Graded [The Underbelly] A plotted Demise

[Skyhunter]

Welcome all! Welcome to the Isekai Hell community! If you are interested in joining Isekai Hell, we have a link in our OOC link just above, come and join! We are all a very friendly community and are willing to help you learn about what we are about! Thank you! Also if you are interested in part 1 here is the link.

Graded - [The Underbelly] An Unexpected Demise

Welcome all! Welcome to the Isekai Hell community! If you are interested in joining Isekai Hell, we have a link in our OOC link just above, come and join! We are all a very friendly community and are willing to help you learn about what we are about! Thank you! --- The Underbelly The Bloody...

www.rpnation.com

---

The Underbelly



The Bloody Defiance

​

Izanami would find her way through the Underbelly, many whispers on the lips of people of conspiracy of war, the Underbelly was coming to it's end, the champion Auregnog was killed for the sake of another war. Whatever was happening, it seemed more and more people were going to the Colosseum named The Blood Defiance, named after the beloved Champion himself, known for taking on the entire Ryken Royal Guard by himself when they decided to invade over one hundred years ago. As she made her way to the arena to see what was happening, she would see hooded people standing within the crowd as they were near The Bloody Defiance. They were becoming more apparent now. As Izanami made her way through the insane crowd and cheering people, more hooded men were gathered around the entrance, eventually as she got deeper, she would see a whole group of them and one with red seams on his robes, surrounding a eye patched man, and two others.

Dayle would find himself surrounded by several hooded men as the fighting began in the arena, the crowd cheered and yelled, distracted by the bloodshed in the arena rather than what was happening before them. The hooded man with red seams was smiling at Dayle, his dark yellow teeth revealed to him. " Hello, Dayle, it's been a few days. " The man held his dagger that was stained with old blood, the metal was rusted on it, but the weapon was still sharp and deadly. " The Red Star's Dog. How was it seeing your previous men be devoured? " He asked, having purple eyes glowing under his robes while he revealed his face to Dayle, not that he would probably recognize him at first. The hooded figures didn't move any closer to Dayle and his two men but they did surround him so he had no place to go. They would most likely kill any of the three if they tried to leave, their blades were also dripping a strange black oily substance from the edge of their blades. Maybe a poison. " How about you get that door open for us, Dayle. " He grinned.

The Champion's Quarters



Arthur Verg


​

Upon entering the room, the room would be pretty dim, there was many items within the room, moving through the room there would be a large armor on the bed that was too dark to see, moving through the rest of the room there would be quiet whispering and the sound of something falling over. Moving to the corner where a wardrobe door was open, looking into that direction there would be a figure wearing white. " Damn it, there's nothing here... " The female spoke as she threw a necklace across the room behind her. Eventually as they crept up on her, it would be revealed to be a thief, but just anything. It was Clover, Arthur would recognize her, as would Dayle if he was here. The woman jumped and quickly turned around flinging her chain and kunai at the group. " Fuck! " She yelled, Arthur recognized the voice, " What the hell? Clover? " Arthur shouted seeing the woman straighten up. who pulled her attack back. " Oh fuck. " She sighed standing up looking at the group, " Arthur? Of course, you're fucking here. I should have killed you when I had the chance. " Arthur shook his head staring at the woman. " I thought you were going to join the academy and stay with your boyfriend. "

​

Clover looked away and huffed, " Rudy? That ignorant sack of too big for his britches? Rudy, the guy that everyone just adores and likes? " She mocked, " No. He likes that blonde bitch anyways that you hired. Damn harlot. Not like she's a prize. And he is just some tool who thinks he is too cool for everything. " Arthur rolled his eyes, " Rowan is her name. " Clover stared daggers at Arthur, " Whatever her name is. " She then squinted her eyes, puckered her lips, and deepened her voice. " oh, uh, no I'm too cool for anything. I'm too cool to say words. How about I just kick your ass, actually, I'll just slap it because I'm Rudy. " She then straightened up. " I'd rather freeze his cock and snap it off like a icicle. " Clover crossed her arms. Arthur stared at her and looked around them, " So you resort to coming to the Champion of the Underbelly's room? " He asked with a hint of doubt. " Seems like a stupid idea. I didn't think you could take a breakup so badly. " Clover then growled, with angry eyes. " No. I got hired! Again. " Arthur raised his own brow. " To kill or make the champion disappear? " Arthur asked. Clover looked offended, " Uh, no! I would never do that to him, I would just steal from him which is what I'm doing. " Clover looked at his companions with shifty eyes, untrustful to the Orc that could smash her and the small child with them. " Who's the kid, Arthur? " She pointed out.

 

[Lucius Cypher]

Tags: Skyhunter Elvario ​

---

Orchid was naturally suspicious of this stranger in the champion's room. Though she didn't seem to have the make of an assassin, though perhaps her disarming personality was just a means to get the drop on her targets. Thus, Orchid made it a point to keep her polaxe ready in hand, in case this stranger was going to try anything. However it would seem that this thief was no stranger to Arthur. Seems like they had some history together. And while they threw verbal barbs at one another, it doesn't seem like they're actively hostile.

This woman was named Clover, and she was a thief for hire. Paid to rob the champion, and has some connections with folk at some academy. Says she's not responsible for the champions dissapearance, which could be a lie, but it's also reasonable she's just here to plunder. After all, that's what Orchid was here to do to. However since she's formally contracted to protect Victorique, looting will have to wait for now. Orchid should try to help with this investigation and start asking questions. "Hey there. Name's Orchid, guessing you're not here for house keeping. I know we're strangers, but I think we can work something out together. Professional courtesy. You're looking for something, and we're looking for someone. Let's work together so we both get what we want without having to get in each other's way." As a geasture of good faith Orchid lowers her poleaxe, though she still makes a point to stand between Clover and Victorique. She didn't get too close to Clover, understanding that they aren't quite chummy enough to be in close contact, but Orchid wanted to show that she was being earnest about cooperating. But at the same time Orchid was letting Clover get a better look at the Ork so she could see and recognize that Orchid is a warrior, through-and-through.

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Arthur Skyhunter | Orchid Lucius Cypher

Victorique wasn't sure who Clover was, but she made an even worse first impression than Arthur, which was saying something. From what she'd been doing here, it was clear she was looking for something that she thought to be in the champion's possession, but that she failed to find it. “It seems like you failed basic education. 'The kid' here is called Victorique and isn't a kid, but a halfling.” She replied, glaring at this 'Clover' person. She really wished she could test out that contract she signed and sent Orchid after her, or to at least threaten to unleash the Orc upon her. Sadly enough, Orchid herself wanted to play nice, which made it pretty difficult to use the Orc to threaten Clover without looking foolish.

However, she was a bit shocked when Arthur straight up asked if this Clover was involved in getting rid of the champion. “You think this person is either strong or foolish enough to deal with the champion?” That was about the highest praise or the biggest insult someone could give someone in the Underbelly, from what Victorique had gathered. She wondered which of the two options applied here.

She then turned to Clover. “How'd you get in here anyway? This place should've been firmly locked and watched by the Blooded Guards... Oh, and while you're at it, you might as well tell us who you're working for. It'll save everyone a lot of trouble.” Whilst she wasn't going all out just yet, she did throw in a bit of [Persuasion E] to see if this Clover was susceptible to the idea of working along without causing a ruckus. “Besides, it's clear for all to see that you're not finding whatever you're here for, so you're not going to be making your employer happy either way. Might as well take a shot at dealing with us instead.”

As she was talking with Clover, she glossed around the room and clicked her tongue. “Might've already messed up some evidence...” She mumbled to herself, as she started to check the place. This time, she was going all-out, using her [Ultimate Detective] to go through the room. Anything that could tie back to the champion's vanishing or to what he'd been up to just before his vanishing was of interest.

D Grade Cooldowns (0/2)

• Ultimate Detective – Appraisal D, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception D – Character combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

 

[Shatter Shard]

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ C ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ C ]
[ D ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

"Boss!" Called out Zeke as he and Roy backed up towards Dayle ready for battle. Dayle turned around only to see the hooded figures have increased, and the guards who had been stationed around are dead. They were heavily armored too, so the only way they could've died was through assassination. That meant these people were no joke. A vein popped on Dayle's head as he remembered who these people were. There were limits to how much he could handle, and these bastards was one of the limits.

"You fuckers..." Dayle growled, his sneer showing his gritted teeth. He cracked his neck and prepared himself. "You know, I thought the day I'd get to throw down with you guys would be much later." He then cracked his knuckles and checked his chains, before continuing. "But who would've thought I'd get a chance in this moment." Zeke prepared his fists and Roy drew his saber. "You want in? You'll have to get past me, first." Dayle declared and punched his fists together, the clang of chains ringing.

At this moment, Dayle looked as if he was fired up and ready to brawl, but his mind was already cranking in an attempt to find a way out. Although he could let these lunatics in, the Red Star also abhorred lunatics like this people. Uncivilized and barbaric, they were the exact kind of people that would be put in the hitlist when crossing against a Red Star. If anyone finds out that he let them in, his reputation would tank, and he'd be in for big trouble. What's more was the blades the lunatics wield. They were dripping with an oily substance, and his instincts are telling him to not let those get inside his system.

He was either going to stand his ground and risk losing his life, or try his damnedest to get inside and hold out in there instead. "Zeke! Make as much noise as you can!" Without hesitation Zeke cupped his hands in front of his mouth, raised his head, and hollered his lungs out. "AEEEEEEIIIIIOOOOUUUUHHHLOLOLOLOLLO!!" Roy flinched a bit from his proximity to Zeke, but nonetheless kept his focus. If he can't stand his ground or get inside, then he'll have to get external help. With all the cheers inside, there was little possibility of catching the attention of anyone. But it was much better than dying like dogs. "SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, HELP!" Though he never thought Zeke was going to be this much of an asshat, that even he felt second-hand shame. Without missing a beat, Dayle unfurled his chains and started his assault. "Let it rip!" He yelled, before lashing against the nearest lunatic (Catch 'Em Lackin). Meanwhile, Roy immediately slashed at the nearest lunatic (Basic Swordmanship).

If they ever get out of here alive, they'd have to trouble Old Man Bartins after this.

Abilities Invoked:
Dayle
[CD | 1 Post] Catch 'em Lackin: Fighting Style [Bonebreaker] E, Chainz [Flexible] F| Dayle flourishes his chains, making it unclear when or where the next attack would come next, before striking wildly. If an opponent is caught off-guard, Dayle can potentially disarm or trip them.

Red Star Crony [ Roy ]
[CD | 0 Post] Basic Swordsmanship: Fighting Style [Windrider] F, Swiftness [Accurate] F| Their skill in swordsmanship allows them to hit foes faster than themselves, and thus have an advantage over similarly skilled opponents.

Mentions: Shatter Shard Skyhunter

 

[Seafo]

---

ㅤIzanami S. Valentineㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ「 "The Morally Incorrect Flower-Enthusiast" 」

If Izanami Valentine were going to ever be perfectly honest with herself, it would not be in this particular moment.

Having wandered quite a way into the underbelly of a literal criminal empire, one might think an uninitiated individual would be a bit more concerned for their immediate safety whilst wandering the same grounds where, say, more than a few people have probably been violently shanked to death. Or something along those lines. No, she wasn't so bold as to go chasing some grand conspiracy involving this Auregnog individual, nor was she inclined to do so out of justice, a personal stake, or even by her normal whimsies in this particular situation.

The grand reason for Izanami's fearlessness when waltzing into the proverbial lion den was, as the snake held her flowerpot, ignorance.

If you'd think then, that when she'd looked up mid sunflower-seed-packet-examination to notice a crowd had built up within the arena proper - nearby the small local vendor she'd visited - she'd be reasonably confused by the scores of people making so much noise. She clicked her tongue in irritation, carrying her plant from the booth's table as her eyes followed the tide of men and women alike. It really was exasperating these days, how people herded up like sheep. She wasn't even doing anything this time, she was just standing here, completely minding her own buisness right next to this giant arena she was next t-

Wait a minute.



