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

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Being hit from the demon threw Loque off her feet, sending her to the ground while also giving her a clear view of Takato being swallowed whole by a blazing inferno. "Oh, bordel." she cusses out at the sight of him falling. The elemental that did him in needs to die, right now, before it kills another one of them. The two demons she was fighting can wait for what's coming for them later; so she retreats from the both of them as she aims her rifle right at the elemental's jewel.

 

[K0mori]

Anya continued to slash away at the cathedral guard she was engaged with. Despite Vincent's order, Anya didn't switch targets to the elemental; one glance at the blazing creature struck a chord of fear that bypassed the wolf's rage. It immediately conjured memories of the purges Anya had been trying to escape, perpetrated by those evil men sent by the church... Even as a beast, Anya could sense the similarity between the church which had sent her and the one she was now attacking, as both would have her burned to a crisp. Regardless, it was the mental image of werewolves, shifting out of fear and rage as they were chained up in the city square, their fur sprouting only to catch fire like their clothing, which filled her with terror. She redoubled her attacks on the guard instead.

---

"...You've seen better days, haven't you?"

Mariette nodded, allowing Sazak to caress her cheek without even a hint of resentment for her master. "Yes... many..." she answered in a ghostly tone. "I had a good life..." she didn't finish her thought, as it would have only been an oft-repeated mantra of hers that all was well in her eternal fate. Sazak and Cassandra had heard many times of her approval for her damnation. Instead, she commented on the future. "...I think I will soon be gone, monsieur... and with my mind, the pain..." she smiled, weakly. "Will you destroy me then, or leave me... to wander like the others...?

"I suppose it doesn't matter..."

 

[Infab]

The Cathedral of Sheol - The Nave (Main Hall) - Boss Battle - TURN 3
Hudson = 10. CH Roll = 2. Does 3 DMG (Velin's Tears) to Church Guard 4. Church Guard 4 HP = 10.
Henderson = 1. Warhammer breaks in two mid-swing.
Venextos attempts to revive Takato. D6 used. Chance Roll = 3. Chance fails. Takato is still KO'd.
Inari attempts to damage the Fire Elemental's jewel. D6 used. Chance Roll = 4. Chance Successful. Jewel slightly damaged.
Senya attempts to damage the Fire Elemental's jewel. D6 used. Chance Roll = 6. Chance Successful. Jewel seriously damaged.
Loque attempts to damage the Fire Elemental's jewel. D6 used. Chance Roll = 6. Chance Successful. Fire Elemental's jewel has been destroyed. Fire Elemental's trait has been nullified, and they have lost half their health. Fire Elemental HP = 13.
Anya = 10. CH Roll = 6. Does 6 DMG (Rabid Shifter) to Church Guard 2. Automatic execution. Church Guard 2 deceased.
Jakob = 8 + 2 (10. With Badge & Gun.) CH Roll = 4. Does 6 DMG (With Badge & Gun) to Fire Elemental. Fire Elemental HP = 7.
Seriphine = 5. Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 1. Church Guard 1 HP = 6.
Wesley = 10 (True Shot.) CH Roll = 9. Does 4 DMG to Fire Elemental. Fire Elemental HP = 3. Roll for Execution. Rolls = 3, 5. Execution Failed. Fire Elemental regains 3 HP. Fire Elemental HP = 6.
Gödrun attempts to destroy a statue. Chance Roll = 8. Chance Successful. Rolling for Enchanted Object Chance. D6 used. Chance Roll = 5. Chance Successful. Three of Five enchanted objects destroyed.
Vincent attempts to destroy a demonic emblem. Chance roll = 6. Chance Successful. Rolling for Enchanted Object Chance. D6 used. Chance Roll = 4. Chance Successful. Four of Five enchanted objects destroyed.
???? attempts to destroy a glass orb. Chance roll = 7. Chance successful. Rolling for Enchanted Object Chance. D6 used. Chance Roll = 6. Chance Successful. Five of Five enchanted objects destroyed. The Priest's barrier has been destroyed.

