Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Doomevil]

Well the demon's explanation certainly helped out a lot. She found it hard to believe the Abyss had a structure just like their light counterpart. Of course she wasn't one to worship the Divine Five. Judging by Tariun's wish to change the Abyss, she seemed very ambitious to seize this crown, but emphasized on the idea what they do on this mission will affect the very lives in the mortal realm as well. Senya sighed, gloved hand pressing against her helmet at the huge impact this can lead to. It'll be the same scenario with The Black Terror during her time in Upper Redonia but on a grand scale. Another Age of Darkness. If this wasn't a wake up call for the less cooperative members of the group then... great.

"I understand now. Thank you." Senya nodded to Tariun. But despite the demon's friendly demeanor and willingness to answer their questions, she was still skeptical. Hudson is right that they shouldn't lower their guard just because Tariun and Xager are sending birthday presents every week.

Senya turned to Jakob who seemed to know a lot of people in the Abyss.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Without fail, always striving for nothing more than their own personal power with violent expansion, and then leaving behind nothing but ash and dust when they die." She shook her head. "A true ruler would have the power to create a lasting empire."

Loque snaps to Gwen as she insulted Taranoch himself this way. She should know better than to insult the king inside his own castle. "Hold your tongue! You're in his land now!"

 

[Frankafurter]

Uloth grunts in distaste at the mere mention of politics. She never cared for other races affairs and for good reason, their societies usually ended up absolute messy wrecks because of politics. The current state of human affairs rings all the more relevant now than ever. Social hierarchy among the kin was simple, you pull your weight and don't step out of line unless you got the skill, strength, and will to back up your claim for advancement. The Abyssal politics seemed even less appetizing to her than mortal world politics, she hated demons and she especially hated their manipulative and deceitful ways of affecting the mortal realm. She's unfazed by Gwen's sudden interest piquing at the mention of politics, Elves were always the worst lot when it came to scheming, posturing, manipulating, and lying to get their way, it would be even less surprising if Gwen's actions in the previous era were still being felt throughout the human world of present day. Might explain why the humans are such a mess now socially that even a temperamental goddess like Velin is considered a good thing for them despite her genocidal and bigoted nature.

Velin... that's another one, talk about the group members that aren't human or are of the werewolf and vampire varieties being stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Abyss doesn't want them and the mortal realm doesn't want them either. Velin did say she was planning on visiting the Orcs after her little spat with Uloth, Uloth feels no regret though because most orcs would revel at the idea of attempting to kill a god in glorious combat even if it was suicidal. Maybe that's why the door accused her of murder born of pride, orcs are very proud and stubborn beings and any time that pride is threatened, they are more than ready to lay down their lives, even in needlessly pointless acts, to defend it. It was part of the reason that Uloth had taken her warband elsewhere, she wanted to get away from the other warbands that were more internally quarrelsome out of fear that her warband would succumb to similar squabbling. She knew who her enemies and her allies were and she didn't want to get them confused by the beginning of an enemy within the warband.

For once, Uloth is legitimately dumbstruck as she thinks about enemies and allies, she is the only orc amongst this entire party. There's humans and elves and even a couple otherworldly types, but she is the only orc in the group. Was she somehow... special compared to other orcs and the angel named Cassiel saw that in her, or was she just the luckiest orc in the world. Enemies and allies... it's such a bizarre situation, all the people around her are normally people she would be fighting or killing in glorious combat, but now she's expected to treat them as her comrades in arms, her partners in crime, etc. She's expected to ensure they survive so that the party does not fail in its rather monumental task, to destabilize the entirety of the Abyss to start a new era of rulership over it. And this... Tariun, she was the one that was supposed to succeed the current king? She appears to be friendly in a way, but she's still a demon and even if she's one of those ascended demons that the angel mentioned, she's still a demon and very much has the potential to revert to her former self. She will trust Tariun and this lieutenant of hers, Xager, for the time being until that association becomes a problem to face. After all, she only packed enough supplies for the group to maybe last a week if she rations it out carefully, she's unsure how long her first aid supplies would last if the group started suffering major injuries though. She isn't a doctor but she brought the supplies so that hopefully a more medically skilled member of the party could use them. If Xager is bringing them resupplies every week, she'll have to account for that and plan her usages accordingly. When Tariun mentions being able to live off the land, she wrinkles her nose slightly, they were mortals and even if the food when cooked right is safe to eat, that still can't be healthy in the long term of their own lives. The Abyss is a land of corruption and the food probably carries that same taint with it.

