Fantasy Fading Flame (In Character)

[Kabboom]

Tharek Mortaghen
Understanding the situation well, the Giant made his way towards the perceived hole in the wall, indicated by the amount of noise, and pitch-black Darkborne circling the skies near it. Having been lost for the last half-hour or so, Tharek traveled across the vast area, trailing the wall, hoping to find a sentry or a weakspot, or a crevice a Giant could somehow sneak in through. But strangely, the rest of wall seems very sparsely-populated. The guards must've gone elsewhere.

Finally finding a sizeable crack in the wall with his poor eyesight, dimly lit by torches and gunfire, the Giant took a kneel to observe closer. A gigantic, scorpion-like Darkborne creature, releasing smaller flying Darkborne out of its thick hide, whilst blinding flashes fill the air sporadically, making eyesight readjustment an extra challenging task for Mortaghen.

Lifting up his Claymore, he prepared to face arduous battle, and begun rushing in from afar. He doubt if he'd actually make it into any sort of combat, seeing as the warriors taking care of it are very capable indeed, with what appears to be-- no, no mistake about it, they are definitely Guardians. Tharek sighed inbetween his huffing breaths as he rushed as quickly as a Giant wielding a giant sword could. Are these the same men and women he'll fight alongside?

Anna Eadburg
"By the Light, praised be its name, grant upon thee rest, and usher thine return into Light. Praise be, praise be..." mumbled the woman, as she came across a guardsman's carcass, as she was left outside the townhall by a kind stranger with wings. She could not resist her primal thirst for flesh no longer. Succulent meat... Flesh like honey, bones like wheat... The singing of the tongue's buds as the delicacy entered her mouth made Anna almost jitter, virtually having thrown the sacred cross aside to gorge herself on this prized carcass.

Chomping down handfuls of meat from the man's exposed innards, the result of some sort of Darkborne clawing at him, Anna could care less about the raging battle going on, or the duo of... fish-humanoids approaching her cautiously. As she snapped from the feast, she could spot the business-end of a trident pointed at her face, with a menacing fishman staring her down, almost intent on putting her down like she were some mere rabid beast. They ceased, as she returned from her frenzy, a very harsh return at that.

After some persuasion, the two fishmen agree to carry her inside the town hall, one hauling the cross, and the other carrying her. As they opened the doors, ignoring the prodding eyes of the interior inhabitants, she couldn't help but notice a few things about these... peculiar organisms. Their skin, scaly, suited to open sea conditions, but there is no mass of water even remotely big enough around Fronterville that she knew of for these things to have come from. Their eyes, bulged out a fair bit, and glowing with a yellowish tint of luminescence, and their strength! Just one of them could carry her sacred cross-weapon, something not even 10 able-bodied men could lift back in her hometown! But most of all, she wanted to know how they tasted. Flesh is flesh, no matter what it is from.

But she refrains from her feral side, instead reverting to the pious state that she was prior to this... battle. A couple of medics begun patching her up, as she constantly repeated holy prayers, and helping heavily wounded guardsmen pass quietly into the night, with peace in their hearts as they drew their last breath. As the battle lulled and reinvigorated itself again, with the appearance of a cadre of giant scorpion Darkborne creatures, she wished to go out. But due to her bleeding still being very much active, plus a few warnings from the medics, she instead yielded. One would know better to object against a man of knowledge, she was taught.

But as she felt a surge of Dark within her, and many of the men fading away for a brief moment, she knew she could not be content with staying within this depressing townhall no longer. Grabbing Vanessa's Cross, Anna stepped out, bandages barely having been applied, with droplets of blood dripping down the occasional spare strips of healing cloth that was acting as her second layer of clothing. Surveying the immediate situation, she positioned her cross for an accurate cannon blast that would position her atop the remaining gigantic dark scorpion when the time is right. The group of individuals perched atop the walls have a plan, and she would be there to seize the moment perfectly. Just as she trained.

Jericho
Turning to the Cerebrate, Jericho could see an angelic figure probing some hits at the thing's dark hide, before disappearing into the high air, into the flock of Darkwings. Soon enough, mangled and disembodied Darkwing corpses, already beginning to decompose into raw Darkness, descended from the sky. Headless and Maria were holding their own very well, with the former perhaps having some issues. Such a lithe, and petite body should actually be sent flying by the thing's pincers at this point, and yet she was still holding on, skidding on the pavement as the Cerebrate tried to shake its pincer free. As for Maria's pincer, the thing is almost hopeless, its pincer vibrating greatly against some unseen force that would not allow it to move.

Many explosions went off in the air, and many more Darkwings went down as a result of them. A figure flew away from the chaos in the air, landing on some rooftop out of Jericho's view. His eyes were more fixed on the Cerebrate's hide, releasing Darkwings as quickly as they could be slain. The Darkwings, by themselves are not a major threat, but without an end, the group will suffer over time. Hearing a few words atop the walls, along with a musket's barrel being swung around slowly, barely visible from where Jericho was standing, he could only hope the men and women up there could hear him.

"Aim for the nests! The nests!" Perhaps shooting them would yield some results. Improvise from there, perhaps. He could only hope.

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Thorn_Reaper Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight CombatReadyPenny Sybil billthesomething CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus AlphaKyle Whisker QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx LuciTheGreat

 

[-robert-]

"What did I tell you? Stay put! Didn't you hear me? It's dangerous! Spiders! Big!"
"Look, I know it's boring to stay put, especially with all this exciting stuff going on, but you have to do it! It'll hurt you, real bad, you might die!"

Before Leafa could even direct a word to the man, he turned around and focused on the big spider, yelling some words Leafa didn't catch. The little elf was frustated, why did she have to sit still? Not only did she want to find Yellow hair, but she also wanted to find out more about the big spider, for some reason only her little head held knowledge of. Once again she walked up to the man, this time getting his attencion by pulling his hair. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't want to do it! It's reeeeeaaally boring to stay still, and I'm sure that spider took them! I need to talk to the spider so I can get them back! So whether you like it or not, I'm going to- Ah!". Without her realizing it, a darkwing flew in the elf's direction, it tackled her, knocking her to the ground before it prepared to deal a lethal bite. Leafa was about to shoot the creature down, but then she realized, she was out of arrows. "No! I don't want to... UGH! SCREW IT! HELP ME PLEASE! ... ugh... I promise I'll stay still if you do!"

Kabboom

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos
​

The living assortment of light and rocks had stood right where she was instructed, waiting patiently by the mage and knight who had instructed her to help. Help how? Well, the mage seemed to be explaining but she was unable to pick any of it up. She understood one thing, the gun was going to fire and whatever happened it was going to have one hell of a kickback, mightier than any rifle she used way back when. What she understood even less was the brooding winged man now near them, but questions would come later.... but he smelled weird. Before Spess could further inquire Margot's voice sounded off.

‘Elemental, when you say ‘Command: Fire’ out loud, the crystal’s spell will activate.’

Those words were all she needed, taking the gun and letting her body feel the barrel itself, feeling the slight impurities and weaknesses in the mineral. She could account for it, and the elemental turned to look at the giant beast storming through the town she had just arrived in. The wall she stood upon shook, discarded muskets and even the cannon next to them falling to pieces. Soon the metals would melt, or as someone magically inclined would notice, the metals would have broken into so small of parts they appeared to flow. The metals formed poles that shot into the elemental's shoulders and formed a support to their backs, the stone of the wall forming a tripod around the barrel as metal poured onto it to enlarge and reinforce it until it looked more like a solid bar with a hole rather than a weapon. There the girl stood, a tripod herself and against their formed wall, their gun mounted and pointed at the beast. Now, with their last few moments, she grinned wide and let her body take aim.

Suffer~
"Command: FIRE!"
​

Vyseryx QizPizza

 

[Trappy]

Maria
Maria joined the duo as they charged at the gargantuan beast. Jericho's plan sounded challenging, but it was nothing compared to reality. The Cerebrate soon noticed the new contenders, as it turned its heavy body, almost completely disregarding the Giant struggling right on top of it. The creature opened up its dark, menacing pinchers, seemingly welcoming Maria's group to the chaotic fray. They no longer had the element of surprise, but it was too late to turn back. The smoke and dust caused by the chaos did little to conceal them from the beast's sight, and was starting to act against them. The closer she got to the giant scorpion, the harder it was for her to locate her comrades. But little could she do about the dust. And so, with only herself, the ravaged ground and a gigantic target, Maria sped up.

