Dev #4

[19:46] {NARRATION} Then let the story begin...

The party of Reina Volusena's journeys to the an abandoned temple, as to what lays inside, that's on whether Reina has disclosed the details of what led her here to her party.

Please write your introductory and pre-arrival roleplays.

[19:52] And thus, their journey had begun, setting off to begin the hazardous journey of dealing with the blood cultists that laid beyond the horizon. Andras' expression was surprisingly calm, despite the initial pang of anxiety toward the unknown. His gargantuan spear remained balanced along his shoulder, lightly glinting in the dusk-like setting they had found themselves in. "It's been a long time coming, to be sure. But this will certainly be considered a dangerous task to undergo. Please, watch one another's backs and ensure no one is left behind." He states quietly, offering advice to those less experienced with tasks such as these.

For him and Cristovan, it was likely just another job to see accomplished, though they were not slaying some manner of beast. This time consisted of a whole new set of animals, that of which were capable of the same thought processes they were. Even so, their depraved minds had become twisted over time, and thus would likely receive little mercy from the Exarch in question. Thorough training had yield positive results, and the manner in which the spear is hefted from his shoulder is a clear indication that he's grasped a certain level of mastery over it.

"If that's all said and done, I am prepared for what lays next." He states quietly, studying the seemingly abandoned temple. Reina had long detailed the importance of this mission, so such menial questions that would've normally popped up were vanquished.

All that laid ahead was the task of entering the temple.
(Andras)
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[19:53] Cracking his knuckles, Erick trailed behind the group, steadily keeping pace the remainder of the gathered knights as they strode through the forested woodlands, accompanying Reina for the expedition she had planned.

A glint of curiosity twinkled within the depths of the young knight's eyes as he slowly strode up to the outskirts of the stone temple, draconic pupils slowly scanning over the strange abandoned structure.

"Well, look at that. Talk about a bit o' a nice lil' thing ta' find." he stated calmly, one hand leisurely motioning towards the massive stone structure. Sprigs of flora dotted the various cracks and crevices of the antiquate ruins, telling their own tales of disuse and abandonment.

After all that walking to lead the group to that supposedly abandoned temple, there was a small inkling of hope that somehow Reina hadn't been misinformed about the presence of cultists. Afterall, the temple itself did appear to beunoccupied so far.

"So...We expectin' anything in particular, in there?"
(Erick Falstrik)
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[19:55] The journey was an annoying and quite stressful, which was accmopnied by the overlaying exhaustion that she'd been going through these past years. All the snacks she did bring with her were quickly consumed along the journeey to keep her energy up to avoid falling over asleep.

She'd gone over most of the details before on what the journey was. Most of the people she brought with her was part of the initial inner circle, Either way. This wasn't going to be a fun encounter, despite how important it was in ORDER FOR HER TO GET A WELL NIGHT OF SLEEP.

"This is it, The bane of my exsistance that's been haunting me for all these years. It's amazing to finally be up close and having the power to actually deal with them. I'm not going to lie, all. This is going to be dangerous, but I'm sure this is good for the safety of the realm."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Reina's fingers extended out to rub at her dark circles that were ever so present under her eyes.

"Blood mages, whatever creations they have created. This cult has been a pain to society, so whoever they are? They're dangerous and likely have some minions willing to give their lives."

"Maybe a few monsters.. Last I studied about them, they've been making abominations out of different body parts onto unwilling victims."
(Reina Volusena)
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[19:57] Long since finishing his meal, they find themselves running head first into this new scenario. He hadn't really gotten to know the woman, Reina, very well. But they were kindred spirits in the art of Hemomancy.

His expression seems gentle as he takes in all of his surroundings, looking from one side to the other. It feels like duty, yes. A familiar duty that doesn't sway to the end for any of them. Forever a Knight, even as an Exarch.

"Everyone make sure your gear is set and proper, and if there are any fixable injuries right now, it'd be nice to see if Knight Reina can take a quick once over for them. That way, we're not hindered. Above all, let's play it as safe as we have to."

He falls silent, listening to any other words of wonder, or information from any person.
(Cristóvan)
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[19:58] A journey and task such as this was unknown to Lukas. They had no experience on the matter at all but, would offer what they could for Reina. They'd do anything for the woman but, anxiety took over their features as they journeyed. They stayed quiet for the most part, lost in thought of what could or couldn't happen and what would. The mind wandered and wandered, getting lost as their foot moved on their own accord, merely following the more experienced and perhaps more collected Knights.

They began to feel out of place.

Lukas clasped their hands together. They desired fun and excitement but they've never dealt with such before. Naturally, their heart began to race and only could be stalled with munches on a few snacks and a few breathing exercises.

Once arrived, they forced themself to calm down.. It didn't work. So, they stood, more off to the side, eyes peering at what could lie ahead... Their heart raced again. They couldn't find any words.
(Lukas)
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[20:04] {NARRATION} The party made their way inside of the temple. As soon as they stepped through the gate, it shut right behind them! They seemed to be locked in . Though, this would not sway or discourage the party. They were going to make their way through, and find out just what's been going on!

As the Knights made their way through, a single male appeared. What could the male want? He was wearing robes, and looked at them with an empty stare. No words spoke from the male, he simply stared at them with a confused look on his face.

Intro to Rolls-

Rolls in Zaku Hosted events may vary from roll to roll and on context. The current baseline is as followed:

Combat Rolls
In combat, players will roll for every down they have in combat. This includes downs in rounds won. By the end of combat your rolls will determine injuries you take with you. Injuries can be tended to immediately, staving them off until the end of the event with the use of contextually appropriate abilities or medical skills. Otherwise they are applied immediately following the end of combat.
1 - Permanent Injury, 1 days duration (or 6 day temp 40%)
2 - 4 day temporary injury, 30%
3 - 4 day temporary injury, 20%
4 - 3 day injury, 20%
5 - 1 day injury, 10-20%
6 - Safe

Context & Action Rolls
Both in and out of combat, particular actions that affect the flow and direction of an event will require rolls to determine results. This varies off of every action. However this is a good idea of basic rolls

1- Crit Fail
2- Fail
3- Success
4- Success
5- Major Success
6- Jackpot

[20:12] Erick quietly stared at the robed figure, his draconic pupils thinning visibly at the sight of the man in his blackened robes. Knowing the conditions of their ongoing expedition, the young knight could only assume the man's identity with little concern of being wrong.

"Lovely..." he muttered, one hand slowly raised up in the cloaked figure's direction. Clearly Erick seemed intent on letting Reina make the first move, given she -was- the leader of their expedition; yet there was no serious harm in being prepared for when everything fell through.

"Just let me know if'n ya' want me ta' act, Reina."
(Erick Falstrik)
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[20:13] Obviously guards were up during their initial entry, Reina decided to take out the torch base from her satchel. Scratching the tip of it against the ground as an ignition method. Now it just came to dealing with the occupants inside of the cult base..

Then came the man. Someone who Reina appeared to have quickly judged, staring at him dead on as she held the flaming torch up in the air. Using her other arm to signal the group following her to a halt.

Was this one the victims? A blood mage? But who knows. She wasn't going to guess. Might aswell ask.

"Who are you? And what in the fuck are you doing in here, sir?"

She waved the torch idly in her hand infront of her.
(Reina Volusena)
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[20:15] As the group made it inside, Lukas made an effort to stick behind, eyes studying the inside of the temple curiously. They've never been inside of one before and had no idea what to expect- Perhaps the door shutting should have been called. They found themself jumping a bit, quite startled by it and sighed heavily.

