Location: choosing Croc Crush Interactions: @AzureKnight croc crush team Mentions:
Tilnak tilted his head slightly to look down the hall while also being able to peer down to the small girl with his hexagonal compound eyes. Taking in everything she said and committing it to memory, from the description of the creatures themselves. Everything was important and could potentially be lifesaving to them.
Naomi stepped back into her office saying that she was very busy and needed to continue with her work. He bowed with thanks and pulled something from his cloak. Slowly he stepped inside of her office and left a small flower that was growing in and around a couple small rocks, the roots keeping the small jumble of stones and dirt together. The flower smelled sweet but not overtly so. Nodding again he left back towards the others, carefully shutting her door on the way out.
The rest of his group was still gathered in the open area conversing in what seemed to him like a civil matter. Waiting for a time to step in and talk as he unknowingly shifted the small amount of dirt he had collected in his hand. Stepping in when he saw an opening he waited for a moment for the others to pay attention before dispersing the dirt into a thin disk.
Pulsing and swirling the dirt to make a close enough replica of the map. Pointing out the heavier forested swamp areas and whispering key notes of what he was told. “Nests… dark… fog… thick t-trees…” motioning to area’s south and away from the main routes and village areas.
Before he came up he did hear the others talking about their powers and abilities so once he figured everyone was ok with the details he stood up straight. Uncorking one of the bobbles on his person he gently pulled a small stream of water from it adding it to the dirt that he pulled back into a ball turning the combination to mud. Placing a seed from another small pouch on his sash, Tilnak planted the seed and gently began a coaxing motion. Within a few moments a small green sprout emerged quickly blooming into a small yellow flower that he then affixed the flower to his shoulder.
Holding up his hand he started to emit a bright glow that soon enveloped the group in a translucent but blurry shield around them. He only did this for a moment before he stopped believing it was a worthy display of his abilities. Now all that was left was to get going unless they were waiting for other people still.
ATTN: @The Irish Tree, @Polaris North, & @ReusableSwordScarlett drew a sharp hiss, as Shavis summoned her attention - that damnable whistale, forcing her brain to abandon Human defiance for Bestial obedience. She hated how used to her movements Shavis had gotten thanks to her inhuman senses; the Belua knew her breathing patterns, her gait, and scent to the point that, even fully naked, she couldn't creep through the homestead that functioned as her jail without alerting the lightning ligress to her movement. It was part of the love-hate relationship that she held with her caretaker/jailer, as Shavis was the only standing defense against her dying of starvation, the elements, or her own suicidal guilt.
However, that whistle... she hated to her core for how much control it exercised over her; reminding her of her weakness, of her sin...
Still, she pushed past it, and regarded Shavis with a disdain melting into apathy.
Before she could speak, Hector spoke up; welcoming him back, inviting her to share her findings. Surely, Shavis had the same, rational desire for her to speak of her investigation - after all, she'd announced her intentions, naught but a few hours ago, so it had likely gone unforgotten.
Even though, she wished it to have done so.
"I do not recall agreeing to do your legwork, rifleman," she says, regarding Hector with only an eye turned sideways. She didn't share much in the way of approval or disapproval for the rifleman, but his disdain of her was evident. Humans, even Belua, couldn't hide their microexpressions - small facial tics, and subtle eye movements. Hector's underlying animosity was clear in the clipped direction of his speech and his active facial reposturing.
He was trying to tolerate her.
"Regardless, yes, my preparations are done," Scarlett says, "And, the information I have come to obtain is beneficial to only myself, so sharing would be wasteful. If you wanted me to obtain something worth report, you should asked"
Then, Tilnak arrived, and seemed to awkwardly mingle into the group. There was a relatableness to his actions, and she found him mostly harmless, until he cast his abjuration, and shielded them with his defense.
For anyone else, his display would be immediately understood and well-received, but Scarlett was a special cast.
"NNNRRGGH!!!"
A pulse of darkness exploded off Scarlett, as streaks of coal criss-crossed her face like tree branches - her blood vessels became more pronounced, and swelled with more iron than blood. Fully dilated, her eyes took in Tilnak, as she growled and snarled at him like a feral beast; blood splattered on the ground, as her right arm erupted with spikes and spines, while the vermillion serpentine summoned itself, wreathed in flames, around her body.
However, she didn't attack him - she was attacking herself, trying to dispel the shield that had caged her, even though it lasted for a moment.
Shavis would remember this self-destructive behavior from Scarlett when she was first hosted.
You couldn't just suddenly cage a feral beast without invoking its ire.
With the party reunited and Scarlett finishing her preparations, the party was all set to make for the Marsh and begin their chosen mission. Hector opted to inquire into Scarlett’s preparations, as she had been gone almost all morning, and if she had any provisions to share on her own. Scarlett’s answer asserted that the preparations were for her benefit alone, and was filled with rude dismissiveness.
Even worse, Scarlett seemed to have a negative reaction to Tilnak’s display of his magic. Lapis could only describe it as her body going through strange physical changes as black coal and blood splattered from her. The familiar that Nadia gave to her coiled itself around her, attempting to keep her from attacking her insectoid companion.
”Um, excuse me. Could we not bash each other’s brains out before the mission even starts?”” Lapis interjected, wanting to avoid any more disputes. She wanted to say a whole lot more about what was going on with Scarlett, but Shavis seemed to be used to it by now and felt she had a good handle on it.
I wonder if Evevlyn’s group is going through similar problems… She silently whined to herself.
It would see this humble group of five would certainly have their work cut out for them. But, perhaps Scarlett’s new equipment, though only for herself, may yet win them the day.
========
The way towards the southern marshlands was rather far, it being late afternoon before the group finally arrived at their destination. The sun was beginning to set over a lush forest as the vermillion light washed over the dense trees, creating a rather exquisite scene. Unfortunately, the traveling road ended just at the edge of the forest, so they would have to take the rest of the way on foot. Thankfully the village wasn’t too much farther, but it would be best to move before night came upon them.
The walk to the village was quiet and uneventful, with the only sounds being the ambience of the woods and perhaps the reaver team chatting among themselves. Eventually, they saw smoke on the horizon. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be coming from a house. Coming closer, they could see they reached the village in question. Being outsiders, the villagers immediately took notice of the reavers, looking at them with curious eyes. A townsman shortly came running up to them, a look of exhausted gratitude was worn on his face.
”Oh, thank the gods, you’ve finally arrived! We were starting to lose hope.” Said the man. His somewhat panicked and rushed tone insinuated that the situation had become even more dire than what was stated on the request board. ”Please, follow me. I’ll lead you to the elder’s home.”
The group were led further into the village, only then did they start to see the visual damage the Makara had caused. Various stables were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed, barns and houses were covered in claw marks and what appeared to be burn marks. Those likely came from the electric ability that some members of the species possessed. What used to be grazing fields were covered in dried blood, and from the looks of it there were scarcely any livestock left.
It was not a pleasant scene.
“Is that the reaver team? They’ve finally responded to our plea!” A woman said.
“Will they be able to drive away those beasts?” Said a man.
“I hope so. They’re supposedly from a place called the Eon Tower. I’ve never heard of it, though.”
“That’s not reassuring…”
The team’s presence there was stirring up much gossip. All eyes were on them to see if they could get the job done. The people were full of desperation and the hopelessness of their predicament has weighed heavily in their hearts.
Eventually, the man led them in front of a large house. It was decorated with tribal ornaments and hand-woven tapestry. The elder’s home, naturally. ”Here we are.” The man said, turning to them. ”The elder is inside. He can tell you more. He then walked up the wooden steps leading to the front door, giving it a few polite knocks. A few moments later, the knock was answered with a “Come in.” that came in a gruff, wizened old voice. The door was opened, and the group was led inside. There, they spotted an old man sitting on a futon in the middle of the room. He was bald, but had a beard that reached all the way down to his chest. Sitting with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees, he addressed the group as they walked in.
”Ah. Thank you all for coming. He said. ”As you’ve no doubt seen, our village has been in dire straits for the past few days. Those crocs have certainly done much to convert our community into their new territory. After speaking, the elder would break out into a small coughing fit, curling his hand as he covered his mouth.
”Please excuse me.” He said weakly. ” Now, of course we’d like for you to deal with this matter as soon as possible. However, if there’s anything you need from us, please let us know. We…don’t have much, but we’ll do what we can to assist.”
Lapis went before the elder first. ”Oh!” Please don’t trouble yourselves over us, Elder. You and your people have been through so much already. Although, I will ask if anything strange has happened here recently that you believe may have led to this.” She inquired.
”Hmm, no, I can’t say that I have, and that’s the strange part.” He replied, rubbing his beard. ”We’ve lived here for generations, and we teach our younglings to never venture too deep into the marsh further in the forest. As for if there’s some outside force that’s causing them to frenzy, I really couldn’t say.” He said, shaking his head.
