Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Viper Actual]

Reality was returning. Galina blinked and as she opened her eyes they were once again normal. The spectral flickering had stopped as well, though she could sense an immense cold from her wrist where the banshee had grabbed her all those years ago.

As Ethraeil barked out commands Galina's train of thought was broken and she quickly moved to grab her rifle which was lying on the floor.

The second her hands grabbed hold of the weapon Galina kneeled down, aimed and fired at Cassandra.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille was stunned to see her attack phase through Cassandra completely, in disbelief of how fast that pureblood could move now. It would just mean that she had to fight in a more reactive style, as with such speeds she would close the gap immediately and be able to dodge with little to no issue. They would have to get quite good at counterattacking such intense speeds, the huntress wagered.

Her thinking on strategy was interrupted by Aleister actually managing a binding spell of some kind on her, and she immediately sprung into action. A sprinting charge like she had performed before, aiming to plunge her blade straight through the crazed purblood's heart. Camille had no idea what Cassandra was saying, but she knew it to be the ravings of a human life long gone. It only motivated her to put her out of her misery even faster.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

There was no telling how long the binding would hold, but Aleister knew it wouldn't be for long. With the others moving in to attack, he began recasting a spell again - the same binding one he had just used. If he could keep her bound enough, then that should minimize the damage she could deal. Gwyndolin's snakes were quite effective. He wasn't sure how many times he could call upon the snakes, or how long they would even obey him, but he would do everything he could to put that woman down. She moved far too quickly to deal with otherwise. Once she broke free of the current binding, he would cast it again.

 

[Breadman]

Theodore cursed under his breath as he reloaded. The attacks were doing very little damage to the vampire and now she was becoming more unhinged by the second. There had to be a better way. He started moving closer to the head inquisitor, eyes still fixed on Cassandra.

"Valeria! The sword! We can end this quicker with it."

 

[Infab]

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 9
Rosanna = 4. Misses Cassandra.
Valeria = 10. CH Roll = 8. Does 5 DMG (Senior Inquisitor) to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 55.
Ethraeil charges attack.
Galina = 9. Does 1 DMG to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 54.
Camille = 4 + 1 (5, Infallible Focus.) Does 1 DMG to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 53
Aleister = 2. Spell failed.
Mariette = 7. Does 1 DMG to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 52.
Wesley = 9. Does 1 DMG to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 51.
Jakob = 1. Misses Cassandra.

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 9 (ENEMY)
Cassandra is no longer bound.
Cassandra = 10 - 1 + 2, 8 + 2, 5 + 2 - 1 (10, 10, 6. Fueled By Romanov Blood, Menacing Aura, Grand Duelist.) CH Roll = 9, 10. Targets Camille, Mariette, Ethraeil (Insane). Camille HP = 9, Mariette HP = 3, Ethraeil HP = 11.

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​

Just as the holy snakes began to dissolve from around Cassandra, the group made their attacks. Valeria scored a decent hit, hitting Cassandra in the chest, while Galina's rifle shot hit Cassandra in the thigh. Mariette, Camille, and Wesley made their hits as well, Camille and Mariette stabbing Cassandra with rapiers while Wesley embedded his axe in Cassandra's shoulder. Still, the pureblood seemed unfazed by the attempts to kill her.

When the snakes finally disappeared, so did Cassandra a moment later. Aleister's freshly summoned snakes tried to latch onto empty air at that point. She appeared in another part of the room, only to disappear when Rosanna neared and took a swing. She even appeared near Jakob once, and he managed to get a shot off only to hit yet another afterimage. Ethraeil stayed locked onto the pureblood as she rapidly moved about, making sure to continue charging his dark magic spell.

What he didn't expect was Cassandra to disappear from view entirely. As he looked about, he suddenly felt something collide with his spinal column. Cassandra's fist. Several of his vertebra cracked, pieces of bone falling off and hitting the hardwood floor. It'd take a bit more than that to take the lich down, but still it was a rather devastating hit. She disappeared again as he turned to face her, reappearing back near Camille and Mariette. And Camille was her target this time.

She reached out and grabbed Camille by the throat in the blink of an eye, lifting the woman clear off the ground. She then smiled, her empty eyes locked onto Camille's face. "Come on, Cintoria. You know I'm better than you in combat...It's why I was chosen to go and help kill the vampires at the fort, and you weren't. You'll get your chance soon enough." she said, before grabbing onto Camille's rapier wielding arm. A moment later, Cassandra's grip tightened till it felt like the bones in her forearm were crushed under the pressure. Then, Cassandra gave it a sharp twist and jerked. The arm came out of socket, tearing several muscles in the process.

