<div align="center">(https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/004/118/349/large/chris-cold-castleworld-ii-ghosts.jpg?1480517610)<br/><br/>In hallowed fortress of evil, there are sounds of howls, growls, screams and moans echoing inside. Fortress located in mist-shrouded forests of Niflheim, in valley where only one canyon allows entry. Valley which was known as <em>Valley of the forgotten souls</em>, a haunted place. As most souls in Hades are lucky if they form into pitiful soul maggots which have chance of evolution, change or devoured by fiend. Those unlucky souls who fail to form, will be doomed haunt forever in Hades until end of all time. They can be found anywhere on Hades, but reasons unknown, they gather to this valley specifically, around the fortress where sounds are coming from.<br/><br/>As sounds progress they grow silent, until replaced by sounds of woman in labor. Screaming and bucking against dark table (https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kingarthur/images/e/e7/King_Arthur_and_his_Knights_of_the_Round_Table.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20170409012245) where she leaned on while Vholdran (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=283007.msg13921486#msg13921486), a enigmatic archfiend, is helping her to deliver on labor something truly unholy thing....</div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=283057.msg13938795#msg13938795">Quote from: PaleEnchantress on 21-02-2018, 02:25:45</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Deep inside the Archmage Alactra a foul purple fleshy egg grew.  It's continued growth would have torn her open from the inside.  Yet the egg stopped growing and cracked open inside her.  This would have seemed to make delivery easier and less dangerous.  Yet,  the beholden of Vholdran was still in danger for in the egg were hundreds of embryotic snakes and now those were maturing into massive serpents inside her.  As she pushed vipers and constructors of great size and hellish origin slithered out of her into a squamous mass on the floor.  <br/><br/>There seemed to be no end to the number of serpents sliding out of Alactra's birth canal,  between her thighs,  and into an undulating pile of coils upon the ground that grew with each passing moment.  The snakes formed tightly together seemingly fusing their bodies to rise up and thrash about as a single guided mass.  <br/><br/>Echidna's first sensations were like a dream had on the verge of wakefulness.  Where was she?  She could neither see nor remember.  As the moments passed she gained more clarity.  She could feel her lover with her.  His presence brought her comfort,  what was his name?  Orpheus.  Yes,  she remembered now she had given him that name herself.  He was her son,  but by what father.  .  . <br/><br/>The trashing writhing mass of serpents reached up,  growing taller than a man,  and in time even larger than Vholdran.  Echidna remembered Sigil.  Yes.  It was all coming together now.  She a crown,  one that was important to her in.  .  . a past life?   It was very powerful and quite amazing that it was so readily available.  She was thrilled to acquire some of the might she felt she was owed.  It was so easy to get because it was a trap.  It was bait and she fell for it.  Orpheus tried to protect her but then.  . . !<br/><br/>Dried snake skins cracked and fell away to reveal a man towering well over twenty feet in height,  with gray skin and white hair.  He wore well crafted gauntlets and greaves but his muscular core and upper thighs were bare.  His large open fronted frock put his assets on display,  his cock and balls were big and heavy even in comparison to his mighty size.  Yet an even more exotic being was held in his arms.  <br/><br/>She had ice blue skin and long hair made of snakes.  She held on to the man with two of her six slender arms and idly stroked his chest with one of her remaining free hands.  Her lovely eyes scanned her surroundings,  filled with an ominous glow.  She noticed an alu-fiend and some tentacles demonic ogre who were even more naked than her son.  She wondered how fertile was the man's seed. <br/><br/>"Who are you?  Why have you brought us here? " She demanded.  She incorrectly,  but not unreasonably,  assumed the people who freed her were the ones who trapped her as well.  She considered  giving them a demonstration to show she is not to be trifled with.  The woman seemed the more vulnerable of the two.  Echidna would turn her into a breed leech and give herself the advantage of numbers.  <br/><br/>But Echidna was not one to act rashly.  Her hosts were not openly hostile.  In fact they were rather vulnerable in their current state of undress.  She also did not notice any prominent wards in place to censure her and Orpheus.  