Fantasy Well of Wishes | Main IC | [Closed]

[Mook-LandStrider]

Amal

The trip through the sewers was far less enjoyable than she would have liked, the dark disgusting corridors made her want to puke and the fact that the gunk could get on her was abhorrent. She managed to push the concept of getting covered in filth out of her mind before coming upon a ladder leading up and out of the horrific situation she had found herself in. She looked to the others around her and despite her initial instinct of just fleeing for her life she felt somewhat compelled to stay. With a sigh and a mental push, she willed herself up and through the hole. Now on the surface, she let out a huge sigh, relief washing over her. "Oh by the gods am I so happy to be out of that horrific disgusting network." She half screamed.

Pushed her wings out she unfurled them completely, her wingspan quite large compared to her small frame. "I am so ready to get out of here and never look back. To think this all started because some asshole cut me." She hissed out towards the end. "Should have fixed it myself." She continued on half talking to herself now. Realizing she wasn't alone after slipping into her own little world she looked to Pozou, her current charge. Unable to bring herself to leave him in his current state she looked to the others and realized she was stuck with them for at minimum the time being.

The sounds of fighting then reached her ears and it made her cringe, she was never a fighter and more a leader or chirurgeon. Despite the feelings of wanting to avoid it she heard Pozou speaking and knew that he wasn't just going to sit around and rest as he should be. Tucking her wings back in she turned to him and stared "You cousin are going to take it easy. It took a lot to reattach that hand and I feel the strain the magic put on my body already. Let alone the fighting below." She half commanded him. "Though I can help fight even if I don't really want to, perhaps aiding the wounded would be a better option?" She asked looking to Lucien unsure of what he would rather her do.

Fred Colon Jet Arcanist Sarahspn EldridSmith Taigakitt

​

 

[Anne Boolean]

Master Elizabeth​

As Elizabeth was getting past the annoyance of her exchange with the forest elf, her attention was taken by the sound of metal clanging, blows landing, and screams echoing from within the church walls. Her theory was some of their enemies made their way past the group while they were struggling with the dragon and once again felt annoyance towards the group trying to leave. The negative feelings would be energy misplaced though, she decided, and instead focused on clearing the mess taking place within the church walls.

"If those are rats, I don't want to begin thinking of what caused them to deform in such a way..." the woman muttered. Her eyes widened slightly as Luka went over to stomp one moments after Tallis had told everyone to keep their distance. "Wait! Don't approach them! You don't know what their blood could do to your skin!" As much as she wanted to ensure the well-being of the brash apprentice, others' well-beings were at stake too. The white orb in her hand allowed her to channel kinetic magic to push those attacking their group away with a blast. "Remember, these are still innocent people, even if they're attacking us! Attack to immobilize or impair, not kill!" Amad popped into her head, and she could only imagine how devastated Tallis would be, along with herself, if anything happened to him. Certainly all these people who were possessed were beloved to someone.

Elizabeth found herself smiling at the orders Luka gave to the other apprentices as well as the energy he radiated which seemed to raise the morale of those allied with him. "If he had asked to leave with a plan in mind and other apprentices by his side earlier I would have been able to put my faith in his safe return," she commented to Tallis. "He's clearing a way to your office upstairs. Let's go get your orb and protect the apprentices. It seems after we may need to go on the offensive and reclaim the town, as they infiltrated our safehold."

For any of the stray insidiators scuttling around them, she shot down icicles, sharp and quickly formed by the white orb, piercing through the creatures. When more possessed townspeople approached from in front, Elizabeth sent forth a strong blast of wind to push them away.

Interactions: Hubyr ( Taigakitt ), Luka ( Jet ), Tallis ( BriiAngelic )

 

[Jet]

​

Ayana relaxed when the monster focused on the firestarter — whoever that was. She wasn't sure who the demon meant, but their distraction gave her much-needed time to channel mana, forcing it through her hands as Lorrin shouted across the street.

Ayana looked down from her rooftop, "I'm coming! Wait up!" She held her unfinished spell in one hand; with the other she grabbed the rooftop's wall and stepped over. From her precarious perch she sought a way down without needing both hands, settling on a canvas awning over a café. "What could go wrong," she whispered, holding her breath before jumping down. Her pulse spiked as she speared towards the awning, but her plan went without a hitch. She bounced from the canvas like a rubber ball, landing on the ground with a small grunt. From there she sprinted across the street and barged into the store, meeting Lorrin with a thin smile.

"Human cities are like stone agility courses, so many routes to take," she clamped her hands together to continue her spell, "So what's your plan? Do these stores sell enchanted gear?"

Pik Arcanist Anne Boolean Taigakitt Sarahspn BriiAngelic

 

[Anne Boolean]

Celestine Oceania​

The syphid did her best to swat away the insidiators as they approached, but was only managing to defer her impending doom by mere seconds. As one got particularly close to her head, she unfortunately opened her mouth to let out a gasp. Before it could jump in and take over though, it was pinned down to the ground with a knife piercing through it. The Princess looked up to see her savior: Gwen, the one who she had worked with to escape the cave in with.

When the mage offered her some energy, her immediate response was shaking her head, though by that point Gwendolyn had already started the transfer. In the few moments it took, the undersea princess sat in confusion over her own actions. Surely before today she would have hastily agreed if a land dweller was willing to make a sacrifice for her. In this case though, not only did she believe the other woman would make better use of it, but also, after what injuries she had sustained in the cave in, Celestine also worried about the state she would be in without it.

To her surprise, it seemed that Gwen was mostly fine after the spell, and even went on to attack another one of the creepy-crawlies nearby. Pulling herself back up to her feet, she looked to Valentine when they once again spoke.

"Yes. ... thank you," she responded before returning her attention to the situation at hand. "A bright light..." She had caught bits and pieces of the conversation going on around her while she was prone and had been able to infer their plan. "A large lumen spell would certainly be the most accessible, but..." She took a look at Gwen, Ayana, and then looked down to her own hands. "I'm not so certain we're all in the best shape to pull that off." There would also need to be an attack after the initial distraction. Not many people would be left in the group for that if the three focused on casting. "How sure are you of your blade?" she asked. "We would need you and Lorrin to strike true if we casted, as we would only have one chance to take it down."

Interactions: Gwen ( Sarahspn ), Valentine ( Arcanist )
Mentions: Ayana ( Jet ), Monster ( Taigakitt ), Lorrin ( Pik )

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Jane looked to Daisy as she spoke. “You know as much as I do. Rose, Pozou, and I were kidnapped from the lodge. Sadly, the mean guy was dragged along with us.” She flicked her eyes towards Kadar, her face falling into a frown. “I did notice that the creepy crawlies avoid water. Those little critters hate it.” She laughed as she turned her gaze back to the church.