The Cathedral of Sheol - The Nave (Main Hall) - Boss Battle - TURN 3 (ENEMY)
The Priest = 7. Does 1 DMG to Vincent. Vincent HP = 9.
Fire Elemental = 5. Does 1 DMG to Loque. Loque HP = 8.
Church Guard 1 = 3. Misses Vincent.
Church Guard 3 = 1. Hits self with mace on backswing. Does 1 DMG to self. Church Guard 3 HP = 13.
Church Guard 4 = 4. Misses Hudson.
Church Guard 5 = 9. Does 1 DMG to Jakob. Jakob HP = 8.
Church Guard 6 = 5. Does 1 DMG to Wesley. Wesley HP = 8.
Church Guard 7 = 9. Does 1 DMG to Venextos. Venextos HP = 5.
Church Guard 8 = 6. Does 1 DMG to Anya. Anya HP = 10 (Rabid Shifter.)
Church Guard 9 = 1. Trips.
Church Guard 10 = 5 Does 1 DMG to Inari. Inari HP = 8. Chance to Counter-Attack (Hangeki Sword School.) Counter-Attack Roll = 5. Chance Successful. Does 3 DMG to Church Guard 10. Church Guard 10 HP = 12.

------
​

A few members of the group quickly target the new fire demon that had arrived, while others continued to look for the enchanted objects. Yet some still focused on killing off the guards that were still harassing them. Hudson, gripping his bastard sword with both hands, attempted to drive it through the demon's chest in order to kill it. He would score a hit, but found himself driving it instead through the creature's shoulder as it tried to dodge. As he jerked the blade back out, the demon attempted to strike him back with his own weapon but missed entirely. Henderson, meanwhile, attempted to use his demon's own weapon against him. Sadly, the end of the warhammer popped off and went sailing through the air as he swung it up to hit the demon with it. The demon avoided the stick with ease, simply moving out of the way. Before he could strike, though, he tripped and fell flat on his face.

Inari, Senya, and Loque all attempted to strike at the Fire Elemental's jewel on her forehead. Each using different means, but all struck true. Inari's sword smacked into the demon's forehead, forcing her to recoil in pain. Then came Senya's blow, and another recoil which almost made her cut a flip in midair. Then finally, Loque's bullet struck the jewel and shattered it. Almost instantly, the flames that were scattered across the demon suddenly died down. The demon appeared to panic, before growing quite angry and hurling a fireball at Loque. The fireball struck her, knocking her flat on her behind and scorching her clothes. Jakob would strike afterwards, firing off a shot from his newly cleared shotgun at the demon. Buckshot ripped through her torso and limbs, forcing a scream of pain from the demon. Immediately afterwards, Wesley seemed to materialize in front of the creature, delivering a drop kick that knocked it out of the air and onto the floor. As he landed atop her, he twirled his ninjato about and readied himself to drive it deep into the demon's skill. She would have other things in mind, quickly mouthing a spell before sending a fireball upwards into Wesley's face. It knocked him off, clutching at his face as she quickly got back to her feet. As the two engaged one another, a pair of demons moved in. One smacked Jakob across the back with his weapon, while the other flanked and punched Wesley in an attempt to assist the Fire Elemental. Yet another demon made its way towards Inari, swinging its sword and cutting Inari across the back. She quickly spun about, delivering a horizontal slash that sliced clean through the creature's armor and the flesh beneath. Even if it was made of stone.

Anya kept up her ferocious attack on the guard she had targeted, eventually swinging low with her claws and knocking the guard off his feet. As soon as he hit the floor, she jumped atop him and began to viciously claw at his armor and chest. He attempted to block her, but that proved to be a big mistake. As soon as his arms came up, she grabbed them, planted a paw in his chest, and jerked as hard as she could. Both arms were ripped clean off his body, before being tossed aside. And then she continued to shred the demon, till he was nothing left but a smear on the stone floor. It was time to find another target, which found her quite quickly as it struck her with a mace soon afterwards. Meanwhile, Venextos attempted to revive Takato as best he could. The problem was these were severe burns and would take several hours to tend to with magic. Plus, Venextos was taking his mind of the battle, which resulted in him getting a swift kick in the ass from a demon.

The demon that had been fighting Inari previously attempted to strike at Seriphine, but found himself injuring his shoulder as he swung his mace back. Seriphine, meanwhile, focused on the demon that was still trying to hit Vincent, driving her sword through the demon's arm and forcing it to miss hitting Vincent as he fired on one of the artifacts in the room. He struck a demonic sigil, which was hanging from the ceiling above, and the sigil shattered as it crashed to the floor. The Priest grew even more angry, but not before Gödrun shoved over a statue and broke yet another enchanted object. That was four of them. They just needed to find the fifth one now. In retaliation, the Priest fired off another dark magic beam at Vincent. It clipped his shoulder, sending him spinning for a moment before quickly correcting himself.

