Fantasy Of Distant Legends

[Inheritance]

Brom Beararm​

Brom had been silent throughout the whole thing, not really caring for the plan at all. It didn't matter, he was here to serve and serve he would. All he knew was that powerful magic was going to go down, and he had no clue what was supposed to happen.

He had a general distrust of magic as it was, mainly because he didn't understand it at all. So while they prepared for the summoning, he prepared himself to act. He would not be caught unawares should something go wrong here.


At the site of the ritual, he found the succubus and archmage who had left them earlier. Standing by them, he watched as they prepared the summoning. Oddly enough, he felt protective of the younger ones- even though he knew that both of them would probably tear him to bits if they wanted to. Still, he readied himself for the coming magic storm, figuring that something would go wrong. He gripped his longsword, the small bits of magic in it sparking lightly. He tensed, waiting for what would come.


As the demon was summoned, he couldn't help but marvel at it. Upon it's arrival, his sword was out and ready, though staring up at it he already knew he'd be worthless against it. For the first time, he felt small, and truly powerless. Who was he to stand a chance against such a being? Who was he to believe he could make any sort of difference, when beings or people like this could kill him with a word. He took a step back, shaking. This feeling... this helpless feeling... it reminded him of his home...

He remembered the bloody taste in his mouth as he searched the wreckage of his village. He knew already there was no survivors, but he searched anyway, his mind numb. This feeling, this helpless feeling, had beaten him then. It had stopped him from defending his family when they were attacked- he stared and shook like a child instead of leaping to action. He remembered it so vividly...


Reality came back to him. He saw his foe, and he was ready. He may die, but he would die fighting, not cowering. He took a step forward.
"WELL?" He yelled over the demon. "LET'S KILL THIS BASTARD!"

Birdsie Hanarei Epiphany LostHaven

 

[Birdsie]

Sareth Glamis Ethengarde - Temple of Shurima >> Orthrus >> Royal Palace in Glamis

"Mister...?" he questioned, a miff incredulous.

"Hold on," he said, then directed Meliora forward. The drake grumbled lowly, then set off in the direction their exploration band had come from. With the speed at which the drake moved, it didn't take long for them to arrive in Orthrus.

The city guards, already aware of the prince's presence, bowed politely when he rode through the gates. People left and right seemed to stare, and whispers could be made out, saying things like, 'look, it's the prince,' or 'who's that weirdly-dressed girl riding with him?'