The large shadow monster had left her field of vision and she took in a sharp breath before turning to her sister. Rose met her eyes and thought for a moment. “It’s saltwater that they don’t like.” She said, thinking back to the image of the crawler foaming in the water. She watched Liam approach and let out an exasperated sigh before walking away towards Lucien.

Rose nodded to Lucien as he thanked them for the weapons and she looked to Pozou. “If you feel you must stay, I gladly appreciate it. Dark waters lie ahead and I don’t plan to go down without a fight.” She turned her gaze towards the church. She heard Tammond and Kadar leave them and she slightly smiled. Kadar was an annoying son of a bitch, but she liked his attitude. As much as he got on her nerves, she wouldn't mind him staying around.

The brunette smiled at Liam and looked back at the church. “I think I should stay to fight. Maybe some of our friends are in the fray. Can’t let them defeat evil alone.” She said, taking out the broadsword from her sheath.

“Jane. Let’s go.” Rose said as the group began walking. Jane looked to her and nodded. “You heard her, Liam.” She said, taking off behind her sister.

Rose unsheathed her dual swords and the sisters followed Luciens lead. As they drew closer to the fight, the sounds of battle became clear. The two crouched behind a table as the front gate of the church came into view. Jane caught sight of Celestine and Gwendolyn in the front yard with a person they didn’t recognize. Rose followed her eyes and saw the group as well as the crawlers surrounding them. “I’m going in. Watch my back.” Rose said, standing up. Jane nodded and followed Rose as they ran down the street.

Gwendolyn sunk her knife into the body of a crawler and stood to her feet. She turned to Celestine and gave her a smile. “Of course. I can’t help with offense on the magic side, but I can fight fairly well if I don’t put too much weight on my foot.” She said, letting out a nervous laugh. Hisses could be heard approaching behind her and she grabbed her staff off of her back. Turning around, she swung at two crawlers near her, sending them flying. One hit a wall with a splat and Gwen surveyed the area. Crawlers were quickly surrounding them and she bit her lip.

The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard and she turned to see the pirate sisters approaching. As they ran up to them, Gwen gave them a small smile. “Welcome to the party.” She said before stabbing a crawler through the head with her staff. “Hi, Gwendolyn! Hi, Celestine! Hi, stranger! We’re here to help.” Jane said, returning the smile. Rose nodded to Gwen before turning towards the crawlers. Without hesitation, she began slashing at the monsters, cutting off legs, antennae, and heads. Rose turned to Celestine and let out a huff. “Can you conjure water? Saltwater to be more precise?” She asked, looking behind her shoulder every now and then to keep watch from the creatures. “Rose thinks saltwater is their weakness. They seemed to avoid it in the sewers.” Jane said in between attacks.

Gwendolyn listened as the sisters spoke and stopped for a moment. She thought back to the demon in the cavern and how it floated above the water, almost refusing to touch the salty death trap. She cursed herself for wasting her energy on an explosive spell and not paying attention to its weaknesses. Taking a deep breath she continued stabbing and striking the creatures. She had cleared the area around her and she stood straight, looking towards the cracked doors of the church. She could hear a battle going on inside its walls and bit her lip. The familiar image of Leónes face came to mind and she felt a tug at her heart. Taking a step towards the doors, she stopped herself. She had her own fight to win and knew they would find each other soon. Turning back to her group, she eased the weight off her foot and leaned against her staff. "What's the plan?" She asked, trying to hide the worry in her face.

Taigakitt Jet Anne Boolean Arcanist Pik EldridSmith Mook-LandStrider Fred Colon

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Aedzel Phriln

Aedzel had bid farewell to Helena. She had hardly spoken to the woman since she joined their group but still she was leaving her child and the Quetzola knew what it was like to be alone with no family. "You all take care, and most importantly come back to your daughter." If she was overstepping she didn't realize but she could never stand to see a child become an orphan like her.

She took one of the horses by the rein. He was calm and gentle to someone he barely knew, something Aedzel was glad for as she wouldn't know how to handle a wild horse. She was quick to put Gwendolyn's bag at the back and get herself up. Giving the animal a caress to help deepen their newfound friendship.

Only a frown was present on Aedzel as she watched the woman leave. There really wasn't much she could say to change Gwendolyn's mind, nor was she the type to force someone against their own free will. She followed Amalia, letting the horse trudge beside the cart. She kept taking a glance at Roland, she was worried but voicing that out could only worsen things. Amalia had even made a point, hopefully, that was enough.

"I'm don't really remember the name of the place we're supposed to go next." She said with creased brows, "But I remember that we were going east. I think we'll have to go a little farther from town and hope that everyone catches up to us. Right, Amalia?"

mention: || interaction: Anne Boolean BriiAngelic

 

[Jet]

​

The monster laughed. It's roaring cackle shook windows as he reared back and grinned. "You scurry like rats! Ha! Don't fret little ones, I'll keep three of you alive. My garden needs new flowers!" He hissed and pulled arrows from his burned chest, lowering his head as his mouth opened like a snake's. Then he started to inhale, inflating himself until he looked like a giant balloon. "Playtime's over little rats!" He punched his limbs into the ground, anchoring himself as he pointed his face at Lorrin's store.

There was a moment of pure silence. The monster grinned, black teeth shining in the twighlight. Then he condensed to normal size and released a pressurized air stream that ripped through the street. First it punched through the storefront's window, sending glass and random debris at Lorrin and Ayana. But the demon didn't stop there. Instead he turned and targeted Helena with high speed wind. "But a taste of my power little rats, now for the others," he ripped his limbs from the ground, cracking earth as he faced the courtyard.

"You cruel humans, murdering my precious saviors in cold blood! You will pay in pounds of sweet flesh!" He reached his hands out, grimacing as boney spines emerged from his arms. There were dozens of them, each sharp as a blade and tipped with purple sludge. "Die vermin!" The spines shot from his skin, spearing towards the group like a volley of arrows.

(Directly interacts with)

Pik Arcanist Sarahspn Anne Boolean BriiAngelic

(In view of)

EldridSmith Fred Colon Mook-LandStrider

 

[Lost Echo]

Korina/Kuma

Escaping the Cave In|to the Lodge|then fleeing Stone’s Throw
April 20th, time’s weird with demons
BriiAngelic (Ro) Anne Boolean (Amalia) Colorless Spectrum (Aedzel) Arcanist (Valentine)
Looks like herself, with black scabbed marks covering her body​

The relief from her shower was followed by the creatures seeming to sizzle. Was it that which turned the tide? Or had something else? Either way, the creatures’ numbers thinned quickly until only the monster remained. Korina absorbed the water on her skin, a part of her grimacing at the salted taste--did she absorb any of their spit?--as her attention focused on the Crazed's response. Her mind caught the words: save those they liked...did they kill those they did not? Like the woman--who’d held her s--before? And then they turned into more of these things?