”I apologize, I wish I could be of more help…”
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Reward: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop
Josef looked at Leon with curious eyes, listening as he volunteered to spearhead the factory investigation, also taking note of his suggestion to drink less coffee. "Clearly that young man’s never worked a white-collar job before.” He said as the short eared fae left his office. "I can’t say much about the cut of his jib, but if the Tower thinks highly of him, his earned my trust.” He said, taking a sip of his own cup.
”Who cares, he’s just some weirdo. Not worth paying attention to. Please continue with your explanation.” Evevlyn said in a sharp tone. Einer and Asterope seemed to be of the same mind. However, Eve for now would keep quiet about the fact that she noticed Leon whispering something to Einer during their walk to the office.
”Well, I don’t have much more information, any that would be of major use to you lot.” Josef went on. Although, since the possibility of this being an inside job has been brought up we do have a few competitors in our industry. But, that couldn’t be it, there’s no way. We do a thorough background check on all of our employees. If one of them was a mole, we’d know about it.” He assured the party. Although, it sounded like Josef was trying more so to assure himself.
Meanwhile, Leon had left the party and made his way a little deeper into the compound. He naturally picked up on the lone worker who was watching them from afar. Perhaps due to his high intuition or more so his paranoia, he quickly marked him as a character of suspicion and opted to hunt him down. Finding him with little difficulty, he put his psychic powers to work and created a miniscule blade from his mind. Flickering it into the back of his head, Leon established a psionic link between himself and the unsuspecting worker. The worker felt for, not even a second, a peculiar jolt in his head. But, it was so fleeting that he didn’t even pay it any mind. More importantly, he was thinking thoughts to himself that would most certainly be of interest to the young fae.
”I need to head to the hideout after work and tell the others that they need to move now. With those magus here, it’s only a matter of time before this whole thing blows up in our faces. I think I remember where it is. It’s due east of here, hidden in a small canyon with its entrance being blocked by some boulders.” He scratched his head as he thought to himself. ”Man, couldn’t those idiots find a less conspicuous way of hiding their base? I guess stupid people are easier to control…”
Now, Leon knew that for certain there was a whole team of people in on the heist, and he even knew the general location of their supposed hideout. He could go back and tell the others, perhaps the more confrontational members of his team could pressure the info out of him. Of course, it may be more effective to silently tail him to the location.
Or, perhaps it would be better to continue listening for now. After all, the more information, the better.
The fae couple had returned to the veteran magus, their preparations now complete.
”You’ve returned, hopefully the old man’s shop wasn’t too messy for your liking. Let us be off then.” Roze said.
===========
Leaving via a magitech vehicle, the trip to the rendezvous point wasn’t awfully long despite being quite a ways away from the republic city. The trip was uneventful for the most part, save for a few moments of conversation between the magus passengers.
”I still don’t like this.” Said Roze. ”I wish the others were back.”
”We’ll be fine.” Replied her Belua comrade. ”All things considered, this is just a standard survey/purification job.””
”Rue, don’t take this lightly. The last team that went there was almost completely wiped out. Also, think about what’s become of the region, now that it’s been left unattended for the past few weeks.” She added in an annoyed tone. ”I would feel better if we had Xashan or Amelia with us.”
”If that thing was still there, I might agree with you. But, it’s long since moved on by this point. We’re just on cleanup duty right now.”
After some time, they finally arrived at the checkpoint, roughly in the late afternoon. The group saw officials scurrying in and out of various tents, horses riding and out of camp and being manned at the several stables posted up. Things here appeared to be quite busy; it was to be expected given the current situation. Ruecian went up to one of the officials to make himself and the rest of the party known. ”Afternoon, we’re the team from Eon, here for the special request.” He said. The man quite noticeably stood over the reptilian Belua, however, as soon as he took in Ruecian’s presence his entire demeanor changed.
”Y-you’re Ruecian Valeniquen!” He exclaimed
”Yep, in the flesh…” Ruecian responded, in an annoyed tone.
”You’ve no idea what relief your presence here brings.” He said, his spirits lifted. ”Over there is that…?” He looked over at Roze and the others. ”It’s Rozemyne Levina! We may actually be able to rest easy!”
”You don’t need to make such a fuss over it, fuck’s sake…”” Ruecian said, rubbing his head. ”Can you just escort us to whoever’s in charge here.”
”We understand the situation must be dire, but we need more information. We’ll do what we can to help.”
”Oh, yes, of course!” The man responded. ”I presume the other two with you are newcomers? We need all the help you can give.” He looked at Lanus and Renee for a moment.
The group was led into the largest tent in the camp. Inside, sat a man behind a large table covered with a map of the region. The man wore slightly different garb that was a bit more ornamental compared to the other officers in the camp, denoting him to be someone of importance. Along with him, sat a young looking woman with long bluish hair. She had a couple of bandages on her face. ”Sir, the team from Eon has arrived!” He said to the seated man.
”Very good. You may leave us.” Said the apparent head official, waving off the man with a gesture. The man made a bow, then promptly went back outside. The woman eyed the group that entered the tent. They only sent four!? She silently exclaimed to herself. Her eyes widened a bit, however, while looking at Ruecian and Rozemyne. ”Welcome all. Please, take a seat. I find it most fortunate that the Blue Dragon Oracle and The Witch of the Triad have graced us with their presence. We’ve much to discuss.” Said the man. There were enough vacant seats for the group of four. Lanus and Renee were left to take the seats closest to the blue haired woman.
”We’re an outpost that has setup a perimeter around the surrounding area. A few weeks ago, a powerful abomination wreaked havoc in this region, decimating much of the wildlife and a few small villages as well. We’ve done our best to keep the rot from spreading, however, we simply don't have the manpower to fully purify the area. He said with a grimace.
”Hence why we’re here, yeah?” Rue responded.
”Indeed. Now then, allow me to introduce this young lady sitting with us today. He said, gesturing over to the blue haired lass. ”This is Rana Schuellen, she was the one who led the initial strike team against the creature. Unfortunately, they were all nearly wiped out. Thankfully, her and a few others managed to escape with their lives.”
”A pleasure to meet you all.” She said flatly.
”I regret to inform you that while the creature had since attacked another region since its initial appearance in this area, no one has seen it since. The creature seems to have simply upped and vanished without a trace. But, myself and Rana will be more than happy to answer any further questions you may have. Rana will also be accompanying you into the affected region as an advisor when you’re ready to set out"
Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily Interactions: @AzureKnight
”You’ve returned, hopefully the old man’s shop wasn’t too messy for your liking."
Renee scowled hearing her words but opted not to say anything. Ultimately she got what she wanted and that was all that mattered.
"Well, I'd say my lady here was quite displeased by the condition of the place." Lanus placed a hand on Renee's shoulder with a grin. "But do not fret. We've got what we need."
Let us be off then.”
Renee gave a quick glare towards Lanus for his unnecessary remark before nodding at the woman. "Yes, let us be off. The quicker we arrive there the better."
===========
Renee sighed, looking at the world outside her tiny window.
Oh, how she despised riding these steel machines. Sure, they might be convenient to move around large distances but the way they moved never sat well on her. She never liked being confined in a small space like this! Not to mention the fact that her stomach would churn if she were to ride on them for very long, which, for this case, was definitely the case.
She glanced at her partner who sat beside her. As expected, he was ogling Roze, who was sitting in front of him. She quickly gave him a good elbowing at the rib.
"Ouch, what was that for?!" He protested.
"Don't do that. You'll bother her." She scowled.
"Oh? Then should I look upon your beauty instead, my dear?" He gave her a teasing smile.
The elf's face promptly reddened. She looked away with a huff, crossing her legs and arms.
Lanus chuckled. Ah, how easy it was to tease her⁓
”I still don’t like this.” Said Roze. ”I wish the others were back.”
”We’ll be fine.” Replied her Belua comrade. ”All things considered, this is just a standard survey/purification job.””
”Rue, don’t take this lightly. The last team that went there was almost completely wiped out. Also, think about what’s become of the region, now that it’s been left unattended for the past few weeks.” She added in an annoyed tone. ”I would feel better if we had Xashan or Amelia with us.”
”If that thing was still there, I might agree with you. But, it’s long since moved on by this point. We’re just on cleanup duty right now.”
"I wouldn't count on that." Lanus chimed in on the conversation with a slightly ominous grin. "As a Reaver, I know very well that things can go south very quickly out there in the hunting grounds. Always prepare for the worst while hoping for the best."
Deep down, he already declared in his heart that he would sacrifice himself for Renee's sake if they were to be up against an opponent they couldn't beat or run from.
===========
The moment they arrived at the checkpoint, Renee let out a relieved sigh. Finally. That took long enough.
Her eyes quickly scanned her new surroundings, taking in the sight of the busy campsite. She actually was in need of the lavatory after such a long and unpleasant trip and she was hoping they could take a break before they went to whoever was in charge of the place.
