13org

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Ilshar's reply confirmed Alice's concerns. An entire pack of ether-spawns had already noticed the etheric disturbance, however faint it was, and likely already knew of their presence. In the best case, they would only investigate... But Alice had learned to always assume the worst possible scenario whenever those types of creatures were involved.

"We need to move. Assuming the worst case... If these ether-spawns come for us... It won't end with a single shot." Alice said in reply to Ilshar, definitely worried.

"A lure might be possible... But we'll have to be very careful to disguise our etheric traces so they don't trace the lure back to us. These kind of tactics are not uncommon among the creatures that call the Abyssic Plane and the Oneiric Chasm their home." Alice said, confirming King's suggestion.

The very second Alice finished saying that though, the door began opening with the noise of the old machinery flooding the mostly silent room, together with a teal-colored luminescent fog, seemingly emanating from whatever it was on the other side.

Unlike the other worm-like creatures, which didn't appear to be hostile, being mostly scavenger creatures from what she could recall from her expeditions and research, Alice had no idea of what the other one one was capable of, not she could sense it well enough to identify it. Judging by how the worm-like scavengers were reacting... There was a good possibility it was a predator.

"Understood. Focus on the Lure, Salvator. I'll keep the shroud up and assist in any way I can in disguising the traces to your lure." Alice said, focusing as she helped maintain the shroud that Salvator had created.

In order to better disguise themselves for ether-sensing creatures, instead of making the shroud more powerful, Alice instead focused on making it more... porous. More like camouflage than 'invisibility'. A perfect and powerful shroud, in many cases would have an almost completely opposite effect from the one it was intended. For predators or even most opportunistic ether creatures, a field where their senses felt only a complete emptiness was as strange and worthy of closer investigation than if they had detected etheric fluctuations characteristic of other creatures. Hopefully, when coupled with the lure Salvator had just put on the corpse, it would divert the attention from whatever it was on the other side of the door to the worms instead of them.

"Move slowly, be careful. I will try make the shroud match the background ether profile. It should also help with disguising your lure, Salvator. Be mindful of any ether fluctuations any of you might cause from now on." Alice whispered.

"The other creature outside the door doesn't seem to have noticed our presence, at least not visually. It seems to be reacting to something, most likely to the worms. The bad news is that there is a good possibility that it is a predator. The good news is that if it is one, it is likely hunting the worms. As long as we don't make ourselves look like a more appealing prey, it is unlikely it will notice us. Whatever you do, whatever it happens, do not open fire yet. Just stay calm and wait for an opportunity for us to leave." Alice whispered, still concentrating on the shroud and assisting Salvator with his lure, while being very vigilant to any movement from the other creature outside the door.

Black Clover. New Knights - Interest Check

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Count me in, if you'll have me!

13org's characters

Amaris Mallory

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Amaris Mallory	General Information Name - Amaris Mallory Age - 85 Species and Gender - Sarkaz / Female Mana Pool Type - Container Hair Color - White Affiliation - Order of the Golden Sun - Prisoner

Detailed Appearance

While Amaris lacks the characteristic horns that most Sarkaz usually have and most of the visible traits are hidden by her robes, her striking appearance is usually more than enough to mark her as someone incredibly suspicious. At first sight, her red eyes and sharp teeth already contribute to the rather sinister aura she has, but if one pay enough attention, the white, demon-like tail is still able to be seen. Aside from the obvious physical traits, what perhaps contribute even more to the sinister appearance Amaris has is the robe and veil that she is forced to wear by the Order.

The aptly named Robes of Penitence were initially a magical artifact made with reinforced fabric and dark colors, but after being worn by Amaris, the robe changed to be filled with sharp iron spikes. While the rather violent and hostile design was not exactly intended, it ends up working quite well to warn that the one wearing it is both dangerous and undergoing punishment... or 'penance'.

If one is able to see past these sinister and dangerous appearance, Amaris could easily be considered quite an attractive woman. Standing at 1.82m with beautiful, long white hair, it doesn't take much to imagine how different she would look if she wore different clothes and perhaps had a more amicable, gentle smile... Similar to the ones she is sometime seen with when talking to Sarkaz children.

Personality

Most know of those who have heard about Amaris' 'sins' and what she was responsible for see her as a monstrous, sadistic witch. A walking disaster that was responsible for the massacre that happened on the border town between Varenheim and Westernant. At least partially, those people aren't exactly wrong. To her enemies, Amaris shows herself to be a ruthless, sadistic witch that doesn't hesitate in slaughtering those responsible for her people's suffering, but there is much more to her than just the stories that are told.

While it is true that Amaris is cruel, ruthless and sadistic to those whom she consider either her enemies or 'guilty' of committing injustices, her rather strict moral code shows itself quite clearly when innocent people are involved, be them Sarkaz or not. This very moral code seems work almost as a failsafe, limiting her cruelty to prevent her from crossing a line she shouldn't.