Then, there was a loud crash. Like glass shattering. Vincent's attention snapped around, and soon he saw...something hurling through the air towards them. It had smashed through one of the stained glass panes at the end of the cathedral, just above the double door entrance. Vincent quickly moved, as whatever it was hit the ground and flopped several times before slamming violently into another statue. The statue tipped over, dropping an orb it was holding which shattered. Which quickly alarmed the Priest. "M-My barrier!" he shouted. Vincent glanced up to the Priest, giving him a smirk, before looking to see what had hit the statue. He then grew rather disturbed at the sight.

It was the mangled corpse of what was formerly a flying demon. Its wings had been ripped off, its body ripped wide open and most of its organs missing. Its head was also missing, having apparently been bitten off. A few limbs were missing, and there were massive blood stains from where the corpse had hit the floor and flopped about. Disgusting.

A moment later, there was a loud roar just like before, and something else came through the window that the corpse had flown through. It landed hard, smashing and destroying several pews as it skidded to a stop nearby where the group and guards were fighting. As the dust and debris settled, they could see just what it was. A massive, black furred werewolf stood before them, its fur matted in several places with the blood of demons. Blood dripped from its mouth, its eyes burning an intense red as it looked among them. Vincent knew exactly who it was. "Riberta! Help us kill these guards!" he shouted towards the beast. The werewolf quickly looked to him, and let out a piercing bark before darting towards the nearest guard.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Even after being painfully smacked by a fireball, Loque grins at what she just did. "Too late, pute!" she taunts the elemental as she aims to plant another one in the same spot between her eyes.

 

[Doomevil]

Their attacks finally bought them a serious advantage in the fight. Inari, Senya and Loque destroyed the fire elemental's gem leaving her seriously weakened. Just when Loque decided to attack the fire elemental again, Senya did the same. She aimed to slash the enemy by her side, the flames getting hotter. The Warden hoped this can serve a finishing blow to their problems.

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos made a retreat as he received a kick from one of the guards, which exacerbated his already pained state after being hit by the priest earlier. As he made his way out of immediate danger, he saw that the wounds were beginning to pile up all around for the group. And so, he decided to improvise: he took his staff and planted it into the ground before casting two enchantments onto it. One was a healing enchantment while the other was an enchantment to radiate an aura. Perhaps with these two combined, he would be able to heal more than just one person at a time with this on-the-spot healing ward.

 

[Breadman]

Henderson looked to the side as Ribberta made her grand entrance.

"About time you came back." He said as he turned his attention back to the demon. While he couldn't use the hammer in a proper way now due to the head slipping off the handle, he would still find a use. "I grew up in the bad parts of me town. Old constable Briar had a trick for us brats. Let me show you." He started using the handle as a club. After a few swings he wondered if the old bastard made it past purgatory and was around here somewhere. Should pay him a visit if he ever found out.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Inari rolled her shoulder a bit, testing it after the strike she had taken on her back. Not very deep. It stung, but it was a good feeling. She didn't heal as fast as she used to back in the day, but if the sorcerers lived, she'd have them to do the work for her. The fire demon seemed nearing death, thanks to the help from some others, but her attention was taken away by other matters. The arrival of Riberta had confused her momentarily, not realizing the monstrous werewolf was the woman until she heard Vincent. Reinforcements! That should be enough to put a second wind in them.

Her eyes quickly fell back on the priest. The old fool's barrier had finally fallen, and he was going to be hers.

"Aieeeeyaya!" Inari let out an odd shrieking warcry as she rushed back towards the priest at full speed, wanting to take the kill for herself. She prepared her blade not for a slash, but a deep stab.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson cursed under his breath as his aim was off, managing only to stab into the guard's shoulder before he pulled his weapon back. He couldn't quite focus on what else was happening, but he did hear the goings on as he was in pitched combat with the demonic guard. There was a loud crash that roused him out of his focus, and he looked up to see a mangled corpse strike a statue that downed the barrier. Then came Riberta soon after, making quite the seen as the barrier defending the priest was shattered in spectacular fashion, actually prompting a smirk from the hunter beneath his mask.