Once they were in the building of the adventurer's guild; a large hall decked from wood and stone, Sareth went to buy one scroll of teleportation, which the shopkeeper simply gave to him free of charge. Sareth thanked him politely, walked up to Illyana, took her hand, and activated the scroll.

~~~

Teleportation is rather unpleasant, as it were. It feels like being shoved through a very tight rubber tube at lightspeed and often causes nausea and vomiting.

Sareth didn't even need to stop, as he walked forward and one of the servants bowed to him. Said servant wore robes, and Illyana might've recognized him as an assistant court warlock. "Back so soon, young master?"

"I need to urgently see my parents," Sareth replied. "Either is fine, but preferably my father."

"Lady and Lord Ethengarde are currently dining on the fifth floor."

Sareth nodded, then motioned for Illyana to follow.

The Royal Castle had an allure of strength, ancientry, and grandeur. The walls were standard masonry, stone-and-mortar. No loose rock or detritus anywhere; cleanly-built chambers and spacious corridors of large gray bricks, which would have looked plain if it wasn't for the red-gold carpets, illustrious paintings, exotic plants, cupboards with trinkets, windows with wide red curtains, and sets of armor; which, if Illyana bothered to sense, were actually advanced and mighty golems.

There was a feeling that, even though it was a new build, it stood here for ten thousand years, and could weather ten thousand more. The walls were supernaturally impenetrable and even a pair of mortal eyes could tell that a catapult's projectile might, at best, leave a scratch.

After walking up a flight of stairs that felt much shorter than it should've when comparing it to what could be seen from the windows, and entering into a dining chamber, Illyana was met with the weirdest sight of, possibly, her life.

A man was being spoon-fed some sort of porridge by a woman at one end of the table. She kept tickling him to force him to open his mouth, like a baby, just to smash the spoon into his mouth. He returned the gesture, though he didn't have to tickle her. And they were flirting constantly. Both were dressed in gaudy clothing, but there was something off about the man; an aura of benevolence and love that put the soul at ease just when seeing him.

It took less than five seconds for Sareth to make an 'ahem' sound. Both turned their attention to him and Illyana. "Father, mother," he said, giving each a nod. "I've returned, and brought with me--"

"Ah, Sareth!" The man practically bolted from his chair and hugged Sareth, lifting him into the air. Sareth returned the hug. "How good it is to see you! My little boy is going out on his own adventures and doesn't have time for his old man, eh? When I die, then you'll see!"

"Who's your... friend?" the woman asked, perceptively and skeptically judging Illyana's attire.

"That, I think..." Sareth rasped out, his lungs crushed under his father's hug, "would be best explained--[sound of ribs being cracked]--by her!" he squeaked.

Noble Scion

 

[Noble Scion]

Illyana Shurima - Temple of Shurima

Spoiler: Appearance

Illyana was used to hearing mumurs wherever she went, but never in such a discomforting way, with no grasp on the world around her, and everyone looked so very outlandish to her, it was difficult to find something she recognised, something that she could relate to, no matter where she looked.

"Hmm.." she frowned as they walked, yet continued to hold her head high up on her shoulders through the streets before making a brief appearance within some strange building and taking an express trip to what she could only assume was their castle via teleportation. Nothing she hadn't experienced before, yet this time instead of feeling that familiar sensation of nausea, she felt nothing. Another perk of lichdom, Illyana supposed.

The place was fancily clad, but not with glittering gold as her own home had been, instead adorned with stone and a much more minimalist approach to the flittering finery. Not really her taste, but she supposed that it was rather impressive in its own grandeur.

"How.. Well-crafted." was all she could think to say, suppressing the sense of home-sickness impeding on her mind as they entered a rather large hall featuring a couple of surprisingly relaxed members of royalty, her silken finery draping behind her, yet not impeding her movement.

Rarely had she had such time to herself when she was monarch, everything had been taken up by battling off some great beast, fighting off a negligible resurgence of renegades lusting for power or helping people deal with their problems as their god-empress.

On the bright-side, at least she had some time to herself.

She was asked to introduce herself, and didn't see any reason not to comply.

The ex-empress of the world stood up tall, placed a fine smile upon her finely-sculpted face and gave the most friendly grin she could.

Unknowing of her own goals, she supposed that her only request was a safe place while she thought through what her objective was to do now.

"My name is Illyana Shurima, empress of the ancient Shuriman empire. Wonderful to meet you both!" she elegantly began to the king and queen of these lands. "I am a lich, but I mean no ill-will, and promise not to cause any trouble during my stay within your kingdom, thank you." she chirped, looking expectantly at the trio opposing her and awaiting whether they denied her refuge, or allowed it.
Birdsie

 

[Birdsie]

Ethengarde Family - Royal Palace

"How wondrous!" chirped the king.

He walked up to her, and without asking permission, gave her a hug - less forceful than with Sareth, but still strong and warm. Compassion and peace radiated off the man - not in some hyperbolic metaphor - but quite literally radiated off of him, palpable, as if it were a form of static electricity in the air. "I am Ozirmok Glamis Ethengarde, but call me Ozzy, or Ozir, or whatever you wish!"

He let go.

The woman, Sareth's mother, sighed. She looked surprisingly plain, with light auburn hair and dark brown eyes, in her late thirties by the looks, though make-up may have obscured her true age. Her apparel was a simple white-purple dress with pleats, hanging on two loose straps that revealed some cleavage but maintained overall modesty, though it was easy to discern the reason for that was that she wasn't in public.

By comparison, her husband had the countenance of a lovely grizzly bear; a toned physique, brawn, and gutty musculature. He was tall, almost two meters, but not quite. He had a beard, blonde in color and well-trimmed, and lustrous hair which swooped like waves. You could almost see your reflection in it. He wore no crown, at least currently, but wore white-brown clothes, simple textile in places and leather in others, with some silver and dark yellow trim in places. A warrior's clothing, on top of which an armor could be assembled faster than on silk, and more comfortably so. And his eyes were a piercing, divine sky-blue, radiating something which put everyone who looked in them at peace, even despite his own excitable demeanor.

"It is wonderful to meet you, as unprecedented an event as it is," said the woman flatly, but bowing her head in respect. "Ellen Glamis Ethengarde. Please, forgive my husband, he is very..."

"Excitable?" Sareth offered, still recovering from the ultra-hug.

"Thank you, Sareth; yes, that's the word. And yes, we'll be happy to accommodate you."

Ellen offered a smile to Illyana, then clapped her hands twice, prompting a maid to enter the room. "Dahlia, be a dear and prepare a suitable quarter for Empress Illyana Shurima here. No meals will be required unless she asks for them. Please, spread the word to the guards that she is authorized to stay within the castle as our guest. Thank you, that will be all."

The maid left with a bow, as wordlessly as she had entered.

"I would be happy to hear tales of your Empire, or how you got here!" Ozirmok said in a sprightly tone.

Noble Scion

 

[Epiphany]

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[/div][div class=statusText]Tags: Birdsie Hanarei Inheritance Reinhardt LostHaven [/div][/div][div class=title]Shriandriath the Debased Maiden[/div][div class=text]Well, this hadn't turned out well.

Shri looked down at the summoning circle, still smoldering with the uncontained wrath of a Demon Lord far too strong for it, and sighed to herself. She set one hand on Azhi's shoulder while slipping her other arm around Evelyn, hugging both of her children to her. "That's a good plan, sweetie, I'll see if I can keep him distracted."

Then the Succubus stepped forward and placed herself before Baphomet's joyously boastful display. With a side-glance at Brom, Shri smiled at the warrior's obvious enthusiasm for a fight, then pointedly looked at his sword, looked back to the Demon Lord and looked back to the sword before lifting her eyes back to Brom's face. The skeptical lift of her eyebrow said everything. Instead, she turned to face the Master of the 600th Domain and simply...let him talk. And talk. And talk. Until he finally realized he had an audience.

