Legend of Renalta 2: Reborn

[Darog]

Toorg - Tuleria​

Toorg looked on, nodding in agreement about the current plan. "Toorg help with small group. Toorg smash digging creature with fists, like Toorg did with giant bugs" Toorg's voice carrying over to the group. He had hoped he wouldn't be going underground so soon, but as it turned out, he figured he would be the smaller groups muscle in wrangling down the large burrowing creature. He turned to face the others who here helping with the larger group, a child like smile as he waved. "Don't die!" Toorg shouted as then faced towards the group he would be heading underground with.

"How we dig quickly? Toorg big, but not fast enough" Toorg asked, confused and unsure just how they would burrow deep into the ground.

 

[Brovo]

"I don't want any songs. I just want to get home to my wife and son." -Eric Vadlegarf, Page 5.

Kingdom of Renalta - Heart of Madness​

As Cennick finishes with his words in Rheinfelder over Eric's corpse and takes the flute, Mikan kneels beside him and smiles warmly. She leans in and gives him a quick peck on the cheek, then pats his shoulder and whispers with a pleasant tone to match the warmth on her face. "Keine gute Tat bleibt ungestraft. (No good deed goes unpunished.)" She slowly stands up and passes him by to stare off at the castle, seeming to have abandoned her girlish, flirtatious mannerisms for the moment to seriously plan ahead. Her eyes look over the exterior of the castle, and the large path leading up to it. She glances to Dean and the rest of the group and grimaces. They were no army. She looks down in surprise as the ferret from earlier nuzzles up against her leg. She picks him up, and after a moment's hesitation, her eyes light up with a plan.

Whispering into the ferret's collar quickly, she lets him go. The ferret dashes away, back the way the group had come. Mikan looks at the rest of the group, and then looks to the sky. "I suspect he'll hear me whether I speak up or whisper, so let's get together and move out to the castle. He'll be using enough magic I think that if he's near, Zin should be able to feel where he is... I've sent the ferret off to get the King's Rangers involved. Either we will come out with James--dead or alive--or they'll come in to finish the job we failed to do." She pats Dean's shoulder, and glances back to Cennick with a bit of a flirtatious look in her eyes. "Dean and Cennick should take up the front line." Her eyes dart over to Abjaar, and though she still didn't trust him, she noticed his earlier gift of blood to Zin. "You and I will run a flanking game when we get into a fight, assuming they don't outnumber us. Your chains and my speed give us the advantage there." Glancing to Zin, she seemed to feel some sympathy for the vampire in her currently drained predicament. "Don't overwhelm yourself if you can help it and stay behind the front line."

Mikan said nothing to Murderok, and seemed uncomfortable about him despite her earlier zeal for the death of James. Still, she flashed him a quick smile, to show he hadn't lost her trust. Without further adieu, she steps forward and starts down the cobbled road to the castle.

------------------------------------------------------------------​

It didn't take long for the group to reach the front of the castle. Only a few minutes of travel, really. Mikan looks over the castle's exterior, noticing multiple entry points immediately. The front door was wide open, and the entire group recognized the castle's interior from where they were standing. Zin could feel the nearby presence of James within the castle's doors, somewhere on an upper floor, though where she couldn't pinpoint. He was using a powerful spell, and it seemed to be consuming his attention. Mikan glances back to everyone, and speaks quickly. "All the entryways that I know of for the castle... There are a couple of small windows I could slip through, find some rope, and toss it down for all of you. Normally guarded by King's Rangers, but I doubt James has enough energy left to throw another challenge like that at us. There's always the front door, but I wouldn't doubt it being trapped in some way..." She glances to Dean for his opinion, though seemed eager for input from everyone before proceeding.

Imperium/Amazons - The Dream of Empire​

As Armerza disarms the skeleton both literally and figuratively, Fahim kneels down to examine the poison on the daggers. He looks it over curiously, smelling it, touching it, and even tasting it seeing as how it didn't affect him. The Agent of Greed looks at Fahim puzzled. "How are you immune to the charm of Lust and hunger of Gluttony?" Fahim glances up to the skeleton and raises an eyebrow. "I am in want of nothing." The Agent of Greed seems to hesitate for a few moments, then scowls. "That can't be true! Everyone wants something... I can feel it in you. You have the greatest desires out of anyone in this room... Enough to betray your friends." Fahim, with lightning speed, presses the dagger just underneath the skeleton's head. The Agent of Greed reacts, but only after Fahim had managed to lightly tap him with it. "Don't test my patience." The skeletal fiend grins and giggles in delight. "You didn't deny what I said." Fahim twirls the dagger in his hand with great dexterity, then tosses it aside. "I am a Free Holder, not a naked fool."

Meanwhile, during this exchange, Veira had passed the others by and charged a small spell. She lets a smooth breeze flow through the room, blowing the dust aside. Stepping over the pile of dirt, she finds no other minions--the Agent of Greed had spoken the truth. She looks back to Armerza and shakes her head. "Brutish, but effective. My kids would love you!" She then looks toward the other end of the room, with wrinkles around her eyes that didn't appear to be there before. Her age was catching up to her. "There appears to be a doorway, and another trap, though it looks disarmed." The spirit of the complex glances down to Veira and states coldly. "The trap went off, it was not disarmed. It killed the four people accompanying your skeletal prisoner." It motions to the door. "You are free to proceed. You have proven your mettle here, and have but one test left to complete." Both Veira and Fahim look to the door, then to each other. Veira and Sonia could both feel several magical presences beyond the door, though it was difficult to discern what they were.

Kingdom of Liveria - Ancestral Bonds​

Zoe waits impatiently as the rest of the women around her pilfer for items. Her foot taps the floor lightly, almost inaudibly, as her eyes suddenly shoot over to the drow woman's tome. Underneath the mask it was impossible to discern what she was thinking, but based on the tightened grip around her crossbow, it was nothing pleasant. Once the women around her finish with dressing themselves and pilfering their items, she makes no hesitation to lead them back to the prisoner chamber. There, Draza was already starting to lead away the prisoners as quickly as she could. "A waste of resources... At least we can comfort ourselves that it was ethical, I suppose." She sounded agitated underneath her mask, and she notably avoided looking at Rayvon after noticing her with Gabriel, and then with Andrea. It was at this point, when the group was reunited, that Kasim informed them of everything he had learned.

Gabriel looks between each member of the group and ponders their options. It was on Kasim to lead them there--as he was the only one who mentally had the directions there. Still, conjecture couldn't hurt at a time like this. "When we get to the entrance, I'll be sure to enter first. My flight capability will allow me to fight freely while the rest of you descend. Rayvon should come immediately after me, as she has the armour to withstand any blows I can't stop. Everyone else should do whatever they feel is most effective." Zoe shakes her head in disagreement once more, and her tone retained its agitation--something more was bothering her overall, and she wasn't sharing it. "I have smoke grenades and a crossbow with a perfect assassin's nest. Give myself and Kasim a shot first, we may be able to kill or wound the Agent of Wrath before he even knows we're there. Then, I can toss smoke grenades down and Laenaia can use her shadow trickery to screw with the aim of any who would deign to stop our descent."

Gabriel motions to Kasim to lead the way to the room with the ceiling entrance to the communication chamber, though looked to the rest of the Queen's Blades to provide their input. Especially to Rayvon, who he smiled at the sight of, safe and sound after all. Kasim, if he led them to the chamber, would find no resistance along the way. Most of the orcs were outside, after all.

Goblin Holds - Antiqua Scientiam​

Unamo squeaked in surprise as Esyllt scooped her up into her arms, though continued focusing on her spell. A pair of ethereal hands reach out and grasp each shoulder of the ghoul charging after Maeven, stopping it in place long enough for Fafnir easily manages to sink his teeth into its neck and rend it back and forth rapidly like a well used chew toy. Within seconds, his blood drenched fangs manage to take its head off in a sickening series of crunches and tears. Its body falls over, twitching and convulsing, and unable to control itself in its final moments. Unamo slips out of Essylt's arms once they reached the second room. Though she felt and looked somewhat sick, she motions to the fight. "I'll stay out of trouble now, help them!" Unamo pleads, as her eyes open widely. "DAEVON!"

Daevon's daggers sped after his foe, though the focus needed to keep them moving and darting in left him much slower than he normally would have been with his method of travel. The ghoul bolts towards him, unimpeded as everyone else was locked up in battle. Two of Daevon's daggers manage to barely miss their mark, implanting themselves in the Ghoul's back. As one finally manages to pierce into the Ghoul's spinal column, the Ghoul had already closed the distance and swung with both of his bony claws. The claws ripped into Daevon with ease, his death near instantaneous, as the ghoul's body collapsed atop that of Daevon's. A valiant death, some would say.

Child, on the other hand, had two solid connecting swings with her ghoul adversary. However, its movements seemed to betray a lack of self-care on its part. Child's weapons cleave through its right shoulder and lower left abdomen, though it doesn't seem phased by pain as it counter attacks. It manages to attack only with its left arm, but it strikes Child's mask and tears it off her face, leaving two deep cheek wounds as she narrowly avoided having her head taken off. The mask clatters to the floor, but Child herself is left standing, albeit bleeding. The ghoul's right arm appeared limp, though Child was able to tell that it was something of a ruse: Its hand was still twitching, so it still retained at least some movement in the arm, damaged though it may very well be. It was bleeding from its abdomen profusely, and if given a few minutes, it would surely die from that alone...

Venatrix was able to hold its own against its ghoul adversary. With a single, well practiced movement, it uses the ghoul's charge against itself, and thrusts its spear through its torso with ease. The ghoul didn't perish however, as it slipped itself down the length of the spear and started clawing at the golem. The golem lets go of its spear as one of the ghoul's claws manages to rip through its torso armour and expose some of its inner mechanisms. Before it could get a second strike, the golem grabs both of its wrists and snaps them simultaneously, and holds it in place as a black liquid slowly rolls out from its damaged components. It was going to hold its opponent in place and there was little it could do about it.