"Jeez..." They looked forward again to see a man, robbed and silent. Reina gave a brief explanation to them. Blood, crazed cultists. They had a vague idea of what a cultist member would look like but, he seemed more like someone from a church though less fancy. Still, Lukas stood on guard, body tensing a bit.

Their nose twitched a bit. Did he or even the temple reek of blood? The light provided by Reina made it far easier to see. Their eyes trailed along the man's robes.
(Lukas)
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[20:16] Standing behind Reina as she takes charge, he simply surveys the area at hand. A person with robes and a confused expression upon his features. For most, they could say one thing or another, but as far as he knows. .

It was likely that even this one couldn't be trusted. He holds his hand near his waist, easily ready to grasp ahold of his blade and to pull it free if need be.

For now, though. Diplomacy was the proper method to handle this thing. He remains quiet for Reina.
(Cristóvan)
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[20:20] {NARRATION} The party entered the temple. The mysteriouss males face was blankless and lacked any expression. He seemed to be . . . dead. As the party ventured towards him, a smell began to take over the area. It was a disgusting smell, one that could easily be relatable to dead bodies. It stunk with death, and to those with weak stomachs may find themselves vomiting.

However, when Reina spoke, the males eyes shot open, and expression came back to his face. "I . .. I was called here. Though I didn't wish to bring anyone . . . I wanted to end my nightmares." The male spoke towards the party, before shaking his head.

"Why are you guys here?"
[20:24] Andras would immediately wrinkle his nose, causing the hairs upon the back of his neck to bristle. The innate sensation of danger lingers in the air, and he protectively plants a hand upon Lukas' shoulder. As if to set the weight of the situation at hand, his grip ensures Lukas didn't approach the man before them. They lacked the training that the Order provided, so it was only natural he'd be inclined to keep an eye out for their actions. His spear is properly leveled in a wary fashion, his hand leaving Lukas' shoulder in order to accomplish this feat. The mention of nightmares causes an eye to drift toward Reina in thought.

Were they tricked into arriving here? It certainly appeared likely, given how the gate that was one open shut upon entry. "So they're luring people here based on dreams? Are you sure these cultists aren't related to the witches we've heard of?" He mutters, his grip upon his weapon only tightening as a grim expression registers upon his face.

This man reeked, and it wasn't just his distasteful stench that made his nose wrinkle in protest.
(Andras)
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[20:27] All it took was a few sniffs of the air to have a hunch that someone or SOMETHING was dead within here. At the hope the torch was good to burn off a bit of the stentch that was radiating around the expressionless man. It took a glance over her shoulder to get the opinion of their group, Lowering her voice enough to the rest of her group.

"This.. Is one of their victims, I think.. He doesn't seem to be all in there."

It was fair for the blood mage to hopefully detect that this man wasn't all there, A walking zombie? Maybe. Or some poor bastard who was lured in here just like Reina and the rest of her fellow order members.

Slowly approaching on foot, Reina was quick to confront him. Holding the torch awfully close as she began to determine his status of either occultic zombie or not.

"These are not witches, People. Very bad people who make the art of blood magic look evil. Stay on your guard.. I have a bad feeling about this one here."

Finally, It was time to see who this man really was.

"We're here to deal with the cultists within, How can we tell if you're not one of their abominations, stranger?"


(Reina Volusena)
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[20:27] Immediately as their nose twitched, their hands motioned to cover it. Their legs wobbled as such a foul scent clouded the air. Their stomach tightened- The very thought of what could cause it made them off to the side, hand pressed against the wall as they attempted to gain composure.

Don't vomit, don't vomit, don't vomit.

Despite being a blood magi- Fresh blood and rotting flesh were two entirely differently things. They swallowed hard then coughed before slowly rejoining the group of Knights.

Returning, Lukas managed to catch the man as he spoke. His cryptic words confused them. They looked off to Andras, his point of those in Moonfall made some sense though. They casted spells that made people do what they didn't want to. The man's words, however, felt more intentional. Wants rather then whisked away or forced.

They stared at him as Andras' hand upon their shoulder brought forth quite a degree of comfort in such a situation.

"You can't end your nightmares in some spooky ass place.." They finally spoke, softly, eyes glancing on places that Reina's torch lit. Their hand covered their nose again..
(Lukas)
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[20:28] A low yawn escaped the young knight's lips whilst he stood there, fingers outstretched in the cloaked figure's direction. The room smelled rancid, a dusky smell that reminded the warrior of the unfortunate effects of his previous magical training sessions.

It was a disgusting stench that turned the stomach, but one that he took standing, with no more than a curled frown on his face. A crazed man in a blackened robe in a temple smelling of death, the whole situation practically rang sirens out in the distance.

"...Alright, I'm ready ta' purge this place." he stated calmly, fingers curling inwards. Sure enough, the man was more than willing to start taking his time to begin turning ruins into rubble.

That is, once the group stated it wanted such an outcome.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[20:31] Nightmares. They seemed so common now, and it wasn't the fact that anyone had them, but for the sake of convenience. Witches also used dreams to communicate.

Was it a coincidence?

If that was the case, how come he hadn't been plagued by them? Or, better yet, was this a way to learn to stop them? Or was this some sort of trap that lured Reina, and now them, into its clutches.

"I've got a bad feeling about this place, guys." And gals.
(Cristóvan)
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[20:34] {NARRATION} [GORE WARNING. IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH, REFRAIN FROM READING.]

The ground began to shake. The entire templed was experiencing what seemed to be an earthquake. The mysterious male grabbed ahold of his head, and he let out a scream.

"A-ARGH! NOT AGAIN!" He screamed.

If the party looked further behind the mysterious male, they'd see waves and waves of blood seemingly rushing down on the floor. It was pure blood. It was poruing from deeper into the temple.

If they looked to examine the blood, they would find eyeballs. Fingers. Arms. Legs. All freshly decapitated as well. Noses. Many human body parts drenched the blood. Some of the human body parts washed up directly towards where the party was standing.

"N-NO!" The mysterious male screamed, beginning to dart off north.

Would the party move to chase him, or maybe investigate the blood pool?
[20:42] All it took was a simple inquisition of questions to work out that the man wasn't the brightest agent of the cult. Or, least that's what Reina thought to herself as the temple began to shake and shiver. Glancing above her head to ensure they didn't have any rocks falling on them.

Then her serpent eyes darted off to the location of the of the running man and the rushing waves of organs and blood, Drawing the most unpleased scowl across her face as she realized how god damn filthy these cultists were. Eyes, Noses..Fingers? What in the fuck was going on back there?

"These aren't witches, that's your answer. These people are doing something accursed back there, now. Let's go after them, just. Uh. Make sure not to slip on any organs or fingers."

Reina's torched was aimed down at the wave of blood, taking note of all the organs that were again washing up as she continued forward. Taking the lead for her group as she was the poor lady who brought them along.

"No going back now, Let's keep moving."

She was right, the temple was just closed behind them. It was go big or not go home at all at this point.
(Reina Volusena)
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[20:44] Now that they had some time to breathe, the stench didn't both them too much, at least they adjusted to it enough to not feel the urge to vomit right away. Lukas motioned to move closer to Andras until feeling the sudden tremble. Their legs wobbled. Unlike the other trained Knights, they weren't one and was ill prepared for things to suddenly happen. Quickly, they lost their balance and nearly toppled over. They landed against Andras, luckily.

Widened eyes stared at the man as he screamed.. The smell grew stronger. The blood magi began to feel vary faint pockets of mana trickle in. It came from behind the man. Blood. They clenched their fist it but loosened it once seeing more than just blood. What set them off most were the maimed legs.