Suddenly, she felt Lanus's hand on her shoulder, giving it a light massage.
"You okay, dear? You look pale. Need some rest?"
Her heart skipped a beat. That smile, that gentle whisper of his — it was what made her fall for him in the first place.
With her cheeks slightly red, she answered, "Yes, I'm alright. Just tired from the trip, that's all. You know how much I hate those vehicles."
As someone who grew up in a village out in the boonies, she never experienced riding in one until she traveled with Lanus.
"I know. If you want, I can cover for you."
She shook her head. "No need. I'm not that tired."
"Well, if you say so." He knew better than to dissuade his stubborn companion.
The two then followed Ruecian and Roze to meet with the officials. They proceeded to introduce themselves as well, after the latter two did.
"Greetings." Lanus bowed. "I am Lanus Retily. Pleasure to meet you."
"And I am Renee Terfiel. Pleased to meet you as well." The female fae bowed as well.
”Y-you’re Ruecian Valeniquen!” He exclaimed
”Yep, in the flesh…” Ruecian responded, in an annoyed tone.
”You’ve no idea what relief your presence here brings.” He said, his spirits lifted. ”Over there is that…?” He looked over at Roze and the others. ”It’s Rozemyne Levina! We may actually be able to rest easy!”
Renee raised her eyebrows. Are these two really that famous?
Lanus, on the other hand, wasn't surprised in the slightest by the officials' reaction. Rozemyne was already famous for being a powerful elementalist. As for Ruecian, well, the many tales of his exploits were no secrets amongst those in the field.
”Oh, yes, of course!” The man responded. ”I presume the other two with you are newcomers? We need all the help you can give.” He looked at Lanus and Renee for a moment.
"But of course!" Lanus smiled. "If you need any galdrist or elementalist, I'm your man."
"And I will be happy to assist with any alchemy you might need," Renee followed, placing her hand on her chest.
They then made their way to the largest tent at the camp. Taking their seats, it didn't take long until Lanus eyed the blue-haired woman from top to bottom, earning another elbow from Renee.
"Hmm, you say you don't know where the creature is now?" Lanus scratched his chin. "That's worrying. What if it pops out when we are there? I don't think we're equipped to handle such a beast on our own."
"Impressive little spell." Asterope told Leon, now that she was standing behind him, a few seconds after he flicked the small object.
A few minutes ago, she had stepped out of the office claiming that she would take a look around to try and find clues or anything that might have been left behind by the preparators, leaving Einer and Eve together. In actuality, she quietly followed into Leon's footsteps. mainly for two reasons; to make sure nothing happened to him as they couldn't be sure the place was wholly safe yet and also because she wanted to know what it is they discussed about with. The fact that the coffee turned out to be disgusting played a role, also.
The silvery haired mage spoke low and softly as to not Leon's hiding. "You shouldn't leave on your own like that. It isn't safe. Beside, keeping secrets from the team? Quite rude." she said, obviously referring to him whispering to Einer earlier.
From what she could gather, it would seem like they had a rather solid group. Scarlett wasn't used to being in a team, as far as she could remember, but it shouldn't be too hard to work around her moves. It wasn't long until they had all reconvened. She snickered when Scarlett alerted them that all of the information she had gathered was personal and not something they should be interested in knowing. "That's our team player right there." And maybe teasing the mage people warned you not to piss off wasn't the best idea, but Shavis never claimed to be full of good ideas.
Tilnak had also returned and showed them an imitation of the map and the breeding grounds of the Makara. "That's good information to have. We probably need to look into the breeding grounds so we're going to rely on you to help us get there, Tilnak. Thanks!" He then displayed his powers— earth magic and what seemed to be shields... thaumaturgy? Shavis was about to comment on it when Scarlett began her transformation, as Shavis saw it as, and it seemed to have been activated by the shield that Tilnak had formed around them for but a mere moment.
Once it was gone, she seemed to be staring at Tilnak but made no move to attack. Shavis gave a small, apologetic smile to Lapis before moving to Scarlett. "Alright Scarlett, you need to take a breather. Out we go. Come on." Because she had been used to it. Injuries incurred from trying to keep a ballistic Scarlett in check but feeling no remorse for the actions. And even if Scarlett harmed her then, she just bore it with a chuckle and waited for her to calm down before following the rest of the group. The travel being as uneventful as it is, Shavis mostly exchanged idle talks with the others or played with Shadar during it. Hours passed by and the sun placed itself on the horizon and it didn't look like they would have a lot of time before nightfall. Shavis wasn't too keen on traveling in a bog during the night.
When they arrived at the town, they were ushered into the elder's home with urgency. As they traveled through the town, it was clear that the Makara had done their damage. Even if they didn't want to harm the makara, there was no doubt that the destruction they can bring was substantial. They had to solve this and quickly. As they were walking, Shavis summoned three small avian spirits before letting them fly off with the intention of scanning the immediate area around the town. Shadar, back to his full size, padded behind the group.
The town had become dreary and heavy with hopelessness and Shavis couldn't blame them.
They went into the elder's home and Shavis nodded in gratitude to the man who led them there. She put Shadar outside the elder's home to, once again, stay alert if something ever happens all of a sudden. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the elder had any insight as to why the makara had started encroaching into human territory. "Haven't had visitors come through your town? Cause it's either a more powerful predator moving in or some folks carving up a piece of the marsh that's causing the makara to leave."
Confused but not surprised, The knife eared fae was unfazed by the looming presence behind him due to his 'danger sense' registered the Thunder witch as a non-threat. Leon briefly shifted his head at the back, acknowledging Asterope's concern, reprimanding him for keeping secrets from them. You can tell she's upset, like a parent scolding their child sneaking out in the middle of the night. Makes sense since she's the senior magus amongst this group of rookies.
"You shouldn't leave on your own like that. It isn't safe. Beside, keeping secrets from the team? Quite rude." - Asterope
"That's just how I operate, Bad habits I guess. My bad for ditching you guys and keeping you blind." Leon said blandly, returning his eyes to the traitorous employee.
"It must've been painful to leave you guys in the same room with Ms. Evelyn that you have to follow me here in this stakeout Ms. Asterope." He continued.
"In any case, See that guy over there, I'm a hundred percent certain he's a spy and one of the suspects, I have the coordinates of their hideout based on his inner thoughts." The fae rogue explained the details of his findings to the lightning magus.
"He's not alone in this one, There are others like him plotting against this company, I suggest we tread lightly and intercept them before things get ugly."
Scarlett didn't have any feelings that she could attribute to Shavis that were beyond those of a domesticated feral cat being hosted by someone she didn't want to trust, and be hurt by in the future.
She didn't resist Shavis; her touch, her words; her guidance from the halls and the jail of her own existence. Sensing the worst had passed, the vermilion serpent retreated into its nest, and disappeared.
Blood followed, the scarlet liquid left in steadied tracks by bare feet, as they retired to their carriage for the long ride. As they traveled, she slept; her body restless, as the iron kept her blood veins clear on her skin, and her eyes shifted miles a minute underneath her eyelids...
...and beheld darkness; above and beneath, as she lay on a shifting sea of iron sand under a cloudless canopy of obsidian sky.
"Nn..."
Scarlett closed her hands... her left stung from the grit and bite of the grains of iron that made up the desert, but her right hand made no motions.
It didn't exist.
"Mm..."
Rolling into her left side, Scarlett would work herself to her knees, and staggered to her feet.
Her eyes shifted without anything to settle on.
Aimless, the Alchemist with no barings to travel with took a step forward...
...seconds...
...minutes...
...hours...
...days...
...months...
... years...
...walking, walking, walking, forevermore...
{Are you lost, Traveler? Don't have a path anymore, do you?}
Scarlett shifted her body, defensively, and looked around. Her idea caught nothing, except criss-crossing paths of blood-soaked iron sands.
How long had she been walking?
{All you wanted was a path, but you stepped off. How foolish.}
"Leave me alone..."
Scarlett gasped. Her voice was deeper, matured, the youthful, playful lilt traded for a womanly cadence and charm. She had spoken in years, hadn't thought about the action, as she walked without a need to eat, drink, or sleep...
{I better set you back on the path you are supposed to travel, little princess.}
Smoothing out, the sea parted and revealed a straight road that gave way to a winding path into the darkness.
At the start of it, stood that pompous, blue asshole; he turned his back to her, and made a "let's go," motion with his head.
"...him..."
{Follow your path.}
Scarlett growled, and clenched her left fist. Follow her path? Follow him? Laughable!
Screaming, as the iron sand shook and whipped into a sandstorm, before condensing and shaping into a clawed arm, Scarlett would charge at Ruecian - angling her claws to take out his throat with his back turned to him.
However, she caught the brunt of a ice staff to the gut for her recklessness, and was jolted --
-- awake with a start, as Scarlett's eyes went wide, as she lurched forward, and vomited a slurry of iron and bile onto the floor of the carriage; her cheeks an ironic shade of iron-ore green.
