#tulcor

The carapace of the Kareshi dunecrawler split open with a cracking sound as Tulcor pulled his skinning blade free, allowing the creature's innards to spill free. Purple blood and ichor sprayed out over his visage's chest, as he reached in and began to expertly slice through sinew and meat to separate the organs he'd been tasked with gathering. First the gall bladder, then the acid sacks, both fragile and filled with valuable liquids, came free under his ministrations, and he turned and placed them in the buckets that Morrigan set near him. She lifted the gall bladder bucket, studying it with her experienced eye.

"Perfection, utterly intact. You continue to impress me with your delicate touch, Tulcor," she purred as she began to set up her field kit for harvesting the valuable fluids.

"It is a simple task, one that I am equally proficient in with my talons," Tulcor grunted, pushing his arm shoulder deep into the carcass, feeling around for his next prize.

"Yes, but the cleanup is much easier on your visage's skin, no crevices between scales to be concerned with."

Tulcor fixed her with a fanged grin as he withdrew his arm with a wet sucking sound, soaked in violet blood as he pulled forth the creature's heart. "We both know that cleanliness is not why you asked me to do this in my visage, without my shirt on."

The doorway darkened as a black-scaled Dracthyr entered, addressing Morrigan. "The perimeter is secure. The only unwelcome guests will be the ones you summon through the ring," he declared, holding out a pair of weyrnstones. "If things go badly, these will pull you outside."

Morrigan eyed the dracthyr over the rims over her glasses, perched on the end of her nose, like an angry librarian with piercing yellow eyes. "All these months and you still think so little of mine abilities?"

Tulcor snorted. "Even the most capable can face unexpected consequences. I would make the same offer to any, even the Black Council, or the archmagi of Dalran," he explained, once again pushing the stones towards them. Lorellai took hers, clasping it to her pauldron for easy access. Morrigan paused just long enough to make her point clear, then acquiesed, taking her own.

"Glad to see you don't wither in the face of strength, Tulcor. We will speak more when I'm done." She placed a hand on his breastplate, then turned back to her work as he saluted and marched back outside.

"Now then," Morrigan began, calling green flame to her hands as the light in the room dimmed. "This is no mere Sayaad or Mo'arg this ritual will summon. The demon we call will be one of the greater Shivarra, from whom we will extract information regarding the movements of the void in the greater cosmos. She will play at being entertained, even enjoying the process, but every word, every act, every minor touch of body language will be bent towards breaking the spell and being able to attack us. Do not interfere once she has appeared, she will likely see you as a potential vulnerability, and I will not tolerate being made to explain to Sir Dolraan if anything untoward happens to you," she declared, as she began to incant the sickening Eredun words to call forth the powerful fiend. Lorellai's instruments showed massive spikes in the energy in the room, and she felt that sickening feeling that accompanied large amounts of fel magic pass over her. One thing she needed to work up the nerve to ask was how Morrigan and her fellow warlocks handled the constant nauseating feelings.

The circle flared into green light, the glyphs glowing as Morrigan's incantations reached a fever pitch, filling the room with sickeningly warm wind, as the energy coalesced in the center of the circle, taking on a humanoid form before a flash of green light, darkening to reveal the six armed form of the demonic Shivarra, a diaphanous veil across her mouth and a loincloth her only nods towards modesty. The demon stood eight feet tall, and stretched her arms in every direction as she took physical form, before gently tapping on the field generated by the circle of power. Her smile was visible beneath the veil as she turned to the mortals. "So you have called, so I have answered. Might I have your name, Summoner, that I might honor your power?"

"You may not, demon." Morrigan's reply was curt. "Summoner shall do. By the rite of binding, thou shalt answer my questions three, in return for these fragments of soul, taken from the vaults of Argus."

The demon pouted, then her gaze shifted to Lorellai. "Oh, but I would give you more than just three if that little morsel was the one to ask. Oh she's so precious, I would gladly serve one so pure." Lorellai shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the Shivarra motioned to her, before being zapped by the spell.

"Cast thy gaze upon her again, demon, and thou shalt be bound forever unto a stone that shall find itself in the deepest trenches of the abyssal depths, never to look upon a mortal again. Art thou prepared to answer?"

"Oh summoner, you are no fun. Very well, ask your questions and I shall answer, by binding and covenant," she replied, setting hands on hips, crossing another set before her, and stretching the third behind her head.

"Have agents of the void been active on the world you yet command."

"Yes," she sighed, offering up nothing else.

"What form did they take?"

"Sigh, a squad of ethereals, no fun at all."

"What were they seeking?"

"Now that, I do not know, my beloved summoner."

"You dare defy the covenant?"

"I truly do not know, beloved. Their goals and aspirations elude me, for none could be captured, and nothing was taken from the places they invaded. It is a sad time indeed, for without the Legion's support, I only have myself and my dear Sayaadi to protect that which is mine. Now then, I have given what you asked, and more besides. Surely you can grant me a question in return. Answer truly, and I shall give you my name, so that I might better serve your future needs," she purred, drawing a finger down the shield created by the circle. "The Legion is gone, and I so desire new and powerful friends."

Morrigan arched an eyebrow. "Ask, and if I choose to answer, I shall expect thy name." Lorellai's eyes went wide. Wasn't this exactly what Morrigan said you should never do?"

The demon's laughter was musical and enticing; it reminded Lorellai of aunt Henii in her happiest moments. "Delightful. My question is this; have you mortals recovered the Blade of the Black Empire?"

Morrigan frowned. Her silence dragged on for what felt like forever, before she spoke. "... no. If the blade is in mortal hands, it is not known to Azeroth's protectors."

"Oh dear. Perhaps you should seek to rectify that, my beloved. Tell you what, I shall ask my Sayaadi to keep their adorable eyes and ears open, and perhaps the next time you summon Minahgo, the Countess of Blood, I will be able to aid you."

The demon raised one of her arms, and the soul shards rose from the small altar they'd been set upon and floated through the shield to her, the bargain completed and pact sealed. As the fel flames appeared at her feet and she began to descend, the demon blew a kiss to Lorellai. "Until we meet again, precious one."

Moments later the demon was gone, the green flames dissipated, and the room was lit by normal candlelight once again, as Morrigan let herself flounce down into the chair next to Lorellai. "A taxing task, but worth the cost I think. Was it everything you hoped, child?"

"Uh... oh! My readings!" Lorellai started, checking her equipment, before letting out a sad moan. "The array got reset somehow?"

"I suspect our visitor decided to play a little prank on her way out, a flare of power as she left, enough to disrupt thy equipment. Apologies, but I had to grant her some latitude for the extra information we acquired."

"Well, I suppose that bit about the Black Blade is going to be important... but didn't you do exactly what you aren't supposed to do?"

"I did indeed, child, because I knew the exact costs it would bear, and chose them in full understanding. At a certain point as a warlock, one must begin to push against the barriers of good sense to accomplish greater good, and I have striven to prove myself as one that our friends can trust. As an engineer, I'm certain you can understand the value of the calculated risk."

"I suppose, if nothing else this was certainly exciting to witness! Even my parents only ever saw such things right before they had to blow them up!"

"I'm sure they'll be delighted that I permitted you to join me for the process. No matter, I never attended the parties anyway. You should be on your way, I'm sure you have much to write in your journal, and I have some tidying to do."

Lorellai nodded, gathering her things and heading to the door. She paused as Morrigan called out again. "Oh, and Lorellai? If that Minahgo appears in your dreams? Imagine defeating her, and then come tell me immediately. She doesn't have your name, but you have an aura that she might seek out, and if she does I wish to know so that I can destroy her."