A Way to Blaspheme a God

"Lord, grant me strength!"

A terrified roar rang out. Holy light exploded above Graycastle, and a phantom of Sevenfold Heavenly Mountain projected into the Main Plane from the Void beyond. Brilliant rays poured down one after another, illuminating the entire city.

Beneath the light, the ancient, sprawling city seemed to feel a faint sting. It "moved" a few times, and writhing chunks of flesh began seeping from its weathered blue-green bricks. But it soon fell still.

An invisible wave spread outward. Everywhere it passed, the light shattered into specks and vanished. It swept over the phantom of Sevenfold Heavenly Mountain, which rapidly disappeared.

Everything seemed to have gone quiet.

A white candle flame cast a feeble glow. Avram Krell held a cup in one hand, sipping a drink made from ground bitter beans to keep himself alert, while he toyed with a paper figure in the other.

Suddenly, light shone down. Avram Krell felt his room "come alive," but a moment later, everything returned to normal.

"Did something happen?" Avram Krell watched warily as an invisible wave swept through Graycastle. He knew the city well enough to recognize it at once—the Spatial Prohibition Spell!

It was a magical spell invented by the Serpentfolk of the Second Era, and it had two effects.

One was to prevent spatial teleportation. The other was to sever the channels through which creatures within a certain area drew energy from the Alien Plane, stopping them from calling upon its power.

The spell normally lay dormant. It activated when an enemy invaded.

Who was invading Graycastle? Had the one who hosted the gathering come to take me away? Avram Krell jolted. In a daze, he saw a beautiful man in white ceremonial robes appear amid white light. A divine revelation came to him: Leave.

Avram