Finally, the two going after Nyla took advantage of the fact. Just as Aslo gets behind the flanking ghoul, it swings and manages to knock her blade-wielding arm aside, sending her Gladius several feet away. Its claw then rips through her armour and down her right side. It is only stopped as Aslo manages to succinctly end its life with a stab in the back through its spinal column, causing it to slump over, but it was too late, the damage was already done: Nyla had taken a mortal wound. Yet, somehow, she remained on her feet, holding steadfast with her shield against a ghoul and shoving it up against a wall. She cradled her right side with her right arm, blood flowing with ease and staining her clothing as she grits her teeth. "Finish i--" She's interrupted as an Imp dashes through the doorway and cuts the back of her ankle, though it fails to do any serious damage, she flinches nonetheless as she kicks it back outside. She falls to one knee, but still keeps the ghoul pinned. The other imps were right behind it, though were timid to enter into the fray themselves.

Maeven reached the throne safely, and sits down in it quickly. The cold throne suddenly lit up underneath her, similar to how the wall she touched before did, though this was more significant as Maeven's mind was flooded with images and sounds. She spasms from information overload, though it ends after a few seconds, taking her conscious to a different place. She could still hear the fighting going on around her in the real world, but visually, she could see a myriad of colours and shapes that her mind was struggling to put together in a coherent manner. Nonetheless, she could feel some measure of control, and a voice whispers throughout the building, audibly heard by everyone, though only understood by Maeven, Unamo, and Esyllt. Child would be able to detect the presence of a spirit, but not of its nature, as though it were hollow and devoid of purpose. Either way, the voice held no distinctive gender in its voice, and came across in a chillingly mechanical fashion. "I have not felt the warmth of flesh in this place for over a hundred generations... I do not remember my name... I do not remember what it is I do... Awaken me. Speak to these halls your purpose, and awaken me, so that I might serve once again."

Kingdom of Tuleria - Unto the Breach​

As the two groups begin to split from each other, Quar speaks up loudly towards the larger group. "Hey! Aëyr!... S-stay safe, okay?" A few feet ahead of Aëyr, Otto chuckles and replies with an amused tone. "I'll keep your girlfriend safe for you, elf." Quar blushes, and turns away, directing the mages to get to work on digging a sand tunnel. Quar turns and looks to Arkos, frowning as he recognized his anger. Quar's staff glows with a light green aura as he steps closer to Arkos. "I'm sorry, I... Don't mean to offend you, I... Just wanna make sure this gets done right. We can do a lot more together than if we throw all of our hope and trust on you. There's no doubt they have spellcasters too, who will abuse whatever elements you put in the air to help us... Please, it may not be your way, but... We'll need you. You're important. Okay?" Quar says hopefully as the underground tunnel forms, the three Tulerian mages finding themselves easily moving their way underneath the ground. Quar follows them, keeping on the ready for trouble.

Meanwhile, the larger group, led by Otto, walked a couple hundred feet around the burrowing group before Otto led them up the edge of the sand dune. He crouches and looks over, spotting the same force from before. He takes a deep breath, and reaches underneath his breast plate, pulling out a small religious necklace and quietly praying to it for a few moments. Once finished with his prayers, he tucks it back underneath his chest piece. He glances back to Aëyr and her imperial scouts. He nods approvingly at Yuri's protection. "We'll draw them to us by charging them, you lot climb over a few seconds after and stay several feet behind us. That way, if anything slips past the front line, Yuri will have time enough to see it and catch it." He then looks to the buccaneers. "It's time to see if you can shout louder than a Rheinfelder, Tulerians."

Without another moment's hesitation, Otto steps over the sand dune's edge and yells loud enough for his voice to outright echo through the sandy valleys. As the demons turn to look at them, he pounds his chest with one arm and hefts his two handed sword into the air with the other. "I AM OTTO KASTNER, SON OF ECKART KASTNER! AND I AM GOING TO SKULLFUCK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WITH A SWORD BIG ENOUGH THAT YOUR MOTHERS IN THE HELLS WILL FEEL IT AND REMEMBER MY NAME! CHAAAAAARGE!" He descends rapidly down the side of the sand dune towards the flats, though he paced himself so that his enemy could charge towards them. Sure enough, all of them started to charge, though they had some distance to cover before they'd reach Otto's group. The Tulerian Buccaneers charged with him, howling and whooping and spewing enough curses to make a sailor blush with envy. The Imperial Scouts look to Aëyr and nod. "On your word, pick our targets. We can hit them all the way from here, but the closer they are, the more likely we'll hit them."

Meanwhile, underneath the ground, the Tulerian mages kept the passage wide enough even for Toorg, though he had to bend a little to keep his head from hitting the ceiling. "How far?" Quar asks nervously as he looks around themselves. "A few hundred feet, don't rush this." The mages replied simply. It seemed, so far, they hadn't been detected.

 

[Tempest]

Kingdom of Liveria – Ancestral Bonds
Rayvon Krayvitch and Zoe Vasilios​

She offers a small smile back to Gabriel before she takes a breath, considering the options at hand. "I think we should utilize our individual strengths, which is best done with Zoe's plan. These are orcs and they have far more brutish strength than we could hope to possess and it is necessary to fight smarter, not harder." She folds her arms, "That being said, after the smoke bombs have been thrown down to give some sort of a guise for us to descend the ladder upon, Gabriel, myself, and the.... ah, Andrea's... orc." She pulls a face, unsure how to address that, "We should be the first ones down, so that we can protect anyone else coming down, especially if the smoke or magic begin to fail."

Rayvon pulls aside after that, waiting until Kasim took the lead and they were on the way before moving to Zoe's side. She remains quiet for a moment, nervous due to the assassin's silent stares from earlier. Now, though, having noticed the slight changes, noticing avoidance, she worried that something was up. "Zoe, if there is something bothering you, I would rather you speak it now and have it off your shoulders before we go into battle."

"Do you not see it yourself?" Zoe replies quizzically, not turning to look at Rayvon, though not making any effort to prevent Rayvon from growing closer. She was examining every passage they passed through, searching for something.

She looks at Zoe curiously, feeling a bit uncertain for a moment, "See what myself?" She begins to glance along the passages, wondering herself now what Zoe was looking for.

"I have been doing this for years. Important people, especially the less than noble kind, don't just... Send their armies off to mobilize without themselves. They don't leave themselves without constant vigil... Where are the patrols? We should have been swarmed the moment we engaged in Gabriel's stupid plan with the screaming and impacts of weapons... Yet, there was nothing. We loot a treasury, and there was nothing..." She continues to look on edge, looking around the area. "...The only reason I would be so calm, is if I knew exactly where my assassins were coming from. The only reason I would know that... Is if there was rat in their midst. A rat who will bite when our backs are turned." She finally glances back to Rayvon, her mask hiding her expression, but her raised shoulders and slightly bent knees spoke volumes of her worry. "Assassins work alone, or in pairs, for a reason. The more people you have involved, the more likely you have a rat in your midst."

She looks taken aback, mouth hanging agape for a moment and working for words before she shakes her head, "No. No one in this group. I would sense corruption..." Rayvon's brow knits into a frown, "You're right, though. We cannot account for every level of this operation..." Her hand, out of a sense of security, moves to rest upon the pommel of her blade, squeezing it. "This is a troubling thought..."

"Men don't need magic to be corrupt, just a foul heart." She pulls out one of her smoke bombs and starts thumbing it over, trying to keep herself calm. "If I were in command, I would have us retreat."

Her eyes harden at that, "The demon has been allowed to grow too strong already in these lands. To retreat now would be negligence. We know where it is now and it has not grown too powerful to be stopped. The situation might not be ideal, but working for the Queens, it has hardly ever been." She looks to Zoe, "I trust you to be able to set up the situation so we aren't walking in to be slaughtered."

Zoe chuckles darkly, and puts the smoke bomb back underneath her cloak. "Don't worry, Rayvon, I will. I promise. I haven't run yet, after all, now have I?"

There was something disarming about Zoe's laughter that brings a smile to Rayvon's lips. "No, I suppose you haven't." She glances at Zoe side-ways, taking in the entirety of her attire, including the mask. For a moment she considers how it might lend to her being a vampire, there were rumors as to such about Zoe, but then... As far as she could tell, there had been nothing preternatural about the woman except perhaps her aim. "Is there anything else on your mind?" she inquires, still wondering about Zoe's gaze. Though now, she was starting to think she might have imagined it.

Zoe hesitates for a moment, then glances back to Rayvon once more. She looks Rayvon over, and shrugs. "If I tell everyone to run, you make sure they do it. Otherwise, I will leave all of you behind." She goes back to searching every crevice and nook for trouble, keeping to herself and patting her crossbow.

She watches Zoe for a moment longer as she walks, unsure what to think. The assassin had hesitated. There was something. She squeezes the pommel of her blade tighter, knuckles growing white beneath her glove as she hopes that whatever it was, it would not drive Zoe to distraction in the battle to come.

 

[Jorick]

Liveria - Kasim​

Kasim nodded in agreement with Rayvon's assessment. "The heroic charge would make for a grand story, but we're here to take down one demon that's causing all our problems. I figure Zoe has the most assassination experience of us all, and her plan sounds reasonable to me. The less hand to hand fighting we need to do, the better." He started off in the direction of the central chamber, using the knowledge gained from the bound orc to guide his steps. In keeping with his silly statement to Helénē a few moments ago, Kasim put an exaggerated swagger into his walk, trying to focus on that rather than all his problems and troubles.

He failed rather miserably. Battle loomed ahead, and their primary foe was almost certain to be more terrifyingly powerful than anything he'd faced before, even including the angel in Rheinfeld. A band of eight stalwart heroes sounded like a lot in the stories, but Kasim would have liked to have more. That thought reminded him that he did in fact have one more companion available, and so he dug into a pouch and pulled out the special blood vial he'd gotten before setting out on this mission. It was supposed to summon an ancestor or something to help with one task, and he had picked it over other choices largely out of curiosity about who or what it would summon. Now he was glad he had unintentionally made a wise and useful choice, though he was still interested to see how it worked out. As they drew close to the central chamber, Kasim popped the stopper of the vial and drank it down with his thoughts focused on the one task he would ask the summoned entity to help with: the battle against the Agent of Wrath.

Renalta - Zin​

As soon as Mikan finished her explanation, Zin spoke up with what little information she had. "He's on an upper floor, and he's working some kind of powerful magic." She looked at the castle, trying to think of what James might expect. The man was clearly unhinged, but his sense of drama and showmanship perhaps made him more predictable than the average madman probably was. If she had to guess, the front entrance would have some sort of annoying trap in place but would not contain their penultimate challenge: James would want to make sure they had to pass through wherever Dirge, his so far absent orc bodyguard, would be waiting to stop them. The existence of alternate routes made the entrance hall an unlikely spot for that to take place.

