Blood- Chapter one; The Inferno

[Zessoku]

A breif walk and Zessoku finally made it home. It was nothing fancy, so as to not to draw attention. She wasn't the richest in Port Slaughter, but it was no question that she wasn't among the poor. Which was why when she found her door unlocked, she knew what the inside would look like. Well, she had prepared for this. The black clad woman stepped into an empty home. Literally nothing was left, except for the remaints of the homeless who had wandered in after the place had been ransacked. The stains weren't that pleasant either. There was even a dead man who had died of thirst... Well, at least he could be useful for experiments. There certainly was no law to protect his body, and no relatives either. It was comfortable being back home, knowing what to do. Finding no place left unturned, she decided to carry her sword with her.

Where was she heading?

To go hire people off the streets to clean her home while she went out for a drink of course! It'd probably be better to spend the night in another's bed in any case. She walked out of her ransacked home and walked the streets, looking for those eager for some coin. She'd have to make sure they didn't run away, but some magic would probably fix that. Binding the doors to warn her when they were opened from the inside? Or maybe she could just summon a skeleton or two to keep guard... For a spook factor, of course. There was no way she'd command them to kill someone just for running away with some coins.

Ah, Magic. So many possibilities.

[TheSarge13]

Vaikarin walked along the with the group, his trunk hopping with soft 'thunks' as it remained animated, and following Vaikarin. After Borvis sitting on his bad arm, he had stopped caring about is injures, and shifted attention to the others. He deiced to.. start a bit of shenanigans with Borvis. He knew he would have to wait though, ideas brewing in his head. Vaikarin had one major intention at this point, and that was to put a smile on most of the saddened friends he traveled with. He knew that the only way he could do that, is through tomfoolery with Borvis. Vaikarin chuckled silently at his plan, him eager to start. For now, he kept pace up with Arron, and began to talk to him.

Vaikarin spoke with a soft tone, but still friendly as ever, "Well Arron. I do believe we will have some interesting times ahead of us. Say... If we run across anyone that ran, but didn't stop, me might be able to have enough people to still teach all around. We are of course... shorthanded of teachers, but I can easily change that. Remember about my 12 masters of the Arts? Well, I just might be able to have them come." Vaikarin said with a confident tone. Vaikarin was sure he could have his old elders come to the remains of Deathhold, and get them involved with the large problem arising of certain evils that he rather not speak the name of. The Esyire continued, ignoring his pain from his arm and wing, "In the safety of the world we live in, of course they would be more the eager to come I would assume."

[Warden of War]

Aaron was a bit brightened at Vaikarin's confidence, and his face and tone showed it. He took another glance back to see how many had followed, and felt proud that he'd gotten this many. He straightened his back, and looked much more like the Archmage he should.
"The twelve masters? How could they help? Why would they help? Last I heard, the more traditional Esyires weren't fans of Naersa at all." He spoke in relation to the few scrabbles between Esyires and Humans in the last Century, all of which ended in the Dragonkin having no other threshold than the Scorched Lands and a small bit of the outlying plains.
"I mean, they could replace the Grandmasters as well, but we'd still be short on Grandmagi."

[Valendreth]

Rendar turned away from Karnage, seeing as he was unfit to even carry himself.
He walked over to Pylia who had earlier mentioned something about the wounded.
"Pylia, I believe our friend Karnage could use some assistance." he said, gesturing to Karnage.
"I doubt it's from any sort of blade. I think he was affected by the poison Lucilia was throwing."

[InkedWolf]

Pylia gasped as she ran over to Karnage. "Karnage, don't worry. You'll be allright." She knelt beside Karnage as she began to chant a healing song. To all those listening, the song would sound much like a mother singing a lullaby to a child, invigorating those around Pylia while she tended to Karnage's wounds.

Pylia was doing what she could to help Karnage, although her mind still reeled with the consequences of what had happened. The College was one, Aaron seemed pretty distraught and she was unable to help much. She could do one thing, that was tend to the wounded and try to help. She noticed the others seemed to look at her with more distrust then before. Was it the consequences of calling the other Pylia forth?

As she stood from Karnage, his natural healing seemed to be stabilizing his body once more. Pylia looked towards Aaron as he mentioned the hunt for other Grand Magi.

"We could send word to the Grandmagi who tended to my Temple back in Hope? I'm sure if we explained the situation. He'd come help..." She pulled her bloodstained white hood back over her head as she tended to Karnage. "How are you doing Karnage? Any strength returning?" Pylia noticed her white robes were stained with blood, ash and the effect of battle.

The pure little healer had come quite some way...she wondered if that was for better or worse.

[Warden of War]

Aaron shook his head.
"Your definition of Grandmagi and mine are two different ones, Pylia. Our Grandmagi here are absolute Masters of their Blood; both schools. The Grandmagi of Light's position is already taken, anyways. Vaikarin here has taken on those responsibilities. Borvis is the Grandmagi of Binding. And I'm the Granmagi of the Arcane, if you'd like to get technical. We need one for all the other Bloods now, but... There aren't as many skilled mages as there once were."
He looked up in time to see a lone bird wheel around in the sky, following the large group. Then he realized it was a Buzzard.
Aaron shook his head and waited for Vaikarin to respond.