"A-Ah...." Lukas' mind flooded with memories of the most atrocious act they committed. One that left the scarred and on edge for many months- Perhaps longer since the sight bothered them now. They couldn't focus on the man any longer. Their feet guided them back, body trembling as their eyes fixated on the maimed body parts.

""I-I'm sorry..." They muttered to themself, now standing a few feet from where they were originally. They stood there for some time until hearing Reina.. They moved forward again, eyes moving to the floor. It was painful to look at.
(Lukas)
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[20:44] Wordlessly, Erick curled his fingers into a balled up fist, immediately thickening the atmosphere surrounding the fleeing man without the slightest hesitation. The sharp sound of splitting stone tore through the air with the appearance of a number of silvered chains, each bursting from the temple's floor or ceiling to try and wrap about the figure.

"...'Ey, friend. I aint tryin' ta' hurt ya', but ya' can't just shit out a whole load o' blood from the temple, 'n then expect me ta' let ya' leave without any questions, yeah?"

The knight slowly made his way forward, small stone pillars jutted from the floor, serving as makeshift stepping stones to keep the warrior away from the swelling tide of blood.

"Just tell us why ya' don't like the looks o' all this blood, 'n ya' can go off ta' be a free, albeit crazy, man. My friend." he continued, his focus still clearly dedicated towards the insane figure, at least- moreso than the macabre flood around him.

As sickening as it sounded, the man wasn't too bothered by the sight- so far.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[20:44] {NARRATION} [Please turn off private mode, by the way!]
[20:45] Andras' expression shifts into shock as he took note of the trembling earth. Was an earthquake truly being experienced, now of all times?! He looks about rapidly, only to shift his focus as the male began to rush northward, likely trekking through the swell of blood that was pouring outward. Disgust becomes abundantly clear as a cloth is raised to cover his mouth and nose. What sort of morbid individual would expel so much blood, accompanied with what appeared to be fresh body parts? His anger grew at the injustice and depravity of this scene, only for his teeth to clench together. Rather than trekking through the blood itself, his left hand would extend forward.

A crystalline path is forged above the blood itself, steadily being built before him as he formed a brief bridge to traverse the blood itself. "Regardless of what or whom these people are, they'll be wiped out in accordance to this blasphemy." He drawls out, only to look back toward Lukas.

"You wanted to come along, Lulu. You'll need to work your way past this haunting sight. Many monsters come in different shapes and forms, sometimes like our own. We hate to admit it, but we're more capable of horrors than what we would call beasts and the like would be. Bear that in mind as we continue inward, these bastards won't achieve pity from me."

If they were to proceed, he wouldn't be doing so by wading through blood and guts. Among other things.
(Andras)
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[20:50] Not again.

Not again.

It resonates with him to see a soul in such pain. He wants to follow after this person, but no doubt in his mind at all that they were beginning to bother him for the sake of keeping them all moving.

"So, then. If we have to move, which way will it be?"

Will they move with humanity and compassion or will they move with drive and perserverance? It was. . honest. He wanted to know. Alas, he follows Reina.

"We should decide now."
(Cristóvan)
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[20:50] {NARRATION} Feel free to travel north-east whenever you're ready!
[Please be sure to stop when/if you come across the mysterious male!]
[20:51] {NARRATION} The party ventured north! The smell of death and decay grew closer, and closer. They marched through the blood, and the males screaming could be heard coming north . . . but that wasn't the only thing they heard.

Snarls. Grawls.
They moved closer, and what was before them was a disgusting sight, to say the least. A pile of dead bodies. Each one, eye sockets removed. Arms torn to shred. Blood dripped from all around the bodies.

Surrounding some of the bodies were a pack of wolves. Covered in blood, and strange markings. Though, their current target was the mysterious male they'd seen previously at the entrance. He was currently being ripped to shreds, and being bitten by these same wolves.

The wolves didn't seem to pay any attention to Reina's party at the time.

Would the party allow the male to be ripped to shreds, or would they engage the wolves?
[20:58] Andras would scowl as they made their way further inside, only for his spear to be tightly grasped upon hearing snarling and growling. The sound itself was enough to set him on edge, and crystalline shards slowly orbit along his person as they made their way further into the depraved temple. Those who happened to be inexperienced would likely be driven mad by such horrid sights, but he's dealt with the likes of the Syndicates and even Demons! Such horrid creatures were taken note of as they attacked the deranged man they had come across. Even if he was already dead, Andras wouldn't have allowed such putrid beasts to continue thriving in an unholy area such as this.

His weapon is brandished in accordance to his will, might surging from him as mana freely exudes along his body. The glimmering takes upon a full bloom, dazzling gems now circulating around his body as his spear is primed and readied. He felt that words were not necessary to be shared as to whether to save the man, or not.

They were of the Order, it was only a natural instinct to protect lives, if possible. Even if this particular one was in a deranged state, Andras could not overlook the matter. The Nyeshk weapon contorts through the air as Andras descends upon the group of ravenous beasts, intent upon utilizing them as a means for further refining his fighting style.

A charge forward is made, though he quickly began shifting to and fro, quickly mounting speed as he aimed to full-on skewer one of the manipulated beasts through its head!!

Of course, they'd fight.
(Andras)
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[20:59] Joining the group in their trek past the large flood of crimson liquid, Erick slowly trailed behind the squadron, arms leisurely held up and at the ready. With the appearance of the nearby wolves, and the unfortunately pending demise of their sole contact in the temple- the young knight silently turned his attention towards the feral beasts.

"...And, o' course, somethin' just has ta' go wrong." he muttered, motioning one hand towards the group of beasts. Wordlessly, the gravitational pull surrounding the creatures seemed to amplify severely, hindering them with a strong concussive blast of force.

It was time to fight, there was no way in hell, he intended on letting the stranger die for no apparent reason.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[21:02] The more they traveled into the depths of the cavern or cultist temple, The stronger the stench. It wasn't the most pleasant thing they encountered this time of day. Every foot step led to a greater scowl going across her face. Her stomach was full of snacks, but keeping her gut together was key.

Now WOLVES AND BODY PARTS, This was the match made for hell, or heaven. They've seen everything from demons and syndicate agents acting like mass terrorists', but at this point? This was new and sickening to the stomach. It began to churn, but she restrained her stomach from vomiting out the contents.

Reina remade awestruck, watching this poor sod being torn limb from limb. This.. Kept on for a few seconds as the previously stunned drakanite continued to watch on in horror...

Until everyone else began to act up, They didn't want this man to be torn apart limb from limb. Neither did Reina, but she was too.. Shocked to do anything at first. Then everyone else began to act up, Which caused her to snap out of her little delusion.

Reaching for the sheathed blade at her side, Holding it up in her hand as the torch was held at another. Pointing the blades at the wolves, approaching the mutilation scene in an attempt to scare off the wolves!
(Reina Volusena)
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[21:03] The sight of the limbs in particular had them the most on edge. They spoke so fondly of moving on yet here they are, shaken by the past and allowing it to take hold over them. They looked up at Andras as he spoke then glanced off to the side as they walked over the bridge he formed and followed the group, now walking at the man's side.

"Yeah but it's just the uh.. legs that bother me... I claimed to have moved on but.." They shook their head. Best left for the past. It didn't belong here. "You're right. I'll stop being such a baby." Lukas smacked their cheeks, now looking forward more confidently until jumping at the snarls.

What now?!