"I think avoiding the front door is a good idea. However, if we choose to take it, I still have my Magic-Breaker." She gestured toward the silver amulet set with the Magic-Breaker itself still hanging from her neck. "Should the others decide to take the front door, I can go first with it to ward off any magical trap that might be set, or someone who actually wants to be first through the doors can borrow it for that purpose."​

TL;DR

Kasim agrees with Rayvon's choice, leads the way, and drinks his treated blood vial to summon a thing to help kill the Agent of Wrath.

Zin shares info, votes for taking a side way in, but offers Magic-Breaker use for straightforward entry protection.

 

[Goldmarble]

Armerza in Amazons/Imperium​

Listening to the by-play between Fahim and the Agent, she understood pretty well what had transpired without even needing to look. Stooping to look through the rubble for the corpse of Ministrol, she called over her shoulder, "Fahim?" Her voice carried a faint edge of annoyance, not with her ally, but with the wretch he held, "Feel free to end the maggot's existence. It's told us everything we need to know."

At Viera's comment, Armerza looked up, and smirked; "I'll be honest," she paused, "That really didn't go as intended. I have grit, and stones in places that I've never thought I'd find them." She was searching for Ministrol's corpse, to at least make it easy to return to the surface with, so they could give her a decent burial, and to retrieve any items that may still be of use. A grunt of effort as she heaved a substantial slab of rock to the side, she directed a question to the apparition, "If I may, what was the original task of this chamber?" Curiosity was partially to blame for the inquiry, but primarily, she was thinking of the chamber beyond. Armerza wanted to have as much knowledge and understanding of this place, before proceeding.​

 

[Atlas Child]

Sonia - Amazons​

Sonia had been certain the immediate danger had passed. Regardless her lips gave a small twitch at the dwarf's look, as they had the last time the creature had addressed her. However, this time the gesture was followed by a subtle harrumph. Throughout the mission and even now in conflict she had been quite deliberate in keeping her distance from the dwarf and the goblin tool. She pressed her tongue firmly against the back of her teeth in lieu of a more outward display of annoyance. For the agent however she made no attempt to hide her contempt for the thing. The agent had effectively reduced her to a bystander and in her moment of uselessness the dwarf appeared to have won the over the little party which remained. It was a double nightmare scenario and in conversation which followed Sonia withdrew herself, only showing a sign of interest at the dismissal of the agent.

 

[Firemind]

Abjaar and Cennick collaboration - Renalta - Heart of Darkness

[*]
​

Abjaar remained silent for the few minutes of travel towards James' castle. The structure was imposing, and once again Abjaar was reminded of what had been said earlier. James had apparently built this illusion on the energy of the dead, or some such witchcraft. He probably should have been more revolted, but what great structure hadn't been built on the sacrifice of others? Perhaps it was just his Free Holds way of thinking, but sacrifice for progress was not something lost upon him.

Yet, he was unpleasantly dishevelled about the group's most recent sacrifice. The loss of Eric had been…wasteful; It had been avoidable; it had been unnecessary; it had been his fault. He'd had men die alongside him before: Men above his station, or below it; men in his command and men who provided him orders. Hells below, he'd lost family members and been less affected than this.

He looked over at Cennick, having noticed the man spoke over Eric's corpse. He'd spoken the man's strange tongue, and Abjaar wanted to try and alleviate some of the guilt. Sighing heavily, and rewarding himself a little stab of pain from his ribs, Abjaar slowed down his walk to try and match pace with the Sherriff. He knew the man had no taste for him, so this could easily backfire.

"Hail Cennick. I'd like a word."

The greeting caught the sheriff off guard. His mind was occupied with his usual musings; Death, love and the ever present disdain for his companions. Abjaar was strangely not the predominant subject of his thoughts for once, but rather the vampire. Zin. He had tried his best to ignore the abomination, despite his knowledge of her nature, she could have been a 'good' vampire and limited her cravings to animals or such things. Alas, it seemed that she was just another man-eating monster. Though Cen had little complaint on her last choice of meal. After a great moment of pause he turned his attention to the meal and returned his greeting. "What do you want?"

Abjaar was, momentarily, surprised by the curt greeting he received from the Burn-faced man. He'd half-expected some sort of self-righteous chastisement, or the more trip's current favourite; plain faced and slack jawed silence. He hoped that the surprise didn't appear on his face, but for a moment, the flicker of surprise would be there. "I was…hoping to ask a favour of you. I do not speak the Rheinfeld tongue. Did you hear Eric's final words? I would like to know them." He was blunt and blatant with his approach. It didn't make sense to beat around the bush, or attempt small talk: Especially when he was speaking with someone who had such distaste for him.

Cen raised his eyebrow in intrigue. The slaver showing a shred of interest in anyone, let alone a dead man, seemed inconceivable. He stared for a moment, attempting to discern if Abjaar's inquiry was of genuine concern or perverse infatuation with another man's death. For a moment longer he pondered before speaking plainly, "He lamented how he would never play the flute for his son." He maintained eye contact, trying to discern the Slaver's motives.

Abjaar paused on hearing the last words, trying to process his thoughts on the matter. He had hoped that knowing more would make him feel better. Perhaps knowing that Eric cursed his name for his weakness or that he was afraid of death would make him feel better. Instead, Abjaar was left wondering what kind of man Eric was in life. He sounded like a devoted father; an honest and simple man; and he'd cost someone that life.

His grip tightened on the hilt of his axe as he processed the new feelings. Not just guilt but annoyance, and anger. His weakness had robbed a son of a father, and he would have to live with that. There was no changing the past now, there was never time to change the past. "If we make it through this mission, I have a request to ask of you. I want to find Eric's son. I want to meet him." He almost said to apologise, but he held back the words. Cennick probably thought that Abjaar was some emotionless husk of hate and apathy. He'd found that most outsiders thought that of Free Holders. Banished gods forbid it, but even slavers could feel guilt, and regret, and remorse. "In the case that I can find him, I would need someone who can speak the Rheinfelder tongue. If you know anyone who would be willing to accompany me, I would appreciate it."

Cennick flinched as the brute gripped his tree-hewer in what looked like a wave of anger. He took a step back, half-expecting Abjaar to fly into a barbaric rage, but instead surprised with what Cen almost mistook as a moment genuine guilt. Another surprise came when he asked to accompany Cen in meeting Erik's family. His first thought was that the slaver planned on finishing off the Rheinfelder's clan once and for all, but even the sheriff had to admit to himself that the Abjaar was probably incapable of that absurd level of evil. He weighed the risks and aside from the very long and awkward journey there was little to lose. Internally cursing his beliefs in redemption he mumbled a begrudging, "Sure", pausing to sigh before adding, "If you're seeking forgiveness I am morally obliged to assist. Just don't be disappointed when you're scorned like the fiend you are."

Abjaar noticed Cennick flinch, and couldn't stop himself raising an eyebrow. Was the Liverian really so close minded as to think that Abjaar would lash out at him for no reason? What a barbaric idea. In what world would a man slaughter an ally and sign his own death warrant because of some moment of savage anger? Sure, Abjaar had no great love of Cennick. He, like most of the people who accompanied him on this mission, had gifted the slaver nothing but scorn and isolation the entire mission. But to think that he thought Abjaar capable of such barbarism was…disheartening.

He let the moment pass, and listened as Cennick offered what was possibly the most backhanded acceptance that the Slaver had ever heard. He laughed at the response Cennick gave, glad to feel an emotion other than guilt or anger. "If I was the sort of person who got disappointed by scorn, I would not have joined the Queen's Blades. If you haven't noticed, scorn is about the only thing I get." He continued to chuckle, even as he drifted from Cennick. They were close to the castle now; and they each had roles to fulfil."Thank you for this little talk, Sheriff. It has been…enlightening."

Cen plied his signature scowl and watched the slaver go his way. The sheriff was the only person to heed the bastard's existence and he's laughed off like some sort of cruel joke. Not unexpected really, but it wouldn't have killed the brute to maintain the facade of guilt for a just bit longer. If only to pretend that he had a shred of a soul. An already grim journey was now looking to become downright torturous.

When Mikan made her plans clear, Abjaar nodded in agreement. Her idea seemed as good as any he could come up with, after all.

 

[Orion]

Goblin Holds - Aslo​

The limp corpse of a Ghoul, surprisingly, was not unlike that of a child. In weight if not in shape. A particularly fat child, yes, but all the same. As the body thumped to the ground in a lifeless pile Aslo took a breath before noticing the condition Nyla was in, and the apparent strength of the young girl. To fend off a ghoul with a wound that size. Aslo collected Nyla's gladius swiftly. Rushing back over to where she kneeled with the ghoul pinned in place. With a thrust he impaled the head of the ghoul with the steel of her blade, and planted it firmly in the ground. Seeing the wound on Nyla's side he sharply eyed his companions "Esyltt, Unamo, pool your knowledge. Is there something to be done?"

Unamo takes one quick look at Nyla and shakes her head. "Not right now, I might be able to do something when our lives aren't on the line Aslo!"

Aslo looks over his shoulder and laughs; a thought running wild through his mind. This from the woman all too eager to distract us with shiny thrones mere seconds ago. He spots Child, looking every bit the predator against the Ghoul that had singled him out, and also Venatrix, the summoned golem of Esyltt holding another Ghoul with ease. His laughter intensified. "What fear do you have? Our lives are more secure now surely." he said placing emphasis on the word "more" Casting his gaze outside he spots the imps in a small group. "Are they the source of your worry Amazon?"

Unamo shoots him an infuriated look, but otherwise decides to ignore him, instead focusing on staying on her feet in her weakened state.

Aslo peaks an eyebrow at the woman. Such a flare of anger over such little teasing! If an Amazonian look could kill he'd be long since expired. However something told him that Unamo didn't want him dead, not yet at least. Fear seemed to grip her. Fear like hers was likely to lead to the death of another ally. If such were the case, Aslo would oblige in putting to rest that fear. He removed his cloak and wrapped Nyla's wound as neatly and as quickly as he could before rising once more to his feet. "Stay put Nyla. Help will come."