At which point, the Succubus smiled and opened her arms wide. "Bap, you old devil, how are you? It's been ages! It's the Debased Maiden, Shriandriath? Remember that week in Baator? When we crashed that party in Abriymoch? You know, in Phlegethos? How many did we slaughter anyway? And what nights we had!" Beaming with evidently fond memories, the Demon takes a single step forward. "What have you been up to all these years? If it's been two centuries, your reign of tyranny can wait a few minutes to catch up with an old friend, can't it?"[/div][div class=text][/div][/div][/div][/div] [class=wrapper] background-color:#5e5560; box-sizing:border-box; color:#eeeeee; display:inline-block; position:relative; width:100%; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=title] color: #bfbfbf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:3em; font-style:italic; padding:0; text-shadow:0 0 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; [/class] [class=box] margin:2em 1em; padding:2px 4px 0px; position:relative; [/class] [class=boxBg] box-sizing:content-box; height:100%; pointer-events:none; position:absolute; width:100%; [/class] [class=boxBgLarge] top:0; left:-5px; padding:0 4px; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.35); [/class] [class=boxBgTall] top:-8px;left:3px; padding:8px 0; width:calc(100% - 8px); height:100%; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25); [/class] [class=boxBgMedium] top:-4px; left:-1px; padding:4px 0; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4); [/class] [class=boxInner] background-color: #5e5560; overflow:hidden; margin:0.5em; [/class] [class=statusBox] box-sizing: border-box; border-right: 3px dotted white; padding: 15px; float: left; max-width: 250px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; [/class] [class=text] padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; [/class] [class=statusText] font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; margin-top: 5px; [/class] [class=characterPortrait] box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; [/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=hover] opacity: 0.5 [/class]

 

[Birdsie]

Baphomet [NPC] / Azhi

Baphomet's humungous form looked down at the little woman. His nose released a pair of black clouds of soot, and he sneered at her before he sensed her essence. "Who dares--- Shriandrath? No way! Long time no see!" he proclaimed joyously, despite his deep and demonic voice.

"Your aura is weak - a purposeful trick or did the Blood War do a trick on you? You've been gone for what feels like half an eternity! As for me, not much has happened. I've expanded my labyrinth by some odd twenty-million square kilometers, but, then again, it is an endless labyrinth, so no actual change. That slimy bastard Juiblex has been trying to slither in, but I banished him. More recently, I've managed to slay several Pit Fiends. The look on their arrogant faces as they crumbled into dust was sweet, but the sight of their ashes being spread over the Styx was even sweeter! Hahahahahahahaha!"

The murderous minotaur laughed jovially, as though invigorated. Still amused, he looked past her and saw the rest of the group, and nonchalantly queried, "New spawn? Oh, and a cultist, too. And a lich thrall? My, my, you've been getting up to some really wicked business out here, you evil girl..."

He slowed and frowned, albeit not radiating more malice than a demon ordinarily did. "Why have you summoned me, however? Have you need of my abilities? Our kind isn't much for organization or honesty, but I'm willing to bargain if provided with assurance."

~

Azhi, seeing his mom walk to talk with the demon, sheltered himself by using Brom as cover. He dared not risk to emit any measly attempt at telepathy, and preferred to leave such errands to his sister or to Faust, who were more knowledgeable about that.

All they had to do was call the king, and he'd be here to help... or maybe, mother could manage to bargain with the demon.

Seeing Brom prepare to fight, Azhi poked him and shook his head, as to indicate that it was a bad idea.

Hanarei Epiphany LostHaven Inheritance

 

[Noble Scion]

Illyana Shurima - Temple of Shurima

Spoiler: Appearance

View attachment 557691

Illyana practically gleamed with thankfulness before being enveloped in the monarch's arms. A strange sensation that was unfamiliar to her, yet not unpleasant. She hadn't received any form of affection aside from praise on her appearance in.. Well, to her it must've been since she was around five when she last saw her father before being taken in by Annutar.

His touch was strange. It was not intimate, but felt more fatherly. Reminding her of fond memories with her companion Annutar.

Her face softened to the point where it almost appeared that she was going to cry, her eyes first widening in surprise, before closing and taking in the sense that, for once everything wasn't all down to her. Stunned with her arms at her side, staff held in one as her other gripped the trim of her gown, Illyana simply stood there, and understood Sareth a little more.

Once released, the ancient lich quickly recomposed herself, wiping at her eyes briefly while hiding her face before turning to face them once more.

"T-thank you lord Ozirmok and lady Ellen. I promise not to trouble you during my stay." she said, feeling inclined to bow, but disliking the strange, invasive way Sareth appeared to be watching her body, so instead simply nodding her head instead.

"I suppose I have a number of tales to tell, but something tells me that you won't particularly enjoy them. I didn't particularly enjoy them, in fact." she mumbled, suddenly unwanting to reveal the rather ruthless manner of her rule lest the royal family suddenly retracted their promise of safety. ".. But I suppose I could tell you how I got here, although I'm not so sure myself." she began, going on to explain how the king's prince had awoken her from what she could only explain as a slumber like death, choosing to not go into detail on the lichdom process and instead focusing on the assumptions of what could have caused her millennia-long death and sudden resurrection.

"... And.. That's it. I understand that liches are typically viewed as evil, but all I wish is to figure out what happened, although that may be difficult, and if it is possible to sustain my goddess, peak of my lineage, to awake her from her own slumber and advise me." she finished off, making a note of not telling that Shurima was the dark goddess of sand, deeming it more hassle than it was worth as it would mst likely turn them off the idea of her helping her ancestor.
Birdsie

 

[Inheritance]

Brom Beararm​

Brom lowered his sword slowly, annoyed that he couldn't do anything. Sure, they were probably right, but he still didn't like the idea of waiting around. He lowered his weapon, but kept it out. He didn't think he had much of a chance of harming it, but perhaps he could distract it long enough for the more powerful folk to get in some sort of spell or shot at it. He had no idea how to banish demons, aside from using cold silver and clean fire. But those were just legends, he didn't know how true they were.

He fingered his longsword at his belt. It was made of silver, a childhood suspicion that drove him to forge it. It had cost him a fortune, almost a year of service to a lord he didn't care for, but he found it worth it. He didn't think it would do much, but anything he could do to slow the thing down might help. He might get lucky, or perhaps the silver thing really did work. Either way, he would not be running away until everyone else was safe.

"What's the plan then?" he whispered to the boy behind him. "She ain't gonna be able to talk him out of attacking forever, even if they are friends. Do you got any clean fire? Or holy magic that might help us send that thing back to the Abyss?"

He stood and watched the two demons converse, feeling awkward yet somehow humored at the same time. The two demons talking about their endures was comical, acting like old friends. Still, these old friends could be deadly, and demons were nothing to mess with. He re-gripped his sword and readied himself for the fighting to begin.

Birdsie Epiphany Hanarei LostHaven

 

[Birdsie]

Ethengarde Family

Ozirmok nodded to the empress' story, gesticulating in a 'so-so' manner with his hand. "Sareth's presence probably woke you up; he's a demigod. I have firsthand experienced that divine energies tend to... interact."

"Or the tomb was set to wake you during an emergency," proposed Ellen. "That reminds me, Sareth - did you have any unusual dreams last night?"

The armored boy proffered an exaggerated shrug, then recited, "Only me, in the form of a cosmic many-winged snake, eating the sun. I woke up with a taste of blood in my mouth and a slight throat-burn. Not as weird as some of my other dreams, mom."

"Hm, certainly--"

The door smashed open, as Luthandriel walked in. His usually pristine hair was somewhat disheveled and his face bore enough anxiety to break through a dam. His chest was heaving up and down as he breathed, indicating he had run all the way here. Luthandriel explained, "I have no idea how this happened, but I think someone just summoned a demon lord."

"Truly? And you didn't predict it earlier?" Ellen asked.

"The chance of it happening was approximately zero-point-zero-zero-four percent. Though, the chance something got summoned was two percent... Damn."

"No matter," Ozirmok said. Tiny motes of blue energy gathered around his body, then impacted his clothes and solidified until they became a glowing armor. In several seconds, the glow receded, to show a suit of pristine full-plate armor, made out of some kind of light silver substance with golden filigree. Two helixes of energy floated in front of him before coalescing into a sharpened longspear.

"Where is it?"

"Um, east; east of the city. Feels like near a road," he said.

"Any idea what demon it is?"

"Baphomet, I believe. Traits indicate a minotaur. I'd need a moment to confirm," Luthandriel fussed. "But yes, my divinations point towards a bovine on two feet, with plentiful demonic energy. I suggest a ranged attack."

Ellen stepped forward. "Luthandriel, inform the local garrison, just to be safe. Then do whatever you think is best." Luthandriel nodded, excused himself, turned on his heel, and quickly walked out.