As she closed in on the Cerebrate, Maria could barely make out an individual through the smoke, who were engaging one of the pincers. Jericho . . . Or the rider? But if one is here, where's the other? But there was no time finding an answer for that, she had her part to do. As the beast was distracted by an attack on its pincer, Maria made a run for the other one. After taking a flank around the creature towards its other pincer, Maria got in position, and quickly moved in to engage. Unfortunately, her attack was seen through by the Cerebrate, as it did a sudden sweep with the pincer Maria was attacking. The attack happened so fast, and so Maria, confident in her flank, could not response in time. Even as a trained guardian and a combat-hardened soldier, she was no match for such immense strength. Thankfully, the pincer met Maria's gravity sphere, amplified by Jericho's Shield Aura, and was deflected. But even so, she could feel an intense force hammering onto every parts of her body. Her Shield Aura shattered completely, and Maria was flung back by the pincer's strike, and after a full backflip, she landed flat on the ground. Maria could taste the bitter of the dirt on her lips, mixed with a dominant taste of blood flowing through her teeth.

Everything hurts . . .

Maria got up on her feet, her legs slightly shaking from the intense pain travelling across her muscles. But she wasn't giving up, she won't allow herself to. The beast had turned away from her and focused on its other pincer, perhaps confident that it had taken out one of the attackers. Over her head, a winged creature swooped in from an unknown origin, unleashing blasts of crimson flame at the nests on the Cerebrate's back. Maria clenched her grip on the bardiche as frustration filled her mind. Humans are always like this, frail and powerless in face of others. They've always been forced to unconventional means to fend for themselves, or get flung aside miserably as the weak unfit in a gladiatorial game of the fittest.

As long as she still breathes the air of this world, Maria can never allow that.

"I don't accept it . . . Who the fuck do you think you are?!!"

The cry escaped her mouth, and with whatever strength she had left, Maria forced the Cerebrate's pincer onto the ground. She could feel her power intensified as rage took over her mind. The pincer sinks deeper and deeper into the ground, violently crushed as it vibrates intensely. Musket balls and arrows bounced off the creature's dark shell. Some of them ricochetted into Maria's shield, draining bits and bits from her already near-depleted power. But she paid it no attention. The pincer sinks into the ground, seemingly buried and crushed by the rock and dirt pushed upwards. Maria let out a raged battlecry, which mixed in with the Cerebrate's screech as it struggled desperately.

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho
Moving swiftly, the marauding Darkwing was slain in one deft swing of Jericho's halberd, its hammer head fatally batting the Dark being away, freeing the Elf girl. Quickly, he said to her, just in case she tries to be sneaky and cause more trouble. "You're safe. Now stay put!" Turning around, he could only get a rudimentary assessment of the situation, before a voice cried out, "Command: FIRE!" followed by a torrent of water gushing out from the top of the walls, and directly at the Cerebrate.

The high pressure burst of water cut through the thing's hide like a hot knife through butter, slicing off an entire part of its upper shell, taking a part of the tail along with the blast. The torrent of water also cut a swathe through at least a dozen Darkwings, still emerging from the nests. Like a rock, the severed hide fell off, along with a piercing screech, making him cover his ears in surprise. It didn't like that.

As the rush of water continued, the Cerebrate's scream intensified, as the torrent was now punching directly into its soft Dark meat, digging through its flesh. Before Jericho could register what happened next, he heard a cannon shot, along with a blur moving across the air.

Anna Eadburg
Thanks to a peculiar case of divine intervention, a torrent of water erupted from the people on the wall, cutting through the Cerebrate's top, slicing its thick armor away. Seizing the opportunity, the girl squeezed the trigger on Saint Vanessa's Cross. A loud BANG!, and she was flying through the air, her weakened arm muscles feeling as if they would tear from the pressure, Anna was well on her way towards the weakened and wailing Cerebrate, leaving a sizeable crater at the porch of the townhall.

"By the Light of the Holy Church, perish, foul creature!" the Eadburg woman screamed, as she used what little strength she still had to pull herself above the cross, using her own body to act as an airbrake, pulling the cross vertical, aligning its cannon with the Cerebrate's vulnerable top. Squeezing the trigger as she held on to the cross with her legs this time, the cross buckled, propelling itself a bit further up into the air, as a Light-shell lodged itself into the Cerebrate's flesh before detonating, a satisfying explosion spewing its Dark mass all over the air, and pushing the entire body down, hard enough to completely snap off the pincer lodged into the ground, as its tail went limp along with its legs, accompanied by a parting whimper as it begun dissolving into Dark energy again.

A winged figure with the facial features and clawed hands caught her, and just her. The weight of the cross was too much for him. With a few fireballs cast from his arms, he incinerated a few Darkwings who dared come too close on their descent, before dropping Anna down on safe ground, away from the Cerebrate's carcass. As the... man-creature let her go, Anna ran straight for its carcass, for that's where her cross dropped down to, oblivious to absolutely everything else.

Jericho
As the Cerebrate was slain, he exhaled in relief. 'It's finally over,' thought he. But a few worried clamoring from the guardsmen indicated otherwise. Moving quickly atop the walls, he laid his eyes on a depressing sight. More Darkborne coming from the forest. Dozens of Darkwolves, and more Ravagers. The men are routing. The battle is lost. 'It cannot be,' thought the man, clutching his halberd, 'That's not fair! We just got here!' he thought out loud, startling a nearby archer.

But another guardsman cried out, "Reinforcements!", and sure enough, reinforcements did come, in the form of cavalry sent from Fort Vainlight. Wolfhorse steeds, mounted by knights clad in tactical armor, lances and longswords swinging away with trained, veteran precision, taking a Darkwolf's head clean off, or piercing its heart straight through, before disengaging fluently and switching to the next target. The amateurish guardsmen of Frontierville marvel at the expertise of the riders, whilst Jericho just keeps watching with a relieved face. 'Don't save any for us,' he thought humorously.

The Darkwolves suffer heavy casualties, and immediately retreat at the sight. The Ravagers, to the surprise of the naive garrison, turned tail quicker than even the Darkwolves. But the reason was soon apparent, for one of the handheld-cannoneers fire off a streak of refined Light-energy, piercing the tail joints of an unlucky Ravager, killing it instantly. The rider then discarded the hollow shell of the hand-cannon, before switching to a sword and wreaking havoc along with his comrades. Quickly, this fresh wave of Darkborne was repelled as quickly as it appeared.

A retinue of armored riders approach the hole in the wall, with one clad in more elaborate than the others. Jericho moved down from the wall, and hailed them.
"Who goes there?" hailed the rider.
"Jericho Audaton. Guardian." responded Audaton, holding up his Guardian seal in clear view to prove his identity. Not that he really needed to, anyway.
"Audrich Crimson. Chaplain of the 12th Cavalry. Are you in command here?" the man-- Audrich, replied in a firm, unassuming voice.
"More or less." replied Jericho with a shrug.
"I need a clear answer, Guardian. Are you in command of the forces here or not?" The man asked with a slightly more intense voice.
"There is no command here. We coordinated the defenses by ourselves." Jericho responded, keeping calm. More or less satisfied with the answer, the Chaplain nodded, before turning to his men. "Send the medics in." one of the riders take off, complying with his orders.

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Thorn_Reaper Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight CombatReadyPenny Sybil billthesomething CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus AlphaKyle Whisker QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx LuciTheGreat

 

[CombatReadyPenny]

Terra stood, exhausted. She had been healed and her metal cast had dissipated. She had thanked her healer and stood at the edge of the wall, watching the cerebrate dissipate. "We did it..." she said with a smile as she sighed heavily. The crystal took so much out of her it was insane. The regular crystals were easy enough as the sash had a regenerating source of mana, but the devastating crystals took her own mana to create and use. Thankfully that woman was there so she didn't have to use it. "What now..." she asked herself as she saw the townspeople coming out and cheering "We can't let them get away with this kind of thing... Not anymore.." she said as she sat, her legs dangling over the side.

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Gaheris Agramar

The rest of the battle was passing by in a blur. Gaheris had only caught onto the Cerebrate's tail as it lunged at him- before he was harshly thrown off by the scorpion's thrashing. The armoured giant crashed into a tree rather harshly, but soon struggled to his feet. After that...he let out a low groan.

The battle was taking a toll on him, and the fall didn't help. Instead, Gaheris found a collapsed guardsman on the floor...

"Guard--!"

He rushed towards the collapsed guardsman. It was the one who had escorted him to Frontierville. More specifically...