Fortunately, the jerking that awakened her was from the carriage stopping, and she was able to stumble out of it to finish evacuating her stomach at the foot of a tall tree.
Looking back with a drowsy look, she remarked, "Heh, it's toiletry..."By time they reached the village, Scarlett's step would be normalized, and her expression hardened anew.
As she listened to the village elder ramble on, she would send her temporary snake summon into the trees; however, not before morphing her right arm with numerous alchemical scriptures written upon it, which would shed iron onto her scales, and further add to Nadia's tampering.
The inclusion of iron scales would reinforce the flaming nature that had been forced upon her, and evolve her down a natural path. Her technique wasn't as refined as Nadia's, but that brief moment of study had clued her into the Alchemy side of Synergy.
"Don't take unnecessary risk, Milli," Scarlett says, as the iron-clad serpent wound around her shoulders, and flicked her tongue against Scarlett's cheek. "Go on, you. Scout for anything Human or Belua. Stay high, and out of sight."
Milli acknowledged Scarlett, but not before another playful tongue tickling. Slithering inside her cloak, she would hit the ground sliding, and disappear into the brush - only to be seen once more upon a tree, before she was gone into the yawning canopy.
"As for you, if you wanna offer assistance," Scarlett looked at the elder, "Two options," she ticked a finger, "Take up arms and be ready for whatever may come from this, or," she ticked up second finger, "Piss off inside your houses, and stay out of the way until we're done."
Scarlett crossed her arms, "Little Miss Clown Hat over here is what we call 'a bleeding heart,' but my heart bleeds cold iron."
Stamping her foot, Scarlett would dig iron into the ground, and spawn a table. Upon it, she would set her collected consumables, and explain what they did.
"Shavis, Hector, you'll take a Repressant. An ambush attack from either of you will be a capital advantage," Scarlett says, before dancing the free one around, "Shavis, take the spare. Your combat style exerts more movement than Hector's. Better you have a re-up."
Scarlett slid the urn to Tilnak. "A connection to the earth will fare better with the deployment of this than a connection to the water," she says, "That said, you and Little Miss Clown Hat will be perfect for defensive measures." And, speaking of, "I figure, if you have even half the measure of talent you believe your haughty brother has, you and Tilnak can build a half-decent palisade around this place. If the Makara have any elemental powers, they appear to be electric or flame based, so a wall of hardened mud will stand as a defensible deterrent and early warning."
Turning her attention back to the elder, "If you choose to take up arms, confer to Shavis and Hector, and polish your offensive skills with spears and bows," she unfastened her cloak, "If you choose to hide, offer your assistance to Tilnak and Little Miss Clown Hat with their defensive measures," and she left her cloak drop, as she cracked her neck, and raised her right hand, "My suggestion: divide and do both, if you really wanna help to the fullest of your abilities."
"Eosinophil."
Scarlett transformed her arm into the spearmorph, and smirked. "As for me, I'm going spearfishing. Fucking starving."
And, she would take off without allowing a word in edgewise - neither of confirmation or objection. She just expected work to be done, and everyone to play their parts to the letter.
For her part, she was going to scout the perimeter of the expanded territory for weakness, while "fishing"...
”Well, I don’t have much more information, any that would be of major use to you lot. Although, since the possibility of this being an inside job has been brought up we do have a few competitors in our industry. But, that couldn’t be it, there’s no way. We do a thorough background check on all of our employees. If one of them was a mole, we’d know about it.”
Unfortunately, Leon has already picked up the trail of someone suspicious still hanging out right here in the crime scene so Josef's assurance were, simply, untrue. Although, the guy looked like he didn't believe his words himself. Einer waited for either Asterope or Evelyn to reply to him but then the Thunder Witch was quick to dismiss herself to go 'search for clues herself'. The bard guessed she was out to join Leon in hunting the culprits and not spend any more time here.
With a sigh, Einer stepped up to respond to Josef. "The lack of information is unfortunate, but you have our gratitude nonetheless." The bard made a light bow. "Now then, I believe we should be off. We will do our utmost in finding your stolen weapons, but we will also be on the lookout for any danger and protect your people for as long as we stay here." Einer finished. "If you have any new information or if you need our help, do not hesitate to approach us. We're here to help."
And with that, Einer led Evelyn out of the office. "I shall be honest with you, Madam Evelyn. Sir Leon broke from us since he has... detected some suspicious people amongst the workers here and are now tailing them. Stealthily, I assume. I believe Madam Asterope has left us too to join him." The musician quietly said to the witch as they walked. "Shall we rendezvous with them? Or do you think we should leave them be while we focus our investigation from a different angle? Like, I dunno, search the area where the stolen weapons were?"
Well. Scarlett was already proving Hector's worries were founded, what with her not being willing to share information, and then snarling like a wild beast when shielded by Tilnak's spell. Shavis had more experience in dealing with her, so Hector would resist the first instinct he had: Smacking her in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle to knock her out. A gentler touch was definitely in order for one so prone to fits of...whatever this was. He was certain that further agitation would sour any chance of them working together without a knife suddenly appearing in someone's back.
When her little spasming fit of throwing up blood and darkness was finished, Hector would be glad to have a chance to sit down while they rode to the hamlet. Thankfully, Scarlett was sleeping and wouldn't cause another outburst. Dutifully disassembling, checking, and cleaning the parts of his rifle, Hector was relatively quiet the entire ride. It wasn't out of any particular lack of interest in the others, it was more...rude, in his mind, to chatter away while someone who was minutes ago throwing up blood tried to rest. Even if he didn't particularly care for Scarlett's behavior, his good breeding and manners shone through, even if she was a little above a beast in terms of-
When Scarlett lurched forward and puked as the carriage came to a stop, Hector's shoes were right in the line of fire as vomit surged forward. The already palid tone of his face got a touch paler, a ghostly white as he thought about how much his shoes cost. Ruined. By puke. These were fine custom leather boots from Flugell's finest cobbler, designed for both fashion and form...and now they had the faintest tinge of off-black on the top of them. While everyone piled out of the carriage, Hector was absolutely stunned as he realized that he'd have to wear these shoes for quite some time. Getting out with a huge slump to his form, Hector felt like throwing up himself.
...He'd never forgive Scarlett for this transgression on male fashion.
He'd be so out of it that Herne would eventually start constricting his neck and shoulders to straighten him up, at least presenting him as if he were paying attention for the aged hamlet's leader. He'd really start paying attention though once his name was called by Scarlett, her manner of items laid out for them to take what was directed for them. It was an impressive division of duties and supplies, even if Hector was baffled that Scarlett was suddenly not only competent, but excelling in a leadership role. "Right," Hector said, taking the represent and putting it into his coat pocket. He had no idea just how long it would last, but he figured it was best to take it only when danger was present. With Scarlett now taking off to go "fish", Hector was left with the responsibility of, possibly, teaching some of the villagers a bit about marksmanship.
"Before we start dividing up duties and helping the villagers, I'd like to set up one of my summons near the perimeter," he said, which was an absolute lie. Rather, while Scarlett was still within viewing distance, he would release a hushed whisper before a thin, wisp-like object gently attached to Scarlett's right shoulder. It vaguely resembled a transparent ball of fluid that flickered like a flame, a pale white glow to it. Scarlett would sense there was no hostility to the spirit or its actions, likely serving to simply "know where she is" if the thin and flimsy nature of it was any indicator. "Now then," Hector said, back inside with the others. "I'm for Scarlett's plan and division of labor. It solidly divides us to where our strengths are best suited."
Lapis was taken aback by the sudden shift of demeanor on display by Scarlett. Most of what she’d seen so far was the woman behaving like a wild animal, crawling up the tower like some feral feline. She was also grossed out by her sudden puking during the ride to the village. Thankfully, she was able to clean off any gunk that got on her boots with her command of the elements. That aside, the woman standing in front of her barking orders had the air of someone seasoned and confident in the field.
Like Xashan and Roze. Perhaps, even, her…brother? The thought caused her eyes to widen a bit. Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she noticed Scarlett generating an alchemic spear in her hand, declaring she was going “fishing”. ”....? I, I don’t understand? You out of nowhere start barking orders, then you decide to go hunting? Are you touched in the head?”” She uttered. Though, it seemed her words would go unnoticed, as Scarlett left to search the outer reaches of the surrounding forest. While still taken aback, she felt there was something more to the alchemist’s actions. All she could do was let out a sigh and turn back to the others. Lapis didn’t appreciate being called a “bleeding heart” and “Miss Clown Hat”, but for now, she’d let it slide.
”I swear, that lady is as haughty as she makes my brother out to be. Well, Mr. Tilnak, it seems she wants us to play around in the mud while she fishes for lunch.” She said, turning to the insectoid Belua. ”Still, I can at least appreciate the importance of strengthening the village’s defenses. I guess you guys are going to back her up? ” She looked at Shavis and Hector.
