Ritual of the Hel Tree pt 2

[14:36] Eugo came to do his daily rounds to ensure the Hel Tree Sapling was taken care of. It required flesh, Blood, and more importantly....Essence of living creatures. The life fuel that would power the Dreadwoods into becoming further connected to Helheim.

Although it seemed he wasn't alone the Shaman was accompanied by those who wished to learn more of the Dark Lord or at the very least...Contribute what they can to the Dreadwoods by giving an offering to the Hel Tree. It was only a sapling at best yet if one loomed closer they could feel a overwhelming presence of dread chill down their spine.

A lingering presence of the roots of the sapling spreading not only throughout the forest but deeper into the furthest pits of Hel. The Shaman would recline himself as he began to make his own Offering, Time Essence he had collected from battles against those who bared his curse.

Yet this was only a portion of what the Shaman could truly offer...Once he had the Skull ofthe Druid he would be capable of giving the Tree so much more....His attention moved behind him towards the three gathered before him.

"Here lies before you...the future of the Dreadwoods...Myself and Irkalla have given our everything to produce this. And there is still much more to give." His hands reached towards the tree before a few wild boars, a goat, and other lifestock had been gathered by smaller demons.

"In this we offer blood, And flesh. However..." The demons gaze now focused on the three women once more. "We require more essence....The very thing that fuel's witchcraft and allows for the Dark Lords intentions to be acted upon. His blessing is not easily gained. And through this tree? We shall earn his favor for all of the Dreadwoods so True Darkness can return to Esshar." The demon snapped his fingers and one by one each of the animals were brutally torn to shreds by the small demons their blood and flesh being pooled,and piled around the small sapling.

"For how long had Darkness been kept away thanks to the guiding stars of Leanous? No longer would that be the case. The Vale, The Dragons, The Stars, and the Machine would all feel the echoes of Darkness once again." He'd then gesture towards them.

"Now what will you offer for the sake of the Dark Lord? What will you sacrifice to see True Darkness return?" He asked curiously.
(Eugo La Ravias)
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[14:44] She would listen to the words the Eugo spoke and smiled at the demon as she would form a metal blade with her hair. She watched the demons shred into the animals that were there and watched the blood seep into the ground to the roots below.

"Hmmm Matilda... If you have that fairy dust... we should offer that. Fairies are beings of nature and well... it should help the tree grow." She smiled at the girl then walked towards the sapling and would slice her palm open. Blood pouring out onto the leaves of it.

"Grow... grow for us and the sake of the Darkness. The Dark Lord." She said as she let more and more pour out. "Then lastly... my mana..." She held out the other hand of hers and would place it onto the bark of the sapling feeding it mana. She could feel the occultic energy that coursed through it. She loved it.

"The biggots, the technophiles, and the racists of Esshar will pay..." She said with a sinister grin.
(Claudia)
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[14:45] Claudia says, "Eventually Eugo... I will feed the tree knowledge..."
[14:50] Ravia approached the tree with a smile on her face, happy to have met new people even if she hadn't particularly met anyone she should likely be calling 'friends' just yet. With the idea in her head that she'd proved at least somewhat useful she approached the tree and slowly her smile faded.

The aura and the energy around the tree sapling at first made the young one want to back up again, go away back to where they'd started. Instead she forced herself to acclimate to it the best she could. There had to be reasons that this place was talked about so poorly by everyone else, some reason every other place in this land disliked or even feared them.

As Eugo spoke it sounded like she was looking at the reason, or at least a large part of it. The tree was definitely what was exuding this feeling to Ravia. Surprisingly quickly though the girl began to lose the sense that she should leave. Instead her mind was consumed with the fact that she had little to offer after giving most of what she had to Matilda.

Her mind zoomed through what should be the contents of her bag, and could only land again and again on the poorly butchered meat of several boars.

Watching Claudia cut herself open and bleed for the tree Ravia wondered if the boars would be sufficient, then made her decision. She offered the tree a bundle of poorly cut and stored meat. There was still some blood around the cloth and the bundle that she was happy to give to the cause.