Since she became a prisoner of the Order of the Golden Sun, Amaris learned to control her fiercely rebellious spirit, teaching her at least some patience and restraint. This time spent as a prisoner also did quite a bit to calm Amaris down and make her behavior less explosive and destructive. In another hand, this made clear that Amaris is a dangerous woman in many ways, showing herself to be a very cunning and scheming woman especially now after she learned how to bide her time instead of acting solely on her impulses.

Surprisingly enough, she seems not to show that much hostility to most members of the clergy, with the notable exception of the Inquisitors... Often the targets of acidic, sarcastic comments and provocations about them being the church's 'hunting dogs', eager to show service and 'condemn' whoever they are told to, regardless of the crimes they committed. Even though Amaris isn't stupid to directly attack an inquisitor, she seems to shows a habit of not particularly minding about collateral damage to them, if she is ordered to attack an enemy with them nearby.

The few times Amaris was allowed to meet the children of the orphanage, she has also shown herself to calmly and kindly answer to inquiries made by the braver ones among them that weren't afraid by the stories, as long as those were polite. While she shows little to no patience to rude and unruly children, she seems to have a soft spot for polite and innocent ones.

Bio

It is hard to forget—and even harder to forgive—the hatred and the old wounds left open after decades of war. For some, time does not heal all wounds. Even after the city of Dagorlad was built as a symbol of peace, the scars of the Sarkaz genocide, inflicted by the Elves during the cruel reign of Serensiel, remained fresh in their memory. The Sarkaz people, once proud nomads, now suffered the stigma of that dark history. Many still saw them as untrustworthy outcasts, regardless of their attempt to rebuild their shattered pride and culture.

Amaris Mallory, the third daughter of a prosperous merchant family, saw in Dagorlad little more than a gilded cage. It was a fragile city... Built on a promise coexistence and a new beginning, while lacking the mutual respect from other kingdoms to sustain such coexistence. A place where the Sarkaz slowly attempted to reclaim what was stolen from them, even as those responsible for their suffering walked free. The Elves who had committed unspeakable atrocities thrived in lands taken by blood, while the Sarkaz were left to pick up the pieces, their pain ignored.

To Amaris, the bustling marketplace in Dagorlad’s merchant district, filled with colorful stalls and traders shouting their wares, felt like a cruel joke. The very city was build as a result of years of Sarkaz suffering, and yet people still lived as if the past didn't matter anymore... As if all their problems had been solved, ignoring the Elves, in their prosperous kingdom, built on stolen lands. The noise of the crowd only made Amaris' heard tighten. The peace their city offered was impossible to trust. Their so-called nation was small and vulnerable, constantly overshadowed by the power of the Elves and Humans.

Day after day, Amaris wandered through the district, her heart heavy with the burden of unspoken anger. Merchants who traveled to Human land spoke of their experiences... The stories were always the same: polite smiles masking condescension, whispered insults calling them scavengers, wanderers, or worse. The Sarkaz could build cities, they could carve out a place for themselves, but they could not erase the past.

While many in Dagorlad tried to adapt to their new lives, Amaris felt suffocated by it. While coexistence could be possible, the past had first to be acknowledged. The crimes of the Elves under Serensiel's reign could not simply be buried and forgotten. Most importantly, the Sarkaz would never be truly respected as long as their past grievances weren't solved and the crimes committed against them, repaid. For Amaris, there could be no true peace without retribution.

As she grew older, Dagorlad became more and more suffocating. Her family, unlike Amaris, had adapted well to the changes. Her father, a merchant through and through, saw opportunity where she saw injustice while her mother, believed that time would smooth over the rough edges of their history. Both of them did little to understand her discontent. To them, Amaris was wasting her potential and her magical talents, on rebellious thoughts and dreams of a different world.

In the end, Amaris decided to leave with the excuse of "learning about the world". Unsurprisingly, her family didn’t resist. They had already grown of her dissatisfaction and rebellious spirit and maybe they believed that leaving Dagorlad might finally open her rebellious daughter's eyes and get rid her of her rebellious streak. She chose Westernant as her destination, where she hoped to find answers to the questions that gnawed at her soul... How could her people heal if their past was ignored? How could they move forward when the those responsible for their disgrace still walked free, unrepentant, their hands stained with Sarkaz blood? And perhaps even more importantly... seeking some respite from the suffocating feeling of impotence and the hatred that burned her chest.

Truth be told, Amaris had no grand plan as she left for Westernant, no certainty about what she would find or how exactly would most humans treat her. Only a burning, smoldering anger. A belief that justice, true justice, could not be bargained for or bought. It had to be taken, to be earned. As long as the Sarkaz let the humans look down at them or the elves believe they can just ignore what they did in the past, they would never be respected.

At first her the one thing she noticed in Westernant was while there was indeed the prejudice she heard about from other merchants, not every human was like that. While there were only some that didn't view her with prejudice, those that didn't only shown curiosity as she looked at her. While that curiosity could be another way to earn the human kingdoms' trust and respect, Amaris was far too quickly shown the dark side of human society the moment she stepped into one of the first settlements in the border between the kingdoms...

