Ruins in the Jungle

[20:14] {NARRATION} Ruins and temples entice the Barsburgian soul. Untapped powers to exploit for the gain of the Empire. One in particular catches the attention of the Intelligence Divison Private and she makes plans to travel to the eastern ends of the country to a little ruined temple tucked in the midst of the jungle.

The trip had its bumps as they walked with a recognizable soldier but nothing truly to note.

They eventually arrive to the mossy ridden temple. Stones covered over with roots that stretched up from the ground. It's not quite abandoned. Many traverse the very surface levels to pillage what they can or harvest precious ores.

None really explored its catacombs. Could they? When inside, lone drops of water hit the temple floors and echoed throughout the entering corridor. Natural light from outside soon fades and certain patches illuminated from small, glowing mushrooms that poked out of the cracks in the wall and floor.

Quiet. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Twists and turns take them away from where many usually go and into more uncharted areas. It splits. Forward and a path that trailed off to the bright.

The right path, oddly enough, is far darker than the other but both aren't quite lit.

Where do they go?
[20:16] Ryou DM says, "*trailed off to the right."
[20:21] The trail has led them off further into the dark reaches of a tropical temple, off near the dangerously scenic path drawing near to central Esshar. Though the trip was uneventful, that did not allow the eldest Aertas to grow complacent. Remaining alert, she would stride near the back of the group, often turning their head back to face and watch their behind.

Reaching the deeper aspects of the temple, it was no surprise to see the archaic walls slowly begin to age and wear the deeper they were able to traverse the location. The damp sense of water dripping in the distance at least signified life. A telling sing for the locale's biodiversity at least.

"Did any of you bring along a light?" She asks, keenly looking into the right path. Perhaps forward was the way to go, yet she seemed intrigued by the side door. Left no stone unturned and all that.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[20:27] The trip the ruins was far more quiet than he'd expect in times of war, though it was nothing to complain about. His attention was brought to the details of the ruins as they approached it, looking for any history or significant detail, though likely seeing none. At the entrance it wouldn't be the type of thing that would last.

As the sound of water droplets hitting puddles echoed within the corridors, Bruno answers his sister.

"I have a torch." He says, before adding to it. "I can produce a few sparks if we need our hands to be free."

The path they'd take would be decided by the one who led the expedition: Anna.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[20:34] Anna's attention traverses over the ruins upon arrival. The deep, winding passageways beneath the ground take them further and further into the less traveled and uncharted.

The dank atmosphere within the catacombs was met with silence from her as she moved further within, only stopping when they reached a split within the path.

"I did, yes. The light potion that gleams when shaken. It should last indefinitely so long as it isn't shattered." Coming to an underground maze without at least one light source? Who would ever come so fatalistically unprepared?

"Which way should we go however?" She says, moving closer towards the darker of the two paths, attempting to peer into the darkness curiously.

"I'm inclined to go to the right path."
(Anna)
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[20:34] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "I'll follow your lead."
[20:34] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "As will I."
[20:35] Leads the group to the right path then.

What secrets would the dark hold for them?
(Anna)
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[20:35] {NARRATION} Better than a torch, the torchlight potion should light the path well. When Anna moved close, her light didn't quite penetrate the dark.

Do they continue?
[20:37] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[20:38] Bruno seems a bit skeptical when the shadows dare not move before the light. If that was the case, then magic must have been applied to them. In a similar vein the young occultist allowed his own umbral mastery to seep out, attempting to chase away the darkness with his own shadows.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[20:39] How odd.

Pausing by the sudden revelation enacted by the eastern doorway, the eldest merely ends her footsteps a few feet away.

Perhaps with the same idea, but with a more mundane approach, Amelia would be keen on lightly lobbing a stray piece of rubble into the darkness, keeping an ear out for its impact to the floor on the other side.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[20:41] Anna says, "..."
[20:46] {NARRATION} Bruno found his attempts futile. One cannot chase away dark with more dark. If another, it seeps over him much like a calling embrace. Closer, down the path.

It's calling him.

Amelia approached it differently. She tossed a stray rock down the path. It hit the floor three times and rolled further down. There's a path.
[20:52] "How very strange. I'm not sure if it's dangerous or not, but it's clearly magical in nature. There's sure to be something down that way."

"In a place like this though, I would be skeptical over whether such would be friendly." Anna comments aloud for the others to hear her thought process of assessing what lies before them.

"I believe the safer option would be to proceed down the other path. Though the words 'no risk, no reward' comes to mind."

She continues to pensively gaze towards the darkness within. She had come to these ruins to find out the truth of them. Will she be able to find out the truth regarding their origins, by taking the safer paths?

If this was a year ago, she would have turned to walk down the shadowed pathway without hesitation, but now? She is clearly hesitating.
(Anna)
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[20:54] Bruno's right hand reaches out towards the darkness when he feels it beckoning for him. It was... natural. It felt like the right path to go. The right way to head out towards. His lips part when Anna hesitates - reassuring her with a mind making excuses for itself.

"I have a good feeling about this path. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. We know it is magical; if it can cast darkness this great then..."

It was bound to be bountiful.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[20:58] Perhaps it was due to recent events, yet Amelia easily did not trust any safety in an inky void of doom. The last time such was interacted with, her brother was siphoned of his lifeforces like a sponge in a puddle.

Speaking of which.

"I am unsure about this one," she mutters. Obviously, she seemed like the likely devil's advocate for this expedition. "Perhaps the other path is indeed the safer way forward. We can always circle back later to investigate this if we find a dead end."

Yet she merely turned to Anna. Though she was skeptical in approaching this specific path, that didn't mean she wouldn't traverse it regardless if the rest of the group barreled through it.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[20:59] {NARRATION} The occultist trusted the path. The others are skeptical. Holy and occult are merely strong magics, are they not?

Perhaps Bruno had the right of it- Or, they're all overthinking. There's no rush. The cave continued to echo the water drips as the three decide.
[20:59] Anna decides to test something.

She walks forwards, and then slowly, carefully.. Inserts her fingers into the darkness, then her palm, and stopping at the wrist.

She wriggles her fingers a bit.

Cold? Writhing horrors? Nothing at all?
(Anna)
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[21:01] {NARRATION} In went her hand went in. There's hesitance, much like pushing one's hand through thickened air. Physical in some ways.

However she's not harmed. For now? Does she deem it safe?
[21:04] Without any signs of immediate backlash or pain, she's inclined to believe the darkness itself is safe. Now there's just to worry about whatever occupies the darkness- if anything at all.

She looks back towards the pair, then lifts her shoulders in a small shrug. "Seems safe enough. Will definitely be hard to see in there though. Without any sources of light however, I'm not sure how we'll be able to even see whatever is in there."

"We'll take the other path. Circle back around if it ends up being a dead end." Her mind was made up.
(Anna)
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[21:07] Bruno looks towards the darkness for a few moments when Anna says such a thing. Why would she run away from it? It was obviously the right path. Or at least that's what Bruno's mind was telling him. His words rung out - offering a solution as he proved his point, showing, much like Anna, that it was harmless by shoving a hand into the thick darkness.

"We can hold onto eachother. We'll be fine, Anna. There's few of us; we'll know if anyone get's attacked or picked off."
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[21:09] It's decided that they go forward rather than taking the right path. Who's the say the path was not a dead end? Or that they can circle around?

Bruno makes his attempts to convince her, however. There's no rush and it continues to embrace the occultist.
(Ryou DM)
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[21:12] Anna turns to look towards Bruno at his suggestion, frowning slightly. He isn't usually one to insist like this. Light brown hues track first across Amelia, then turn to look upon the brighter of the two paths.

"It's a matter of efficiency, Mister Aertas. If we do find anything in that path, how would we see it? How would we claim it?"

Anna shakes her head towards him. "Answer those questions, and we'll take the dark path. Otherwise, we're taking the other path."
(Anna)
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[21:15] "I'm certain that when we find the source of it the darkness will dissipate. We need not to sweep the area while moving; light will return once we neutralize... whatever it is." He answers, looking over towards Anna with some confidence. While his plan did make sense it was boldly risky. Far, far too risky, in fact.

"We'll know to turn around if we see the light again and have found nothing."
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[21:16] "She's right you know," she chimes, keen on taking the safer of the two paths. "Let's just stray down the other path for now."

Her footsteps slowly shift to steps to the left, eyeing the path forward now that there was a stronger concentration of light in the area.

