"Naraem... You shall have your own revenge." -Esyllt, Page 6.
Kingdom of Renalta - Heart of Madness
The wolf looks back at Abjaar with an amused looking grin, exposing his fangs as he sits in front of the temple ruins.
"I don't think you understand why I called you an idiot earlier, so let me reiterate... You brought me to help guide you through the swamp. I am bound to that, and that task is now done." He lifts a paw and points towards the temple ruins.
"I smell nothing in the room ahead, though the scent of the swamp is quite... Overwhelming." His amusement remained, though his ego did seem almost injured by being called 'grandfather wolf' by more than just Abjaar. Yet it seemed that his task was at an end, and Eric glared at him before spitting into the muddy water at his feet.
"Leave it to a Free Holder to worm their way out of a deal." The wolf chuckles, then growls suddenly, causing Eric to step back in surprise before the amused look of the wolf returned.
Mikan looks between the members of the group and sighs, scratching the back of her head. The wolf was out of the picture, and there was much to respond to now. There was a strange lack of insects in the area, but then there was no guarantee a large number of them could survive with the way that the time distortions moved. It was at that point that she looked down at the ferret, swimming around in the muddy water with a look of dissatisfaction, that her eyes seemed to light up with plans.
"Alright... First!" She picks up the ferret and stares into its beady eyes for a moment before pointing down into the ruins.
"You, over there. Come back if its safe. Okay? Okay!" The ferret nips her hand as she tosses him towards the ancient ruins. As he climbs into the ruins, he shakes himself out and disappears. Mikan blinks in confusion, then looks back to everyone in the group.
"Okay. Well. Assuming I didn't just send a cute fuzzy thing to its horrible, agonizing death, Cennick makes a fair point that we don't know what's really inside. It's nice that we got to interrogate this prisoner, but he seems to know very little, even when under a hypnotic gaze. He may have even been fed false information. This does wreak of a trap, he must know that we'd come after him after what he's done."
Mikan glances with concern towards the entrance of the ruins: No sign of the ferret yet. Eric looks uncomfortably around the area, suddenly paranoid of the invisible dangers all around them. Mikan then smiles reassuringly, and looks to Franchine with surprising sympathy.
"I wish that taking them in alive was an option, but you gotta understand that they chose the wrong side. Most of us are using weapons that are inherently lethal, we don't have a choice. Like it or not, there will be blood on our hands before this is over, but I think I'm speaking for everyone here when I say the price is worth paying to put down the man who threatens the peaceful lives of every man, woman, and child in Renalta... My home." The last word almost seemed foreign to her as she spoke it. Eric smiled ear to ear as he chipped in.
"You're a Rheinfelder ma'am! You're always welcome back to our kingdom." Mikan shakes her head, though smiles nonetheless.
Finally, the ferret returns from the illusory entrance and hops back into the muddy water, paddling around in circles at the entrance: It was safe. Mikan walks over and picks up the ferret once more, petting him underneath his chin.
"Good job little guy." Looking up at the entrance, she then looks back to everyone else.
"If he could slip in and out safe, that means we proceed with the plan." Stepping up and out of the muddy water to the edge of the illusory entrance, she glances back at Cennick.
"Oh, and as for you... Stay alive, and you can have all the excitement you like tomorrow." Winking flirtatiously and giggling, she steps through the illusory entrance. Eric shakes his head and follows cautiously.
"Slutty Frauen. Seltsame Magie. Shitty Sumpf. (Slutty women. Strange magic. Shitty swamp.)" Sticking his hand through the illusory border, he pulls it back quickly, uncertainty filled his every movement as he looked back at anyone who hadn't passed through the illusory border yet. He gulps, and then steps through.
On the other side of the illusory border was a ball room of a strange design, distinctly foreign. Despite the exterior of the ancient ruins being made of stone, the interior was made of wood, the kind that Abjaar would recognize to be fireproof, and from distant lands either far to the south or from across the sea. Looking around the room with awe, Eric tapped the floor with one of his boots.
"Is this really real? Like, really? For real?" Both Cennick and Zinnarath would be able to discern that the environment around them was, indeed, completely corporeal. It seemed unlikely to be made naturally, however, implying that someone created the room they were standing in with magic. Above their heads, a chandelier illuminated the entire room with candles that seemed to burn on for an eternity, and in the middle of the large chamber was a table with four cards. Mikan walks over to the table first, being wary of traps as her legs tensed, ready to leap away from any potential harm. Instead, a voice spoke out through the room. A strained, male voice, that took a moment for the group to recognize as the infamous James the Illusionist.