"I and Ozirmok will go and hunt down Baphomet. You two..." she trailed off, looking at Sareth and Illyana.

"Are free to come with!" Ozirmok said, grinning as he walked in the direction of the window. Alarmed by this, Sareth quickly whistled, and in response, a wyvern on the ground below took off and caught Ozirmok just as he leaped out of the window.

Ellen sighed, summoning up armor and weapons of her bow. A whip at her side, and a bow at her back. "Your choice, Lady Illyana, though I believe my son will accompany me."

Sareth nodded and whistled twice more. A blue, then a green wyvern took off and rose to the window. Ellen sat down on the blue wyvern, then directed it eastwards by the reins. Sareth looked back at Illayna, and asked, "You coming? Hunting demon lords is a sort of lame family tradition."

They did it mostly on holidays, he knew, and both his parents had banished enough demon lords that Sareth could never hope to call himself worthy just for beating one - at least not with his parents' help. To a normal child, this would be like being proud for scaring away rabbits from a cabbage patch; it was already an expectation by default. Not dragons, not demon lords... what could he possibly kill to prove that he's not worthless when his father already had a handle on everything?

He shook off the depressing thought, then added, "Feel free to participate, if you want. I'm going."

Noble Scion

 

[Hanarei]

Bethany Evelyn - "The Arcanist Absolute" Armitage

The summoning went... not quite as expected as what was summoned was far beyond what she had ever intended. This is why I should of handled the summoning myself. I could of easily picked the right demon to summon that could fit our plan without becoming a massive hassle. This is why you don't trust some loud mouthed talking skull to do anything. He will just cause you trouble. She thought to herself shaking her head less worried about the situation more then annoyed by it. Naturally she wouldn't be one to blame herself for it even if she should of been more careful when it came to the summoning. She wasn't going to put such a blunder on her own shoulders after all.

She felt her brother's elbow looking over as he mentioned running seeming a bit insulted by the idea. "Why would we run, we can handle this fine on our own. Worst comes to worst I can just set up a banishing ritual and..." She spoke as her mother's hug suddenly made the girl turn red in embarrassment. That was the last thing she wanted in the presence of some big bad demon! How was he going to take her seriously if she attempted to take some control over him! Sure... he wouldn't likely be so easy to appease but still she could always try if she didn't come of fall flimsy and weak... such as being hugged and embraced by your mother! It caused her to pause as her mother stepped up causing the girl to shake her head... and then shake it more when her mother started to converse with the creature.

Of course she would know him... anything that could help embarrass me more.

The half succubus watched on feeling embarrassed. It seemed her mother would be the key to easing up the situation. She was going to be forced to resort to drastic measures in order to attempt any sort of deal. It was an idea that bothered her greatly, though even someone as ego driven as Evelyn knew the risk. Even if they could take care of Baphomet it would be a rather difficult battle and one that had far too many risks to it... not to mention it would clearly foil their plan on getting back at the jerk-mage. She looked at Brom shaking her head. A pure look of dread filled her as she looked as if she was about to do something drastic.

"Hold... let me try something first...."

Evelyn stepped forward walking next to her mother. The young Arcanist focused up on the creature. It seemed as if she was about to put up a strong front at first before suddenly bowing her head before him as if in a gesture of apology. It felt as if she was being stabbed by daggers doing such a move forced to speak up in a way that was rather humuiating for her, far worst then any form of torture she could suffer.

"S.... sorry... it wasn't my mother it was me. I hadn't intended on bothering such a legendary being like yourself. My mother Shriandriath talked so highly of you I must of thought of you during my summoning ritual and brought you to the world instead. " She spoke as a awkward smile formed on her lips, mostly from the pain of having to speak in such a lowly way for her worst off having to establish a connection to her mother. It seemed given his connection to her mother, it might be possible to bargain a way through without causing too much trouble. She looked at the demon keeping near her mother as to help enforce her connection ideally being one of her mother's 'chosen spawn' even if it was a horrible idea in her mind given how much shame it brought her.

"You see, we are attempting to stage an attack as part as an elaborate ruse to save them for the sake of attempting to create a positive impression for an archmage. He is seeking to avoid being wed by sabotaging and we wish to disrupt it. I know it's something beneath someone as great as you, but would you be willing to act the part and for us to act as if we suppressed you to save the day. As for a reward, the Archmage in which we are attempting this ruse for I'm sure has plenty of magnificent magical artifacts that would fit greatly in enhancing your labyrinth, antiquities that I'm sure no others possess within your realm to make it even more impressive then it already is."

Evelyn looked up to Baphomet staring towards him keeping a more meek impression, not appearing so much scared as she was humbled. Truthfully she half hoped he went and just struck her down and murdered her right there to save her from the embarrassment she had to face right now for this little act.


Mentioned: Epiphany Birdsie LostHaven Inheritance

 

[Reinhardt]

Seraphine Reizylle

RAVEN'S ARCANA​

PRE-TIMESKIP
The animated vines almost got Seraphine due to her unnecessary complaints about the place she had teleported in. Fortunately, she was quick to act and flexible enough to do some swift and agile movements to avoid the vines from grabbing a hold of her or her clothes, for that matter. Though it did seem strange why the vines seemed to target her clothes just as much as they targeted her, but that doesn't really matter anymore.

With a quick snap of her fingers, and a silent muttering of an incantation, she cast a spell. And in an instant, as she lifted her foot, a powerful loud blasting sound resonated through the building. She was no longer in the room, and a fair portion of it is now charred, as if it was struck by lightning. Numerous animated vines are scattered, barely living and almost burnt to a crisp.

Seraphine, on the other hand, reappeared somewhere near the gathered party outside the building proper, but still within its vicinity. She has some sparks emanating from her, which she dusted off like it was merely some dirt. Eventually she noticed the...problem that this party had brought upon themselves.

POST-TIMESKIP
Seraphine approached the gathered group to observe more closely, but still keeping a fair amount of distance. Upon witnessing the exchange between the party and the large creature, which was obviously some kind of powerful fiend, she decided to intervene - perhaps make things better, perhaps worse. But before that, she touched the ground, and in a few seconds, a large chunk of it rose from the earth and turned into a chair fit for a king. Well, in this case, for a queen.

Seraphine, now sitting down on the chair that is definitely out of place, placed a finger on the side of her neck. Her voice began to sound louder, that even those within the building proper could hear her clearly. "Shouldn't you know who summoned you, big demon guy?", she said. "I'm pretty sure you know who summoned you, can't be that hard to trace the source of the summoning magic."

Interactions: Faust & Alexiel ( LostHaven ), Azhi & Baphomet ( Birdsie ), Evelyn ( Hanarei ), Shriandriath ( Epiphany ), Brom ( Inheritance )

 

[Birdsie]

Baphomet [NPC]

The giant demon grinned, showing his bovine jaws, splaying them wide for her to see the full extent of his teeth, all while his eyes developed a psychotic wideness. "Is that so?" he half-asked, half-stated, beginning to walk sideways and clockwise around them. Each of his steps caused small tremors in the earth. "Interesting."

He stopped walking when he was exactly to the side of the group. "So be it, a quest like this is worthy of the mighty Baphomet, and may relieve me of some boredom besides," he said. "I accept... for now."

The minotaur turned on his heels roughly facing eastwards, then sniffed, his nostrils moving up and down as he tried to catch a scent of some ill-defined prey. "What is the name of my target? The name will suffice, or their appearance. My labyrinth is vast, so I've developed a method of tracking the fools who try to find their way through it. It should work on this plane just as well."

LostHaven Epiphany Hanarei Inheritance Reinhardt

 

[Inheritance]

Brom Beararm​

What the hell? Why was the mage making deals with this demon? He was aware there were good times to talk, and good times to fight, but there was never a time to bargain with a demon! Perhaps the only reason he didn't speak out against the girl was his shock that she switched from trying to stall the creature to trying to recruit it! How could she think that was a good idea? What would a demon do with an artifact (he actually didn't know, and for the record he himself wouldn't know what to do with one)? This was a terrible idea, and he was appalled she would even consider it. Weren't arch-magi supposed to be smart? Was this something outside of his own realm of thought, something he couldn't conceive? No...this was a bad idea, not something he didn't understand. He realized then her age. She was very young, and while she might have been sharp, perhaps her youth made her inexperienced with such things. He snapped out of his thoughts.