The noble sniper had seconded Scarlett’s proposal to divide tasks in order to prepare to deal with the encroaching beasts. Lapis looked on as Hector summoned a tiny wisp and had it tail Scarlett to keep an eye on her. She figured that this method would probably work better, as Scarlett seemed like the type who didn’t want to be bothered while on the field. That’d be best…for now
The scarred alchemist having now left, the village elder turned to Shavis and Hector. ”Most of our manpower has been dedicated to repairing damaged homes and gathering resources lost due to the beasts. I’m afraid that we don’t have much to spare, but if needed we can provide some able bodies to aid you in the hunt.” He said ”That’s quite alright sir.” Lapis responded, with a friendly smile on her face. ”Your settlement has been through enough, please just focus on rebuilding. My associates and I should be more than enough to handle the rest!”
–
Scarlett made her way further into the forest past the village’s boundaries. During her trek, she would see reptilian footprints scattered in various places. Along with them, the surrounding trees and boulders were covered in claw marks. She would have to tread carefully, as it was doubtful that the Makara would take kindly to an intruder. With spear in hand, Scarlett eventually found herself in front of a large lake. The surrounding area was covered with a thin fog, giving it a surreal and precarious air. As she drew toward the water’s edge, she began to hear a loud slapping sound coming from the water. The fog made it hard to see where it was coming from, but it sounded like it came from near the lake’s center. Her spear at the ready, she got close enough to where the water touched her feet.
At that moment, a large erupting splash washed over the alchemist. It was accompanied by a guttural reptilian screech. A large specimen of the aforementioned beasts instantly pounced on her. Scarlett was able to react quick enough to stab the beast in the shoulder, but it didn’t seem to bother it much as it bit down on hers. Due to Scarlett’s unique composition, the beast didn’t get much for its trouble, and Scarlett was able to kick it off of her.
The beast quickly got back on its feet and hissed. It appeared Scarlett’s fishing trip turned into a deathmatch. While she focused on the beast in front of her, ripples and bubbling could be heard behind her coming from the lake. More roaring and hissing sounded from the water; the hiss the first made was it calling for help! Unless Scarlett did something, she would soon be swarmed.
Hector and Shavis may have been nearby and sensed the danger, especially with the wisp the former used to tail Scarlett. If they were quick, they may make it in time. They also had the suppressants given to them by the alchemist. Perhaps it would be wise to use them and come in for a sneak attack against the incoming swarm.
–
Lapis and Tilnak had set up the village’s defenses by combining their earth and water elemental abilities. By working in tandem, it didn’t take very long for them to create a hardened barrier that separated the village from the expanded territory.
”I hope this works…” Lapis stated, looking over the barricade they made whilst taking care of any finishing touches she saw. ”Your command over the elements is impressive, Mr. Tilnak! Though, I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise.” She said, complementing her comrade.
Before they had time to further converse, a louding snarling sound could be heard. It was followed by a large claw appearing on the top of the barricade. ”Oh no!” Lapis and Tilnak witnessed a few of the aquatic creatures start to come down from up the mud walls they made. ”Oh crud! Scarlett’s plan didn’t account for them being good climbers! Hachigan, to me!!” At that moment, Lapis’s little familiar began to grow in size, adopting a brand new and more menacing form.
The creatures that descended were already on them. With a bellow of its own, Hachigan began whipping at the creatures with its powerful tentacles, attempting to snatch them up. Lapis provided support by attempting to freeze the creatures in place. Tilnak would see a couple coming for him as well, and they would overtake him unless he acted quickly.
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Reward: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop
Evelyn looked at Einer with a blank expression as she was led out of the office by Einer, which quickly turned to one of annoyance. ”That jerkface! I swear, I’ve never known anyone to raise my blood pressure so many times in one day!” She snapped. ”I thought we were supposed to be a team!!” Walking past Einer, Eve stormed down the hall. She didn’t bother asking which direction they went off in, since she’d likely be able to trace their mana signatures, especially Asterope’s.
Catching up to them, Eve and Einer caught them discussing what they’re next move should be. ”There you are, you little runt!” She hissed at Leon. ”What’s the idea, sneaking off on your own. Trying to take all the credit for yourself?” She was silent for a moment, a sharp glare locked on the knife-eared Fae. ”I caught the gist of the convo you were having. Sounds like we’re all going to tail that worker over there, then stick it to those thieves. Sounds fine to me, ‘bout time I got around to roasting some droogs.”
The group then waited until closing time, watching the workers leave for home. Josef also bade them a farewell as he trusted the mission to the reaver team. They eventually spotted the worker Leon tailed with his mind knife, he appeared to be looking around to be sure the coast was clear. He then started to make his way further into the valley. The group carefully tailed him, being sure to avoid his line of sight and drawing no attention to themselves. Eventually, true to what Leon had analyzed, the worker stood in front of a pair of boulders deeper into the canyon. ”Hey, it’s me, Camil, let me in.” After making his presence known in front of the stone wall, the boulders suddenly parted ways, being accompanied by strained grunting. “Come on in,” said a voice. The worker known as Camil walked through the opening, which was promptly closed behind him. The group slowly made their way toward the entrance, as they’ve finally reached the crux of their quest.
”It’s about time, I was SO fed up with sneaking around. It’s just not my style...” Eve whined. She was the first to walk near the stone doors. ”Seems this place is members only.” She said, channeling a bright vermillion energy in her palm. ”That’s fine, I have my own pass right here!” Eve, without even consulting the rest of the party, decided to force her way into the hideout. In a brilliant flash of light, the stone boulders were completely obliterated. The force generated a wind and blew at the rest of the party, having only narrowly evaded the incoming debris.
“What the hell was that?!” Said a voice. Quickened footsteps could be heard heading towards the blown apart entrance. Several cronies came out, they appeared to be armed with magitech blades and guns. “Dammit, that shitcock Camil was followed. Take ‘em out!” Another one yelled. They began firing on the group, starting with the fiery fledgling witch. ”Crap!!” She uttered, quickly scrambling onto her staff to dodge the incoming gunfire. The bullets that missed their mark had left the earth scorched as they made contact with it. The impact craters were also quite larger than one would normally expect, so it was probably a good idea not to get hit by them. Eve retaliated by shooting plasma energy at her attackers. ”Fall to my radiance!” She exclaimed.
Meanwhile, on the ground, several blade wielders began charging toward the rest of the group. Various blades began radiating either fiery or electrical energy. If the party didn’t want to be chopped into charred pieces, they would need to act now.
”Based on recent events, we don’t believe that will be the case.” Rana said, finally speaking up. Her words held a sober stoicness with them. ”While the monster has actually attacked a few other regions in recent times, it has never appeared in the same area more than once. This should be just a routine purification task.”
”Indeed. The official was next to speak. ”Rana sums it up perfectly. That is to say, of course, efforts are being prepared to deal with the beast when it next appears. Right now, there hasn’t been any rhyme or reason to its sightings. Now then, if you all didn’t have any further questions, Rana will accompany you to the contaminated zone. If you would…” He mentioned toward Rana.
”Yes, we’ll be off now. Follow me please.” Rana said, ignoring Lanus’s leering eyes as she led the group to the designated spot. The group trekked out of the tent they were in and were led deeper into the forest. As they ventured further, a sickening feeling began to wash over them. Rana herself, despite her best efforts, couldn’t hide the anxiety she was feeling being back in this place. Gods dammit all, why are they keeping in this terrible place? She cursed to herself. Eventually, they arrived at a scene that showed the true devastating effects of miasma.
The foliage and vegetation in the area had completely died, leaving naught but purplish rotting ash in its wake. The air was murky and made the atmosphere dim and unclean. ”This…” Rana was hesitant in her speech. ”This is the main area the rot has affected. We’ll start the purification process here.”
”Roze, that’s our cue. Let’s clean this up. Lanus, Rene, keep up and provide support when needed. Team up with Rana.” Rue said, generating a lance of ice in his hand. As two creatures began drawing near, they were instantly beheaded by the Belua’s icy weapon, he then charged into the fray to take down more. ”Rue, you’re always rushing headlong into everything, taking your strength for granted.” Roze said. ”To me, Devion!” Her command summoned a large eel-like creature to her side. With a shriek, it began to charge rime in its mouth. ”Sublimate these pests!” Devion let loose a stream of ice that froze the monsters to the point where their bodies shattered into little pieces.
As the two veterans went to work, more of the creatures sprouted near the other three. Wasting no time, they were already drawing near Rana. Panicked, she began to prep a spell, but because she was caught off guard she may not be able to cast it in time to save herself. The Fae couple would have to quickly improvise a plan of attack.
Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily Interactions: @AzureKnight
"Well, if you say so…" Lanus replied, his face still expressing doubt. He glanced at Renee, his eyes telling her to be ready to make a run for it if the monster were to appear. She was nowhere near ready to take on such a foe, at least according to his humble opinion.