She does have one more question though, "What'about tha' water, if'n it ain't safe for mortals to swim in, I'm assumin' it ain't safe ta drink either? Is fresh water 'round to take advantage of?"

 

[SniperComZero]

"Hold your tongue! You're in his land now!" Gwen shifted her gaze over. "It's only conspiracy if I get caught, non? Besides, that didn't seem to stop you practically spitting on the ground of that supposed goddess whenever you were in the church, did it?"

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"That was different, elf! Velin is weak, and has no power over Taranoch! You even admit this by saying 'supposed goddess'!"

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Inari listened to Tariun speak with growing excitement. She loved politics. It was one of the greatest pursuits of civilization. Depending on who you spoke with, one could include war and conquest in that, and she certainly did. She may have preferred the battlefield, but a good warlord could manage a tearoom just as well. Conquest had intricacies to it that many liked to ignore, or didn't even know about.

There was a lot to be happy about. Friendly villages to to trade with. Rice in abundance. War on several scales. This wasn't hell - this was heaven. By the time Tariun was done speaking, Inari had to stifle a laugh, going so far as to biting her finger and giggling to herself. Why did they bother imprisoning her when all they had to do was just ask? The longer she was here, the better this place seemed. She heard the mention that there were billions of demons down here, and that meant there could be unprecedented scale of warfare that the good old Kowa states had never seen before.

She had to take a moment to compose herself, her face somewhat flushed as she took a few deep breaths.

"Villages and towns are common, yes? Who lead them? Council, one ruler, things like that?" If she could get a fair idea of the power structure on simple terms, she could try and decipher the nature of oppression down here. It was probably different than in Kowareta, but if she could rally a crowd or rile up some malcontents.... And since they were going up against these icons - warlords of their own, it seemed - there were always discontented people somewhere. After all, they were working with these two demons who wanted to launch their own war to retake the crown. And yet, there was always more than two sides to a conflict. Third parties were most delicious in what they could bring to the table.

 

[SniperComZero]

"And just as she holds no power over him, he holds no power over me. Besides. Are you going to strike me down over speaking ill of your--" She visibly made the airquotes this time. "King, before setting off with his malcontents to kill his lieutenants?"

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"You don't understand, elf, the sway that he has here. You'll see in due time..."

 

[SniperComZero]

Gwen waved the statement away. "As much sway as a branch on a windless day, I'd foresee."

 

[Infab]

"The plan's decent but at the rate we're going we'll have trouble taking down a handful of demons. Let alone the targets for these 'surgical strikes'."

Tariun glanced to Hudson again. "Paranoid, as well as a pessimist. You must be fun at parties." she responded, before looking to Takato.

"...with the presence of demons in mind," Takato slowly spoke up, "are religious practices known to garner unconditional attention from nearby demons? As a Douean siennyin, i.e. a hermit in Adonian terms, a... 'routine' is followed to maintain our faith," he asked.

She smiled. "You may do whatever you wish, oni. It will not attract other demons to your presence. You'll likely find other oni down here that still do their own prayers, should they have entered through the Southern Gate. Perhaps you may encounter Abahai down here somewhere."

"...Allow me to guess, we are going to the mainland, waiting for this, ah, little rebellion to gain more notoriety, and then striking down the icons whilst they're distracted, oui? Building all the way to this..." Gwen cleared her throat, "King, himself."

"The purpose of these objectives I give you are to weaken the Icon's power and hold over their territories significantly. Should you be able to slay an Icon...that would prove far more useful. Sadly, Abyssal Icons are some of the most powerful demons here in the Abyss. More powerful than I am currently. The only creatures here more powerful than an Icon are Taranoch himself, his right hand Mazgith, the Abyssal Door Guardian which you passed on the way here, and Zalmakul."

She then glanced to Loque as she barked at Gwen. "True, Taranoch is the Demon King. He is not my king, however. And hopefully in the near future, he will be no one's king."

"Is there a way to help him? I...if there's no chance of winning, he might die. He doesn't deserve that."

Xager stepped forward towards Jakob, her intense gaze locking onto him, but Tariun waved a hand. Xager stopped where she was, still staring a hole through Jakob. Tariun finally looked back to Jakob. "Disrupting the current order is the best way to help him." she responded. "There's not much else you can do at the moment."

"What'about tha' water, if'n it ain't safe for mortals to swim in, I'm assumin' it ain't safe ta drink either? Is fresh water 'round to take advantage of?"

Tariun looked to the Orc once more. "Xager will bring you water when she resupplies you."

"Villages and towns are common, yes? Who lead them? Council, one ruler, things like that?"