The arrival of others (did she know them?) was heralded with a bursting light, on par with (who’s?) sun. Its heat burned her skin, as others’ attacks followed. Korina moved to cover the first mage. Though their spell was devastating (and yet somehow ineffective) the woman was clearly out of energy. Her ice attacks joined the short one's while the knight urged the woman to flee with the others, including Korina’s charges. A burst of lightning caused her to shiver in (which?) memory. The old man (did he come from down there?) called a rallying cry, following it with a flame of his own.

But the creature. It showed no pain. Its body was a broken mess; the amputated arm held by the other, its torso melted and concave, relieving bones and organs, all of them disturbing and unfamiliar. But nothing. There were no cries of pain, flinches, changes in demeanor. Even its damn hat stayed untouched. Even as it fled, its giggle echoed after it disappeared. No sound followed to imply it reached the chamber below (like the splash and crunch of the woman (Freya’s) body.) Instead, it just disappeared. As if it could reappear at any time, anywhere.

Korina’s charges (who hadn’t fled?! Lady Sybilla seemed sane.) rushed to the fallen mage’s side. While her mother was distracted, Lady Dorothea approached the deformed creatures. Unfitting of a woman of her stature (why did that not surprise her?) she ripped her dress, using it as a makeshift rope to drag a corpse with them.

They reached the surface to twilight. A part of Korina knew she wasn’t thinking well, but the passage of time should not have been so stark. Did the monster warp time as it seemed to do space? Her eyes scanned the rubble of the town, smashed like a child’s toy after a tantrum. But there weren't any bodies. No one wandered the streets looking for friends or aid. At Lady Ro’s comment, Korina murmured, “Everyone went to the church.” Korina remembered watching those in the hospital file out orderly after the quake (or was it something else?)

It was the archer’s suggestion to split up, though Korina approved of his unwillingness to go alone. He went with the other able-bodied warriors while she, of course, stayed with her charges heading to the lodge with a few of the others.

When Lady Sybilla separated from the group, Korina understood the implicit command to watch over her pup. The crafty kit was gathering supplies from all the rooms. After collecting her own, she greeted her lady’s return, automatically checking the horses. While she assured them they were leaving the town--her lady was very forceful to convince them to enter further into the town. She was so strong. Their fear cut through Kum-Korina, the pain worse than the charred marks that refused to move, catching and-. Quickly, efficiently but with less care than she ever had before, (wait, they aren’t slaves!) she forced a calm state on the horses. They would be more obedient, with their instincts dampened. She did not remove them all--they were right to fear, but they would be leaving soon anyway.

Except for her lady. Her heart was so kind, but Ku-Korina was split. She could not protest as her daughter did, but she wanted to go with her--no, she wanted her to remain. She even recognized the stupidity of those who went to the church. Still, Korina would protect her pup in her stead. She would do her duty.

With Lady Dorothea safe in the cart, Korina decided to join her. For a pup needed more than just protection from harm in times like these. Korina rested her shoulder against her charge, keeping a steady pressure. She could not presume to comfort her further without her agreement.

Then Gwendolyn decided to go too? There was stupidity and then there was suicide. She was leaking blood from her leg, having to use her impressive medical staff as another leg. She did not even plug it. Why did she court the Ronnag’s judgment? Was the man (that she’s known for what, a week?) already dead in her mind? Leone… “Foolish, I could have just asked Nezu-”

Kuma gave a choked gasp, her head falling forward. With that automatic reaching, the stretch that was so natural to her, the persona broke and the bond burst open. While useful in creating a singular focus, causing one task to be prioritized above all others, they are never meant to last. A bondmate knew the other completely, and no mask could conceal them. But with all their training, the bondmate was supposed to be there, right there to support the flood of information, of self. Instead, while the events sank deep within her, the fear, the grief drowning her, Nezumi was trapped in a flood herself. It took Kuma a moment to realize it was literally a river of water, Nezumi was rushing through, her body held in a tight grasp as the roaring current buffeted all her senses. Kuma twisted in her corner of the cart, her oki seeming to flap as she desperately sorted through everything.

What felt like an eternity to surface from was likely less than a minute, for she pushed down the emotions of before, instead she focused on the exchange of events. Nezumi did not know exactly what happened in the tunnels, so the two of them attempted to piece together what her senses told her.

Kuma’s head lifted at Ro’s voice. Gods, what a strong pup. “I regret that my apathy kept me from learning.” Something she would fix once they regrouped. “While we’ll be safer the further on we go, perhaps we should keep the town within sight of at least one of us.” She reached over placing her hand on Ro’s shoulder, squeezing gently, her eyes attempting to convey comfort. She would offer her cuddles the next time they slept.

She wanted to rush back to Nezumi. Even if she had no idea how to get to her. Their bond was metaphysical, she could not simply follow its direction to her side. Still, with each loaf of distance, the separation hurt. She had to be practical. At least tell the others some of what she knew.

“Leone, Yo, and Stone are…” her hesitation made it obvious she was choosing the correct word, “currently unharmed. They met three who claimed they were trapped in the church. Their escape caught the attention of two of the master mages, like those in Whaleshell. Those in our group were able to avoid detection at first, but then Kiel came...with? On? Some sort of monster.”

Nezumi said it smelled of twisted magic and the others referred to it as a dragon, but that would have been insane. “Kiel was under the control of these umbuagwe. The others managed to subdue him without damaging him. The fighting collapsed the tunnel, and while most of our group remained together, I do not know Vaaltari’s state.”

Her eyes flicked to Ro, “He is strong though. Matunga are much sturdier than humans.” Returning to the others she continued, “They destabilized the cave network, causing one of the rivers to burst through. They were flushed deeper underground. Ending at what might be the source of these creatures. Or it is just one of multiple rifts.” She took a moment to review what she’d said, before remembering an important part. “Somehow in the flood, Kiel broke free of the creature’s control. Or at least suddenly became better at faking normal.”

 

[Arcanist]

Valentine
Mentions: Taigakitt (Creature)| Interactions: Anne Boolean (Celestine), Sarahspn (Gwen/Sisters) ​

As more of the Crawlers had started to surround them, Valentine had been doing their best to slice and dice at the wriggling creatures. The very thought of one worming its way into their mouth was a nightmare they didn’t want to see come alive. They’d already had terrible dreams of bugs crawling into their mouth before…he was pretty sure one did as they slept on the ground while travelling.

Though, that nightmare seemed as if it could have become a reality with one shooting straight towards Celestine. Though before they could turn and look on in horror, Gwen had struck where they could not. Valentine let out a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness…” They weren’t as quick as they had thought they were, even at such a high stamina.

