Indeed. A downside to the Pact of Control's active usage. Speaking of that, I'm going to add your extra pacts to your character sheet later.

Alaris looks over at the party, his attention returned to you after Amras is almost slain. Through both Bitter Pill's vision and Orange's can they see a trail of energy spreading from Amras to Alaris, weak now.

"Your friend is dying. You do realize that Isariaz is holding back?" Isariaz laughs.

"My lord speaks truthfully. I am holding back. I could've killed that man instantly if he wanted it."

Alaris smiles and says to the party. "I shall offer you a deal. You all swear fealty to me now and join my armies. I will bestow you all with the title of Herald. Isariaz will accompany you on tasks I give you and I'll save your friend's life."

He continues, "That's not to mention the power I will give you all for fighting in my name. I give you this offer because you are brave enough to stand your ground where others would flee. Few would receive such an offer after engaging a Herald in combat. But you are not the first."

He extends his other hand, the one not charging the orb and projects an image. It's slightly blurry, but not due to any fault on Alaris' part, but thanks to the shield. But the image is clear enough to show a huge armada of ships disembarking an army, tens of thousands of soldiers. Perhaps even more. "Three hundred thousand have flocked to the dragon banners once again. Volunteers all of them."

"Heed my words when I say I am not your enemy. The voice in your head is. The one you know as CM."

The voice speaks, Don't listen to him!

Alaris laughs. "Do you even know who he is? Ask him who he is. He won't tell you. He uses you for his own agenda."

Do not listen to Alaris! Please!

"Make your choice. You can side with me and enlist with my forces. We'll tackle our problems together, as is proper. You'll all live. Or you can side with CM, who is merely using you for his own gain and to maintain the present order of things."

Alaris stands inside the shield, the bubble changing shape to contain him. His tail curls to avoid buildings. "Isariaz will hold back no longer if you turn down my offer. Ask me any question you want. CM likely won't answer the ones you ask but I shall. I'll even summon people from my domain if you wish to ask them a question."

Plot Branchpoint 1!

Alaris has made the party the offer to side with him over CM. All players must cast a vote for which option they choose. You may ask the two of them any question you want. The fate of the world of Traxis hangs in the balance. Isariaz really is holding back, if you noticed he doesn't have the +50% damage his sword should normally receive.

"My ultimate goal is clear. I intend to complete and utterly conquer the world. But not out of a desire for power or territory, but out of concern for this world. I am the Dragon of Death, that is true. But when all of my brothers and sisters, the other Elemental Dragons, have fallen, does the mantle of protecting the world not fall onto me?"

"It may surprise you, but I want peace. Peace for all the races of this world. The only way that will happen is not by diplomacy, but by force. Peace must be obtained at a sword point. My power is great enough to intimidate entire nations into surrendering peacefully, but even that is not enough. This world needs to be unified, there are enemies coming from the Immaterial plane. Not only Wraiths inherit that accursed place."

"There are things much, much worse in there than the Wraiths. Wraiths can be reasoned with. Only a united Traxis stands a chance of fighting them off and mending the damage done to the barrier." Even Alaris seems to fear whatever those...things are.

I have my own agenda, too. Oh yes.

You see, whereas Alaris fears those beings from outside our reality, I welcome them. Indeed, I welcome them with open arms! We are hardly worthy of being in their august presence. You see, before the Elemental Dragons usurped them, the Ancient Ones walked Traxis. They shaped the world in their own visage, a beautiful land where magic flowed like water and where all lived forever.

Then the Dragons arrived. From whence they came, nobody knows. But they drove the Ancient Ones from the world and reshaped the land. For twenty thousand years they have sat sleeping in the other universe, separated from their ancestral homeland. Who are we to deny their return? Are you so sure of yourself that you believe they will bring destruction in their wake? Are you certain that they will not bring Paradise to the world?

Alaris mouths a few words to you in silence. I fear that CM may have been corrupted. The world wasn't beautiful before we arrived. It was hell for every living thing.

They'll remember who supported them in the hour of their return. And there shall be a reckoning, oh yes. A reckoning the likes of which has never been seen before. Ignore Alaris, join us! Join us in welcoming them home!

A voice starts chanting in your mind, JOIN US! managing to say it a dozen times before something shields your mind from the voices. Alaris says, "Need I say how mad CM is? He was a good man, once. They got to him, though, like they almost got to me. His path leads only to destruction."

Our power combined, we should be able to manifest a portal into the Immaterial universe so they can see.
Alaris frowns. "If it's the only way to convince you, I'll do it. CM, drop the shield."

Fine. But I'll put you back under the shield the moment they get a glimpse of their power.

"Are you absolutely certain you want to see one?"
Their majesty might destroy you.

"Then I'll show you, even though I hate the very concept of doing this. CM?"
Bask in it's glory.

The shield drops. Alaris puts the Orb of Entropy aside. It hovers in the air, a few feet above the ground. The party feels a chill as it sucks the warmth from the air, though Alaris is suppressing ninety percent of it's power. He extends both hands and turns them to face one another. He channels an immense amount of magical power to a single point, with CM doing the same, even though he doesn't appear to be here.

Then, Alaris pulls his arms away from one another. A rip in the fabric of reality appears, a great devouring maw bridging the void between realities. Then...you see a light. A tremendous light emanating from some kind of bipedal being with huge feathered wings. "Allow me to block the illusion."

The light fades quickly as the illusion the Ancient One generates is hidden from your view. By the gods! It's a titanic horror, writhing as it heads towards the breach, tentacles extending forward. A billion eyes and a million mouths focus upon you and your comrades, an ululating screech popping your eardrums. It creeps forward, a thousand tentacles in a combined motion hurling it towards the breech. In the final moment before it exits, Alaris slams his fists together and the portal snaps shut, CM unable to hold it open alone.

"That is what an Ancient One looks like. They scourged this world of all life once before, they would do so again if given the chance. They are like locusts, travelling from one universe to the next, annihilating everything and moving on. This universe was the first to stop them, but the defenses came apart when Alexander blew himself up next to a rip in space time, the Portal. Slowly but surely, they've worked their way into the physical plane. The fissures are growing. Soon they'll be able to squeeze through.

"The prophecies state that I shall be the one to bring around the End Times. They were sorely mistaken. I plan to stop that from happening."

Hah! Listen to the Destroyer's lies and they shall lead you away from the true path! The Ancient Ones are our salvation. They shall herald a new dawn where we will all be remade in their image. They do not destroy universes, nor do they end life. They reshape it into a superior form!

"I blocked most of their physical imagery to stop your mind from being destroyed by it's presence. That was simply the best way I could render their form to your senses."

I won't say. Not till we meet in person.

Alaris mouths, I'll tell you later.