Izanami took a moment to actually look at where the inanely cheering and jaunting crowd went towards and saw a, frankly, very beautifully designed doorway into a blood-sporting coliseum. She blinked.

Was she lost?
No, no. She meant to be here. There was that thing with the champion guy. Yeah. Yes. Absolutely.
And those strange, hooded figures moving towards the arena's entrance. Perfect. That, if nothing else, was probably some kind of lead.

Collecting herself (and her flowerpot), Izanami strangled that twinge of embarrassment she'd felt under her thick veil of nonchalance and stepped towards the front, bearing witness to a display she had astutely guessed - some poor man was being ambushed. Probably mugged. Truly, a sad, if not somewhat regurgitated tale of being at the wrong place in the wrong time. Surely this man would go on to swear his life to get revenge, become some sort of nocturnal vigilante, and die by getting his head crushed in with a brick.

Instead, one started flailing some kind of chain weapon, the other slashed wildly out with a sword, and the last one started screaming bloody murder. Izanami let out a faint hiss, wincing at the volume. She'd have thought he'd been stabbed, or maybe in labor with a shriek like that. Either way, by God was it violent. She hadn't even come here for things like that, and - yet again - here the chaos reigned all the same.

To their defense, however, Izanami inferred they were easily outnumbered. With the arena distracting any other residents, and her inherent doubt a non-corrupt law enforcement existed in this place, that had left them with one option. The kindness of strangers - or, maybe, their psychopathy?
And, how fortunate! Izanami was a stranger, and she was nearby, and she was quite malevolent! Or was it benevolence?

"Both are equally valid," Izanami decided with a chuckle. "And I am bored, anyways."

With as thin a moral justification as tissuepaper, one of the hooded individuals at the back - whomstever was the immediate closest to Izanami - would find her hand reaching in an attempt to strike the back of their head and push her palm into scalp and skull alike. If it were successful, Izanami made to slam their face into the ground with a laugh, her inhuman level of force aiming to smash bone and brain matter as a wet slurry on the floor (Would you kindly get off my lawn?).

If any purple eyes stared back at the sudden interference, they would see two red ones - serpentine and predatory - pair with a forked smile of someone who might just be even more of a psychopath than the lot of them.

"Hello there."

---

Spoiler: OOC Information

Synopsis:
━╯Izanami realizes she'd gotten herself to The Bloody Defiance via ignorantly looking around for stuff to buy for her garden.
━╯She witnesses violence and decides to heed Zeke's call. The pretense is very, very morally flimsy, but she doesn't particularly care.
━╯Attempts to take down a man and introduce herself (obi-wan style) by crushing his skull on the pavement. Henceforth, this will be referred to as 'lawning' people.

Equipped Titles & Stats:
Serpentkin | Beast

Strength: C | Precision: F | Intelligence: F | Vitality: D | Speed: D
Overall Grade: E

Abilities Used/Relevant:
"Would you kindly get off my lawn?" (F)
Relevant Skills: Pristine Techniques Used to Kill Things [ Fists - F ], Fast [ F ], Incurable [F]
Type: Offensive Ability
Range: 5 ft.
Cooldown: N/A.

Description: After a visual gesture of annoyance, wherein Izanami gives an obvious visual tell of leaning forward and sharpening her eyes, she moves the clear the given range in a straight line and attempt to strike the first thing that crosses in her path, usually with the intention to violently maim or murder the unfortunate victim. With the added bonus of her employing this technique as a 'serious strike', wounds inflicted by this technique apply Incurable [F].

OOC Notes:

First time using a bbcode format in ages, and I've never tried this scroller stuff but Shatter Shard inspired me.
If the CRP action is too violent/breaks a rule in some regard/out of my current capabilities, contact me for edits.
"who needs precision at point blank range amirite?"
God, I hope I don't get murderized by poison today as a snake race. That'd be funny, but it'd also suck.​

 

[Skyhunter]

The Bloody Defiance

​

The cultists did not react to Dayle's threat besides the main head, he even gave Dayle a smile, " You're not tough, Dayle. Deep down, you're fearful of what I can do to you and your little sycophants here. " He raised his large dagger up for him to see it, " Your little group will be next, what are they called? Ah, doesn't matter. You'll all be dead soon. You may have taken the Academy's Prototype away, but you don't have the help of that Mimic now. " He twirled the dagger in his hand until Dayle's helper, Zeke began to yell, now garnering everyone's attention. Heads twisted over to their direction from the current fighting going on in this small area. The head cultist sighed deeply, one of frustration. " You should not have done that. " His voice grew quieter as his face darken and grimaced; his eyes moved to Zeke just as he finished his hollering. Just as Zeke finished, he would let out a heavy breath and a pained gasp. A large dagger had stabbed through his stomach, long enough to stick through his abdomen as his blood mixed with the strange oily liquid. Zeke would be lifted up by a hooded cultist before tossed to the side on the ground, clenching his stomach just as the chaos started.

​

Then the screaming and yelling happened, the cultists immediately began attacking randomly, killing and slashing the spectators of the arena. The guards that were even assassinated rose up to their feet, their eyes glowing purple underneath, they groaned and growled under their helmets, they began attacking civilians at random as well. Blooded Guard made their way to the area seeing what was happening before they got ambushed by more of these hooded men. Easily being taken out by these men, then quickly rise up to their feet with purple glowing eyes and groaning. Quickly the spectators would begin to evacuate. Blood and oil was being spilled everywhere, some spectators began to fight back near Dayle's group, being able to hold their own. Being more advanced in fighting than these hooded men wielding, a few of these hooded men were killed, being slashed, stabbed, bludgeoned or even crushed. Dayle's attack on his first attacker would connect as they attempted to slash Dayle with this vile weapon. More killed civilians would start to rise onto their feet, their eyes purple and whole demeanor changed. Dayle was able to take down the first lunatic, his hood fell off and revealed his face, being one of the same looking men that killed some of Dayle's group a few days prior, they had the same insane look in their eyes and their tongue being ripped out. They stared at Dayle as Dayle had them on the ground. Roy would take out a unsuspecting lunatic that was able to stab Dayle from behind, his sword shoved through his abdomen, his blade sticking out through his chest. Roy would toss the man away as the main head of this attack moved towards the two.

There was a sudden crush behind them, Izanami would strike the head of a hooded man, a bit too much into stabbing a spectator that was already dead and leaning against the man, she would then crush his head into the ground, blood spilled out of the head and pooled around the floor, their hood now painted red with wet blood. The main head didn't bother look and pointed in her direction as a couple more of these lunatics moved towards Izanami, having their daggers raised at her, covered in a mixture of blood and oil that was turning the dead into undead, having their hands raised as they attacked other living people. Causing more blood to be spilled, more Blooded Guard came as they began attacking the undead spectators. The head honcho of all this walked up towards Dayle, Roy would move to attack him, he slowly lifted a hand up and caught the blade in hand, having a serious look on his face now. He easily pulled the sword from his hands and then proceeded to slam the handle into Roy's head, causing him to fall over. Tossing the blade away he stepped up to Dayle. When Dayle tried to attack, his vision of the man seemed to have blurred because Dayle's chains did not hit him, a hard slam to his chest caused Dayle to fly backwards with great force. Dayle would see before flying through the door was his former friend Zeke, rise up to his feet, intestines hanging from his stomach and out of his back. His eyes glowing purple, head tilted to the side with dead looking eyes, he began to limp away, now fully gone as he attacked the Blooded Guard.

The Red Star's Bastard Dog would hit the ground as the man behind the door stumbled back into the wall. Dayle's chest would be heavy as he couldn't breath, the air knocked out of him as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Most likely a rib was broken. The man walked on into the doorway, still holding his oily dagger as he looked down at Dayle. He was about to speak his monologue just as his mouth opened up when he was pulled back and thrown away by a bloody rope. The man was thrown far into a wall that should have killed a man, Dayle would watch him hit it and fall like a corpse, a large crack in the wall about one hundred feet away. Lykra then showed herself. " Well shit, Dayle, I expected more from you. " Her hand held a stream of blood that dissipated, she turned as she saw the girl Izanami taking on two of these hooded men, she pulled out her sword and made her way over, slashing one down from behind and stabbing the other from behind in their throat. She quickly pulled her blade out looking at izanami, " You can hold yourself very well. " She complimented, " You best move, get into the Warrior's Respite, the broken door over there- " She cut herself off when she turned to the side and brought her hand up, catching a spear by it's blade as one of the turned large guards attacked her, their helmet missing that revealed their undead and decaying face. Lykra pushed back and quickly moved forward, stabbing her blade into the chest of the undead knight, she would continue her onslaught and dodge attacks. " Hurry! Go! " She yelled at the snake woman, more Blooded Guard were appearing as the entire arena was just fighting in the stands. Guards and spectators versus the hooded men and undead they were creating. In the background, the red cloaked man stood up, cracking his head in place as he began walking towards the fight again. In her fighting, she yelled over to the orcish doorman, " Get a new door up now, Devern! " She roared, the orcish doorman rose up quickly, disoriented from being hit with Dayle. He began to rebuild a new door from the concrete on the ground. Roy would get up, having blood run down his head and make his way into the room.

When Izanami saw this as a lost cause and very dangerous, she would move into the entrance to the Warrior's Respite, the second safest place here. When she got in, the orc, Devern, crafted a concrete door from the floor and pushed into the doorway, he held it there, " Get going you lot. " He growled, " Be careful, I've been hearing noises down there. " He told them. Before them was a stairwell that they would walk down.

The Champion's Room



Arthur Verg

​

Arthur heard Victorique's smart ass comment, he turned his head to her but did not take his eyes off of Clover, he knew what she was about. " I'm giving her the opportunity to tell the truth here. Got to give people the benefit of the doubt, if she is capable of getting in here, she should be capable of killing or kidnapping or whatever with the champion. " Arthur knew of Clover's abilities. He had seen some of her abilities first hand, he knew what she could do. Clover only stood there with her hands crossed in front of her defensively as she looked at the halfling, " Can't tell with that cute little dress you're wearing they make for toy dolls. " She insulted her. Yeah Clover was bad with people, it actually got a chuckle from Arthur. In the darkened room, Arthur could see some sort of strange red tint on the bed that was very dark. " Orchid, the hell is that over there? " He asked in a quiet voice. Before she could look, there would be footsteps coming. Arthur turned to Clover, " Don't you move, stay here and answer Victorique's questions, there's only one way out of here and I will shoot you if you run. " He whisper yelled at her, having a cold and evil look in his eyes. She looked at Arthur and raised her hands, " Okay, okay. Take it easy. " She sighed looking at Victorique. " Ask your questions, short stack. " She whispered at Victorique as she sighed, showing her disinterest.

​

Arthur moved pass Orchid and hit her on her armor, indicating her to follow him, they had a dark room to hide in and there was a lot to hide behind. As Arthur moved through the room, he crouched behind a desk with a chair pushed in, having him be hidden, there was a stack of books on the desk that gave him further cover. When Orchid found her spot, there was talking, " By the Gods, the doors are open. " A heavy voice spoke with shock, they were heavy footsteps as they further approached the doors, the outside was lit up with torches, two large shadows approached as the door was pushed open easily, then two large heavy knights that had actual clean and good armor walked in, holding a torch, one was carrying two swords on his hips and the other was carrying a large axe on his back, also holding a torch, " The champion was said to be left in here, it seemed someone was able to crack his lock. They must have had a copy of the key. " The other spoke. " Hush. They may still be in here. " The other chastised the other. " We don't need to be surprised, " He would pull out one of his shortswords while holding the torch in the other. " No one can know what's been happening here. " There was the faint sound of yelling and screaming above. " Those damn cultists are doing our jobs up there. Feels terrible not being able to kill these lawless dogs and having those sickos do what we want. " The second growled as he pulled out his axe. " Hush, you fool. " The first growled deeply.

