Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

"...I am letting you all go. You should savor that chance and move. If you want to know more about what I can do, and am more than happy to do should you tempt me, ask Ethraeil. He knows all too well." said Sazak finally, motioning back towards the road behind the group. Valeria rubbed her temple, wincing in pain after the word Sazak had said, before waving to the others. "Lets go. If she bothers us any more, we can deal with her then." she muttered, turning her horse around and moving back towards the road.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister had remained in the carriage initially, hearing the excitement from outside with some great curiosity. When the curiosity finally overcame Mariette, it took Aleister along with it. He tied his silk ribbon around the lower half of his face, just over his nose to cover it, his mouth, and chin, leaving only his eyes visible. He then pulled the hood up from his robes - a necessary attachment to most clothes for a vampire. He followed Mariette out into the day and cringed at the heat, even with most of his body covered up.

While everyone spoke with the demon, he listened quietly, his fascination making him relatively idle in comparison to the others. A demon was a rare encounter, especially one which had fully taken over its vessel as Sazak claimed. There was little he felt he could say that wouldn't irritate the others right now, but even for a demon, it was a stretch to try and make claims it could be good, or misunderstood. Theoretically, he supposed a demon could behave in a... repentant manner for their past crimes, but demons were characterized by lies, malice, and unfair deals.

He took the time to instead study the demon, listening closely to her... his... words. Looking for a trick in them, or a dual meaning, or anything that would be useful to pick up on. When the others began to edge towards combating the demon, he rolled his eyes and lurked back towards the carriage, much like Mariette. If they all died, then it wasn't his fault, and most importantly, he had nothing to do with attacking the demon.

For the moment, it seemed like it wasn't particularly committed to fighting either, and Aleister eyed it from the window of the carriage now as Valeria ordered them to move on.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil responded with silence for the first few moments, as if he had blocked out the outside world for the time being. He fiddled his thumb bones a little as he stared straight ahead into the treeline. "Painful memories. A time long past. Echoes of an old life. Shadows of evil..." he muttered quietly before realizing he was in talking distance of Jakob. He turned his head towards him before returning his gaze towards the treeline again. "I need to be alone for a moment."

 

[Dmaster]

Camille turned on her heel and hopped back onto her horse, starting to gently whip at the reins to get the steed to start moving back toward the path. "What a waste of time. Even still we were wise to not pay it any mind. Such creatures are always a detriment, be it an ally or enemy." she weighs in, though after that she doesn't say a whole lot. There was still plenty for her to consider and think about on their road to Tresomin.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at the lich, before replying. "Memories, huh?" he said, sitting next to him on an adjacent mossy rock. He took his hat off and rested it on his legs. "Everyone has 'em. Hell, most of the time, I'm lost in old memories...I was in the war ten years ago, you know. Painful memories, those....' he said, before looking to Ethraeil. "...but dwelling on the past doesn't help anyone. They are nothing else than a reminder of past glories or mistakes. I don't know your story, bone man...but you should worry more about the present right now." He then stood and offered the lich a hand. "Come on, sir. Maybe once we're in camp or an inn, we can trade memories." he said, before chuckling. "I sure haven't lived as long as you have, but I hope I have at least some interesting stories to tell ya!"

 

[Radley]

Erwin had pulled his collar back up and put his hat back on, which he tipped to Sazak as he turned on his heel and returned to his horse.

As he put away his rifle and slung himself upon Boy, he turned his gaze towards Camille. "I ought to start keeping track off how many days we are fortunate to live before that big mouth of yours gets you or one of us killed" he scoffed with an unamused tone.

 

[joshuadim]

"They are memories filled with only pain, anger, and remorse. For someone as cheery as you, you would not want to hear them." Ethraeil replied as he got up. He then quietly made his way back to the carriage and settled inside in his seat. He twiddled his thumbs as he awaited to continued journey.

Painful memories. A time long past. Echoes of an old life. Shadows of evil...
Painful memories. A time long past. Echoes of an old life. Shadows of evil...
Painful memories. A time long past. Echoes of an old life. Shadows of evil...
Painful memories. A time long past. Echoes of an old life. Shadows of evil...

 

[Dmaster]

Camille chuckled at Erwin's comment, turning her head halfway to meet his gaze before shaking it in disagreement. "I am quite experienced in dealing with creatures so terribly full of themselves. If you show them that you're afraid they'll have that power over you." she replies. "It is better than sitting there and gawking as they ramble on uselessly, their delusions at the very least offer me some kind of entertainment."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Once Mariette had returned to the carriage, Aleister turned to her and spoke in a low voice as he unbound the silk ribbon from his face and returned it to his hands.

"This has been an interesting experience, I think. We know there is a living Romanov who needs to be... liberated, and we've met a rather intriguing demon. I do not wish to sound crass, but I think I am right in this matter. Cassandra and her employer cannot be trusted under any circumstance. Neither can the demon, I think, but based on their betrayal of her, or him, and having employed the creature in the first place, shows that these are no typical villains."

