbs with a surprising amount of grace for a guy in plate, focusing on those who miss the timing of the orbs with flashes of Light.
The orbs cease, and continue to drift outward, their power attenuating. Zor'lok turns to exhale sonic power at Gwenivene.
Anareline quickly spots the line of attack, and dodges in between, raising her shield. "I have you, mage."
Gwen winces as the sonic wave hits her, interrupting her arcane blasts. When it suddenly stops, she looks up to see Anareline taking the attack for her. "Oh, bless you!"
Anareline turns to look over her shoulder with a slight smile.
Shine is a flurry of steel, launching a furious killing spree against the mantid as the orbs dissipate.
“We are as unwavering as the amber that shapes our halls. With Her might we will vanquish all who dare intrude upon Her divine home,” Zor’lok says, flying to the back platform.
"I hate when he remembers he has wings," Estel grumbles, and then holds her breath as she rushes through the gas, scattering feathers in front of her.
"Press on him! Through the mist!" Atley yells.
Colson closes his eyes briefly as he sends a different prayer to the Light, and presses on him through the mist.
Anareline nods to Atley, and does another leap towards this third platform.
Shine again envelops himself in shadows and ducks into the vapor to sprint through it.
Shun grumbles as he shadowsteps once more to stay on the mantid.
Caspis does his best to speed through the mist, holding his breath.
Almeiria briefly calls upon the Light, mostly because the prayer of mending benefits her as it bounces through the injured on the journey through the fog.
Gwen does the blink trick again, emerging from the gas onto the next platform. She immediately erects a Rune of Power to cast from.
“Her will is greater than us all. You will join us or you will perish,” Zor’lok says, and a different kind of buzzing starts. This one targets Estel and Shun, crawling into their minds and taking control.
Estel's eyes go blank, and she sends a jarring spike of pain directly into Colson's mind before turning on Atley, a burst of shadow blasting into him for all to see.
Caspis briefly becomes *very* confused about whom to heal.
Shun's blade halts an inch from stabbing Zor'lok once more as his eyes similarly goes blank. He whirls around to send out knives at ALL of his former allies.
Anareline turns in alarm, and calls, "Estel. Like the manipulator, push it away." She shoves the shadow priestess with her shield, trying to prevent the damage.
Colson gasps in shock, covering himself with a shield, as he tries to Cleanse the control from Estel — it doesn't work.
It takes Shine a second to realize what's happened, and then he ducks to Shun's side and strikes him a stunning blow.
Almeiria has a slight hesitation seeing Estel turn on them, but she hesitates a lot less when Shun also does, sending spikes of shadow into his mind.
Shun grunts as he's stunned, then blasted.
Caspis just sends out a general wave of healing, as he remains deeply confused.
Anareline turns in terror to check on Caspis, and seems deeply relieved to see him looking confused.
Atley charges in towards Shun, shield raised to protect himself from flying daggers as he shield bashes his comrade, holding back from attempting any real harm as opposed to bringing him back to his senses. "Controlled!"
Colson tries to place a Hand of Protection on Estel next, but the Light won't register around her. "I cannot free them with the Light!" he warns in a call.
"Subdue them," Anareline says. "This can be broken."
Caspis finally seems to catch on to what is happening, and just does his best to keep the crew from killing one another.
Shun blinks a few times as he snaps out of it, shaking his head.
Almeiria lets off her assault, satisfied, as Shun comes to.
A mote of shadow gathers in Estel's hand and she flings it like a baseball. The [Divine Star] burns through Dane, Anareline, Caspis, and even Shun before rebounding back to her.
Anareline hisses in pain, and bashes Estel with her shield again. She seems reluctant to use her sword.
Colson immediately sends a Holy Shock of healing onto Shun, and reflects it in a Beacon of Light to Dane.
Shun glances to Estel just in time to see her blasting him in the chest. He staggers back, about to fall before healing energies fill him.
Atley raises his shield and bashes the mote of shadow right back at Estel. [Spell Reflect] "Get them back!"
"He's back!" Shine calls. "He's back." Stop killing Shun now. He turns his attention back on Zor'lok with a vengeance.
Estel staggers back as Anareline hits her, a [Vampiric Touch] beginning to drain Dane's life away. Her eyes abruptly clear, and she sends out a crackling [Mass Dispel]. "Damnit."
Colson sends out a radiant Divine Light on Estel, his calm returning.
"Welcome back, dear," Almeiria says, obviously unfazed by any of this. Clearly.
Anareline lets out a low breath, and focuses again on Zor'lok.
Atley's gaze lingers on Estel for half of a second to confirm that she's returned before he refocuses on the Vizier.