As the guards spoke, Clover looked down at Victorique, they were far away enough to be able to whisper quietly without being heard. " I was able to move through the lock. " She lifted a hand up as her hand turned into mist, but her hand could still be seen even though it was ethereal. " The lock doesn't work against wraith powers. " She smirked a cocky one. " As for who I am working for, I'm not sure. I haven't seen them, but they are looking for something specific down here. " She seemed reserved on talking about her contractor. " Messed up? I haven't messed up anything, little girl. You could be sold as a little doll for some poor kid that hasn't felt any love. So don't talk to me about messing up anything. " Clover growled quietly.

During Clover's talking, Victorique would be able to see clearly for a moment once she used her ability Ultimate Detective, but a moment was all she needed, looking through the room, she would see that some of the room looked off, there was a couple of knocked over books on the floor from the desk Arthur was at, some smashed fruit over where Orchid was at and on the bed was a large suit of red armor, placed neatly on the bed. Like someone was laying on the bed, pristine looking armor, although their placement was off, it looked like this armor was placed here rather quickly as the bed had been messed up a bit. But the armor was sprawled out a bit too, like someone was wearing the armor- this was him. This had to be the champion. This was Auregnog, laying before them. His gauntlets had blood on the knuckles, so he put up a fight but... How did he lose? Without anyone knowing or him bringing the place down? He was defeated in this very room, the man that was said to have defeated an entire army on his own. If Vicroique was to say anything about it, Clover would quickly grab her and pull her out of view with her hand over her mouth. " Don't move. We don't need these men finding us. " She whispered.

​

 

[Lucius Cypher]

Tags: Skyhunter Elvario ​

---

Orchid was a bit disappointed that Cover didn't seem to pay any attention to her, but she supposed that it would also work in her favor. If Clover was to do anything, Orchid was now within range to strike her down. Though it doesn't help that Victorique is being less than affable, Orchid made a mental note to talk to her about trying not to be so aggressive with others. Maybe work out a good cop/bad cop routine so Orchid could handle being uncouth and aggressive, and let Victorique come off as far more polite and approachable. But before Orchid could discuss the dynamics, Arthur spotted something. Shortly after came footsteps. Heavy, armored footsteps, much like what Orchid sounds like whenever she's moving quickly. Someone was coming, perhaps guards? Either way, everyone needed to scatter. Arthur patted her armor and showed her somewhere to hide, and Orchid nods and got into position. She chose to hide somewhere dark next to some weapons and armor. Nothing immediately useful to Orchid, but she could hopefully hide herself here easily enough, more so in the dark. She had her poleaxe in hand, ready to spring out.

Soon everyone was hidden away and two armored figures came in. Orchid didn't recognize them. They didn't look like Blooded Guards. No, it was too clean. Too shiny, almost new. They seemed to be surprised that the room was open so they likely weren't with Clover, but they seem to have expected to have gotten in anyways. Did they have a key? They began talking among themselves. They must be outsiders, but what was going on topside? Orchid could hear some sort of commotion, but she has no idea if it's just the crowd going wild or something much more treacherous. Still Orchid could make some guesses: these two knights are outsiders, having come here to find something in the champion's room. They're aligned with some cult to cause chaos the Undercity, but to what end?

Either way, Orchid braced herself. She glanced to Arthur, waiting for him to ready his attack. She was ready to lunge out as well, aiming at the guard holding the torch first. She intends to destroy the torch, snuffing out it's flame and cutting off visibility for the knights. She has to be careful however, she doesn't want to endanger Victorique. She's sure that the halfling girl will know how to keep herself out of danger but there's no telling if there's more here. Last thing Orchid wants is for her to be caught by reinforcements or worse, actual guards. Ultimately, Orchid's job is to keep her safe. If that means killing these two strangers, or taking Victorique out of the Undercity, then so be it.

Grade E Cooldown (1/1) Readying when hostilities begin, targeting the armored man with the torch.
Aerial Denial - Fighting Style Battle Master (Tangle) E, Jumping E - Orchid leaps into the air to strike the enemy from above, or alternatively knock a flying enemy out of the air with her polearm. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown

 

[Shatter Shard]

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ C ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ C ]
[ D ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

"Ack!" Dayle was on the ground and clutched his chest. He wheezed and gasped, his head faint from the pain. Cool thoughts blurred in his mind, and after witnessing Zeke's condition, his rage welled up more and more. There wasn't even enough of his attention left to notice a serpentine-like woman coming to either help him or help the chaos. With nothing to vent his anger on, he punched the ground without reserve and raised his head intending to ignore Lykra's help. However, one guy caught his eye. It was Roy struggling to get up. Once again, Dayle was reminded that he was a leader. It was his duty to bring his people back, no matter what it takes. Although he had failed Zeke, just as he failed many, if there was still one more under his wing, he was going to do his damnedest to get them out of here alive. Dayle gritted his teeth and rose to his feet.

Roy fell on the ground, his vision swimming and senses disoriented from the hit to the head. His arms failed him as he struggled to get up, only to fall down helplessly. The sabre that he was holding before was now gone from his hand, and he was left in a vulnerable position. It was already obvious what was going to happen with him, but he gritted his teeth in spite. He wouldn't fall today, not until his boss says so. Suddenly, he felt his body get pulled into a direction, but the sounds of metal clinking gave him relief as he was dragged out of the battle. It was only a moment later that he realized Dayle had coiled his chains around him, and is using all of his strength to get him, as well as himself, inside the Warrior's Respite.

Abilities Invoked:
Dayle
[CD | 0 Post] Catch 'em Lackin: Fighting Style [Bonebreaker] E, Chainz [Flexible] F| Dayle flourishes his chains, making it unclear when or where the next attack would come next, before striking wildly. If an opponent is caught off-guard, Dayle can potentially disarm or trip them.

Mentions: Shatter Shard Skyhunter

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Arthur / Clover Skyhunter | Orchid Lucius Cypher

Whatever relation there was between Arthur and Clover was an odd one, that much was clear. She still thought his praise was very, very high, if he truly thought this Clover to be capable of killing or kidnapping the champion. As for Clover herself, it seemed like yet another 'fun' introduction. “We can't all be white and bright flashy thieves, you know.” She snapped back. Why in the world the thief was wearing a white garb rather than darker and less noticeable tones was beyond her.

The noise from outside was rather concerning. It was a bit odd to be whispering about the situation with enemies so close, but Victorique had a feeling this Clover girl would slip away at the first opportunity, so every question she didn't get in right now had a risk of never being answered. The latter suspicion was further proven when Clover went ethereal. “That's quite an amazing ability.” Victorique let it slip with honest awe, although she was smart enough to stick to whisper level.

She glared back at Clover for the thinly veiled threat. “Such a threat holds little worth here, as I'm pretty sure just about everyone can be sold in this place. However, I recently hired a very scary green lady that'd gladly have you for lunch if you tried.” She was more and more happy with the contract she'd made with Orchid. “So how about we get a bit more constructive instead, right? Why don't you tell me what exactly you're looking for?” She didn't expect much of an answer, but it was worth a shot.

Besides the question, there was one other thing to point out. “Oh, and in case you haven't noticed it yet, we're likely dealing with someone trying to start up a Second Controls war. The timing of the champion's vanishing is too perfect and the information reached the Adventurer's Guild too soon for it to be coincidences. I'm not sure what you thought you signed up for, but if it's any less than getting dragged into an all out battle between the Underbelly and the royals, you should probably reconsider. Besides, what you're on right now sounds exactly like the type of job where you get the regular acts of cleaning up lose threads and where a set-up and backstabbing are likelier than a payday for thieves such as yourself.” Considering Arthur seemed to somewhat trust and respect this Clover, Victorique figured she'd actually put a good amount of effort into trying to convince her to cooperate, using her [Ultimate Argument E] to add some convincing power and weight to her previous words.

At the very least one thing seemed confirmed. The Champion was about as dead as everyone said he would be. She really wanted to investigate the corpse more, to see if she could find out how he'd been killed, how long he'd been dead for, what kind of weapons had been used, etc. However, she was halted by Clover. As much as she hated to admit it, the thief had a point. Now wasn't the time to further investigate.

D Grade Cooldowns (1/2)

• Ultimate Detective – Appraisal D, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception D – Character combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

E Grade Cooldowns (0/1)

• Ultimate Argument – Appraisal E, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight E, Perception E, Persuasion E – Character takes in any information they can from someone and uses it when carefully picking their tone of voice and mannerisms to convey their argument in the most persuasive manner, tailored to whatever might suit the person they're trying to convince. - Grade E – 1 Post Cooldown.

 

[Seafo]

---

ㅤIzanami S. Valentineㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ「 "The Morally Incorrect Flower-Enthusiast" 」

Bone shattered with the weight of her attack blowing a man's head into dust. She'd even got two with a splash of blood stretched across her hand, eyes widening and lips curling in momentary disgust. Because, seriously, it was disgusting! Eugh.

"Now there's blood all over my dress." Suffered she, shaking out her wrist with a muted sigh, only glancing away when she'd appeared to draw the attention of quite a number of other cultists.
Well, it wasn't a surprise, she did go out of her way to greet herself.
"Oh?" Izanami drew her hands into her sleeves, the exasperation on her face instantly switching to a ravenous, forked smile with a tilt of her head. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt your little shakedown there?" She chuckled. "Oh dear, you must forgive me - I just couldn't help myself."

All those knives, and yet, you are still nothing but prey. Making yourselves look larger and much more dangerous and so much stronger than you really are.
A predator has no need for making itself known. It is a predator all the same.
And I am a predator in this world.
Drawing her hands free from her sleeve, Izanami's fell at her side, fingers raked and curled as both her eyes constricted, the calm and collected demeanor she'd made - almost flippant, even - changing for something more manic, ready to get swept away with the chaos as she took a step forward towards the two men, ready to meet blade with the advent of her pure fists.

"But don't you worry. I'll send you to meet th-"

The sound of steel ringing twice brought her senses back, confusion initially registering over a surface level of shock at the two men getting slaughtered by Lykra. She stared at their bodies as they fell, then looked back up to her with a long, tense period of silence. Unreasonable violence demanded that she make her effort to kill the woman for interrupting her bloodlust, but proper reason won the day when she'd actually heeded Lykra's words and glanced at the arrival of quite a number of force and the imminent chaos breaking out around them - what with some spectators swinging around their own severed legs as bludgeoning weapons.

She wasn't without reason - obviously, the woman wanted to help her, which means she probably wanted her help elsewhere, and in the context she was helping Izanami in, probably in killing something else that wasn't a crowd of elite soldiers Izanami wasn't foolish enough to assume she could take. Yet.
The violence would continue somewhere, nonetheless,
and to be frank, she had a lot of pent-up frustration for having scoured hours with no success in her flower-ventures, so some stronger foes would be lovely right now.

Finally breaking the silence after her mental assessment, Izanami pouted, for all the incredulity that it earnt.

"Oh, fine," She waved a hand idly by her side, waltzing towards the door in dismissal for all the basal fear she should probably have (honestly, it was even weird for Izanami to adjust to her new emotive state, or more accurately, her severe lack of one). "If I must."

Picking up her flowerpot, she stepped over the bodies she'd produced and entered the Warrior's Respite, her serpentine, red eyes moving from the orcish Devern to the crash-like entrance of Dayle and Roy. They leered onto them somewhat intimidatingly, silently judging them by the initial impression so many falls victim to in the silent monotony of life. Izanami made no attempt to hide her own vexed, if transient interest, and looked dismissively away once her assessment was finished - walking down each step of the stairway with a repeated clack of her heels.