"It depends on where the villages and towns are located." replied Tariun, as she looked to the kitsune, "This part of the Abyss, known as the Capital Territories, are mostly divided up amongst the Icons." She then held out her hand and a blue fire erupted it from it. A moment later, a large scroll appeared in her hand out of the flame, which then faded to nothingness. She held out the scroll. "Marked on this map are the territories of each Icon. There are also two territories that are not owned by Icons. The Heartlands, which is the central territory and where Taranoch's capital city, Dis, resides. And the Hollowlands." Vincent stepped over and took the scroll, opening it up and looking it over before showing it to the others. "The Hollowlands are sort of a neutral territory, where demons whom do not follow an Icon reside. The Hollow also reside there, wandering aimlessly. Some of the Hollow are people that the Abyss have consumed entirely. They are husks of their former selves. Others are products of Necromancy. Necromancy is a vile art that affects not only people in the mortal realm, but people in the Abyss as well as Heaven. It is frowned upon universally, in a sense. There are also hollowfied demons as well. These demons have existed for eons, and now wander aimlessly with no purpose. Please...if you encounter these demons, show them mercy and put them down. The same goes with Hollowed humans."

She then paused, before looking back to Inari. "But back to your question. The villages and towns in these territories are usually run by followers of the local Icons. Lieutenants and other subordinates."

 

[Damian0358]

"You may do whatever you wish, oni."

"Mada-"

"It will not attract other demons to your presence. You'll likely find other oni down here that still do their own prayers, should they have entered through the Southern Gate."

"Madam-"

"Perhaps you may encounter Abahai down here somewhere."

Takato was going through a whirlwind of emotions, as Tariun not only saw through his aura and identified him as an oni, not only did she just reveal to everyone that he was, indeed, an oni, but she just mentioned that Abahai was here?! Abahai?! One of the two oni twins that fought alongside the original wielder of the Umagiri and the rest of his party, whom faced the Great Demoness Ibaraki, the Great Demoness, the head servant of Taranoch's retainer within the lands of the former Heavenly Empire?! A fact almost entirely lost to time, for all (including the oni) but Shouki Shrine?!

He just stood there, jaw dropped, in absolute shock. He was just barely paying attention to what Tariun was saying afterwards, as he tried to come to grips with what had just happened.

 

[Dmaster]

Tariun glanced to Hudson again. "Paranoid, as well as a pessimist. You must be fun at parties."

"Yeah I tend to not enjoy whatever murderfuck parties cults dedicated to worshiping your kind host - so pardon me for not seeing the fun in all this." Hudson replied sarcastically. He turned to Takato as she soon mentioned that he was an oni. All he knew about them was that they were a kind of demon that usually targeted Redonia. That would bode extremely well. "Good, more demons in the midst." he declared before finally sheathing his sword and starting to move over to where the boat was docked.

"Towns or not I'd be better off sleeping in the depths of the fucking ocean. At least that way I may be able to see the Abyssal monsters swimming toward me to slit my throat rather than one of my ever-so-friendly teammates here." the hunter said, head tilted back and staring at the bleak sky as he spoke with his voice raised as he walked, tone littered with exasperation. He should have brought some bourbon.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob was disheartened to hear that the only way to help his Lich friend was doing what the ascended demon wanted. He looked down, but eventually raised his head again when the woman mentioned the Redonian's true nature. An Oni. Those demon-like creatures from Upper Redonia, west of the Shioya area. Jakob gave the man an odd look, but didn't think much of it. After all, he seemed to be a good meaning person.

 

[Fubuki]

Aliana was listening intently as she finished the last of her chocolate bar. So they're here not to just atone for their sins, they're here to depose an entire governmental system! Or something close to it...

She's not cut out for this... She was never the rebellious type, nor one to lead guerilla movements, whatever that means. Aliana started to walk towards the pair of 'demons', slowly, wanting to ask a question, as her voice was too quiet to be heard from the back. Their horns were so big and interesting, her eyes affixed to them. As the others were getting their questions answered and/or identities revealed, she steps forward, and as both a consequence of her ignorance and curiosity...

She gently tugs on the dress of Tariun.

"Will we ever get to go home?" She asks, quiet and innocently, looking up at the horny woman. She didn't have much of a home to go back to, but this wasn't it either.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"True, Taranoch is the Demon King. He is not my king, however. And hopefully in the near future, he will be no one's king."

'How blindly optimistic', thinks Loque. Not wanting to disrespect a fellow demon however, she changes her tone to something softer as she approaches Tariun.