From there he looked to Unamo and Esyltt once more, his gaze shifting more towards Esyltt this time and pointing to Unamo. "Carry her back over here if she can't move herself. Help if you can, kill one of them if you can't." he said jerking a thumb in the general direction of the two remaining Ghouls. "Try not to let anyone else die." As for himself, he moved towards the door of the building, and looked down to the Imps.

He would find that there was only one imp that met his gaze, obviously intimidated, but not backing down. The other imps remained a few feet behind, terrified of how quickly the ghouls were being dispatched.

A curious thing the battlefield was. The imps shared Unamo's fear each of them no doubt lamenting their death, and believing their life on the line. What a boon then it was, to live without caring one way or another. Meeting the gaze of the brave imp, a devilish smirk reaches his lips. "I seem to have misplaced one of my knives. I last saw it implanted in the skull of one of your brethren. Have any of you seen it?" his hope was to draw them up gradually, taunting them and picking them off.

The first to action, the one that met his gaze no doubt, would be incapacitated. Aslo had questions afterall, and he trusted it to answer him willingly after seeing the carnage inside the room. From there he would aim to kill, and press any advantage he had.

Renalta - Dean​

Dean would nod approvingly at Abjaar after offering the vial of his own blood. Clearly reports of the man had been at least partially exaggerated if he were willing to help an ally in such a way. Murd was as blood thirsty as he'd been told to expect, and while not a trait he himself held, Dean knew it to be a useful enough thing in some fights.

Hearing Mikan suggest that he and Cen should take up the frontline seemed a reasonable idea. The man had proven himself more than capable to have grappled with Marcus, and there were few others who could claim as much. He nodded as way of reply and they advanced.

---------​

They approached the castle and stopped. Dean rubbed his chin in thought. Nodding along to whatever was said around him. Not agreeing, but listening, considering angles. He wasn't overly fond of climbing ropes given the armor he was wearing, and he certainly wasn't sure any rope would hold under Murderok's weight either. A quiet "hmm" escaped him as silence fell around him.

Dean sighed once more, James was a creature of theatrics. Evidenced in this case by a castle which probably wasn't manned or required. Many times he'd be offered chances to kill James, yet hesitation and fortune had proven James' prosperity. This time would be different. "James!" Dean called into the air, familiar with the rules the illusionist set. "Is the front gate a trap?"

Zin had offered the magic breaker. Dean sparked at that. He had heard of them used in practice, but had failed to see one work to date. He shrugged, and his mind was made up. "It should be me." he announced loudly enough for his party and who knows who else to hear. "Zin, if you'll let me have it, I'll take the magic-breaker and trot on through the gate. Keep a watchful eye for any sign of magic, and try to give me a headsup. Cen, Murd, I'd have you both close behind me should the situation prove to be a trap. The rest of you should follow Mikan through whatever entrance she chooses, stick to any shadows you find and flank whatever finds us".

 

[Holmishire]

Aëyr
Tuleria, Unto the Breach​

---

As Otto and his men charged towards their enemy, Aëyr raised her arm to indicate to the scouts to hold for a moment. "Fire a volley at the main body," she declared, designating the twelve charging demons and slinging a stone herself. At this distance, picking out individual targets would ineffective. Instead, she hoped to take out least a few of the charging demons before the two lines merged in a brutal mélée, rendering it even more difficult to strike without worry of friendly fire.

With that first attack granting them a sufficient delay as suggested by Otto, the selkie beckoned them to reload and follow the buccaneers. "Once we're closer to enemy ranks, prioritize the flying ones," she ordered, moving down the slope a short distance behind the bulk of the group, another stone already loaded for attack.[/hr]

 

[Hellis]

Childs eyes flickered to the mask before it even hit the floor, eyes widened as it crashed with a sound that to her was deafening, but to everyone else was just hollow clonking noise. Her eyes narrowed at the ghoul as her entire body trembled like a violin string about to snap. Yet some part of her remained deathly still, calm in the face of her comrades death and her unmasking. Vengence burned a cold fire in her heart and she breathed out slowly as called forth another spirity to grant her speed and reflexes.She was pushing her powers and she knew it. But she worked smart to, she moved around, using the speed and agility of her healthy body to move towards the damages side of the ghoul where it would not be able to slash properly at her. Tag it deep again then leave its crippled body to help nearest living ally. Trying to flank whatever opponent awaits her.

 

[HerziQuerzi]

Protector Yuri
Tuleria, Unto the Breach​

---

Yuri hung back alongside Aeyr and the scouts as Otto and the Tulerians charged forward. She stepped to the side as they prepared their first volley, so as to avoid impeding their line of sight, but afterwards moved in front of them as they made their way down the sand dune. Her skin prickled as they moved forward, a combination of the desert heat causing her to sweat as well as nervousness. Before, the fight had started before they had even left the underground tunnel. Now, she was in position to get a good look at the enemy and do nothing except wait in case some broke through to attack the scouts.

 

[Kadaeux]

Renalta: Heart of Madness
Murderok​

Murd kept up with the party easily enough until they found themselves confronting the castle. "Nice castle." He said as he kept Manbreaker ready. The one called Dean was quick to decide to simply rush the front gate and Murd couldn't help but agree with the decision. He didn't say so aloud, but he figured that the Illusionist would probably be smart enough to suspect everyone would think of the front gate as a trap, and self-absorbed enough to believe nobody would be smart enough to believe anyone would realise this. So any trap on the front door was probably going to be weak, if there at all.

Though since he knew Mikan that was no certainty. "I've got your back Dean." He said keeping about ten paces behind him.

 

[Brovo]

"You may be right. Xavier is far too set in his ways… He very well may be the death of this kingdom in the coming years." -Rayvon, Page 7.

The Escalating War​

Slowly, carefully, with each step premeditated, a figure in a sanguine robe entered a small room. There, in that room, sat a small table with various documents on it, a piano, and a single, open window. Sunlight flooded through the window, with the sounds of a thriving city in the distance flooding through into it. The figure in sanguine pulls back her hood, revealing her to be none other than Amanda the Archmage. "You summoned for me?" Amanda spoke softly to Kouri, who was leaning over the table, staring at the documents upon it. Beside her, Alex stood dutifully, and strangely armed--though given the times, it was not entirely out of the ordinary. Kouri ushers Amanda closer to sit in front of the table. Though the archmage raised an eyebrow quizzically, she complied.

"You realize... You should have left Tuleria to die." Amanda stated plainly, as she clears her voice and glances at the documents on the table. "All of these deaths have meaning in the greater web of fate." Kouri shakes her head, and looks at Amanda, eye to eye. "We're not going with your plans anymore." The archmage blinks, not fully understanding what it is Kouri had just implied. "Excuse me?" The queen continues to stare the archmage eye to eye, unflinchingly. "Your plans involved sending a blind knight onto a battlefield. Your visions into the future ultimately resulted in recruiting painfully weakened people." Amanda smiles softly, knowingly. "They have grown at a remarkable pace, just as I said they would." Kouri sits down opposite to Amanda, a seething anger boiled under the surface of her eyes, much unlike the composure she would ordinarily show as a politician.

"There is a pile of dead sitting in a nameless graveyard that speak to the contrary."
"You realize I can only discern potential futures? I give you these names as they are the ones I saw in the most numerous of best futures."
"Your excuses for a pitiful display of vague soothsaying are grinding my patience to a fine powder, Amanda."
"And again, as I've told you before, I can only discern potential futures. I can see where Fate's web lies, and--"
"And what? Mikan has managed to get access to your core records before. She knows that she was supposed to die and Marcus was supposed to live according to what you discerned of Fate's Web... Explain how it is that she lives, and Marcus died."
"Fate merely prescribes suggestions."
"Suggestions? Really?"
"Yes."
"That's not what you told me before."
"It is so, you simply did not understand me."
"You're amused by this... This is not an amusing situation. Look at these papers before you, look at all the dead men your prophecies have failed to save."
"My prophecies, no matter how flawed, are the best possible attempts at a good future."
"Possible, potential, suggestions--these are all weasel words, Amanda. I'm a trained politician, an experienced politician. Do you really believe you can win me over with this?"
"What would you propose as an alternative?"

Kouri slowly rises to her feet, nodding to Alex. Alex grins, revealing her fangs in a wolfish manner, before speaking plainly. "We decide for ourselves who deserves what position." Amanda tilts her head. "Beg your pardon? How will you do that, exactly?" Alex grabs two of the documents and looks at them, over-exaggerating her tone into one of derision and mockery. "I am going to promote a captain to lead a group... Hmm... Now do I promote the blind knight who literally cannot see where to lead the other Queen's Blades... Orrrr... Do I promote the highly experienced sheriff who has repeatedly defended towns from horrid raiders with amazing levels of competency... Hmm... This is such a difficult decision..." Amanda rolls her eyes. An unnatural gust of wind suddenly blows through the room and rips the two pieces of paper out of Alex's hands. "If you're proposing a meritocracy, I should remind you that one of you got their position by blood, and the other by legal binding through wearing a chunk of silver."

Kouri shakes her head and kisses Alex on the cheek affectionately, showing amusement with her performance, before turning back to Amanda, with an irritated look. "I earned my position through great personal sacrifice, so did my wife. It's true that my children will inherit the throne by blood rite, but if they fail to be proper leaders, they will be deposed as is appropriate by the people... Either way, this distracts from the real point: Amanda, your services to the throne are no longer necessary." Amanda stands up, her hands slowly curling into fists. Alex's hand instinctively goes to the pommel of her blade, though Kouri reaches out and grasps it with a gentle look in her eyes. Alex hesitates, then begrudgingly takes her hand off the pommel of her blade. Kouri looks to Amanda, and the archmage's hands slowly unfurl. "That was uncouth of me. I apologize... However, I must inquire as to what drove you to such an extreme end."

Though tension permeated the room, the queen showed some understanding in her eyes. "Your services are no longer necessary because Hanus Wolfsblood, Alexandria, and myself, have all come to the same tactical accession of your plan: It is dangerous. You may be certain of your uncertain futures, but we're not. We've fought the Gods, you did not. You don't seem to understand that we have limited numbers, they don't." She idly reaches down to the table and picks up two pieces of parchment: They were death certificates of Queen's Blades. "We can't afford to keep betting on your uncertain promises." To emphasize her point, she drops one of the certificates. "For every demon that dies, they simply return to the Nine Hells and come back. For every one of us that dies..." She drops the second death certificate in front of Amanda: It was Thailen's certificate. "...Their heroism can never be felt, again."