"Lyle!" Karl came running up. Gaheris turned Lyle's body over, seeing the wound for the first time.

"Not...healing...soon." The giant mumbled. Lyle lay collapsed, still breathing- but a long, red line travelled down his left eye. Karl cursed under his breath in foreign tongues. "No. No, damn it, we can still get him some medical attention. Agramar! Help me get him somewhere safe!"

"..." Karl stared at Gaheris, trying to gauge if the void of his cowl was staring back. Gaheris wasn't in good shape either. He'd taken a hell of a beating, hanging on to the Cerebrate. If anything, it was a miracle that the giant was still even standing.

Slowly though, the giant nodded, slinging Lyle's body over his good shoulder.

"...Back...?"

"Yes, Agramar. Fall back." Karl commanded as they moved away from the fighting. It seemed that the Guardians were already handling the situation, anyway.
"A one-eyed soldier, a guard in shining armour and a giant walk into a bar..."

The barkeep sighed, staring at the three warriors that had entered into his tavern. Just earlier a soldier had come up to tell him that he had to keep the doors open for any stragglers for the medics to treat them, since the town hall was getting full. Still, this was rather...strange.

"Your friend will be fine." He informed Karl as the armoured guardsman sat down at a table. "Give or take, he'll be awake the next morning."

"Thank you, sir." Karl sighed. "I sincerely hope the Imperials' orders aren't too bad for business."

"Ah, well. My only concern is if your giant over there drinks." The barkeep chuckled. Sure enough, Gaheris was in a corner of the room, hunched over a table much too small for a giant of his size. Still, he didn't seem to care about the area constraints, paying more attention to the meats and bread spread out before him.

"Giants have gargantuan appetites after battles." Karl shook his head. "If we weren't giving out rations for the warriors in that battle, I wouldn't want to be paying his bill." Gaheris paid no heed to his words as he tore at the last pieces of his loaf, dabbing it across the bowl of soup he had emptied long ago to get the rest of the taste in.

For a moment, they were quiet.

Karl glanced up at the barkeep. "Lyle will be getting the same treatment, right?"

"Of course. He might even get a choice portion of the meals. He's the one who stabbed out the Cerebrate's eye, isn't he?" The barkeep remarked. "The soldiers have been talking about it nonstop."

"Yeah, but..." Karl glanced down at his drink. "He lost an eye, too. The Cerebrate has plenty of eyes. Lyle only had two, and now he only has one."

"Be...fine." Gaheris's voice echoed from where he was sitting. The knight looked up, apparently having finished ravaging the rest of the beef as he picked up a mug of ale. "He's...is...tough."

"Yeah...you're right, Agramar. He'll shrug this off like he shrugged a beast's teeth in his leg off." Karl laughed weakly, standing up. "I'm going to go check on him. Third door to the right?"

"Aye." The barkeep nodded, and Karl was off to check on the rooms upstairs, where some of the wounded were being treated. Now that the somewhat kind guardsman was out of the picture though, he was now left with a giant, several wounded soldiers...and an awkward silence.

 

[shadowz1995]

There were multiple times where the ember that was Tenet was nearly snuffed out by the encroaching darkness he so idiotically consumed but the feral being still held strong. Unbeknownst to him, a being of odd origin, much like himself, had lent the Vile a helping hand. The effects of the assistance were not seen instantly. The dark as a whole is not something so easy to be rid of. But after time, the maddening, coalesced voices began to fade. They didn't completely disappear. They never did. The voices were always there, tempting and whispering in his mind to give in but it was enough for him to gain some semblance of awareness. In a far off place, hundreds of miles away, Tenet could faintly hear the sounds of battle. His mind couldn't connect the dots that were placed before it and so he merely listened to clangs of steel and bursts of magic being carried by the wind.

Time went on and as it did, the sounds got closer. It kept increasing until the cacophony of death and war sounded like it was right next to him. This prompted the man to finally attempt to look at what in the hell was causing so much noise so close by. The corrupted human slowly opened his eyes to the narrow alleyway that he had fallen into. His head slowly turned to the distance in time to see a small army of shiny light-walkers on horseback decimating what remained of the Darkborne hordes. The residual energy of the Cerebrate finally dissipating is what marked Tenet's memories to final resurface. He recalled everything that happened up until that point and looked down to check his body.

Luckily, he was no longer morphing uncontrollably but black wisps of dark smoke did pour out of the open wounds his body had received in the initial fighting. Possibly in an effort to release the excess dark energy and re-stabilize himself. The process would take a painfully long time but at least he wouldn't be hungry for weeks. The beckoning of the darkness in his head was a bit louder but that was a small price to pay to not feel hungry.

Tenet was a pale, unnatural being in his passive form but undeniably "human" or as close as you can get. His skin was as white as paper or snow and the black blood that ran within his veins showed through as clear as ink on paper. His eyes were now an orange hue engulfed by black where there should be white. He was stark naked with the only article of clothing being the red ribbon tied around his left wrist to identify him as an ally. The woman in the tower promised him it would keep him safe and so far, it had. Just as everything she told him. She also told him that light-walkers didn't people being unclothed for whatever reason and warned that he should do his best to have garments on hand. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here so Tenet willed himself to his feet on shaky legs, began to limp his way out of the alleyway. The wounds he had received in his dark form were now radiating with pain and the blackened blood that poured from them confirmed that. He scrounged through the fallen warriors and villagers until he came across a pair of bloodied gray trousers a light-walker had been wearing. He didn't hesitate to rip those off of his person and dawn them himself so his privates weren't hanging for the world to see. Not that he cared, he didn't really understand the concept of shame. A dead woman was next who had a forest green cloak that he relieved her of. She also had one of those objects that restrained hair and he relieved her of that as well (A hair tie. He took the hair tie and tied his own hair back. Hence the picture). His unnaturally dark and wild hair was also something the woman warned may unnerve the light-walkers. It baffled the feral man on how many things could potentially disturb these light-walkers.

Now clothed in bloodied trousers and a green cloak, he began to make his way towards the center of attention. Tenet made sure not to wear a tunic so the red ribbon could easily be seen. The cloak's hood was also kept down so he would not appear to be "suspicious". A new word he recently learned. Still, the black blood that was now replacing the red blood stains on his new trousers and cloak along with the dark smoke that spilled from his wounds and his nose with every breath did nothing to help that suspicious aspect of his. Not that his natural, or rather unnatural, appearance wasn't already a dead giveaway.

Tenet spotted the armored light-walker woman from earlier and though he hated her for dragging him into this place to begin with, she was also the only familiar face in the crowd. She seemed wounded and beyond exhausted after the battle with the giant cerebrate. The woman was on her knees and while Tenet wasn't keen on helping her, considering their past, but she was the only one that seemed to recognize what the ribbon meant. That meant he needed her. As he approached, the Vile felt the shift in the air as eyes began to see him come closer. The animosity he felt resonated with the dark energy within him and caused him to bare his teeth, a low rumble of aggression within his chest in response. That didn't make things better and neither did coming up right behind one of their wounded comrades with his vibrant irises locked on to her collapsed form. They began to shout things he didn't understand but he could understand the intent behind the words. Though to their surprise, Tenet hooked one arm under Maria and hauled the female knight to her feet. When he was certain she wasn't going to collapse under her own weight, Tenet released her and merely stood behind her, watching the others. Anger and resentment was clear in his features and in his tensed muscles. The dark guardian understood what the woman in the tower told him about these people and he would believe practically anything she said.

However, some things never changed. Tenet believed that these people may restrain themselves. This was the first time Tenet experienced that emotion called doubt and he highly doubted things would go well here.

@All the people​

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: Frontierville - Town Plaza
Status: Extremely Exhausted
Disposition: Generally Evil
Interacting With: Vyseryx Unwavering Knight CombatReadyPenny Sybil ​

Audun didn't like the witch's attitude; talking back to a Nephilim was asking for death sentence. Audun's mouth twisted into a scowl underneath his helmet and his right arm pulsed more aggressively. He suppressed the urge to smash the woman's face in and collapse her skull. Instead, he said, "Respect your elders, wench."

He looked over at the water cannon that she was talking about. As the woman loaded in the crystal, the elemental used some earth magic to secure the rifle, while the metal weilding knight created supports and further reinforcements. With the modifications they made and magic they used on it, it seemed more like a part of the wall than a cannon and seems to be secure enough for the job. However, as he examined it, he found that the construction would not be enough to contain the pressure of the water crystal. "Uhm, wench, I suggest that you don't..."

"FIRE!!!!"