Then, she simply tossed Camille aside as if she were a useless rag. She collided with the wall of the estate, leaving an indention and knocking a painting and lamp off the wall. The lamp shattered as it hit the floor, oil flowing forth and catching fire. The painting also caught fire, quickly burning as the fire spread across the wooden floor to other parts of the room. Cassandra then turned her attention to Mariette. "Remember how we used to play Knights and Dragons, Elizabeth? Running around the castle grounds...you in an adorable little dragon costume while I used some old chainmail the guards let me play with...I looked like a fool dragging that chainmail shirt around behind me..."

She reached down and took the sword that Camille had dropped, before walking towards Mariette. "...still, we had lots of fun...I miss those days..." she continued, before promptly disappearing. She appeared behind Mariette, and shoved the point of Camille's rapier through Mariette's back. Straight through the heart. She released the handle a moment later, before delivering two bone shattering kicks to the backs of Mariette's legs. As Mariette dropped to her knees, Cassandra grasped the top of Mariette's head and jerked backwards. The back of Mariette's head collided with point of the pureblood's knee, bouncing off and sending her flying back forwards onto her face.

Rosanna nearby was dumbstruck. "Good gods, she's gonna slaughter us." she said aloud, looking to Valeria. Valeria was just as shocked, herself looking to Theodore. "Give me the sword. Now." she said, holding out her hand. Rosanna, meanwhile, moved in again with her own sword to try and slow the pureblood down.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil staggered forward, nearly losing his grip on his spell but with his determination he steadied himself after a few moments and stood back up. He didn't realize the extent of Cassandra's raw strength until he had been actually struck by her, and he now realized they were running low on time. Rosanna was right, Cassandra was going to slaughter the Inquiry is this kept up. When Valeria gave instructions to give her the sword, Ethraeil cried out: "DO IT QUICK! I'LL DRAW HER IRE!"

He then redoubled his efforts to charge his spell, bringing it to its full potency before unleashing it in a beam towards Cassandra.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister could feel a lead weight pressing upon his shoulders and his chest as his spell failed to bind the pureblood. He had been casting a lot of magic in a very short time, and some of it was magic he was not familiar with. The snakes, the healing mist, all things he had to do on the fly. It took a toll on the unprepared. He wasn't sure how many more spells he could stand to cast. A few more, certainly, but he didn't wish to overcast and collapse.

He began to channel neutral magic again as he watched Cassandra move ungodly fast about the room. It was difficult enough to try and stop her let alone land a hit, so he realized that his best bet was to keep the others in the fight for now. With the magic he already channeled, he made to cast the healing mist again. Many were clearly hurt and he needed to keep everyone moving.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille kicked and fought in Casssandra's grip to the best of her ability, eyes burning with hate as she choked and flailed her legs about as her hands attempting to stab into the pureblood's offending grip with her weaponry. The huntress' eyes grew with visible shock and fear as her sword arm was grabbed strongly, the limb twisted and practically ruined in a few short seconds. She let out a shrill cry of pain, fighting that much more fiercely before she was unceremoniously thrown into the wall and bounced off of it to the floor.

Reeling from the pain, she dropped her quill and affixed a palm to her shoulder, getting to her knees as she struggled to see where Cassandra went next. She could feel the heat of the fire creeping up behind her, and she bore witness to Cassandra's assault on Mariette. It won't end here, I won't let it... she thought, quickly standing to her feet as she clutched her wounded arm. Faster still she sprinted up to Mariette, pulling her rapier free with her working hand before making a desperate stab at Cassandra. Fortunately she had trained to gain a slight bit of ambidexterity in her hands for situations like this, though her aim with her throwing knives would have attested to this skill already. If anything her attack would at least draw her attention away from Mariette, who was looking visibly battered and on the brink at this point.

 

[Viper Actual]

Fighting Cassandra was beginning to look like an impossible task. Galina muttered something to herself, lowered her rifle and focused on her opponent. For a second she reared back before releasing a focused scream in an attempt to stun Cassandra. Hopefully it would buy the others enough time to strike her down with the holy sword.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette had done her best and given everything she could for the inquiry. One way or another, however, the end was quite suddenly near for the old Countess. Despite the piercing, unrelenting pain of Cassandra's assault, Mariette was in a higher place, a warmer place, a peaceful and forgiving place. It was a far cry from heaven still, but as her heart ruptured at the end of Camille's sword, Mariette's existence played out before her mind's eye, and she was pleased with it's sum and the impending end.

