Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[ArcticFox]

"No, not now." Lianna whispered, placing her hand over Fiona's mouth to stop her from continuing the chant. "Let's hurry up." She said and urger her forward, holding onto the nun, so she doesn't stumble.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Shushed, Fiona blinked multiple times—eventually, the dim glow faded and they plunged back into darkness. However, the dark did not last long. After almost running into a wall where the hallway changed course, moonlight at the end of the hall guided their way. They slowed to a stop several feet from the intersecting hallway, to which an old, winding staircase stood regally across from them. Tempting them to descend.

Testing the quiet, they could hear voices coming from all directions of the building—even behind them, in the dark—but they were muted and faint as if nobody were too close.

- Peek around the corner
- Make a run for it
- Tread carefully
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

What use was their sneaking inside, if they would spend the rest of the day avoiding the supernaturals. It was Lianna's intention to eavesdrop and disrupt their plans if a chance presented itself. She listened closely to see where the voices were coming from, then decided on descending. There ought to be a summit going on, there must be some useful information she could pick up along the way.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna waited several moments, focused on the source of the voices; left, right, behind her, all in the distance except— "Eavesdropping?" Someone yanked Fiona away with a yelp just as they'd made towards the staircase and, as Lianna turned to see their face, she'd see none other than Samael standing at the lip of the darkened hallway. Fiona stood in his arms, eyes wide and face pale. A dagger blade pressed dangerously against her throat. Samael simply grinned.

From the asylum incident, Lianna knew Samael had no qualms about killing his hostages. If she weren't careful, Fiona could easily end up like Dr. Walker.

- Attack him
- Threaten him
- Greet him
- Say nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Samael. Don't." Lianna warned, a hand on the pommel of her sword. "We've been through this before. I don't want to have to haul you off for torturing again. Let Fiona go and be on your way."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Yes, but we both know the only reason I didn't kill you that day was because Landon interfered," he said. Looked left, right, and back to Lianna. "And it doesn't look like he's here to save you this time. Pity."

Fiona whimpered and Lianna could see the smallest trickle of blood dance down the tip of the blade, yet Samael hadn't killed her yet.

- Threaten him
- Bargain with him
- Beg for Fiona's life
- Attack him
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Samael, that's not true, and both of us know it. You had plenty of opportunities to kill me and you would have done so if you really wanted it." She looked straight into his eyes, trying her best to stay calm, though she could feel her fingers getting itchy. "But, if you are so intent on killing me now, then let Fiona go, and deal with me."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael's confidence faltered. He stared intently at Lianna before shaking his head. His smile faded. "Had she been one of your Hunter friends, I might agree, but her kind is a hypocritical embarrassment that has inhibited societal growth for centuries. To let her live would be incredibly stupid, not just for my kind, but yours."

Fiona's eyes rolled back and closed, and she went limp in Samael's arms. The sudden weight startled him and he nearly dropped her.

"Did she just faint?"

- Attack Samael
- Confirm she fainted
- Ask him to elaborate
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Of course she fainted, she's just a little girl." Lianna rolled her eyes, risking a couple of steps forward. "Can you hand her to me now, please? I'm not sure what you have against their order, but I took a liking to Fiona and I would appreciate it if you returned her to me undamaged." She extended her arms forward expectantly.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael glimpsed Lianna's footsteps as she came closer, yet refrained from acting drastically—simply stepped back, Fiona in tow. Brows narrowing, the vampire listened intently, blade still pressed against his victim's throat. He huffed once Lianna finished speaking. "I could say the same about my comrades but, you know, we can't all have nice things."

The vampire adopted a curious look. Glanced between Fiona and Lianna. "Actually... perhaps we can." Still, he did not lower the blade. "Attend the Summit meeting as a representative and I'll let the nun leave unharmed. I'll go so far as to even plant her near your other friends; last I checked, some of our guests were doing a pleasant job at running the two in circles."

- Accept
- Refuse
- Ask a question
- Attack him
- Threaten him
- Plead
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna's eyes narrowed and teeth gritted. Filthy creature with his poison dripping words. Did they really have all of her companions or was he bluffing in order to judge her reaction? She chose not to humour him.

"Is Landon attenting? If he gives me his word that Fiona will not be harmed, then I will attend." She said.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael snorted. "We haven't heard from him in quite a while, actually. He's either dead or left the city—basically the same thing, considering he's a traitor now." His expression turned serious, brows setting in a line. "Attend the Summit or she dies."

Lianna noticed, then, that during their discussion the hallways had gone eerily quiet. The search for her and Fiona had ended, but she saw no bodies watching her from the left or right, and it was too dark to see behind Samael. Either a small horde of Supernaturals stood at his back—the most likely scenario—or they'd moved on to another area.

- Attend the Summit
- Attack Samael
- Ask about Landon
- Bargain
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Her odds were not good, but they never were. If the others were truly held somewhere, she would not be able to find them now. Besides, she did not want to risk Fiona's life.

"Fine. I accept." Lianna said finally. "But, I swear Samael, if something happens to her, your whole summit of freaks will not be able to stop me."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael gave a smug smile. "As expected," he said. He lowered the blade and, with the snap of his fingers, two vampiric women stepped from the shadows. "You heard the conversation; drop her in town so the other group finds her." As he passed Fiona off to the pair, he emphasized: "Don't kill them. Just keep them busy."

One of the vampires, a woman with short cropped hair an a wiry frame, glared at Lianna as if the hunter had personally wronged her. The other focused on none but Samael.

- Let them take Fiona
- Confront the glaring vampire
- Ask Samael a question
- Stay silent
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna glared back, making sure to add a snarl for good measure. Those damned creatures, she was this close to losing it and just taking down as many of them as she could with her.