The elemental shouted the command word and a jet of water exploded out of the makeshift water cannon. The water soon reached the Cerebrate and cut into shell with ease. When the shell was breached, the lady with the cross launched herself and the cross into air and fired the cross itself at the exposed flesh, which detonated on contact, destroying the monster. In the back of Audun's mind, he was pissed that someone took the kill, but his more pressing concern was the water cannon that was still firing. If left alone, it would eventually stop and flood the town, a problem that can be resolved without excessive effort. However, the weakness of the cannon's barrel threated to cause the cannon to explode. This would still flood the town, but the explosion would more than likely kill the five of them on the wall. "Damned wench! The rate of release is too high for even this barrel to hold!"

Audun dashed towards the cannon and wrapped his arms around it, using Entropy to try and contain the pressure. As the barrel grew close to exploding, he poured in the remainder of his power into Entropy, causing his arms to practically glow with Darkness. Entropy began to weaken the base the cannon sat on. When it was sufficiently weak enough, Audun tore it off the base and the elemental and angled the back end of the cannon away from the town. Soon enough, he used Entropy to lower the water's boiling point so that all the water inside and coming out of the cannon turned into steam. The extra pressure from the steam further threatened to explode the cannon, but Audun switched to negating the combined gas law occasionally to relieve the pressure. When there was sufficient pressure built up, he let go of the cannon to send it off into the horizon. After a few seconds, a dull boom could be heard in the distance. At this point, only the gods know where the cannon ended up.

The power Audun had left was barely enough to hold out until he launched the cannon. The Nephilim could barely even stand after expending nearly all of his energy on counteracting such a powerful crystal. Audun panted as he turned to the others. "Damn *pant* you, *pant * you fucking *pant* wench. *pant* You could've killed us all...*pant* And you call me rude...way to make an impression"

Audun returned the attitude the woman from earlier had given him. The amount of Dark Magic he used had a negative effect on his demeanor, making him far more aggressive than he normally was. If it weren't for my exhaustion, I wouldn't have put up with the woman and simply killed her. No magic spell spell cast in a second would've saved her from being a puddle of blood on the streets.

 

[hostage]

Esta Faeven
Esta raised her hands again, focusing her energy on the knot of Darkwings preparing to strike. Again muttering her spell, she swept a hand in an arc, aiming to strike the horde in the front. Her aim was true, and the first lines of Darkwings fell, bone sticking out at sudden angles. Some of the foul creatures stayed up, using one wing to keep high enough as to dive bomb the soldiers below. Alas, the wounded ones were picked off by the vultures and ravens circling above, as when the battle was over they would feast on the flesh of the dead.

Esta took out the Darkwings slowly but surely, and with the help of archers their numbers were thinned by a substantial amount. A bloodcurdling shriek emitted from the Cerbrate, who crumpled down, dead. A flash of grim satisfaction went through her when she realized that the Guardians had killed the beast. With the remaining amounts of strength she had left, she snapped the wings of the last flying Darkbornes.

The battle was almost over. With a few clumps of men slowly beating off the last of the Runners and goblins, Esta could rest. She dropped the sword she held, severely missing the familiar weight of her long hunting knives. She shook off the thought. They were most likely buried in the bodies of enemies.

When she turned around, the sight of carnage caused a hand to fly to her mouth. Soldiers lay dead and dying on the ground, while Dark foes lay twitching in their final death throes. Esta picked her way about the battlefield, sinking to her knees by a soldier weakly crawling away. When he looked up he stopped. Esta took his head in her her lap, gently muttering to him. “Water..” he sighed. Frowning, Esta racked her mind for ideas. After a moment, she used her hands to scoop a shallow divet in the earth, and, whispering a spell, reached for the resevoirs of water deep down. She smiled to herself when the hole pooled with clear water, amd handful by handful helped the man drink.

Esta helped the man up, keeping a hand clenched over the wound in his side. Together they struggled to the town hall to be treated. When she at last let him go to the care of medics, he took her hand and blessed her. Shrugging off the thanks, Esta returned to the field to help the rest of the living. She cried out, her throat raw, when ravens descended on the dead of the townspeople. Shaking her hands at them, she warded the birds away. The flock then tore at the flesh of Darkborne forces, cawing throatily.

​

 

[billthesomething]

Stink Breath​

Stink Breath, like many of his brethren, wasn't what you'd call smart, clever at times certainly, but never smart. So, him having a smart thought would have come as surprise to his Dearest Ocean Mother, but most especially himself. After his battle with the ravager, he took notice of his favorite brother's state of exhaustion, he knew then and there that he needed to help his boss, he didn't care if the boss would be disappointed with the fish boy's focus on helping him. Rather than the village, but his boss was more important than the stupid village!

But first, his time was almost up and needed something to hydrate himself with, and quickly he didn't want to suffocate and leave the boss alone. He looked around, and but no matter how hard he looked, he just couldn't find anything that would help him, stay longer in this world. He let out a sigh, he guesses he wouldn't be able to help his boss after all.

He lowered his head in defeat, ready to accept his trip back to his realm when the rusty gears in his head began turning for the first time in many years, he was remembering something, anything that lived was supposed to have water in them, right? And he was standing atop of something that was once alive, not too long ago.

So, there should be water in it somewhere, and with that sound logic, stink breath began clawing through the scorpion carcass, it didn't find him long to find a red sack that sloshed with liquid when he shook it, there were even holes in it for the water to come out! Not wasting time, Stink Breath poured all the liquid onto himself, and immediately the painful dryness of earlier was being replaced with the pleasant sensation of wet scales, there was even this nice metallic smell to the water.

So with the threat of suffocation taken care of, Stink Breath gathered his things (Along with the nice new sack, he had found), including his boss. Then with everything gathered, Stink Breath, scrambled up the walls, and onto the roofs hoping to find the headless lady from before, she would help boss, she was his boss's friend after all.

And while he wasn't able to spot her, he found another lady, maybe she help his boss?

So gently walking up to the sleeping lady, once close enough he began poking her, with the butt of his trident.
"Wakey Wakey lady, Boss need help, wakey wakey," He said as kept poking her with his trident, hoping she would eventually awaken
Pilgrim59

 

[Trappy]

Maria
As the Dark-beast collapsed into sprites of Dark energy, Maria was on her knees, finally yielding to the twisting pain and exhaustion flowing through her muscles. She gazed upon the terribly deformed carcass of the beast, the magnificent work of unknown architects. A female, whom Maria assumed to be responsible for the last strike that finally struck the Cerebrate down, risen from above the beast. Their eyes met each other for a moment, until the mysterious lady rushed off, leaving the exhausted guardian. There was some twisted mix of emotions in her: great joy of a hard-fought victory, and the sourness of unsatisfactory. Turning away from the beast's dissipating corpse, Maria saw groups of soldiers moving into the area. The medics were dashing back and forth, checking the bodies and tending to the wounded, while a fresh band of riders set up a defensive perimeter just outside the crack which the Ravagers broke through. Reinforcement have arrived - She thought - We prevail . . .

But that is not enough. Damn it . . .

While Maria could very much appreciate a rest, she knew there were still things to do. As she struggled to get up from her tired knees, she could feel someone helping her up. Sudden physical contact alarmed the Guardian, but her tired body allowed no immediate response. While this figure was only trying to help, every touch was painful. After some struggling, Maria got up on her feet, and it was then that she noticed the red tie on their wrist. The very same one she'd seen before, worn by a figure of her past, the Vile that went by the name 'Tenet'. She tightened her grip on the bardiche. While Tenet had helped with defeating the Cerebrate, how could she trust a Vile, especially one that had indiscriminately slaughtered dozens of her loyal comrades-in-arms and subordinates? Should the beast return to its nature, Maria was going to make sure she'd lop off its head for good, with whatever strength she had left.

But for now, the Vile did nothing of the sort. How the creature helped Frontierville's defence, then willingly offer her help left Maria puzzled. Such behaviour is certainly out of the ordinary, Maria needed to know what the Vile was up to.

"We meet again, creature." Maria hissed, refusing to call him-- it, by its self-proclaimed name. Not letting it let out another word, she continued, "What business do you have here, Vile? Who sent you?"

shadowz1995

 

[Aryasaurus]

Aoibhín; "Eevie"
Location: Plaza centre, self-made infirmary within a giant healing aura.
Tagging: @ people aiding the wounded​

With the creature being so gargantuanly huge, Eevie did her best not to be flung around. the Avalon mist encased her, allowing her the strength to hold her own. The dullahan girl refused to be thrown around by some pitiful darkborne scum. As she held on, her mind was solely focused on her job, and not the others around her, whatever they were doing was of no concern to her, which perhaps was why she didn't grasp how everything had ended so quick. One minute she was holding onto the pincer, the next she seemed to be knocked off her feet. Her whip had given way and the creature, and - wait, was she wet? How did that happen?