Camille retook her sword, and in the process brought Mariette back to the present. She couldn't stand as the others attacked in a haphazard unison, and only rose to her feet when they had expended their efforts. There was no point in swinging a rapier any longer.

A final ploy crossed her mind. I don't always need magic to create an illusion, she quietly considered. Am I sister, or perhaps an old friend..? She staggered toward Cassandra, dropping her sword on the floor. "That's enough play, Cassie," she said in her most innocent voice. "You always win, don't you? But it's all just play, right? ...You don't really hate me, do you?"

She held out her arms as if searching for a hug, and, amazingly, real tears streamed down her face. My gods... What have we become?

 

[Breadman]

Theodore did as he was told. Handing the sword over to Valeria. Whatever she had planned had better work for the world's sake. He turned back to Cassandra and let off another volley of shots towards her.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

"Mariette!" Jakob let out a helpless shout as he saw the vampiress shove Camille's blade through Mariette's heart. The group was going to get slaughtered if this continued. He tried to use the column he was sitting against to get up, but his attempt ended with him face planting into the hardwood floor. He looked to his legs and touched them. He could still feel a bit, but he had lost most motor function thanks to Archer's attack. Aleister's magic had definitely helped him, he was alive and the wound was closed. Still, he needed more medical help, and his own lycan regeneration to be able to walk. He wouldn't let that affect him, however, as he sat back against the column once again and waited for the chance to fire at Cassandra the next time she appeared.

 

[Infab]

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 10
Rosanna = 2. Misses Cassandra.
Ethraeil = 10. CH Roll = 6. Does 7 DMG (Master of Death, Charged Attack (1 Turn), Pureblood) to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 44.
Aleister attempts to heal party. D6 used. Chance Roll = 1. Chance failed.
Camille = 10. CH Roll = 7 + 1 (8. Grand Duelist.) Does 4 DMG to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 40.
Galina attempts to stun Cassandra. D6 used. Chance Roll = 3. Chance failed.
Wesley = 4. Misses Cassandra.
Jakob = 7. Does 2 DMG (With Badge & Gun) to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 38.
Theodore = 8. Does 1 DMG to Cassandra. Cassandra HP = 37.
Mariette attempts to distract Cassandra. D6 used. Chance Roll = 6. Chance successful. Cassandra distracted for three turns.

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 10 (ENEMY)
Cassandra = 1 + 2 (3. Fueled By Romanov Blood.) Locked onto Mariette (Distracted.) Doesn't damage Mariette.

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​

Rosanna and Camille both moved in quickly, Rosanna reaching Cassandra first and swinging her sword. The weapon connected with an afterimage, however, slicing through the fading form of Cassandra as she appeared in another part of the room. Camille quickly adjusted course, nearly sliding as she turned about and charged. She would also connect with her target, but found it to be the real Cassandra. The rapier plunged through Cassandra's side, forcing the pureblood to look down at Camille. Her expression didn't change, but she did reach out and simply push Camille back slowly. The rapier slid out as Camille slid backwards, alarmed at the strength of Cassandra effortlessly moving her backward.

As the blade came out, Wesley arrived and took a swing at her. His axe carved through yet another afterimage, Cassandra appearing several yards away near the fire spreading through the estate. Galina attempted to halt the pureblood where she was with a stunning scream, but Cassandra disappeared once more and Galina's scream simply made the massive fire waver a bit. Once Cassandra reappeared, Ethraeil let loose his dark magic spell. She wouldn't see it coming, as her back was to the lich, and the dark magic beam would slam into her spine and send her stumbling forwards a few feet. A hole was burned through her clothes on her back, leaving a smoking scorched place on her skin. She simply straightened up and glanced back at the lich however.

While she gazed upon the lich, Jakob and Theodore's shots connected with the vampire. They punched through her torso, but as before, she remained unfazed. It would take more than gunshots to put the woman down. As they fired upon Cassandra, Aleister attempted to heal the group once more. However, his magical strength was running a bit low and the attempt failed. He'd need to feed to regenerate his strength.

What did seem to affect Cassandra was Mariette. As she dropped her weapon and spoke, slowly walking towards Cassandra, Cassandra's head turned about. She then smiled at Mariette. "...Elizabeth, you're my closest friend...I could never hate you." She turned and approached Mariette, before eventually (and gently) embracing her in a hug. "...We were just children...If it came off that way, I'm really sorry..."