He lowered his combat stance, tipping his wide brimmed hat at the demon guard after taking several steps away from it. "Get a few good punches in her for me, eh?" he said, gesturing his head toward the alpha hybrid before he broke out into a run. Quickly he withdrew his flail and started to spin it rapidly about his person, flames kicking up as his expression quickly turned serious yet again.

"Like I said you rat-fucking monster! Straight to oblivion with your decrepit ass!" he roared, tossing the flaming mace at the priest as he rapidly closed the distance.

 

[Infab]

The Cathedral of Sheol - The Nave (Main Hall) - Boss Battle - TURN 4
Loque = 8. Does 1 DMG to Fire Elemental. Fire Elemental HP = 5.
Senya = 3. Misses Fire Elemental.
Venextos attempts to heal party. D6 used. Chance roll = 5. Chance successful. Party regains 6 HP, and is back to full HP. Takato is still ko'd.
Henderson = 8. Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 9. Church Guard 9 HP = 12.
Inari = 10. CH Roll = 10. Does 4 DMG to Priest. Priest's staff has been slightly damaged. Priest HP = 96.
Hudson = 4 + 1 (5, Velin's Tears.) Does 2 DMG (Velin's Tears) to Priest. Priest HP = 94.
Anya = 8 + 1 (9, Rabid Shifter.) Does 4 DMG to Church Guard 8. Church Guard 8 HP = 9.
Jakob = 10. CH Roll = 7. Does 6 DMG (With Badge & Gun) to Fire Elemental. Automatic execution. Fire Elemental dead.
Seriphine = 7. Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 1. Church Guard 1 HP = 5.
Wesley = 4. Misses Church Guard 6.
Gödrun = 10. CH Roll = 4. Does 3 DMG to Church Guard 4. Church Guard 4 HP = 9.
Vincent = 8 + 2 (10, The Huntsman.) CH Roll = 9. Does 4 DMG to Church Guard 1. Church Guard 1 HP = 1. Chance for Execution. Rolls = 6, 2. Chance successful. Church Guard 1 dead.
Riberta = 9 - 2 (7, Ruthless Warlord.) Does 6 DMG to Church Guard 6. Church Guard 6 HP = 7.

The Cathedral of Sheol - The Nave (Main Hall) - Boss Battle - TURN 4 (ENEMY)
The Priest = 8. Does 1 DMG to Inari. Inari HP = 9. Chance of counter-attack (Hangeki Sword School.) Chance Roll = 8. Chance successful. Inari does 3 to the Priest. Priest HP = 91.
Church Guard 3 = 3 (Ruthless Warlord.) Misses Riberta.
Church Guard 4 = 1. Trips over ally.
Church Guard 5 = 1. Hits ally with weapon. Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 4. Church Guard 4 HP = 8.
Church Guard 6 = 9 (Ruthless Warlord.) Does 1 DMG to Riberta. Riberta HP = 9.
Church Guard 7 = 5 (Ruthless Warlord.) Does 1 DMG to Riberta. Riberta HP = 8.
Church Guard 8 = 7 (Ruthless Warlord.) Does 1 DMG to Riberta. Riberta HP = 7.
Church Guard 9 = 2 (Ruthless Warlord.) Misses Riberta.
Church Guard 10 = 5. Does 1 DMG to Venextos. Venextos HP = 9.

------​

Now was the time to take these demons out, and the group soon commenced their attacks. Loque and Senya engaged the Fire Elemental once more, Loque firing another shot at the demon while Senya swung at it once more. Loque's shot was a bit off the mark, hitting the demon in the shoulder and forcing it to spin a bit. Senya, however, missed entirely. But Jakob didn't. As soon as the Elemental looked back their way, she ate several iron buckshot pellets. Her head popped like a balloon, and her corpse simply dropped to the floor. The Fire Elemental was dead. Nearby, Venextos cast a spell in an attempt to heal the party. It proved successful, as the various members perked up as the healing mist met them. Still, Venextos found himself being kicked once more by a demon.

Inari and Hudson decided to gun straight for the Priest himself, ignoring the rest of the demons that remained. Inari's stab would be blocked by the Priest, using his staff as a shield to protect himself. He then smacked Inari with it, striking her across the face. She would end up retaliating, shoving her sword through his thigh...as the Priest was hellaciously tall. Hudson's flail would smack into the priest's side, knocking him away from the kitsune and her blade.