"Well, if you are done with your show, can we proceed?" She said, walking over to Samael. Then she stopped, placing a hand over her mouth dramatically. "Oh, I'm sorry, I had readied a very nice garlic wreath for a housewarming gift, but I'm afraid I forgot it at home."

 

[Cartoonicat]

As the vampires hauled Fiona away, Samael simply smiled—rather, grinned as he always did. "Pity," he drolled nonchalantly. Gestured for her to step towards the staircase. "Fortunately for you, we're a rather hospitable bunch." He moved to walk beside her, unbothered. Instead of guard his side, he trailed a hand along the aged stone walls; instead of watch Lianna, he watched the sky as they descended, ceiling eventually breaking away to reveal stars. Here, in the security of walls filled with his own people, Samael seemed almost careless in the way he regarded the Hunter.

Alone in the stairwell with naught but the night sky overhead to see anything, Lianna could strike.

- Start conversation
- Walk in silence
- Break into a run
- Other
- (Optional): Ready a weapon

 

[ArcticFox]

If Lianna was alone in that place, she wouldn't have thought twice about fighting or escaping, however, Fiona's life was at stake and possibly the lives of her other friends. She didn't trust the vampires to keep their word still, but couldn't be able to live with herself if her actions caused the deaths of the people that followed her into this mess. She was a grown woman, she could behave.

"What prompted this gathering?" Lianna asked, looking up briefly to regard the stars, "Why meet now?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Landon made himself a bit of a martyr, I suppose, be him dead or not," Samael shrugged. "Granted, I only speak for those of my coven, but many of us—the more... intellectual sort—have sought peace with humankind for centuries. Unfortunately, our Lady-" Lianna caught the subtle roll of his eyes as he cut himself short. "Unfortunately, vampires and witches and wolves survive on secrecy. If I tell you more, the Summit will have my head if your Hunters don't."

- Push the topic
- Drop it
- Change the subject
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Gee, and I thought we were friends." Lianna said, her words dripping with sarcasm, "I have never heard about any coven seeking any kind of peace. Please, Samael, your kind thrives on chaos. We will never have peace."

 

[Cartoonicat]

As they met the end of the stairs, Samael's eye roll was no longer subtle. "Much like the kingdoms of old and civilizations of today," he said, "we are bound to the laws set by our leaders."

"Though, I wouldn't expect you to understand what I'm saying," he waved her off and stepped into a hallway that smelled less like mold and more like perfume, dog, and medicinal herbs. He gestured for her to follow him. "You've obviously fed into the 'monstrous supernatural' propaganda headed by those whose power feels threatened." For such strong claims, he stated them in a casual, nearly resigned way—almost as if he'd given this spiel a thousand times before. Whether he believed the words himself, Lianna couldn't tell.

- Follow him
- Ask about the change of smell
- Ask Samael to elaborate
- Challenge his thinking
- Agree with him
- Stay silent
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Propaganda?" Lianna chuckled bitterly, "I've seen the things your kind does first hand, vampire. Don't talk to me about propaganda. I'm not mindlessly hunting you, I'm hunting you so you don't hurt anyone else." She could feel her tone getting heated, but she tried to control it. Why did she agree to this? She was literally was the worst person for these "peace talks".

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Please," he scoffed, "the concept of human purity is a myth." Samael slowed as they neared the end of the hallway, now illuminated not by moonlight streaming through broken walls and glassless windows but of torches in the distance. Lianna could just see beyond them where the hallway opened up to what looked like a massive room, though she only glimpsed part of it.

Samael looked at her. "Before we enter, bear in mind that everyone within that room has lost at least one loved one—most, many more—to the hands of humans. Some, to you," he said. "I'm not a bleeding heart; I won't risk my life for you if you offend someone." A warning, in essence, to stay on her best behavior.

Lianna had never encountered a situation like this before. She knew how to track, hunt, and kill supernaturals but not how to socialize, much less remain impartial enough to feign diplomacy. If she trusted Samael to be honest, now was the time to ask for advice. If not, she was on her own.

- Argue with him
- Ask for advice
- Don't ask for advice
- Let him lead
- Enter the room ahead of him
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"If I offend someone and they attack me, I'm at least going to manage to kill you." She said with a wink and smile, stepping forward and pushing the doors open. She was not about to be led by a vampire, and she certainly wasn't afraid of any of these silly creatures.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna heard Samael snort in amusement behind her, but he said nothing. Simply followed her through to a large, circular room with an overseeing balcony and a broken dome ceiling that let in a drizzle of rainwater. Old, musty, slightly green-tinged books sat in their homes on the shelves and while it looked like nobody had cleaned the rotting furniture away for this event, the room was rather crowded. Several clusters of women in worn robes—witches, most likely—made up a bulk of the ground floor, unmingling and tense; Men, women, and children alike stood atop the balconies, vampiric eyes glinting in the torchlight below them; Tall, muscular individuals kept to themselves save for one group comprised of a mother with bright yellow eyes and several youngsters of varying ages—a wolf pack, and the first female alpha Lianna had ever seen.

There weren't as many supernaturals here as Lianna expected to see, but there were likely more outside playing guard or lurking the halls.

- Ask Samael about one of the groups
- Ask Samael something else
- Approach one of the groups
- Stick to yourself
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

After walking into the room, Lianna paused slightly, scanning the gathered crowd with unfeigned malcontent. She didn't want to do this. Her fingers itched and she was giving it her all not to open fire at random. It was a strong urge that kept her going as a Hunter. Bloodlust. Perhaps not much different than the urges vampires or werewolves had, she realised. Teeth gritting, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to rein it in. She was not an animal. She was a human and she god damn well knew how to control herself.

"The female with the yellow eyes." She spoke, waiting for Samael to catch up, "Who is she?"