Amanda crosses her arms over her chest, remaining silent, though she looked unconvinced. Kouri continues, passion in her every movement and within her voice. "We can't win a war of attrition. We can't just keep gathering more power, or more artifacts. We have limited manpower. The people that you pinpoint for greatness have no sense of the bigger picture... The Tuleria Incident was not only politically humiliating, but resulted in my having to interfere directly to save millions of lives--specifically because the people you imbued as saviours of the future felt it more important to save a decrepit angel than the lives of millions of people!" Amanda chuckles and smiles, though there was something unsettling in the way the corners of her lips twitched. "You don't understand child. Their deaths were necessary: With Tuleria's death, our odds of success increase, as they would grow cocky and build their main portal early, giving us added chances of destroying it." Kouri's eyes turn sharply into a glare. "Necessary by who's standards... Fate? We both know that Fate can be wrong. We're both highly skilled magicians, so we both know that Fate arguably isn't even a physical entity so much as it is a force of nature! You don't bet survival on whether the winds will blow favourably, or on whether a wild animal will kill you when you turn your back to it."

Amanda opens her mouth to speak, only to jump in surprise when the queen slams her fists onto the table. "Millions of lives cannot be spent in a game of chance! We've tried it your way, and I had to interfere directly to stop the Nine Hells from obliterating our only source of artillery! Our only source of gunpowder! Our only consistent source of firearms--leave alone magically imbued by the Magi Circle!... Your plan has thus far led us into oblivion. Nature may not intend for our survival... In all of your wise mumblings about the nature of magic to your pupils, did you ever consider that it may just be callous enough in its mutability to not care who wields it, or for what purpose?" The archmage leans forward, placing her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands with a somewhat bored expression. "You are attributing sentience to a force of nature." Kouri is the one to raise an eyebrow, though it showed an irritated twitch. "You're the one reading tea leaves and trying to suggest national policy on it!... Amanda, I trusted you. The help you gave in rebuilding Renalta was invaluable, but in this... You do not know how to rule a nation, or win a war." Amanda laughs, and replies with amusement in her voice. "I restored magic to the world, did I not?"

Kouri, unflinchingly, unerring in her mannerism, replies coldly. "At the cost of tens of millions, including your own people, your own family, and your own guild."

The colour quietly fades from the archmage's face, the corners of her lips drop, and her eyes quietly dim to uncertainty. A few moments of bitter silence followed as Kouri slowly stands straight, and looks down on Amanda. "I will still call upon you and your Guild for assistance on matters of magic. Your Guild is still welcome to stay here, free to do as it wishes. We have given your strategy a try: And it has failed. Now, we do things my way. People will be held accountable for what they do. People will be promoted or demoted on personal merits shown in the field. They will be properly armed, atop being properly trained. Recruits will be vetted on personal records, though you're free to voice your opinion--it will only be treated as such. We cannot win a war of attrition, so we will no longer fight one. We will do things my way." Amanda looks up at Kouri, a look of bitter pain in her eyes. "Childishly and blindly?" Alex grins and snaps her fingers to get the archmage's attention. "... Aggressively and cunningly."

Slowly, her hands clenched into fists of rage, the archmage stands up, sliding her chair back as she does so. "The odds of success in this are a thousand to one." Kouri smiles, softly: It was a purely political look, and made fake enough for Amanda to see it for what it was. "Afraid of a little game of chance now that you're no longer the one rolling the dice, Amanda?" Without a further word, the archmage walks out of the chamber, and disappears in the hallway. In the distance, clouds and rolling thunder could suddenly be seen and heard. Kouri glances out the window and sighs as Alex walks over to her, resting her hands on Kouri's shoulders and rubbing them gently. "It was the right thing to do." Kouri nods, though the disappointed look was still plainly on her face. "I know... I just hope we don't take too many casualties this time." Alex turns Kouri around, and brings her in for a gentle kiss. "We made it through the Gods with just outcasts... We can do it again." Kouri nods, and smiles against Alex's lips. "Yes, we can... Hopefully, so can the Queen's Blades. It's not our time anymore."

"It's theirs."

Alex shakes her head and chuckles.

"I'd ask my goddess for mercy, but that would just be ironic now, wouldn't it?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Kingdom of Renalta - Heart of Madness​

Mikan glances to Dean with concern and uncertainty, and was about to speak in protest to his plan to risk himself on traps, only for James' voice to interrupt her. "There aren't any traps there. Just my droning voice... I apologize about my tardiness, I was busy for a moment, looking for Mikan's kiddo. I'd tell him to say hi to mommy, but he's a bit... Preoccupied." Mikan's hands clench up into fists. She looks to Dean and nods, motioning with her head for him to proceed into the castle. He does, cautiously, and finds that indeed: It was not trapped. "Look, I'm really not a bad guy... May as well tell my side while you march over to enact mob justice on me." Mikan glances around the halls, taking the lead and only stopping to defer to Zin about which direction to go in. All done wordlessly, as it seemed James wasn't able to see them at that moment--that, or James was fucking with them again.

"Let's see... I gave you Sloth's Child... I gave you ample opportunities to disarm all of my explosive traps. I gave you free training, and how did you respond? By attacking my carnival! Dean especially! Surely you should know that all of those people had families... Women... Children... Kind of like the one I left in two pieces in Mikan's home. Did you like the message I left on the wall? It wasn't really my idea, just the voices... After all, you murder people too. What gives you the right? Hm? Don't you realize that your queen is a puppet for Amanda! I'm trying to wake all of you up to the strings that she uses to toy with you! Don't you realize what I am?! Amanda created me, and now she's left it up to you to destroy me instead of fixing me!"

Mikan ascends a flight of stairs, the group finding the castle environment was slowly degenerating, becoming more inconsistent as they grew closer to the chamber which contained James. Paintings on the walls, even, started to reflect distorted images of people, rather than the clear images they saw before. There were a few puppets along the walls, made of straw and clay, some looked like they could be partially animated, but all were unfinished. "Don't you get it? I'm a living weapon! I was made to create nightmares! To kill, to murder, to devour and rape and pillage like the greatest plague of locusts to ever cross the lands! If you spare me... I can rectify what I have done. For Mikan, especially..." Quietly, in the background, the group could hear a croaking noise, followed up with a gurgle. "Don't worry, he isn't conscious yet, and he doesn't feel the pain."

Mikan freezes up for a few moments, a sickened realization plastered across her face.

"I'll make it all better. I have the keys now. I have the power now. I've made the proper sacrifices, betrayed the Nine Hells before they could betray me... I'm going to fix this universe of strings, and I'm going to start with the sins created by my madness... It's a gift... A man-made miracle... Lovingly constructed, crafted, and touched..." Mikan closes her eyes as she starts shaking a little, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself before opening her eyes once more. The look in them was frigidly cold and maliciously calculating: The flirtatious thief was nowhere to be found. She motions for everyone to proceed down a long hallway towards what appeared to be the throne room. "Don't forget... I'm doing this because you deserve a reward for everything you've done. Soon, you'll all be free from Amanda's strings... And you'll thank me for it."

Mikan kicks open the doors to the throne room, unsheathing her blades. A single, large, well decorated space greeted them. Natural light flooded in from holes in the ceiling, where pieces of it had caved in. The decorations were difficult to discern between the warped way in which they wrapped around debris on the floor, and the random points at which the vividly eye-catching marble had disintegrated into a liquid. At several feet away at the center of the room stood Dirge, and on each side of him, a pair of half-orcs. By Dirge's side, a dire wolf growled, saliva dripping from his fangs. The group would recognize one of them as one that had been slain before. "I fixed his sons... They live again. Just as yours will soon, Mikan... I'm the messiah this sickly world needs. I'll be the cure for death, and all the sacrifices made up until this point will be worth it. If you want to get at me, I'm behind the throne... But Dirge, well..."

Dirge pats his large warhammer, his shining plate armour seemed almost dimmed by the sorrowful expression across his face.

"... You'll have to get past him first."

The large orc knight looks across the group and bows his head respectfully. His two half-orc sons follow suit, though they seemed unaccustomed to it. "I am sorry that we must fight. I have listened to the exploits of the Queen's Blades and have a great deal of respect for what it is you do." He then glances at Dean, and grins. "From one warrior to another, I ask only one thing: Should I perish this day, bury me with my sons." He hefts his warhammer up. "I will give the first move to you. Good luck, for I shall spare no quarter in my duty."

Imperium/Amazons - The Dream of Empire​

As Armerza searches through the rubble and discovers Minstrol's corpse, Fahim glances over the Agent of Greed. The demon chuckles awkwardly and looks Fahim over. "Look I can offer you more! I can tell you all about battle plans!" Fahim shakes his head and grabs the demon's bare skull with one hand. "W-wait, no, come on! You're the good guys! GOOD! YOU SPARE ME, YES?!? IMAGINE WHAT YOUR SUPERIORS WILL SAY!" The shapeshifter's voice was monotone as his grip on the skull tightened slightly. "'Good job.'" The Agent of Greed shrieks in terror as Fahim's hand grows in size slightly. He then crushes the skull with one hand into several pieces: The shrieking ends immediately thereafter, and the body slumps to the ground. "You're not a female, you can't bargain your life to a Free Holder." Veira looks at him and wrinkles her nose. "Really?" Fahim glances back at her with confusion. "What? Not a good one liner?" Veira shakes her head. "No, honey, no. It's not really that... I mean, that 'one liner' was bad, but... Ah... Forget it, we'll talk about it later."

The spirit gazed at the scene with some measure of entertainment before turning to Armerza. It floats down from the ceiling to Armerza's level, to speak to her more respectfully. Its green outlined seemed to shimmer briefly in thought, as though recalling something from another location. "This room was dedicated towards training Imperial soldiers to fight in environments where gravity betrayed them. They often faced opponents with intense magical training, who would give advantages to their own troops that we had to emulate to survive. This was one such method." It shimmers again in thought, then glances to the next room. "Your final trial awaits you."