In one of the first border towns Amaris visited, the first thing she noticed were the suspicious, harsh stares the moment she arrived. Unlike the others, those went beyond simple curiosity or prejudice... The people's stared had a mix of nervousness, fear and hostility to them. Every step she gave, Amaris felt she was closely watched. Strangely enough, it felt almost as if every person looking at her was a hair's breadth away from jumping at her. Under such strict surveillance, not only there was no possibility of her finding out what was going on, but the threat of having a dagger plunged into her back was tangible. Due to that, Amaris quickly left the place.

It took quite a bit of questioning the rare merchants that passed on the nearby roads and observing who entered and exited the settlement from a distance, but when Amaris finally realized what was going on, she felt her heart drop with shock, before it lit up in anger and wrath. While it was well disguised, it was obvious that that small settlement was a front for a group of slavers. Amaris watched, in horror as a bound sarkaz was hurriedly escorted inside the settlement by a group of rough looking men, before it was taken inside a building.

In silence, Amaris returned to the slavers' settlement, her eyes burning with anger as one guard came to stop her. They knew... They all knew what was happening in that place. The guards, the merchants who were staring at her earlier, even the authorities on that place knew... and they did nothing... Raising her hand, a chain of interlinking, symmetrical, iron spikes began slowly forming as she looked towards the guard... There was no negotiation, no warning or accusations, there was just a one-sided massacre. The humans that escaped quickly alerted the authorities, with desperate tales about a Sarkaz witch and the storm of bloodied chains and spikes that followed her.

Rushed by the urgency of the reports given by the fleeing survivors, the Order of the Golden Sun arrived almost an entire day later. Only to encounter the small settlement completely destroyed. Bodies impaled by huge spikes of iron appearing from the ground or entangled in a sea of chains made of interlinking iron spikes. In the very middle of the destroyed settlement, a single Sarkaz woman stood kneeling on the ground, wounded and exhausted, but still alive. Surrounded by a a few dozen of the symmetrical iron spikes embedded on the ground, almost the height of a human and dozens of bloodied chains spread through the ground in a sea of blood, corpses and debris. The almost nightmarish scene of iron obelisks, chains and spikes seemed to be something straight out of a horror story, some of the iron structures already starting to oxidize, rapidly decaying due to the exhaustion of the Sarkaz witch, the red rust color mixing the the blood of the corpses on the ground...

[...]

Reminiscing about the past was... Unpleasant for Amaris. It's been almost 9 years since the massacre of the slaver settlement. 9 years since she was saved from being executed in the very spot she stood by some of the Sarkaz slaves she had freed before the massacre, interceded for her and explaining what had happened. Many times she had thought if she could had done something different... of how she could have dealt with that settlement in a better way... But in the end, those thought went away as quickly as they returned. It was useless to think about what could have been.

After she was captured, it took almost two years of interrogation and sermons (many which were completely ignored by Amaris) until the Order saw Amaris worthy of the smallest bit of trust and allowed her to work with inquisitors in order to repay for what she had done, reducing her sentence. After nine years, Amaris knew well that there was more to that slaver settlement than what she thought, as the truth behind it had not yet made public. Now, she worked to the order as a somewhat begrudging ally. Every mission completed without any 'incidents' was another step, another reduction to her sentence and another promise from the Order that when it was all over, the truth would finally be told and her name, cleared... Working with inquisitors was still as unpleasant as it was in the beginning, but if there was anything Amaris had learned in those nine years was that it paid off to be patient.

Passives

Blood-iron Thorns: Amaris is able to materialize iron chains made of interlinking, symmetrical iron spikes and control it freely either from a distance or as whips from her arms. Her control over said chain is enough to move it almost any way she wants to in a range of 15m, including wielding them just like a normal whip would. Only one chain can be materialized and controlled, with additional chains being materialized as Amaris is able to score hits on enemies with normal attacks or by sacrificing 10% of her health per chain. Can only control four chains at a time. Always has one chain with her. Chains can be broken with strong enough attacks.

Blood-iron Magic: Amaris' magic is one of blood and iron, an old ritualistic magic based on blood sacrifices. As long her chains are able to absorb blood, be it her own or others, she gets progressively stronger.

Agile Caster: Due to the almost instinctive way Amaris' magic works, she is able to move herself freely as she uses it. The rush of adrenaline and excitement as she continues using it made her develop a fast, agile and aggressive fighting style. Not wearing armor also contributes to her agile steps in the battlefield.

Spells

Chains of Resentment: Spends one of her chains, sending them towards an enemy, slithering and coiling around them before tightening, making the thorns dig into their skin, causing severe bleeding and slowing both their movements and attacks. If three Obelisks were summoned, more chains appear shooting from the ground, piercing the target and holding them in place. Allows the usage of the Reckoning ability if three obelisks are summoned.

Reckoning: Can only be used against enemies affected by Chains of Resentment. Makes the chains that are already slowing the target's movements and attacks start tightening even more, grinding against each other and the target's flesh, digging further and further into it. Against enemies who are already held in place, summons a smaller spike from the ground, slightly behind the target, impaling them and raising in the air, with the chains binding them to it.