"Perhaps we might even find a mechanism that'll turn this off," she says as a finger moves to point to the path forward. "We are uncertain if the mechanism to remove the darkness is even in there. I truly feel the safer and more... visual option should be the way to go for now."
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[21:19] Anna nods at Amelia's words, she moves away from the shadowed pathway to approach Bruno and take his hand in hers. "It's not worth the uncertainty. Come on Bruno." She says towards him, attempting to pull her along with him towards where Amelia stood.
(Anna)
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[21:23] {NARRATION} Passed up for a much safer option, presumably. So forward they go, leaving the shadowy path alone.

They walk and it's a lot dryer, air thinner than the more thick, darker option. Fifteen meters in front of them is a door, ajar... Yet before it is a pit that spanned the entire width of the corridor with spikes protruding up. More are above it.

While floating is an option, several bodies, decaying and long since gone, puncture through the spikes. Along the side of the walls are holes around the same width as the spikes.

It's a trap, activated already but who's to say it won't again?
[21:24] Anna says, ".."
[21:25] Anna says, "... And this was supposed to be the safer path.."
[21:26] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "At the least we can see this trap..."
[21:26] Anna says, "I do like being able to see the spikes, yes. Much better than running into the same thing in the dark."
[21:26] He was about to debate a bit more before Anna took ahold of his hand. He hadn't lost himself to madness completely and her presence ensured that he would listen when it was most critical, even at his weakest. A small nod is given with a light squeeze in return before he moves along behind her lead. Quiet for now.

Blue eyes scan over the many spikes that await them, watching their motion like a maw of sorts. This was certainly unsafe.

But for the the Occultist remained quiet.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[21:29] She was not sure how this trap mechanism activated, nor did she know if it even have any juice in it to still turn gears. Yet caution was always her priority.

Once again, a stone is momentarily picked. Perhaps this trip will comprise of her lobbing differently sized rocks if it meant getting through the safest possible way.

Tossing the stone forward, she would keenly watch to see if its simple presence in the air above the trap caused any machinery to whir to life.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[21:33] Anna looks over the spikes thoughtfully, then nods slowly. The ground around her begins to gurgle and distend as water begins to gently pool at her feet. "I can deal with this, I believe." She says, moving forwards closer to the pits edge where she began to create a bridge, just wide enough for a single person to walk across without having to worry about balance overmuch.

As the crystal clear waters of the wellspring froze across the pit, she sent several streams of water into the holes in the walls on either side. Soon, the holes as well were plugged by ice.

"Whether it's still active or not, no reason to not take precautions."
(Anna)
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[21:37] {NARRATION} Amelia tossed another rock and in and instant did the spikes shoot forth and enclose the area at just the approach of something small, weightless, cold.

Motion triggers it.

When they retract, Anna's own method came through. Waters flood the bottom hole and even the ones on the walls. That left the spikes at the top. There's a better chance to cross but not all danger was dealt with.
[21:37] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[21:38] Bruno pyr Aertas asks, "Should we try crossing?"
[21:38] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas asks, "I am uncertain if the ice will keep this retracted, but perhaps it might be worth?"
[21:38] Anna says, "We can test it with another rock before attempting."
[21:38] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "Good idea."
[21:38] Amelia lobs another rock.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[21:40] Anna guides the crystal clear waters around her to rise up towards the ceiling, washing over the spikes and entering into the holes they protruded out of before freezing them.

Hopefully it would be enough to keep them functioning.
(Anna)
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[21:43] {NARRATION} Soon came a rock.

The spikes whir and vibrate... Ice chips. If they're going to cross they'd best move immediately rather than admiring their handiwork.
[21:43] {NARRATION} /roll if you are crossing.
[21:44] Anna spends a bit longer reinforcing the ice blockade, then gestures the group forwards. She trusted her ice!

Better to be safe though.
(Anna)
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[21:44] With the method tested and reinforced by both Anna and Aemlia together the young man felt like it would be the only way to move forward. At this point all he could do is move as fast as he could and... hope for the best.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[21:44] Perhaps the hasty nature of this haphazardly made ice contraption made the Aertas uneasy. However, after a second of hesitation, she rushes forward. Hands extend, letting off her own pulse of ice to reinforce the cracking walls.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[21:50] {NARRATION} It held long enough for the three to cross. First Anna then Bruno followed shortly by Amelia. Two or so seconds later, ice crushes and sprays everywhere as the spikes shoot through and act as a blockade.

No going back it seems.

The ajar door remained. It was maybe over two meters tall and made of a gray stone. Its front bore engravings of several animals. Wolves, Panthers, Foxes.

Moving past it they came to a long, dark corridor. Chilling and showing signs of activity, at least recently. Though dim, the wall in front of them bore a red handprint on the wall. To the right, a streak of red. Was the hand dragged here or did it start there and move elsewhere?

Broken pots litter the floor.

Somewhere is another door. There's the choice of continuing down the path or entering through the door. However, it bore that same, dark, thickened air feel like the path the group avoided.
[21:55] A lingering gaze was held by Bruno after they crossed over, closing away the path unexplored for them and deciding that the darkness would be played with another day. A true shame.

His eyes gazing upon the door led to him speaking but a single word softly.

".. Moxtli."

Animals reminiscing of their very kind - of their deities. It was not difficult to see for any and all who'd caught a bit of history on the beasts.

When they finally reached another choice Bruno's eyes explored the wall, the darkness.

"I wonder if this has some sort of meaning. Whether fear is worse than the danger we can see or not." He said, looking over to Anna.

She was the one who would make the choice.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[21:56] Perhaps for semantic reasons, Amelia takes a moment to step forward. An examination of the red streaks would be done; an anticipation of discovering blood was high, as is an attempt to identify the blood and appraise how long it has been here if the hypothesis were true.

"Hmmm," she hums. "Looks like someone has the same idea. Something or someone has been here before us."

She didn't really feel inclined to a specific path. Beasts strewn the front of the open door, yet none seem to attract her attention vividly.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[22:02] Getting past the spikes took a bit of legwork on their part, but it didn't matter. A few moments rest and they would be fine again. It's the blocking of the way behind them that truly bothers Anna the most.

She was actually quite worried about that happening, and now that it had, she could only sigh heavily.

The door ahead of them catches her eye of course, the streaks of red, taken note of. Even more curiously was the pathway that seemed to lead back into the darkness.

"We're not going that way. I'll take the danger we know over the danger we don't every time." Moxtli was the known element. At least they know what to expect beyond the door.
(Anna)
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[22:04] {NARRATION} Amelia notices that it's dry. Months, maybe? Perhaps several years. It stuck onto the wall and the dry environment didn't quite riddle it away.

Down the path came can a light draft but the room bore the same feeling as the path much like it. Bruno is privy to the calls, vile in nature and beckoning him closer.

At this point, the two become aware to the slight scent. It's not that it's masked per se but the air merely thickened to a point that made it difficult to pick up.

But now it's clear.

Danger? Or assumed danger? Fear seemed to shackle the Achyonians lately.

Alas, Anna made her call and they continue forward down the path. Vital information completely lost to them but they will never know what they didn't have the chance to.

As they walk, the draft continued to blow. Cold and carrying voices. Whispers.
[22:08] The alluring darkness was one he brushed away in favor of following Anna down that path. Even if he would have prefered facing fears directly and uncover what could possibly be riches, he thought it was best to trust her lead.

She would trust his when he would be in lead, after all.

As a cold crept up the young man felt... more whispers than usual. It was not as potent as Achlys' residence but it remained present nonetheless. A question is asked.

"Do you two hear them too?"
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[22:11] Taking the rear of the group, eyes fly past the hall for any clear indication of more spike indentions, unwanted tripwires, and other potentially dangerous things in their path.

Her lips part of a whisper, "I do." She at least had a bit of sleep, thus Amelia was keen to believe that this was not simply an effect of sleep deprivation.

She takes momentary pauses, yet still pushes forward to the group. The whispers only made her much more cautious and much more paranoid.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[22:15] Anna moves down the pathway unaware of what lay within the darkness, and that was fine with her. Ignorance is bliss after all.

Recent expeditions forced her to reevaluate what amounts to acceptable danger. The darkness was deemed unsafe, and inefficient both. So it was dismissed as a choice.

Instead, her attention remained forwards, where the light draft was coming from. The scent upon the wind remained unfamiliar to her.

"I hear them as well. Proceed with caution." She murmurs to the two behind her as she carries onwards.
(Anna)
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[22:18] {NARRATION} Each step brought a voice, first faint but soon clear as day. As they continue forward they hear the voice of someone they knew at a point.

Someone dead.