Not having a good way to draw blood with only her staff the kitsune simply bared her teeth and rolled up her sleeve, chomping down on her own arm and creating several tiny puncture wounds there, letting what would drip down over the sapling. Her understand was poor but the pure euphoria she felt at the idea of being able to fuel such a thing.

"Civilization and order will pay" she gave, somewhat parroting but giving her own particular distaste to the phrase. A small near hungry smile sat on her face, ears relaxed and tail swaying calmly. "I'll bring the tree everything I can now that I know"
(Ravia)
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[14:51] Matilda almost cackled. As she approached the Hel Tree sapling she could sense something was different. it was if the mist had returned and the voices of doubt, rejection and rage had filled in the gaps in her mind. She stepped towards it.

Each step she took felt as if someone was pulling her down, closer towards the darkness. Away from the light. Cattle and livestock had gathered around the tree, blood and flesh pooled and dripping from the poor sapling. Like fuel for the Helfire.

She could tell that this was their future... The very thing that would bring back the true darkness and reverse the tides of war in their favour. What was important, or so she felt now was that there was something bigger. That eventually, the corruption would finally reach all corners of the world, tainting it root and stem.

"The Dragons,

The Stars,

The Machine,

The Dark,

The Withered,

The Young."

It was if something had entered her,a cruel spirit or the Lord himself. Was it a prophetic tale, or nothing more than a statement. All she knew was that she had been touched by something greater than herself.

The Void.

"Oh, what can I offer you, tiny sapling.." Blood, flesh, a future. All of those things and more! This place would be its domain, and they lambs to the slaughter. A simple vine scratched the Druid's arm, blood dripping down and saturating the plant.

"Take my offering, give your all." She retrieved a small sprinkling of fairy dust at Claudia's behest. Dropping it into the pool of blood, and watching as it darkened briefly to a deep purple.

The poison that she wielded so gracefully, she poured into the tree as well. Anger, hatred, envy. Green, foul mana fed it.

Occultic energy vibrated around her like a warm, infernal cloak. At a moments notice, she bloomed numerous poisonous flowers around the area. Nightshade, Foxglove and especially poison ivy. It would be her gift to the area.

Knowledge was power, but to her it was more a means to an end than an end at all.

Something had changed, and she was now beginning to become a servant to something greater. Watching the others make their sacrifices and the intense euphoria consuming her allies made her steady her ground. Not to be lost in the swamp, but to grow and rise above it.




(Matilda )
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[15:07] The Sapling immediately responded to the offerings that were laid to bare, The flesh of the cattle and the livestock were pierced by vines and branches that moved from other trees, Something like carnivorious plant life moved to consume it almost as if a beast was eating.

The blood that was offered by Claudia and Ravia were drunken like fine wine, As the infernal flora continued to immerse itself in their intentions, Their desires. To see it grow, to see it dominate once more. It heard their voices and reacted in tune to their powers.

As the bushels of poisonous flowers bloomed all around them the sapling only continued to nourish itself drinking and eating until it had its fill. Eugo could only nod his head satisfied with what had been offered. While none of them were yet witches they had still devoted themselves to offering to the Dark Lord.

It could only give all of them some respect in the Shaman's eyes. "Remember this moment. The day when true Darkness comes is yet upon us those who helped usher it in will be the first to be rewarded."

He could only imagine what boons the Dark Lord had in mind. Would their effort be answered? Or was their faith miss placed in the Lord of Evil? Eugo had no doubts in his mind. But did they?

A final prayer was given by the Shaman, In the form of a dance that would stir the chaos in the area once again, Darkness flowing into his core. Chaos that was usually ever controlled by Demons who have ascended.

Yet even as a Kaor Eugo had shown promise in delving into the power of Accursed magics. Especially when he created his own. The Chaos continued to rise, As the whispers of essence could be seen floating around them.