Blood Iron Curtain: Spends one of her chains, making it burst into individual thorns, orbiting Amaris, creating an aura of 5 meters around her where projectiles have a high chance of being deflected. After three obelisks were summoned, this area extends to 10 meters, protecting her allies, completely stop any projectiles and working together with the obelisks' chain links, causing bleeding to enemies inside the radius.

Bloodforged Obelisk: Spends three Blood Iron Thorns, sending them burrowing into the ground, wall or any solid object. The chains move underground to make a giant iron spike, bound by chains, to erupt, impaling any enemy unfortunate enough to be above it and knocking away those nearby. The obelisk will remain on the battlefield as long as Amaris wills it or as long as she remains conscious. While very durable, can still be destroyed. When three obelisks are summoned on the same battlefield, the chains binding them break, with each individual chain link, each individual thorn, flying outwards and orbiting an area of 15 meters around each obelisk, causing persistent damage and bleeding to anyone who stays in the area. Subsequent casts of this skill after three obelisks were summoned will only cost a single chain and will instead, simply relocate one of the previous spikes. If all three spikes are destroyed after they are 'activated', the storm of thorns ceases, with Amaris needing to invoke the obelisks again. As long as a single obelisk is still standing after being 'activated', Amaris needs only to spend a single chain to summon the others.

Equipment

Robes of Penitence: A cursed artifact made by the Order of the Golden Sun to control highly dangerous and powerful prisoners. Takes the form of a black robe, made of reinforced fabric. Offers little to no protection, but it's nigh impossible to destroy, thanks to self-repairing enchantments. Due to how tricky it is to seal or prevent powerful prisoners from using their powers, this artifact makes use of the caster's own powers against them. In the case of Amaris, it became filled with iron spikes, thorns and chains. Can be activated from a distance by any high-ranking member of the Order of the Golden Sun or by whoever was given the responsibility of being Amaris' 'handler'. Upon being activated, the thorns grow inwards, piercing Amaris' skin and causing a great deal of pain while the chains tighten, both cutting and immobilizing her. It was designed to cause as much pain as possible and immobilize without killing, but a special command can be used solely by a high-ranking member of the Order to immediately execute the wearer.

Mundane Skills

A Merchant's daughter: While Amaris isn't exactly good at bargaining or negotiating, she knows how to handle money and numbers quite well. Despite her lack of enthusiasm with her family's business in Dagorlad, Amaris is actually a very competent accountant. The years she passed observing and seeing her father working also taught her to be quite cunning and scheming. Traits she had not shown before, due to her previous tendency of letting her emotions run wild and cloud her judgement.

First Aid: Due to the obviously dangerous nature of Amaris' magic, more than once she cut or wounded herself while learning to control it. Due to that, Amaris learned how to disinfect, clean and close wounds quite effectively.

Light steps: Years of dodging her responsibilities to the family, running away from chores & the like made Amaris quite adept at sneaking around and moving silently.

13org's characters

Alice Bellerose

_{Name | Age | Species| Occupation
Alice Bellerose, 54, Voidhanger, Combat ethereologist for the Intransigence.}

Detailed Appearance

Even at first sight, Alice's race as a Voidhanger is quite evident. Her skin is of a translucent blueish-violet tone, enough to see her bones when in well lit areas. A quick examination makes it clear that her bone structure is considerably reduced when compared to a normal human, with most, if not all the bones below her hips being completely absent.

Due to her the particular fleet of Voidhangers being one of ethereologists, focused on expeditions to the Oneiric Chasm and the Abyssic plane, the mutations shown in her body are quite unusual when compared to some other, more common Voidhangers. One such example is Alice's complete lack of legs and instead, taking a tail-like form in order to aid on void movement, similarly to how her arms have a thin, sleeve-like membrane around them.

While all these mutations can maybe give her an unsettling appearance to some other humans, they also give her an ethereal-like beauty according to some, especially due to her white hair and completely white eyes, adapted to be very sensitive to light. When coupled with the way she usually moves, by using a small anti-gravity, ether-generated field to float, have made some people compare her either to an angel or to a ghost (to those who feel more unsettled by her voidhanger appearance).

Aside from her unique physiology, Alice stands at around 1,68m and mostly uses custom protection equipment when on missions due to her body's unique shape, which often requires special adaptations to adjust to her legs and arms.

_Personality

Alice is, most of the times, a very tranquil woman. Very rarely raising her voice, her calmness and gentle voice is often said to be tranquilizing even to those around her, even though it might make her look a bit distant. Even while on missions, Alice's personality doesn't change much, which ends up being quite a boon when paired with rookies or those prone to get nervous or let their emotions take the better out of them. Strangely enough, she seems to often enjoy taking the role of a gentle, caring big sister in a team, particularly by taking a supportive position as a sniper for her team.