[InkedWolf]

Pylia nodded, Aaron seemed quite abrupt in his response, she understood. His school was in shambles. She wanted to help...there was another one she could suggest...

"What...what about the other me? She comes from the Witch herself, she's got quite a bit of knowledge. Maybe we can find a way to let her communicate through the Dark Study..."

Pylia didn't like suggesting her other half, but if they needed all hands on deck. She had a set to spare...

[Lucius Cypher]

Karnage started to recover as Pylia healed him, once again doing something that he couldn't do himself. When the feeling of his body came back to him, he dismissed his Vexing Demons and tried to get his bearings strait. As the poisons died down, he heard that the Archmage and everyone else would be needing a new base of operations, as well as others "Grand Magi" to assist them. "Fine, Pylia. Thank you." Karnage cracked his jaw and chomped a few times, and after a quick body check, his body had recovered. Then he looked to the Archmage when he made his comment about not being as many skilled mages. "If we cannot find them, why do we not simply make our own skilled mages? Is that not why we came here?" Karnage moved a bit ahead of the group, but not past the Archmage himself. "Destruction makes opportunities to build. Even if we must gather the most powerful of mages as fast as we can, we must also prepare others to replace them should they fall." Karnage looked over at the ruins of the college, where some of his weapons were now lost. "In all my years of creating weapons, I knew that one day, they will disappear. Time will take them away, one way or another. But that does not mean they should be forgotten, nor does it mean another could not be made." Karnage spoke what he wanted to say, as his mind wondered to the lost of his creations. He would have to find another entrance into the Ravine and set up another forge to recreate them. Or maybe return home and do it there. As he walked, his spider Animunculi came up to him, dragging the skin-sack made from the Chemeleos. Karnage cracked a small smile. Not all was lost.

As Lucilia walked with what remained of the Aerta College group, she surveyed those who followed. The Archmage himself, who was as powerful as he was mysterious. Vaikarin, the Esyire who no doubt had a plan and the resources to regain what they lost today. Pylia, once a simple Vitamancer, now a Chanter Mage with untold power. There was also Rendar, the Electromancer. Something seemed off about him, something that Lucilia is unsure if she should try to talk to him about. Then there was Karnage; Lucila couldn't help but to think this somehow did not involve him. Despite the previous visions she's been having, he wasn't here when the demons attacked, and in fact succumbed to one of the poisons she left to eliminate them. she was a bit disappointed it didn't kill him, but there was always next time. But then she noted who was missing; Zessoku was no where to be seen, nor was Uicle. She hardly knew Zessoku and didn't like Uicle, but Lucilia was concerned about their disappearance. Both, however, seemed like the type of people who would have left to the enemy side. She didn't want to think about it, but it was possible; Zessoku didn't seem to be the type to really care about the college, the students, or the world as a whole, while Uicle's motivations were tied entirely to a god that spoke to no one else but him. Lucilia worried about about, and yet when she looked at them, she couldn't help but to think that they could be the enemy.

As the Necromancer Girl walked out of her home, her stalkers followed. They watched and waited, until finally, Zessoku was right where they needed her. The area was voided of others; no pedestrians to get in the way, no criminals to jump in. They set Zessoku up into an ambush. As she walked into the position, the ten figures used their magics to trap Zessoku in an enclosed area, roughly the size of a market. No one could leave, nor enter, until the source of the magic was killed. From the darkness came Gro'Dorns, summoned here to deal with the lone necromancer. From their hiding spot, one of the voices spoke to another. "Are you sure she is the one? That she will be able to do it?" The voice was like that of an old crone, but then another voice of a younger woman spoke back. "We will see. If she is not powerful enough, then we will send another." The Gro'Dorns, seven total, hunted down Zessoku within the enclosed area, with their leader amongst them; A vampire. "Find the girl and kill her. We will see if she is worthy."

[Valendreth]

"Thank you, Rendar."
"My pleasure, Pylia." Rendar mumbled to himself. Everyone around him was grieving over the college, but he was worried about other things.
Where would he learn Electromancy now? He needed to be powerful enough to protect those he cared about, and with the college gone, and a lack of teachers, it would be hard to learn. Looks like I'll have to resort to trial and error. The only way I can build my power now is if I push myself to my limits. Rendar pulled out Wildbane and stared at the sword, as it gave off a faint orange glow and flames licked around its edges. This is a powerful sword, but I can't rely on it. If I do, then my own magical abilities will falter, and I can't have that.
Rendar sheathed Wildbane and continued following the rest of the group. His face held a very dark expression.

[TheSarge13]

Vaikarin slowly snapped out of his little side trance. He was thinking deeply on how he could get the 12 Esyire masters to Deathhold. Vaikarin shook his head, and looked at Arron. "I'm fully sure they are aware of the danger, and the situation. They would be more then willing to help. They maybe not fond of Naersa, but nevertheless they will still come. I assure you, these Esyires out match any Grandmaster, except for Borvis, which in his art, he is incredible."