Riberta, due to her massive size and intimidation factor, was the target for most of the demons. That didn't stop the rest of the group from getting in their hits on the demons they picked out, while the enemy was scrambling to engage this new threat. Seriphine and Vincent teamed up on one guard, Seriphine slicing the demon's legs and forcing him to his knees. Vincent then would deliver a point blank shot to the demon's temple, putting it down for good. Meanwhile, Gödrun shoved her longsword through a demon's back, forcing it to help in pain. Wesley's attack wasn't as effective, missing his target with a pair of throwing knives. Riberta would deal a severe blow to the demon, however, shoving her claws deep into the demon's torso and hurling him against a wall nearby. Anya charged and leaped onto the back of the demon that had hit her, clawing the demon's back and head. Henderson would score his hit as well, cracking the warhammer's shaft over the demon who once wielded it's head.

As the demons struck at Riberta, one tripped over his ally, before being accidentally struck by said ally.

------​

Elsewhere...

"But it does matter." responded Sazak, his eyes moving up to look at Marriete's. Ralvas snorted nearby. "No it doesn't. They all die in the end. Just some a bit slower than others." said the Icon of Pride aloud. Sazak glanced back to him, giving him a look. Ralvas shrugged. "What? You know I'm right."

Sazak rolled his eyes, before looking back to Mariette. He was about to say something when a demon stepped through the door of the study. "My Lord, I bring news." he said, stepping over. It was a common fleshy demon. Sazak glanced to the demon, giving him the same look he gave Ralvas. "Speak." he soon said. The demon nodded, before talking. "New arrivals have been spotted in the Abyss. In the Northern Hollowlands, in the Sheol area. A group of them, really. One seems to be that swampfolk man you cursed. Along with that Daristeinian barbarian woman." Sazak looked surprised, then he smiled rather wide. "Dearest Jakob now walks the Abyss. And Riberta too!" he said, his eyes shifting back to Mariette and Cassandra rather quickly.

 

[Breadman]

"Alright, that's enough of that." Henderson faked exhaustion as he threw the handle away. "Lets make you useful" He grabbed the demon by the collar of its armor with one hand and used the other to grab it by the belt. Lifting the creature above him he then tossed it at the priest.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson tugged on his chain as he continued to close the distance, the peppering gunfire behind him still a source of great duress but he was managing to keep his focus so far. As the flail flew back he swiftly whipped it backward, a diagonal toss transitioning the momentum into a circular arc as the chain around his waist unfurled further. The hunter was aiming to bind the demon as he did to the monster in the crypt before, gritting his teeth with the effort of the maneuver. With any luck those clanging iron chains would weaken their target.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob pumped his shotgun after blowing up the elementals head. "Get out of here with this shit." He said to the demons headless corpse before moving towards Takato, the man was severely wounded and he was going to cover him until Venny came to help him. In an attempt to help the sorcerer, Jakob aimed at the demon kicking Venextos around.

 

[Doomevil]

Once the fire elemental was thankfully killed by Detective Jakob, she quickly glanced to the direction where the gunshot had blown the elemental's head off. And then she didn't feel so wounded as before. Not to mention the barrier was finally gone, leaving others to attack the Priest. Senya needed to assist her allies, leading her movement to the Priest. She charged in, making a slash against the priest in an effort to hit & run so others can aim.

 

[joshuadim]

With his healing ward having been a success, Venextos could now worry about the biggest threat in the room: the Priest. After receiving another kick, Venextos made his way somewhere that was slightly safer and within reach of the Priest. That staff of his was a nuisance, and so the wizard decided to try to disarm him from his artifact. He brought his hands together to summon strings of orange energy, twirling them to increase the intensity before launching them at the Priest, seeking to yoink the staff to himself.

 

[K0mori]

It took a moment longer than one would expect for Mariette to understand what had just been said. Sazak and Cassandra now watched as something pierced her otherwise total complacency. "J-Jakob!?" The name crossed her lips in a state of unbridled agony. "It's only... It's only been three... Three? Three years!" She looked to Cassandra with panic and heartbreak evident.

How could it have happened? Had Velin saw fit to cast the good constable here, to this hateful place, for being a Lycan? Or had he somehow crossed a line unforgivable? No... Not possible!