Looking back at the dead cerebrate, Eevie scrambled backwards, away from the thing, and got to her feet, looking around in a daze. 'People eat scorpions, right? Please tell me this isn't for dinner?'

As everything else happened, Eevie sloppily trudged off back to the town hall in squeaking armour. The dullahan girl recovered her head and took off her armour to dry. While she couldn't dry her armour instantly, she would just have to wait. Holding her now helmless head in front of her, cupped in her arms, she stepped back out into the plaza and glanced around - figuratively, of course - as she walked out. Finally the tension had settled, and she could focus on what was important: healing.

Eevie tentatively set up a large healing aura in the centre of the plaza, and began to move the wounded towards it, gesturing to others who were also aiding them to move them towards that aura; their injuries, no matter how grave (bar death), would eventually heal there. Once she had brought over a handful of people, she began to manually heal them with medicines and stitches. They would waste too much energy to heal everything on their own, so this was the best method.

 

[SCSaya06]

"Now then--how do I go about this?"

Reinforcements from Fort Vainlight arrived, routing the remaining monsters just as the massive Cerebrate buckled down and died from the concentrated blasts of water, magic and weapons. It seems Frontierville lives to see another moonlight. He bent down low on the branches, waiting for the remaining wolves and scorpions to pass by without seeing him before descending down. A low grumble from his gut reminded him that his last meal was nearly a day ago.

"But first--"

The mass of black creatures have passed and Erik was now able to alight from the tree without further trouble. Before packing his bow back in its scabbard however, he looked around the forest floor, eyes darting, ears pricked, anticipating the softest sound he could pick up. His eyes turn to a small thicket and--

"There!"


The sleepy village was, for lack of a better word, a mess. Huts damaged, buttresses toppled. Some produce have rolled off from abandoned carts; their wooden wheels still creaking at the softest blow of the cool evening wind. Corpses were littered about the ground so they'll be a bit of a nuisance to passing chariots and carriages until they dissipate which probably won't take too long. As Erik strode into town, he noted the various people walking about.

Some of the local villagers have started going through the dead infantry's belongings, looking for coin pockets, valuable arms and exotic trinkets. No doubt to sell the ashes afterwards. Amazing how some people can exploit such a bleak situation.

Then there was the reinforcement troops. Their coat-of-arms revealed them to be from Fort Vainlight. "Most probably, these are the forces Bjorn told me about." Erik thought as he passed their armored entourage. They'll probably claim credit for saving the town. Hogs for glory, the lot of them, he thought. He overhears someone mention about lacking any proper command--a strapping middle-aged man who's seen better days.

"Hey!" One of the infantry men calls out to him, stopping him from proceeding. Erik paused and kept his cowl up, covering his face.

"What happened here?" He feigns ignorance as he continues to "survey" the surroundings. "Dam broke again?"

"Darkborne attack. Big one too. They're gone now. Rest ran back to the forest." The guard gave the gist of the events though of course, Erik was able to witness it first-hand. "Anyway...have I seen you before? Are you from around here?"

"Huh? I thought I passed you early in the morning?" Erik replied. Blatant lie. He hadn't actually entered the town since he waited by the forest.

"Hmm...let me see..." The guard crosses his arms, trying to recall the earlier events. "I don't recall letting any hunters out. Are you a soldier? I think they're having a meeting over at the hall."

Erik's eyes darted to the surroundings. People were too occupied with salvaging and tending to the wounded. There's a chance one of the soldiers stationed might recognize him and wonder what he's doing out and armed when he's supposed to be off from duty. Inquiries he doesn't really want to deal with right now. Just as he reevaluates his options--

"THERE YOU ARE!!!" A brunette seemingly from the village marches up to the, much to their surprise. Her expression was anger, disappointment and sadness all mixed into one as she grabs Erik tightly by the arm. "Where have you been?! Monsters raided the house and you're outside getting drunk again I suspect!"

"This woman..." Erik eyes the woman that had approached them. "A Frontier villager...clever."

"Huh?! I told you I was hunting rabbits!" Erik went along, showing some outburst on his part. He dug into his rucksack and produced three rabbit carcasses--three that he just shot before entering the village. "See?!"

"YOU! Are you a drinking buddy of his?!" The woman points accusingly at the guard. "Want me to tell your superiors about this?! Maybe the damage wouldn't have been severe if you folk haven't been getting drunk of your arse before every bloody fight!"

"Ah--no, I just--" The guard stammers to explain, having been surprised by the sudden outburst himself.

"Come on! Roof collapsed on the storefront again! Fix it! Fix it!" The woman drags Erik, forcing him to head up north.

"Looks like you got your work cut out for you bud." The guard sighed. "Better tend to it before she blows up on both of us."

"Thanks. Here--" Erik tosses him a rabbit. "For your troubles."

"Appreciate it bud. See you around."


"Close call! You nearly got held up all night or worse, get drafted to the infantry again!"

The two ducked in an alley near the empty residential area, making sure no one was around to listen in on them. The woman had dropped her earlier facade and now stood grinning and teasing Erik who kept his head low as he leaned on some of the wooden crates.

"So Bjorn sent you too huh?" Erik asked. The woman was apparently, a mutual acquaintance.

"Got here around three days before you did. My brother didn't plan this yesterday you know?" The woman explained. "He may look like a mere musclehead but he is quite meticulous when it comes to his plans. Besides, think he could've climbed the military ladder with just his muscles alone?"

"So I see." Erik raises a suspicious eye at the woman. "So, what did Bjorn promise you in return Hildegarde?"

"Half of your share from the loot haha!!!" The woman, Hildegarde chuckled while Erik just sighed.

"So that's why he's quick to agree to the split...I should've negotiated a higher share."

"Hey, hey, it doesn't sound too bad! All three of us are getting like what? Thirty percent of the share? A bit more than that?"

"Whatever I'm making, it's not like I'll be able to climb to Imperial soldier status like Bjorn did. At most, it'll probably tide me over for five months. Splitting it with you is just going to decrease that further."

"You can negotiate with the Evocation Department once you bring it in. You'd be surprised at how big they're willing to pay for rare artifacts." Hildegarde suggested. "Or you can bring it in yourself--be the hero who vanquished the monsters and live off the royalties! You get me?"

"No way. First off, the very idea that a single old item can vanquish the Darkborne in one fell swoop is very ridiculous. And being a hero pretty much means everyone's just going to saddle you with their problems. Like what Bjorn is doing."

"Then, why did you take up the job? You don't seem to believe it yourself from what you're telling me."

Erik paused for a moment. "I'm just doing it for the pay. Besides, your niece's birthday is coming up soon." He replied. "Or have you forgotten?"

"Of course not! Unlike the two of you, I'm pretty good at remembering things." Hildegarde boasted. "Besides, you've seen the adventurers right? Think you can just steal that item from under their nose without any form of help?"

"I don't think having a second human in on the operation will be of any help either." Erik retorted.

"You sure?" Hildegarde asked, raising a pair of rabbit carcasses to Erik's face, making him fumble inside his rucksack.

"You--" Erik glares at the grinning woman.

"If it's smaller than these two cuties, then I can snag it away easily. If it's as big as a boulder however--well, let's cross that bridge when we get there. Besides, I bet you don't have any other plan other than to tail the group am I right?"

"Damn, you're right..." Erik admitted, feeling a little embarrassed at the realization. Hildegarde just smiled and taps him on the shoulder.

"No need to be so reclusive about it. I'm here to help you, not to compete with you. We'll work out the payment later."

"Help me huh? In that case--"

"Huh! Need me for something already? Well just--" Before she could finish, Erik cuts her mid-sentence by tossing her his quiver of arrows and the sheath containing his bow, which she managed to catch with both hands.

"Hide that for me would you? Oh, and collect some of the arrows I've used in the last fight. The Darkborne bodies should've disintegrated by now so you just need to pick them up from the ground." Erik chuckled as he walked away, waving Hildegarde goodbye.

"Asshole." Hildegarde sighed, turning to the game she stole. "Well, I suppose I can make a decent stew out of these."