She made no mistake, however, a small smile flickering onto her face. That one with the eye patch had been baptized by battle. Sacrifice.

How interesting.

---

Spoiler: OOC Information

Synopsis:
━╯Izanami nearly gets swept into the blood lust, but Lykra's actions shock her out of it.
━╯She wants to attack Lykra for interrupting her day to day, but her reason wins out when she notices the devolving situation. With the angst of a teenager, she departs begrudgingly.
━╯Steps over her bodies and enters the Warrior's Respite, taking a moment to silently acknowledge the other three in the room with her. Dayle catches her interest as she heads downstairs.

Equipped Titles & Stats:
Serpentkin | Beast

Strength: C | Precision: F | Intelligence: F | Vitality: D | Speed: D
Overall Grade: E

Abilities Used/Relevant:

N/A

OOC Notes:

I don't accept any shipping jokes. At all. I'll murder you if I see them. Really, I will.
Izanami is deceptively cute for a psychopath who exploits others suffering for her own enjoyment. On a side note, I'm hoping I'm not writing her as overly-edgy and more just an almost comically bad person when she wants to be.
"Yeah, I might be violent, but I don't need to be stupid violent!"​

 

[Garbage Pail Kid]

---

Dreams were ephemeral and strange, always managing to produce more questions than answers. They told stories of the past, the future, and the present...of those whom walked the earth and those whom had left it. Why were his of leaving it? had he died already and this dream was really a nightmare? Forever floating in a stew of nothingness and regretful memories? He couldn't feel anything and yet he knew he was flying through some sort of empty space. What he could make out was mere flashes, some sort of gunfire followed by the scream of a girl. There was a feeling of being slow, too slow; for what? More flashes left him suddenly wracked with incredible pain.

He screamed, yet only silence followed.

A transformation occurred, a change of matter as he fell into a different world entirely. His dream filling with memories of a him he was becoming like a cocoon transmogrifying. Flesh became scale and his whole world suddenly was changed. This had to be a dream his desperate mind conjured up all the while he drifted off into death...right?...

A rock in the road caused him to awake, memories obscured, but somehow dreams had become his reality. There was barely any light to speak of, but he could see the bluish tint of his scaled hands. fragments of training, beat into his entire body. There was too much to try and piece together, and the wagon he found himself in was more pressing. He was in a cage being moved on wheels, rocking him back and forth and making solid footing difficult at best. He toiled with his chains for a moment before realizing he was not alone in this cage, others strewn around in shaded temperance.

"Ah suppose this ain't hell" His voice rumbled in his barreled chest, though it had no aggression. He chuckled and shook his head, vibrating the air around him from his bellied laugh, toward the irony of his situation. He steeled his outburst and chose to look toward where this carriage was going. It was difficult to deafen the sounds of The Arena. He knew one by it's smell and blood was thick in the air the closer they got. It had only been a day since he awoke in an alley of The Underbelly; unfortunately, during A leatherguard meeting.

"Ah don't like fightin' fer no reason, but if it gives us a chance ta get outta here. We should take it"

If there was a chance for him to use the gifts he had been given to get out of here, then he was going to take it. He had to, he couldn't shake a sense of persistence. A reason not to die, and just because he couldn't remember it didn't mean it wasn't there. He leaned his head back against the bars and chose to instead listen to his surroundings. Whispers of cultists and murder, was this connected to the blooded guard? There wasn't much he could do for the time being. If there were escapees supposedly breaking from the arena; there was hope. He prepared for the fights ahead, the strength in his legs allowing him the closing distance he needed to do his best work.
He just didn't want to 'use' his best work if he didn't need to. He had a bad feeling he wouldn't have much of a choice coming up soon.

He reached a chained hand up and gave a strange, but comforting shoulder pat to the nearest slave to him. He could remember one thing he cared about, and that was the downtrodden.
"Ah don't give a damn about no arena, ah'll keep ya safe. Folks gotta stick together, and ahm good at putting asses in the dirt" He boomed with a hearty laugh, clapping his new friend's shoulder a little too heartily.

 

[Skyhunter]

The Underbelly, outside The Bloody Defiance

​

Tall buildings spired into the compressed sky that was the ground, the overcity of Ryken just above the very ground that was over them, hard to believe this place never got light yet it was so easy to see around here. The wheels of a carriage screeched as they rotated, the voices of gang members filled a road as the carriage continued moving, making its way towards its destination, making its way towards The Bloody Defiance, the arena where people bet blood money and where contenders sought, fame, fortune, revelry or death. The cheers could be heard from where the carriage was at, but then slowly they would change into screaming and yelling. The carriage that slowly creaked by had a couple of slaves pushing it from the front, two large, chained slaves that were strong, their bodies littered with scars. Resembling orcs, they pushed their way towards the screaming and yelling. On the carriage was a cage, that was crudely nailed down, where in the back sat a few more slaves, five to be exact. Wirejaw would find himself within this cage, chains on his hands that connected to his feet, looking around he would see a few other slaves, three across the carriage were human, elf and human. These three wore rags, they looked sickly and weak so couldn't put up a fight.

Next to Wirejaw he would talk to a bigger man than the three that were sickly looking, he was capable, he looked pretty out of place on this carriage, he had the look of a killer. As Wirejaw explained that he would keep the man safe, he looked at the lizard with a raised brow, " I don't think you understand the situation, friend. " The man had a rough voice but one that had experience behind it, one of a killer. " The arena will chew us up and spit us out, literally. And with these Leatherguard bastards escorting us, we are most likely in for a rude awakening. " He moved his chains to cause a short ruckus. The man looked at Wirejaw, " Name's Vido. Good to meet you, you seem like a capable fighter with your size. May want to get ready. " Vido said silently just for a large metal stick to hit the cage, " Quiet back there! " A man wearing brown leathers yelled from the front. Vido looked over at the front then back ahead of him with an unimpressed look on his face.

Vido​

The Leatherguard, they weren't strong on their own, but they had numbers, and their numbers overwhelmed. There was two on the front of the carriage, in the back there was about five more, making eight. " Get ready. " Vido was looking around them, on the rooftops of the nearby buildings. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he sat back in his seat. " How much we getting for this haul? " One of the men up front spoke, Vido turned his head to listen in quietly. " Eh, give or take about... five hundred gold, with that oversized lizard back there and the Divees gang member, we are getting a big overhaul. I like Dauntra will be happy with the outcome we have come out to. " The other spoke, " She may even let us keep a small percentage of what we make off these poor lives. The Blooded Guard love their fodder for the Bloody Events they have daily. " The two began to laugh at the mention of it. Vido then turned his head back. " If you get the chance, be sure not to run or do anything. " Vido whispered to Wirejaw. " Trust me. " The man spoke, looking at the large Lizard.

(Leatherguard Garb)​

As soon as the two up front stopped laughing, an arrow came whizzing through the air and hit the first man in the shoulder, stabbing through the shoulder and into the chest of the man, he cried out as the carriage stopped. Holding his arm, not sure what to do, the other was just as surprised and quickly jumped off, " It's an ambush! - " He was cut off as an arrow flew through the back of his head and out his mouth, blood splattered out and the corpse fell onto the ground. The six that followed from behind quickly scrambled away from the open area, but just as quickly as they spread out, they were ambushed from the darkness by men with crude looking weapons. The Leatherguard were quickly attacked, these men began defending themselves against regular looking men. A smaller woman came running up to the cage, a bow and quiver full of arrows on her back, having a lockpick in her hands as she began to work on the lock, the slaves looking excited, " Took you long enough, Lunes. " Vido sighed, " I was beginning to think you weren't coming for me. " The man spoke. The woman looked up, she was pretty; blond hair, green eyes, small lips and had a feisty look to her, " Shut it, Vido. You were the one that got grabbed when you were passed out outside the tavern. " The woman had ferocity on her lips and a defiant tongue, she wore a tattered and dark cloak that would hide her if she was in the shadows. The lock then clicked and was quickly tossed away from the door, the cage opened and quickly the slaves jumped out, letting this Lunes work their locks and quickly free them.

As soon as they were free, they began running away, back into the place known as The Underbelly. When Vido hopped out, Lunes worked her magic and got the chains off him as he rubbed his wrists, making his way into the fight, he ran behind a Leatherguard and brought a large and strong arm around his neck, lifting him off the ground as one of these gang members began to hit and beat them with a metal baton into their body. As Wirejaw came out, this Lunes helped get his chains off, " Here you, big guy. Run along or help us. " She gently placed a hand on his large forearm offering a sweet smile before she made her way up front to free the orcs that were chained to the carriage. There was still some more Leatherguard to be taken down, these people seemed to be a good people, freeing slaves and such. What Wirejaw wanted to do next was up to him. There was still four Leatherguard to be taken down as they fought this small gang.

The Bloody Defiance



Warrior's Respite


​

As the new trio made their way down into the Warrior's Respite, they would see that there were a few dead bodies, corpses of gladiators that were killed cleanly, by someone battle experienced. But as the trio looked around, they would hear the sounds of swords clashing in the next room where an elf was fighting a purple knight with streaks of white on his garb, Dayle would recognize this garb, it was the Ryken Military. The elf was struggling to keep his attacker at bay, being pushed back, farther down the hall there would be a few more of these knights fighting more gladiators, no knight bodies were on the ground. Only gladiators. Almost like it was a purge. The elf was then stabbed through the chest with the sword, being impaled into the wall. The elf grabbed the sword with wide eyes along with blood dripping from his lips and nose. More blood leaked from the wound he had just taken to the chest, the knight brought a fist up into the air then brought it down with force that slammed the elf's head down, creating a cracking sound that sounded like a neck was broken. The Knight pulled the blade out and let the body fall over.

Turning away from the trio, they made their way farther down the hall, in the room they were in was some older looking armor and weapons that could have been of use, there was even a chain on the wall that was thin enough to hold and use like a whip. Then from behind a barrel in the same room, a small looking goblin came out, only wearing a loincloth as it looked into the other room moving towards the exit when it saw the trio, it jumped and slapped its hands over it's mouth to prevent screaming, " oh gods. Just some underbellyers, whew... " The goblin sounded relieved seeing them. " What are you lot doing 'ere? You shouldn't be 'ere with these Ryken knights roaming around. " He spoke.

The Champion's Quarters



Arthur Verg


​

As Orchid and Arthur got into cover and these knights made their way into the dark room, the Goblin Xix made his way next to Orchid, stopped in front of her and looking out, " Knights. " He whispered to Orchid when they talked to avoid being heard. " Be careful with your attacks, these are not going to be easy opponents. " He continued as he unsheathed his khopesh that was on his back, looking out to the two approaching knights, looking to Arthur for the go ahead to attack. Arthur stared at the goblin and orc, he knew they may have numbers, but they still should never underestimate their enemies. These two weren't from the underbelly, that much he could decipher. They spoke more diplomatically. Military like. No slang. They had to be from the overcity of Ryken. " Hmm? Why? Whoever is in here will die either way. " The second spoke with overconfidence in his voice. " No one can stand to the might of the Ryken Knights. " He chuckled loudly then it turned into a hardy laugh.

​

Arthur still looked on out around his corner at the approaching knights, looking for any opportunity to strike, but it seemed the knight's companion annoyed him too much. Causing the first to turn around and begin to berate his partner. " Fool! I need you to shut up so we can find out where the intruders are at. " Arthur saw the opportunity. He didn't want to shoot them just yet, they needed to be discrete in case there was more upstairs, they didn't need a commotion and have back up appear. Arthur muttered quietly, " I'll kill these fuckers if it's the last thing I do. " Arthur growled as in his hand a baseball conjured out of thin air. (Spiritual Ordnance: Adept - C - 3 PC) Arthur sprinted out of his hiding spot and towards the knight with his guard turned back to him, taking the bat into both hands he raised the bat up into the air and brought it down, slamming the bat into the head of the knight as he fell over onto the ground. Xix saw the opportunity and ran forward into the fight just as the second knight, wearing heavier armor dropped his torch and held his polearm with both hands. Xix swung his khopesh and slapped the spear away before he could attack Arthur.

