Active A Walk Through the Forbidden Forest

[RavenSong]

As the entire scene appeared to escalate, it was evident that many among the party were being taken somehow.

Joanne glanced quickly as the horseman entered the fray, using his mighty ability sent a thunderclap throughout the forest and emitting a flash that was nearly blinding and much more so to the fiendish undead.

It gave the crusader courage but for a moment as she reached for her blade on the ground yet when she rose to follow up with her own attack the horseman was gone. "Gods." She gasped. "No, where are you? Edwin!!" She called and looked around yet not a sign of him or his valiant steed. "This can't be." It was here that then the feline magician would disappear through the altar and with a flash Midnight was gone as well along with the eyeless malice that inhabited the altar.

Realizing they were suddenly taken down in numbers and as the amalgamation of corpses began to recover from the decisive strike the horde of undead corpses came into view. Their yellow whispy orbs glowing through the darkness. They were many. And still without any semblance of leadership or fellowship Joanne suddenly felt terrified.

"I.. Iselai.." she called out weakly as she looked behind her through her helm. "..are you.. still here?"

Rothgar then budged in, "Ah if you don't mind we should hurry!" He called out. Joanne wouldn't hesitate. "I'm afraid we've lost this battle." She said under her voice, only loud enough for Iselai to hear as she began to dark towards the wizard who then ran himself.

--

It was then that a strange river would come into view. It was wide and vast yet was misty. As if made out of fog. Unfortunately was no visible way across. "What now?" Joanne said with a small amount of worry in her voice as she looked back from where they came. She could swear the ground was shaking. Could it be the corpse amalgamate was after them as well?

Rothgar would then wave his staff a bit, "Ah yes, I know this place. The bargeman will see us through. You'd be relieved to know we are nearly there!"

A few more waves from his staff and suddenly a reddish arc of magic would appear, and out of the river then appeared a barge. However this barge was towed by souls. The bargeman would reveal a whip and strike at one of the rowers backs. "ROW! ROW!" he demanded as his executioner mask glowed brightly at the eyes all the same as the other spirits.

Once ashore by the party, the bargeman demanded, "Many want to cross the river, but few have the fee. Give me something worth my time."

Joanne looked at Rothgar then back at the bargeman, "I have nothing of value, for my oath to serve Dala has-"

"BAH! Dala.." he laughed in ridicule, "..pathetic. ha! Give us your armor and I shall let you pass."

"My armor? It's important to me, to us."

"It's important to us too."

Joanne then looked long and hard at the bargeman then behind her. "Very well." She'd remove the plate materials off her form and throw them in the barge save for the leathers that went underneath. "Now would you see us across?"

"Welcome aboard, sister."

Joanne would nod then get in the barge and reach out her hand to Iselai to help her in, then to Rothgar.

Once in route to the other side of the bank, Joanne sighed. "I.. have lost my faith.. and with that half of the company we set out with. Forgive me Dala." The nun would hang her head as she held herself up with her elbows on her knees. Her mind was reeling from the horrors she just experienced.

 

[Bakuyoshi]

Iselai





Iselai shook from the experience. Of all the things she tried to be prepared for this... This horrid amalgam of flesh and hate was too much. She couldn't even draw her blade at the sight of it.

Then came the thunderclap, she saw Edwin strike the beast with all his might. Yet somehow it meant so little. In an instant the man was gone, the cat was also gone. Both party members gone in the blink of an eye.

Thankfully whatever God was watching took some pity. She heard Joanne call her name, and old Rothgar still lived. She could only run after the two of them. Unable to fully respond to any of the situation.
-----------------------

At least she was unable to speak until they finally got on the ship. Then it hit her more then anything else.


"I'm such a god-damned hypocrite." She let fear take hold at the sight of that, thing. After she had tried to encourage the party to hold faith she faltered.

"Sister... I'm sorry I couldn't even raise my blade or even help. I'm sorry. I..." She trailed off, clearly unsure of how she could even try to justify her inaction when she could've done something.

RavenSong

 

[RavenSong]

As the three aboard the barge would continue through the foggy waters, the oars of the dead would row. A strangely fitting backdrop to the dread that the party felt.