Lukas' eyes locked on such a horrendous sight. Is that how it sounds to die horribly? They had no idea what to do- Their legs stiffened but, seeing Andras immediately take action decided for them what needed to be done. They cared not for the man or what happened to him before but, seeing wolves on top of it drove them to care more.. to a degree.

They drew their staff though, their tendrils of water sprouted from behind them with less confidence than usual. Their wiggle less aggressive.

Calm down, damnit.

They took it upon themself to forcibly slow their heart beat and take longer, deep breaths. Lukas was no Knight nor a Saint but, they could at least get a grip over their nerves. They followed behind the group less hesitantly now.
(Lukas)
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[21:06] It's a thankful thing that he does not have to say it, yet he did anyhow.

Things changed, people changed. But for the lot of them to push forward on this still moving motion to help those in need. It made him feel even here, as an Exarch, so very proud.

His sacred weapon, that had been with him from its first crafted motions, finally given a name and a purpose will be grasped tightly by its handle. His eyes have been disillusioned for far too long, this world that they live in quite the foul and horrid place.

This wasn't nature. This was torture.

These were not native creatures to this place. Nothing was native aside from the massive amounts of impure mana in the air. Cristovan charges forward with no trace of hesitation toward the unnatural creatures.

Fight.


(Cristóvan)
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[21:06] {NARRATION} [Feel free to advance north. To the left, there'll be a handful of rats. On the right, there will be a pack of direwolves. Be warned, they may prove a challenge. Though there is no CoD, if you're downed, there may be a CoI!]
[21:13] {NARRATION} The party successfully took down the wolves!

Though, as they looked around, there was no fountain. Simply a
Though, the mysterious man wasn't without injury. He was bleeding, deep. His arm was ripped to shreds, and his leg was removed. The wolves had plucked his eyeball out of said socket, and he was screaming out in pain.

A moment passed. The floor was still delved in blood, when a voice called out. Though there was no person around, the booming voice echoed through all the ears in the area.

"Well done, Reina. You only had to bring one . . . But now you've brought me FOUR!? You've done well, and you'll be rewarded."

The male was still on the ground screaming.
"Now, Reina. Kill all four of the people you brought."
[21:15] Hazel eyes turn to look toward the source of the voice, rather than Reina. Call it some sort of faithful leap, or perhaps he was far more concerned with the person talking to them, than the one likely attempting to resist the order.

It could be a distraction to cause dissent within their group. Dwindle their numbers by taking out trust along the lot of them all. He huffs for a small sigh, moving over to the person who had been screaming for bloody murder.

It was likely that he was dead, wounds far too crucial to be taken care of here. Even with Reina's limited abilities to do things on the fly. Did any of them even carry a mythril kit?

Cristovan kneels and moves a few fingers, checking for a pulse. "If that's the case...why can't you come out and do that yourself, coward?"
(Cristóvan)
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[21:17] Andras had barely missed a beat as the mangy wolves that preyed upon the weak were subsequently dealt with. His spear was tarnished with the blood of beasts, having ran through the packs without remorse. Akin to an animal of his own creation, he had moved with precise grace, warding off strikes upon his body as easily as one would expect! His armor acquired claw scratches along the polished surface, but blood had not be drawn as he systematically ran through his own personal horde of enemies. His spear rapidly spun above his head as he gathered momentum, only to bring the weaponry downward with a decisive swing. The ground itself ripples in protest from the blow, causing wolves alike to be expelled into the air from the concussive force.

As they became airborne, Andras would continue with the flow of battle! His eyes lock upon them as his weaponry shoots forth akin to a piercing arrow, skewering them in mid-air and leaving them to be tossed off the serrated spear-head as he pressed onward. It was only when he dislodged the spine of one of the wolves that his eyes would scour his surroundings.

There was a long moment of silence stemming from the Knight, but he lightly flicks blood from his spear. A fruitless effort, considering how sure he was that more ichor would be scouring it soon enough. A glance to Reina is made, however, finding the cryptic words to be concerning.

Had Reina been encouraged to bring people here to be sacrificed? And for what purpose?
(Andras)
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[21:20] The wolves, The rats? Something they were used to dealing with. Dangerous creatures like these were no match for the knights and the varying magical abilities. Even if a whole lot of them were blood mages, They still stood strong as a group.

Reina was quick to rush over to the man, Who was.. Frankly in terrible shape. Kneeling down by him to investigate his injuries.. Torn eyeball.. His arms completely mauled.. All she could hear was the screaming pain of the man and the voice that loomed over the entire group. Which caused a straddling shocked expression to shoot across Reina's face.

It was the same god damn voice that caused all of this to begin with. The thing that kept her awake all these nights and made her life a living hell for herself and others.

"Relax-Relax.. You're going to be fine.. We'll take care of you.."

She tried to keep her attention off of the voice, until it began to loom out.. Was it trying to cause distrust from the group? Were they going to turn on her? Or was she going to turn on them?

Moving to stand, Reina began to glance around... Swinging her sword in the air at random, trying to see if she could hit a mysterious ghost or not.

"It's you! I didn't bring these people to sacrifice them, I brought them here to help me in taking you down! Your crimes against magi and the people of the kingdom have gone on far enough! Just look at what you did to this man!"

..Speaking of their dying stranger, Reina looked over to her fellow bloodmages. Trying to motion them to their injured stranger.

"T-Try to stabilize his bleeding, Just like how I showed you, Lukas."


(Reina Volusena)
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[21:22] Crimson wings unfolded behind him, the young knight stood amidst the numerous lupine and rodent carcasses. Shaking loose the small specks of sanguine blood dripping from his boots, Erick silently turned his attention toward the gory mess nearby, frowning at the mention of sacrifices.

"...Fuckin' idjit. As if Reina would want ta' kill me. The others? Sure, I could picture it, but I'm way too handsome ta' be concerned about 'er tryin' it."

A wide shit-eating grin immediately replaced the young man's previous frown as he slowly folded his arms across his chest, azure eyes briefly glancing over his surrounding compatriots. He was fairly certain that there was no chance of potential infighting in the crowd, but the mention of this trickery did bring a thought to the man's mind.

If his whole mayoral pursuit did end up succeeding, he would certainly need to deal with members of his chosen adventuring group trying to murder one another as the result of disembodied voices. This was worrying, to say the least.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[21:25] Lukas killed animals before. Everyone has. The act of killing boars was merely a thing one did in Orsona. But, this felt different. They sliced through the wolves with vicious whips of water and used the blood spilled to do the same to others. Water and blood mixed into one and coiled around their wrists and arm and began lashing through wolves left and right. Their assault ceased once seeing none left.

As the group took down all of the wolves, Lukas panted and looked over at the robed man.. Though he looked more like a corpse, really. A pitiful way to go. Nothing short of a miracle could save him.

They tried to walk with caution but, to no avail. Blood soaked the floor.. Sighing, their lips parted to speak until a voice- A loud one, echoed within the temple. They looked around, searching for whomever could be making it but found no one. It spoke of Reina. They looked at her.

"Reina..? That's nonsense of course, right? Of course it is." They stared at her, bits and pieces of their conversations in the past surfaced. They watched her go to the man and frowned but wasted no time going to her side.

"I.. um.. I don't know if this will work..." Lukas crouched beside him, hands risen above his body. Sighing, they started manipulating at his blood, forcing whatever they could back into his body and clouting at the wounds- The leg in particular. Their hands separated, the other now focusing at his practically torn arm and repeating the same thing.