The bar was rather lively with animated talk by exhausted soldiers and villagers. They seem to be applauding the man who stabbed out the monstrous Cerebrate's eye and in a way, it does feel good. The village defenders will at least have some credit by this fact alone. He wasn't exactly fond of anyone among the adventurers in particular but anyone sticking it up to the proud soldiers of Vainlight is a plus in Erik's book.

"I'll have just have some cheese and olives thanks." Erik gives his order to the barkeep who merely nodded as he passed on the order to the kitchen. The barkeep eyes his attire with slight interest.

"You don't look too tired. Didn't participate in the fight?" The man asked.

"No." Erik replied. "I was out hunting rabbits near the foot of the mountains."

"Ah! Hunting. Tough time to be a hunter. Damn wolves have chasen away most of the wild game deeper into the forests." The barkeep sighed. "Lucky to have them fighters stationed around here earlier. Place could be in a worse state had they not been around."

"Really now?" Erik's gaze turns to the other patrons. A giant with a limp arm was sitting close by, helping himself to some meat served in front of him. "So what happened to you?" He asked nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on his own meal.

CrowOuttaHell

 

[Pilgrim59]

Hearthfall Season - Nightfall
Sashi
Streets, Frontierville

​

Dream Sequence

The druid wandered the quiet forest, until the bright horizon unveiled the half-frozen lake. Home sweet home, she quickly waddled in the water, soaking herself in the cold, yet seemingly pleasing water. Her wounds had sewn themselves, and her robe - immaculate and unstained by the bites of battle. She paid no mind and indulged herself in solitude, drifting along the lake under the warm sun. She came upon a multitude of potatoes drifting in the water, and was really pleased to let herself go towards it. The druid spotted a large potato among them, and much to her curiosity, she quickly reached it with her hands and paid no mind to its exceptionally large figure.

MUNCH!

She took a bite, but found an unpleasantly rocky flavor, with a hint of salty metal essence. She shook her head, and goes for another bite. Disappointed and frustrated, the druid continued munching on it until the sunlight became apparently bright that it briefly blinded her, while she refuses to give up on the potato. In the distance, she could hear a voice calling to her, while the metal potato flavor yet lingered in her mouth.


Reality Sequence

Sashi opened her eyes, to the bright stars in the sky, and Imperial soldiers' voices ringing throughout the streets. Her blurry vision faded, as she notice the presence of what seemed like a water-dweller that she had read in the ancient texts. The druid realized that she wasn't enjoying her potato, but rather the blunt end of the figure's trident. Disappointed and embarrassed, Sashi chuckled and slowly push away the creature's trident from her mouth.

"Wakey Wakey lady, Boss need help, wakey wakey~" was the last thing she heard.

And so, the druid rose from her hay-coffin, with the support of her rune sword like an elderly woman, despite her age. Thoughts roamed her mind as she waved at the creature, hoping that it would forgive her for biting its weapon. She had felt no Darkborne presence emanating from the creature, and perceived no threat for the time being.

"Lead the way, water-dweller. I will see to it, if I can be of any assistance." Sashi spoke, departing with the foreign individual, as they got off the roof and expedited towards their next destination. Her stomach growled, like a whale bellowing, while she thinks of what she could spare for a meal later. The druid was really hungry, and hoped to finish the task at hand as quickly as possible so she could feast herself - but it is never done. She sighs and gave in to her thoughts.

'Cursed Enforcer. Every path I walk with her presence, an unending pattern of crisis! My potatoes... A kingdom for my potatoes, O' Femosis!' screamed the druid in her head.


billthesomething Vyseryx (reference tag)

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos
​

The gun's pressure shot out a shock as it fired, shattering the outer layer of She mineral maiden and planting itself into her shoulder as it continued to fire, and before she knew it the scorpion was dead and her wall behind her was crumbling. As the water spewed out it continued to slam further into her, the metal beams and tripod creaking and moaning at the pressure as she held her ground. The disposal of the gun was tricky as they were only able to tilt it up into the air as it sliced through some buildings and darkwings alike, a stroke of luck occurring when the beam sliced through a certain small elf's attacker, but Audun’s assistance was welcomed as it took the pressure off the elemental. As the angel dealt with the gun they dispelled their support constructs of Metal and stone, now diverting their energies to repairing what was broken quickly and efficiently. Luckily for everyone involved the Elemental had missed the mass of dark energy coming off the Seraph, so they wouldn't have s scene in the making on their hands as her stone reformed and arms snapped back into place.

“Holy shit that was awesome! It cut the damn thing in half almost!” The girl was ecstatic at the display of power, thinking how great an invention they had made for this short while.
If this is what we can do as guardians on the fly, then this is going to be awesome!
What would snap them out of their self-congratulatory is noticing a small child just in the streets, a sight something she thought would be a much different experience, but thankfully the child was seemingly alive and moving from where the elemental could see. As long as no one needed her, which the only people seemingly talking around her was some brooding winged boy and the mage who are not even acknowledging her, the living statue would jump down from their wall and jog over to them in an attempt to gauge their situation.
Once they reached the girl she would immediately notice the elf ears, still not hesitating to offer her a hand and a down-to-earth smile.
“You ok there kid? Weren't them civilians suppos' t' retreat?"

Direct: -robert-
Mentions: QizPizza Vyseryx

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho
The Chaplain, named Audrich, begun making his way towards the townhall, whilst still on horseback, with Jericho in tow. The sound of metallic horseshoes stepping on cobblestone, along with a ringing thud of a metallic pole weapon hitting the ground in a steady beat, made for an interesting background noise, as they passed through the scene of chaos.

Puffs of Dark energy begin floating on the ground, like mist, flowing back towards the forest, like water down a stream, coalescing with each other and fading into the night. After the battle, looters arrive in the area, rifling through the pockets of the deceased, even in the presence of a Guardian and a Chaplain. Some flee from the sight, but others stay, continuing to strip off anything remotely useful from the corpses.

"Aren't you going to do something about them?" Audaton inquired, carefully raising his steps to avoid a sizeable chunk of wood on the ground. In the distance, he could spot a snake Incruscan tending to the wounded, as flocks of ravens peck at the few dissipating Darkborne remains left. For some reason, the ravens found on the frontier do not get infected by Darkness. Most peculiar indeed.

"They will be punished in time. I have a good memory. Worry not, uh,..." the Chaplain replied with a calm, almost monotone voice, barely going lower at the end of his sentence, trailing off as his eyes glued onto the looters, imprinting their every feature into his mind. His horse calmly stepping on a corpse as he continued towards the townhall, he looked towards Jericho, looking for an answer to his small question.

"Jericho. Jericho Audaton. I told you just now." He spoke, confused.
"Ah, yes. Slipped my mind for a second." Audrich continued without a beat, returning his gaze to the area. "I thought you had a good memory?" Spoke Jericho. "Only sometimes." came the answer.

A silent few seconds later, after pausing to lift a piece of stone from a wounded guardsman, the duo continue to walk towards the townhall, only a few meters away. The horse gently shook its mane, as its legs seemed to have energy pumped through its veins. As the ground was glowing, Jericho could only assume the headless-lady, currently to his left, is working her magic. As they walk by, both the Chaplain and the Guardian stare at the figure without a head, a rare sight to behold.

Arriving at the porch of the townhall, the Chaplain dismounted from his horse, his beret shifting ever so slightly with every movement of his head. "I noticed your Magisteel Halberd earlier. Those don't belong to a Guardian. Where did you get those?" he inquired as he begun walking up the steps to the townhall entrance.

"I got them from a friend. And what's with all these questions, last I heard, we're on the same side." Jericho spoke, expressing genuine concern through his voice. Stopping in his tracks, the Chaplain turned to face him frontally. "The Kings up above have issued orders. More duties we have to take care of. More responsibilities. We're losing more Guardians every day, and the fools do not believe the numbers. My duties are to not only uphold the morale of the men, their faith in the Light, and to protect them on the battlefield like they were my own sons, but to also investigate any and every individual for corruption and heresy."

"And that is what all my questions are about. If you live long enough, you will find that being on the same side, means less than you think." As he turned away, Jericho could only mumble under his breath. "Like I didn't know." As they reached the front gate, a rider approaches them, galloping over the pavement. "Chaplain Crimson, the Darkborne are repelled. We are victorious!"

"Good. But do not celebrate yet. Tend to the wounded. Rebuild defenses. And gather up the troublemakers. We have work to do." The Chaplain's orders rang out clear, and the rider only nodded, before galloping back to the bulk of the cavalry force. Inside the townhall, they find the Captain, worn and weary after a night of battle. Drinking a hearty amount of water to ease his sore throat, he could only muster a salute, before returning to taking swigs out of his canteen.