By then, Jane and Rose arrived, two women whom Valentine had no prior interaction with. “Ah! Some aid! Much appreciated,” they smiled at the two women, before listening to what they had to say about the monster. ‘Saltwater? Its weakness?’ What an odd weakness. Then again, they had no reason to not to believe the two sisters’ words.

And they had to stop this monster, and quickly, for it would destroy this town and its inhabitants.

Valentine looked back to the syphid, then looked down to their blade, gripping it tightly. “If I can find the right spot to strike true, then yes,” they nodded. They weren’t entirely confident. But they’d be damned if they show that on their faces. "If there is enough going on to distract its senses, then we should have no problem gaining the upper hand."

Out of the corner of their eye, Valentine saw the purpled spikes being flung towards the group, after just hearing the monster's declaration. "Get down!" Valentine warned, only barely pushing the first person near them - Rose - out of the way of the oncoming spikes. Though, even as they tried to get down, they found a spike had caught their arm on the way past, tearing into the thespian's costume and subsequently, some of their arm too.

 

[Taigakitt]

Stone and Yo​

Stone fell into thought at Kiel’s words about what the creepy crawlies do.

Not something I’ve heard of before.

The weakness was a strange one, but he took it to mind. Licking his lips, he could taste the saltine water from which they were soaked by, so if Kiel was indeed possessed, then that would make sense.

Flicking one of the metallic pylons near the rift, it rang softly in the cavern. To him, they seemed strange with how they were organized around the tear in space. Under his breath, he mumbled, “First age..?”

His tail swished in the air, flinging salt water to the ground.

“We need to get it closed.”

Yo wrung her hair out with her hands. She felt chilled to the bone now; soaked with salt water and still underground with the type of silken clothes she wears? Chilly. She fixed her sleeve back over her shoulder as she looked over at the Momerki, “Any thoughts on how to close a hole in the air?”

“We can try breaking one of these posts. I’m not strong enough to just break metal though. Leone and Sigurd, do you think you are able?”

Mentions: Jet BriiAngelic Anne Boolean ​

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Helena Lis || Human War Cleric

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  In Fireworks Distance ( Taigakitt Jet Pik )
  

  ~ Scrambling about Town ~
  Tartaglia Phase 3 || Helena's CS File
  
  Great and now its attention was on her. With her luck it would be able to keep track of the battle with ease even fighting on three separate fronts. She skid to a stop to catch her breath and get another glance at the fight before her. In the distance, she saw the glint of flaming arrows. Now there was a thought…
  
  Sure archery had never been her strong suit but it was better than being a sitting duck. Her knives wouldn’t do anything and she had long past the days where she carried a blade, not that she would ever want to get that close to this monstrosity. Now… where was that weapons shop again?
  
  She took to her feet again rushing past the abandoned storefronts. It might have been a moment since she’d traveled to the town but Stone’s throw was never too far from her mind. She made another sprint forwards but soon found herself being slammed against the brick of a building.
  
  It had found her already. How? Was it truly that aware of this town? Just what fueled its senses? Sound? No that wasn’t right she would have been found instantly if that were the case. Scent? Well, she’d be a sitting duck then as the smell of chemicals was never far from her skin. Sight? Perhaps but did it really find her so quickly?
  
  Speculation was to be done on the run unfortunately as she pushed herself off the wall and continued into the building. It was a dreary old building, one that had been a frequent of the other clergy, something about privacy drew them. She knew the old man had plenty of weapons though and she went straight for the cheaper priced ones. She didn’t need any fancy weaponry when she didn’t even know the majority of the basics. If it shot it was good enough.
  
  If they were searching for a firestarter then she would just need to set it all ablaze. She grabbed a quiver, arrows, a standard longbow, sulfur, nitrate, and hollowed out casings she would need. With a wince, she threw the quiver on her bruised up back attacking it to the pack she carried.
  
  She had scarce enough time to prepare two let alone more if she wanted to avoid being found again. She set one of the prepared down and lit it before running again in the opposite direction not stopping even as she heard the boom in the background.
  

 

[Pik]

Lorrin Yumi

Jet Taigakitt BriiAngelic

"I suppose that would be the case for a forest drawer, but nothing of the enchanted verity more like the oldest form of destruction known to man. I think it might have a slight weakness to fire so if we wrap our arrows in cloth and light them on fire like so." The bow charged the arrow sending it towards the creature's chest as soon as it referred to them as 'Rats', the creature would hiss indicating that it must have hurt, something that left a slight smirk on Lorrin's face. "And like that, I think we have our weakness now w ..... look out!" He would quickly grab ahold of Ayana moving her to the side as debris hit Lorrin's backside and scraped at his face leaving a few scraps on his face. Lorrin would quickly get off of Ayana letting her recover on her own looking at his reflection in the broken glass Lorrin would bite his lip in anger, okay now it's personal. And not even a second later he would have to be dogging again from some sort of magic arrows leaving more scrapes around his body. "That's it I've had it!" Lorrin would hand over some cloth to Ayana "Start shooting where burring this thing to the ground." And it was likely out of sheer anger or maybe just skill, no probably anger that he mange to light another arrow as quickly as he did but he stood right up and pointed it at the creature. "Oh you want cruel ill show fucking cruel I don't care how much you beg after this I'm burning you until there is nothing left!" He's not even making sense at this point. The bow would charge its light shooting the fire arrow right into the creature's face. "GO TO HELL!"​

 

[Jet]

​

Ayana nodded along as Lorrin explained his plan. His idea made sense, and she was about to agree when intense wind smashed through the storefront. Her eyes widened as glass, rocks and wood splinters whooshed towards her, but Lorrin was faster. He blocked her with his body, pushing her down while wind ripped through the room.

"Lorrin you..." she stood and rushed to his side, eyes wide when she examined his wounds. "You're bleeding," she rummaged through her pouch for ointment, but when she looked up he was back to business. He tore through fabric and wrapped arrow after arrow, determined rage on his face. "Start shooting, we're burning this thing to the ground," he said, heading outside to shoot the demon.

"I'll shoot once my spell's cast," Ayana accompanied him, extended her hands and launched her lumen spell. It streaked through the air, stopped over the demon and released a blinding burst of light. "Thats my last sizeable spell, I pray it wasn't wasted," she notched an arrow and snapped, sparking it ablaze with magic. Then she fired with a grunt, hoping Lorrin was right about the monster's weakness.

Interacts with Pik (Lorrin) Taigakitt (Monster)

In the area

Sarahspn Arcanist Anne Boolean BriiAngelic

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Tallis Sideris || Stone’s Throw Master Mage

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Luka ( Jet ) Elizabeth ( Anne Boolean )
  
  Somewhere coming up:
  Hubyr ( Taigakitt ) Vaal ( The Regal Rper )
  

  ~ The Church ~
  Threonine [Branched]
  
  He saw the full force of his apprentices holding back the mobs protecting what little was left of their once homey town. It was hellish watching the cold blank faces of their neighbors trying to lead them all to ruin. He let loose a ball of flames at the creatures as several of them fled. It was no proper scorching ray, he’d never studied well in the art of fire, but it was enough to harm.
  