Veira glances between the various group members, then raises her hand awkwardly. The spirit glances to her and nods for her to speak. "I feel magic in the next room... I believe Sonia does, too. And uh... I wonder... What is that?" The spirit smiles in an empty manner. "The end." Veira blinks in confusion. "Of?" The spirit replies calmly. "Life. Your journey."

Fahim steps forward, motioning for Gremlock & Sonia to follow him. He reaches the door, and takes a deep breath as he hardens his torso and opens the door. Dust is kicked up into the air, and the scent of incredibly stale air wafts into the room they were in: This room had been sealed for many ages. Fahim takes a step through first, and glances about the chamber. It was a large, flat space, constructed as a perfect 150x150x150 meters. At the back of the room, illuminated in a brilliant white light, were several objects of interest: Most documents, though five soul gems were present. Each soul gem was a different colour: Red, blue, green, orange, and black. At the center of the room was a 15 foot tall golem. Short chains wrapped its arms that had a reach of 8-10 feet, and it appeared to be constructed out of sand, though it had a metallic outer layer--akin to plate mail armour, but perhaps a bit thicker: Though it was difficult to discern for sure.

The spirit waves the group goodbye, and vanishes. The golem then starts to come to life, and speaks with her voice. "You didn't think you could sneak mages in here under my watch, did you, Gault traitors?... Turn back now, or face the fury of a Mechanist's accursed creation."

The golem was slow to awaken, giving the group the first few seconds to make their move: It appeared to have suffered from age, though it was still a force to be reckoned with. Both mages felt the magical presence permeate the room, though it was difficult to discern from where: It wasn't the golem itself, however...

Kingdom of Liveria - Ancestral Bonds​

Before the group left for the chamber, Gabriel knocked the orc prisoner out--allowing them to leave him behind with ease. The travel to the chamber was fairly uneventful, though Zoe occasionally dove the group for cover whenever she heard orcs nearby. Two orc patrols were narrowly avoided, though they were hardly doing their duties. Once they reached the chamber, they could hear a hissing noise above them. Zoe immediately raises her crossbow and stops just short of shooting a large spider in the head, as it spoke in its own defense. "Missstressss needed it. It could not reach mistress safe. It hides, here." He looks at Andrea: The reflection of the drow priestess could be seen clearly in its black abysses for eyes. "Mistress commands?" It seemed to still struggle with enunciating the common tongue.

Zoe shudders and keeps several feet away from it, as Gabriel smiles and bows his head to it. "Always good to have more help." The spider ignores Gabriel and continues to stare at Andrea, following her every movement. Zoe glances about the chamber, noting that there was only one way in or out. She adjusts her mask uncomfortably before glancing down at the hole through the ceiling. It was located at the back of the room, and had a rope that could lead up and down. As she continues to examine this, Kasim drinks his vial. Before him, a creature with mangy black fur appears, scars all over its body and snout. His every breath exhaled smoke, as he looks darkly at Kasim. He tilts his head: It was clear to everyone in the room that he had summoned a dire wolf, but it didn't seem quite normal. "Kasim..." He speaks telepathically to him, and everyone else in the room. "I am Goran, the grandfather you never met. I was a mercenary captain, and now I am..." He looks over himself. "...A mutt." He then glances at Helénē, and chuckles, though the wolf sounded odd chuckling. "I know that look anywhere." The princess blushes lightly, and looks away. She coyly kicks the wall behind her. "It's just too bad she came here. She will probably be dead soon. Little things like her don't last." He licks his chops. "I hope to taste demon flesh before then." Helénē's blush quickly fades to a frown, though she remains resolute.

Gabriel looks at the wolf and grimaces. "I'll have to fly you down when the fighting starts." The wolf snorts. "I look uglier than I am."

Zoe motions for everyone to be silent, and then waves Kasim and Andrea over to herself. She glances down into the hole, and motions for them to follow her fingers: Much of the chamber was obscured from view, but three orc targets could be seen within view for them to strike. She then motions to Rayvon and Gabriel. "Each one of us will pick an orc to attack around the bottom of the rope here. Once they're down, Gabriel takes the dire wolf down. We follow one by one." Her eyes glance to Rayvon. "You go down last. Helénē needs proper protection in case we're attacked from behind like I think we will be."

Gabriel nods in agreement with the plan, then takes a deep breath. "Beware the Agent of Wrath. He can and will try to influence us with rage. Any of us can be turned on one another if we succumb to darker impulses--even if only briefly, seeing as either Rayvon or myself can dispel it." Zoe glances up at Gabriel sharply. "Can either of you succumb?" Gabriel nods. "Though we are more resistant by nature." Zoe then glances to Kasim and Andrea. "Pick your targets. We begin this foolish assault with your attacks."

Goblin Holds - Antiqua Scientiam​

As Aslo finishes off the ghoul Nyla kept pinned to the wall and wraps his cloak around her, she slumps against the wall and smiles deliriously. "Go get em'..." Her voice was weak, but proud.

Child was able to easily and deftly dance around the wounded Ghoul, striking with a simple and precise grace that ripped open the left side of its torso. It stumbles and wheezes, feebly swings out at her, and then simply collapses. Though it was still breathing, the visible tears that Child had ripped through its flesh showed that it was falling into cardiac arrest. Its lungs were desperately heaving up and down, and one was popping out of its rib cage, but it was a feeble attempt at survival: It was going to die within the next minute or so without immediate medical care. Before Child could celebrate her victory, she would feel a sudden pang of head pain, as several voices overwhelm her. She knew what this was: It was a symptom of summoning spirits so much in such a short time frame. It would be gone in a minute or so, but until then, a headsplitting headache ripped through her mind, and anyone who touched her would hear whispers in their own minds.

Venatrix, meanwhile, slowly started to overpower the demon in front of itself. With several jerky movements, it manages to bend the Ghoul backward until its spine snaps in several unsettling places. It then drops the Ghoul on the ground and places its boot on the Ghoul's throat. In one movement, it snaps the Ghoul's neck, killing it.

With the remaining Ghouls dead, it made it an easy task for Aslo to intimidate the remaining imps with his boasts. The brave imp charges him, screeching incoherent remarks as his fellows behind him flee in terror at a surprising pace. With a simple kick, it was easy for Aslo to send the imp flying into the wall beside the exterior doorway. It bounces off of the wall, dazed, and hurt, but still not panicking like its brethren impressively enough. Still, it wasn't in a condition to fight them, as it had been solidly stunned by the blow against the wall.

Amidst all this, Unamo looked to Maeven with confusion. Had something gone wrong on the throne? She walks, tired, back into the room with the console. She passes it, Venatrix, and Fafnir, over to Nyla. Kneeling beside her, she takes the cloak off and starts examining the wounds. A frown reaches her lips. "I'm not sure I can treat this in my state..." Nyla reaches out and grasps Unamo by the collar, leaving some of her blood on Unamo's clothes. "There is no try, only do." Unamo takes a deep breath and sighs. "You should listen to less Imperial propaganda." Still, nonetheless, Unamo starts attempting to treat Nyla's wounds. "You should stop listening to the voice that tells you that you can't... Believe it..." Nyla cracks a blood-toothed grin as she leans her head back against the wall. "Funny... How did my brother get here..." Unamo sighs and shakes her head, glancing over to Aslo. "She's losing her grasp of reality. Even if I stabilize her, I'm not sure she'll be a useful combatant with this much blood loss."

Meanwhile, Maeven sat upon the throne, the voice repeating itself once more in her mind...

Kingdom of Tuleria - Unto the Breach​

Aeyr's command is obeyed to the letter by the Imperial scouts, who open fire without hesitation. Four arrows whistle through the sky, and two miss completely. One hits a Doom Guard in the torso, though it seems to just rip it out and shrug it off with an angered howl. The second manages to find its mark, hitting one of the twelve humanoid demons in the forehead and sending it sprawling off its feet and backward onto the sand.

Otto's charge was triumphant in keeping the attention of the enemy. The succubus summons a throwing knife into one of her hands and throws it at Otto, who ducks. Unfortunately, the man behind him was not quite so lucky, and the throwing knife impales itself right in his throat. The Tulerian tumbles forward, dead before he could even reach the fight. Otto leads his men into glorious melee combat, though his forces wouldn't last long against both the humanoids, doom guards, and flying creatures, and the succubus. Not one flinched, however: They all stayed to fight, and remarkably, they moved with agility, evading most blows rather than having to block them at all. The flying creatures seem to hesitate, unsure of which targets to attack first in the flurry beneath them.

That left only one creature unaccounted for.

Aeyr would spot it first, moving through the sands until it burrowed deep enough to no longer disturb the sand above it. It was traveling away from them...

Meanwhile, within the sand tunnel, both Quar and Arkos would detect movement coming toward them, though only Arkos would be able to discern that it was the burrowing creature, traveling towards them from the east. "If we surface now, we risk not being able to reach the portal before the enemy can intercept us! Arkos, what do you think? And tell Toorg where it is coming from so he can brace for it instead of our mages!"

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An Act of Great Betrayal​

"My, but that you are pliable..."
"Thank you, I like to pride myself on flexibility, given the right reasoning."
"Well, I think it's quite clear what your reasoning is..."
"...Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."
"A wise decision... Envy will not forget your contribution."
"Especially since Kouri has shunned me... What about my daughter? Will she be safe?"
"Of course. We'll ensure that she's... Properly persuaded, and... Given everything she will need."
"Good... You know, I can't... Help but wonder... Why I didn't do this before."
"You simply didn't understand... Now you do. Now you're enlightened. Welcome to the fold... Welcome to the future, where you will get everything you could want..."
"Excellent. Let's get started, then--what should I do to help further the cause?"

 

[Kadaeux]

Kingdom of Renalta - Heart of Madness
Murderok​

Murd listened to the rambling of the madman and calmly exchanged the Bolt on the Manbreaker. Dirge was a powerful looking Orc and his sons were no slouches, but he'd promised they'd get the first move. Murd smiled as he prepared the bolt and raised the Manbreaker in a swift movement. "Orc, it'll be an honor. But i'd rather just stop your employer." He aimed at the roof above the Throne, he could feel Manbreaker trembling in his grasp, begging to be unleashed.

"If we both get out of this alive Orc, look me up in the Renaltan Capital, you might need the work." Murd said pulling the trigger on Manbreaker.