• Spiritual Ordnance: Adept - C - Magic Affinity C, Weapon Affinity D, Spirit Affinity D, Magic Range D, Sixth Sense E, Magic Duration E: Arthur is able to use mana in the air to conjure weapons for his own use, range fire firearms is 100 feet and lasts for 1 hour. (Weapons: Knife, hammer, baseball bat, 9mm or Glock 17, Lupara short ranged, and Tommy Gun.) - 3 Post Cooldown

​

Arthur began to attack the less armored knight (left pic) with his bat, hitting them over their body as Xix made his way over, leaving the heavier knight (right pic) to Orchid, quickly the less armored knight rolled away and got to his feet, pulling out both swords, swing them to block attacks from both Arthur and Xix, being pushed back. Orchid would come up on the heavier knight, holding a very clean and sharp looking spear towards her. " You animals will be eliminated! I swear it on the Duke! " He quickly stabbed in the air at Orchid, to see what she would do.

(I am pretty sure Elvario left for a trip so i will skip them for now until they get back then give them something if they return sooner)

 

[Lucius Cypher]

Tags: Skyhunter Elvario ​

---

When the hostilities began, Orchid quickly leapt into action. The man dropped his torch and Orchid was immediately on him, using the superior reach of her polearm to stay on the edge of his spear. But more to the point, she attacked him from an angle she doubts he's used to: from above. Crouching low and springing out fast as an arrow, Orchid was literally above the man a good ten feet. She swung down at his chest with the hammer head of her poleaxe, striking with such force that it would knock a man like him down with ease. But Orchid wasn't quite finished with her assault just yet. When she landed she made sure to stomp on the torch, crushing it beneath her steel boot and put some distance between herself and the armored knight. And with a swift motion, she scooped up the smokey remains and flung it at his face. The attack itself would have looked as if she was swinging at his neck, but that was merely a feint to get him to try and block the blow, knowing that a cloud of ashes and embers would not be so easily stopped by a spear shaft. Orchid would know this very well, having tried to do that in the past when she was learning how to master her weapon. Her final blow would be a swing at the man's knees, aiming to break his legs and cut down his mobility.

Orchid needed to make sure to keep Victorique safe, but at the same time Orchid figured that it would be important to keep one of these men alive for questioning. While no one should be here, Orchid has a feeling that these knights have something to do with the champion's disappearance, perhaps coming here to verify or finish the job. Though there was always the possibility that they, like Clover, are here to look for something. Either way Orchid needs to take this guy out and get answers from him. Maybe she can show off some torture techniques if they manage to keep both of them alive, and Orchid can start cooking up one of them. She was a tad peckish since all she's had to eat so far was one of her nut bars. "Damn, I could go for some noodles right now. A nice pho or something." Orchid thought to herself.

 

[Garbage Pail Kid]

"Ah don't understand much right now pardner, Mah head got knocked around an' some memories went with it"


He was not good at deceit, as he always preferred honesty as his policy. The surroundings he had been carted through was foreign and he knew he was a stranger, and while he could remember the strange vision that welcomed him to this world...Everything was still unknown and confusing. He found withholding information and lying were not mutually exclusive was fine living in that grey area for the time being. It was better if he just kept 'how' he got here a secret and instead tried to figure out where the hell 'here' was.

Vido was a rough man, with scarred skin and willful eyes that belied years of cultivated grim experience. Wirejaw felt the sudden irony in his comforting words toward Vido, but didn't regret them. He simply appreciated the measured advice he gave about their situation. A chuckle rumbled in his chest "Good ta meetchya Vido, Names Wirejaw. Ahm capable sure, but between tha both of us we can be a rude awakening of our own, ahm always ready. Hit tha ground runnin'-" A large toothy grin spread across his muzzle, fading when one of the leatherguard barked at them. He opted to remain silent and continued to observe his surroundings as the carriage continued to their blood-stained destination.

He tuned back in when Vido got his attention; nodding at the mention of being ready. He knew what living was like and this wasn't it. A fight should be well earned, and fighting starving and dehydrated husks was not earned. He couldn't deny a willingness to try these new gifts he's been graced with, and wanted to show these cowards what a well earned fight looked like. He still heeded Vido's warning and wouldn't act until necessary. The odds were in their favor, and he didn't know how many of his fellow slaves were up to fighting standard. It wasn't much longer after that warning did panic suddenly set in as arrows were fired and dropped the two guards in front of the carriage, Wirejaw standing up and shifting toward the cage's get behind Vido.

"Thanks ma'am, ah think ah'll stay an help Vido. Ah like 'em" He said, surprised by her kindness, but grateful as he nodded and lumbed into the fray behind Vido. He had already made is decision, a conviction he didn't bother explaining to others. He took stock of the situation and saw four possible enemies, all adorned in leather. Lunes felt the sudden shift of air as his body dropped to all fours and launched forward with unexpected speed given his size. He tore across the ground, flipping forward into a roll and swinging a barrage of claw strikes from the gathered momentum at his opponent "Hard ta face a man at his front huh? 'specially when he ain't weak and wollerin!"

Spoiler: OOC

• [Ranahan Cattle Toss] 3 Attacks-Tengri Kai E, Technique Corvithian Cleave E, Fast E, Mortal Claws F- He dashes into a roll toward his enemy, whirling his claws with a flurry of attacks at the end of the roll. His claws are heavy-set, but slice through the air with an unexpected speed.-Grade E-1 Post Cooldown-1 Grade of Item defense

 

[Shatter Shard]

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ C ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ C ]
[ D ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

Dayle was uncomfortable. One of his men is dead, the other was without his saber, and he was in the company of a complete stranger. One of his rib was broken, he was pretty sure Roy had a minor concussion, and they were trapped inside until this all pans out, someone arrives to help, or he gets out with his own power. Out of all the possibilities, he was in favor of the last one, but was hesitant with the injuries he sustained. The bodies around didn't help with his current situation, and the blood the flowed on the ground only foretold of the battle that had happened. He had no idea if the duo survived the entire ordeal, but for now his priority was his and his subordinate's survival.

He looked at the worried Roy beside him, who was looking around to find a weapon he could use, then at the woman who had seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her help was very much appreciated, but not knowing her motives was something Dayle couldn't sit with. He couldn't tell whether she helped out of goodness, which was unlikely, or because she had another agenda. Either way, Dayle thought it was a good idea to keep distance.

His steps halted and he quickly hid his body when he heard sounds of fighting. Roy quickly reacted and crouched down as well without question, before trailing behind Dayle as he inched forward across the corner. From what he could see, the Ryken Military had come down to bring genocidal intent. The bodies earlier may have been their doing, and judging from the way they moved, they were trained and skilled enough to take on gladiators. Seeing the bodies that the knights left behind after the slaughter, his mind began racing. A Controls War huh? What bad timing.

Dayle wanted to move somewhere else and was about to advise the woman to do the same, when a goblin popped out of a barrel beside him. Dayle almost punched the fucker into oblivion, but managed to keep himself from doing so. He listened to the little fellow, and his faced scrunched. "It's either the undead outside, or the Ryken Military in here. I don't know about you, but both options seems very not good." Then a thought clicked inside Dayle's head. Undead and Ryken? A very unlikely combination. There's no way they would use such methods to enact a purge, as that would just hurt their image. If so, who the hell is running the entire show? The thought of being played again boiled inside his heart, but he exhaled in addressed the goblin again. "I'm trying to get to the champion's chamber, but not going that way." He said, pointing at the direction where the Ryken Military just disappeared into. "Just tell me where to go, and you can keep hiding in your barrel."

Roy searched the area for a sword or saber he could use, while maintaining his focus on the current situation.

Mentions: Shatter Shard Skyhunter

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique's investigation was rudely interrupted again, this time by... knights? What the hell were they doing here? She gritted her teeth. Just as she thought she was going to get some answers from her investigation, just as she thought she could finally get to work on actually going over a crime scene in relatively peace, things just had to get messy again. Was it too much task to just do what a detective did? Just investigate, go over the corpse on the bed, check for cause of death, that kind of stuff. She'd written a lot about it and was sure she could do it all in practice, if it wasn't for the fact that everyone and their mother seemed to plan to hold her back or interrupted her.

However, why in the world was this latest group the knights? Above all, however, one thing stood out. “Intruders... why in the world are they calling us the intruders? She whispered to herself. It was extremely suspicious. Even so, they were knights, so she was technically on the same side as them. It meant that she shouldn't just go in and attack them and that it'd be good if her company wouldn't do so either. Except... her company wasn't on the same page. She watched in horror as Arthur, Xix and Orchid attacked the knights.

That said, she did get another hint. The Duke. She wasn't sure which Duke, but now she knew who was scheming this, or at least which higher up was playing along with this. Well, not exactly, but there weren't that many Dukes in the country. It narrowed the possible higher-ups that were involved in this all considerably. The fact that the knights were involved also furthered her theory that this was an attempt to start a second controls war. However, two big questions remained. Why were they here right now? The job had been done already, the champion was dead already and it was very late to do a clean-up job. Secondly, why did they call them the intruders?

That's when it hit her. “They're still looking for something...” She muttered. The same thing that this Clover was after. They must've been trying to keep this room locked away from others, so that they could look through it at their own pace. That'd be a good explanation for why they considered her and her companions to be 'intruders' and it'd explain why they had returned. Then, was the Champion's death not a goal on its own? Was it just something that happened whilst looking for something in his possession? The latter seemed... odd. The Champion's Legacy was big enough for him not to be collateral damage. So was it something that they needed to further their plans, after dealing with the Champion? What could be so important?

There was one person in this room whom definitely knew more. “They're after the same thing you were after.” She whispered to Clover. “So now is the time to say what it is.” Perhaps, combined with her previous attempt to persuade Clover to work together with them, she'd actually get an answer from the odd thief.

D Grade Cooldowns (2/2)

• Ultimate Detective – Appraisal D, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception D – Character combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

E Grade Cooldowns (1/1)

• Ultimate Argument – Appraisal E, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight E, Perception E, Persuasion E – Character takes in any information they can from someone and uses it when carefully picking their tone of voice and mannerisms to convey their argument in the most persuasive manner, tailored to whatever might suit the person they're trying to convince. - Grade E – 1 Post Cooldown.

 

[Skyhunter]

The Underbelly, outside The Bloody Defiance

​

Whilst in the fighting unfolding within the streets of the Underbelly, it was just that, another fight within the streets of the Underbelly. A very miniscule and common thing within the confounds of this undercity, in this icon of sin, depravity and sickness. Eventually Vido, the half orc that was 6' 6" let one of the Divees members finish off the Leatherguard he was holding, he threw down the defeated Leatherguard and turned to the next few, one of the Leatherguard was able to get the upper hand on a Divees member who was on the ground, the Leatherguard was about to strike them down until Vido rushed them and tackled into them, slamming them into the ground as Vido helped his fellow member up, turning to the rising Leatherguard, Vido met with them, throwing a punch into their head, knocking a few teeth out of his head. Grabbing the now crying man, Vido lifted them up like a bag of bricks and threw the man down on top of his head, letting out a sickening crunch as Vido moved onto the next. Although Vido looked rather surprised when he saw Wirejaw run pass him on all fours at an unsuspecting Leatherguard with their back towards the now rolling pile of claws and lizard. The Divees gang member saw Wirejaw coming and quickly moved out of the way, " Oh shit! " The human said, confusing the Leatherguard who turned around to see what scared him, but it would be too late once he saw what was coming. A torrent of claws, lizard and strength was steam rolling his way, the Leatherguard would be taken by Wirejaw, being attacked, clawed, scratched and mauled, blood spilled on the ground just as he was then pulled under the weight of the large Lizard that kept rolling. Throwing him under, claws shredded through leather and flesh alike. Screams were uttered for a moment before he was crushed like a bag of oranges. Splattered and broken, only a pile of skin, blood and bone.