"Hello my darlings. I am James, the Illusionist, and I knew you would come to step in my domain. As you can see, I am busy, and thus cannot entertain you with a show right now-- Agh." Strained, and in pain.
"However, let it never be known that I'm a poor house guest. Before you are four tarot cards: The Fool, The Empress, The Devil, and Death. Turn two of those cards on their side to disqualify them, and a doorway will appear. After all, all four would probably kill you instantly, and I am merciful! Defeat that challenge, then defeat my Knight, and my life will be in your hands... Should you happen to reach me before I'm finished with my magnum opus. Should you not, and you will be first to witness... A miracle made manifest by man." Mikan's hands ball up as she looks to the group. Neither she or Eric had any ability to understand the choices implied by the Tarot cards in front of them.
"I'm still here, you know. You can ask me questions. I swear, I won't bite, unlike the Queen's bitch of a wife." Eric coughs uncomfortably and glances at the Death card, adjusting his collar.
"If we play this game, let's not pick that one. Oh, and, um... This is a trap, obviously." James' maniacal laughter can be heard throughout the ball room.
"If you so believe it to be a trap, then return from whence you came. Run back to your whore Queens, back to the decapitated remnants of the child I left stained across a bedroom! Please, let me finish my work, and show all of you how foolish and naive you are, to be chained to Amanda's puppet strings!"
As Mikan's child was brought up, her smile faltered, and the look in her eyes went cold. Not enraged, simply cold. Murderok, Cennick, and Abjaar would recognize it as the eyes of a trained killer, suppressing their emotions to remain in control. Everyone else would likely see it merely as pain. Eric on the other hand glances at Murderok, anger in his eyes.
"Can I have a sip out of his skull mug when we're done with him?" Mikan looks up at the ceiling, her tone was cold.
"Where are the rest of your men?" The response was equally cold, though Zin could detect a hint of regret in James' tone.
"You're standing on them."
Imperium/Amazons - The Dream of Empire
As Sonia opened the scroll, the spirit appeared to shimmer for a moment.
"A strange ability." It remarks plainly. It would likely take a couple minutes before the scouts would reach their location, despite their quick pace. Fahim turns to answer Armerza's question, only for Veira to gasp and Sonia to feel a sudden reaction as Elrithos pulled the Unitas lever. Veira, with Sonia's help, managed to erect an arcane barrier to protect themselves and most of the group just in time as an explosion triggered from the pedestal. Several pieces of shrapnel rip through Elrithos, instantly ending his life as his internal organs are ripped to shreds and the heat of the blast burns his skin instantly. The shrapnel is stopped by the arcane barrier, but only barely as Veira ends up falling to her knees to maintain it.
As quickly and suddenly as it started, it ended. The other four pedestals were remarkably intact, but there was no doubt as to what would happen to them if they chose wrong, as the dead body of their comrade falls limply to the floor. Veira gazes with utter despair as the arcane barrier fails, causing her to drop her wands and slam one of her fists onto the ground as a few tears managed to escape from her eyes. Sonia would be able to feel that Veira was highly fatigued and wouldn't be able to defend them all again if they chose wrongly again.
"He chose poorly." Fahim gazes with mild confusion to Veira's crying, then looks up at the spirit.
"No, really?" The sarcasm was thick in his voice, though the spirit held no reaction.
"You could have tried warning us about the traps." The spirit replies coldly.
"No Imperial would make such a rash decision: Your reaction is questionable."
Finally, the Imperial Scouts arrive, eyes widened at the scene before themselves. It was a trio: One veteran, and two younger looking men following him. Fahim looks at them and quickly asks a question.
"What is the most valued attribute of a soldier in the Imperium?" They each answer differently: One answers Unity, one answers Power, and the most veteran among them answers with a confused look. Fahim then looks at Armerza.
"They were a multicultural power that spanned over multiple, small kingdoms. They were more akin to... A nation of nations, rather than having a singular identity beyond being the protectors of the mortal world. At least, that is the historical Imperium. I haven't a clue what the modern Imperium tends to purport beyond their vague 'Dream of Empire'. I have yet to read literature on that subject." One of the younger Imperial Scouts lights up, speaking quickly and seeming to stumble over every second word.