While she is gentle and kind to her allies, Alice still fulfills her duties on the battlefield without hesitation. While normally it would be hard for someone as gentle as her to shoot an enemy, Alice believes that every enemy she can incapacitate, means one less ally that is wounded or dies. With that said, she has a strict rule that she refuses to break: Never attacking anyone that has either surrendered or is unarmed.

_Backstory

Bio

With the fires of war and conflict ever burning through the galaxy, neutrality often becomes an incredibly dangerous choice to make... Especially when some of the powers would rather destroy the resources and information they can't secure for themselves. In such cases, those who claim neutrality on the ongoing conflict are often targeted, if they are considered to be too valuable to be lost... or worse, secured by the enemy.

This was the case of a particular research and exploration ship, consisting mostly of voidhangers, tasked by the Black City Conglomerate in exploring the applications of Ether, the Abyssical Plane and the Oneiric Chasm for the usage in wars. After refusing to produce more weapons to be used in the war, it's captain and crew became fugitives, having to flee to the corners of the galaxy to avoid the eyes of the eyes of either one of the sides of the war. Interestingly enough, there aren't many places where an entire ship can hide from the eyes and influence of either one of the three great powers and those running away from them often end up meeting each other. Due to the proximity to places with a high concentration of ether, more and more voidhangers in similar situations ended up together, slowly forming an entire fleet. It was exactly on this fleet Alice was born.

Due to the almost inhospitable place they chose to live, taking advantage of their unique physiology, the conflict and wars were, for a good deal of time, a distant threat for the fleet Alice was raised in. Due to the isolationist politics of their fleet, they subsisted mainly by trading with the few ships they could trust that wandered to the far corners of the galaxy and especially by hunting creatures from the Oneiric Chasm. Having been raised by two other Ethereologists, Alice grew up fascinated by the Ether, the Oneiric Chasm and it's mysteries. Since the first time she asked her father to take her with him to a hunting trip, she began taking every opportunity she could to go to expeditions to the Oneiric Chasm. Going even as far as learning how to shoot with her father and becoming quite the good marksman, securing her a place on the hunting party, only so she could have more chances to go to expeditions to the Oneiric Chasm, only to further satiate her curiosity and research.

Life, albeit simple, was free from the horrors of war... until the location of her fleet was discovered... Leaked by someone to the Black City Conglomerate... Whether they did it for profit, to protect their own lives or maybe on accident, it didn't matter. What did was that after so many years having forgotten about the wars, their fleet was not ready for the arrival of the forces of the Black City Conglomerate. Within a single day, their fleet was completely surrounded by the Black City Conglomerate forces. With nowhere to escape, they were forced to surrender. Immediately upon boarding, the BCC forces went through every single bit of data they had, old ones and even the new researches on the Oneiric Chasm they made on their time of isolation. Unfortunately, having their scarce possessions looked at and whatever interesting data they had stolen wasn't everything the BCC forces wanted. In times of conflict and war, having soldiers and extra hands to work was always necessary... and the BCC saw Voidhangers in particulars as being very useful...

At first, the BCC forces offered them a deal. They would offer them protection from the other powers, funding, resources and everything they currently lacked. In return, they only wanted their help in developing their own research on Ether. Despite the rather aggressive arrival, the BCC forces painted themselves as 'seekers of knowledge', unfortunate and unwilling participants on the current war. The initial offer seemed to be quite decent and so, the fleet decided to accept.

In the beginning, the BCC fulfilled their part of the agreement, but as time passed, the BCC required more and more 'help'. It started with simple research data regarding the Oneiric Chasm and the applications of Ether, but as the voidhangers' trust on the BCC grew, so did their greed and sooner than they had noticed, they were almost fully integrated into the BCC forces. Researchers and ethereologists working on the BCC research and development departments and the ones that were part of the hunters on the old fleet, used as scouts and soldiers in localized conflicts with the other great powers. But as the Black City Conglomerate's greed grew, so did the Voidhangers' dissatisfaction. Pressured to deliver more and more results with ever shorter deadlines, with their hunters being treated more and more like common BCC soldiers, a revolt was something that was bound to happen...

The breaking point was when the BCC, after overworking the voidhanger hunters by sending them to continuous scouting missions, ended up causing one of them to die of qillatu poisoning. Outraged, the voidhangers that were members of the old fleet united, staging a revolt, just like the one they did many years ago in order to break free from the inflience of one of the big powers. This time, it was the BCC.
Unfortunately, the BCC didn't prove to be as hesitant to use violence. The revolt was mercilessly crushed. Most of the voidhangers that picked up on weapons ending up either dead or enslaved, the few who were able to escape, did so by using the old escape pods from the ships in their old fleet after running from the BCC forces when their loss became evident... Even if that meant leaving their allies behind, as Alice's parents did, trying to save at least their child's life. Unfortunately, BCC enforcers were already expecting such outcome and ended up intercepting the group. The last thing Alice saw as she was pushed into the escape pod was her parents being shot by the BCC enforcers, before the escape pod finally closed.