Vido

​

Vido smiled at the violence as he walked up to the last Leatherguard who held a pathetic weapon, a broken metallic pipe, holding it like he was scared, shaking in his boots at what he had just witnessed. The Leatherguard were taken out with such quickness it was just pathetic. As Vido began walking up to the last man, he would sense two large hulks behind him, turning he would see kin. The two large orcs that were strapped to the carriage were there, coming to kill the remaining Leatherguard, they didn't need any information from the Leatherguard, they just needed to reach the Bloody Defiance and find Arthur then help him, they knew he was going to find the Champion with some sort of halfling. Lunes came walking up the group as the Divees Crew began to meet up, Vido looked at the now bloody Wirejaw, looking impressed, " Very interesting way of attacking, haven't seen that in the Underbelly, and I've seen quite a lot. Anyways, Wirejaw. It was good to have you assist us. We are looking for our new leader at the moment, we are heading for the Champion's Arena, the Bloody Defiance. You want to join us? We could use your help. " Vido asked. Which earned a scoff from Lunes, " Vido? Asking for help? What a strange thing to hear. " The woman crossed her arms, she was petite and agile looking, her current clothing and armor was very light looking, allowing her for dodging and quick movement. " I doubt he wants to join, he most likely wants to get away from the destruction that is the Bloody Defiance. " Screams and yells and roaring could be heard from the Bloody Defiance, there was fighting and killing happening, " We're wasting time, we should go. " Lunes spoke out, which the rest of the gang nodded.

Luna "Lunes"



The Bloody Defiance



Warrior's Respite


​

The goblin looked over Dayle, seeing his condition then to his friend Roy who had blood on the side of his head, flowing slowly down and stopped under his jaw, " wha-what? undead? " The goblin spoke with fear in his voice, looking around he saw the barrel he mentioned, and the goblin turned back to Dayle, " alright alright, dumb one-eye, " He mumbled that last part to himself before clearing his throat, " the only whay to the champion's chambers is to go tha' way. " He pointed pass the Ryken Knights, " tha' is the only whay to him. the ryken knights aren't as strong as they appear. their armor is heavy and they are pretty not smart. think they know everythin'. " The goblin spoke, " there are more gladis tha' whay too. they not all dead, some still breathing and fighting. also prisoners too. " The goblin pointed out. " can i go in my barrel now? " He asked just as there was more fighting ahead, the sounds of metal clanging and grunting of war ahead in this corridor. Roy would be able to find a claymore in the small armory before him, there was also some armor that could fit him too, gladiator armor that looked light but would probably save him from taking a hit. They had the advantage of surprise here, the Ryken Knights didn't know they were here yet.

The Champion's Quarters



Arthur Verg


​

The Duke? Arthur thought hearing the Knight spoke, the captain had exceptional swordsmanship, swinging his swords in different directions to block and parry both Xix and Arthur, Arthur swung at his head and body with wild strikes while Xix was slashing and stabbing at the body and legs. The captain backed up, being sure to keep up his defense, not faltering once. But finally, when pushed to a wall, he had enough, " Abstract Mare! " He roared, eyes glowed white for a moment as a horse's head, glowing the room for a moment, conjured into the air, slamming into Arthur's chest, Arthur's eyes full of surprise as he felt his feet leave the ground and his chest full of pain as he was casted away from the fight, he saw the horse's head and the knight pointing his sword at Arthur. Arthur would fly through the room, slamming through the canopy of the Champion's bed and hitting the floor with a pained grunt. He groaned and looked up, seeing the canopy collapse on top of the champion. Arthur got up to his feet and ran pass Victorique, Clover and Sticker to join in the battle again, still hurting in his chest and back.

​

Xix was precise with his attacks against this Ryken Captain, slash slash stab slash stab slash slash stab stab. Although this Captain was able to reflect and block each attack with surprising speed. Xix was just fast enough for him to not attack back and only block each of his attacks, especially with his size, the Captain was still stuck, but when a flash of bright light appeared and a horse's head slammed into Arthur, throwing him across the room then disappearing. It was now an even fight. The captain was now swinging both swords, attacking Xix with both swords, who now was on the defensive, Only being able to block attacks and dodge. Xix did parry a sword swing and slash at the captain's foot but it was instead blocked then he was kicked in his chest, rolling backwards on the floor. Xix stopped moving and quickly moved as the Captain came down, stabbing where Xix was originally laying. Xix got to his feet and jumped, dodging a sword slash where he was at. The goblin was very efficient at moving and dodging, the captain kept his onslaught going but was hit in the face with a bat from Arthur. Knocking him backwards as Xix made his way forward again. Arthur's next attack was blocked and he was kicked in his stomach, moving him backwards.

​

As the action began for Orchid, the knight was ready, his heavy armor was clinking with each move he made and each weapon attack he gave, Orchid's jump attack did not go unnoticed, the knight was able to narrowly block the attack taking a step back, he did then retaliate and bring his spear back and thrusted forward, sinking the tip into Orchid's armor, the tip sliding into her flesh just a bit for her to feel the pain. The knight pulled out just for Orchid to throw hot ash into his face, he turned his head as hot ash slammed into half his face and eye, he growled in pain, quickly wiping it off as he backed up a few steps, throwing a desperate stab into the dark in front of him, thinking Orchid was coming forth. His hit connected with Orchid's stomach as she slammed her polearm into his leg, knocking him down onto a knee, the Knight growled in pain, his spear sunk into Orchid's stomach a bit. The knight then released his spear and charged towards Orchid, grabbing her shoulders and slamming her into the wall, making sure her head hit the wall before she was thrown into desk she was hiding behind originally. Causing more damage and furniture to fall over, making a ruckus. The knight, now half blind, slammed a fist into Orchid's chin, causing her ears to ring for a moment, the knight tackled Orchid to the ground now, getting on top of her, throwing another punch at the Orc, but he wasn't expecting a bat to the side of the head, causing his helmet to fall off and him to get off Orchid, giving her the upper hand. If Orchid looked, she saw it was Arthur who was back to attacking the more experienced Captain.

As Victorique listened to what they were saying, she heard the Duke, she knew who it was, the history of Ryken's military and the Underbelly was so vast, in the last Controls War there was a once Royal Knight Captain who sent the military to the Underbelly to take it, when they were defeated and pushed back out of this sick city, the Captain was demoted to a Duke, forever tarnishing his name. The name was Vengron, Duke Vengron. His family had to still be feeling sore from this hated act. It would make sense. As Victorique asked Clover about what she was looking for, the thief sighed and looked annoyed, " You annoying little girl... " She mumbled, " Alright fine. I was looking for a heirloom, as it was described, that Auregnog had. And this Heirloom once belonged to some Ryken higher up. I haven't checked the bed yet but now its destroyed. " She mentioned to when Arthur flew through the canopy and destroyed the bed. But there was movement underneath the canopy. The red armor was beginning to stir, Sticker saw and tapped Victorique's shoulder. " Uh... I hate to interrupt you but... " The nervous Siren pointed to the moving bed, as the fight continued in the same room.

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique was a tad bit concerned when she saw Arthur getting slammed across the room. Okay, maybe she was just a little more than a tad bit concerned. Fine, she was very concerned... In fact, one might even say she was scared. After all, she wasn't all that eager to die here, especially not to these weirdo knights. Their gear was clearly made to be flashy, not to be useful, so how were they actually kind-off strong? It made no sense and she didn't like it. Either way, she took a few deep breaths, strapping her dress on a bit tighter, so that it wouldn't get in the way if she'd be forced to make a great escape soon.

That said, amidst all this chaos, she'd also gained some useful information from this as well. The only duke that could be behind all this was Duke Vengron. On top of it, she learned what Clover was after, finally getting the girl to cooperate a little bit. “It must've been Duke Vengron's... assuming he lost it after losing the Controls war, it'd now be in Auregnog's possession, yet with Auregnog dead, he must've sent in his knights to come pick it up...” She shook her head. “I don't get it, if he killed Auregnog, he would've had the heirloom taken immediately after finishing the champion off. The same applies for the party you're working for. So someone or something killed the champion, but wasn't after the heirloom or somehow failed to secure it in time? But which party or what third party...” She wasn't able to finish her sentence, as Sticker interrupted them. She'd almost forgotten the Siren was even there with them, having gotten very lost in her thoughts.

The warning was warranted though, as there was clearly some weird stuff going on. The bed was moving. Well, probably not the bed, but something within the destroyed bed remnants. “What... the...” She swallowed some nerves, expecting some sort of undead Champion to arise or some foul magic to be at play. That's when she gathered herself together enough to focus again. She'd been studying some things, training her skills and whatnot, experiment a little... If this worked, it'd probably make things a lot easier. “You two get ready. If something big is about to happen, I can warn you a few seconds ahead of time, just be sure to make it count.”

She kept a close eye on the bed, until the moment it looked like something big was about to happen. That's when she'd use Ultimate Future Detective to get a head start on whatever was going on, either to dodge or to warn her makeshift allies, depending on what future visions she would end up seeing. She knew it'd be a few seconds at best, but those few seconds could prove to be vital, so she was banking on the fact that there was a way to really make them count.

D Grade Cooldowns (0/2)

• Ultimate Future Detective – Appraisal D, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception D, Precognition F – Character peers a few seconds into the future and combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. Also gives a +1 speed boost. – Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

E Grade Cooldowns (0/1)

 

[Garbage Pail Kid]

He had gotten into his fair share of scrapes and fights, raised in bruises and scars. Blood drawin' was something he had grown accustom to, some things didn't change. It was the first time he had used claws, and there something natural about it that made him thrilled. He couldn't help but laugh at this damned idiot, so confident when they were separated by iron bars. Action dictated intent before word or promise and slave driving wollards were all these pitiful men were to him. He didn't like killing if he didn't have to, but reveled in killing monsters who profited off of broken wills and backs.

Blood and filth soiled the worn down fatigues he was adorned in as he skirted to a stop just shy of the bloody mess he left in his wake. His claws fresh with gore before wiping them off on his clothes and spitting on the ground "Died Screamin to yer momma. Damn Fool" He said, a bloody hand habitually going for a cigarette, before sighing, and seeing that the fight had ended. Vido and this crew that had showed up like a bolt from the blue started to converge, his slit gaze looking among the members with curiosity before falling onto Vido once again. "Ah learned ta fight like a dragon ya see, usin everythin ah've been blessed with. Mah claws are as sturdy as any sword or axe. Ah appreciate the praise. Ah knew ya weren't built like ah brick shithouse fer no reason" He said with a rumbling chuckle

He wasn't expecting the invitation, Vido didn't seem to be joking by the way luna reacted. He looked pretty dense for the first few moments as his big(but dense) skull processed the request and, quirking a brow when Luna pitched in. Would it be better for him to just run? He had no stakes in what was happened, and could just get out of her-"Do ya even need ta ask? Ah can't just leave; Ya'll helped me get out and that's more than one punk's worth of labor. Count me in, Vido." He spoke before his mind had time to process the decision, and that was exactly how Wirejaw handled most of his quandaries. He lived and died by his instincts. Wirejaw lumbering toward a larger built leatherguard, removing the duster from his corpse, and wore it with a surprising fit; Only a few spinal scales tearing through the back.

"She's right, if yer looking fer yer boss then we should go a mosey on" He said, standing with Vido and willing to follow through with him on his rescue.

