The Valley

[The Forgotten God]

An overgrown, nearly empty valley near the center of the Isle of Faces. Supposedly the Children of the Forest still lurk here, and ordinarily anyone who enters the area leaves confused and with hazy memories several days later.

[Amelia Royce]

After a trek the group under Prince Benjen finally arrives in the Valley, the Prince at their head.

[Karyl Crowl]

Crowl travels a few steps behind and to the right of Oriax and the man called Nyles to watch them, He also scans the area of the valley.

[The Forgotten God]

A red soupy mess is pooling about the valley; the weirwood sap congealing at the low points, running in streams like blood from all about the island. The viscous fluid must have some supernatural aid, for it flows even smoother than water. A hundred yards away, there is a group of men in armor, armed with two hand swords and axes, and maces, bravo blades, arakhs, weapons from all the world. At an altar made of fresh weirwood, crowned in obsidian, is Cassadar. Oriax gets a dull headache just from looking at him, such is the power emanating off the area. A woman of Braavosian descent, naked at the waist, lays across the altar.

"Prince Benjen and friends! So nice of you all to arrive!" In the sky above, green lights swirl in a pattern looking like a funnel, slowly seeming to creep to the ground. "You've made this so much bloodier than it had to be. You slew all my sorcerers who could have made this possible so much earlier. Well...no sense dwelling on that now. I wish I could say I will regret all of your untimely deaths."

[Amelia Royce]

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you, Cassadar," Benjen replied, drawing his sword. "Although your death will be far from untimely."

[Kurts]

Oriax steps forward, eyes locked on this Cassadar as the green light swirled about them, fighting the throbbing in his skull. If the situation were not so dire he would be impressed, amazed even by the display.

"By the authority of the Council of Unseen Sciences of Asshai I demand to know the purpose of this ritual." he said with conviction, one hand clutching the hilt of his ceremonial dagger while the other attempted to channel power from the sap and blood flowing around him.

[The Forgotten God]

Cassadar grinned. "Asshai? Nice of them to finally take me seriously. We're here to stop Meraxes from entering the world anew. Her coming could destroy everything. The last time she touched the ground, Valyria died."

[Lord Rykker]

Uhtred taps Crowl on the shoulder "I'm assuming that's the one we're supposed to kill?" He asked, gesturing to the man with the crown.

[Karyl Crowl]

Karyl Crowl nods, "I believe it is indeed." He says not really sure as it was the first time he had seen the man himself.

[Kurts]

While some would have shrugged the words off as the rants of a madman, Oriax considered them carefully.

"Why does she come now? How did you manage to predict what Asshai was unable to? How do you intend to stop a deity with blood and sap?"

Acting ignorantly now could doom Asshai. He would learn what he could before blood was spilled.

[Lord Rykker]

Uhtred smiled "Well then. That does make things simple doesn't it. Shall we start this dance?"

[Karyl Crowl]

"I do not think so, at least not yet. It seems like our guest wants to talk first." He says pointing to the Asshian.

[The Forgotten God]

"The ritual in the book of doom, sorcerer. You can feel the power here. Someone began the ritual to summon her a decade ago, and she grows stronger here every day it goes undispeled." He gestures to his men. "Well, we have more blood to add to the ritual."

[Lord Rykker]

Uhtred snorted "So we're not killing the mad man with the shiny crown who's trying to enact a ritual to kill us all while he tries to convert another to his cause because... we're suddenly polite?"

[Karyl Crowl]

The Crowl lifts an hand and puts it on the mans shoulder, "Wait five minutes, all this talking will end soon, then we fight."