"Non... Non..." she spoke, her voice broken and distant. Then, disturbingly, as quickly as the vivacity had returned to her eyes, it disappeared, like her soul had departed her body on the spot. There was no pain, or outrage, or even complacency left in her. Staring into her gaze was like looking through a window into the abyss around her. There was absolutely nothing left of Mariette Desrosiers. The revelation had obliterated her final shred of hope.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Inari ignored the dull pain of the hit on her face - she'd received harder hits from geishas. The real issue was the flurry of attacks coming from the others. Hudson and his damn chain was the worst of it, but the others made it difficult and dangerous to close in, too. She didn't want to get in the crossfire so she watched everything carefully before taking a chance to rush in and make a strike against the priest's leg and thigh. This would be easier if the cut the tall thing down by taking a leg out from under it. Then they could reach the head and end this the right way.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Finally that burning bitch is dead, but hardly anyone is even close to being done fighting. The priest isn't dead yet and there's still other demons they need to mop up. Though Loque has a little surprise in mind for the demon that punched her. A low gurgling noise comes from underneath her mask with saliva oozing out of the mouth hole. She charges full speed at him as her mask pops open again as a worm-like mouth covered in teeth lashes its way out vigorously, spraying spit everywhere.

If his flesh doesn't taste good, then the satisfaction of ripping a nice chunk out of him will at least.

 

[Infab]

The Cathedral of Sheol - The Nave (Main Hall) - Boss Battle - TURN 4
Henderson attempts to hit the Priest with a guard. D6 used. Chance Roll = 6. Chance Successful. Does 10 DMG to the Priest. Priest's Staff has been seriously damaged. Priest HP = 81.
Hudson attempts to restrain the Priest with his chains. D6 used. Chance Roll = 4. Chance Successful. The Priest has been restrained for one turn. Priest's Staff has been destroyed. The Priest's traits have been nullified.
Jakob = 10. CH Roll = 8. Does 7 DMG (With Badge & Gun) to Church Guard 10. Church Guard 10 HP = 5.
Senya = 8. Does 2 DMG (Dragon Knight) to the Priest. Priest HP = 79.
Inari = 6. Does 1 DMG to The Priest. The Priest HP = 78.
Loque = 2. Misses Church Guard 10.
Anya = 6 + 1 (7, Rabid Shifter.) Does 4 DMG (Rabid Shifter) to Church Guard 8. Church Guard 8 HP = 5.
Seriphine = 10. CH Roll = 3. Does 2 DMG to Church Guard 4. Church Guard 4 HP = 6.
Wesley = 6. Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 6. Church Guard 6 HP = 12.
Gödrun = 7. Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 4. Church Guard 4 HP = 5.
Vincent = 5 + 3 (8, The Huntsman.) Does 1 DMG to Church Guard 4. Church Guard 4 HP = 4.
Riberta = 10. CH Roll = 10 - 2 (8, Ruthless Warlord.) Does 9 DMG (Ruthless Warlord) to Church Guard 6. Church Guard 6 HP = 3. Chance for Execution. Rolls = 7, 1. Chance Successful. Church Guard 6 dead.

The Cathedral of Sheol - The Nave (Main Hall) - Boss Battle - TURN 4 (ENEMY)
The Priest cannot attack. Binded by Hudson's chains.
Church Guard 3 = 9. Does 1 DMG to Riberta (Ruthless Warlord.) Riberta HP = 6.
Church Guard 4 = 4. Misses Riberta (Ruthless Warlord.)
Church Guard 5 = 4. Misses Riberta (Ruthless Warlord.)
Church Guard 7 = 3. Misses Riberta (Ruthless Warlord.)
Church Guard 8 = 9. Does 1 DMG to Riberta (Ruthless Warlord.) Riberta HP = 5.
Church Guard 9 cannot attack. Stunned.
Church Guard 10 = 2. Misses Riberta (Ruthless Warlord.) Riberta HP = 4.