 

[Lucius Cypher]

Tags: Skyhunter Elvario ​

---

"Tch!" Orchid grunted as she felt the blade break through her armor. She wasn't sure how deeply it cut into her skin, but she knew it wasn't a mortal injury at least. The second blow at least didn't manage bypass her breastplate, but it did stop her from following up after she smashed his kneecap, and even so it was still wasn't enough to prevent him from throwing her to the wall. She hit her head, causing a bit of ringing in her ears. But if a blow to the head was enough to drop her she wouldn't have been a merc. Though getting mounted and punched in the face certainly started giving Orchid some second thoughts. She was able to brace up and stock blocking some hits when she saw something strike the knight and knock his helmet off. It was Arthur! She thought he was busy dealing with the other knight, but nice to see him backing her up. With two against one, Orchid got back onto her feet , reached out and grabbed the knight by the collar of his armor, and she reared her head back to smash her forehead into his face.

But this was a feint.

Intentionally aiming from his now blinded side, Orchid made this big all-or-nothing attack to make the knight think he could defend himself by stopping Orchid's head, perhaps push her back or punch her also unarmored head. But while he was focused on Orchid's face, she grabbed the dagger she had taken off Bingus earlier today, and was going to slide it into his armpit. When he raises his arm to strike or stop Orchid's headbutt, she would drive the blade of her dagger underneath his arm. This might kill him, or at least wound him grievously. Either was fine with Orchid. She wasn't so soft that she couldn't take a beating, and being able to take a hit will let her do these sort of reckless attacks without having to worry about getting put down before she can land a blow. "Stay down!"

 

[Shatter Shard]

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ C ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ C ]
[ D ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

Dayle sighed, as he already anticipated his answer. He rubbed his aching chest, before eyeing the passageway. He took a moment to think of something, before replying to the goblin. "Go hide in your hole, but I'll take the barrel cover." He took the barrel top and laid it against a stand to prepare it for something else. He then took the hanging chains on the side and wrapped over his shoulder and around his chest. It's not enough to over everything, but he may be lucky enough to deflect some blows. As for the barrel top, it was good enough as a makeshift buckler. It cannot block blows nor is it durable enough to withstand blows. The only thing it's good for is deflecting a single strike away, and that's good enough for him. His gaze then fell on the corpses around him. Without missing a single beat, he grabbed the leg of one of them, intending to throw it at the Ryken Military and disturb their rear flank.

Roy hastily wore the armor he could salvage, and took the claymore despite his unfamiliarity with such a large weapon. There was no other way. His head is still faintly ringing, but he had recovered enough to not let it impede his combat efficiency. "Prepare, Roy. Watch my back." Dayle commanded, which Roy nodded to as he brought up his claymore.

There wasn't anything else to think of. This was his only way towards his objective. Dayle took a deep breath, and his eyes once again shone with a fierce glow. "Let's go." With those words, Dayle dragged the body with him, and both Roy and him silently made their way towards the rear flank of the soldiers.

Mentions: Shatter Shard Skyhunter Seafo

 

[Skyhunter]

The Bloody Defiance


​

The Divees Crew proceeded towards the arena deemed The Bloody Defiance, a name taken from the Champion himself as it is one of his many nicknames, getting closer to said arena, there would be people running pass the crew, fear in their eyes and cries of worry on their lips. Innocents, in their own ways, there was even a few stragglers from different gangs that the Divees Crewmembers would recognize. Vido scoffed, " Nothing but cowards. " He growled out, but cowards they may be but, what they were going to come across, the regular person would have run from as well. Coming up to the entrance of the large arena, the screams, yells and groans were more apparent. At the entrance two Blooded Guards were slumped against the wall, blood flowed onto their chest plates from their slit necks, these were very recent kills. Vido looked to Lunes who shook her head. Vido walked closer to the bodies, taking out a large greatsword that was given to him along the way. When he got closer, the bodies began to move and utter gross sounds of gurgling and groaning, their hands reaching up at Vido who took his blade and stabbed it through their helms, putting the two bodies to rest. He sighed and stepped away, " That fucking cult is here. " He growled, just then there was a loud scream, the Crew would look up seeing a falling body of someone still alive, about to be a corpse. Splattering on the ground before the group, blood and gore spread out across the ground before them, it was a Blooded Guard. Looking up they would see a hooded man looking down at them with glowing purple eyes, and the faint sight of yellow grin arched in a grin before turning away into the arena. " And their sick fuck leader. " Vido growled deeply. A hand touched his shoulder, it was Lunes, " Calm down, Vido. We still need to find Arthur. " In which Vido took a deep breath, " Yes. You're right. Hopefully he isn't one of those things. " The Crew would make their way into the arena.

Walking through corridors and hallways, there would still be escaping Underdwellers, running for safety. On the floor there was bodies of both hooded men now called Cultists, Blooded Guards and civilians, some looked changed somewhat. As they continued, they see there was small fights here and there with Blooded Guards and Cultists, civilians and cultists, also some gang members fighting these cultists. But there were also civilians attacking these other factions except the Cultists, their eyes glowing purple and skin rapidly decaying. Undead. " Great, we got more undead now. " Vido had his sword still ready, fresh with blood from the two guards he had skewered. Quickly these undead were overwhelming the other factions but easily were pushed away. Vido slashed one undead that came forward, cutting from its shoulder to side, the top half of the undead slid off and onto the ground, splattering as blood quickly flooded around the still living unliving. " Move! " Lunes yelled, " Up to the upper halls! There's more living up there, we can see if we can find out where Arthur is at! This is a shitshow! " She had her bow ready as she fired an arrow at an undead closing in on their flank. The arrow sunk through their skull causing it to fall onto it's face. As the group moved up to the upper halls, there was more living up here, hardly any undead but there was Cultists following after the group. As they were able to come up the hallway, Wirejaw and Lunes were at the back, facing the Cultists with their large carving knives, great for slashing and cutting. Their blades having blood dripping off them along with a strange black oil oozing out of the blade itself.

" Alright, Lizard, show me what you can do in this situation. " Lunes had her bow ready, an arrow at the ready as well, there was currently three hooded cultists coming towards the group, an arrow whizzed by and found it's mark in a cultist's eye socket, causing them to drop dead. They were not afraid to die it seems, they were unflinching towards their death. Vido was opening a way for the group to make their way through the crowd of living. Undead were showing up on the other side, Vido was more than capable of dealing with them on his own.

Warrior's Respite


​

" you damn bastard! that barrel top belonged to me mother! " The goblin whispered yell as Dayle took the barrel cover, he didn't look happy as he watched the two of them begin to prepare themselves, " you two are not going to get past these knights. they are too much for you. " And he would keep talking down to the two Red Star members, saying things similar to the two, quite the depressing goblin he was. Not that he looked like much, especially if you're from the Underbelly, that Dayle would know. He quieted down whether he was threatened by the two or when they made their way towards the Ryken Knights. As Dayle's makeshift buckler was made and he began to make his way down the corridor with Roy by his side with his claymore. Ahead came in view a gladiator pushed to a wall, holding a sword as he deflected a heavy strike purposed for their head, the gladiator was a human, wearing plate armor, blocking a few sword swipes from a bigger knight. From behind Dayle there would be the sudden sound of breaking and cracking that was faint and slowly got louder and louder. Before a polearm broke through the walls behind Dayle, a long axe flew through the corridor, slamming through the goblin who was wondering what it was, the goblin's body was sliced in half at his waist. Blood splattered across the floor, even getting on Roy's new armor. The axe flew pass Dayle's head with the sound of waning steel.

The Ryken knight had turned around hearing the sounds, moving out of the way of the flying axe at the last second, but this axe flew through the shoulder of the knight, slicing through the plate armor of the knight, then flesh. The knight's arm flew off in one sudden act before flying pass the two battling men farther down the corridor and continued it's way. The armless knight backed up a couple steps, his eyes wide with shock and surprise as blood squirted out into the air then onto the ground. The knight stared at his arm then at his shoulder. A moment of silence fell upon the corridor before laughing was heard, then it turned to screaming in pain, the Knight holding his shoulder. Falling backwards against the wall, quickly his face turned pale. Ahead the knight heard the screaming and saw the knight without an arm and the two Red Star members. " What in the ten Hells? " The knight quickly disarmed the gladiator then took off their head turning to Dayle and Roy. Walking towards the two, wielding a sharp sword. The Knight against the wall now dead from quick blood loss, or he was passed out. Either way he would be dead. The knight as he approached was large, he wore heavier armor and a helmet that didn't cover his face, he stared at the two. " More Underdwellers. No... You are Red Stars. " His eyes laid upon Dayle. " The Dog is here. " he said with a hint of malice. " I shall put down the rabid beast. " He growled looking at the two as he pointed his sword at them. It was a two on one, but one had better equipment and better training. This would be a tough fight, but they had a chance.

The Champion's Quarters


​

" Duke Vengron? I mean that does make sense, his grandfather did lose to Auregnog back during the first Control War. He was the Ryken's Military General. Having won a few wars and remained undefeated. Vengron was quite feared. " Sticker spoke, " Although he lost all respect and credibility when he lost to one single man. Auregnog when he deemed the Underbelly his next triumph. He was then dishonorably discharged and at least given the title of Duke. But they are now a laughable family. It would make sense for the current Duke to try and reclaim his family honor by trying to destroy the Underbelly. " Sticker finished nodding, although when attention came to the bed, besides the fighting by the entrance, the canopy was beginning to fall off the bed as a body rose. Auregnog. His helm and chest plate a strange glow coming from inside. His head twitched erractically every other moment. " i-i-invaders within m-my quarters. " His voice was robotic and deep as he looked in Victorique, Clover, and Sticker's direction. " Destroy all foes. " Then the strange aura turned red, and he emitted a haunting laugh. Something almost demonic like. He lifted his hand up and Victorique would see that a flying axe fly through the room, then into Auregnog's hand as he caught it. He would then get up onto the bed and leap at the three before Victorique would cut back into reality.

(The laugh Auregnog makes)


​

Victorique's warning would ring to the three and even the Champion heard it, Clover grabbed the halfling's shoulder and pulled her behind her as Sticker stayed back knowing she was useless. " Our Champion is living armor? " Sticker asked. Auregnog's axe did as Victorique would see, flying into the room, blood fresh on the blade and mace and into his open hand. He would stand up on the bed and leap at the three, although with Clover ready, even with fear in her heart. She would help the group. Extending a hand out, a sudden wind of snow flowed forward at the leaping Champion, pushing him back into the wall of the bed. " Oh shit! " Would be heard from the other side of the room as the captain saw the risen Auregnog. The Champion did not falter as he hit the wall and sprang off the bed making his way over quickly with long strides. He was quick and precise with his movements, raising his axe up then slammed it down through the floorboards as he attemtped to kill Clover but she moved to the side. Pulling the axe out he saw a strike at Victorique and proceeded to ram his axe like a spear at her. Victorique was quickly moved away, and Sticker took her place, having the mace slam into her back as she let out no sound but had a look of shock and pain. " ah. " Was all she muttered, looking at Victorique she was about to say something but quickly her head was cut off her body with a single swipe of the axe. A streak of blood slapped Victorique across her face, just below her eyes. Sticker's head bounced then rolled across the floor in front of Victorique, her eyes wide with fear and shock while she stared into nothingness, her jaw moving a bit as she quickly faded away. Blood pooled around the head just as her headless corpse fell beside her own severed head.

Auregnog then turned his attention to Victorique, raising his axe in the same motion of him killing the Siren, about to strike down to cleave Victorique into two. But he moved back and jumped away as Clover was about to strike with her chained kunai. " Vicky! Get moving! " The thief told the Halfling, although there was nowhere to really go. They were trapped in the room with the Champion himself and had a fight still going on over by the entrance of the room. But quickly Auregnog would turn his attention to the fighting parties just as Xix in a fit of rage attacked the champion, " You killed her! You fucking killed her you heartless red bastard! " Xix swung his khopesh, he was getting his fight now. Auregnog adjusted and moved wound Xix in a quick fashion that showed his superiority. Doing a 180 spin around Xix and kicking him in his back to launch him forward into Sticker's corpse and blood. " A-A-Anger detected. " Auregnog twitched as he spoke, looking at Xix. " Rage detected. Sorrow and Despair following up. " The Champion read Xix like a book. Knowing the emotions, he was feeling. When Victorique looked, she would see that Xix had landed in Sticker's blood, covering him in it, he looked at her head, his eyes wide. Unmoving as he placed a hand on her head and now cold face.