And for a moment the shone like twinkling obsidian stars in the Dark forest. Before they were greedily consumed by the small sapling. It had yet to show signs of growth. But the was opportunity yet.

Eugo's dance ending...And thechaos once again leaving the Kaor's body. As he positioned himself to face the women once more. "If you truly desire to Help the Dreadwoods then continue your studies into witch craft. Prove yourself to the Supreme. And collect Essence to fuel the Hel Tree Sapling...Only then? Will we see the day of True Darkness."


Exhausted the Shaman slowly allowed for the Chaos to leave his body, Yet it seem some remained within him. "But for now? Your offerings have been accepted in kind...And I look forward to the day that you are accepted by the Dark Lord blessing. This surely is one step in proving your intentions to them..."
(Eugo La Ravias)
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[15:16] Matilda could only agree, it was the first step. Now she had a goal, to gather essence, to continue her studies and to grow like the sapling. Into a large oak, draining and sapping from the surroundings growing ever stronger, ever taller.

Essence whispered into her ears, telling her that this was the right thing, the true thing. That all would become clear, and that through servitude true freedom could be felt. The infernal flora mirrored her toxic atmosphere, and her powers felt magnified tenfold.

She could feel the entiretly of the Dreadwoods move and bend in the wind. Feel the strange creatures that lurked within away from sight. Carnivorous vines sprouted on her command, dancing deliciously through the forest poisoning all within its sight.

More sacrifices, more blood. That is what demons were, primality the truest reflections of the Lord's will. They were the catalysts and they the nurturing fuel of the fire.

"Dearie me, I sure hope so... If that Jianyu doesn't agree, I-I just don't know what i'll do..." A cackled echoed out of her mouth, spraying into the surroundings as a few crows flew away from the diaspora of sound.

"Essence will be my fuel..."

The doubts vanished, and single minded obsession stood in its place.
(Matilda )
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[15:18] Ravia rolled her sleeve down once her offer was completed, and somewhat reluctantly backed away from the tree. The plant that had at first seemed to push her away now did the opposite, pulling the young kitsune in as she considered what exactly it stood to accomplish.

Thinking about all that could happen with this, the pure possibilities she'd only considered brief fantasy before were now feeling so much more possible. With the energy she felt and the way those around her treated this matter she held no doubt that not only was it possible, but that she would contribute all that she could towards making such an outcome reality.

Already she did what she could everyday to strengthen herself, but with much more clear goals and seemingly much more inviting company ironically enough, Ravia knew what exactly she was fighting for. There was a good reason now to gather, mine, hunt, grow in strength.

"I will give everything to see this future realized" she gave, her gaze pointed to the tree still. Her words were dripping with truth but lacked her presence. For the moment she was far too busy considering what it was that she was looking forward to. Having something to fight for and see realized was a once foreign concept.
(Ravia)
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[15:19] She showed not much emotion other than a smile in hearing him say they could be rewarded one day. Knowledge would hopefully be Claudia's reward.

Then she watched as Eugo would begin his dance. She would feel the Chaos flowing towards the demon that was before her. She watched carefully inspecting his movements. She was not a dancer so she would have to find her own way to bode the chaos and the occult to her.

The essence that whispered through the air made her smile with glee as she saw it get consumed by the sapling. She awaited the day it would grow more. She hoped to be there. She would be there one way or another.

Then Eugo spoke again. She heard the words telling her to delve into the witchcraft more and more. She knew she would.

"Eugo… You speak of the Dark Lord's blessing. What will that be do you think?" She asked with a curious expression on her face. "As for the witchcraft studies... mine will soon begin with Irkalla" She would hear Matilda speak of Jianyu. "Matilda... Sure if Jianyu has stated I will be his servant than you are capable as well." She said reassuringly. "After all they claim that I am plain and boring." She stated simply. "Though I am fine being straight to the point. At least on some things..." When it came to knowledge however she would only give that away in ways to make people think.
(Claudia)
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