------
​

Several of the members of the group turned their attention to the Priest, in an attempt to cut him down as fast as possible, while others continued to focus on eliminating the guards that were ganging up on the massive werewolf that was Riberta. Henderson lifted up one of the demons, hurling it at the Priest. He collided with the tall demon, forcing him to stumble a bit out of the pulpit. The demon also caused considerable damage to the priest's staff, which was starting to look rather worse for wear. Hudson's chains would be what broke it, as the chains wrapped around the Priest to bind him. As they tightened, they ran across the staff and squeezed tightly. Eventually, they were tight enough that they snapped the staff in two. Venextos wouldn't be getting a new staff to go along with his current one. Senya and Inari focused their efforts on the demon, once they saw that the Priest had been binded in place. Each delivered a slice to the demon, shredding his robe with their blades. Senya's blade would scorch his robe as well as the flesh beneath, but wouldn't light him ablaze like the other demons.

Jakob would focus on the demon that had attacked Venextos, planting several pellets of buckshot into the demon's back as it turned to engage Riberta with the other demons. Loque would rush the demon as well, but would miss her lunge as the demon stumbled from Jakob's shotgun blast. Anya still shredded away at the demon whom she was riding, claws having ripped off the armored plating and were now carving through its stone-flesh. Still, the bigger threat at the moment, apparently, was Riberta. And with good reason. After Wesley struck a demon with some kunai, Riberta grabbed said demon with both of her large hands and gave it a twist. There was a sickening crack, as the demon's torso and legs went in opposite directions. She then ripped the demon apart, and slung the separate pieces to the side as she roared loudly.

Seriphine and Vincent continued to focus on tag teaming demons, finding a new target to engage. Seriphine sliced at the creature's back, while Vincent planted two shots into the creature's spine. Gödrun would join them, shoving her sword into the creature's back. Vincent then paused, noticing that Riberta was being bashed quite severely by the demons that were still remaining. He looked quickly to Venextos. "Riberta needs healing!" he said aloud, pointing at her with his off hand before shooting at the demon he was engaging once more.

------
​

Elsewhere...

Sazak and Cassandra both looked to Mariette. "...Mariette?" whispered Cassandra, leaning forward to look at Mariette's face. Sazak studied her expression, but mainly focused on her eyes. They appeared...empty. He reached up, waving a hand in front of her face. Nothing. Ralvas nearby sat forward, looking up at the trio. "...What's wrong?" he asked. Kellea nearby, whom had been playing the piano the entire time, stopped. She glanced over, her head turning slightly. Sazak soon sighed, glancing to Cassandra before looking back to Ralvas. "...Apparently she's all gone upstairs now." he stated, before looking back to Mariette.

Cassandra was horrified. The one person she could talk to, and whom made being here in this hellish place bearable, was now gone. "Mariette? Mariette, say something!" she said, reaching over and grabbing her by the shoulder. She shook her a few times, but nothing happened. Mariette didn't look around, nor did she speak. Sazak looked to Cassandra, before looking to the demon that had given him the news nearby. "Leave." he said bluntly. The demon nodded rapidly, before departing from the study.

A moment later, he gently reached up and touched the chained cuff fitted to Mariette's neck. He gave it a tap with his fingers, and the cuff unlocked. It soon fell off, clacking against the floor along with the chains that bound her cuff to Cassandra's. "Guards." he then said aloud, looking at Mariette as he spoke. A pair of large stone-fleshed demons entered the study, stopping just behind Cassandra and Mariette. "Take this one to the Hollowlands, and leave her there. Maybe its time Jakob saw his friend again." said Sazak, motioning to Mariette. One of the demons stepped forward, taking Mariette by the arm before turning and leading her out of the room.

The act forced Cassandra to suddenly snap a minute after Mariette disappeared from view. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she spat, turning and preparing to strike Sazak. As her arm came back, it was suddenly latched onto and stopped in place. She looked back to see that Kellea was now holding her, hand tightly wrapped around Cassandra's wrist. Then Kellea's fist collided with Cassandra's face, knocking her quite quickly to the floor. Sazak grunted, looking down at the dazed pureblood as she spat out some blood onto the floor. "And take this one back to Azgon. I've no need for her anymore." he finally said, motioning to her. The other demon then stepped forward, yanking Cassandra back up and dragging her away by her collar.

Sazak stood there for a few moments, looking towards the door, before he spoke again. "...You know, I had considered turning her into a demon." he said, glancing back to Ralvas. "Really? The one that went hollow?" asked the Pride Icon, raising an eyebrow. "Yes. She had been such a good servant over the years, so I considered rewarding her for it...but alas, she's gone now."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

The demon stumbling back doesn't stop Loque one bit; she still charges at him with her mouths wide open.