After the group departed, it didn't take long until the effect of the miasma started to take toll on them. Renee felt her stomach churn as the detestable yet familiar feeling washed over her. It was the very same feeling she had that terrible day when the miasma took everything she had ever known from her.
"You alright, my dear?" She felt a hand gently perching itself on her shoulder. She looked behind her, finding it to be Lanus' hand.
"I'm fine," she replied, a slight edge coloring her voice. "Just… you know."
"You can never get used to it." He smiled. "It's a horrible feeling that makes you "That terrible feeling… It's a warning to all living beings. For the miasma is antithesis to life itself."
When they arrived at the terrible scene, Renee gritted her teeth. It was the same exact sight she saw all those years ago, with all the rotting vegetation and foliage with no natural life to be seen. She took out her bow, readying herself for the abominations that would surely follow. Lanus did the same, drawing his silver sword from its sheath.
Their caution quickly paid off, as soon after, hideous figures came out from the earth, ambushing the group.
"Come forward, my elegant Nymph!' Lanus yelled.
A torrent of water gushed forth from the barren ground, hitting Renee right from beneath her.
"Kyaaahh!" The fae screamed, pushing her skirt down with her wrists as her hands were busy holding her bow.
"Nymph!" Lanus yelled. "How many times must I tell you not to do that?!"
The water swirled together in mid-air before forming the figure of a beautiful girl, who had her arms folded under her chest, her mouth pouting towards her summoner.
"Hmph! You're still with her! And here I thought you promised to break up with her!"
"I never said that! And this is no time to be talking about that! The enemy's here!"
"Hmph! Chumps like them are no match for the great Nymph!"
The girl snapped her watery fingers, commanding geysers of boiling waters at three of the creatures to burst forth from where they stood. They weren't fast enough to dodge them, resulting in them melting on the spot.
Renee could only send a silent glare towards the girl. Thanks to her, she was now soaking wet from top to bottom.
She knew the spirit was never fond of her and that she had her own desire to make Lanus hers. But she should know better than to do immature pranks like this, especially in the middle of combat!
The fae took an arrow from her quiver, drew her bow, and aimed it towards the creatures closest to Rana. The girl looked like she needed more time to cast her spell, and so, she would give her the time she needed.
"Fly, my little fire bird!"
She fired her arrow and as it flew, it transformed into a little wooden bird, which promptly ignited. It proceeded to pierce through the creatures' body, causing a miniature explosion as it did, obliterating them completely. Four of the creatures were taken out this way.
”What’s the idea, sneaking off on your own. Trying to take all the credit for yourself?” -Evelyn
"It's nice to see you too Ms. Evelyn" Leon retorted and greeted the angry witch as if he intended to piss her even more.
"I don't know why you're so upset about it, but if it makes you feel any better, taking recognition is the last thing on my mind. I prefer to remain anonymous and leave it at that" The rogue fae answered, deflecting the witch's silly accusations. Leon knew he isn't gonna hear the end of this once the spoiled astronomer starts yapping her mouth for accusing him of something so petty.
~
As far as the campaign goes, the badland crew seems to already know what their next task is. They were on the same page trailing the guy after work, leading to their secret hideout at the canyons.
A cavern, hidden via huge boulder blocking its path and serves as its entrance door. The area is concealed, sealed tight, and well-guarded. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the 4 reavers are outnumbered once they enter the heart of the enemy's base. They need to approach this more delicately if they don't want to startle the bandit's hive.
Unfortunately for the knife-wielding fae, The star-themed witch has already made plans on her own.
"Wait, Ms. Evelyn. I think we should think this -- " Before the words ever escape Leon's lips, the witch of the stars haphazardly fires a beam that decimates the entire stone wall in front of her, creating a large booming sound, leaving hazards of falling rocks and a huge hole in its wake. His fear of this mission going sideways on its ass has come true.
What follows after this messy execution was trouble brewing at the mouth of the cave. The rogue fae was put in a difficult position to fight an angry mob of bandits charging at them, wielding magical swords with malicious intent.
He saw the incoming danger and release a sigh of disappointment.
"Aight, I'm gonna head out." He nonchalantly said to Einer and Asterope, stepping backward as if he was ditching them in this time of need. Without another word, Leon draws his daggers in between each of his fingers and began to blend into the night.
Using size, his nimbleness, and his ability to sense danger to avert incoming attacks. Leon works around the magitech-wielding bandits behind their backs, picking them up one by one like an assassin. Thinning them out, creating confusion and stabbing them from their blindsides when they least expect it then dipping out again into the shadows.
I know it feels scummy using the other reavers as the frontline in this fight, but this is where the dagger-wielding rogue excels.
Also if there's any consolation in all of this unplanned fiasco is that Evelyn makes a good job drawing out the angry bandits' attention. (read: Bait)
In fishing, the primary components were the tackle, the bobber, the line, and the rod; however, the most important part of the ensemble was the bait.
Especially live bait...
"Delicious..." Scarlett says, as the Makara's guttural summons were cut short by blood-soaked gurgles. From where she stood to it, a harpoon was connected by a length of chain that pulsed rhythmically, if beating with her heart. The spearhead was crossed between the eyes of the Makara, as it impaled it from the underside of its jaw and through the root of its mouth. Hooked, the harpoon would suddenly reel in, and the beast would crash into Scarlett, as if she were a rock upon the shore.
Sharpened fangs of steel sliced through keratin scales and into the sanguine muscle below, as the reinforced muscles of her jaws held tight; similarly strengthened muscles in her neck and shoulder worked to tear out the lion's share of her prey's throat. Rich with blood, the slack chain would fatten, and slither back into the housing that held the harpoon with the weapon, literally, at hand.
"Milli, return," Scarlett summoned, as the jewel glowed and recalled the snake. "Time to field-test my theory..."
Scarlett dropped the dying beast at her feet, and pressed her left palm to her shoulder. "Synergy!" Scarlett pushed on her shoulder; surging iron and magic into the muscle - the arm dissolving into blood and metal, as the construct named "Eosinophil" retracted her arm entirely into a hollow opening that rattled and hissed back at the approaching hoard. "Alchemy and Galdr! Science and Faith! Fuse together, and become the Key that unlocks the Pyro Gate! Uncage the Burning Serpent! The Iron-forge Hydra!"
All good Magicka arrived with the heraldic cry of a magical chant. That was just common knowledge.
Suddenly, however, Scarlett dropped to her knees - blood leaked out of her mouth and nose, as a massive serpent erupted out of Scarlett's shoulder with a torrent of bloody chains that morphed into false serpents and created the summon of a hydra, clad in red-hot iron, with five heads.
However, the flow of Scarlett's blood wouldn't staunch, as her body rejected the undisciplined, recklessly rushed ritual. It was difficult to synchronize and stabilize two lives in one body, as Scarlett was hosting Milli through herself, and the giant serpent required more resources that she could give. Two of the heads suddenly exploded and resumed their unaltered state as blood vessels; the thick, corpulent tethers writhing on the ground like blood-gorged worms flailing outside of Scarlett's body.
Milli acknowledged the threat of hemorrhagic shock and exsanguination on Scarlett's life, and brought her massive head down to lick at her face - worriedly coaxing her to pull back, and not push herself to the brink of death.
"You worry too much..." Scarlett seethed, before she released the spell, and the hydra vanished in a bloody display that mired the swamp with her iron-laden blood.
An objective threat that polluted the water, and created a temporary barrier around her. It would serve as a ward, until Hector and Shavis appeared... stumbling upon a scene of a war that never was, as Scarlett sat before her kill; eating it and feeding Milli, normal-sized, hunks of meat in alternation. Her right arm nothing but a weave of blood vessels that seems to be commanding the ward, as they pulsed with her heart.
As Scarlett began to take the lead for everyone, Shavis merely listened. She had always been delegated to the role of a follower and the Belua was more than happy to continue on that path. She took a step back as the table was spawned before taking a closer look at the vials presented to them. Repressants. Aha, so this is what Scarlett was so busy doing. "Right-o. Wish we could somewhat avoid having to kill them but if worse comes to worse, glad I can avoid getting attacked immediately." Though it might actually be useful if she wanted to scout out into their breeding grounds if ever.
Shavis studied the elder for a moment as Scarlett made her way out of the house to go fish. Before she could get out of earshot, however, Shavis shouted out. "Her name's Lapis you know! And damn it, get some for me too!" She let out an amused huff as she turned back to the others.
"I suppose having the villagers focus mainly on defense would be for the best since they don't have a lot of manpower to trade around." Shavis turned to Lapis, giving her a small shrug. "And yeah I guess so. I sent out a couple of scouts earlier and uh-" She moved to the door, peeking out into the village before extending her arm out. One of the few birds had returned and dissipated in her hands. "Yep, looks like we're in the clear for now. We have a bit of time. Let's go, Hector?"