He heard a female voice that seemed to be loud enough to be standing next to them, though there was nobody new here. Chalking it up to magic, he ignored it, figuring he should focus on the much bigger problem at hand. As the demon turned, he slid over towards the succubus.

"What the hell?!" He hissed, "What is she doing? This has gone too far! I was against summoning something from the beginning, much less a demon! Can you kill it? I doubt I'll have much luck but I might be able to distract it or something. And if you can't do it, we need to get someone who can!"

He did a good job of keeping too much panic out of his voice, but some crept in anyway. He had fought in multiple armies, and seen a lot, but he had seen men kill other men. This was something new, and it wasn't just soldiers that were at risk. It was men, women, and children. A whole city could be leveled, and these people wanted to ask for its help?!

"I'm no demon expert, but I don't see any one of those filth helping us in this...this prank! I don't trust demons, and neither should..." He trailed off, realizing who he was talking to. "Um...well bottom line this thing is NOT going to help us! We need to get rid of it!"

Epiphany Hanarei Birdsie Reinhardt

 

[Epiphany]

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[/div][div class=statusText]Tags: Inheritance Birdsie Hanarei Reinhardt LostHaven [/div][/div][div class=title]Shriandriath the Debased Maiden[/div][div class=text]Shri smiled and shrugged off Baphomet's questions about her diminished nature. Instead, she handles the male Demon the way she handles most males; making eye contact, looking interested and nodding along to what he's saying. Works nearly every time. Her grin of delight at his victories was unaffected, though, for she didn't care for Pit Fiends either. Her kind weren't precisely allies, not in a Chaotic Evil place like the Abyss, but they knew where each other stood. Not a code of conduct so much as an shared understanding.

Evelyn's sudden act of drawing attention surprised Shri, concerned her and then filled her with pride. The Succubus' daughter had plenty of pride as well, enough to react poorly if not handled well. And yet she had the intellect and presence of mind to try the carrot before trying the stick. It didn't come naturally, which made Evelyn's words that much more remarkable. As her daughter praised the Demon Lord, Shri placed one hand of affirming support on the shoulder of the archmage, nodding along as if the girl's wisdom was self-evident.

Birdsie
Seraphine's arrival drew her attention, however, at least when she spoke up. The Demon Lord seemed to miss the woman's interruption so Shri simply narrowed her glowing blue eyes and gave the stranger a sharp shake of the head, urging silence. To Baphomet, she said "Luna Calista Runagate. I've no doubt in your ability. Now, let us be on with the hunt!"

Inheritance
As the Demon started to sniff for his quarry, Shri turned to Brom. She considered trying for a smile to relax the man but judged it was the wrong play. He was too incited, too inflamed, emotional states she was intimately familiar with. Instead, she laid a gloved hand on his strong shoulder. The flex of muscle beneath briefly distracted her and she licked her lips before getting a grip on herself once more. "At my strongest, Baphomet was stronger. One thing at a time, warrior. If it should come to battle, if I can't keep him from harming innocents, it will take all of us to try to save lives. But before we commit to near-certain suicide, let's see if we can instead accomplish our purpose."

LostHaven Reinhardt
Shri then turned to the relatively unknown women and said, "I don't know either of you but if you care for the safety of this kingdom, come with us and be ready to join forces with us if it comes to it. Beyond the virtue of protecting the people of this kingdom, its king would doubtlessly be inclined to generosity for any aid you give his people."

Hanarei
Last, the Succubus returned to her daughter's side and murmured, "Well done, Bethany. Very well done. Now, send a magic missive to your father and tell him to meet us where this noble woman is expected to be. Baphomet may be too much for all of us, should this stop being amusing for him. He'll need to be sent back and your father is as mighty a cleric as ever walked this world."

Then Shri prepared to follow after the Demon Lord with a mixture of apprehension and dread she couldn't show.[/div][div class=text][/div][/div][/div][/div] [class=wrapper] background-color:#5e5560; box-sizing:border-box; color:#eeeeee; display:inline-block; position:relative; width:100%; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=title] color: #bfbfbf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:3em; font-style:italic; padding:0; text-shadow:0 0 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; [/class] [class=box] margin:2em 1em; padding:2px 4px 0px; position:relative; [/class] [class=boxBg] box-sizing:content-box; height:100%; pointer-events:none; position:absolute; width:100%; [/class] [class=boxBgLarge] top:0; left:-5px; padding:0 4px; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.35); [/class] [class=boxBgTall] top:-8px;left:3px; padding:8px 0; width:calc(100% - 8px); height:100%; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25); [/class] [class=boxBgMedium] top:-4px; left:-1px; padding:4px 0; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4); [/class] [class=boxInner] background-color: #5e5560; overflow:hidden; margin:0.5em; [/class] [class=statusBox] box-sizing: border-box; border-right: 3px dotted white; padding: 15px; float: left; max-width: 250px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; [/class] [class=text] padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; [/class] [class=statusText] font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; margin-top: 5px; [/class] [class=characterPortrait] box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; [/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=hover] opacity: 0.5 [/class]

 

[Hanarei]

Bethany Evelyn - "The Arcanist Absolute" Armitage

It was so much worst then she had expected. The blow her pride took ached her. The hand of her mother on her shoulder as if to affirm her felt like she hot iron was scalding her skin... at least in her mind. She felt such embarrassment for trying to play herself in a more humble light. It was probably her father's influence in particular that made her at least consider the well being of innocent lives over the personal insult to her ego. She kept her light smile looking to the demon in hopes it might work. Her eye had slipped over looking to a new figure speaking up seemingly trying to sabotage the whole thing giving them a stern glare before looking back to Baphomet as he seemed to agree to the deal... at the very least for now. She heard her mother chime in giving the name of the woman they were attempting to 'save' as she simply kept quiet not wanting to risk being nippy back at her mother in front of Baphomet.

As Baphomet took to searching for their target she looked to Brom hearing her mother speak out. She seemed to roll her eyes a little bit at the notion of it being 'near-suicide' not quite buying that though knowing it wouldn't be a cakewalk either. She would be the one to boast she could handle him alone... though if she was able to even Evelyn had to admit she didn't think it would be easy at all... even if she wouldn't go so far as to say she would fail. Having been summoned with the aid of the crystal she still had some connection to the creature though it was nowhere near as strong as it would be if she had summoned him using her own mana. She looked down in thought before she turned her attention over hearing her mother speak directly to her. She looked up seeming to shoot a glare though realizing against it easing her expression. She didn't want to come off hostile to her mom should Baphomet come back to look upon them.

"I... we can handle it if it gets out of hand. I'd rather leave him out of this unless we absolutely have to." She spoke seeming to glance away from her mother She could only imagine the preaching she would likely get from her father from summoning such a demon. It was bad enough in part due to him she was more hesitant about fully utilizing her necromancy in raising the dead. She would prefer him not to know about any such dealing. She looked back to her mother glancing over towards Brom as well as if to acknowledge his uneasy about the plan.

"Alright... if things start going south I'll quickly teleport to grab dad." She spoke cringing a bit notably calling her father that feeling a bit of embarrassment as she shook her head. "It's possible he will be content with this little play we are putting on. If he knows... Shri and he was fine with the plan there is a good chance he has a mischievous side to him. He at least views us as 'allies' even if temporarily. There is a chance he will be perfectly fine causing some trouble and getting to garnish his labyrinth some of Cesimir belongings. He seems the type to have sadistic artifacts in his possession I'm sure Baphomet would like." She spoke pausing as to make sure she didn't slip and call Shri her mother on accident as well in attempting to act independent.