"Demons are tricky business. Combine that with a mad pureblood, and whatever her employer could possibly be, puts us in a very dangerous spot. The others in the group don't seem to realize this. Their arrogance is going to get them killed, that I am almost certain on. I can only hope it doesn't put our lives at risk as well."

 

[Radley]

Erwin shook his head, "Given your describtion of haughtiness, I have a hard time to distinguish if you speak of yourself or the deamon."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob accompanied the lich through the woods, talking as they went. "Sir, I shared bunkbeds with conscripted killers and cheery volunteers." he said, while patting Ethraeil's back. "I have a lot of old, painful stories too...lets talk about those another day." They finally arrived at the carriage, with Ethraeil climbing inside and Jakob climbing into the driver's seat. "Well, get ready for a bumpy ride, because we gotta catch up with the rest!" he said, before flicking the reins and giving the demon one last glance as she sat on her rock.

Once he caught up with Valeria, he gave her a wave. "Ma'am, I'm back! I have a plan if you're willing to give it some thought." he said, with a smile. "So! We can't go to the party dressed like this, can we? Nor can we go as inquisitors hunting down a vampire pureblood either." He motioned to what Valeria was wearing, before continuing. "So...I have an idea. We go near this party, and wait there while I go into Tresomin and get suits and fancy dresses. Since I'm the most normal looking person in our group. The ones that can or want to get into the party can use those. I know there's likely a tailor in town." He looked back to the others. "We play along, act like we're not inquisitors or hunters or anything. Say we're fancy people so that we don't alarm the lackeys working."

His gaze shifted to the road. "Those who can't get into the party, such as the skeleton, could wait and get in should we need help." He then looked back to Valeria, with an ambitious look in his eyes. "What'cha say, ma'am?"

 

[Infab]

"Mariette and Aleister would fit in perfectly, and I'm sure that I, Camille, and you could get in as well. The others will have to find a way to deal with things from the outside or the backroom." said Valeria, thinking over the plan Jakob had suggested. "Wesley can maybe sneak in as a servant, perhaps. The rest will either have to find another way inside, or assist from the outside. As for getting the outfits from the tailor...the rest of us will have to go to get measured for dresses and such. We can't just send you and expect you to remember all our measurements...especially for busts and girdles."

Rosanna soon spoke up, having road up a bit from the back to join in. "I'm not really one for fancy parties. Can't dance worth a crap, and I'm just...ya' know...I don't like dresses."

 

[K0mori]

Mariette settled in for the long ride, relieved that the encounter didn't turn violent after all. Aleister gave her his analysis of the situation, and she found herself mostly in agreement. "There is certainly something strange happening here, although I'm of the opinion that Sazak is not being honest about her allegiance. If she's so powerful, why not take revenge on Cassandra and their employer herself? Or if she feels we can pull it off, then why not join us? Instead, she welcomes us to do the job while she sits on the sidelines. ...And yet, why place her there, anyway, if we were already on the road to Cassandra's current location? This isn't adding up.

"Moreover," Mariette added, "I want to know why Cassandra left us all alive, anyway. I mean, I don't know for certain that she saw through the illusion, but Sazak seemed to know that we were coming. Then again, she seemed to know a lot of things..." she trailed off, remembering that the demon had taunted Jakob about his dead son. She also thought about how Sazak had brought up Marquess Camille. At first, it almost seemed to be a veiled reference to Mariette's haunting. Maybe a challenge? Mariette wondered what sort of nightmare would truly frighten the Raven and break her self-destructive overconfidence once and for all.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

"Oh, nonsense!" he said, looking to Rosanna. "You'll look gorgeous in a dress! Besides, I wouldn't want anyone else watchin' my back than you!" he said, with a chuckle. He then looked back to Valeria. "Okay, ma'am. I need everyone's measurements. Wouldn't want anyone feeling uncomfortable either while dancing or...running for our lives when Cassandra cuts through the crowd." he says, jokingly. "Hopefully the last one won't happen at all, and we get rid of that woman."

He looked back through the carriage's window, which allowed the driver and passengers to talk if need be. "Have you two lovebirds been listening?" he says, with a grin. "I need you two to tell me what sort of fancy dress you want. We're infiltrating the party, and we're gonna make sure this is the last time we have to worry about Cassandra." He looked to Mariette. "Unless you still have that fancy dress you had before, madame!" He straightened up afterwards, looking to everyone else. "Alright, tell me who needs a suit or a dress, and I'll get something nice!"

 

[Infab]

Both Valeria and Rosanna cut Jakob a look. "Its unladylike to tell a man her measurements." says Valeria, narrowing her eyes. Rosanna smirked. "Yeah. Don't open that can o' worms, Jake." she said, before chuckling afterwards.

Valeria then replied to Mariette. "Demons often play on the sidelines. They usually are in things for personal gain, regardless of what happens. As for why she isn't doing it herself...she seemed the type to not get her hands dirty. At least now, that is. Ethraeil may have different stories on that matter, since the two knew one another." she said, glancing towards the carriage itself. "Perhaps Sazak was following us to make sure we played into Cassandra's trap in Bromwich. Then, she found her no longer useful, and slapped the iron shackles on her before she could put up a fight. Iron is a natural demon suppressant. Same with angels. With Cassandra's enhanced speed, she certainly could have done so. Remember the inn?"