  He didn’t want to leave the other mages behind to hold their own, even if they were just townsfolk they faced the nature of possession made their jobs much harder as they had to weigh their own lives versus their own kin, their own neighbors. He knew he couldn’t as Luka went running onto the frontlines only to wind up swarmed.
  
  Before he could dispel his flames to try to give Luka some measure of protection his beloved was already on it separating the hoard from him. He let out a sigh of relief as Elizabeth continued to show her support for Luka. He’d really done well, even if that hotheaded streak would remain.
  
  “Yes, he’s becoming a man in his own time… what bliss the fearlessness of youth brings. They won’t fall without a fight, their will is too strong. Now let’s remind them why we’re the masters.”
  
  As he nodded to the boy he gave one last shout before following Elizabeth to Luka that trailed off into a whisper before he left.
  
  “Go on boy! You wished to protect your town! Make us proud…”
  
  He fell into line with Elizabeth as she fought with ice and wind responding back with his own wind and the twisting of earth and marble. As she pushed them back he worked to cage them. He wouldn’t give up on his town, not while he lived.
  
  “Just a bit further now.”
  
  
  

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Sigurd Stellan Rask || Human Schoolmaster Mage

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Leone ( Jet ) Kiel ( Anne Boolean ) Stone/Yo ( Taigakitt ) Nezumi ( Lost Echo )
  

  ~ By the Rift~
  Lysine || Sigurd's CS File
  
  Sigurd couldn’t bear to look any longer. This call’s gate was disgusting, it was unguarded and fed the blood of innocents. The cruelty had spilled over and caused the havoc they now dealt with. As a Drauttir he was appalled by the blatant ignorance of whoever had been slowly expanding this call. What was done could never be undone.
  
  “How many locals? I couldn’t tell you. I wasn’t around long enough to know the population of the town. But Myself and Hubyr were taken in by the Masters for protection along with the few escapees. If I had to say, I’d only imagine a few dozen townspeople are left. Though I’m not entirely sure how many were just passing through as we were. Nor do I know how accurate Sir Tallis was in identifying the... changed?”
  
  He listened to the Catfolk speak wondering how often the Centosians would find the offering’s calls. The boy came in again with his knowledge. It was strange to hear of their aversion to saltwater of all things but he was of an isle that always carried the beating of saltwater at it’s coast. Perhaps that is why the Islanders were left undisturbed.
  
  Yet he was broken from his musings as Stone spoke of closing the call by breaking the posts. It was unorthodox but he doubted with how twisted this had become the usual method would close the call. He walked forwards and touched the post feeling the earth below it trying to pull at it with his will.
  
  He could use Earth magic but it would be ineffective, he would bring down one but the other would need to come down at the same time.
  
  “I could bring one down with earth if you trust your ability to time things well enough to slip out. Or I could hack away at one with my ax and it will take longer but still be possible.”
  
  

 

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: EldridSmith (Liam), Fred Colon (Daisy) | Interactions: Mook-LandStrider (Amal), Jet (Lucien), Sarahspn (Rose)
(credit to @letoyga! for this commission!)​

Plans were starting to formulate. Tammond needed to get his ship ready to sail, and Kadar was one of the volunteers to help set it up. He’d have helped but his services would prove more useful here. Pozou did glance to Amal with a sheepish smile. “Though I’m grateful for your help, and I know it’s taken quite a lot out of both of us, you especially…I don’t want to become a liability.” He admitted, though, added, “All in moderation, however. I promise not to push myself, Amal.”

Pozou also smiled at Rose and nodded. “Of course. Though, I don’t intend for anyone to go down today, understood?” He had almost ordered Rose, though, it came with a determined smile.

Upon Lucien’s instruction that he stick behind Lucien, he nodded, glancing down to his less than optimal functioning hand. “I’ll utilise my skills where I can…” He’d be glad to get away from this town, to earn a good, long rest once they travelled again…

Somehow, the screams didn’t frighten him or make him freeze as much as they should have. Somehow, he felt his senses dull with everything going on around him. It was just…background noise, added on top of the chaotic noise already. Again, them just jumping back into the fray, like Daisy said.

As Jane and Rose ran on ahead, he wondered if they would find saltwater above the surface to deal with these creatures. He doubted it. It would be harder to poke their weak spots in that case.

 

[EldridSmith]

As Liam listened to everything going on he turned to see spikes flying towards the sisters as they approached the fight to help. He quickly sprung onto action and slithered over to where they were to intercept the spikes, thankfully the shield trinket stopped them before powering down, seemingly out of energy. He wished they left with the others, but he was going to protect her so Liam heft the shields he grabbed and charged at the black creature hoping to slam against it pushing it into a wall or something similar. He didn't know much about the creature, and he was hoping it was something he could slam into as it's shadowy demeanor seemed to depict otherwise, still to protect Jane he would do what he had to. After this he was going to curl up into a ball by a fire, hopefully with Jane, and sleep for a lonnnng time.
Jet Sarahspn Taigakitt (and the others in the fight) (Sorry it's short I'm pretty tired)

 

[Taigakitt]

Hubyr​

The chaos was immense. It turned out that whatever the church was keeping out was not a disease but… the bug-like beasts that littered the church grounds. Hubyr had the luck to watch one crawl down somebody’s throat just as one launched at him. He swung his staff, feeling wood meet carapace as it went flying across the room, crunching against a pew.

The shout of the master mage Tallis grabbed Hubyr’s attention. As much as he wanted to get out of the confines of a building and into the open air of outside, he followed the direction. If there was anything he knew and could tell was that Tallis possessed immense magic capabilities and not listening could spell him getting caught in something he wouldn’t want to be.

Rushing to the upper banister, it was soon revealed what Tallis had planned as those six-legged monsters became encased, unable to possess anyone else. But what to do with those that had been gagged and grabbed by them?

As much as the issue wasn’t his, this issue wasn’t disease related. This issue was monster related and putting down beasts was his specialty. Literally, it was his job back home, and he was good at it.

Hubyr covered their backs as they moved.

A shatter of stained glass reached his pointed ears and he just barely managed to jump back before some type of spike impaled him, embedding instead into the wall.

“Something is going on outside as well!”

He turned to briefly look, one to make sure he didn’t get hit by another, and two to see what was going on.

What he saw was a massive, black monster, bigger than the underground dragon, sporting four arms.

Fire went flying towards it, though he couldn’t quite tell what the fire accompanied, if anything. He cursed under his breath, “I’m going to make my way outside instead. That looks like… more trouble and you guys can handle things in here.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he ran on his way out, using his enhanced strength buff from his mother’s side of the family, throwing people literally out of his way or using his staff if there was more than one.