Their eyes tried to not look at such an atrocious sight but failed. They looked at his mangled body and started to pity him more. What a way to go.. Or.. Not, since Reina and them made efforts to keep him here.
(Lukas)
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[21:26] {NARRATION} "Take me down...? HAHAHA." The voice boomed in laughter, shaking the area once more. "Foolishg, foolish girl. What a waste. You had such potential, seeing the dreams. What a waste." A few moments passed of shaking, and then, it stopped.

It was silent.
Too silent.

And then the blood that was raining down the floor temple now found itself wrapping around the mysterious males body. Whether those nearby would stay on him, was entirely up to them. Nonetheless, once the blood wrapped itself around the males body, akin to a coffin made of pure blood, it would lift him upwards.

The male, now without an arm, leg, and a popped out eyeball, was staring at them. A moment passed, then his free eye turned from its previous color into dark red.

He opened his mouth, and an entirely new voice overtook him.
"Then I suppose all five of you have to die." He stated, before going to engage the party in combat!
[21:31] Andras couldn't discern where the voice had been emanating from, but there was a lack of need to continue the investigation. The man they had sought to save had been enwrapped in a shroud of blood, causing his eyes to slightly widen. "Get away from him, immediately!" He warns, having already kept his distance as he took on a defensive stance. Sure enough, the deranged man had been overtaken by what appeared to be the influence of blood itself. The dark red eye that revealed itself caused an involuntary shiver down his spine. It served as a reminder of the depravity that one was capable of, if they had lost themselves into the allure of dark magic. Blood magic wasn't inherently evil, but when placed in the wrong hands? Any magic could quickly become a thing of nightmares, as seen now.

"He's using him like a puppet...This bastard will get his, soon enough." He mutters, directing his spear toward the possessed man. There was no helping the matter as far as he could see. If it came to it, and blows were necessary to be exchanged, he'd take it upon himself to try striking down the 'blood puppet' in order to push the investigation.
(Andras)
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[21:33] Without further ado, Erick silently reached up and unbuckled the staff he held strapped across his back. Wielding the weapon single-handedly, he exhaled slowly, allowing mana to gradually gather up within the confines of his form.

"So be it. Let's get this over with." he stated blandly, holding his stave out towards the half-mutilated possessed man. It would be best to wipe out the man as soon as it was humanly possible- he was on the verge of death and possessed, it was a kindness in its own way.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[21:35] Oh cock. Suppose there was no rest for the wicked.

Despite the voice best attempt to turn Reina against her allies, That wasn't going to happen. This kind of mental abuse that Reina had been going through these entire years had strengthen her resolve, good or bad. Now it came to deal with the puppets.

"You son of a bitch, Leave- Leave this man alone!"

She backed off a few feet from the stranger, Who began to have his whole body manipulated and controlled. Though with some thinking.. He was already dead at this point..

"That is our stranger no more, a mere vassal of those fucking cultists. Come, my friends. We put this man out of his misery and we move on to deal with the beast themselves."

No point of negotiation or wallowing in pity about their new found ally being gone. Whatever was left of him was no more, just a husk of meat, bones and blood who were being toyed with.
(Reina Volusena)
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[21:38] If he had the strength to hold this man down he most certainly would have. His hand is pressured, but enough is enough and he's forced to back off and ready himself once more.

It is sad, this dejected situation. He doesn't want for it to go on like this but they have no other choice, do they?

"He was dead already." He will rationalize. This person had been dead from the very start. Kept alive on the barest of breadths of life, a string that was cut very soon.

He is ready!
(Cristóvan)
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[21:42] Lukas tried their best for Reina. If she wanted to save the man then they'd see that he's saved. But, he was beyond saving. Blood rained down, overtaking his form. They jolted back quickly at the sight, unfortunately landing in puddles of blood but they didn't care, so long as they were away from that man.

They stared, butt on the ground as the blood wrapped around him. How powerful were these cultists exactly? To have taken control of a man already gone, forcing him to speak and move about.. They quickly came to a stand, staff drawn once more at the puppet of a man. What a sad way to go.

Lukas couldn't help but recall the previous voice. Their eyes shot to Reina before looking back at the man, quite ready to get through the pawns and onto the true deranged mastermind.
(Lukas)
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[21:53] {NARRATION} The combined party swiftly and surely took down the mysterious male! It seemed their combined might was overwhelming for the male to take on.

The male fell down onto the ground, the blood that once engulfed him like a coffin released itself from him. A voice called out.

"That was just the start. He was a weak vessal."

And then, the males body, quite literally, exploded into a burst of blood. The blood would, most likely, cover the bodies of the party that had engaged in a battle! It seemed all that was left in this room was deceased wolves, dead bodies, and pools of blood.

A voice called out from the northeast, leading into another room.

Would the party take a break for the time being, or would they go and investigate the call?

"Help!"
[21:57] Andras' expression turned grim as the group made short work of the puppet, slipping through their defenses with ease. He had cleaved through waves of water that flew upon him in a concentrated burst, evidently unbothered by the weaker attempts made by this listless pawn. Perhaps it was due to the vessel being practically dead when placed into use, or merely due to their lack of abilities? Either way, Andras wouldn't have much time to debate upon the matter, as he shifts back from the defeated vessel. His spear is planted upon his shoulder once more, clearly sickened with the prospect of having to cleave through a potentially involuntary opponent. The splatter of blood was sudden, but a crystalline wall of emerald ruptures before him. His left foot had firmly planted itself into the ground, effectively shielding him from the splatter as blood scoured the nearly see-through formation.

While the wall itself was weak due to the speed it had been processed, he very much-so had refined his reflexes to handle such sudden shifts in battle. His lips curl into a frown as the wall slowly shatters apart after the fact, only to glance toward Reina. It'd be in their best interest not to fall for yet another ploy being made within the ruins, but it was likely this was their next stop.
(Andras)
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[21:59] You have an entire group of powerful magi attacking a single beast, then the thing would provide not much of a challenge. Say she did come out with a few minor scrapes after taking a torrent or two of water to her face, but face tanking was part of the job.

Just when the man that'd gone completely puppeteer was defeat and sent to the group, Reina slowly approached him.. Keeping a hand on her blade as she was ready for a single last strike incase he went for a despserate attack..

Upon his body jerking, Reina was prepared for that last thrust of her blade.. Until he just exploded. Covering the poor blood mage in the thing that she spent most of her teenage and adult years so far casting.. Blood, It wasn't very pleasant and it caused Reina to freeze up for a moment.

Clearing off her eyes by rubbing a bit of her non-drenched jacket, she remained still for a moment. Exhaling out a sigh as she simply went to continue on, trying to lead her companions with.

"People called me crazy, but I knew I was right. These cultists make the entirety of blood magic look evil upon the realm.. I'm glad you lot are here to help, but it's time we finish the fight."
(Reina Volusena)
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[22:00] He seems genuinely disturbed by that. The start. More was to come, this person--of many more, would be thrown towards them in an effort to take them down.

Was it all just a ploy to get Reina after wearing them all worse? It's possible that on the brink of exhaustion this one would come in and swoop her away from the hands of the Knights and other sortted people otherwise.

You had so much potential. You could hear the voice.

His head shakes from side to side. Reina wasn't a weak woman. As far as he knew, her slow madness of dreams and nightterrors stemmed from something entirely different. Cristovan doubts she would grasp at free power.

Eyes close, and any blood and gore that splatters against him is removed with relative ease by a flexing of his mana across these sources.