 

[Hellis]

The pain was as sudden as it was intense, and almost made Child drop to one knee. The spirits wrapped around her neck like a invisible noose. This was the price she payed, she had sacrificed spirits to fuel Umano, and then harbored two different spirits in short order. The balance had been severely disturbed by all this and she was feeling every bit of it.

"Give yourself to us!" They screeched as they clawed at her mind and she felt incorperal teeth gnawing at her very brainstem. Her eyes flickered like dying gaslights and she stumbled. Her eyes looked for a focus, she her mask, laying on the floor. She almost had to crawl to it, slipping it on, helped by the familiarity of. But it didn't keep the voices out, not today. "Murderer! You are not fit for that body!" Another voice, louder then the others. She breathed hard, shaking her head like a child having a tantrum, gritting her teeth so hard she felt the bones in her jaw creek. She fell to her knees, clutching her head in both hands as tears streamed down from behind the mask.

"Get out... get out....Get out... get out....Get out... get out..." She half begged, half moaned in pain. The pain subsided lightly, not due to her words but becouse it was only temporary. She simply rocked slighly in place, repeating her mantra and clasping her head.

 

[Kestrel]

---

Esyllt Boudica - Goblin Holds​

---

Had she chosen wrong? The doubt echoed through her head as Unamo yelled out Daevon's name. Not even looking back before she had gotten Unamo to safety, Esyllt fought off the speculations in her head. Past the doors, the amazon spirit wielder wriggled out of Esyllt's grip. When the young knight turned around, she saw exactly what had happened. Their telekinetic comrade had fallen.

It wasn't long before fate threatened to have Nyla suffer the same fate. Her venatrix and Aslo managed to dispatch of the remaining foes, but the damage had already been done. "I know naught of healing arts," Esyllt admitted to Aslo. She knelt down next to Nyla, "I cannot save your life, but if I live through this I promise I will bring you to someone who can."

Esyllt gestured Unamo to stay back and placed her hand on Nyla's forehead. Like the Venatrix had been summoned earlier, the same way Nyla vanished. Esyllt wiped off the sweat that had gathered on her brow, then sighed of relief. She could finally catch her breath.

"Nyla is safe for now," Esyllt explained Unamo and Aslo. "No harm can reach her, not her wounds." However, we cannot rest yet." It wasn't just the prospect of Maeven and the uncertainty of the throne, or the spiritual presence she had noticed earlier, there was much more to worry about. "Aslo, we don't know if there are more fiends outside. Do you have a way to find out? I can send my golem to accompany you. It's soul once belonged to a skilled hunter." Esyllt said, failing to mention the Venatix' origin near their Amazonian comrade. "If the imp reaches it's masters, they may come for us again."

"Unamo, would you tend to Child? She seems in pain." Esyllt asked. The young girl was crying in pain, as if possessed she repeated the same words. Esyllt did not understand well why, but from her words it seemed it had to do with the spirits dwelling the abandoned factory.

"I will see if I can support Maeven. These golems are different from what I know, but perhaps there is something I can do."

 

[Tempest]

Kingdom of Liveria – Ancestral Bonds
Rayvon Krayvitch​

Rayvon nods upon Zoe's suggestion. She looks at the spider with raised brows and back at Andrea with raised brows. She had seen the thing briefly on their last mission in Liveria, but she had no idea that she had kept it so long. More surprising was that it could speak common. A morbid curiosity wonders how it could do so with those spider fangs of its, but only briefly. Her eyes cast aside to Haruuk. There were some side-effects of the purged corruption still. She wondered how they might yet manifest in the wolf.

Still, as she takes up a vigilant watch at the top of the ladder, Rayvon takes hold of shield and sword. The angelic sword casts its pale blue light about the chamber and again she feels a wave of guilt for having retrieved it by abandoning the others. She tries not to think too much about it as the others go forward. She would be ready to intercept any attempts on anyone's life. She would protect the princess.

---

The Goblin Holds – Antiqua Scientiam
Maeven Lucre
​

It had been splitting pain in her skull that had left her reeling and in shock. She could scarcely process anything after the initial overload of information. The first time it called out, it had been but a faint whisper to the red pain in her mind and the pounding within her skull. Now, though, she heard it and it sent a chill through her very being. There was power here, old and great and something that could scarcely yet be understood. Yet, here she was, upon the seat of control; that was what she knew it to be now that she was upon it, and it asked her what their purpose was here. She knew not if it was a mistake, yet, to awaken this ancient thing, but she scarcely knew if they could survive another battle against another party of demons. So with a hushed whisper she tells the spirit, "We seek to purge this place of demons. Assist us in this task."

---

Kingdom of Tuleria – Unto the Breach
Arkos Cernunnos​

He was irritable with the prattling on of the elf mage. Oh how he could talk. He wished to tell off the man and point out just how flawed his plans were. If how he really wished not to have all of things riding upon one plan, he would not have had all the mages in one group and would have, himself, gone with the larger party. No, now he was listening to him jabber on. He grunts and considers just what jamming sand in his ear to drown him out would do. It was a foolish idea, but luckily the sand around them would mute his yammering on to the enemies' ears.

That in mind, though, he reaches out to the earth and draws it to him as a protective shell of armour once more. This time, though, he has an alteration of deadly punch-spikes along the fists so that he can be effective in combat at such close range. He dared not try and swing his glaive in such a confined area. He looks at his fellow mages, wondering if they made any preparations themselves. Apparently, none did. He glowers and shakes his head in disappointment. He could excuse the tunnelers, but he was growing increasingly frustrated with Quar. The man was insufferable.

And again he starts with his babbling. He could smother the man if only this time he at least spoke some portion of useful words. Arkos grunts and gestures with one hand the way in which it came from, "From the east."[/hr][/hr]

 

[Orion]

Goblin Holds - Aslo​

​

​

"Perfect" and with that Aslo grabbed the leg of the Imp, and pulled it inside the building. When he walked in he was shocked to see Nyla had vanished, the imp was dropped, but it lay stunned and immobile. He approached where she had been laying skeptically, his hands creeping closely to his sword. "What in god's name has gone on here? Where is the girl? Safe? Fuck you. Wh-"

Unamo steps over and grasps Aslo's shoulder, looking him eye to eye. Though she was fatigued, it wasn't difficult to read the relief in her eyes. "Esyllt has a device that can trap entities in a place where time does not pass, though I am unaware of how it specifically works. I'm not sure I could have saved her in this state, but we can bring her to someone better trained than I when we get out of this place, or we can wait until I've recovered enough to heal her... Esyllt is keeping her alive, Aslo."

The heat building inside Aslo subsided slightly as Unamo graspsed his shoulders. He listened with his tongue bitten. It was a load of nonsense to him, he didn't completely trust this Renaltan, but Aslo had decided to trust in the knowledge of others, and he backed off. If the magician trusted whatever the hell Esyllt had done, then he would too. For now. "Fine. She's safe. Pray for yourselves that she remains so." he glanced towards Child, admittedly she seemed in need of help as well. He turned his gaze from the Amazonian gruffly.

"She will be." Unamo sounded certain, though her body trembled a little, her eyes were still widened: She was highly tense. "Threats get us nowhere," she mumbles under her breath as she looks over to Child with concern in her eyes.

Aslo stifles a laugh to a quiet chuckle as Unamo mumbles. "You're right. My most sincere apologies. I suppose we can't all have the wherewithal to handle these situations with as much grace as you have."

Unamo shakes her head, her hands instinctively going to her forearms. She rubs her arms and tries to calm herself, but wasn't succeeding. "I'm not. I made a mistake." Her eyes wander over to Daevon's unmoving body. "I'm not a coward, but I'm not a leader."

Aslo nods, realizing the thick skull he was currently sporting. He sighs "It wasn't a choice you got to make. It wasn't a decision you should have had to make, but here we stand. Making the most of what we have." through clenched teeth Aslo continued "Try not to blame yourself. We all carry the blame for his death." The words spilling from his mouth tasted bitter, despite what he said he knew where the blame was.

"Hmph." The shaman nods, though it doesn't seem to ease her mind. It wouldn't be too difficult for Aslo to notice the somewhat dim look in her eyes, as he'd have seen it in beaten slaves of the Free Holds before. "I need time to think... I don't know why it seems so hard to do that right now." She glances to the stunned imp. "... Do what you need to do. I will take care of Child."

"Aye. Try not to work yourself to hard. We need you in one piece as much as we need Child." He started moving towards the Imp, until he recalled Esyllt's idea of hunting for the remainder of the Imps. It truely seemed as though some of these "Blades" had split personalities. Either that or just thrived on being contrary. When a situation urged agression everyone held their hands to their asses, and ran in fear. Yet now, with untold horrors in the city beyond, one of the cowards urged Aslo to go on a witch hunt more or less alone.

"No, I won't be going anywhere, and neither will anyone else until we regroup. There were seven other imps scattering only the gods know where, and even with your huntress I'd be generous to say we catch four of them. Add that to the fact that we'd be leaving you essentially alone here with injured, exhausted, and unconscious allies, easy pickings, and please tell me how that's a sound strategy? It's also worth mentioning we do not yet know what lies beyond these doors, and so anyone leaving, leaves themselves open to ambush. Not happening. Let them come to us. They'll be timid enough after this group failed, and we need the time to rest." Maybe once Maeven was off the throne. Maybe once whatever mystery this building held had been solved, and maybe after they got more information on what they were facing, but not now. The latter at least Aslo was sharp enough to tend to via the stunned imp. Aslo would travel back over and lean carefully over the Imp "So has the room stopped spinning at all?"

"NYAAAAEEEEE~" He spits in Aslo's face. "Yesyesyes mean kicker!"

Also avoids as much of the spit as he could, pulling his knife from its sheath and using it to pick at his nails. "That's a wonderful attitude. I want something to be clear from the beginning. I want to know everything about what you brought, and how much of it was brought." He loosely grasps the hilt of the knife so that it hangs over the imps head, blade threatening to drop at any moment. "Understand that if I find myself dissatisfied then you will experience immeasurable pain. Alternatively, this could go very smoothly... Just share away."

"You think you smart, threaten kill, go back home!" The Imp cackles, though eyes the blade nervously. "Threaten pain, but, more pain if I tell you anything! Endless pain!"