Once outside in the courtyard, he spotted more of those gross, eyeless, six-legged beasts.

“Alright fuckers, you gonna die quietly so we can move on with our lives?”

On Hubyr went to deal with the Insidiators outside, though he was trying to get an eye on who was attacking the monster that seemingly had not spotted him yet. Or, at least, wasn’t interested in him.

Interacted With: Tallis ( BriiAngelic ), Elizabeth ( Anne Boolean ), Luka ( Jet )
In Scene: Monster fight ( Arcanist EldridSmith Pik Sarahspn )​

 

[Jet]

Leone
BriiAngelic Anne Boolean Taigakitt Lost Echo
​

Leone placed his hands on his hips and leaned back. "A few dozen left..." he shook his head, eyes dimming as he scanned the room. "We save who we can, worrying about the dead's a fools errand. I only wish we'd arrived sooner to help." Leone approached the nearest pylon. It was made from polished metal without rivets or welds, and from its pointed top an energy beam connected to the portal. "No I can't break this, but covering its top could sever the connection."

Leone looked to Sigurd. "That'd be easier than destroying it... I'll see what I can do about that one," he pointed at another pylon, one of three surrounding the rift. Then he kneeled down, palms to the ground with a focused look on his face. "I'm going to cover it with ice," he said, gathering water from the ground. It slowly amassed into a sphere above his head, and with a wave he sent it at the pylon. It enveloped the relic with a splashing sound, freezing as Leone slowed its molecules to a standstill. "Perfect," he nodded as the energy beam died out, unable to breach the dense layer of ice.

Lucien
Arcanist Fred Colon Mook-LandStrider
​

Lucien wasn't as fast as the ones who charged in. His approach was more methodical, observing the monster as it fired wind gusts and spines. "Where in the hell did this thing come from," he said, glancing to the Quetzolas with consternation. "I'm sure we'll have casualties, so even if you don't fight, your medical expertise will be appreciated." He looked to Daisy, "When we get close enough, attack with everything you have. We must end this decisively."

Lucien increased his pace and formed a spell between his hands. It was a condensed fire ball that would explode on impact — not the easiest spell ever made, but there was enough time on approach to make it well. "This'll do nicely," he said, preparing to shoot before Liam charged the demon.

"Or not, I'll save it for when he diseng—" he stopped when a blinding light burst over the demon's head. It made him wince and cover his eyes with his free hand. "Fantastic, as if my old eyes needed an extra push," he massaged his eyes, and when they recovered he reached his hands out, aiming his spell at the monstrous beast.

 

[Fred Colon]

Daisy nodded at Lucien. Things were disjointed, she didn't know what, exactly, was going on but that was alright. The monster needed to go down. No need to understand the whole situation to understand that. She spotted a few others she knew, and more she didn't in the courtyard. A blinding flash of light struck the creature, as a ball of coagulated flame tossed by Lucien. They could overwhelm this monster, she hoped.

But not everyone here seemed friendly, and she was glad she'd picked up clothes and armor from one of the nearby shops before they arrived. She didn't think it would help much against the monster, but if someone turned an arrow on her the studded leather would help more than the shift and breeze she'd been wearing since she'd been thrown in prison. She hadn't managed to find another bandanna however, so her twisted lips were still visible for all to see, all the more grim for the battle snarl she was making. But who cared, during a fight like this?

She didn't quite know the nature of this monster, so she did what she always did when she started a fight, which was to restrict her enemies movements. She grit her teeth, Geomancy on this scale simply harder to do without her focus, Somber. But the earth beneath the creatures feet cracked and shifted, shards of pointed earth. That done, she rushed to the side of the creature, away from the others who were casting ranged spells.

"Hail, beast!" She shouted, a spear of stone forming in her hand. She hefted it and tossed it at the creatures face, the spear piercing it's flank and, hopefully, harming it in some meaningful way.

Jet EldridSmith Arcanist Taigakitt Sarahspn

 

[Taigakitt]

Stone​

Stone pondered for a moment. Slipping out was something he was capable of doing.

Yo, maybe not, but she’s a tough girl.

As he was going to respond, Leone came up and mentioned that covering the top may be the more sensible route.

Perhaps that was the case, but Stone would have liked to destroy the artifacts to prevent future rifts.

The easier route was probably the best in this case. Maybe after their travels and they find what they wanted to find, Stone could come back and personally destroy it.

“With one injured, Leone makes a good point about trying the least… destructive path first.”

He nodded, stepping back, “Very well.”

Watching the ice cut off what seemed to be an energy flow, his whiskers twitched, his green eyes narrowing carefully as he stared down the tear in space, searching for any signs of a fluctuation.

It seemed to shudder, but that could have been a trick to the eye. Though, “could haves” get people killed.

“It seemed affected. We need to be very careful. If it expands or shrinks, we need to book it and get out of… some kind of range.”

Mentions: Jet BriiAngelic Anne Boolean ​

 

[Sarahspn]

​

As Gwendolyn faced the others, waiting for anyone to have an idea of what to do next, she saw purple spikes flying their way. Valentine took the words out of her mouth as she went to duck, hoping to avoid the sharp needles. At Valentines' shout, Rose turned her head, A spike was flying straight towards her and before she knew it, she was being pushed out of the way. Jane let out a yelp and covered her head but the spikes seemed to have missed her. Looking over her arms, she saw Liam in front of her, deflecting the incoming spikes. “Thank you Liam.” Jane breathed, looking around at the monster.

Rose stayed on the ground, waiting for all the spikes to land. She looked up and saw the person that pushed her was now injured. “I appreciate you but it was quite dumb of you to get yourself hurt in order to protect me,” Rose said, crawling towards Valentine. She grabbed their arm and looked at the wound. It wasn’t that deep but it was still bleeding profusely. Taking out one of her knives, she cut the sleeve of their costume and tied it around the cut. “I’ll buy you a new outfit.” She mumbled as she pulled the knot tight. Looking over to Jane she was relieved to see that Liam had protected her. She then turned to look at Gwen and Celestine. They seemed to be fine but looking closer, Gwen wasn’t moving.

Gwendolyn laid there, motionless as she caught her breath. Spikes had landed all around her but she managed to not get hit. Pushing herself off the ground, her face rested into anger. “I am sick of you and this town.” She whispered, looking towards the monster. As she stood, she used wind magic to lift the surrounding spikes out of the ground. They turned to aim towards the enemy and she balled her fists. One by one, the spikes shot towards the monster.