For months, Alice survived drifting through space only by eating the old emergency rations before someone answered the emergency beacon from her escape pod. By a stroke of luck, the ones that rescued her didn't have any connection to the Black City Conglomerate. Instead, they were part of a group called the Intransigence. At first, Alice found it hard to trust them. Not only the isolated fleet she lived in had little idea of the political state of the conflicts from outside, but trusting others had already went terribly bad for them, as it was the case for the BCC. But slowly, she began warming up to the group, in part thanks to the kindness from the people who rescued her. With time, they ended up making an offer to her, motivated by her talents and her motivation to fight against the big powers that tore the galaxy apart with their greed.

Since then, after she received formal training from the Intransigence, Alice participated from a number of skirmishes and battles, both against the BCC and the other powers, hoping to be able to find and rescue members from her old fleet... If they were still alive.

_Etherealism

Alice's Etherealism focus on the raw application of ether to her surroundings. From powerful force-waves to the usage of ether limbs to crush enemies and her surroundings, she is capable of a frightening destructive power, in exchange for a high ether-signature left behind when she uses her powers. Alice is also capable to taking dives into the Abyssic plane, repositioning herself while she gathers ether, exploding in violent force waves as she emerges from it.

Due to her powerful Etherealism, Alice also developed quite a high tolerance to Qillatu. With that said, the symptoms of qillatu poisoning tend to be very dangerous when they finally happen. From immediately falling into shock, unconscious or in more dangerous cases, causing her to lose control over her powers and forcing her to either be incapacitated to stop the ether outburst.

While Alice's ether signature is quite easy to distinguish once she uses her powers, she learned some tricks on how to use it to her advantage in her time working for the BCC. One of those is extending her ether signature to form a large field around herself, masking her own ether signature by extending it outwards and flooding a large area with it instead. This area is virtually harmless to most living beings, being only useful against those trying to track her position by using her ether signature and helping her to track the position of anything with an ether signature inside said area. Whenever she uses her powers while this 'field' is active though, a pulse of ether is emitted, which can allow those who are able to track ether to triangulate her position after a few times.

_Skills

Ethereologist: Alice spent years studying about ether, the Oneiric Chasm and the Abyssical Plane. Her knowledge can be incredibly helpful when dealing with situations involving such matters. Studies about the biology of void creatures also gave her a good understanding of how their bodies work.

Hunter: Both her experience in hunting void creatures and the time she spent working for the BCC made her a very good shooter and able to mover herself incredibly quietly, without being seen. Her being rather fragile on close combat makes it quite fitting for her to take a supporting position on the backline.

Ether-sensing: Due to her experience in dealing with Ether, Alice learned how to track and sense ether signatures, being able to track other Etherealists without the use of specialized equipment if necessary.

_Equipment

Light-weight scout armor - Adapted: Lightweight suit of armor. The model Alice use was adapted to her unique physiology. Focuses on mobility and agility rather than offering any meaningful defense. The hood and skirt are made from a flexible, fabric-like polymer, which can change it's color when Ether is injected into it. Assists the armor user to hide themselves by taking similar colors to their surroundings. Works better when completely immobile, crouching or lying down. Based on the color-changing characteristics of a few specific types of creatures in the Oneiric Chasm and the Abyssic Plane

Extreme-distance precision rifle: Precision bolt-action rifle boosting impressive precision and range, but limited ammo, low impact and destructive power, but outstanding penetration. It's focused more on penetrating a single point with special, needle like tungsten rounds. It can also be loaded with syringe-like rounds to administer tranquilizing substances, paralyzing venom or even helpful mixtures like adrenaline, antidotes, painkillers or even mixtures to help dealing with Qillatu buildup.

Standard Intransigence sidearm: Standard pistol issued to intransigence agents.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

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Amaris simply kept silent as Carmen replied to Carnatia's words. While she was, in a certain way correct that there was an overwhelmingly possibility that Paladin Thomas had indeed passed away, it was still a bit of a touchy subject, considering there were two people on the group that were particularly close to the paladin.

"Even though the chances Paladin Thomas is still alive are... honestly low, we can't be certain until we actually see his body. Otherwise, as Carmen said, we would be abandoning an ally. Besides, it might be a bit helpful to those who were particularly close to him. To at least allow them to give him a proper burial, I mean." Amaris said, clearly being careful with her words as she replied to Carnatia after hearing Carmen's words. Discreetly suggesting that if not to follow 'proper procedures' that required to actually see the body before confirming someone dead, it might be something Carmen and perhaps Linceleste might need, emotionally speaking.

"With that said, as soon as we have confirmat-" Amaris started speaking, before she immediately stopped herself, correcting her own words.

"Sorry, after confirming the status of Paladin Thomas, it would be sensible to return with the information we gathered and await orders... Before acting. Should the higher-ups decide in a retaliatory campaign, we will undoubtedly receive reinforcements, or at least see a bigger military force deployed in the region." Amaris continued, still being careful with her words as she spoke, especially considering the tense atmosphere after Carmen's last, inflamed reply.

Feeling she had spoke more than enough, Amaris simply looked to the group, nodding as Osric and Carmen agreed on resting for that night before deciding to go to a city. As the silence set in, Amaris discreetly approached Carnatia.