He follows along, to the voices. "We're with you, Lady Reina."
(Cristóvan)
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[22:00] Erick abruptly took a step back, his crimson wings abruptly folded around his body, curling in front to cover his form in its leathery length. With the possessed magi's demise, a thick coating of gore splattered atop the bottom of the knight's armor and the entirety of his exposed wings, covering him in an unsightly splotch of scarlet blood.

"...Uggh...Disgusting." he grumbled, unfolding his wings with an abrupt flick of his extremities. Wordlessly, the thick human slurry slowly sloughed off his wings, its weight gradually amplified through small gravitational changes to his surroundings.

It was a perfect time to rest, relax and recover- that is, until a distant cry rang out towards the northeast. "Damn...as if'n it wasn't one thing, it's another." he continued, already slowly pacing his way towards the sound of the voice.

Ultimately he intended on following the majority's decision, but the masn seemed more than intent on making his way towards the sound of the cry for help.

If someone was in danger, it was their responsibility to save them, right?
(Erick Falstrik)
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[22:04] Lukas fought many people. Those stronger and older, and those younger and weaker. This man, perhaps even without their combined force, fell far quicker than any young, unexperienced magi they've ever fought.

They utilized the blood in the area, drawing from it and using it to their advantage. The blood along the floor crystallized at their command, sharpening and forming spikes that quickly lifted and pierced the man's body. It'd then liquify before piercing through his body over and over again. They stepped back, gaining distance from the puppet man until his body literally exploded.

Blood, a mixture of the ones used and from his body, splattered against their person. Lukas blinked and looked down. It no longer surprised them to see blood on literally anything. They merely forced it off of themself, pulling at it at their will and flicking it all to the side. A glance shot to the rest of the group- Being here for so long made them far less anxious andon edge. They very quickly became used to it.. For now.

They then turned to the direction of the voice.

"Smells like another trap. Anyone calling out for help in this place is just some pawn. I'm sure we should, ah.. maybe rest or something for a few moments." Lukas looked over at the 'remains' of the man, where he exploded. They walked over to it, just looking, for now, until just following the group.
(Lukas)
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[22:04] Cristóvan says, "Nay."
[22:04] Cristóvan says, "They need to be put to rest."
[22:04] Reina Volusena says, "The longer wait, The bigger chance of us getting ambushed."
[22:05] {NARRATION} Roll please everyone!
[22:05] Reina Volusena says, "As not very tactical as it sounds, we need to run head first into this."
[22:06] Lukas says, "Ah.. Makess sense, then.."
[22:12] {NARRATION} On their way to investigating the voice, it all went pitch black. Everything was dark, and for a brief moment, everything went red. The entire cave was flashing red, crimson red.

A moment, then another.

A rushing river of blood came flying from the hallway, and quickly seperated some of the party members!

Andras, Reina, and Erick all found themselves washed away to somewhere else inside the ruined temple, further away from the voice.

Cristovan managed to find something to hang onto, avoiding being washed away, and Lukas managed to avoid being washed away!

[The story, for the next five minutes, will be broken off into two different parts.]

The trio that was washed away would find themselves in another room.

The duo that remained would have to make a decision. There was no indicaiton as to where they got washed to, only the path ahead.
[22:17] By the time she had sheathed her blade for the moment, Another river of crimson red liquid came shooting down the hallways of the temple. Washing herself and rest of the party members, well. Save for the two that were stuck with her.

All she could do was hurdle out a large.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!"

As she was washed away with her companions, down to a different section of the tunnel.
(Reina Volusena)
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[22:18] Erick flailed wildly as he was unceremoniously sucked away in a torrent of gore and viscera! The young knight was abruptly sucked out of the chamber, alongside his fellow unfortunate knights, oh boy.

"Damn...." he grumbled as he reached around, trying to find some sort of purchase amidst the disgusting crimson flow. No such luck. He was simply dragged along, into the depths of the temple.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[22:18] Andras' eyes widen considerably as the river of blood threatened to crash into the group. He was taken off guard as he's swept off his feet, managing to at least keep his upper body out of the midst of the torrential waves. "Lukas!" He calls out, though he's quickly taken off to who knows where!! At the very least, he'd manage to be taken there with others, finding himself in an entirely other area...!
(Andras)
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[22:20] The power of the cultists remained a mystery. They could manipulate a corpse, old, rotting blood, with such ease it fooled even experienced blood magi. Or, was he only manipulated at the end? As the group walked, they found themself deep in thought. Perhaps because they thought so hard, their senses sharpened a bit more. They felt far more aware of the area.. Until the area darkened. Their body tensed up as red engulfed their vision and rumbling directly their eyes forward. Rushing water? No, it felt alive. Rushing.. blood? Lukas very quickly jumped off to the side.

"H-Hey, watch ou--"

As soon as they looked back, the blood wave had already passed, leaving behind fewer people than before. Only a blood colored Cristovan remained. Their eyes widened as they moved back over and frantically started looking around.

"A-Andras? Reina..? Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" They cursed a few more times and before stopping their search. It was useless. The trio, though Erick was unnamed, remained no where to be found.

They pushed their bangs up as their hand met their forehead.

"We need to move. Now." They spoke more confidently as they pushed forward, towards where the blood came from. Now it was personal.
(Lukas)
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[22:21] Erick Falstrik says, "I heeaaardd thhhaaaat~ Fuuuuucckkk Yoooouuu~"
[22:22] A tendril of thick blood connects him to the nearest crevice, instinctually. It was, perhaps, thanks to the fact that he was wary at a hundred and thirty percent. His senses were operating at an all time high right now.

Thus, when he is swept away, he finds himself yanked, held down, and able to weather out the storm of blood that seems to take the area by storm! "Guugh!"

He doesn't have time to grieve them all and their fallings. Their. . flushing, rather. All he can do is make sure he's set. His mind is hazy for a moment or two before the man brings a hand to his forehead. He mimics Lukas.

"We've got no choice. If we wait here they'll only move forward without us. So, let's go."
(Cristóvan)
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[22:41] {NARRATION} The trio was washed away. They were brought into another room of the temple, and they were, quite literally, covered with blood. What they saw next was a gruesome sight. A room FILLED with corpses. Mass amounts, skeletons, everything. It was terrifying to the average eye.

But these adventures laughed in the face of danger.

But . . . what they saw next could catch them off guard. Five Crellus all started crawling out of the blood piles. They started to walk towards the males. Just like the wolves earlier, they were covered in blood, and had strange engravings on their persons.

They made their way over towards the party, and prepared to attack!

[Please type your falling into another room roleplay, and then preparing to fight the Crellus, if that's your choice! Afterwards, I'll do a c/d!]
[22:46] The tides of blood had swept the trio away by force, separating them from the other group. Andras' anger had only surged along the wild ride that had left the separated warriors into an entirely other room. Bones and the like had filled this area to the brim, disgusted with his surroundings as he forced himself to a stand. His weapon is brandished as the low-lighting made the details around him difficult to process. Even so, it took but a few moments to realize what laid in the room alongside them. His expression grows grim as his fist tightened along the spear within his grasp. Taking on a defensive stance, he would allow for his mana to surge around him in a violent display.

The earth around him shudders in protest, and the blood accumulating along his armor and the like is steadily evaporated from his person. Steam exudes from Andras he slowly exhales, his eyes drifting about rapidly as he counts five enemies approaching. They must be the source of this graveyard, yetanother twisted turn of events for the Knights to contend with. A snarl is made as he prepares for the inevitable, declaring battle upon these unruly creatures as his spear is leveled forward.

His movements and technique only grew more refined as time spans onward, and dedicating these moments to further his strength was grimly welcomed. For every unruly portion of opposition that sought to slow them down, he'd run through them entirely with spear in hand. The trampling of the Exarch would not falter in the face of enemies!