Occult crept along the corridor. Voices of the old and recently passed come clear as day. What they say is unclear, perhaps words spoken to each personally or just a recognition of their voice.

What ties them all? Commander Neoni Faudain. Then personal losses. Maybe an old friend, a parent, a cousin. A solider whom they spoke to briefly before battles and never saw again.

Wind whistles and flows. The dim path light with a coming blue light that brushed along they skin and brought chills. It hums out like raw essence and sits in front of the group, blocking their path effectively.

Voices combine and distort yet it's not quite agony. The blob of energy... essence.. it's not hostile.

Should they touch it? When along their skin they felt a tinge of concentrated, powerful energy.
[22:20] {NARRATION} Perhaps they can ask it questions? The collection of essence does whisper.
[22:25] A blink is momentarily provided. She wasn't sure what exactly caught her off guard: the voices of the deceased or the faint glowing essence before them. The easily notable occult signatures does put easy red flags above her head.

It was always tied to neurotic things after all. Thus, her cold realization comes to the conclusion that these voices are not to be trusted.

Luckily, the largest blow to her actual sphere of verisimilitude care was that of the late Commander of Achyon. But even she barely had much concern of him other than an equal level of respect.

However, she still cannot help but be utterly dejected. Voices familiar yet no names immediately come to mind. Faceless soldiers lost to battle, it wasn't easy to remember when you've likely operated on most of Achyon's magi population.

Despite all this, she does not speak. She seemed to refrain from even interacting with the essence at the moment. A sense of distrust causing herto turn her attention to their surroundings; keen on making sure nothing crept up on them.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[22:27] The familiar sensation of the occult came from the outside once more. More and more did they seem to encounter the magic that attempted to subjugate, tempt, and overwhelm Bruno as he stood. This was no different. Whispers of the forgotten, of the lost ones were nearly lost in his mind. Of all the people he had known those who had died were few.

Though one stood above all.

Drink sewage water and die.

One who's death had been left shrouded in mysteries. One who had first earned this feeling of similarity from the boy who knew no equal ripped away from the earth. One left with its murderer still unknown.

It brought a sliver of anger within Bruno's heart to think that the Supreme would never unveil the details he asked for. He'd never be able to properly know the truth - to know why, how, and if revenge could be brought.

He was the only one who should have surpassed her.

More boiling feelings came with the ex-Commander. His constant roadblocks were far from appreciated. Rather than being sad the Aertas was left rather angry. His own presence making itself known, pushing back against the all-encompassing occult seeping from the walls.

"I don't like this place. It upsets me." He says, attention brought to the concentrated essence. To the words it spoke.

"Is this what caused the darkness?"
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[22:33] As the voices became more and more distinct, she starts to hear unrecognizable yet clearly audible words, and then it became familiar.

Words of people long since dead. How utterly strange to encounter. An old tea maker in Achyon, one her mother had favored. Lost to simple time.

It brought a frown to her. Especially so when it became recognized as Commander Faudain. And then her deceased grandmother.

If it was just one of them, she might have been inclined that to trust them, but all of three of them? No. This was just another lie. A trick of whatever this orb was.

"It's not what I expected." She admits, moving towards the blob of energy. Anna circles around it, tuning out the majority of the whispers in the space around her. Then glances towards Bruno. "I don't think so? If it did, it'd make more sense for the darkness to be here as well."

"Any idea what this is?"
(Anna)
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[22:34] Bruno pyr Aertas says, ".. It feels like a lot."
[22:34] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "Different voices. They all.."
[22:34] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[22:34] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "They come from here, I believe."
[22:35] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "I hypothesize it might be... reading our memories perhaps."
[22:35] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "I doubt all these lingering souls would coalesce here."
[22:35] Anna says, "I agree with that much."
[22:36] Anna says, "I doubt all of the people I'm hearing could be here naturally."
[22:37] Anna asks, "And, do synthetics even have spirits? Souls?"
[22:37] Anna says, "I've never looked into it myself."
[22:37] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "I'll get back to you on that..."
[22:37] Anna says, "Well, whatever it is, it contains quite a bit of energy."
[22:38] Anna asks, "Perhaps we should try to respond to some of the voices?"
[22:39] Anna says, "I'm not sure how else to interact with it beyond that."
[22:39] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "I would rather not respond."
[22:39] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "Likewise."
[22:40] Anna asks, "It could answer your question about the darkness back there, Mister Aertas?"
[22:42] {NARRATION} Like murmurs, unclear but as Anna starts circling the voices cease suddenly. Silence loomed over.


"All are deserving of kindness and a helping hand- Before blades are drawn. Light given forth to all, only does it grow stronger when met with resistance. With an accepted darkness. Heed us, usher in your light so that we may bring forth a hand to those who seek it..."


A woman's voice, gentle and warm spoke of kindness and love. Her words much like that of a Priest. She's followed by another, it shifts, deepens. His voice commanded respect and authority- He's in the midst of a speech to... someone.


"All of you know this Crown but you do not know the face beneath it. I will introduce myself. I am Alexander Leonaus Petrakis, son of King Aristidis and Queen Serea. I am the King of Esshar, a man raised in a time of war, built upon it like you all unfortunately were."


Another followed, a woman- Sly, slick. She's devious and cunning from mere tone alone. Her voice could rally thousands.


"Two hundred human bodies."


Finally another man- Hasty, voice deep and perhaps even tired.


"The last few times I've ran these tests, something from the other side er, between the realms has been trying to get over here. Nothing too dire - just have to be careful is all."


Silence loomed, then another incoherent, gentle murmur.
[22:50] Voices became less mixed up and more... clear. These were voices that none would have thought to hear. Many left uncertainties in who they were meant to portrait, though one stood above all. A name all had heard of: The Last King of Esshar, Alexander Petrakis.

The knowledge that could be held within this... essence was unlike any. Just how many things - how many memories were held within it? Bruno's heart heard of the darkness' call, but this was a matter — much like the murky pool — of overwhelming curiosity. A single question was asked towards both women.

"May I try something?"
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[22:52] How curious.

These voices... are quite unfamiliar to her. Or at least at first it is. Perhaps some would prove familiar, yet not she would say otherwise.

The mere mention of Petrakis almost makes her flinch.

The set of dialogues almost seemed unnerving to hear. Some she was not sure who or what the purpose was of this essence in letting them hear such words. All she could do was speculate.

"What in the world is all this supposed to mean?" She asks, not exactly to the essence itself, but more on to the wind; anyone hearing her she would deem is capable of answering the query.

The growing occult energy still was rampant in her senses. And until that was suppressed, she was not letting her guard down.

Yet upon her brother's request, she does look a tad intrigued. His words right after the expedition once again rang true in her head. A smidge of guilt affecting her answer. "Hmmmm, what do you plan to do?"
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[22:54] Anna blinked down towards the sphere as the voices come, much, much clearer than before. She really wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but the desire to respond to the thing grew ever sharper.

The voices themselves? Unfamiliar, though the name Petrakis is of course easily recognized.

She peers towards Bruno, moving from beside the globe of energy to the side. She glances towards Amelia briefly, then back towards Bruno. She views him curiously.
(Anna)
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[23:00] Amelia's question and Anna's mere curiosity seemed to goad him into taking action. Had they been opposed before he even spoke or... Had Anna questioned him further he likely would not have been so bold. Yet, some of the words did reach him.

An accepted darkness.

Petrakis.

Two hundred human bodies.

Between the realms.

The more the light was pushed, the stronger it became. Darkness grew with one's acceptance of it - one's full dedication. The more of his heart he allowed to be tainted, the stronger.

Untold secrets.

The ability to demand so many deaths.

The untold knowledge of the world.

Bruno's mind was all too open to this forbidden knowledge the coalesced essence could give. Had he not asked Anna this question the day they met? How far was she willing to go for the sake of knowledge?

The Aertas' hand reached out for the essence, and unless stopped? He'd grip upon it, attempting to subjugate its contents with raw, unfiltered occult forces. To bring them in line. To pierce their heart with darkness and open their secrets to the trio.

Everything had a price.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[23:09] {NARRATION} Risk and reward. Nothing is gained without taken risks. Bruno sacrificed himself for the gain of another, did he not? And now he reached out, that want to progress and learn still strong with him.

His hand eased close, digits soon touching the collection of lost spiritual ascension seen only in mere fragments. His vision overtook with white, a bright light seen only to him as a migraine suddenly came over him.