"Worst comes to worst we can give Azhi to Baphomet to test his labyrinth for a bit." Evelyn spoke in a low tone under her breath as a jab at her little brother. She wasn't at all serious though it felt right for her to make the comment to tease him a bit and feel as if she wasn't coming off too sappy to her family. She glanced over to the newcomer again not really certain who they were though cautious they might go about opening the big mouth and ruining the plan.


Mentioned: Epiphany Birdsie LostHaven Inheritance Reinhardt

 

[Inheritance]

Brom Beararm​

The demon's words did very little to ease him. Admittedly, her touch did nothing but excite him, and her quick change of face made him raise a questioning eyebrow at her, but she regained her composure so quickly he wondered if he had imagined her look. Still, it was over as soon as she left to speak to her daughter, and he was returned to his half panicked state. With nothing to do, he stayed where he was, and overheard the two speak. First recruiting a demon, now refusing to bring in a cleric? What was wrong with this kid? Was he this thickheaded as a kid? Perhaps, though when he messed up it didn't mean a whole city would get destroyed-it usually meant someone would get a little injured, and they could go back to their lives the next day.

He wondered then what it must be like to be so young and have so much power. It was a responsibility he never had, and while he learned to be plenty responsible by the time he was her age, he never had to carry around and control such power. It was a strange thing, he remembered playing in the woods around his house as a boy. He remembered getting into a brawl with a friend of his, and how he broke his arm in the fight. He knew his parents would be mad, but to his surprise, they were mad at him, for not only fighting, but losing the fight once he got there. He remembered his father's words, "Look son, there is almost always a way to get out of things without a fight. However, if it comes to a fight, or if you make the mistake of fighting, you damn well better win..."

He had grown up well, and had become a respectable man. He prided himself on how handy he could be in a pinch, things he had learned from years of growing up as a poor farm boy and from his travels. He knew how to set a bone, how to navigate the woods, how to hunt, fight with his fists and weapons...He knew how to forge and fix weapons and armor, he could deliver an animal and he could cook a hot meal. He could build a common house and he could harvest an entire wheat field...yet he had no idea what she had gone through. Something he found out quickly as he met this new group, was that his skills that he had prided himself in meant nothing in the scheme of these demigods that he would be fighting along side with. Such things he would never understand, and he was ok with that. For now, he would do what he could to save innocents.

His expression softened, not wanting to yell at the kid for clearly not knowing any better, but still wanting to make a point. His thoughts had calmed him, though alarm still rang through his body and radiated in his eyes. Of course, a fierce determination to save the lives of the residents here also burned within him, hopefully covering his sense of dread.

"Miss wizard, if I may...If there is a powerful priest to be summoned, I think we should go ahead and summon him. I've seen your mother fight, and if that is her weakened, I don't want to know what she was at her strongest...meaning this thing, and I'm no demon expert, but this thing should be a lot more powerful than any of us think. I'd suggest you call in the holy man to help deal with this...Maybe he will have some silver or something. I think that's how you kill these things, I'm not sure, I've never done it before."

He looked at them both. They were both very calm, and he did feel better knowing that they could handle their own. He was beginning to calm down himself now, though irritation gnawed at the back of his mind. This whole thing could have been avoided if there wasn't any MAGIC. Damn it to hell. Magic seemed to always be the cause of some problem. The world would probably be better without it. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now.

"I also think we might want to warn people. Someone will see the creature, and I can't imagine how this poor woman that we are about to condemn to hell will react to it."

Hanarei Epiphany Birdsie

 

[Reinhardt]

Seraphine Reizylle

TO WHEREVER​

Seraphine rose from her seat, sighing softly. With a snap of her finger, the chair began to corrode and meld into the ground, until there was no trace left of its existence. Then, she touched her clothes, and after a second, a swift but gentle wind blew at her, clearing away any form of dust and dirt on her garments. Once those were done, she turned her gaze to the woman who approached her.

Casually, she responded. "Eh. This kingdom has lasted long enough to stand on its own two feet.", she huffed. "But, this strange gathering of yours has intrigued me. I'll come along just to witness, perhaps intervene if I am convinced that my abilities are needed. Might as well do something than waiting for the old man's return."

And with that, she followed the group, opting to remain in the back with a rather lax walking pace.

Interactions: Azhi & Baphomet ( Birdsie ), Evelyn ( Hanarei ), Shriandriath ( Epiphany ), Brom ( Inheritance )

 

[Birdsie]

Baphomet + Ozirmok [NPCs] + Azhi - Roadside Forest

Baphomet nodded to the name, then took a large whiff of the air. His pupils dilated and his nostrils tightened. "I got the scent. Alright, I'll go and scare her a bit, then you -"

"Halt! I demand you stop your diabolical pursuits!" a voice cut in from far away

Looking into the air, they saw an armored man sitting on top of a red wyvern, which clapped its wings as it hovered in place around fifty meters in the air. The armored man dropped off without hesitation and his feet hit the ground with a thud, forming a small dent in the earth. He barely hunched over, let alone rolled, as he hit the ground, seeming to imply dropping off from this height didn't even make him uncomfortable, let alone break his spine. The wyvern landed softly behind him and waited in place as he walked up to them.

The man had a strong aura, seeming to radiate peace and calmness. Weirdly enough, this didn't change for demons or their descendants, when normally they would feel irritated, sickened, or scared. No one was exempt from the seeming all-encompassing benevolence radiating from the soul of the man who stood before them. It felt almost disarming, causing the aggression, but also the worries and little anxieties within people's mind to be replaced by a strong sensation of inner serenity, harmony, understanding, and empathy. It was pacifying.

The king seemed to look at the gathering with more attention and realized the weirdness of the situation: a little boy, a muscular man, two pretty girls who both looked like mage students, an out-of-this-world beauty of a woman and a ragged, evil-looking minotaur who was sniffing the air like he felt a sewage leak.

He cleared his throat. "By my authority as king and demigod, I, uh, politely request that the demons here return to their rightful realms and cease any... fiendish... activities..." He tilted his head a little sheepishly. "Please?"

"You're... king Ozirmok?" Azhi asked, hesitant but not scared, taking shelter behind his mother.

"That is correct, young man," the king said, with a small, respectful nod. "Can I ask why so many people are gathered around a... I want to say, a demon lord?"

Baphomet, weirdly cooperative, nodded and said, "That's right."

"Well, please don't misunderstand!" he said, looking at the rest of the group and showing the palms of his armored hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not accusing anyone here of, uhm, illegal activities. It is perfectly possible you just stumbled upon a demon lord, or, uh, had the state of mind where you wanted to do something good by summoning him. I'm just trying to resolve this situation in a way that everyone here walks away happy, and doesn't rip anyone else's legs off. That's why I'd like everyone to testify as to what happened and why."

Baphomet narrowed his eyes at the king, but didn't attack. His facial expression was hard to read due to its bovine features, but one could see the slips of fear, anxiety, and thought in his eyes - he wanted to get away from this man and felt weirdly compelled to not just attack him in a fit of bloodlust.

Azhi looked at Shri expectantly, not knowing what to say.

Instead, Baphomet spoke first. "I have no hostile intent and I'm completely willing to leave," he said, sounding very defensive.

"I'm glad you clarified that. I like to avoid fighting when I can," Ozirmok replied with a grin. "But you don't have to leave yet. Normally, demons are destructive, but you don't feel that way right now. Do you?"

"Not... really? What are you doing?" Baphomet's eyes narrowed again.

"I'm not doing anything. I'm just talking to you. Anyway, what I wanted to say, why don't you drop in for tea? My wife makes a most excellent blend," he offered. "I'm sure she'd be willing to accommodate you."

"R-Really?" The previously confident, sadistic Baphomet seemed to grow timid, shirking his duties as a demon lord and nature as a demon in the presence of Ozirmok. "I'd... I'd like that...? Is that what I'm supposed to say?" He looked at Azhi, who nodded in fright as the demon lord gazed at him.

The situation was surreal. A demon lord actively avoiding conflict and destruction was... against nature. Against the teachings of the church and probably against a lot of other things, and yet it was happening, and the other side acknowledged that fact as if it were the normal course, and went along with it, inviting the demon to tea like they were work acquaintances.