"Prepare yourselves. We'll deal with this and find a way forward."
(Andras)
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[22:46] Hygiene wasn't much of a worry at this point, Being both splattered in blood from a body related explosive and now washed into another room? They were all going to need one hell of a bath at this point, or a complete new outfit due to the staining on their clothes. Reina was initially out the moment they got done bein washed up, but snapped into awareness after hitting the floors with a thud.

Standing up, She went to take a list of who was with her. The poor sods who got washed aside in the temple beside her were alive, hopefully. Now it came to identifying where the hell they were and where was the others? Not a concern at the moment as a bigger threat decided to appear. Five Crellus? Not a pleasant sight.

Trying to shake up her washed up allies, Reina dropped her now blood soaked and out torch, reaching for the mithril blade at her side as she rose to stand. Twirling the longsword by the handle in her fingers, Three verus five? Perhaps a fair fight.

"Stand tall, You two. We lose Lukas and Cristovan, but we'll find them. For now we have more of this demonic herd in need of being wiped off the face of the realm."

Sore as her body may of been, the drakanite woman was careful with her labored breathing. Losing her cool could be detrimental to the others and herself, not wanting to give the cultists getting into her mind just yet.
(Reina Volusena)
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[22:47] Coated in a thick layer of gore, Erick collapsed to the floor in the midst of the temple. The raging torrent of blood has inevitably died down, leaving the young knight to slowly hack up the small flecks of sanguine bile that slipped into his mouth.

"Urk...Fuckin' disgusting." he grunted, spitting a small glob of crimson spittle to the side. Ahead of him, the sickening slosh of piled flesh being scooped aside echoed across the small chamber, pricking the young knight's ears.

"...Bah. More fuckin' monsters. Great. Alright- let's clean 'em up, then clean ourselves up. This place is an absolute mess, aint a fan o' it."

Without further ado, he lifted his stave, pointing it in the gore-slathered beasts' direction. It was time to crush the Crellus.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[22:48] {NARRATION} 3!
[22:48] {NARRATION} 2!
[22:48] {NARRATION} 1!
[22:48] {NARRATION} Go!
[22:49] {NARRATION} The party was engaged in battle against a huge wave of beasts! It was time to help!
[22:57] {NARRATION} The party, though it took some effort, managed to successfuly down the waves of Crellus. Though, something strange happened when each one was downed and defeated. They turned into pools of, quite literally, blood.

The last one that died mumbled something out. It was forced and in a strange monster like tone.
"..tha... you..."


A blue haired male followed the duo into the corner. He looked as as the five of them engaged the Crellus's in battle. He had his hands folded over his chest, and a frown was on his face.

". . . I see you were strong enough to slay the Crellus. This makes my job harder. I can't allow you five to interupt lord Voldimares ritual."

The persona he'd put on for Lukas and Cristovan earlier was no longer. His eyes changed drastically, and crimson red overtook his eye colors, similar to the mysterious male from earlier. Though his voice remained the same.

"This is as far as you go." Blood began to build around him. He took on a stance, and prepared to engage them in combat, rushing straight towards them.

Behind the blue haired male was a entrance. It was, most likely, the final strech, and the final corridor in the temple.
[23:00] The crellus proved to be surprisingly formidable, waves of toxic poison meld with blood leaving his armor to be sundered from the blows. He was swept back on several occasions as they engaged the group, his feet slamming into the stone flooring. He'd force himself to a halt as he swept his spear through the air, massive shockwaves being formed from the strike. The projectiles exuding from the opposition is blown back in quick succession, though the back-up that arrived was much needed. He's left slightly panting at the end of that particular struggle, but the blue-haired individual that had been brought with them proved to be another obstacle. The Crellus had been reduced to piles of blood as they were defeated, leaving him to believe they were some horrid mutation or experiment gone wrong.

"The amount of injustice taking place in these accursed walls...We won't leave a single rock left, after this." He grimly vows, turning his attention toward thehumanoid enemy that took it upon himself to interfere with their progress. "It's safe to say that anything residing in here is an enemy, at this point. Don't lower your guards." A worried glance is given toward both Erick and Lukas, but they'd need to get their injuries assessed at another time..
(Andras)
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[23:02] The knight hocked up a spurt of blood, his once beautiful armor was now smeared thoroughly with an excessive amount of gore, and several unfortunate lacerations littered his flesh where the mithril armor had not protected the man.

"Bah...Shouldn't 'ave focused on fightin' the beasts so closely." he muttered, one hand silently wiping his cheeks free of the spattering of sanguine ichor.

Taking his stave up in hand once more, Erick staggered to the side, bracing himself with the weapon. He settled his gaze atop the azure-haired magi blocking their path, the newest obstacle to preventing the group from cleansing the ruins of the cultists which inhabited it.

Steadying himself, he slowly lifted his stave up, its barbed end pointed in the magi's direction. "I'm gonna' kick this asshole in the dick."
(Erick Falstrik)
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[23:03] If the no rest for the wicked trope wasn't used enough already, it was certainly coming in handy once more.

Reina and her allies went in to exchange the Crellus, Which they seemed to have had the aggression to mainly focus on her for some unknown reason. Perhaps it was the mostly due to this being mainly targeting her? Who knows. Either way, They had a large brawl on their hand that was thankfully assisted by the two who were left behind by the tides earlier.

The large room brawl between the knights, Lukas and the beasts was long and exhausting, Blows were traded and enough blood mage was scattered around the area to paint the entire room red. Whips, Darts of red blood and the pounding of the mighty Crellus beasts.

Slaying one of the last beasts, Her facial expression twisted at the noise of one of them speaking. Its blood coating her mithril blade as she drew it out from the blade.. These things were once human.. My god, What kind of evil was this?

"I misunderstood these cultists.. Stand strong, Everyone! We can't falter yet.. For the sake of the kingdom and all their victims."

It was time to put an end to this nightmare, And upon this last cultist approaching the group and charging at them. The beaten and battered drakanite woman charged back!
(Reina Volusena)
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[23:04] He comes to expect it at this point.

Using people, ploys, pleas. All of the very things that a coward would utilize. He'd grown very tired of these games after the very first, so when a person comes pleading for their help. . well, while he did want to help. It wasn't in the way of an innocent.

Cristovan would absolve them of their sufferings, had there been anyone. And along with every other person, he hopefully would strike a clean blow through all of their grief and put an end to it. For good.

"Good to see you're all still in one piece."

Compared to the earlier situation, that was a true statement. Alas, he looks towards the blue, now likely possessed man and readies his weapon once more.

He is the first to charge.

As a fellow Blood Magi, someone who prides himself on the lack of torturing others to sustain his magicks. These atrocities couldn't be simply forgiven.

"We'll cut through this one and his master, after. Quick work!"
(Cristóvan)
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[23:06] Lukas didn't trust the blue haired man at all. Everyone encountered here was a threat or tool. But, the fighting made their pace quicken. Were the child and wife fighting one another? No.. It sounded different than that. Monstrous groans echoed from the room. They started dashing in to see the rest of the group battling against Crellus. They didn't waste a second when drawing forth their weapon and aiding the battle.

Their tendrils formed once more, their wiggle far more aggression than before. Lukas forced the moisture from the air into a sphere that coiled around their arm. They'd aid the three by delivering lashes on the Crellus. Having never fought them before, they didn't know what the expect from the beasts and that led to their downfall. Their slashes at Lukas' body left them staggered and a bit injured. Don't get close. Right.