"Tariun..." She gently puts one of her hands on her shoulder. "You were present the very day he murdered Kaizen 'may he rest in peace' and stole the throne... You know exactly the sort of barbaric cruelty he and the Icons are capable of... and I... well I learned this the hard way." She turns her neck a little, exposing something deep inside her skin. "Even without Azgon's support, there's still not one among us capable of matching him. Not even if all of us here in the Abyss band together to overthrow him. I'm... sorry, but I don't know of any way we can help you."

 

[Damian0358]

Takato was snapped out of it when Hudson spoke up in reference to the truth being revealed. He turned to face the man.

"We oni may be descendant of demons that settled in the mortal coil, but to call us demons would be to call humans apes," he spoke seriously, "And many of us wish nothing with our Abyssal ancestors, especially those of the southern mountains. While we wouldn't be here if it weren't for that, for that to happen, death and damnation occurred. If you were to truly ask me, it had been preferable that the demons hadn't done that...

"Ruined the Heavenly Empire, and damned the land to lose its Mandate of Heaven, forever dooming Upper Redonia to division. Only we Douean can truly maintain peace there now," he concluded his piece, facing away from Hudson.

"And need High Inquisitor Weston and the Venerable Cassiel speak of the good deeds I had done for the church during my stay in Adonia. To call me a demon is akin to me calling you one, an offense to my faith as it would be to yours."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Inari listened closely and nodded when Tariun finished explaining the map and territories. It was something she would keep in memory. These Hollowlands sound like a good place to establish an outpost... didn't sound like there were many vying for power in such a depressed landscape. And Hollow people could make decent labor if they could manage it.

She raised a brow when it was revealed that Takato was, in fact, an Oni. That explained the aura, or at least some of it. He probably already knew what she was, not that she was particularly subtle about it when she told him her title, but she didn't need the other oddities in the group to know her powers. Or rather, lack of at this point. She did her best not to think about the aching pain from where her tails had been sheared away with knives. It was easy to ignore. Mostly. There were a lot of things that were better ignored and not given to deep thought.

She gave Takato a little grin and wink when Hudson went on his little lament. For a jester, he wasn't as funny as he should be.

"This place sound very good. With some effort, I say we raise good war host." Her own legion had gone through several iterations over the centuries. The legend persisted. Humans had short lifespans, generally, but the clans that came to her banner knew that it was in their blood to fight for her.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson, now several good paces away from the group only got the slightest murmurings of Takato's explanation, but he shouted to compensate for the distance. "Don't care! Stain of the Abyss is in your blood - you belong here with the rest of the damned!" he called out, not bothering to even turn to face the oni. He was ready to leave, if Tariun spouted any other important details he would have Vincent repeat it for him.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob stared at Aliana, as she tugged on Tariun's dress and asked about going back. Jakob eyed Hudson for a moment, thinking of the odds of not returning again. It was slightly heart wrenching. The girl was young, and so short. Almost like a child. She acted like one as well. He then looked at Riberta. Maybe he could help her ensure that Aliana would be safe?

He then turned to Hudson as he talked with the Redonian man. "Hudson... chill, he seems good... decent even."

 

[Doomevil]

Senya had to admit all these revelations were sort of entertaining for the Red Warden. As much as she liked to intervene and break up any potential fights, it wasn't her call at the moment. She saw Hudson head out, ready to leave for the mainland. So far all the questions she had were answered by the demons and now she was eager to know more about the Abyss's way of life. Senya glanced to everyone who spoke up for the next minute, somewhat confused.

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos could only shake his head in disapproval at the zealotry exhibited by Hudson, but otherwise remained quiet throughout the conversations at hand. He walked over to Jakob and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about the girl. She'll be safe so long as she doesn't do anything too brash. As for Hudson... people can change. So don't worry about him either. Come along now, we have an icon to slay and an inquisitor to save monsieur!"

The last part of his sentence was almost cheerful and nonchalant and as he made his way to the boat he held himself in a happy disposition. But before making the way there he then turned to Tariun again: "So, what shall be our first objective, Tariun?"