LostHaven Epiphany Hanarei Inheritance Reinhardt

 

[Inheritance]

Brom Beararm​

So this was the King. Legendary. That was the easiest way to describe the man, especially where Brom came from. Growing up, he and his friends didn't really discuss the King much, mainly because they believed he was too powerful and too important for people as small as him and his village. Even now, as he made this demon seem like nothing more than a child lost in a bookstore, Brom had to agree with the description that the King had been fitted with in his village.

A small *clink* hit the ground as he dropped the tip of the sword to the stone below. This was clearly under control now. He didn't bother looking at any of the group-he knew whoever called the King had made the right call. And luckily, there would be no innocent girl being terrified. Why would a demon agree to that anyway? There had to be some other motive, and now it could be stopped by this living legend.

Another thing that struck Brom as strange was how much of a non-threat this demon lord seemed now. He wasn't sure what the King was actually doing-some sort of charming magic or something, and it was clearly powerful enough to attack this demon. Or so he imagined-in reality he knew well that he couldn't identify magic if it had a label, but from what he had witnessed in the past 48 hours, he was certainly ready to make the claim that magic was going on here. A small suspicion arose within him, and he tried to take a few steps away from the King. He didn't want whatever mind altering magic the King was using to effect him, even though he would have no chance of defending himself regardless.

There was nothing to be said here. He just watched as this great demon lord was reduced to nothing but a scary thought. Was it this easy always? Why was this band of heroes even needed if they had a King that could dominate a demon lord? And why would he allow people that could conjure a DEMON LORD roam around freely in the world? Was this how all great powerhouses of people acted? Did they just goof around until someone got hurt? Where was the responsibility, the self-accountability? This shouldn't have happened in the first place, but here they were. He didn't understand it, and he very highly doubted he ever would. So he stared on at the spectacle, reminded of how insignificant he was compared to these beings of distant legend.

Birdsie Epiphany Hanarei Reinhardt

 

[LostHaven]

Faust Windfallow
Floating, well away from what could probably be a bloodbath. | Hanarei Birdsie Inheritance Epiphany Reinhardt t

"Shit."

That was the single word going through the lich's head, playing on repeat as he watched on is his dazed stupor, with the source of his utter bewilderment being the fact that Evelyn had somehow summoned a Demon Lord instead of an Avangion... Had the little kid taken the wrong item in his panic to get the hell away from the depraved paladin?

Perhaps, if he still had a body, he would've sent the demon flying back to whatever hole it crawled out of, yet alas, that was not to be the case. Or perhaps, had Alexiel tagged along, he would've just thrown her at the minotaur and let the woman do her thing. So imagine Faust's shock when they managed to not only pacify goddamned Baphomet, and make him agree to their stupid little plot. Perhaps this 'Shriandriath' woman was really something, contrary to his preliminary judgments. They were not utterly incompetent, at least.

Then, it somehow escalated to the King showing up out of nowhere and then inviting Baphomet to tea, and by some inexplicable reason, Baphomet was actually attempting to avoid conflict?! That said though, anyone who had seen what Faust had, would never consider Baphomet a demon. No, no... There was only one true demon in this, and all worlds.

A more important matter came to mind, after observing the blonde girl's magic. Perhaps, it seemed familiar, or quite possibly, it was the fact that she had previously used the circle he kept in his room if Alexiel's information was anything to go by at all. He floated toward Seraphine. "Old man? Girl, by 'old man', do you mean..." He asked, whispering the name of a particular alchemist he knew into her ear.

Strange...

Old man? Last time Faust remembered, the creep was using a female homunculus body? Did the idiot suddenly feel the urge to pretend to be Gandalf in another world, where Gandalf hadn't been conceptualized?

 

[Epiphany]

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[/div][div class=statusText][/div][/div][div class=title]Shriandriath the Debased Maiden[/div][div class=text] Hanarei
Her daughter's request to leave Thomas out of it didn't sit well with Shri. She was visibly uncomfortable. But the concession Evelyn made seemed to mollify her and the Succubus patted her daughter on the shoulder. "I know you're skilled in wizardry, Bethany. But Baphomet is a league all his own. As long as he finds it amusing to play along, we'll have no trouble. And I'll do what I can to keep him amused."

Her daughter's suggestion at sacrificing her youngest brother to the monster was met with an affectionate shoulder bump, from a mother who clearly didn't believe her children could be that predatory towards each other.

Inheritance
Brom's concern was entirely understandable, though. Shri nodded along with his caution and said, "Bap is already here. We'll bring in 'the priest' if he's needed but for now, I think he's about to get moving. We don't have time to warn others. All we can do is keep up and try to channel the river in a direction that won't wreck the world." Then the Succubus grinned at the seasoned warrior. "But don't worry about that 'poor woman', she'll be fine if all goes well. And if it doesn't, well, it's a good thing the League of Adventurers is here to defend her, isn't it?"

Reinhardt
With yet another glance at the strange woman who summoned her own chair out of nothing, Shri cautiously nodded a greeting to the sorceress and said, "If our abilities are needed, your intervention would be welcome."

Birdsie
The arrival of the mailed, armored man should have concerned her more but it didn't. Shri frowned slightly, dimly aware that she should be frowning more and feeling more concerned than she did. But it was impossible to sustain any real apprehension. Instead, she just smiled slightly.

And then he made his request. The whole conversation elicited a gale of laughter from the Succubus, who needed the rest of the conversation to recover from laughing that hard. Recovering, Shri said, "Your Majesty, Baphomet is a good old friend of mine who just happened to pop by for a visit. Serve him a spot of tea and I'm sure he'll share more than one tale you won't hear anywhere else. Will you be wanting all of us to come along, your Highness? Or shall we be about our business?"[/div][div class=text][/div][/div][/div][/div] [class=wrapper] background-color:#5e5560; box-sizing:border-box; color:#eeeeee; display:inline-block; position:relative; width:100%; text-align: justify; [/class] [class=title] color: #bfbfbf; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:3em; font-style:italic; padding:0; text-shadow:0 0 1em; margin-bottom: 10px; [/class] [class=box] margin:2em 1em; padding:2px 4px 0px; position:relative; [/class] [class=boxBg] box-sizing:content-box; height:100%; pointer-events:none; position:absolute; width:100%; [/class] [class=boxBgLarge] top:0; left:-5px; padding:0 4px; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.35); [/class] [class=boxBgTall] top:-8px;left:3px; padding:8px 0; width:calc(100% - 8px); height:100%; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25); [/class] [class=boxBgMedium] top:-4px; left:-1px; padding:4px 0; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.4); [/class] [class=boxInner] background-color: #5e5560; overflow:hidden; margin:0.5em; [/class] [class=statusBox] box-sizing: border-box; border-right: 3px dotted white; padding: 15px; float: left; max-width: 250px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; [/class] [class=text] padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; [/class] [class=statusText] font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; margin-top: 5px; [/class] [class=characterPortrait] box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; [/class] [class name=characterPortrait state=hover] opacity: 0.5 [/class]

 

[June Verles]

Christopher Armitage​

While everyone was being perplexed by having the king of the country inviting a arch demon to tea they probably ignored the rustling of the bushes next to them. However they couldn't ignore it much more when out of the bushes stepped out another member of the Armitage family, Christopher.

If that wasn't weird enough his appearance was even more off putting, the usually stoic researcher was sporting a idyllic smirk and his eyes were a blood shot shade of red. Even weirder was the white plastic bag that he was carrying with him that upon further inspection appeared to have the outline of a decapitated human head.

The man walks towards the group giggling to himself for a moment before looking up and noticing them, he squints at his mom and then his sister for a moment before shrugging and continuing onto Faust without speaking to them.

"I got this week's crop." he says as he opens the plastic bag, what the elder lich saw wasn't a decapitated human but a couple of extremely ripe cannabis plants, that were planted into a human head but that's not the point.

LostHaven Epiphany Hanarei Birdsie

 

[Hanarei]

Bethany Evelyn - "The Arcanist Absolute" Armitage