"Carmen might make himself sound tough, but it is clear to see he is suffering after learning the fate of most of Paladin Thomas' group. The high possibility that his dear friend suffered an equally terrible fate is a hard thing to accept. Let's give him some time." Amaris said in a low tone to Carnatia.

Even though it wasn't long since they were deployed to that region, they had already seem some very disturbing things. The mood was already not great all around. The last thing the group needed was infighting or any conflict among themselves.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

---

While their attempt to discourage the soldiers to keep fighting them was successful, in large part probably due to the chaos and destruction they had caused to the entire fort, the threat of them being followed was still looming over their heads and that, coupled with some of their own being wounded and having no means to treat them made it clear their situation wasn't exactly a good one.

In particular, Linceleste's situation was especially worrying, having encased herself in ice after the grave wounds she received.

Carmen request to gather and discuss about their situation and the possible paths they could take from now on came in good time as the morale of the group seemed to be much lower after their little 'encounter' with the red stripes.

"Normally I would say to draw as little attention as possible but... Linceleste's condition worries me. Her wounds were grave. Fortunately, it seems either herself or her own powers reacted to her body's condition in order to preserve her life but we have no idea of how much time she was able to buy herself with her powers... do we?" Amaris said with an exhausted sigh.

Osric also had a very good point. Especially after what happened with the red stripes, it was quite likely they wouldn't bother them for some time... At least until they recovered themselves. At least regarding the red stripes, they could afford being a bit less careful.

Carnatia also brought up a very good point, one Amaris herself not only agreed but would have probably suggested herself if Carnatia hadn't brought it up first. In almost every situation of conflict, hearing both sides was very important to have a full and complete view of the entire scene. It was quite obvious that they weren't exactly on 'friendly' terms with the red stripes after what happened. While that would undoubtedly bring them some problems, it could also possibly open them some doors as well, such as negotiating and talking to those the red stripes considered their enemies.

"Like Osric said, the red stripes are likely still recovering themselves. For now, I think we can afford being a bit careless, at least regarding them. Our main priority should be treating our wounded. Particularly Linceleste. While we might not be exactly on friendly terms with the red stripes... We are not completely sure their enemies will receive us with open arms... It might be better for us to recover ourselves first before considering negotiating with the so called 'witch' and the 'traitors' mentioned by the red stripes." Amaris finished as she looked to Carmen and the group, waiting to hear their thoughts about the matter.

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

While King seemed to be more worried about the pirates and whatever other non-etheric threat that they would certainly find inside, Alice was a bit more worried about the possible ethereal creatures lurking around. Having Echo covering them was certainly comforting though. The moment she felt Ilshar starting to investigate the ether trail, she gently put her hands on his shoulder with a concerned expression before she spoke to the group.

"I agree with King. Not only regarding scans, but particularly regarding the ether signals. Most etheric creatures, particularly predatory ones, tend to be very sensitive to things observing them. Just having a general idea of where they are and if they are getting close would be enough, lest we risk whatever is in the other end of these ether signals to get as 'curious' about us as we are about them." Alice said, glancing towards Salvator.

"Any attempt to investigate should be done very delicately and with great care." She said, nodding towards Ilshar.

"The shroud will definitely be of great help. Should we get too close, I can use my own ether together with Salvator to strengthen his shroud." she completed, closing her eyes for a moment as she began extended her etheric senses beyond visual range in a field around them.

Just as she finished extending her etheric senses, a strange, groaning sound interrupted her, making Alice open her eyes, alert. It was different from the metallic groans that seemed to be common in the Sargasso station due to it's chaotic, old and decaying structure. Alice's trained eyes immediately focused on the other side of the room. Beyond the door and the fleshy tendrils that covered it, a teal light could be seen, it's intensity fluctuating.

With her aim fixed on the door, Alice stood her ground, waiting for whatever it was behind to peek at them, ready to fire at it, should it show necessary.

"Heads up guys, there's something on the next room." Alice whispered, drawing the team's attention towards the door.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

---

Amaris' expression of glee was visible in her face as the two chains spun around audibly cutting the air as she did so. If the ominous sound of the chains in the air weren't enough, just the thought of what could happen if someone was struck by them was probably enough to keep the soldiers at bay, seeing as not even a single one of them wanted to approach Amaris. That, when coupled with the ferocity Mirielle showed as she charged towards the enemies near the gate made it very clear that the enemy morale was suffering greatly.

Due to that, when Carnatia came to her, asking for her to summon another obelisk near the gate, Amaris couldn't help but let out a sinister smile.

"With pleasure~" Amaris replied to Carnatia with an amused expression, raising her arm up, making the chains stop spinning and coiling around her arm.

"When the third obelisk rises, then they will know what I am truly capable of." She said with an excited expression, much to the terror of whoever soldier happened to hear her.

Before she could do anything though, she heard Carmen's voice echoing through the burning garrison, ordering for her to stop.