 

[Breadman]

Henderson was satisfied with that toss. Made a nice impression on the priest and allowed for Hudson to break the staff that looked important. Bloody good teamwork there. Speaking of. He turned to Ribberta who was having a bit of trouble now that she wasn't fighting complete idiots. And Loque was doing...whatever she was doing. She was hungry apparently. The others could handle the priest for now.

Henderson picked a guard out of the remainder and charged in for a tackle.

 

[Doomevil]

Senya made a quick hit and Hudson's weapon managed to bind the Priest in a vulnerable situation. She hoped Hudson and Inari can cut the Priest off from breathing and switched her focus. She sprinted to where most of the group were fighting off the church guards and opted to deal with them to lighten the load per say. She charged towards Vincent's previous target guard and pointed her sword, intending on stabbing him.

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos muttered disapprovingly as the staff was shattered before he could get his hands on it, but perhaps its pieces could be useful later. The fight was more important anyhow, and Venextos looked to see Riberta being attacked from all sides, and sent a healing spell her way as quickly as he could to keep her in the fight.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson threw back his chains yet again as he undid the binding before the priest had a chance to slip free, twirling it around his waist on the return pull. Both hands gripped his bastard sword yet again, and now he was charging into the fray with the others. The hunter slipped around the tall demon to flank him, an upward slash delivered to his back in an attempt to overwhelm him at all angles.

 

[K0mori]

The Southern Hollowlands

"Well, go on," one of the demons said as the trio reached the edge of Sazak's domain. The vampire husk merely stood at the frontier and gazed ahead. Annoyed, the other demon gave her a shove forward and she stumbled, taking a few unbalanced steps before falling over. A few seconds passed in silence as it was clear that she had no intention of lifting herself from the dusty ground, and the stone-fleshed demons gave each other a glance before deciding, wordlessly, that they had done what was asked of them. They left her there, alone, and for hours that was exactly where she remained.

And so it might have been, eternally, had she not been lucid the entire time.



The knowledge that Jakob was in the Abyss hadn't broken her; it had electrified her. The fact that a messenger had come to inform Sazak about Jakob, rather than simply dragging the good constable to Kur like she had been many years prior, must be an indication that he was out there doing something to resist. Even if her assumption was a bit of a logical stretch, she was beyond logic. Her heart insisted that Jakob was fighting, and that if he was with some notable person named Riberta, that meant he wasn't alone, either. Three decades of suffering, three decades of mental and physical decline and slipping away had reversed at that very moment, and the most remote fantasy of hope had been summoned up in the exact moment she needed it. Had she communicated her unbridled excitement, it would have defeated her.

Instead, she fell back on her greatest talent and created an illusion. Sazak had become so accustomed to his perfect servant, that he had forgotten what a perfect liar Mariette could be as well. She allowed him to believe that her surrender had finally come, and now that hours had passed and she was certain no one was still watching her, she rose to her feet and dusted herself off, her neck fully healed from that silver collar for the first time since she was captured.

Freedom! She couldn't believe how close she had been to a new form of death just hours earlier, a death from all existence. If she could only breathe, she would take a long, deep breath of the cold Abyssal air. She cracked her neck and stretched her legs, knowing that she could now run as fast as she wanted, in any direction she wanted. It had been so long since this was possible, so long since there was any point in doing so. She rubbed her fully-healed skin with her fingers and thought about Cassandra and Ser Edmond, and what might happen now that their arrangements had changed. Whatever was happening with Jakob, Mariette made a solemn promise that she wouldn't abandon either of them. She would insist that they return for her friends and free them.

It was possible that Sazak would have her totally obliterated for such a rebellion, but given what she was about to allow, she truly had nothing to lose. She would rather be erased from existence while standing at the side of her friend than to drift into the numb sleep of hollowness. The messenger had informed them that Jakob had been sighted in the north side of the Hollowlands, hundreds of miles away - close to a thousand, really - near the ruined city of Sheol. At a full sprint, she knew she could make the journey in less than 2 days if she rested minimally. She was standing barefoot and in rags, so there was nothing to weigh her down. She couldn't imagine stopping for anything along the way, either...

...other than a sword.

---

Sheol

Seeing the others begin to converge on the priest, Anya finally tore herself away from the guards to return to the original target. Letting out a terrifying howl as if to summon other wolves to the feast, she bounded once again at her foe with reckless abandon.