"It's the dream of one day uniting everybody together under the Imperial cause! Mutual protection, using the best attributes of each nation and person!" Fahim looks back to Armerza thoughtfully: He likely had an idea of what the answer
might be, but he still wasn't certain himself.
Kingdom of Liveria - Ancestral Bonds
As Rayvon returns with her new sword, Elrbetrt's horse snorts. One of the orcs looks up from his work cleaning the slab, and immediately points with a look of surprise. Zoe swears under her breath and aims up to the right, heavily armoured orc.
"We act now!" Kasim and Zoe's arrow and crossbow bolt both fly true to their marks as Elrbetrt begins her charge in sync with them. Zoe hits the heavily armoured orc on the right in the shoulder, pinning him to the rock wall behind himself momentarily before he rips himself off the bolt. The orc on the left meanwhile is struck in the throat by the arrow. Reaching down, he rips the arrow out and growls, though dazedly steps forward: Remarkably he was still standing, but he was having severe issues breathing, and was in no real state to engage in combat.
Elrbetrt's charge ends quickly as her lance impales one of the cleaning orcs in the chest. The sheer mass of the orc combined with her own blindness and the unsteady, cavernous floor causes the horse to go tumbling and falling from the impact. Elrbetrt falls onto her back, hearing the injured orc growl as he climbed atop her, blood rolled from his open chest wound. He was going to die, but it appeared he was going to choke her to death first, or crush her head. Except, just before he could, he is pulled off of her by the other orc.
"I AIN'T NO COWARD!!" The second orc bellows: Laenaia's spell had worked, though it had been delayed momentarily. The second orc had the first one in a choke hold, in a berserk, uncontrollable rage, leaving Elrbetrt an opportunity to get to her feet.
As all of this goes on, the princess slumps over. Laenaia would be able to feel a magical presence in the air nearby, and Kasim would feel a momentary brush of a soft but cold hand on his cheek as Helénē possessed the orc with the whip. His movements suddenly become rigid and unnatural as he drops his whip and walks over to Andrea, pulling a key ring from his waist and unlocking her manacles. Though she would feel weakened, it wouldn't take long after the fight was over for her magical prowess to return to her.
"I am struggling to maintain control. This one is resisting. If I grab you, break my leg. Please don't kill me. I don't think my father could live with my death at your hands." Andrea would be able to sense the familiar presence of the Liverian Princess occupying the orc's form.
The three orcs along the wall were stunned by the level of teamwork and precision during all of this, though the roar of the heavily armoured orc on the right shakes them back into line. The three start charging for Elrbetrt as Gabriel moves rapidly into the chamber and pushes over the nearest stone slab a few feet from the entrance, giving them cover if they wanted to advance from the throwing axes of the orc on the right. He speaks with a bellowing tone.
"I AM KRACLAW, AND YOU WILL ALL DIE UNDERNEATH MY HEELS!" He unsheathes both of his throwing axes, preparing to throw them at someone, though he seemed skilled enough with them to not reveal who his target would be...
Thus, to summarize: Three lightly armoured orcs with shields and axes were charging down on Elrbetrt, who was down on her back with her horse several feet away on its side. She had just enough time to get up before they would reach her. The heavily armoured orc on the left was stumbling, barely managing to stay coherent, and while Kraclaw was injured it didn't appear to be slowing him down. Kraclaw was still several feet away, though he was eminently aware of Zoe and Kasim's positions. Four orcs remained ready to fight after their round of surprise. To their left was Andrea and the possessed orc, to the right were the three charging orcs, and straight ahead of them was the approaching heavily armoured orc. The stone slab Gabriel knocked over is a few feet behind Elrbetrt, a few feet further behind the slab is the entrance to the breeding chamber.
Goblin Holds - Antiqua Scientiam
Unamo looked at Child and nodded in agreement with her sentiment, although she did seem less confident when Daevon offered his input. Nyla, on the other hand, agreed with Aslo's thoughts and without a second hesitation, took the lead. Several minute of travel, with Unamo limping along near the back and Nyla watching for trouble, yielded no additional threats as they traversed across the small city. It was strange how the large cavern hadn't collapsed in the entire time that the city had likely been abandoned for, and spoke volumes of the mysterious engineering techniques of the Mechanists.