"Hmm... Fair point." He says sheathing his blade. "And you think they'll take you at your word if I send you back? They'll trust that you told us nothing? No... Accept early on that every second you spend out of sight of your masters is another second they believe you to have betrayed them, and everything becomes much easier for you. The simple fact is, that if you wish to avoid endless pain, you're better off hoping I don't decide to kill you."

The imp freezes for a moment, and then grins viciously, though its eyes remained focused on the blade. "You speak tough. I know my place, yes, but, if I speak, they will know. No death?"

Aslo laughs casually. Almost as if he were home and bartering for any trinket. "If you speak, and I like what I hear, no death. If you speak, and I really like what I hear, protection from death."

The imp perks up at that last part. He runs his tongue over his dagger-like teeth, and speaks quickly. "Many lies, deceits, yes. Agent of Pride, has boom tube from nation of gunpowder merchants and lizard people. Two lust hounds, a doom guard... Some... Thing. Weird thing, mechanist thing. Hard to believe, but, shape changes on a whim! Yes! I saw it with my own eyeballs, yes? Yes! They are hiding in plaza, dark, hard to see... I... Think they were going south, I-I can't remember, they no tell me. Other imps will scattereded, hide, yes." He looks up at Aslo. "You no kill now, yes?"

As the imp recited the numerous forces of the enemy Aslo did the math. Not good. He looked about him and saw only the glimmer of hope from Esyllt and Maeven, should she manage to come off the throne unscathed. And even then it relied heavily on undervalueing the damage whatever a Doom Guard could do. Not to mention the striking similarity between Fahim and whatever it was this Agent of Pride had. At least that one he had an idea of how to deal with. The rest were something of a puzzle to be solved. "No. There will be no killing yet. In fact this could be the beginning of something of a relationship. My protection for your service."

"Ooh, neat." The imp replied, simply.

"Perfect. Then welcome to the fight against the demons. Try not to get killed." he finished with his own vicious grin, directed at the imp who would no doubt go on to wish the wall had killed him. From there Aslo moved to the door to keep watch. It wouldn't serve him to drop his guard, especially now that he knew what waited out there. While there was nothing of note to the South marked on the map, that really meant very little considering the limited information they could gleam from it. Who knows what they might have found. Alternatively if they found the Plaza, and their hounds picked up a scent from Unamo's blood then it was only a matter of time before they were here anyway. Aslo would remain at the door, half fixed on the road ahead, and half expecting some form of treason from the imp.

Renalta - Dean​

​

​

Travelling through the castle with James' monologue in the back of his was maddening, but at the same time a bit intriguing. Not because he believed any of what was being said, he did raise some valid concerns where it came to Amanda, but everybody had reason to be concerned where that woman was involved. Still, James was a lunatic, and these were little more than his false justifications. What intrigued Dean was being seen as the villain. Certainly he had done some of the things James accused of. He hadn't been innocent before wielding Godsplitter, and since his "inheritance" it's legacy had only grown darker, if not more noble. However Dean had never seen himself as a man to be feared. A man to run from. A monster.

The thought put him on edge, which had its benefits, but it seemed as though the speech had a wholly different effect on Mikan. The further they ventured into the castle the more it seemed a personal vendetta, the odd gurgling or moan didn't escape him, and as the hints grew less subtle a sickness began to build in him. It wasn't long before he felt like charging through door after door to reach what he feared they might meet.

And then they were there. Dean squared off in front of Dirge. The orc may have had a height advantage, but Dean was far from a pushover. He began to look over what they had, as they were lucky enough to receive the first push, but before anyone had more than a second to think Murderok had fired his crossbow, a scowl would form on Dean's brow, and the fight would be on. From his quick assessment, none of the enemy had ranged weaponry, which made Zin and Murderok two of their most valuable assets. With the improvements placed upon Manbreaker it might even prove possible to lock down an opponent in battle, and have a covered shot provide a swift end to enemies.

That left Abjaar, Cennick, Mikan and himself each one enemy to occupy until such time as their advantage could overwhelm the enemy. Hopefully the others would see things this way. "Zin focus on the wolf. Your mind magic should serve well against such a feral beast, Mikan will help however she can I'm sure. Cen, Abjaar the half-orcs. Put them down, and don't take stupid risks." He said with a sideways glance to Dirge. "I have heard you are not without honor, you shall have your wish should this prove your last stand, but I would rather you and your sons walk away. Now."

With his piece said, he took up a defensive stance. Brandishing Godsplitter as menacingly as he could. Knowing Murderok would likely load another bolt and be ready to strike by the time Dirge and the others were upon them. He prepared himself for whatever strike Dirge may attempt, ready to dodge and strike back if an opportunity presented itself.

 

[Jorick]

Liveria - Kasim​

Though he was quite sure that the wolf creature, Goran, was indeed the spirit of his ancestor as claimed, Kasim felt oddly detached from it. He'd never really had much in the way of family, and rather than feeling any sort of warmth or connection he just felt.. numb. When he chose the Amazonian magic blood from the variety of useful object offered for this mission he had looked forward to finding out something interesting about his own lineage. Instead he was thoroughly unsurprised: a mercenary captain who was kind of an asshole seemed perfectly mundane and usual. The only interesting thing about it was that it seemed Kasim didn't come from a very long line of slaves, at least not on the one side of his family.

He spoke telepathically to Goran, and included Helénē on a whim. "Don't worry about her, I'll make sure she gets out of here just fine, preferably with the rest of us intact too. Just focus on getting that taste of demon flesh you wanted and we should do alright." He continued on, but solely to Goran, as he headed over to the hole to pick a target as Zoe had suggested. "Uh, just between you and me though, are you my grandfather on the mother or father's side, and do you know how I ended up a slave? I was never told if I was born of a slave or bought young, but if you've got any, I don't know, ghostly ancestral wisdom on that matter, I'd like to know. Just out of curiosity."

Once in position with bow drawn and arrow ready, Kasim silently indicated the leftmost orc from his vantage as his chosen target to Andrea and Zoe. He drew the string back and focused on aiming, going for a killing shot to the heart, and murmured a bit of his usual bragging nonsense to his fellow would-be snipers. "One time I shot a straining button off a fat man's coat without even slicing the fabric. Should be the same here, except it'll be blood bursting out instead of a massive gut. Let's get this done and kill us a demon." Rather than completely ruining the plan by rushing ahead at this point, Kasim waited for the others to be ready to fire so they could synchronize the death from above.

Renalta - Zin​

Zin could feel that the fate of this mission, and of James, would rest upon how the confrontation with Dirge played out. If the Blades killed him and his sons, then that would be the final nail in the Illusionist's coffin; Mikan and the others would kill him without a second thought if there was none but Zin present to argue for an alternative. If, however, she could ensure Dirge's survival and get him to see things from her perspective, flawed and hypocritical though it might be, then perhaps James would live through the day. He had done horrendous things certainly, but she couldn't stop thinking about what he had said, about his mission to save some lives that had brought him down dark and twisted paths. There was still hope for him to be redeemed, and Zin wanted to see him get that chance.

As the others spoke to the imposing orc, Zin tapped into the full measure of her vampiric abilities. First she used a trick she'd figured out only recently, subtly emphasizing her silver eyes and pale skin to give herself a supernatural allure, to appear less threatening and more appealing to those who looked her way; for good measure, she also tugged down the front of her shirt to show off some extra cleavage. A few moments after Murderok fired his massive crossbow, thankfully not at Dirge or his sons, and Dean finished his strategic spiel, which she chose to ignore, Zin spoke to the large orc in the hopes of catching his attention. "Dirge, it doesn't have to end like this." She tried to catch his gaze, now making use of the hypnotic power of her own eyes to try to compel him with more than just words and an aura of appeal. "I want to save James' life, not kill him. Help me. He can redeem himself by helping to fight the demons, and your duty will become a noble one instead of a burden. Join me in saving your friend's life from my bloodthirsty companions, please. We can help James set things right." Plea made, Zin gave the orc a mischievous little grin and added a little extra to make the proposition that much more appealing. "Oh, and I'll be sure to reward your valiant service, once we've got some time alone. The hero of a tale usually gets the girl after all, and I'd hate to ruin a good story."

TL;DR

Kasim privately asked Goran via telepathy for some details about his lineage, and he's taking aim at one of the orcs, waiting to fire in sync with the others. Crushing Blow, King Braggart, and Archer's Form traits all in play.

Zin is using her Supernatural Allure and Hyponotic Eyes trait (including Lady of the Night achievement bonus) to attempt to convince/seduce Dirge to help her save James' life.

 

[Andrea]

Kingdom of Liveria – Ancestral Bonds
Andrea Llolth'Allin​

For a moment it seemed like Andrea was about to let out a excited squealing sound upon seeing and hearing the spider but the brief fraction of a second that moment almost seized her passed and she just walked forwards, purring soothingly at the giant spider. Glancing at the others with a raised eyebrow, holding her gaze on the woman named Zoe till she backed off with her crossbow. She coed at it softly, beckoning it to move down enough so she could reach out and trace lightly over one of its legs as she replied to it in common, whispering softly. "That's alright lovely, mistress is pleased that you kept yourself safe." She smiled, looking the spider over to see if Huil was wounded or malnourished, neither seemed to be the case so she continued. "For now mistress commands you to stay close, and defend her from any attempting to harm her." She vaguely gestured to the orc zombie still under her control which had followed them through her will. "Nibble on that one if you feel hungry, not on the warm ones." She said with a silent chuckle and briefly repeated her instructions in Drow to make sure Huil understood her.

She grinned and winked at Rayvon when she noticed the paladin looking from the spider to her, "So you are all aware, my lovely Huil here. Can understand common... but I strongly suggest nobody try to order her around, she only obeys me." She scratched the spider lovingly on its head while it clicked its fangs together. Stepping away to follow Kasim as Zoe motioned the two of them over and detailed her plan. When Gabriel spoke up she listened, nodding slowly. "Ah, such a amusing thing to look forward to, though please , if I scream anything like 'skulls for the skull throne' as a black rage descends upon me, then please knock me out." She smiled wryly as she studied the sight below the hole and gestured to one of the orcs as her intended target after Kasim had done the same and held up her hand as she started concentrating her magic into it to hurl a lance of negative energy from her hand at the orc down below, waiting for when the signal was given to attack. And feeling oddly disturbed that it might be too easy, because to her all this talking and whispering they had done should have carried through this cave system and betrayed their presence plenty of times...