Jet EldridSmith Taigakitt Arcanist Anne Boolean

 

[Lost Echo]

Nezumi, Bonded Rat
Catacombs
April 20th, afternoon
Jet (Leone) Taigakitt (Yo and Stone) BriiAngelic (Sigurd and Skaldi) Anne Boolean (Kiel)​

Nezumi was drowning. Oh, the pocket of air she gasped in at the roar of the river could sustain her for minutes longer, and the cat (CAT!) was holding her securely, but her mind. The bond had reopened, burst open and the two of them were mixing together. It was hard to hold onto her sense of self. When she reached for her instincts, she was trapped, wanting to struggle even though she knew the cat was helping her. Kuma’s experiences flooded them both: the fear, the loss.

Nezumi’s own mixed in, but even without the torrent of new information, her own was scattered and confused. She had not dared fully enter the tunnel during the other’s fight, but the echoes and shouts were loud: spells, roars and crashes building on each other. Her sight was useless, flashes and darts of movement only serving to startle her. Even the scents were hard to filter beyond the sharp tang of Magic and the wrongness that made her want to flee. She likely would have, if she felt she could have escaped the room unharmed. She knew when blood was spilled, but not whose.

Instead, she focused mostly on the words. Kiel was attacking them? (And Kuma wanted him to be pack?) All the other two-leggers banded together, though some of them seemed to be the Inquisition that hunted them. Nezumi understood doing what’s necessary to survive. But Kiel...seemed to change. It reminded Nezumi of when someone with Kukumita’s power exerted their will on another. Nezumi was with her when Kuma learned how but had felt the disgust her Bonded felt at controlling the animals. It did not matter, Kukumita was merciless but all of his creatures shared his violent nature. They would always break free, for death was better than that.


The rat came back to herself, cradled in Kuma’s soul, apologies and concern buoying her. Shifting her body, she realized she was also cradled in Stone’s paw. She squirmed free of his grasp, squeaking when he neared the hole of wrong that cursed this Kul-damned town. Kiel, who was fixed, warned the cat of going too close. Though he still was too close for her comfort. She climbed to his vest, not wanting to get too close to his head--she knew how disorienting whiskers could be. She could smell the wrongness everywhere. Even if she might have preferred to comfort her ride--she could hear how the loss of the humans bothered him. Instead, she watched as he came up with a solution. She was so proud of him. If Kiel was pack, Nezumi was insisting her ride be too. Her nod flicked water from her whiskers as Kuma’s amused agreement filled her.

 

[Jet]

​

The monster grinned as white, incandescent light flashed over the street. "Pathetic, we have eyes everywhere," they turned and fired spines at Lucien's group, but the mage stopped them with a wind gust. "I'll keep the spines from hitting, keep up the attack!" He summoned another wind gust, stopping a second barrage before it landed.

Meanwhile, the demon roared in disbelief. There were too many opponents to deal with, too many nagging pains and cuts across their body. "Scaredy cats! Weaklings fighting by the dozen! How human of you," the monster grunted as Liam wrapped around their midsection, followed by spears from Daisy, slashes from the sisters, spines from Gwen, stabs from Valentine, and fire arrows from Lorrin and Ayana. The combined attack had the monster reeling, stumbling from the courtyard with flames on their back.

"FINALLY A CHALLENGE!" The monster reared back and ballooned up once more, pushing Liam away. "Little worms, your days are numbered. Your world will burn, your families will die to summon our lord. Their bones will build the steps to his throne, their skin the bindings of his lexicon. Even if you stop us there are others, we will never be defeated!"

The monster leaned forward, releasing another wind stream at the courtyard, but they were faltering. Their many wounds seeped white blood, their eyes grew weak and body grew small — but the wind stream was strong nonetheless. It cut through the courtyard, battering the group until fire arrows pierced their back again, creating an ample distraction.

That distraction was used by anyone who could still fight. Hubyr was one of them, rushing forward to assault the monster. He struck with his staff over and over again, dodging punches with nimble dashes and ducks.

"You're quick but not quick enough! We'll relish slaying you!" The demon cocked an arm and swung at Hubyr, but Amal and Celestine answered the call. They pounded the monster with strong vibrations and pressurized water, stopping the punch before it landed.

"ENOUGH!" The monster grew four extra arms and released a sharp squeal, summoning crawlers from every nook and cranny. From streets and alleyways they scurried towards the beast, leaping into and merging with their master. Though the demon's wounds weren't healed, their size grew until they loomed over the group.

"You should've allowed yourselves to be saved! To become one with the source, an honor your kind is unworthy of. Instead you will perish here... but corpses to feed the flowers," The demon punched into a building, pulling out handfuls of shattered stone. Then they leaned back and prepared to throw, but they suddenly stopped before attacking. "What? How!" They dropped the rocks as a low rumble coursed through the ground, sending cracks through the courtyard and into the street.

"The rift!" The monster kneeled and dug into the ground, ripping earth as they muttered "Therifttherifttherifttherift" over and over again. "Who's work is this!?" The monster desperately dug as Leone, Yo, Sigurd and Stone disabled the underground pylons. The ancient constructs couldn't feed the rift anymore, destabilizing the portal as it expanded out, pushing through the courtyard's ground. Then, like a dying star it collapsed inwards on itself, blinking out of existence.

The monster stood, looking over at the hole in the courtyard. "YOU! YOU WILL DIE FOR TH—" but they stopped when the merged crawlers faded from existence. The demon shrunk down without them, sputtering and stumbling as their power dwindled. "How close we were," the monster groaned, splitting into three ragged bodies — the Jester, Gambler and Thief. They were torn and tattered, weakened beyond belief with horrific wounds that poured florescent blood.

The Thief stood on shaky legs, "You cannot catch what you cannot see," they raised their hands and turned the sky pitch black, shrouding the streets in darkness. By the time anyone could make a lumen spell, the demons were long gone, vanished into nothingness. Then the darkness dissipated, bringing light to the streets of Stone's Throw.

And at last the enemy was defeated.

All around the city, civilians woke from their brainwashed slumber. They slowly gathered in the city center, and some approached the church. They sung praises to their unlikely saviors, and some gave rewards of fresh food and gold coins. The battle in the church ended too, and almost sixty people stumbled from the front door. Twenty were inquisition soldiers, but they weren't there to fight. Instead they sung the group's praises too. "I've never met such upstanding outlaws," one said, before collapsing to the ground from exhaustion.

Then there were the ones near the pylons. From below ground they'd hear what was happening, and Leone looked up shouting "Can someone pass us a line?" Someone did soon enough, bringing the underground group into the light.

Lucien watched the scene play out with a softened look on his stern face. It'd been too long since he'd done something heroic, decades even. "Attention please!" He shouted over the growing buzz, but there was too much noise. "Damnit to hell, as if I haven't used enough energy," he imbued his vocal chords with mana, increasing his volume as he shouted, "ATTENTION!" He cleared his throat, "There's a boat named Willowix in the harbor, she'll take us out of here so don't get too comfortable. It's only a matter of time before word reaches the church that we're here, so there's no time to waste. I'll search the town for everyone who's missing, until then, don't drink too much." He chuckled, heading away with a wave.