Visages he's never seen before flash through his mind, flickering with far off distorted voices. They're memories of others, spirits either off to the Stars, Avalon, Hel. Fragments of their essence lingered and collected bits and pieces of their memories.

It's an out of body experience that soon placed him in the steps of another.


Time slows to a crawl as a swirling mass of purple and black envelopes the landscape. A rift by any other name - and yet, rather than opening a treacherous path to another location, a glimpse of another time entirely is given. A tale set atop of Garljing's Mountain, with snowflakes falling just to be corrupted by the borders of lavender and obsidian around this portrait in time. The after effects of a barrel fired from the chamber of a high-tech weapon, predating the arrival of Barsburg to Esshar - yet the focus is on the bullet itself as it intentionally curves around the intended target to strike a nearby tree. In the same fleeting moment, a piercing vine lined with the spikes of a rose skewers the gunman, marking the end of the riftmancer's attempt to shatter Godhood itself in exchange for the dream of another. Immense sensations of dread and restlessness spread to you as the rift seals itself shut, warning of a fate dressed in eternal damnation within the pits of Helheim for trying to fly too close to Kraus.


No name attaches to the fragmented memory of the Warlord Hades Task, riftmancer and Task family member of Theria before it ultimately had sections of it fall into ruin. His fingers tingled and chilled over. Had he remained much longer he may have been drained of his own essence.

Instead it shared with him more than a memory. Like before with tearing rifts with the Achyon that had his grandmother's weapon, for a short while he felt like he could be anywhere and everywhere. (Riftstep for the duration of the event.)
[23:20] Perhaps his methods of discovering the truth were a bit too much for the average person but Bruno was willing to pay the price for such knowledge. Without risk the rewards would never match up to what they should be - to what they could be.

His mind was overtaken by an incredibly vivid memory. Set atop of the mountains in the north a battle between strangers that took place. A weapon far from meeting his expectations in term of technlogy was loaded and shot. The bullet missed its target as if guided by an otherworldly force. The light prevailing before darkness in a moment of need, when pushed against it in its strongest for the ill-mannered revolution of a few took back the land they called home.

Forcefully so.

For those who attempted to reach divinity before they were ready were bound to fail. For those who came unprepared would die. For the unworthy would never ascend.

A lesson was learned, forcefully so, as Bruno stumbled away from the orb. Breathing heavily. His head was... pounding. Harder than ever before. His heart called for more, yet he knew all too well his own life was at risk if he grew greedy.

"I... know what to do." He finally said, breaking the silence with a knee upon the ground. He felt as if he could be anywhere. Everywhere. Like he could open a tear between this very location and their home back in Achyon.

Riftmancy. The art the Ascended Demon had used. Final Answer seemed to react to this newfound knowledge on its own, though Bruno was all too determined.

"Touch it at your own risk. When you're ready...

... hold onto me."
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[23:27] Amelia herself seemed keen in learning a thing or two herself, however she was perhaps less prone to pursuing things at a graver risk; opting for controlled environments.

Merely glancing at her brother, who seemed all the more tense from whatever occurred to him, she'd take a single step forward. "W-What did you do?"

A worried glance would be tossed to the essence. Has something happened to him while he stood there motionless? She couldn't really tell.

Yet she didn't feel inclined to find out either. Slowly, she unwantedly approaches Bruno, and by extension the glowing essence. A hand is placed on his shoulder as Amelia could merely stand idle until either her brother answers her or something happens.

At the very least, this was a regrowing sign of trust.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "I saw a memory."
[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "I lived through it, in a way."
[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "My head hurts a bit, but..."
[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "I've never felt more capable."
[23:29] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "Capable...? I see."
[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[23:29] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "Try it."
[23:29] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "I-I'd rather not if that's okay."
[23:30] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "Fear should never veil knowledge in darkness, sister."
[23:30] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "Blind risks aren't my cup of tea either."
[23:32] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "Your loss."
[23:34] Anna might have urged him to stop, but truthfully? She was thinking of doing something similar. The more time she spent with the globe of energy, the more she felt like it was a treasure trove of past and lost knowledge.

Just waiting for the right question to be asked, or the right method to be used. If it wasn't Bruno doing it, then Anna might not have been much longer from resisting the temptation.

Such was why she only acted with mere curiosity towards his request.

As he took hold of it, his magic flaring around him, her eyes widened briefly, she takes a step towards him, before she simply waits. Watches.

Curiosity gleaming within her eyes.

Much in the way that curiosity killed the cat, once Bruno responded to Amelia's question regarding what it is he did, she completes her approach of the Aertas, a hand moving to settle upon Bruno's wrist.

And then she takes hold of the globe of essence herself, mana flaring.

She wanted to know the past.
(Anna)
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[23:42] {NARRATION} Knowledge of the past, insightful or merely bridging the natural of the temple. Spiritual. The long forgotten crept in essence, fragmented spirits that remained on Eternia. The past held a knowledge like no other.

Amelia denied herself such, why?

Anna took that jump, a leap of faith when her digits reached out for the ethereal glow. What came over her felt like raining starlight, cool- Much like rain yet packing a fiery passion.

She's embraced by it.


Rushing in suddenly came a visage of a mountain. Clouds darkened and the sky hollered out with thunderous claps. Rain fell and before you were three people hooded, bloody. An ivory haired man with a particular ornate, powerful clutched in his hands, a woman with long ivory locks clutching a still body. With them, kneeling, a blond man with a crown over his brow. You feel a wash of magic with near divine quality and descending from the very heavens with broad, pristine white wings was no man at all. Something tells you these are Osronans, Nyseans. And that tome and the angelic deity are connected. (Celestial Ascension)


The woman had no name but Anna sees through the eyes of a long since passed Stellus of the Essharn Celestial Church Del mer Joyau. Where she sits her breath is stolen, Anna sat in the presence of something Godly.

Was she there when the Coalescence made an appearance? It's far more intense, far greater than anything man can hope to create. Little does she know, she saw through the eyes that witnessed the brief visit of the High Angel Maltziel.

Like Bruno, she got a piercing migraine- It's strong and pulsated through her entire body. Against her will and her circuits, the shared memories extended physically. At her back suddenly bursted golden starlight unlike any other. Since she's no cosmic magi, the process is painful, agonizing almost but she's not harmed in the slightest.
[23:56] The occurrences with Bruno and Anna merely made her all the more confused. Though the these 'gifts' seem to come from an external source rather than self-potential, yet even she could not deny that she was curious.

She was no historian. Most of these names meant so little to her. For all she knew, they were simply lives that passed and went; perhaps written down somewhere, yet nowhere near anything she'd grown an interest in.

Perhaps she does something that might draw the ire of the essences if it were even sentient. Judging by the effects left upon her fellow partymates, she had a hypothesis in mind.

Though slow, her hand begins to reach out. She wasn't sure how exactly this was going to work. However, the moment something occurs to her, a struggled attempt would be made to perhaps contain a piece of the essence into a mote; pressurizing the essence with her own raw mana. Perhaps putting claim to a piece of it for further study of her own much later on.

She has done it before to a piece from the Blind Goddess, albeit more controlled, but perhaps she can do it again.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[00:09] Anna grew listless, colder than the norm for her. Light brown hues gloss over as images and memories not her own overtake her.

To her knees, she falls. Her chest stops moving as her breathing is momentarily stolen. In awe. In reverence.

Anna was no religious by any means, but in that moment? She was one of the most devout believers, faith, shining brightly from within her as she comes to meet her faith's god.

That look, seemed so very out of place upon her, and several seconds pass before it comes to an end. Her lungs fill with air once more and her head begins to pound. The cosmic radiance around her didn't fade however, it grew.

And that's when the pain came. It was faint at first, but it rapidly grew alongside the cosmic mana that flooded through her. The wings of radiant light flourished behind her, a pale comparison towards the majesty she witnessed coming from above her in the memory.

And a small trembling scream was tornfrom her as the mana flushed through and out from her back. She might have kept holding onto that sphere of essence if it weren't for the pain. As soon as she felt it, her hand jerked open, moving backwards and away from it.

Though she trembled from the pain, beyond the first scream that was let free, she grit her teeth and bore it. Trying to gain something more from this, some last vestige of knowledge from the pain she endured.

Perhaps it wasn't entirely possible for her to gain anything else from this, beyond the scene she had witnessed from it previously. She was no cosmic mage, and the golden starlight that wreathed her caused her nothing but pain.

Quick rapid breaths were taken, exactly how long were these wings going to remain upon her?
(Anna)
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[00:10] {NARRATION} Curiosity indeed killed the cat and freshcrafters brought it back. Like the others, perhaps pressured to in a way, Amelia reached and a felt a chill at first then like something grew out and blossomed along her arm.