Arthur Verg

​

Arthur had seen the Champion now awake, even attack his own loyal followers, being Sticker who was his way of making a lot of money. Arthur then growled, using his anger to swing his bat into the face of the captain, cracking him a good one on his chin as blood and a tooth flew out of his mouth. Arthur charged at Auregnog, all he saw was rage and red, he wanted to kill the Champion. But he would learn why the Champion was called all the nicknames he had heard. Arthur leapt forward and swung his bat downward, the Champion moved to the side just for Arthur to miss who had a look of surprise on his face. Auregnog brought his free hand backward and launched it forward at Arthur, punching him in his side that flung him into the wall. Arthur released his weapon as it dissipated into the air, Arthur hit the wall with a lot of force, breaking it even as he slumped forward, falling onto his knees then fell on his face. Auregnog turned to look at the room, assessing the threats.

The Knight and Orchid continued their little brawl that was taken to the ground, both were strong and big. Although with Arthur's intervention, the two were back on their feet, the knight's temple gushing with blood, he had a handsome face, although now damaged thanks to Orchid burning it with hot coals. The two would brawl it out, punch for punch, until Orchid feinted an attack, taking the dagger she had received in the fight from earlier, she had a plot ready. Orchid would fake swinging her head forward for a headbutt, which the tired and most likely concussioned knight fell for, but not without giving his own attack. " Warden's Fist. " he said lowly just as a glowing white fist slammed into Orchid's left, although she did swing her knife up on the correct side. Steel met soft flesh. Stabbing up into his organs, his eyes were wide with surprise, although his attack connected with Orchid's face. Her entire body would fly backwards into the floor. Knocking her out cold for a few seconds. The knight's fist was brimming with fading energy as he stumbled backwards, the knife stuck in his armpit. He growled in pain, leaning against the wall, he knew he didn't have long, and he saw that the Champion was awake, he had killed one of the tresspassers and took out the one that attacked him. The captain knew there was no beating the champion. " Go, captain. I'll hold him off. " He said exhaustedly as he stood up taking up his polearm. " I'll give you time to get out of here. " Orchid's vision would return, but her body was heavy as her vision was foggy, like she wasn't in control. Sounds around her were echoey and faint. She would spot a red figure move pass her.

" N-Next threat detected. " The Champion groaned as he stepped forward to face the two Ryken Knights. Ignoring everyone else. He lunged forward, extending his axe out like a spear to strike at the Captain. " Abstract Mare! " The Captain roared, a vision of a horse's head appeared and struck the Champion in his chest, launching his backwards, but he would land on his feet. The Champion stopped and began to twitch errectlly, " Wh-Wh-Where am I? Wh-Who do I kill next? Retalation inevitable. " The Champion croaked as he straightened up, his chest glowing and brimming brightly, his chest was caved in a bit and looked like it could be opened up. The Ryken Captain quickly fled and ran to the entrance and then ran upstairs. Auregnog was hot on his tail, chasing after the captain but the large wounded and dying knight stepped in front of him, swing his spear in which the Champion dodged and cleaved his leg off before bringing his axe around and slamming it down onto the neck of the knight who was already falling, killing him. The Champion proceeded upstairs, leaving everyone else in the room. Orchid would finally be able to move and awoke, her left eye was swollen.

" well shit. " Clover stated with a look of shock.

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Orchid Lucius Cypher | Arthur/Xix/Clover Skyhunter

Victorique was very frustrated. She'd done what she could to give them a head-start, yet it still wasn't enough. The sudden death and the many sudden surprises were tough to keep up with. Why in the world did the Champion move again? Why in the world did he sound and talk like a robot? Why in the world was Clover protecting her? Why in the world had Sticker just sacrificed herself? The latter was what bugged her the most, as she could only feel stunned in place, as she shook a little in absolute shock and horror. She'd never seen someone die like that, not from up close and especially not for the sake of saving her... To her surprise, tears started to form a bit, but the intense and brutal situation didn't allow for them to start flowing freely.

Clover managed to snap her out of it, a little bit at least, but the reality hadn't settled in yet. Instead, Victorique defaulted to denial. She quickly moved around Xix and opened up her [Pocket Dimension] to take in the body and head of Sticker. “Surely there's someone that can resurrect her, right? We'll bring her to them.” She knew there was healing of a high enough level to bring people back from the dead. She knew that the Adventurer's Guild even had contact with such folk. Surely there was someone like that as well in the Undberlly as well. They had her entire body and head, so it'd just take some money, right? Surely that'd be all. A traumatic experience and some inconvenience, but definitely not someone that'd be permanently dead for her sake. Definitely not. Having fooled herself into believing it, she was somehow able to focus again.

She witnessed the Champion chase after the knights instead, behaving more than a little odd. He easily killed one, before leaving after the other. She realised she'd been holding her breath the entire time only by the fact that she felt like she was about to faint. With the champion out of the room, she finally managed to breath in again. A few slow and steady breaths.

As she calmed down, her ability to deduce what had happened finally started to work again. “Thanks.” She uttered to Clover. It wasn't much, but she was truthfully still a bit too shocked to say more. Instead, she rather distracted herself by focussing on the case at hand. “The champion's behaviour seemed far more like a machine gone out of control than that of a rational being... Gone out of control... Wait.” She suddenly realised something. “What if the thing you're looking for and what these knights want is whatever controls him? What if he's always been like this and was simply controlled by someone?” Was that what Sticker might've wanted to tell her just before she... she... Victorique shook her head. She didn't want to think about it.

Instead, she wanted to check with Arthur, Orchid, Xix and even Clover. “I don't think we stand a chance against him if we wanted to stop him. Instead, we should figure out who or what is controlling him, as he doesn't seem to be in control of himself. The way he speaks and acts is just too odd.” Her next words were clearly not that of a true detective, but of a young adult who let her own desires influence her reasoning and tried to justify her own desires. “Sticker clearly knew more. We should find someone that can resurrect her so we can ask her about it.”

There was one more thing she'd spotted. “He was heavily focussed on those Ryken Knights, so he might be thinking or working like he did in the Controls War. If someone knows more about his actions back then, we might be able to use it to predict what he'll do next. For example, if we figure out where the most important battles took place or where he earned his victory, we might know where he'll go next.” Even although she wasn't completely sure about those parts, she'd much rather theorise than allow the brutal and harsh reality of the situation to start settling in again. She more and more realised that she wasn't made to deal with this type of stuff, she was made to investigate this type of drama after the fact, not whilst it was happening in the heat of the moment.

D Grade Cooldowns (1/2)

• Ultimate Future Detective – Appraisal D, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception D, Precognition F – Character peers a few seconds into the future and combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. Also gives a +1 speed boost. – Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

E Grade Cooldowns (0/1)

 

[Garbage Pail Kid]

Skyhunter

---

There wasn't much left for them here as strewn out bodies and an abandoned cart were the only things that remained in this immediate area. He could still hear the sounds of the arena, but they didn't sound right and he couldn't figure out why. It seemed to be where Vido believed his boss was so it looked like that big blood dome was where they were heading. His lumbering form taking fewer steps, and still keeping up with the quick footed crew though he weren't no ninja; It was difficult to hide when you were of his stature. It worked for him though since he'd rather take his problems head on.

People from all different walks of life skittered and fled passed them, seemingly terrified of some force coming from The Bloody Defiance. It was startin to make his scales itch. "Ya'll who blood in without bloodin out are a bunch yeller bellies, what kinda gangs are they runnin nowadays?" He barked at the fleeing gang members, flicking one in the back of head before shaking his own. He did feel bad for the innocents, though he wondered how many innocents were around an arena like this. Screams became louder, echoing off of stained stone as they approached the entrance. The two living corpses Vido dispatched with ease brought his slow realization to a head. There was something definitely wrong with this arena.

There were alot of questions he wanted to ask about this cult. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt a bitter loathsomeness toward such manipulators. It made sense now since he didn't want to assume they didn't just hire zombie guards and realized late how bull-ass stupid that is. If those purple eyed bastards were the ones doing this, then he was more than glad to put boot to ass, though he was curious on who this leader was if he was caught up in all of this. "If he is even half as tough as you are Vido, he'll be fine" Wirejaw said, walking beside him as they made their way deeper.

Wirejaw bestial instincts started to go crazy as different factions fought off the hordes of undead and their sinister masters. It sounded like ropes snapping when he popped his heavyset knuckles, and made it clear that he was ready for the showdown about to take place. Vido called out the undead and Wirejaw eyed up as many of them as he could, yanking one of the Divees back from an attempted bite and hurling them up the stairs as he followed Lunes orders without missing a beat, climbing the stairs on all fours before cultists blocked their way. Wirejaw looking at Lunes as it was them for the moment amidst the chaos, throwing off his duster at her call to arms.

"You got it ma'am. Give me coverin fire if ya kindly" He said, putting his back against the before leaning his heels against that same wall. He took a deep breath before he surged the strength in his legs and kicked off, splintering the wall from the force as he speared forward. When he got close enough he would change direction, smashing into a wall before once again kicking off, this time ten feet into the air. His aim was for the first cultist in range, landing on him all his weight and claws bearing down. His roar vibrating the air.

Spoiler

• [Carazon Wagon Wheel]10ft Jump-Tengri Kai E, Technique Mortal Claws E, Fast E, Jumping F- After a running dash; He leaps into the air, and crashes onto his opponent with armor breaching slashes.-Grade E-1 Post Cooldown- Grade of item defense

 

[Shatter Shard]

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ C ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ C ]
[ D ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

Dayle faintly felt danger, and instinctively swiveled to the side, pushing Roy out of the way at the same time. His intuition prove to be true when a polearm bust out of the wall and struck the goblin, before flying further and decapitating a knight's arm. It surprised him, but he quickly calmed down when he realized it benefitted him more than it startled him. With one of the knights disarmed, he had a better chance getting through them. He continued his way, the corpse dragging behind him and Roy continuing to follow after he recovered from the shock. There in front of him, a knight turned his attention to him as he approached them.

Dayle narrowed his eyes at the knight, all the while grinning. The rest of his companions are busy with the other gladiators, and there was only one of them going against him. "Rabid beast, huh?" A manic smile turned his eyes crescent, as he prepared himself "See how this beast beat you to a bloody pulp!" He swung his arm with all of his might, throwing the body that he had been dragging along towards the knight.

Without missing a beat, Roy took the left flank and hunched down to step forward, using the flying corpse as a distraction. His eyes widened as his focus congregated into one objective: to neutralize. Using his momentum, he thrust forward with a precision unexpected from a mook of the underbelly. (Basic Swordsmanship)

Dayle followed behind, covering Roy's upper area and readied himself to deflect any blows that would come to harm them. Hot red aura enveloped him as he became the shield protecting his subordinate. (Can't Touch This)


Abilities Invoked:

Dayle:
[CD | 0 Post] Can't Touch This: Fighting Style [Dreadnaught] F, Nope [Deflect] F, Fighting Style [Bonebreaker] F, Hellhound [Aura] F| Dayle uses his aura to clad his body in palpable heat. This aura physically manifests as a protective film around his body, allowing him to deflect non-magical attacks.

Roy:
[CD | 0 Post] Basic Swordsmanship: Fighting Style [Windrider] F, Swiftness [Accurate] F| Their skill in swordsmanship allows them to hit foes faster than themselves, and thus have an advantage over similarly skilled opponents.

Mentions: Shatter Shard Skyhunter