Audrich grabbed the nearby Lightvoxer, and moved back outside. He peered to the side, asking Jericho one last thing. "Any more Guardians with you?" Lifting an eyebrow, Jericho responded shortly. "Yeah, why?" Without another word, the Chaplain turned to the Lightvoxer, flipping a few switches, turning it into an amplifier, capable of echoing through half the town. "Guardians of the Light, regroup at the town hall! We have business to do!" Spoke Crimson, before turning the thing off without another word.

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight CombatReadyPenny Sybil billthesomething CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus AlphaKyle QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: Frontierville - Outside Town Hall
Status: Extremely Exhausted/Mildly Angry
Disposition: Slightly Evil
Interacting With: shadowz1995 Trappy


​

Audun was done speaking with the witch. He didn't want to let her provoke him anymore, so he walked to the edge of the walk and jumped off with what strength and let his wings glide him back to the town hall. Along the way, he saw the Ravager corpse he had left earlier. He chose to set down here instead of continuing on. Among the wrecked buildings, he found where his sword and other belongs were lost when he killed the Ravager. He picked up his sword, disturbed that the sword was in its Evil form, but still slinging it onto his back. From the leather backpack, he pulled out his animal pelt cloak and covered his right arm. His veins were jet black at this point and wasn't going to let anyone know that he was corrupted. He was still a paladin, even if some of his actions today say otherwise.

The Nephilim walked the rest of the way back to the town hall and as he went, he made sure to hide his wings under his cloak also. His behavior was...unbecoming, whether he was a Seraph or a paladin. He would give off no indication that he used Dark Magic, knowing that more than just a few people would resent him for that. Audun got back in time to see Maria questioning the Vile that absorbed the Cerebrate's Darkness earlier. Audun commended him for that, even if it came at a physical cost. He was willing to push himself to the limits to protect the town, and yet this woman can't put aside her xenophobia for a moment to acknowledge his efforts.

For that reason, among others, Audun didn't particularly like Maria. Audun looked at the Vile's expression, and it told Audun that he didn't like the female warrior very much either. In a moment of compassion, Audun came up next to the Vile and addressed Maria with a bite in his words. "Watch yourself, Princess. This man, Vile, or not, helped us destroy the Cerebrate. He risked himself to incapacitate the creature's abilities. You should be thanking him, or at least acknowledge him as a person, not a creature, because without him, the village and your sorry ass might not exist anymore. He has his reasons, but he won't tell you if you show so much hostility."

Audun was obviously not thinking clearly. Whether it was the fatigue or Darkness in him, something made him speak out for the Vile. Or perhaps, it was because that Audun sympathized with him as another being that was tainted by the Darkness. Maybe it was because, there was finally someone who could understand his situation and how the Darkness eats away at his soul. Audun turned his attention to the Vile. "I am Audun. Do you have a name, brother?" In the midst of asking this, a man in the corner of his eye shouted into a Lightvoxer. "Guardians of the Light, regroup at the town hall! We have business to do!" Still in a poor mood, Audun growled a bit in anger at the interruption. He was already close by the hall, so he would take no heed to the message until the other Guardians came.

 

[shadowz1995]

Tenet fully expected the woman's animosity to deepen the moment she noticed exactly who was helping her to her feet. His fiery eyes locked onto hers as she asked her question and for a moment, one could see that Tenet was attempting to process exactly what she said. The words were familiar but it always took the Vile a second to piece together their meanings and sometimes he would be completely off. Though this was not the case with the woman's question. 'What business do you have here?' That question completely flew over the corrupted man's head. He had no concept of what the word business was and a result he merely cocked his head at her. The second question definitely made more sense and he was able to respond by turning and pointing at the residence he was released from. "Magic.... woman....." he spoke in a voice twisted by maleficence. Black smoke leaked from his lips with the words spoken like a wispy venom, the body still trying to regulate the overload of dark energy. Tenet then pointed to the red ribbon on his wrist. The woman in the tower said people would know who he was if he showed them that. Though from the looks Maria and the other soldiers were giving him, it seemed it mattered not.

Moments later, a being Tenet had never seen before approached them. The Vile had long since sensed his presence but much like the Darkborne, he could not exactly tell what it was. Dark in nature but.... not. The humanoid being approached them with hostility, or at least disdain, radiating off of it. The being was rather wounded but beyond powerful. Far more so than Tenet was and his bestial instincts practically screeched at him to flee. However, when the man approached, it was clear that animosity was not directed at him but at the armored woman standing before him. The winged man spoke too quickly for Tenet to follow what he was saying but from the sound of it, he wasn't pleased with her for some reason. So, the Vile took a step back to let them have their interaction only for the nephilim to turn his attention to Tenet. The manner of speech definitely changed when Tenet was addressed. Enough so, that Tenet relaxed a bit, the instinctual wariness of a superior being leaving his tensed muscles.

The Vile's orange ire swept over Audun The Fallen several times in an attempt to figure exactly what he was. He felt like a creature much like himself. Yet, the light-walkers seemed to respect him to some degree. The emotions he felt directed at himself were of fear and hate. Alike and very different at the same time.

Still, the being asked the Vile a question which he had heard a few times before. His name. The name he had given himself, "Tenet...." his distorted voice replied. "Audun..." he repeated, pointing a finger at the fallen angel, as if to confirm that was truly his name.

The sudden loud summon for the guardians to gather caused Tenet to jump in surprise. At first, he thought that they had finally decided to attack him altogether and he reacted accordingly. Teeth were bared, claws hardened, and he quickly backpedaled a few feet to defend himself. Though Tenet quickly realized that wasn't the case and that "lights" began converging to one location. As much as the Vile wanted to heed to kind magic woman's words or to continue conversing with this strange dark-but-not person, being surrounded by light-walkers any longer was just asking for to be killed and was making the Vile incredibly skittish. Anyone could tell all of the activity from the lightborne was making Tenet nervous. The red ribbon did not seem to be having the effect it should. So instead, Tenet turned to a half destroyed building and leapt up to its ravaged rooftop, his dark blood trailing behind him. From here, he could observe from a distance without too much fear of being ambushed. The feral man sat cross-legged upon the broken tile and watched with eyes that could only be described as a predator watching its prey. He pulled the cowl of the cloak up over his head and merely watched in smoldering silence.

QizPizza Trappy​

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho
"Quite the operation here. You folks sure did put up a good fight." remarked the Chaplain as he watched the plaza. His own men were moving in, medics included, helping out the wounded, and rounding up the local troops for debriefing and reassignment. As quickly as it was destroyed, repairs were already in progress for the broken wall, with some workers still bleeding from the head or hand as they hoisted logs to the site. There was a peculiar woman, picking up arrows from the ground. "Folks these days take everything they can take, don't they?" remarked the Chaplain as the woman pulled a broken arrow into her bag. "Tough times, rough place. They get by with what they need." Audaton added.

"That girl over there. Is that..." Audrich spoke up, his hand pointing towards a woman with a metal cuirass, holding a bardiche in hand, to which Jericho immediately replied. "Yup. Maria Theodosiel. The general from Regalia. Sparred with her when we got here. She's a tough fighter, tougher than she looks, but relies on her Guardian powers a bit too much."

"And that... Seraph over there. Part of your team?" The Chaplain asked again, looking at Jericho. After no apparent response from the quiet Guardian, the Chaplain simply turned his gaze back to the winged figure, eyes fixated on its wings. "You just tell him to watch his wings. Worth a lot in the capital, and lots of bandits out on the borders. I personally have a pair back at home, a small... trophy, from our most recent bandit raid. The poor Seraph had gotten lost and was butchered. We couldn't really save the guy, so I took the wings. At least they won't be sold that way. Explains why they're mostly concentrated in that floating city of theirs nowadays. We're too dangerous for 'em."

As the Chaplain went on about the wings, Jericho sat down on a nearby chair he had acquired, and begun cleaning his Halberd with a used rag, wiping dirt, rubble and Dark ash from the blades. "He can hold his own. I doubt anyone can even get close to him anyways." Jericho said mindlessly. The Chaplain slowly turned to him. "All these legendary figures here, and then, there's you." Audaton's hands froze, as he looked up at the Chaplain.