Nothing is visible, physically, yet she soon found herself somewhere else, out of body and placed somewhere entirely unfamiliar to her.


Before her is a man she's never seen before but something tells her that she's in love and its something her very heart would never deny even in her death. When looking to the right there's a Priestly man and then looking to her left, down an isle where dozens sat was a man yelling 'I OBJECT'.

She feels a crown atop of her head with whispers similar to the one's in her own reality. Spirits, yet they emit from the crown. Anger over takes her in this memory. Whoever's eyes she saw through boiled with rage. Unlike the others there's speaking.

Amelia's mouth moves to speak words she have never seen before.

"You come here... demanding these things from me. Your High Lady. Your ruler."

The very earth soon trembles as screams out. "ASCHEA HAS FORSAKEN YOU. AND SO HAVE I. YOU HAVE DRAWN YOUR LAST BREATH, WEISS ANAM. YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT!" (Ruby Bloodstones)


Suddenly all goes red and Amelia is forced back. Once calm and collected circuits overflow with bloody crystiline forces and her icy shroud forcibly overtakes with spiraling crimson crystals.

She feels that anger still. A wedding interrupted and turned red.

The spirit collection soon wailed out in a combined harmony of all heard voices. Its blob like form morphed into something of a figure. Vague features, like the face could be anyone's and everyone's. It hissed out, screamed, cried, laughed.
[00:24] Eventually, she would momentarily regain her own sentience; the voice in her head now taking a pause.

The burning despise flourished and bloomed within her. Another set of thoughts propagating angrily coursed through her veins.

Perhaps part of it is merely from the visions. The experience. However, it would surprisingly seem that there was more to it than that.

An added memory hops into mind. An incredibly recent one.

An inky black pool. A man bound of selfish gain taking a lead into the murky depths. A brother struggling as a result.

Icy fractals slowly creep up before her cap. A red coloration takes her usually freezing blue ice; creeping into a crown-like shape. Gritting teeth and clenched fists seem to grab her.

"I hate this," she murmured, almost whispered, to herself in a regrettable tone. As if she were aware of the effects on her. The strong ties to her emotions was something she simply deemed as something displeasing.

Yet before she could properly reply, the essence would shift. She almost forgot her attempts to even contain it. Only when it began to emit sounds that she'd remember. "Stay alert," her tone was not gentle, it was more irritated now.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[00:27] His idea would have to wait. The collection of spirits seemed to be taking on a more humanoid form. The next step he was going to take was safely stored as a mental note - one to be brought the moment they would destroy this entity.

That is, if it was going to attack them.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[00:30] As Anna was gritting her teeth from the pain that lanced through her back, the spiritual collective in front of them morphed and bloated, vague features appeared, unintelligence as any one singular person.

Just what exactly was this thing?

The staff upon her back was taken up in hand, eyes, glistening with tears not yet fallen, stare towards the globe of energy warily.

Tensely.

"Perhaps we should depart?" She suggested, edging her way back and away from it.
(Anna)
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[00:37] {NARRATION} Imperialists, conquers. Forcing something upon people with such ideals isn't bound to go well- Especially starlight from someone so practiced, bloody crystals from someone committing coldblooded murder, means of transport from a wicked man.

Others welcome their knowledge, others hate it.

Hades Task, Del mer Joyau, Asta Hargrave. Pieces of history scattered about. Foundations of Aschea, the mother of the Blind Goddess and Achyls, a tome that brought the appearance of the High Angel Maltziel, and visages of what time and rift can accomplish.

Mere specks of the past to better inform the future. The figure's form wobbled and danced. Starlight and twists and time. The stone floor covered in crystals.

Trouble stirred with the spirits and it charged forth, whispering in a combination of all those voices.
[00:50] {Won Dangerous RPB against Whispering Spirits}
[01:02] {NARRATION} The spirit soon split into three distinct people- Ethereal components, no more no less. They've all since moved on. Killed by his brother, killed by a Docro, slain by the King of Esshar.

He fights with a refined chaos against Bruno, mana refined, time distorting. Against a mere novice of the craft if anything.

She's a monster. Her movements bear passionate fluidity that causes tremors to shake the earth. Even in after, after dying for real the second time, she fights with the same graceful motion. Amelia's patience is put to the test.

Some called her an Angel- But she isn't. She treaded waters carefully, magics kind yet powerful. She did not hold back no matter.

Yet they are all mere fragments and the group managed to push the pieces of scattered spirits back. They merge together once more, unstable.

All witness an explosion of past events too fast to properly make out. Dragons descent, castles set fire, explosions ring out somewhere sacred, Helish screams stream from a portal.

Then silence- The whispering spirits disappeared and luckily, no one is terribly injured.
[01:07] The spirits were cast away. Defeated one by one. Greater technology prevailed before those primitive tools that one may have called a weapon in his era. Life drained from the essence of the fallen, ripped apart and torn into nothing - no more whispers.

Not even the King remained.

So many questions could have been asked. So many missed...

... opportunities.

A memory hed been imparted in each and every single one of them. A bit of their teachings left taught to them all. Bruno's naturally seemed to be the more sinister one of the lot — fitting for the occultist. Without further ado, Bruno moved over to Anna at first. His left arm wrapped around hers, dragging her along before he grabbed onto Amelia's shoulder.

"There's no time to waste."

... Had the two girls been more aware of the kind of knowledge their beloved Bruno had been gifted with they may have predicted this coming. His right hand rose up, fingertips gripping at the fabric of reality itself - tearing apart and usher the lifestream to screech in pain. Space was but a plaything in the moment. He'd seen the Ascended Demon's powers. He knew of the terrifying reach of this horrifying art. And with a single goal in mind the Aertas did the unthinkable.

.. He aimed to bring both Anna and Amelia through this tear, to avoid the path that had been closed off. To look back upon their mistake— their missed opportunity.

Darkness beckoned him.

And no matter how thick it may have been, the young man attempted to make his way back to the path that had once been abandonned. The one that weighted upon his mind.

If succesful? Not another word was spoken as he moved forward.

Practically forcing the other two to follow.

For knowledge like this could not be lost.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[01:27] Anna sent golden-tinged ice hurtling outwards towards the conglomeration of individuals, personalities, magics. The cosmic radiance that was foreign to her, hindering her just as much as it elevated her.

The glittering waters of the wellspring she summoned through the stones beneath her gurgled as it pooled together, soothing both Amelia and Bruno as they fought against it.

As the fight came to a close, she leaned backwards, her breath misting out in front of her as it comes in ragged heaves. Not because of any strain or injury taken from the battle itself, but from the cosmic mana that seared through her circuits.

Then her left arm is taken within another, and she is brought backwards with Bruno abruptly. "Bruno?" She asks him, her voice curious, a bit surprised. And then they are pulled through the fabric of reality. That awful tearing, stretching feeling that she had experienced several times before.

And then they were out?

Where was here, exactly? When did Bruno learn to do that?

Questions.

But there would be no time to ask them, as she was drawn forwards, to whatever destination lay ahead of them.
(Anna)
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[01:36] Perhaps it was the catch of the moment. Anger has doused her usual analytical self in-favor for one who acted more on impulses.

"Why I ought to..." Her magic has taken a momentary turn. Reddish frozen stalagmites fly and gash at the same spirit that engulfed her mind. Anger taking the forefront as she sets off a cruel barrage against the essence.

Perhaps the crown on her head was simply getting to her.

Even when the spirit died down, Amelia was still keen on finding a way to vent out. The ruby crystals still shimmered and flew before her as the icy red crown before her head only grew.

It was only on Bruno's attempt that she'd snap out from her state. "W-" Her footing slips as a rift suddenly plunges her into deep darkness. A familiar deep darkness. There was a semblance of surprise and irk in the move.

"Bruno? Anna?" She calls out. The darkened surroundings only made her uneasy more than irritated now. The slipping grasp of the essences that bound itself to her slowly becoming loose and Amelia founds her usual self once more.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[01:43] {NARRATION} Newfound knowledge yet with a body with zero practice. One cannot see rifts and perform them which extraordinarily expectational proficiency.

Bruno tries something behind his own realm of possibility. He could create these rifts but he put the entire group in danger.

They slipped through and their bodies tear to shreds then reform again in seconds too short to even make sense of it. Something ran over their very souls and being both physical and in concept.