Joannes own inner torment would appear to clear for a moment as Iselai's voice reached her ears. The gloom upon her features returning as she looked up at the defeated woman. "No, I.. suppose it's what anyone would have done in that moment. Yet, although I stood my ground.." she looked out into the endless foggy river. "..it wasn't until Edwin and Midnight disappeared that I truly felt defeated. It made me realize I wasn't truly within my faith. So.. I ran."

She hung her head again a bit, her eyes visibly full of sorrow as she closed them, "However, somehow deep in my heart I'm just glad you're here."

Rothgar would quickly drift off into a nap. But he would then suddenly wake up in a panic. "AH! We must hurry bargeman! Hurry!"

The bargeman executioner would chuckle, "Ah.. you feel it close old man?"

Joanne, startled would pick up her sword, "What is it?"

Rothgar would tremble, "The.. fiend.. the river monster."

"River monster?" The nun gasped, then before long a tentacle would burst out of the water and wrap around Joannes torso. The monster gripped so tight it would blow the wind out of her. Then, a squid like creature would reveal itself not exactly a giant one but of good enough size to tilt the barge a bit. The bargeman wouldnt bat an eye as he lashed one of the rowers. "WE'VE BEEN PAID TO ROW, NOT TO FIGHT VERMIN! ROW!"

It was here the river monster would seem to peel at Joannes skin revealing the whispy face of Joannes very soul. Mustering her strength, Joanne would slice the tendril and would crash back down upon the barge. The nun gasped for air as she then lifted her sword up again.

(E Grade Encounter)

 

[Bakuyoshi]

Iselai

​

Iseali was taken aback as Joanne was snatched up next to her, she wasn't able to reach it or her ally. Hearing the captain dismiss one of his own passengers setting, and then seeing her companions soul nearly ripped out of her. Her eyes widened in fear. But something else began to take shape in her mind


She was unsure what caused it, but by the time Joannne dropped something snapped in Iselai. Everything in this forest, from the horrid creatures, to people being lost, and now all of this, it was too much for her to keep smiling. She drew her blade and loomed over the water, an almost psychotic look on her face. "Come on you useless thing, try and grab one of us again! I will rip your damned tentacle off, find your mouth and force you to eat it!" She wildly swung her blade in the direction of the water, waiting for it to make another move, more then eager to fufill her threat to it.

RavenSong

 

[RavenSong]

Lifting up her sword, Joanne would stumble briefly as she regained her composure. Her sword pointed firmly at the crying river creature as it screeched from having a tendril sliced.
It was here that Iselai bravely mustered her courage and cried out to it threateningly.
It would fall for her taunt and suddenly the tentacled creature would wrap itself onto the barge. The vessel would lean to the heaviest side, as it would nearly capsize yet before such could happen the monster would reveal a skeletal like tendril that appeared like a massive spine. There was something else about it that would be briefly revealed to our would be fighters. At the base of the skeletal like razor spine a massive beating heart could be seen.
Joanne, having seen the monsters weak point would dash towards it. A light would suddenly shine forward as she used her ability.

• Unrelenting Force - Fighting Style F- Holy Sword - KnockBack - Raising her sword to the sky Joanne recites a prayer and strikes forward with faith and strength knocking back enemies. F Grade - 0 Cooldown

Dashing tendrils would be sliced as the crusader pushed past the world of slime that would ooze off the sliced. She was nearly there however as the spine like tendril would cut at her arm and side and send her flying landing with a crash.

The river creature would then grow back the sliced tendrils and let out a screech sending tendrils towards the two warrior women.

[E grade multi attack incoming]

 

[Bakuyoshi]

​

Iselai roared back upon hearing this thing shriek, she wasn't planning on going on the defensive, no she wanted this thing dead, she was going to make it regret popping out of the filth it dared to pop up out of. She was going to tear into it's beating heart with her hands if she had to. She was... going to...

She felt wrong as the anger ran through her, every movement did not feel right. She had no idea why this anger had erupted this much, but it feel as satisfying as it felt wrong to hate this thing, such conflicting feelings. But just this once, what did it matter to anyone if she killed this thing. Yes it was self defense, not murder or anything ugly along those lines.

"You should've stayed below the water where you belong you waste of flesh!"

RavenSong

Actions
1: 1: Vipers bite -Fighting Style (swords) F- Penetrating F
2: Normal swing
3: Normal swing

• D Strength(3) + E weapon(2) + F ability(1) = 6 effectiveness.