Preparations were being made for a defensive perimeter but Shavis patrolled around with Hector to at least be close by to Scarlett. Thanks to Hector's quick thinking with his wisp, tracking her down wasn't all that difficult. "You think fighting the makaras would be hard? I never really threw hands with a bunch of crocs, you know?"
And maybe it was almost fate that when she had claimed that, fighting from a distance could be heard. Her posture stiffened as her head snapped towards the sound. One of her spirit scouts landed on her shoulder. "Looks like Scarlett's in trouble. I'm gonna go ahead and you find a perch?" She asked, already popping open the repressant and applying it to herself. "See you around. Stay safe."
With a crackle of lightning, Shavis turned heel and rushed toward the direction where Scarlett had both been sensed and seen. Her ear twitched, picking up movement from somewhere else as the makara's cries seemed to have alerted its brethren. She slowed down to a stop, motioning for Shadar to make his way around the perimeter. Her familiar would be capable of escaping the makara's clutches if it ever came to that. With ease, Shavis climbed up to one of the trees to get a better vantage point only to spot that Scarlett had not only managed to take down the beast but was actively feasting on it already.
She sat there for a moment to continue observing Scarlett. Shavis was hardly surprised. Her worries shifted from Scarlett's triumphant battle to the incoming makara backup. She kept herself atop the trees, scanning the area carefully and waiting for a moment to strike. A downward force added with her magic should be enough to take down one of them in one swift strike and thanks to the repressant, they will be none the wiser. Considering the makara naturally used lightning-based magic, Shavis decided to forego its usage aside from aiding her own physicality.
With a fair amount of preparation being done for the village, Hector was eyeing the Represent that Scarlett had given to him. He wasn't familiar with combat drugs or...really, drugs in general beyond some minor medicinal ones. He honestly wanted no part in whatever concoction this was but...well, Scarlett's judgement wasn't all that bad. Perhaps she had a good reason to think he'd need something like this. Lapis and Tilnak had the defensive perimeter secured, freeing up Shavis and Hector to patrol. When the Beluan woman asked whether they'd be difficult to fight, he would reply with: "Difficult to say, but the terrain is definitely to their advantage. In all likelihood, those huge gash marks indicate large frames with strong enough muscles to push through the thick mud of the swamp. But, the fact that they can't all just come on land and wipe the village out speaks to a weakness-" While Hector rambled about creatures he scarcely had information about, there was a "flaring up" from the spirit attached to Scarlett, one that indicated that an enemy had approached.
Hector was almost immediately vindicated in his decision to track Scarlett with a his magic, and would nod at Shavis' words. "Be careful not to get bitten. My healing magic can only do so much," he said, before scrambling up a nearby tree for a vantage point. Grabbing his rifle, he would double check his ammunition, load his gun, and use his sole functioning eye to look down its length. Confirming the situation at hand, he'd feel his stomach lurch a bit at the state of Scarlett's arm. ...Had one of the Makara torn it off like that? Why were her veins...pulsing? Shaking his head, he'd try his best to remember that this was more of her macabre self-mutilating magic. She was just like that, so there was no point worrying. Even if it was somewhat disgusting seeing her dig into the beast like it was a stuffed pig.
Now securely in position, Hector would whisper something under his breath, a slight flicker of movement down his arm barely visible in the shade of the tree while Herne climbed along his arm. The phantom snake would coil its tailaround his dominant hand's wrist, while the bulk of its body bound and held his gun as a stabilizer. Flicking its tongue out, Herne would peek his head to the side, swaying under the gun to check for enemies to the bottom, right, and left of Hector while he maintained focus. In its own way, Herne being weak and indiscernible was one of his greatest strengths.
Now, the two working in tandem could provide overwatch for their comrades, the spirit stuck on Scarlett's shoulder beginning to move away from her, and back to him. Its task was done, and now he needed to only focus on the Makara that might be coming.
And just like that, any semblance of stealth was thrown out the window. The Reavers had tailed their suspect back to their hideout located deep in the canyon, the entrance being a pair of inconspicuous boulders. Said boulders did not last long, though, against Evelyn's destructon magic which blew up the rocks and sent dust and debris everywhere.
The explosion did not go unnoticed and the hideout's inhabitants came pouring out, armed with magitech swords and guns likely stolen from the Reavers' client. The fighting has begun.
Evelyn was the first to be targeted and the first to fight back while Leon slinked to the shadows, infiltrating the enemy lines to hit them from behind. More of the thugs charged at Einer and Asterope. Oh, how Einer wished he had some more offensive abilities so he could actually help. All he had with him was a pair of knuckles to help him deal out some fisticuffs, something that was nigh useless against blades that seared with fire or crackled with lightning.
Still, Einer readied his fists. If they came at him, he would do his best.
Scarlett wasted no time in quickly subduing and going as far as devouring the now deceased creature. Her alchemic body altering made strong work of it, though attempting to apply Nadia’s principles to her own abilities seemed to have backfired. Being left in a vulnerable state, she would soon be met with more of the beast’s kin coming from the lake. Thankfully, the familiars that Shavis and Hector sent out alerted them to the danger that plagued the scarred alchemist. Shavis was the first to move, her lightning manipulation being shown on full display as she left streaks in the ground with her speed. Having sent Shadar to further asset the rest of the perimeter, she perched on a branch atop a nearby tree to monitor Scarlett’s condition and take note of the situation. Hector, likewise, took up position a little further back and readied his rifle. His familiar Herne had slither along its chamber, acting to aid him in his sniping and acting as an extra pair of eyes.
Scarlett’s respite didn’t last long, however, as more makara quickly emerged from the pond and closed in to strike. Thankfully, the first few were pushed back by Shavis’s advance from above and Hector’s sniping, dealing a powerful blow to the creature with her magic-enhanced attack and Hector successfully hitting vital areas thanks to Herne’s aid. The repressant Shavis took earlier also made it easy for her to make some decisive surprise attacks. While this may have held them back for a moment, their numbers didn’t dwindle. With Shavis now out in the open with Scarlett, they soon found themselves being overwhelmed by the beasts. Perhaps it’d be wise for Shavis to call Shadar to her side. They would need to think of a plan fast, as more were coming from beneath the surface.
As the ripples and the bubbles neared the three Reavers, something finally jumped out of the swamp water.
"Help me!"
The thing from the water was no Makara, it was a person! Although, dressed in black garbs and wearing suspicious red-tinted goggles, to say he was an odd fellow would be an understatement. In his hands were eastern swords which he used to slash down a Makara that jumped after him. He then turned to the Reavers, and was a bit startled with what he saw. "Whoa! Who are you guys?! No, that doesn't matter now. We've got a ton of these glorified piranhas coming here. We've gotta get rid of them if we want to get anywhere!" The black-garbed warrior readied for the coming onslaught. "Here they come!"
Hardly expecting the situation to take this turn, they hardly had time to ponder as it grew more extraneous. Hector, despite having Herne increase his field of view, wasn’t able to deal with the group of beasts that managed to get past his two teammates. A couple began to scale the tree he had perched upon, attempting to claw and gnaw at him. Just then, a large tentacle had smacked them away, a loud thud echoed as they hit the forest floor. It was the familiar Hachigan, along with its master Lapis. ”Looks like we made it just in time!” She said. ”A barrier has successfully been made around the village. I sensed you guys could use some help, but who’s that weird guy with the red goggles?”
Realizing the situation she chose to forgo further pondering, and began to assist the other three in dealing with the beasts. Attempting to make use of her esper abilities, Lapis began to read the feelings of the reptilian beasts in order to calm them and see what may have been ailing them. She began to wince, holding her head as if it were in pain. ”Something’s…wrong with them! They’re feelings are full of delirium and rage! I-It’s like they can’t control themselves!”
”There's too many of them! We're getting swamped! Hah, get it? I know a place where we can have the home field advantage. Follow me!" Said the odd masked man. He was quite correct in his assessment. The group was getting overwhelmed and Lapis’s esper abilities were of no use. Cutting a path for them, the man threw a ball that exploded into a brilliant flash of light. This staved off the beasts long enough for them to make their escape. Eventually, the hooded man led them to a peculiar shack deeper within the swamp. Being led inside, the group would likely have some immediate questions. Aside from the strange chemical odor, they would also notice drums and beakers that seemed to be filled with strange substances.
”Wh-What’s with this place? What is all this?” Lapis said, clearly feeling sick from the air surrounding the hut.
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Reward: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop
With Evelyn blasting away at the grunts and Leon taking them out from their blind spots, the group weren’t struggling too much with the marauders. A few went for Einer and Asterope, the former attempting to fend a few off with his brass knuckles. The Thunder Witch had little difficulty in zapping away her assailants with her devastating lightning attacks, however, Einer received a wound on his side after trying to land a punch on mech sword wielder. As the man attempted to deal a killing blow, a large blast of vermillion energy hit the man in the back, instantly sending him falling flat on the ground. ”You should be more careful, you’re a sitting duck like that!” Eve scolded the young bard.