Sick to their stomach and spun about. It's successful but Bruno left them all open to distortions to their very form. Anna is whisked out first but the rift siphoned her circuits, sucking them dry like payment for his easy travel. She's left lightheaded, dizzy. She feels weightless and woozy. (Temp!)

Amelia followed soon after. The trip continued to test her. Delicate hands touched what they shouldn't and her fingers suffered the consequence. When spat out she felt horrible burns and she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. It'd interfere with her work. (Temp!)

It's nearly too late for Bruno himself. He found his leg nearly eaten by the rift from the knee down. Luckily for him, he's merely burnt, mana sapped from him. His pants leg and boot completely disintegrated into nothing. He's bare, foot on floor he can quickly identify as wet. (Temp!)

Thickened air felt much like water. Shadows moved as though they were under sea- Though it merely feels that way and moves that way. Breathing was difficult yet not impossible.

The room they're spat into had high ceilings, the floor, watered in water, black. Distinctive blobs call their attention, clusters of them on the floor scattered about like it was once a corpse.

More importantly, there's something to study. Temple walls tended to have murals and the one present painted with beautiful reds and oranges. Its of Gehennan culture but more specifically, Atl traditions.

It depicts a sacrifice to appease angered spirits.
[01:46] ** Whispering Spirits has inflicted an injury upon Bruno pyr Aertas. ("Ghost Leg", "In a failed attempt to use a rift safely, Bruno found his leg nearly cut clean off upon a hasty exit out. He's fine more or less but the limb doesn't even feel like it's there. His pants leg and foot turned to naught but ash and flesh burned over. Walking may be difficult but the leg is there- Even if it doesn't feel like it.", "Temporary", "Duration: Short (1 day)") **
[01:51] Bruno's desire for knowledge couldn't quite be matched. While it nearly cost him his leg the young man found himself lucky, at best. His poor mastery of a borrowed art left him unfeeling in his leg, all the way down to the foot. His gaze shifts down towards the exposed skin and the realization that he hadn't lost it makes him feel better for a brief moment. The water underneath his bare foot comes second to notice, his lips parting briefly.

"I couldn't bear to leave knowledge behind."

Hopefully Anna, at least, would be able to share this sentiment. Amelia could most likely relate vaguely to it, even if her disappointment was bound to happen.

".. I can't feel my leg." He says soon after. Though it wouldn't stop him from getting to work right away. His footsteps shift water around, echoing around the room as he observes the mural. The first word that comes from him is a simple one.

"Savages."

As if he'd make a sacrifice to appease a spirit. They were better-off destroyed.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[01:57] The heat in her head would suddenly shift into her fingers. A verbal whimper careens off her lips as the eldest could only put her hands out. Holding and grasping them alone already put her in a strong sense of pain.

Wincing through it, she could merely stand to her feet, calling out to her brother. "What was that about!?" Her tone seemed aggravated. Perhaps it was the pain as well. If her fingers weren't so shaky, she would have pressed the bridge of her nose.

However, she eventually takes a deep breath. Though she seemed more prone to anger the longer she channeled the spirit that allowed her to send for ruby ice crystals, she still remained focused on the task at hand. Sort of.

Looking to the depicted murals on the walls. Though she herself was not interested in doing such herself, she was keen to take notes of it. Perhaps they'll find something intriguing about Primordials that can be of use?
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[02:00] {NARRATION} As they are spat out- From before, a lingering essence from the spirits left one of them invigorated.

Blessed even.

Like a gift from the divine, the Spirit Realm gave to another an added succor of vitality for their prolonged contact.
[02:04] Anna teeters, her head spinning, in copulation with the migraine caused by the cosmic majesty that scoured through her siphoned circuits, caused a remarkable feeling of nausea to rear up within her.

As she attempts to steady herself, the sudden sound of someone vomiting cuts through the air, then an unpleasant groan.

Darkness surrounded her, like soup, it hung within the air and for a while, she stood in place, her hands on her knees, leaning forwards as the contents of her stomach was expelled. Unable to process anything beyond the sickly feeling, she mutters quiet words to the others.

"Bruno.. What did you do? Where are we?"

She tries to straighten, only to wobble, kept off balance by her light-headed nausea, then a faint thump is heard as Anna falls over to the ground entirely.

"Ugh."

She's not having a good time.

Nor does she seem to be in a position to contribute much to figuring out where they go from here.
(Anna)
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[02:10] {NARRATION} Primordials and spirits can be seen as one of the same. Sacrifices are made to appease beings that don't even rear their face on the surface- Well, except Saekanis. Then did a Primordial curse the soils man received succor and life from.

What gave the Gods given Esshar in the last five decades? Three centuries? Nothing, and the mural above showed darkened souls making amends with sacrifice, life ones.

They dance around in ceremonial fashion. Around the, large black felines- Panthers, perhaps.

Yet when more attention is paid to the room, signs of battle made itself rather clear. Stones bore explosion residue, the stones at the ground pushed up like wild roots had been torn up forcibly.

Then there's this massive blob on the ground, large, pitch black. One could swear it moved. But it's something physical. Samples can be taken from the occult reeking mess.

What is it, anyway?

[02:17] With questions coming towards him the young man answered swiftly, and almost coldly. "We came to find as much as we could from these ruins. Skimming through would be... inefficient."

Clearly those temptations from earlier had gotten to him in his moment of overconfidence. Thankfully all of their wounds weren't too horrible. This left Bruno with the conclusion that no spirits were going to be appeased on that day, instead his attention shifted about the room. The mass of occult-tainted water quickly caught his attention.

He felt it.

Perhaps they had been calling for him. His right hand reached out, nearly greedily taking the sample for himself before his mind caught onto his own actions. He stopped. His eyes shifted over those who genuinely loved him.

One breath. Two breaths.

".. Come look at this."

His greed had hurt them all already. He would never be able to rise to the top without them at his side.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[02:18] "A-A warning would have at least been good," she scolds, the shakiness slightly revealing itself in her voice as well. Though she exuded irritation, there was a semblance of fear from her stammer.

She then turns herself to the wall. The rituals were mentally noted. All the more reason for her to dislike the Moxtli.

Yet a slight object catcher her peripherals. Her head cranes sideways as she slowly observes the gooey substance.

It didn't take her much to feel its occultic presence and immediately regard it as something potentially dangerous. "I don't like the feeling of this," she remarks as a step is taken back from the object.

She didn't seem keen on taking it for herself, however she doesn't seem to move to stop anyone from taking it either. To each their own, and she figured that perhaps one of the two might be interested in its... properties.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[02:19] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "*catches her"
[02:27] Everything was moving too fast for her, her inability to focus her mind in this moment a detriment she couldn't overcome. Being thrust into such a new and confining area in her mental state as it stood now was tantamount to.

She needed time to catch her breath, made all the more difficult given the fact that it was actually harder to breathe in the shadowy mist that covered the air. The vile occult in the air didn't bother her nearly as much as that, perhaps it was something she was getting quite used to.

"I can't.." Her head shakes briefly, as if trying to clear the haze that clouded her thoughts. Eventually, she regains her feet, and moving over towards their voices to regroup with them.

"What am I looking at?" Anna asks aloud, not truly able to process what it was she was looking at completely.
(Anna)
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[02:33] Bruno pyr Aertas says, ".. It looks like water. But the presence of occult magic is very..."
[02:33] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[02:33] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "Potent."
[02:35] Anna asks, "Do you think it'd be..?"
[02:35] {NARRATION} Bad feelings indeed. Occult was powerful yet at a cost. The blob gathering twitched- Or maybe it's a trick. One could likely connect the mural and the blackened mess but perhaps its a stretch.

That's all. Dense, wobbly substances that can be collected and used to something. It's a part of something bigger and radiated with magic- Dark magic but magic no less.

Some parts bore burns, pieces of it seemed cut cleanly off. It's likely a creature, slain, but in its death does it still seemingly wiggle about.

/roll if you're touching the shadowy glob,
[02:38] "Useful? Yes." He answers, stepping towards Anna rather than the blob itself. No. No more greed. She was hurt; he needed to pace himself and regain his composure. His shoulder made contact with hers, hopefully making her feel less horrible after that ordeal with his presence alone.

"I can think of a way to use it. Though I believe your own research should go first."

It was her expedition.
And he'd just hurt her.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[02:45] Anna spends what feels like several minutes before she seems to finally grasp the situation. She nods towards him. "If it's useful.. Take it?" She says towards him, her simple response coming out clearly enough.
(Anna)
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[02:46] Bruno does take a few seconds to give Anna the time to go back on her suggestion before he nods, moving closer and...