Cassandra was crying again, tears rolling off her chin. "...I'm...sorry for not being there, Elizabeth...I could have saved you. I could have done something...You would have lived, and we could have been friends forever and ever..." she continued, clutching Mariette closer. "...You and your baby could have lived...instead, I was in that gods forsaken fort..."

Nearby, Valeria took the sword from Theodore, the blade touching the ground as Valeria attempted to figure out the best way to wield it. "So you're going to use the sword against Cassandra? I do hope you realize the outcome if she's able to counter you." said a voice deep inside Valeria's mind. She grunted, lifting the executioner's blade to her shoulder. As she looked over, however, she saw Wesley approaching from behind Cassandra. Axe at the ready.

 

[joshuadim]

His blow connected and while it seemed to strike true and in a powerful manner, in the end Cassandra simply looked unfazed much to Ethraeil's surprise. He looked at Valeria and stared at the sword. "If you plan on using that, I suggest now to be the time for it..." he said as he looked over to Cassandra, now embracing Mariette much to his surprise once again. "Before whatever is happening right now stops and she turns her attention back onto us."

Ethraeil quickly walked and positioned himself behind Cassandra. He saw Wesley was coming for an attack, and to make his job easier Ethraeil put his hands onto the floor and send ice rights towards Cassandra's feet. Hopefully, she would stay stuck long enough for the attacks to work.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister slammed his fist into the ground when his magic failed again. His fingers cracked into the marble floor and broke with the force of the punch. Was he already at his limit? Was his focus not strong enough? He couldn't resist baring his fangs in annoyance, and he reached into his military jacket to remove his vial case. Aleister drank down one vial, tossed it aside, and then downed another. By the taste, he could tell one was lamb's blood and the other was human. Likely from one of his many friends in passing.

Much of the frustration and stress was numbed nearly immediately following the two blood vials. His broken fingers repaired themselves with a slight pinching sensation. When he glanced back towards the others, he was startled to see Cassandra and Mariette hugging. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating or under a spell, but the scene appeared to be genuine. How had...?

There was no time to spare on bewilderment. He made preparations for the same healing spell, knowing everyone needed it dearly.

 

[KRIY]

Wesley raised his axe behind Cassandra, ready to decapitate her with a heavy swing. having to hit her over and over again with his axe while hearing her mention her past memories decades long past deadpanned was mildly disturbing, His anger for her completely subsided after hearing her talk about what happened to Elizabeth. He was like her to an extent. A recruit. probably in her early 20s at the time, filled with vigor and confidence. only to end up being captured, turned and have her mind broken by the monsters that she committed to kill. "She didn't deserve to have her sanity taken away like that" Wesley said to himself. out in the corner of his eye, he spots Valeria wielding the blade, He nods at her and prepares to swing if something goes wrong with what Mariette is doing.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob aimed his revolver again, directly at Cassandra, but he found himself gazing upon the scene of Mariette and Cassandra hugging one another. Cassandra's dillusioned words brought on by the insanity caused by her Romanov blood consumption actually affected Jakob. He felt something he didn't think he could feel for the vampire. Pity. He lowered his revolver, and simply looked down. He wasn't going to shoot her now, not as long as she was... like this.

 

[K0mori]

So she's seeing ghosts...

"Things are better on the other side than we could ever imagine," Mariette said quietly. "I've waited a long time for you. We could still be friends forever, if only you would join us there. But you never... You never joined us like the rest."

She couldn't afford to take her eyes off Cassandra, not in the middle of the act. She only hoped that Wesley and Valeria, and anyone else prepared to make a move would understand that they would need to do so while Mariette and her foe were still fully engaged in this strange charade. Should Wesley follow through with his axe, it might pass through the pureblood's neck and into her own face, but that would be well worth the sacrifice to remove this monster from the mortal realm forever.

Do it. Do it, please.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina blinked. While her scream had failed to stun Cassandra it would seem that Mariette had succeeded with a hug. As Valeria moved forth with the sword Galina cautiously moved up on the side. She would need to grab Mariette and pull her away right before the blade connected with Cassandra.

 

[Infab]

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 11
Ethraeil attempts to freeze Cassandra's feet in place. D6 used. Chance Roll = 3. Chance failed.
Aleister attempts to heal the party. D6 used. Chance Roll = 4. Chance successful. Party regains 3 HP.