Evelyn felt further embarrassment as her mother patted her shoulder. She had figured she might go against her, though much to her surprise she was more so giving a warning rather then trying top push calling her father. The further shoulder bump made her feel far more embarrassed for even teasing the idea about giving her brother to Baphomet. She hadn't at all intended on receiving more affection much to her embarrassment. She had a tendency to misjudge her mother's reaction to things, likely in part to her own mind wanting to further justify her attempt to 'break free' from her family. Speaking of her mother had to speak up more in part on her behalf to Brom.

"It's all under control relax." She spoke simple as if to add extra insurance not really addressing him further. He really was making it out to be a big deal. It had just been a simple mistake that happens with spell casting. Sometimes you attempt to make an object float and you send it flying up into the air. You attempting to create water to fill a cup and you accidentally summon a downpour to soak yourself and overflow the cup with ease. You attempt to summon a lesser demon and you accidentally summon the great and powerful Baphomet of the Labyrinth. Stuff happens when spells are involved sometimes. She barely paid thew newcomer Seaphine much mind as her mother addressed her specifically. In her mind it would all turn out fine anyways so the extra hands wouldn't likely be needed though she wasn't going to argue against it.

The arrival of Ozirmok was.... unexpected to say the least. She stood quiet seeming uncertain how to react. The aura had for sure effected her. She was far more complacent and at ease. It didn't change the fact as the situation unfolded that she didn't like what was happening. Her pride couldn't be completely diminished after all even if she was put in a more tranquil state. It had only been when her mother let out a laugh she returned much more to her senses even starting to really start thinking and working through the situation. It seemed as if one of their trump cards for their plan was being taken away. In truth it wouldn't lead to an end of their plans completely as summoning another demon wasn't an issue for Evelyn, one that would be far more in their control and easier to take out, but it still felt as if something was being taken away. She hardly recognized her other brother approach remaining silent as she bit her bottom lip.


Mentioned: Epiphany Birdsie LostHaven Inheritance Reinhardt

 

[Birdsie]

King Bro & Baphomet [NPCs] + Azhi Armitage

After a moment, some hobo came out of the bushes, clearly high on narcotics. Ozirmok's armored head moved in his direction with a creak, but his body refused to follow. The hobo walked up to Faust and showed him something in a bag. Judging by the following comment, Ozirmok guessed at what it was, but couldn't actually look into the bag from where he stood to confirm the contents.

The king of the Kingdom of Ethengarde, the protector of the realm, guardian of the material plane, son of Hann, placed a palm on his helmet where the forehead would be, and exhaled steeply. Seemingly following his sigh, the aura of good will received a dent like someone smashing a club into a plate of armor.

One could hear a hushed mumbling come from the king's direction. Though it was hard to make out, one could catch words like, "not hurting anyone, Ozirmok," "let the kid go," "it's fine," "not harmful," "let it go," and similar phrases.

Then, the aura returned to normal.

Ozirmok clapped his hands down together behind his back, looked in another direction as he began to whistle innocently. Alas, the king knew not how to whistle, so he was just blowing out air.

In a second, he looked at the group again, his vision seemingly avoiding Faust and Christopher on purpose, and instead focusing on where Shri and Baphomet stood, deciding to regard the succubus' question.

"Anyway. I'm not, strictly speaking, supposed to let any demon-summoning cultists go, at the moment as well as a matter of general conduct," he said, "meaning that if someone here has had, say, purposefully summoned a demon, I would have to cuff them up and lock them in prison. This is something of a demonic crack-down situation, as it were. So I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could point me in the general direction that you believe any demonic summoners might be. In return, as I am a strong believer in fair exchange, I shall naturally keep my investigation strictly confined to that area, in good trust that you would never betray me."

One could feel an exaggerated wink coming at them from beneath his helmet.

"As for you, Mr. Baphomet, I believe you have done nothing illegal warranting my attention," Ozirmok said. He reached into a small pocket hidden under a plated greave, and took a small, red lollipop out of it. "As such, I present you with this here Candy of Pure Joy. It will keep you very happy for the next twenty-four hours and ensure that you don't get any weird ideas, as well as that you actually do come around for tea - andrehabilitation - as any good friend of mine should."

Baphomet took the lollipop, gave it a wide stare for a moment, then shrugged and popped it into his mouth and started suckling on it. Almost instantly, his pupils widened and his slasher grin became an innocent, almost childish smile.

Ozirmok looked at Shri with a smile under his helmet, while Baphomet took off in a seemingly random direction. "Now then, where would I be to find those, ahem, absolutely unforgivable, nefarious demon cultists, and other evil-doers? Also, just by the way, could I ask you - not implying you would know - what you believe those nefarious cultists could have possibly summoned Mr. Baphomet for? I'm just curious, in all honesty."

LostHaven Epiphany Hanarei Inheritance Reinhardt June Verles

 

[Epiphany]

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[/div][div class=statusText][/div][/div][div class=title]Shriandriath the Debased Maiden[/div][div class=text] June Verles
The return of her son didn't escape Shri's notice. Although most of her attention was on the Demon Lord and the King of this very nation, a mother always kept an eye on her children. And Christopher was...what...what-what was he carrying? Was that a head? The Succubus made an effort to pretend to still be paying attention to said Demon Lord and the King while craning her neck subtly to get a better sight on what Christopher carried. And it-

What. What?

Her mouth dropped open for all of two seconds. Then she visibly pulled herself together and returned to paying attention to the two supremely powerful beings. Her discomfiture was obvious, however.

Hanarei
Thank Ayala, the Maiden of Marble, for her darling daughter. Despite the younger woman's even more obvious discomfiture, there was a streak of sensibility in her. In many ways, Evelyn was the child she was the most proud of. Christopher had struck out in an independent direction just as early, in a path neither of his parents followed, but it was one that'd largely taken him out of their lives. Although Evelyn was an independent woman, Shri could more easily see the bonds of love and family that lay beneath the archmage burning to prove herself. Her middle child needed to prove herself in her own eyes before she could allow herself to be as close to her parents as she'd been in her youth. And Shri was nothing if not patient. In the meantime, she very much enjoyed the young woman's casual display of complete confidence that she had the situation in hand.

Birdsie
Swiveling her attention back to the King and the Demon Lord, Shri's general amusement faded completely at Ozirmok's casual statement of intent. That it'd been a mistake might not matter to the demi-god. Kings were ever ones to play by their own rules, to say nothing of those with his kind of divinity in them. That she could spare herself by yielding her daughter was an unacceptable scenario. Time to do what came far more naturally than her husband care for.

"Your Majesty," Shri said, bowing her head in respect. Then she grinned. "It's so good of you to show such interest in your country and the people in it. My family feels much safer, knowing you're watching out for us. I'm afraid I haven't laid eyes on a demon-summoning cultist in at least a decade. Certainly no one here intentionally summoned Baphomet, Demon Lord of the Endless Maze, Prince of Beasts, Master of the 600th Domain. It's a delight for me to catch up with him but this group of your faithful servants in the Adventurer's League have no quest that would require summoning so fearsome a monster. Although..."

The Succubus takes a step closer to the King and rubs her chin while casting her gaze to the heavens as if deep in speculative thought. "Although, and I'm not implying I have any first-hand knowledge of the topic, but hypothetically if the Demon Lord of the Endless Maze happened to turn up here, he could conceivably have helped with a small task with sizable repercussions. I could of course go into great detail on a hypothetical scenario involving said Demon Lord of the Endless Maze menacing a certain woman only to be driven off by brave adventurers sent by the noble Cesimir, whose thoughtfulness and foresight would surely be remembered by this certain woman who is also his fiancée. In such imagings, that could result in an otherwise highly unstable archmage having some stability and civility imposed in his life, settling him out and perhaps granting this Kingdom a degree of peace from his otherwise unrestrained fits of boredom."

"Of course, this is only hypothetical. After all, there are no demon-summoning cultists here. I was merely indulging your Majesty's curiosity by suggesting his kingdom might enjoy a certain gain if a hypothetical scenario wasn't hypothetical."

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