Shun lets out a breath and falls back a bit to recover and recenter himself. Figure this out later. He goes back to stabbing the mantid.
"Ugh. I'm good, sorry, I'm good. Somebody cut his bloody wings off, please." Estel calls up a prayer of mending that ricochets around her team.
Zor’lok flies to the center of the room, his wings slowing as he lands and clears off the toxic gas.
Shun grunts as he shadowsteps up towards Zor'lok's back to start attacking the base of said wings.
“Our voice gives form to Her will,” Zor’lok insists, and continues to fight.
Atley holds his breath and charges through the remaining gas, Thunderfury raised high.
Anareline follows, her own sword held high.
Shine shadowsteps after the Vizier, grimly focused.
"Your voice can shut up already," Almeiria snaps back at the Vizier.
Caspis finds a safe spot and transforms into a hefty, purple-leaved treant - his healing spells suddenly take on that effervescent minty quality of extra potency as they tingle over the entire group.
Anareline seems minty-refreshed, as she does her best to cut off Zor'lok's wings.
Estel rushes down the steps and back towards the center, flinging Shadow at Zor'lok.
Colson's bright golden wings blaze out behind him as his healing and retribution both grow more powerful.
Atley tirelessly alternates between defending himself with his shield and countering wtih slashes of Thunderfury, teeth gritted.
“We will not give in to the despair of the dark void,” Zor’lok says, crumpling to the ground. His voice weakens as he says, “If Her will for us is to perish, then it shall be so.”
"Oh, just die," Estel hisses at him.
Zor’lok falls, and does not rise.
Anareline stares at his body for a long moment, making sure.
Shine steps back. And then, uncharacteristically, steps forward again to spit on the corpse. He turns away.
Colson closes his eyes in prayer as Zor'lok fails. "May you rest easier in the Light, Malik the Unscathed," he says quietly.
Caspis returns to elven form and takes several deep breaths.
Shun lets out a breath as the mantid falls. He raises a brow at Shine.
Anareline doesn't spit on the corpse, but she does nod acknowledgement to Shine.
"Well," Almeiria says, brushing herself off. "Now it's awfully quiet in here."
"Justice for a fallen comrade," Anareline says. "The control — one of the Klaxxi told us we were difficult to manipulate. It seems they have found a way."
Colson makes his way to Estel, inspecting her with a healer's eye. "Are you well, Estel?" he asks softly.
"We should be wary of the mind control in the future," Anareline says. "I will see if I can bring an appropriate tuning fork."
Shun furrows his brow, silent at that.
Estel rubs her forehead. "I'm not usually — I don't usually get taken like that. I'm good, I'm me. Are you okay?"
Atley looks between Estel and Shun.
"Ah. Mind control." Caspis has finally caught up with the rest of the class.
Colson inclines his head. "I am fine. I did my best to keep your heart safe." Colson looks over at Shun, with another evaluation.
Atley takes a breath and checks the perimeter before he observes his fellows. "We've done enough for today. The Klaxxi can maintain the ground we've covered?"
Kaz'rik scuttles into the room and over towards Dane. "Yes, the Klaxxi will hold this ground. There is much still ahead. We will call you when the time is right."
Atley regards Kaz'rik coolly for a moment before he nods. "Very well. We await the call of the Klaxxi."
Estel gives Colson a quick, impulsive hug, and then goes over to give Shun a longer hug.
Shun accepts this hug.
"You're all clear," Estel tells Shun.
Colson inhales deeply, and once more traces the Fear Ward over his heart.
Shun slowly nods.
"All sorted?" Atley asks of Estel and Shun, turning away from Kaz'rik.
"Yeah," Estel says. "All sorted."
Atley juts his helmeted head in a nod to the exit. "Come, you lot. Let's bugger off and out of this place for now. They'll have need of us soon."
"I shall be ready when needed," Caspis says solemnly.
Colson buggers off and out of this place. For now.
"Bugger," Shine repeats under his breath.
Almeiria eyes Atley. "We await the call of the Klaxxi? Really? That's what the paragons say," she says.
Atley doubletakes Almeiria and frowns in confusion. "Are you taking the piss…?"
Almeiria frowns at him. "No, I am not taking a piss. I certainly would not do so here."
Estel snorts.
Atley briefly half-lids his eyes. "Are you joking?" he clarifies.
"Why would I joke about that?" Almeiria retorts.
"They really do say that kind of thing," Estel chimes in as the Almeiria Translator.
"Indeed, those words exactly," Anareline nods.
Atley nods slowly and grunts at Estel. He eyes her up and down one more time for any damage before he turns to jog out.
"I would suggest not to linger in these lands," Anareline says. "The sha are… powerful. But we will be back."
Shun looks around, then makes his exit.