"As for why Cassandra hasn't killed us...she toys with victims, I think. Why she left Sazak there...who knows. Maybe she really did think a werebeast would come kill Sazak in her weakened state. Cassandra wasn't all there upstairs, it seemed."

 

[Dmaster]

Camille chuckled at the realization that she would be infiltrating a high-class party. "Had I known that we would be running such a mission I would have came here with a dress of my own." she said with a confident smirk. She came to the island expecting things to be drastically different to what she was used to back home. "Though they had better allow me to carry my rapier on me once we are inside. It isn't a real party without the opportunity to cross swords with someone. It would just be a bunch of getting drunk and spinning about in circles otherwise."

Her half-joking over with, she gave a nostalgic sigh before growing a bit more serious. "Regardless I will be in my element at such a gathering. Between slaying vampires at their social gatherings or their estate gardens in the dead of night, this is nothing new to me."

 

[K0mori]

"Of course, Constable," Mariette replied to Jakob warmly. "I wouldn't trust a common parcel carrier to transport that garment I was wearing in Airedale back to my home any more than I would the keys to my strongboxes. I imported it from one of the most exclusive tailors in Tsavania; to say I cherish it would be an understatement." To Valeria, she became more serious, as the Senior Inquisitor's words didn't quite ease her mind about official matters. "While it's already quite obvious, Cassandra is utterly unlike a normal vampire. With that power she wields, I would have simply intercepted you all one by one when you arrived at the port, rather than setting these elaborate traps."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"I have a fine, and rather tasteful might I add, suit already packed. Even my day clothes would be passable at any gathering. I go no where not equipped for a social call. I may be able to spare a cravat or two, and most certainly I have a spare vest I can lend if whoever takes it promises not to filthy it up," Aleister said through the little window. "I mainly only have accessories to lend, and I do have some makeup for those who wish for it. I can give quick dance lessons to any gentlemen or ladies who need it... and if this gathering will mostly be vampires, then Mariette and I can give some pointers on proper behavior for the... other guests."

"Oh, and also - before we head in, I can enchant and bless our weapons. It would not be wise to step into any gathering without a little sorcery to back us up."

"And Marquess... do try to behave. This isn't a gathering where you should try and throw your weight around. We are in enemy territory, after all. Perhaps you could play the part of a lady-in-waiting for the Countess and I," he says with a teasing little laugh.

 

[Dmaster]

The Marquess gave a sneer that was concealed by the back of her hood, the expression soon fading with her eyes shutting and shoulders rolling as she tries to collect herself. "I must respectfully decline. And as always you needn't worry about me, for I know precisely how to carry myself in these events." Camille said, eyes burning a hole into the horizon.

"But the enchantments shall be most welcome, or if the lich is feeling cooperative he may freeze her legs solid so we can gut her freely." she adds after a moment of thought. "Truthfully I have never fought with a consecrated weapon before, I have never had the need for it. Might it give us the edge we need?"

 

[Breadman]

"I uh, am afraid I am not exactly fit for these sorts of gatherings." Theodore said somewhat nervous. "Two left feet you see. Wouldn't fit among these people and give us away right out the gate. You'd be better off with me performing some other role."

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina, now back on her horse, listened to the suggested plans of infiltrating the manor. "I have something slightly more... ceremonial, if needed be."
She gestured towards Wesley. "Wesley can pose as my bodyguard."

 

[KRIY]

"I'm open to the idea." Wesley picked up his pace so he'd be in earshot with Galina. "It'll also help us get more info to what Cassandra or the vampires are planning next"

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina smirked and looked towards Wesley. "I hope you can keep yourself steady after a drink or two."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked to Valeria and Rosanna, confused by their sudden glare, until he realized why they didn't trust him with that sort of personal information. He then let out a laugh, holding his stomach. "Oh dear, as if I would make fun of any of you with that sort of information!" He cleared a tear from his cheek from laughing too harsh. "But fine, don't trust 'good ol' Jakob' then." he added, while smiling and shrugging. "Since most here have an outfit, I just need to get you one, ma'am," he said, looking to Valeria, "One for Rosanna, Camille, Wesley, and myself." He then looked to Theodore and Erwin. "You folks could sneak in from the back, to try and get in an advantageous location." He then looked to Wesley. "Young man, you should drive the carriage when we head to the party. We need to dress you properly as a bodyguard!" he said with a smile. "Tell me when you want me to head to Tresomin, ma'am."

 

[Infab]

"Some of us will be going with you, Jakob. I trust you for the most part, but I consider myself a private person. I'll get my own outfit for the party. No offence, of course." stated Valeria. She looked to the others. "Besides, we can use some our time in Tresomin to gather information about who else might be going to the party. Any other notable people around the island. Maybe one of them could actually be Cassandra's employer." she added.

"Yeah, we might can get some stuff that would make it easier for the others to sneak in, too." commented Rosanna, glancing to the others.