Eve had managed to save Einer just in the nick of time, with her AOE attacks and maneuverability, the fledgeling witch was making quick work of their attackers. “Dammit, someone take that brat out!!” One of them yelled. At that point, a hooded man with a dark mask had emerged from the base. He was holding a peculiar purple orb in his hand.”That’s enough shitting around, lads. We don’t have time for this.” The man had a gruff and unpleasant accent to his speech. ”Let’s see how you enjoy a piece of this!”
Holding up the orb, an eerie glow enveloped the vicinity they were all occupying. At that moment, Leon would find himself now completely visible to the naked eye. Eve, on the other hand, began falling from the sky. Her sudden fall was accompanied by an embarrassing yelp, splatting dead on the ground. Thankfully, she wasn’t that high up at the particular moment and only suffered some minor scrapes. ”Oww…” She whined. ”Bastard, burn to cinder!” attempting to fire another blast at the hooded man, she soon found that her magic had been significantly dampened. All that camefrom her hand was a small bolt of energy that quickly dissipated. ”H-huh?” She said, weakly.
”Compliments to the boys at Loghren! Have no fear boys, magus aren’t worth much without their precious little spells. Easy pickings.” He mused in a condescending tone.
”Oh…that’s right. That Donovan did mention something about a new device that did something like that…ha. Hahaha…” Eve weakly laughed. ”Oh crap…” More brigands came for the witch, attempting to slash at her with their swords. With a surprising amount of agility, Eve was able to dodge the slashes. She quickly turned her attention to the gun-toting attackers, getting to cover as quickly as possible to avoid the gunfire.
The reavers had their fighting power greatly diminished, however, so did the brigands. The magictech weapons they wielded no longer had their extra effects due to being in the anti-magic field. Although, they were still dangerous as regular weapons. Now on the defensive, the group would have to quickly find a way to deal with the hooded man and that pesky orb. Leon may have noticed Eve hunched behind the rock, holding her staff as if she intended to use it like a blunt weapon…
Summoning his water nymph and with her magical arrows, the Fae couple took out a decent chunk of the monsters on their end as well. Renee bought enough time for Rana to finish the prep for her spell. She then fired several bolts of light at a couple of the abominations. ”O Blessed Light, eradicate the unholy!” she uttered. She then turned to Renne, now with a calmer expression. ”Umm, thanks for that.” She said.
Rue and Roze, with their combination water/ice attacks, were making quick work of the other creatures coming for them. However, soon the magus present would feel a terrifying rumble coming from below the earth. Suddenly, a giant skeletal hand had erupted from the ground from where Rue and Roze were. Fortunately, they were quick enough to dodge it, for the most part. Roze was holding her side, with a bit of blood dripping from the wound. ”Shit! Roze, you ok?!” Rue said, running up beside her.
”I’m fine, it’s just a scratch…” She said, her expression telling a different tale.
As the ground further erupted, what appeared before the reavers was an enormous skeletal creature with sinister eyes. With a horrid bellow, its call beckoned more of the earlier creatures to sprout from the ground. Rue blasted them with torrents, but for every dozen he destroyed, a dozen more took their place. He spat a swear, and helped Roze to regroup back with the others. He looked at the creature, then looked back at the party.
”Funny, pretty sure this fucker wasn’t in the report that we received.” Ruecian spat at Rana. ”I-I’m sorry! I swear to you, that thing wasn’t here before. I have no idea what that thing even is!!” She exclaimed.
”Miasma buildup can lead to all sorts of grotesques appeari-guh!” Roze began to grow pale in the face, and her wound was slowly getting worse. ”Shit, miasma poisoning! Rana, look after Roze and get of that gunk that’s killing her!” He then turned to the Fae lovers and the nymph. ”We’re gonna need to combine our strengths if we want to make a dent in that thing, got it?! On me, we strike as one. Once Roze heals, we should be able to take it out in one go. Hold it off until then!”
Channeling azure mana around him, Rue began to conjure a shape beside him. The shape then became a large, blue serpent that was larger than the summon that Roze had called forth. ”Mizuchi to me!” He called out. ”Sublimate them.” He coldly said. His summon began blasting a large volley of icy breath at the skeletal beast and its disgusting minions, signaling for the couple to join in. Hopefully, their efforts would be enough to give Rana time to treat Roze’s wounds.
The rogue's eyes widen. Despite the dire situation they are in, The only thought process that comes into his greedy little mind at this moment is stealing that shiny purple relic from that hooded man. He saw the potential of its power; A magitech capable of leveling the playing field by greatly diminishing the magical prowess of each magic user in the area. Imagine the possibilities if he gets a hold of that.
Of course, he had to go through the layers of angry bandits to get to that precious prize. Easier said than done. right?
"I don't suppose you guys have any special talents? any fighting experience without magic? any summoning familiar aids? now is a good time to let it out or its curtains for us, No pressure tho..." The elf nonchalantly said to Einer and Astrope while preparing to lunge a swift frontal assault.
"Cover me, I think Ms. Evelyn may be up to something.." He puts on one of his daggers between his teeth while holding two in both hands.
Even without his espermancy nor the cover of shadows to conceal himself, Leon was able to use his natural agility to rush into the fray, making quick work of the bandits in his path, doing acrobatics, shredding them with his swift cuts, mounting onto their shoulders with his hobbit-like size, slitting their throats and latching on to the next like a little murder gremlin.
It's a matter of rinse and repeat of attacks. Surely, if the reckless flame witch can dodge their projectiles by sheer luck, then by all means their aim must be really terrible. Like untrained monkeys wielding a firearm.
The knife-eared fae begins to gain momentum as he makes his way toward the orb wielder. He runs through the top of the enemy's heads, using them as platforms to gain speed. His phasing becomes quicker, Taking a massive leap at the end, soaring beyond their reach.
The fae was in flight. His long hooded black cape flapped into the night sky shrouding the bright moon above.
Gravity was defiled by the lightfooted fae. He was on hang time in the air for a brief moment. The nimble fae has his sight set on that pesky disruptor from his bird's eye view.
With a sleight of hand, The airborne rogue unleashes a fan of sharp knives from the heavens. A flurry of deadly daggers rained on his enemies. The intent was either to maim the people below him or be a distraction for Evelyn to sneak around and bludgeon the hooded mage controlling the sphere.
Crap! I'm running out of daggers. I hope Ms.Evelyn knows what she's doing. I've never considered her as the sneaky type.
Frustratingly swept up in the maelstrom of movement and magic, Scarlett would adjust to the situation, once she was in the laboratory - there was nothing else you could call such a place.
No words were spoken by the Feral Alchemist, as Lapis started her interrogation of the strange. Her primary objective had shifted wholesale - no longer was Scarlett concerned about discovering what was driving the Makara. Lapis's earlier shout had clued her in that their were being driven by a psychosomatic influence - likely whatever had made their meat oddly delicious.
It was most likely to be found in this environment; however, the chemicals were strewn about, haphazardly, and labels were faded or handwritten. As such, she was going to trust in her nose, as the keeper of this establishment trusted their memory. Taking to task, Scarlett would sniff at the air - clearly searching for something, as she sniffed the chemical and mixtures.
After a few duds, her nose was crinkled, rather cutely, considering her less-than-cute... well... general facial expressions... once she settled on a drum filled with, likely, chemical waste.
Carefully, she sniffed it; her nose taking it apart to the base materials based on her fresh memory of the Makara's blood. Due to blocking out the chaos of their trip here, her memory of her last meal was undamaged by unnecessary distractions, and she smirked as she confirmed the source.
Her first objective secured, Scarlett would spirit about the room, gathering chemicals, one-by-one, with her left hand, as her right was yet reformed by her healing factor. It was slowed a bit by the chemical waste in her system, as her body broke it down, and turned it into biological waste with a future emergency exit plan. As she finished gathering, Scarlett would put the collection of chemicals on the table, and shake her hoodie down; reaching back, she unclasped a barrette from her hair, and used it to clasp her middle bang up against her head.
This exposed a hidden, third eye that opened wide and scanned around the room, before settling on the chemicals, and absorbing the information on them via an alchemical ritual empowered by The Void; the Eye of the Maiden, and her knowledge infinite.
After a minute, Scarlett would walk over to the drum, and her blood vessels would slam into the lid, allowing her to yank it off with absurd, unrestrained strength. Now, she had a chemical breakdown of the waste material, and just needed a complete sample of it. The Makara had degraded the sample by their own immune systems making desperate attempts to eliminate the unforeseen neurotoxin, and her own body was already over the hill in its progress.
Unfortunately, that meant that she needed to take her sample from the source - not the chemicals mixed properly, but the improper mixture that was likely wasting into the water. Therefore, gazing into the shimmering abyss, Scarlett hummed...