"Y'know, a few odd years ago, us Chaplains were sent to an updated training session. Couple of officials with nothing better to do, teaching us about stuff we've already heard a thousand times before. But then they brought in something new. They taught us about you. About your team. Anvil Team, wasn't it?" The Chaplain leaned on the walls of the town hall, as Jericho set aside his Halberd, propping it up against the same wall, as he listened. This was getting serious. "The lesson was about... duty. Responsibility. They were teaching us that, the actions of one man, can save or destroy the situation on the battlefield."

"With all due respect, Chaplain, I don't think this is the right time to..." Jericho tried to speak up, beads of sweat slowly forming on his forehead. The Chaplain cut him off by deepening his voice. "They taught us about you, specifically. Jericho Audaton of Team Anvil. 3 male, 2 female. That July, your team was sent to assist an Imperial force in the extermination of a Darkborne infestation. You were tasked with navigation, as you were already in the area 2 days prior to everyone else."

"Chaplain, do not make me..." Jericho got serious as well, but the Chaplain persisted. "Through your guidance, Team Anvil had gotten lost, rendering it unable to support the attacking Imperial force, which was slaughtered. You realized the situation was dire. Everyone did. But you persisted, adamant that you were on the right track, and thus, your team was surrounded, and--"

"That's enough!" Jericho yelled, standing up straight. His outburst startled a few nearby guardsmen, and silenced the Chaplain as he looked upon the man curiously. "Look, I appreciate your help in the battle, but if you've come this far just to target me for something you cannot prove, or for a personal vendetta, then I'm not going to stand here and put up with your shit!" Jericho spoke angrily, yet in a slightly more composed manner, before sitting down.

"I apologize then, Audaton. I did not mean to rile you. But just remember," Crimson said, also crouching down to eye level. "I will be watching closely. Very. Closely." And just as quickly as that, he returned to his normal stance again. observing the plaza. Jericho picks up his halberd, and continues cleaning it, with the Chaplain's words echoing silently in his mind.

Trappy QizPizza

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot

“Holy shit that was awesome! It cut the damn thing in half almost!”

Margot couldn’t help but smile at elemental’s enthusiastic reaction. To be frank, she also felt like screaming from joy, but such an expression of strong emotions didn’t really fit mage’s vision of her person. So instead, she only smiled at Phos widely.

‘Good job, elemental,’ the sorceress told to her by the mind link and turned to the winged man.

“Thanks for the help, angel.” Those words didn’t roll off mage’s tongue easily after their rather hostile first exchange, but Margot was slowly forgetting about that. Her irritation at angel’s behaviour was utterly overshadowed by mage’s interest in the nature of his abilities. Once again, he had casted a spell of incredible complexity just by touching something. No circles, no chanting, nothing. But before mage could even ask a first of bajilion questions she had, the angel had jumped off the wall.

“Trrek,” Margot swore in elvish silently, as she heard a booming voice echoing through the city:

"Guardians of the Light, regroup at the town hall! We have business to do!"

The regrouping was a good idea in sorceress’s opinion, so as Phos jumped down the wall, Margot quickly formed a flight spell. Instead of simply flying, this time she moved through the city with long jumps, traversing the place more slowly, but also using less energy.

She got to the town’s square just in time to hear an unknown man spinning a tale of Jericho Audaton’s supposed failure at a battle long time ago. The Chaplain finished his story and said to the other man something that sounded like a threat, before walking away.

‘What a moment he had chosen for that,’ Margot squinted her eyes, as she looked at Chaplain’s back. When he was far enough, she made one last jump landing next to Jericho, dusting her cape off.

“Don’t dwell on the past too much, warrior,” she said, in the tone somewhere between commanding and comforting. Margot looked at the eyes of the man, in which she could almost see the storm of emotions inside of his mind. “It doesn’t amount to anything. Younglings like him…,” she pointed with her chin on the Chaplain. “…always think they can get through life without making any missteps.”

The sorceress looked at the man before her. Normally she would probably be done with the pep-talk, but the situation were far from normal. She was tired and cold barriers she had around her mind fell apart after the hardships of battle, allowing an aged woman under them to talk:

“I don’t know what happened in your past, but I can offer you a piece of wisdom from an old Enforcer: for every person, that died due to my mistakes, I saved five others armed with the lessons I learnt from those mistakes.”

QizPizza (mentioned), Sybil (mentioned)
Kabboom (interacted)

 

[CombatReadyPenny]

Terra made her way to the town hall, limping as her leg still had not fully healed. "Thisll heal in time... Right now I have to meet everyone at the town... " she smiled as she walked. "Am I really that powerful..." she asked herself as she looked Down to the sash. "No... Were you really that powerful..." she corrected herself as she looked to the sash. She looked up as she neared the hall, where she had previously been thrown against the wall from. "I don't know you... I don't know my dad either... But I do know one thing... I'm going to make sure I can get stronger than you." She said to herself with a laugh as she got to the town center as Margot landed. She was tossing a rock up and down in her hand.
Vyseryx (mentioned)

 

[-robert-]

Leafa didn't actually knew what she was doing. She was just sitting there, in the middle of the road, looking at a dead Darkwing that laid near her.

"I wonder if... it could have ended up in a different way...".

These thoughts invaded Leafa's mind, even though the creatures tried to kill her many times, she still felt sorry for them, she wondered if there was another way, if they could have lived in peace... she was so focused on the matter that she forgot she had nowhere to go.

Poke

“You ok there kid? Weren't them civilians suppos' t' retreat?"

The sudden touch startled Leafa, she turned around only to find an oddity of a woman. "Ahh! Don't sneak up on me like that! Who even are yo- Wooow! That hair color! It's just like theirs! It's really pretty! And your eyes are so pretty too! ... ... ... retreat? But I can't... there's no way... I can't go back... ... ... That's it! Look lady, can I stay with you? You can help me find them! So, where are we going next? I'm so excited! Oh right! My name is Leafa!". The young elf's face was spread with excitment, she had finally found someone that could take care of her, and eventually lead her to "them", whoever they were. Leafa didn't get a full look at the woman, the sky was as pitch black and she focused more on her face, especially on the deep purple hair.

Sybil

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos
​

The living assortment of rocks had assumed they would be dealing with a traumatized child, only to be caught off guard by their bubbly nature and unregulated energy. Spess would retreat back half a step and raise their hands up to stomach level in response to the social explosion, her gem-socketed eyes rotating as if to try to focus a bit before she eased up.

Was I like this to the guys back in the day?

The mineral maiden shrugged off the encroaching darker thoughts with a smile for the child, her smooth stone skin moving just like flesh. This small brunette child, elf child at that, was surely far from home. No wonder they might need help! Even the smile from the small girl was enough to sway Phos, the miner now finding themselves nodding softly before even thinking such a responsibility though.

"Sure I'll 'elp you! Name's Spessartite. I 'ear we are goin to the town hall, so maybe we can find your parents there huh? Is that who you need to find little one?" The mineral maiden stepped slightly to the side as she waved her arm, indicating she wanted the girl to walk alongside her.

-robert-

 

[Unwavering Knight]

The sickening crunching of bones and meat reverberated from a lone alleyway as iron fangs mercilessly tore into a goblin cadaver's exposed cranium. The creature's flesh, awash with filth of sweat, fleas and hair made for a sickening taste, disregarded for the stoic slamming of filed teeth as an iron-bound figure rapidly gnawed upon the fallen scavenger's form. Carelessly ripping through the creep's mottled hair, tough scalp, solid skull and finally gray matter, the gooey, viscous innards proved to be only slightly less foul than their barriers. The crushing of bone quickly gave way to the sucking-sound of mastication, verdant streams of goblinine life-fluid dripping from the helm.

Hovering above the prowling frame a fairy crossed her arms, silent dismay written in her eyes.

Gritting his teeth at the revolting tang, the knight took just a moment to regurgitate parts of the goblin's clothing before readjusting his helmet in quietude. The gloom of the night was sufficient cover for him to acquire sustenance, even if the process continued to repulse his mentality. He would have preferred partaking in one of the fallen hammergrazers, but he had no right to infringe upon that which belonged to the village and its inhabitants. Unwilling to answer certain questions as he was, dragging off one of the fallen scavengers was the most expedient measure.

A shortened digestive tract required special measures. Such was the price for improvement.

Wiping away stray strands of viscera and bone-fragments from his braincage, the knight rose back to his full height of almost seven feet, making to stride out of the alley in search of his Lady. The fairy momentarily cast a questioning glance back towards the scoured goblin-carcass before taking a graceful seat upon Pryonn's shoulder once again, sparing a moment to scrape a stray splatter of blood away from the metal.

He was born of perdition, after all.