Just as he did so, his voice roared again in an intimidating, commanding tone as he addressed the enemy soldiers, giving them a chance to leave instead of continuing such bloodbath.

Whether the soldiers were honestly considering Carmen's proposal, if they were too stunned by Carmen's tone or still shocked by the sheer massacre that a group of a few people were capable of was unknown, but the silence that fell over the garrison after Carmen spoke meant that they would certainly at least consider their words.

"Unfortunately for me and fortunately for you, that man is the one that holds my 'leash'. One word from him and I will gladly continue. One of the three obelisks is already up and I was just about to invoke the second one~" Amaris said, speaking out as she looked to the soldiers around them, the tone of her voice, her words and her expressions leaving a grim and ominous atmosphere in the air.

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

"Works perfectly for me." Alice said, nodding in agreement as she replied to Rho-Hux when he suggested a silent signal should they spot enemies.

"Despite my choice of weapon making me a bit ill suited to spearhead the formation, should we encounter heavy ethereal interference or presence, I have no problems in scouting ahead, should it prove to be necessary." Alice said looking to the entire team and nodding reassuringly to them before they prepared to go enter the Sargasso.

The moment they entered the Sargasso station, they were greeted by the flesh growths covering the walls and corridors of the station, releasing unknown, possibly harmful chemicals in the air, contaminating the little oxygen that was still left in it. Mostly due to her experience in expeditions to the Oneiric Chasm, Alice found herself unbothered by the low gravity or even the considerable buildup of qillatu that was ever so familiar to places that constantly fell in and out of the Oneiric Chasm.

Unlike the clear, rampant infection that seemed to plague Sargasso and the apparent state of disrepair, the first thing Alice noticed was that many of the electronic devices not only were still working, but there were signals of them being used quite recently as well. Unsurprising, considering the briefing they had received about the station, but by putting that fact together with the strange, liquid-like sensation she could feel like a trail leading to different rooms made it quite clear that they should expect to meet something rather sooner than later. Other than those clear signals, there were many sounds Alice could hear. From the beeping and buzzing noises of old electronic devices to the sounds of the pulsating flesh growths and veins, there were also other sounds that were... difficult to pinpoint the source. A distant, but strangely clear sound coming from above the room they encountered themselves in, raising and lowering in intensity, indicating whatever it was the source, it was definitely moving.

Even though there seemed to be no immediate danger in that room, something that Alice was making sure of, both sweeping their surroundings and being ready to react at a moment's notice, she still gave Salvator a concerned glance. She wasn't sure the others would have felt the same as she did, but she knew most certainly that Salvator, being a voidhanger like her, would have felt that weird liquid sensation as well as she had. Even though she didn't want to break the silence, fearing to announce her presence to whoever, or whatever might be listening, her expression was enough to send a clear message...

That mission wouldn't be an easy one. Trouble seemed to dwell closer to them than what Alice thought it would at the briefing. A single wrong movement could warn other things of their presence and by the small hints Alice had caught by looking around, there was a rather considerable chance that it could be something worse than just pirates.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

---

Truth be told, even amidst the hell the garrison was turning into, it was very, very hard to ignore Amaris. Not only due to the carnage she was responsible for as she threw herself in the middle of the enemy forces but especially after she invoked the obelisk, it didn't take long until the screams of 'Witch' started echoing through the battlefield.

"Crone? It is awfully rude to call a beautiful, young woman a crone, isn't it?" Amaris replied as she heard the soldiers' shouts, grinning as she pulled the chain from the soldier's chest, splattering his blood on the ground staining it for a moment before it gathered and formed into a second chain.

A single glance was all it took for Amaris to realize not everything was well with her companions. Not only the fire was spreading in an alarming rate, but the amount of enemy soldiers was slowly but surely starting to overwhelm them. In particular, Linceleste was in a particularly dangerous place after one soldier was able to stop her charge by striking her horse with a spear, making her fall to the ground. Dazed by the fall, Linceleste was an easy target and before long, soldiers started surrounding her, one of which, was able to pierce her shoulder with his spear, unfazed by Linceleste's attempt to deflect his blow. Fortunately, her mechanical spider was quick to tackle the soldier away from it's master.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they won't be able to approach her! Whoever is nearby, I would recommend to watch your heads~" Amaris replied, giggling as she heard Carmen's words asking her to swing her chains and prevent the soldiers from approaching Linceleste.

Most of the times since Amaris started fighting, both her and her chains were rarely standing still, unlike now. Instead of attacking, Amaris retreated a bit to the northeast, taking a few steps away from the soldiers as she moved away from her obelisk, halfway towards the other group of soldiers, where Linceleste was. As she did so, Amaris called both her chains back to herself, with them slowly coiling around her, almost as if there was a resistance to that movement.

"GET DOWN, NOW!" Amaris shouted towards any ally that might be within 15m of herself as she spun around. The moment she did so, her chains fully extended, spiraling outwards at the height of the soldiers' necks. As they cut through the air with a frightening speed, the whistle they produced was loud enough to be audible even with all the chaos around them.