 

[Damian0358]

Takato looked incredibly disappointed after hearing Hudson's half-hearted response - this kind of response was exactly what he feared. The oni, albeit to some extent rightfully so, are still viewed with disdain by the wider population of Redonia, humans and many yokai alike, due to their ancestral roots, especially in Upper Redonia. His master knew this when he had taken in the oni at a young age, and as he grew, he learned to lighten his red skin up to appear more human-like, as well as shave his horns so short that if they regrew abruptly, they would cause his forehead to bleed. As a Douean hermit, he looked beyond humans and yokai, and looked at their actions, so to be vilified the moment he was revealed hurt truly at the rare times it occurred. He had managed to avoid such a fate in Adonia, largely by his own actions, but at one point, he was nearly revealed before the intervention of High Inquisitor Weston saved him, and from there, his work for the church would come after offering his services. True, Sir Phillomon had commented in favor of him, but at the moment, the lack of response from most others didn't matter as much as the bigotry of one.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Inari's grin and wink - he absolutely did not want any of her shit right now. Damnable murderess... no, no, remember master's teachings, not only in regards to Inari, but Hudson too. Flow like water....

 

[Frankafurter]

Uloth emits a low throaty grumble at Hudson's constant doom and gloom, but she holds her tongue towards him for now. She's realigned her list of people and standings, he's certainly going to be the undoing of this expedition if he keeps his demoralizing bullshit up. She takes her steely glare off his back as he meanders down to the boat then looks back at the others, "In anoth'r lifetime, I'd be yer worst enemy, an' I know this fer a fact. Howev'r, I dunnae plan on havin' a secon' age o' darkness befall th' world, an' I ain't about ta let ol' feuds an' bigotry get in tha' way o' tha'. Even if som'a you are gobshites, yer tha' only backup I got in this an' I'm tha' only backup you got in this. So feck tha' wee prick by tha' boat, if he's thinkin' he's gonna do this alone he's sorely mistaken." She turns her gaze on Vincent, "He may be yer boy, but yer 'is boss, an' you better set'im straight before he goes an' says somethin' ta' tha' wrong person an' gets hisself killed. I dunnae think his wife would appreciate 'im leavin' 'er a widow with kids. Sort him."

 

[Infab]

Xager watched both Loque and Aliana approach Tariun, her piercing eyes following them as she gripped her weapon tighter. Tariun glanced over to her lieutenant, and smiled. "Its okay, Xager. I promise." Xager glanced to Tariun, before eventually stepping back. Remaining as silent as ever.

"You were present the very day he murdered Kaizen 'may he rest in peace' and stole the throne... You know exactly the sort of barbaric cruelty he and the Icons are capable of... and I... well I learned this the hard way." She turns her neck a little, exposing something deep inside her skin. "Even without Azgon's support, there's still not one among us capable of matching him. Not even if all of us here in the Abyss band together to overthrow him. I'm... sorry, but I don't know of any way we can help you."

Tariun glanced to Loque's neck. "...There's a way to eliminate Taranoch. There has to be. And I'll find it. For now, I still need your help as well as the help of the others."

"Will we ever get to go home?"

Tariun glanced down to the elf, and smiled warmly. "You will, young one...I'll make sure of it."

"So, what shall be our first objective, Tariun?"

Tariun looked back to Venextos. "You must venture to the broken city of Sheol in the Hollowlands. There is a demon there whom calls himself the Priest of the Damned, residing in the ruins of the cathedral there. Taranoch has a religion centered around him, encouraged by the Icons, which labels him as the one true ruler of the Abyss. Numerous demons and humans alike pray to Taranoch through this demon. Kill him and his loyalists, and the false religion crumbles like the city around it."

She then moved over to where the group was gathered. "I shall now mark you, so that if you should ever need to contact me or vice versa, you can do so." she said, before holding up her hand towards the group. A blue light erupted from her hand, and soon faded a minute later. "Simply whisper the words 'iwlmc he al, hmgnpj ez hrl sreilj', and I shall speak to you from wherever I am." She said the words slowly, so that the group would know how to pronounce them. After all, it was in the demonic tongue. "...If you have trouble speaking these words, or its just too painful to speak, a faster way is to simply say 'Speak to me, Tariun of the Chosen.'"

 

[Doomevil]

Senya turned to Uloth who said her two copper pieces regarding Hudson. "Mhm. I would have to agree with the Orc. You heard what Tariun said, should we fail in our endeavors, a 2nd Age of Darkness will happen. We shouldn't leave the previous Inquiry's efforts in vain. But we have to stick together." Afterwards Tariun gave out their first objective for the Abyss. They needed to eliminate the Priest and his followers, putting the false religion out of order. Sounded like the perfect job for a Red Warden. All she needed for communication was a marking from Tariun. Great.

She gave a harsh sigh, hopefully this won't bite her in the ass. The words spoken: "Speak to me, Tariun of the Chosen." Senya rolled her eyes. After memorizing the words down into her head, she walked away, going to the boat so they can start their first objective.