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 11 (ENEMY)
Mariette HP = 6. Camille HP = 12. Ethraeil HP = 14. Jakob HP = 9. Galina HP = 17.
Cassandra = 2 + 2 (4. Fueled By Romanov Blood.) Doesn't damage Mariette.

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As the group prepared to move in to strike Cassandra down, the fire elsewhere in the room grew. It moved ever closer to where Cassandra and Mariette were standing, the heat dampening Ethraeil's attempt to freeze Cassandra's feet in place. The ice melted, leaving only puddles. Meanwhile, Aleister's healing magic succeeded, healing the group a bit as the mist floated about like before. Wounds were mended, such as Camille's destroyed arm (though that would need extensive attention after the battle) and Jakob's spine (which would also still need extensive attention.)

Cassandra gently released Mariette, looking down at her as she continued to cry. "...Its because I can't join you. I don't deserve to. You're a good person...you always were...and I'm not." she said, before slowly and carefully pushing Mariette away from her. She then gave Wesley a bit of a scare when she spoke once more. "...David...I'm sorry for what I did. When you...when you rejected me...I just snapped. I loved you so much...and I wanted to spend eternity with you at my side. I was...asking too much of you."

She then grinned, still crying. "I mean...who would willingly become a vampire like me, right? Cursed...to live forever under the cover of darkness...feeding on the blood of the innocent. To become...the very thing we inquisitors were supposed to hunt...I shouldn't have asked you to do that. I should....have simply left you be. Let you move on with your life....but I didn't...I killed you."

She then sighed. "I deserve this...you know? This is my punishment...doomed to walk the mortal realm till the end of time...as a monster. Until someone comes along and just...lops my head off. End everyone's suffering."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob watched as the scene continued, Cassandra's blood fueled rage shifting dramatically into a display of sadness and remorse. Everything she was saying seemed to come from inside, buried deep in her subconscious which she normally seemed to suppress with anger. Jakob didn't want to take part in the vampire's death anymore, because he now saw an actual living being rather than the villainous monster he had hated since the fateful night at the lodge. Jakob looked at his surroundings. The fire was spreading through the room, getting hotter by the minute. He looked over to where Rosanna was standing. "Rose, I can't walk. I think we should get out of here. Let..." He looked to Wesley, Mariette, and Valeria. "...Let them handle this."

 

[Dmaster]

Once Camille was pushed back she observed the heart-to-heart close by, teeth still held tightly together as she panted, the pain in her arm numbed but left limp and hanging still. She could tell it wasn't fully healed, and it would need to be relocated as well as given more intensive care if she was to use it without damaging it further. The huntress gripped her rapier, not intent on being disarmed again as she staggered closer to Cassandra and Mariette. In the distance she could see Wesley priming a hefty swing to decapitate her, and she rolled her functional shoulder and stared blankly at the pureblood coming to terms with the monster she was. It was always unfortunate when they snapped out of their delusions, far too late after the atrocities their curse had driven them to commit. All they could do for her now was end her suffering.

The rest of the inquiry surrounded the pureblood, and she entered a preemptive fencing stance to get a quick strike in as soon as the attack was made. They would need as many weapons in her as possible to put Cassandra down, and Camille was not one to hesitate.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina remained firm. She would strike as soon as Valeria did. Muzzle pointed at Cassandra and with her finger on the trigger she waited.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

It was dangerous to assume Cassandra was done for - as crazy as a thought that was - but the fire was growing around them and it could easily kill them if they weren't careful. The smoke was hardly an issue for him, but the flames themselves.... Aleister began searching for a clear exit, or area they could try to escape from. Once identified, he raised his hands and began casting a pseudo-elemental spell to push the gathering smoke up high towards the ceiling so that the mortal members of the party would not suffer under it.

 

[KRIY]

"So, this is what she was suppressing by drinking the vials. Poor thing, she suffered decades with the grief of her loved ones." With his axe still raised, it was now his turn to act his part.

"Cassandra... You are not a monster... you were just unfortunate to experience all of this pain and suffering. I've heard how you were turned; you were the only one alive and they tortured you endlessly for months. trying to escape multiple times but only to get captured in the end... it broke you." Wesley stopped a bit before continuing forward. "You don't deserve any of this, Cassandra. If I was just there… I would have saved you too…. Maybe one day… we can walk the plains, and admire the surroundings. like we always do.."

Wesley looked at the sharp edges of the axe, stained with blood from the vampire soldiers from earlier. he then looks back at Cassandra, still facing Mariette. He set his position up and focused. "Maybe one day Cassie.. Maybe one day..."