.. reaching for the glob.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[02:47] {Item} You picked up Shadowy Water Remnant. Dropped by Whispering Spirits..
[02:47] Bruno pyr Aertas says, "..."
[02:47] Bruno pyr Aertas whispers: You look unwell. Can you keep on going?
[02:48] Anna whispers: It's hard for me..
[02:48] Anna whispers: To focus.
[02:49] Anna whispers: I feel like I'm thinking in-
[02:49] Anna whispers: Slow..
[02:49] Bruno pyr Aertas whispers: Let me take care of walking for you. Focus on everything else.
[02:51] In all honesty, is completely unclear whether or not Anna is able to grasp the danger of taking whatever this is. Perhaps the only thing she can focus on is that it was useful. Is that alone enough to trust her judgment going forwards?
(Anna)
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[02:56] {NARRATION} Bruno reached out to secure a bit of the glob. It's scooped up and stored in a vile with ease. The bigger portion wobbled but, that's about it.

Perhaps he's lucky.

There's naught else within the room except the other pieces of the fallen creature. When collected, it moved a lot more but for the most part stayed within its containment.

With that out of the way, the group moves on! Back through the door they ignored and down the path of whispering spirits. Travel spans a while, the catacombs of the temple far deeper than one would expect.

Down some stairs and in uncharted depths, they notice an arch at the end. A subtle light shone through but the closer they get, the more their senses overload.

It isn't occult but instead the smell of rotting bodies that rested on the floors of the cave for a few years, maybe two. There were four in total, likely five but, a pool of blood trailed into a back room. But for now, there was an issue at play.

Three of the four bodies had no heads but not a head remained in sight. Judging from the splatter of brain matter and gore, their heads were blown off somehow. It's not easy and those with light stomachs and will would surely lose themselves from sight and smell.

All wore dark cloaks and had tails and ears if they even had a head. They ere massacred and the room points to them as cultists of some sorts.

Odd objects bottled on walls with shelves. Animals were in cages, all dead since their keepers had perished. Tomes and books. In the center was a body chained up but dead as well.

Likely starving like the animals. An interrupted sacrificial ceremony? The group can explore.

Whispers still sound off gently in the room, moving like soft drafts except near a certain item on the wall. It strung up- This circle item had twine spun along it. A dream catcher.

It's deathly silent near it.
[03:01] On the way out and down the stairs Bruno made sure to offer Anna help moving around. He had trouble walking himself but his ability to transport his own body came second to her mind being sharp. Less things to worry about were better for all of them.

The scent of decay and death grew more and more as they made their way down the stairs, though thankfully for Bruno he was... derange. Trained in the military, too. This left him without much of a problem withstanding the gore before his eyes.

Not that he enjoyed it. He was not psychotic.

Tails. Ears. Beasts. This was likely a temple dedicated to the Moxtli or some older tribe before them, he believed. If this had been the source of the pandemonium chase the young man would surely, definitely be upset. Though there was no guarantee of it, right?

The room itself was filled with tomes and books, which were far more interesting that the whispering dream catcher that beckoned for them all. Less whispers in hismind was always a good option.

And thus, Bruno would begin skimming the literature, hoping to find something interesting.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[03:05] Seeing as Bruno has already taken cared of Anna, Amelia would merely wince as she tucks and keeps her hands stable into her jacket pocket as she merely trailed behind the two.

The lower floor definitely caught Amelia's eye for its simply foul scent. Her face twitches upon seeing the room. She's used to seeing mutilated and pained bodies, but rotting ones?

She could merely stifle a puke as her hands shakily keep her mouth sealed. An attempt to keep her lunch.

After a few minutes of simply avoiding the sight of these corpses (quite badly might I add), the eldest Aertas merely takes a shine to the potions strewn around one of the shelves. Her brother seems to have already taken the initiative to look over the books, so she opts to check the remaining aspects of the room that isn't a creepy whispering dream catcher.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[03:08] She meant to check the bottled objects on the shelves, not potions.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[03:15] The persistent light-headedness continues to make it difficult for her to think, to focus on any one thing for very long. The dizziness and pounding migraine only compound to her problems, and they don't seem to be going away as time progresses.

If she was clear-headed, she might have been able to realize there was no point in her continuing on like this, yet she couldn't even come to that own conclusion on her own. Instead, remaining with the others who had come with her simply because one of them was easier for her to focus on then anything else.

She moved alongside Bruno, and as the scent of rotting flesh met her senses, the nausea returned. Yet she had already emptied whatever was left of her stomach earlier on, so instead of vomit, only dry heaves came.

Luckily for Bruno.

A quite groan comes from her, and she shakes her head slightly. She would have no other choice but to accompany Bruno- unless she saw somewhere to sit down in the room she found herself in.

Then she was likely to break off and make her way towards such a divine seat and take a moment to rest.
(Anna)
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[03:15] {NARRATION} The literature depicted typical things. Worship transcribed during the intercontinental travel. Teachings of Atl tradition and Cruxati made itself quite clear. Two distinct tribes and the room corresponded with the former but, darker. Far darker.

Potions consisted of poisons- But other bottled objects bore objects floating in some liquid and loose limbs in others. Fingers, tongue, a heart.

Some contained roots of nightshade, others with the actual mushroom. The shelf had various animal skulls strung about. On the wall pinned insects.

Living creatures and means to end life.

If close to this dreamcatcher, all would feel something beyond flesh tugged at. Their strength waned with close distance. Their mind played tricks on them.

The dreamcatcher did not whisper, it ceased the whispers of the spirit's whispers. Its close proximity like an eerily silent bubble.

On the floor scattered several blank pages of an old, worn book. The book however, was no where to be seen.

But the room can be left should they be turned off that the strange dreamcatcher. There was in the trail of blood which can be presumed to be the fifth beastkin, its body dragged off and into the other room.

From where they stand, they can't see into the room.
[03:16] {NARRATION} There is a chair in the corner near where Amelia was.
[03:16] Anna beelines for the chair of her dreams!
(Anna)
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[03:23] Bruno took the time to skim through a few books but ultimately learned nothing of relevance he knew not of already. Beastkins were savages. Disgusting, flesh-eating, horrible monsters. This was just proof of it. The young man thought for a second and decided to pocket the darkest books on their traditions, both of Atl and Cruxati.

If he was going to spread propaganda, he may as well.

After a bit of looking around his attention was eventually drawn to the dreamcatcher. A look is given to the tired Anna, and another to Amelia who seemed turned off by the object.

Bruno took it upon himself to approach it, reaching for it.

No stone left unturned.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[03:28] {NARRATION} Risk and reward.

That silence beckoned him. Peace of mind, finally! But when his finger tips grazed the woven twine he felt his mind absolutely shatter and piece itself back together.

'Anna hates it here, doesn't she? Amelia probably wishes she was somewhere else. They hate you for feeling so drawn to this place.' (Temp!)

He's hit with such a sudden wave of paranoia but his occult feelings a bit stronger- Yet at a price his soul rattles! Shaking momentarily before stopping. Bruno didn't have the tools to fully utilize a -Spirit- Catcher but the connection felt a bit clearer.

This group practiced with Spirits, calling them down and using them like weapons. The sensation doesn't leave him but he can at least hold the Spirit Catcher.
[03:28] {Item} You picked up Spirit Catcher. Dropped by Whispering Spirits..
[03:30] ** Whispering Spirits has inflicted an injury upon Bruno pyr Aertas. ("Siphoned Sanity", "Paranoid. Everyone is against him, clearly. The thoughts rattle about, loud in his mind after touching the Spirit Catcher. It's like a part of his sanity siphoned.", "Temporary", "Duration: Short (1 day)") **
[03:33] Anna is honestly just still chilling in that chair. She seems content there. Her pounding head, her dizziness, the nausea.. It all seems just a little bit less pronounced now that's she isn't standing and trying to move around.
(Anna)
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[03:35] Bruno finds occult energies coursing through him the moment his hand sets atop the spirit catcher. His eyes grow wide as his own weaknesses are fed further and further into the object. Part of his very being feels like it's being... caught. Entangled. Why would Anna want him around after he's hurt her? Why was Amelia even there anymore? His whole body felt like running away and his mind was-

... Tainted.

Part of him knew that it was likely the object doing it all. The spirits of those who were forever caught within. Horrifying. Horrible. His breath grew louder. More raspy. More... rough. He looked around.

He wanted to leave. They wanted him to.

His right hand reached into his pocket, trying to find a solution to all of this mess. He grasped upon something... peculiar.