As luck would have it, he found Kuma, Roland, Aedzel and Amalia soon after leaving. "We're safe for now, everyone's at the church," he told them, but he didn't return to the church. There were still a few he needed to find.

 

[Taigakitt]

PAST Background Information Only; Nothing here to respond to!
Tags: BriiAngelic Pik Jet Mook-LandStrider Lost Echo Anne Boolean Sarahspn Arcanist Colorless Spectrum Fred Colon The Regal Rper ​

Drip. Cackle. Drip. Giggle.

The tunnels under the church were wet and cold. Some walls were just dirt. Others were walls of stone. The purpose of these tunnels would connect to the cemetery, but also serve as a catacombs for the town. The catacombs was an amazing place to the three smiling figures in one rather large cavern beneath. Their coloring was all black and dark gray. The only brightness was seen as pure white light in their eyes and mouth.

It was the largest cavern. There was a breeze, somehow. It was strange! In the back of the room, a visible shift in the air could be perceived.

“We see,” giggled the hooded dark face, fingering coins in a bag they carried.

“They arrive! Perfect timing for we,” cackled the jester hatted figure.

“Needed more! Provided more. We must take what is ours. Our town, after all,” snickered the one in the archery hat, as they played with a deck of cards.

The Jester spoke up again, “Some missed our judgement. We grab? In the alley! One went to the hospital. You, -” they pointed at the hooded figure, “-play doctor again?”

The Hooded nodded with a hum, “Yes yes. Doctor Cash time, yes.”

And thus, the two not playing Doctor, the Jester and the Dealer sent some possessions of theirs to collect the group in the alley.

As Hooded left through the cemetery, they no longer looked like a shadow version of themselves, but a persona they like to play: Doctor Cash.

~*~​

Within the hospital, though it took Doctor Cash no time at all, they entered through the back, their mask over their face, the scent of lavender encasing their being. They needed to play the part properly!

As they hung out in the back, one of their possessed men sauntered up, a bright smile plastered on his face. “We’ve got one waiting for you! All yours… Doctor.”

Doctor Cash removed the mask, a devilish smile creeping across their face. “Great. Gimme those coins,” they said as they snatched the bag from the man. Of course, the man gave no shits and went about their business as Doctor Cash fingers the coins within, feeling giddy. After getting a good whiff of beautiful gold, they set their expression to the proper “friendly doctor” and went into the lobby.

~*~​

Jester was laying on the stone flooring, leg over the other as it bobbed up and down to some unheard tune, “Doctor Cash nabbed one! Woh-hoh! Yes~ More for the portal! More for the rift!” As they exclaimed their delight, they extended their limbs up into the air before thudding to the ground as they cackled.

The amused gambler snickered into a hand of cards they held, “We’ll go pay them a visit~”

Jester tilted their head back, turning at an unnatural angle, “We gonna put on a face?’

The Gambler responded, “No no. They’ll be sacrificed soon. Besides, We prefer doing the chase versus the disguise. We know that~”

Jester rolled to their belly, kicking their feet back and forth in opposite tandem with each other, “Come back safe, Honey~!”

Up Gambler got, their cards disappearing in a puff of shadow as they turned heel and walked down a tunnel.

Once out of sight, Jester sighed loudly, the air getting colder around them, freezing dripping water. “We haaaaate guard duty! But it must be done! It must!”

~*~​

Earthshake!

The Jester sat up quickly, bright white eyes surveying the area. This place was safe. It would stay that way. They made sure of it. Hopping up to their feet, they looked at the rift in the middle of the room.

Stable.

They nodded and left the cave room with a hop and a skip, finding it a fun game to keep time with the water drips of the tunnel system, though the water closest to them was freezing over. Icicles crashed to the floor and shattered if they froze mid-fall.

On the way there, they passed a familiar face grasping a tied-up shopkeep named Amad.

“Oh! There you are Thief!” exclaimed the Jester.

The one referred to as “Thief” had the appearance of Doctor Cash and smiled, “Yes! We were told to expedite the plans. This one was damaged by a snake man, so we are going ahead and save them, so it works out.” Earlier, when “Doctor Cash” was running toward the church, they could hear the hive thoughts of Amad and changed course, picking them up but going a different route in the process. Everyone else was also starting to head in the direction of tunnels and sewers, ready to throw themselves into the rift as needed. The little Insidiators understand that it’s the bosses that come first in this world. They were helpful, and they can always come back through the rift anyway.

So off “Doctor Cash” and Jester went in opposite directions.

Thief, AKA Doctor Cash, went to the dark pulsing room that Jester came from and tossed Amad in, causing a rumble of light to alter the location.

Jester hopped and skipped through the tunnels, coming upon the lake that the others had waded through prior to get to the cells. They went to step onto the water, but instead of falling in, the water froze to their touch as they hopped and skipped to the tune of water droplets in the distance, getting closer to the accursed salt lake, where they lost one of their Insidiator’s hosts.

“Do we stay up, or go down~ Up down, up down~” They giggled and giggled again later, which is the giggle that Gwendolyn and company could hear. “We’ll go down!” They found a hole opened up and jumped right in, landing on top of water. Instead of splashing within saltine waters, they fell onto a frozen surface.

As Jester went off to do their thing, Thief had a snake to catch. With a giggle, they turned around and made way for where the shop hatch led out of.

~*~​

Garbled giggles down the tunnel bounced off the frozen, stoney walls. Hand-in-hand their hands swung between them, the Gambler (the guard from the cells), and the Thief (Doctor Cash) torn to pieces, skipping from the cell block, toward the rift their pet Dragon slipped out of, where all of their sacrifices had been hopping within- the bodies that had been possessed by the same creatures that Kiel had been possessed by, the same creatures with the six legs, antennae, and no eyes.

Thief never caught their snake, even with Gambler’s help. No matter. They had enough bodies to level up.

They skipped past a group heading to the rift, happy greetings passed between them.

It wouldn’t take too many more bodies into the rift to open the second hole, to empower them further.

The air started dropping colder as another pair of footsteps approached, a discordant giggle following along. Jester!

All three in the spacious cavern below the church’s basement, they stared upon the deep, seeping rift, glowing it’s anti-light, all darkness. Another person hopped in and that’s when the rift responded. A rumble before the rift grew in size and all the light in town dimmed hard.

Outside, the daylight suddenly appeared like it was twilight, the lighting before the darkness would fall.

The Jester joined hands with the Thief and the Gambler. Thief held the stub of Jester’s arm to close the circle they made.

“We haven’t done this in a while! We missed us~”