Lukas gained distance, forcing the water away in favor of fighting with range. Flinging further bubbles with the strength of angry tides despite their injuries. The slashes drew blood yet they stood strong until seeing how each defeated beast turned to blood.

Again, the skills of the cultists surprised them continuously. They clicked their tongue and looked at the blue haired man. Nothing but lies and deception. They attempted to force their blood into their wounds, clouting at it to stop the bleeding.

"Tch... Stupid ass cultists.. and their stupid tricks..."
(Lukas)
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[23:17] {NARRATION} The party fought hard, and though they sustained a few blows throughout the course of the fight, they managed to finally down and defeat the blue haired blood mage, he fell to the floor!

The blue haired male fought valiantly. He took on wave, after wave of attacks. But could a monster actually fight valiantly? He was evil, and one of the men who made blood magic users out to be evil.

The ground began to shake and tremble, and the male looked at his hand while on the floor.
"W-WAIT! LORD VOLDIMARE! PLEASE . . . GIVE ME ANOTHER CH-." Before he could react, the males skin began to peel away from his body. His skin was, quite literally, melting off. It was covered by blood. All that could be seen on his person now was muscle and tissue, covered by his blood.

And then, he plopped down onto the ground. A pool of blood where he once stood, covered in bones.

If they looked north, they could see it. The final strech. They were almost there, and they were going to take this monster down once and for all.
...or would they?

[[When you're all ready, I'll summon you to the final arena.]]
[23:27] {NARRATION} The party approached the final corridor of the temple. It was time for them to take down the final boss, the leader of this accursed group of blood mages.

When they walked forward, what they saw was not what ANYONE would want to see. A fountain, one made of pure blood, was flowing in the center of the room.

There were two people in the area. A male with a mask, and a child, no older then Ten. He was small. The male with the mask was holding onto the child by the throat, when he watched as Reina appeared with her companions!

Holding onto his throat, the male took out a single knife.
[WARNING. IF YOU DO NOT CONDONE/LIKE CHILD VIOLENCE, SKIP THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH.]

He brought his knife to the boys throat, and slit it instantly. Blood began to pour from the childs neck, and the masked male threw him into the pool of blood. He placed his hand out, and the blood that seemed to be pouring from the childs throat was now filling the fountain.

"....what a shame Reina. You had so much potential." He stated, before placing his hand out.

"You've come this far. It means it's time for you guys to die." He stated, before snapping his fingers.

The lifeless body of the boy in the fountain began to enshroud itself with blood, recieving the blood coffin treatment that so many others had.

The blood coffin spun and spun, and then made its way out of the fountain. What began to manifest from it, it was a terrible sight. Blood began to take on the shape of a monster.

One similar to the ones they'd fought before. Marks and engravings were on it.

They'd just watched a child, murdered, and then soaked in blood, and turned into a monster.

...what were those beasts they were fighting before...? Were they formerly humans as well?

"Die!" He screamed, sending off his newly formed monster to attack the five Knights.

"Children have so much potential. They make the strongest beasts, afterall."

[Please refrain from moving until you're all ready to fight this monster!]
[23:30] The knight clutched at his side, eyes briefly glancing towards the thick gash that had ripped past his armor, into the depths of his flesh. "...Damn. The bastard went 'n hit me pretty hard." he muttered, applying pressure to the manageable wound.

With the death of the azure-haired magi, the final path to the end of the temple was opened wide, showing naught to protect it, save for the macabre remains of the magi they had just bested.

Stepping forward, the hazel-haired knight followed the group slowly, trailing behind the crowd with a steady pace. Until they reached a cobbled chamber, its centerpiece decorated with a fountain of crimson blood.

"...Damn it." he grunted, azure eyes narrowing at the sight of the shrouded figure beyond the fountain, and towards the unfortunate child whom served as the conduit for his macabre ritual.

This whole adventure had most certainly reinforced a certain theme in the back of the knight's mind, Blood magic could truly be used in some fucked up fashion.

Without another word, he held his staff at the ready, awaiting the group to make the first move.
(Erick Falstrik)
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[23:31] {NARRATION} Let's do this!
3!
[23:31] Reina Volusena says, "Stand at the ready.. Looks like we got one last beast before.."
[23:31] {NARRATION} 2!
[23:31] Cristóvan says, "Bastard..."
[23:31] {NARRATION} 1!
[23:31] {NARRATION} GO!

[23:33] Voldimare looked at as they managed to take down the former-child turned Crellus.

"Hmpf. . . You think you can take me on!?" Voldimare screamed, anger clear behind his mask.

"We have a goal! For every single person we kill, we grow stronger! Blood magic is the future of this world! All you . . . Those of you who use blood magic, you've disappointed me! You all could've helped me rule these lands!" He screamed, before taking on a combative stance.

"I'll kill every last one of you!" He stated, before preparing to engage them in combat.
(Voldimare)
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[23:34] He took no pleasure in doing this but felt, as the final blow was dealt that this was justified. Relief floods him in an unhealthy way. The child, while dead, would be able to pass on safely as a soul.

There was no longer a suffering to be felt, a fate to exist for. Even in this damned moment of desolation all he finds is a genuine peace for the fallen child. "That's what you think!" He calls out, suddenly emboldened by the newfound structure for relief.

Blood magick wasn't anything like how he thought. Not for him.
(Cristóvan)
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[23:45] Erick Falstrik says, "OH GOD, GRUBWORM"
[23:45] Erick Falstrik says, "RUN"
[23:48] {NARRATION} The combined power of the Knights of The First Order proved more powerful then any leader of Blood Magic Occultist Group. Reina, Andras, Erick, Cristovan, and Lukas. They all fought in perfect sycn, fully trusting each others movements, and relying on one others fighting styles.

Their combined force was more then anything that the blood mage could handle, and as he fell down onto the floor. He dropped down onto a single knee, defeated. Reaching out towards them, he fell onto the floor.

Reina and her party successfully defeated the mage! It was a hard fought battle, but they did it! They succeeded and secured their victory!

Victory was to the Knights of the First Order today!

[do victory roleplays, then dropping loot.]
[23:53] The battle had been hard-fought, infiltrating deep within the ruins and going through harrowing ordeals. From waves of blood, to mongrels infused with horrid experiments, there was little hesitation needed for what needed to be done. The depravity that stemmed from Voldimare was more than enough grounds for an instant execution on the spot, though he'd leave the ordeal to be carried out by another. Fighting a variance of enemies had forced him to adapt with each battle, leaving him on edge in regards to how to carry out battle. From running through the opposition and skewering them, to outright ducking in and out at immense speeds! Much like an animal, his instincts were relied upon in order to achieve victory at varying twists and turns. His eyes lid as the mage finally fell to a knee, and then collapsed outright.

Panting heavily, Andras would lower his weaponry as he looks about, a sense of relief being carried out through a sigh. Notching his spear upon his back, he would slowly come to look around the narrow corridors. "To think that people were capable of atrocities like these...These ruins need to be reduced to ash, and quickly at that. Whatever experiments that went on here are an eye-sore." He states quietly, roughly kicking the defeated Magi over to see if he was even still alive. Disgust was prominent upon his features, but there was little to be further said on the matter. They had successfully managed to conquer this ordeal, despite how difficult it had proven to be.

"At least you'll be able to get a good night's rest for once, Reina." He states quietly, glancing over at her with a grim look of satisfaction. This wasn't pretty in the least, but at least it was done and over with. He's acquired an abundance of fighting experience through this, and he's come to learn much about himself through these ordeals.
(Andras)