He looked over to Anna, briefly, then down to himself.

His paranoia was getting the best of him, but if this had to be the solution...
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[03:36] Taking the time to collect some of the bottled items by the shelf for further research and perhaps potential usage, Amelia would not even notice until it was too late.

Her back turns around, vision glancing to the seated Anna before landing before Bruno grasping the spirit catch.

"What are y-" She immediately rushes to his side. His battered state was beginning to show, and the grim look on his face from the mere visage of holding the catcher was enough of a tell for her.

Grabs him by the coat and lightly shakes him. "Why did you take that? Are you alright?" She asks, her tone slighting rising before she shakily takes out her medkit. She wasn't sure what injury she could heal, but an attempt would at least be made. "Brother, get your self together."
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[03:38] {Item} You drop Lust Potion.
[03:38] {Item} You picked up Lust Potion. Dropped by Bruno pyr Aertas..
[03:41] Perhaps wrapping a few minor physical injuries, Amelia would simply offer a sigh.

"You know, I really need you to focus alright?" She chimes. She figured now was likely the best time to at least set ground rules for moving forward.

"Bruno, I've been at a thought for days leading up to today. What you said after the expedition..." Her voice trails, pausing as Amelia seems unsure how to move forward with that sentence.

The solution? Simply start a new one.

"Look, I just need you to be cautious alright?" she remarks. Almost all dangerous effects have been slowly funneling straight for a her brother. She couldn't imagine what state he was in right now. "We don't want to see you dead. So please, if not for yourself, be cautious for us."

Perhaps she wasn't aware of it, but her words seem to at least place reassurances. Enough to perhaps mitigate a few negative thoughts for now.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[03:45] Bruno didn't even have the time to answer his sister when she asked those questions, though her mending eventually managed to reach him - his mind was... slowly but surely getting back to a more proper solution. Chugging that potion may have worked, but with Amelia's words?

.. Or rather, her half-sentences?

He was starting to feel just a bit... better.

Maybe the real mending was their bond as siblings all along. His blue gaze fell upon her for a moment before he turned around and...

Hugged her.

For one not too fond of physical contact this may have been the last bits of occult madness dripping from his mind acting upon it. Emotional, yet, it would be fine.

"I'll... be more careful. Let's get this over with."

A release, and an invitation for Anna to rise back up, offering her support once more.

They shouldn't be too far to the end.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[03:46] {NARRATION} Family bonding and forgiveness. A bit more was learned but there's still the body that was moved and trailed with blood into a back room.

Did they crawl? Were they dragged? There's just a bit more left...
[03:51] Anna looked up towards Bruno, seeming genuinely reluctant to subvert herself to getting up from the chair that offered her some small comfort from today's pains.

A long sigh comes from her, and she groans as she rises up to a stand, slowly. The offer of support accepted without a word, she moved alongside Bruno towards the inevitable end of their adventure.

Whichever form that end would take.
(Anna)
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[04:00] {NARRATION} But first... The moved Spirit Catcher caused the bodies of the fallen 'cultists' start to twitch- But whispers becomes screams- Agonizing and soon shooting off into the direction that they moved in.

They stirred when the Spirit Catcher rose- Their souls reddened unlike the blue wisps from before. Naturally, they make haste as best they could after these spirits and they howl out.

Four of them, in pain. Likely stuck from the present of the nearby Spirit Catcher Bruno held. The room they enter spoke of a long ago battle- Not so far off, a year or two, but the damage remained.

Most notably, these scattering, trapped spirits went to what seemed to be a ritual circle. A pentagram drawn in ash...

Scattered about, shattered golden glass, metallic bars but.... There's angry spirits to deal with. Bruno had his paranoia tended to by Anna still felt the effects of the semi-successful rift.
[04:04] Before they could even properly process what was going on - before they could advance spirits began acting up again. More of them. He hated it. This... was the worst thing. The young man let out a soft sigh, reaching up for his weapon and speaking to both his sister and beloved assistant.

"We have company."

The ritual circle is missed for the moment.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[04:04] The screaming likely didn't help any attempts to calm down the situation. As a knee-jerk reaction, Amelia's gun once again finds itself drawn. The ravaging spirits consumed by the lifeless bodies of cultists spring and reach out.

"Yes, I heard," she replies as the icy ruby crown before her cap once again begins to rise instinctively.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[04:08] Anna blinked, then turned to stare in confusion towards what it was she was seeing. Those seconds of incapable thought process made her reactions slow, at best. It isn't until Bruno's weapon is already in hand does she realize they were about to be embroiled in a fight.

"Ah."

A chilly cosmic wind radiates around her, the staff in hand pointed forwards in readiness.
(Anna)
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[04:20] {Won Dangerous RPB against Trapped Spirits}
[04:33] {NARRATION} It's explosive. Waters and blood- Likely magic that the beastkin used prior to their deaths. They're angry, trapped. Red and damned. Perhaps the ritual circle made it a bit clearer.

A group of Atl beastkin turned to the Dark Lord for their practices. Spirits soon trapped, traditions twisted. But, some group came prior and killed them all in what seemed to be naught but cold blood.

No matter, it wages on. Cosmic wings kept Anna afloat, crystals restored Amelia's own vitality and Bruno become maybe one of the most difficult magi to fight.

Four spirts, three Achyonites and spirits bend to the Empire. It's a collective effort and noting the Spirit Catcher's qualities, will Bruno see that the four spirits are properly trapped?

Denied... eternal bliss in Hel? It seemed that their death near it proved to be the most unfortunate of locations and times to time.

No mater, dust cleared and the ash ritual circle remained untouched. Every Coven has a leader and the group stares at her... The blood trail led up to the circle.

One of the witches was sacrificed using the ashes of the Atl Supreme... ironic... Her ashes radiate with dark energy, Helish in fact.

A bloody conflict caused it. The act seemed personal and deeply rooted... But ashes can be collected, along with shiny bars off in the distance.
[04:35] {NARRATION} Be nice.. or roast me :pray: http://chronicles-of-esshar.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3173&page=2
[04:37] Allowing spirits to roam free was no option. The moment they grew weaker the young man made it his duty to trap them in this personal Hel he'd discovered. A powerful artifact indeed.

Through as it was.. all done, Bruno took a moment to breathe. To relax. To think things over and finally? To speak up.

"Let's go back home."

He felt his own connection with Hades Task faltering. He wouldn't be able to maintain that knowledge for much longer. A careful, calm application of what he'd learned from that memory (and from those recent battles) was applied to open a rift.

One that led back home.

He wasn't going to make himself, Anna, or Amelia walk much longer.

He looked over to the metallic bars. To the ash. To the girls.

Were they ready to go?
(Bruno pyr Aertas)
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[04:39] Cascading electricity and blood red ice flew from Amelia's gun. each spirit found themselves slightly manifesting a physical form. Except that form were tombs of ice.

Freezing them in place, this allowed the group to lay waste with powerful spells at their disposal. The spirits, despite being tribesmen of war and battle as the Atl is most known for, were no match for the combined efforts of Barsburgian technology and magic.

Finally, the room finds itself silent. A moment of calm finds the eldest as she simply slacks her arms; the tip of the gun dangling precariously close to the ground.

"I think... that's the last of them," she mutters as she joins her brother in the walk forward, helping him carry the spoils as at this point, all three of them were exhausted and battered. Perhaps some more than others, but that was likely something to address upon their return to civilization.

"So," she chimes. "Shall we?"
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)
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[04:50] {Lost Restrained RPB against RyouDM}
[04:57] Anna fights sluggishly, getting caught more than once in the powerful magics at the disposal of the Atl beastkin, yet her health was maintained as easily as she maintained those who had come with her. The crystal clear waters of her wellspring pooling across the cavern-like underground.

She kept her attention as focused as she could upon the fight at hand, yet with her injuries, it was all she could do to keep her group intact, let alone going on the offensive.

So she stayed back, did what she could.

And it was enough. More than enough, maybe.

"Is it-?" She asked the other two as she teeters on her heels in place. And then she simply slumped forwards onto Bruno.
(Anna)
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[05:01] Amelia Locke pyr Aertas says, "..."
[05:02] Bruno steps into the square from...

... a tear in space. Literally. In his arm is a very tired and likely collapsed Anna while behind him is his older sister, following up. The rather impressive manifestation of metaphysical prowess soon closes, and this time without taking his leg off.

"I'll take her to her room." He says, not questioning the fight.

What an entrance. And an exit.
(Bruno pyr Aertas)