That meant they had no intention of making her a prisoner or they were deific in power and able to hide those things even from Echidna's scrutiny.  Which ever it was it seemed the best avenue was a more diplomatic response.  Considering that made her visibly calm down,  though she was still ready to shift out of the plane entirely if things went sour.  <br/><br/>"I'd start the introductions myself,  but I assume you know who we are.  Don't you? "<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><hr/><br/><div class="floatright"><strong>Vholdran</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=283007.msg13921486#msg13921486)<br/>(http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2014/148/5/d/guldan_by_nikolaiostertag-d7k49ht.jpg)<br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Quick stats</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>HP:</strong> 304/304 <strong>AC:</strong>33 <strong>Ini:</strong>+10<br/><strong>Spot</strong>+21, <strong>Listen</strong>+21<br/>True Seeing, Mindsight (100'ft), <br/>Darkvision 60'ft, Low-Light</div></div></div>Vholdran held on Alactra as she finished birthing process, seeing that she haven't got any injuries and only suffer fatigue from labor process itself. As the snakes formed into a cocoon of drying snake skin he grinned.<br/><br/><em>"She's now free!"</em><br/><br/>That was his thought as snake skin dried and started collapse and part off. Echidna, besides seeing the place, can sense that it's something much more and sort haunting familiar to her...a gnawing memory of half-remembered dream. Also she has vague sense what happened here (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=283057.0;topicseen), echoes of deed and abyssal energies still radiate strongly and paint shadow plays of debased carnal vile act.....performed by a mortal?<br/><br/>None the less Vholdran and his tentacles remained virile, alert, however non-hostile. Orpheus protectively held his mother/mistress, glaring on the smaller demon but considering Echidna haven't given yet signal or indication to attack or go hostilities so he did not prepare for fight yet. However considering they were imprisoned he glared malicious on Vholdran, who in turn seemed not bothered by his glare at all as he speaks; "Yes, I do know you Echidna, mother of monsters and I do know your son, Orpheus, the Black Seraph. I am Vholdran, prophet of abyss and reason why you are here is because in here I could perform the ritual to break you free from your gem prison without chance of interuption."<br/><br/>Vholdran looks down on Alactra and says to her; "Alactra, if you feel strong enough to move you should go to main entrance. We shortly should soon get more guests arriving and I want you welcome them in and instruct them if need to reach this chamber." Once addressing his minion he with crack and relieved sigh leans forward, become hunch backed as he dress on his robes and with clatter of bones places his necklace of humanoid skulls in place as he takes his staff, then while reaching into large satchel he addresses Echidna once more; "I think this belongs to you, original gem was destroyed and placed with fake one which became your prison. Your captor intended use stone to create somekind transmutation artifact to create monsters, the fool died defending his catch so he is no problem for you nor he attempt capture you again." Vholdran takes out the very crown which Echidna had found in Sigil! Crown which had beckoned to her, called on her, and given glimpses of past life. Incomplete memories but sense she was something else.....something great before Echidna. The crown floats from Vholdran's hand into air and Orpheus uses his tentacle whip to grasp it and pull it over, float it over Echidna and let her decide will she don the crown, despite central gemstone is missing from the setting but otherwise remains magical and functional.<br/><br/>Vholdran with steady clatter from his staff takes seat on throne other end of the table and continues; "Rescuing you and giving back your crown is free, so your free to go and not debted to me. However, if you desire more knowledge, especially on your past life and thus more power, look into this chamber and search for a chair which calls for you and take a seat on it. Nothing harmful happens I assure you, but knowledge brings some pain but then again power gain without somekind of pain is no power at all." Vholdran chuckles darkly on last part. Vholdran appears all honest and this is not a trap so far as Vholdran and situation is concerned, but there was definite bait, sort a lure, in promise Vholdran made. But also warning; once Echidna sits there appears no turning back to refuse the knowledge which is given to her. Vholdran patiently with his white milky eyes looking on Echidna awaits her response. As does Orpheus who looks confused on situation but awaits his mother/mistress command.