Still, after several minutes of travel, they reach their destination on the map which Nyla had managed to memorize earlier. There, they reached the mouth of a couple hundred foot long stretch of road wide enough to fit six wagons side by side. At the opposite end of that road was a building slightly larger than the others around it, standing five floors tall, with a clock embedded inside it just above the doorway that was still ticking away. The time on the clock was illegible, made of a language none of them could understand, though Maeven could feel their meaning: They were instructions.
"Only those of Mechanist blood may open these doors without conflict. The Guardians will not stop until this happens." Before Maeven could warn her allies, Nyla stepped forward onto the road, and the road beneath them shook as two mighty, metallic, humanoid golems stepped out onto the road from out of sight. They were each fifteen feet tall, and while they were slow moving, they appeared to have a rather decent level of agility and flexibility. They stood in front of the door to the building, and while wide enough to have full coverage of the large street, had enough space between their legs to make it a viable option to simply attempt to slip past them if they were distracted by something else.
Esyllt would be able to tell that they weren't sophisticated in intelligence: Any sort of distraction, so long as it appeared threatening enough, would be able to get their attention and allow people to slip underneath them. The golems did not move from their position as of yet, though Maeven felt they would both have an especially violent response towards her, or anyone else who gets within fifty feet of them.
Nyla looks back to Aslo, then glances at his bag of rats with a thought.
"A swarm of small, hard to hit things might be useful, if you could get them onto one of the golems, the other might start attacking it to kill the intruders. At the very least we could measure their intelligence, figure out how effective they are. What do you think?"
Kingdom of Tuleria - Unto the Breach
As Yuri is flung over the scorpions towards the vampire sorcerer, Filomena moved to engage them. Four pincers against one person however is not particularly solid odds, even as Toorg moved in behind her to back her up. The scorpion to her right moves in and gets her attention long enough for the scorpion on the left to take advantage of Toorg's slower speed to attack Filomena. One of its pincers wraps around Filomena's left leg, though before it can apply enough pressure to take off Filomena's leg, Toorg attacks and crushes the scorpion's free pincher with both of his fists, causing it to skitter backward and only rend into the Tulerian's upper thigh instead. It was clear that the two of them alone wouldn't cut it. Immediately behind them however, Otto Kastner moved up the sand dune: Panting with his blade coated in demon blood.
"STAY ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIER!" Otto yells at Filomena, as she would find it difficult to remain standing with the profusely bleeding gash on her leg.
The two scorpions separate, giving each other about ten feet of space between them to force their prey to turn their back on one to fight the other. Though the scorpion on the right was rather cautious with its left pincher, which appeared to have a cracked exoskeleton where Toorg struck it. Its empty eyes stared up at Toorg as it hisses angrily.
Yuri, on the other hand, landed only a couple feet away from the sorcerer. Before the sorcerer could react to drop her spell and flee, Yuri managed to swing and cut open her side. Backing up a couple feet, the sorcerer was bleeding profusely, and suddenly squinting as though the sunlight was harming it: Yuri had inflicted a mortal wound on her. Still, this didn't stop her from raising her staff wordlessly, to try and hold Yuri in combat for as long as possible.
Meanwhile, as this is going on, Aeyr, Arkos, and Quar would find themselves close together. As Aeyr flung another stone, the assassin began to charge. The difference is, this time, the stone struck its target: In the shoulder. Had the vampire been a normal person, that would have stunned them momentarily. As the assassin bolted forward to cut them down, she licked her lips and laughed.
"THE FISH DIES FIRST!" Arkos' sand defense ends up slowing down the assassin a little, just enough for Quar to raise a ball of vines around them to protect the three of them from the charging assassin. This did not, however, prevent the assassin's blade from penetrating the ball, and instead of hitting its intended target, the blade firmly impales itself in Quar's abdomen. Flinching in pain and gritting his teeth, he closes one eye and then twists the vines around the blade. The assassin recoils as the ball of vines drops away, causing her to be reduced to one dagger. Quar, meanwhile, falls to one knee, blood soaked his shirt quickly as he looked up at the assassin with one eye.
"Vampire... Aim for the eyes and blind her. We can kill her easily after that... Well... You two can." Blood seeped from the corners of his lips: He wouldn't last long unless he could focus on healing himself.
The skirmish was going well for the buccaneers: Given another minute or so, they would be the clear winners of the fight as the demons struggled to maintain their numbers.
