Astarael42

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

@Jollan I'm going to let you post before I do if that's ok with you?

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Please forgive any name misspellings; I was writing from memory and mine really sucks.

I don't bookmark it for a couple reasons...first posting it here saves it in the proper format/code for use on the forums...I can edit the post and just copy the code.

Second I have a billion bookmarks. I have no idea what all is there. I know I need to clean it out but really sounds like a project and I'm lazy.

I hope all you had a better weekend than I did. I spent it with my grandmothers dog convincing her that it was ok to give up and transition to...whatever it is dogs do when they die. Not unexpected...but hard to watch a dog struggle like that; glad it wasn't a long struggle. Was awake for the better part of 48 hours too, from the time she stopped eating, since I didn't want her to think she was alone and unloved.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Adam & Aleksandra & Creature:

Adam finally had a chance to draw a careful breath as the Creature's attention was suddenly drawn from him to the invisible assault from Lily. Adam watched in fascination as tiny wounds spread over the creature. It was like watching a fire spread across a grassland, each cut burst into flames like a blade of grass catching fire, spreading over the creature and turning it into a walking torch. With the creature distracted Adam took his chance and moved to the side, circling the beast. In a half-crouch he moved across clearing as quickly as he could. The creature was confused, fire obscuring it's vision and the brightness around it making the shadows ever so much darker. Adam used that to hide, catching his breath, and testing the injuries on his body so he would know just how far he could push himself.

The sound of a gunshot blasted through the stench and smoke of the night, followed by Aleksandra's hurled insults. Despite the gravity of the situation Adam chuckled as he listened to her taunts. He had to remember to compliment her on them; shinier sword indeed. It definitely got the creatures attention and Adam calculated his next move as the Aleksandra took a turn at dodging the beasts attacks.

The Creature was lost, confused, and growing more wild by the second. It's head snapped back as the bullet slammed into it's jaw, ripping it half off. Soon flames were dripping from where it's mouth should be. Any sane person would have run in terror by now from the horrifying spectre of this thing; fortunately for Adam those he had chosen for this mission did not conform to the normal definitions of sane.

Wreathed in flames, unable to see clearly, the Creature desperately searched for the source of this new attack. It heard the taunts, registering what it would mean to his mother, it knew it had to kill these people. Locked onto Aleksandra it charged, heedless and uncaring, even as flames began to melt it's flesh and burn deeper into it's body.

It felt no pain but that didn't mean it wasn't beginning to suffer. As Aleksandra's shots began to pick it apart, ripping apart it's legs and neck, it stumbled and slowed. Unable to move properly, it faltered and in a final attempt to catch the woman who had been shooting it, It threw all it's weight forward in a leap that carried it into the tree Aleksandra had just been standing in front of.

A snapping sound, abrupt and harsh, reverberated through the clearing. The tree splintered as the Creature crashed into it, but that wasn't the only noise. Some harsh, metallic shriek blended into the sound of splintering wood and gunfire.

Adam had no idea what it was but he knew it was something inside the Creature; something that had gone wrong with it's body. It was moving with labored staccato movements. Adam watched it try to fight off another invisible attack, body shuddering under the impact of the bullets Lily fired. It failed much more miserably this time and the metallic shriek grew more pronounced.

Adam's smile was grim and determined as he raced forward, a split second after Lily made her leap to stab the creature through the skull Adam hit it from behind with every bit of force he could drive through his blade. He didn't even register further gunshots as anything further than the chaos and cacophony of the fight and while he noticed Lily's nearly invisible assault halt he didn't think it had import.

The Creature stumbled first backward then forwards and finally just stopped and stood still, Adam's sword still embedded in it. Adam blinked rapidly, completely caught off guard by the sudden stillness. Foul smelling goop still dripped from it's wounds and fire burned across skin and muscle but the Creature didn't move so much as a centimeter. Even when Adam reached up and rather viciously yanked his sword free of the beast it didn't move.

He stalked carefully around the thing but it was plain to see there was nothing left but a husk, metal, flesh, and oil, but nothing to power it. Whatever had given it life was gone. Hopefully it would burn out soon as well, before it caught the whole glade on fire. He figured they would need to take it apart, perhaps even take parts back for study, but he wasn't about to tackle that when it was still a mess of dripping flames. Plus the stench was nearly unbearable, he was actually struggling not to gag.

Adam looked around looking for signs of further trouble, fire, or anything else. It was bad enough to be fighting a hellacious battle for one's life while stark naked; he really didn't want any further surprises. He spotted Aleksandra and reached out a hand to help her up, even as he looked around for the others and any horses that might not have bolted, a vain hope but still a hope. He saw no one, human or horses.

“Ren?” he called, voice even but loud enough to carry across the clearing.

“Here Master Adam” came the call, from somewhere among the darkness. “If you could join me? I am fine. Miss Lily is not.”

*****************


Isabeau

Isabeau & Lucie:

Isabeau stood arrogantly, staring down the other woman in the darkness. Her power flared around her, and around Lucie, a storm of dark energy visible only to those who had a Talent to see such things. Lucie might not have seen the effects of Isabeau's power but she felt them keenly.

Isabeau was confident that the other woman would succumb, confident enough to take a step towards her. The lance of pain in her arm startled her and loosened her psychic grip, she hadn't even seen the other woman draw a dagger.

This was the danger in using her power without appropriate study. Drugs affected different people in different strengths and ways. The same was true of psychic powers, particularly those that attacked the mind. The second dagger buried itself in Isabeau's leg even as she pulled her thoughts together to strengthen her Talent. Isabeau used the pain this time, focusing on it, using it to block her fear. Pain was no mystery to her, it simply was, and she could use it. She pictured in her mind the blood welling from her wound, pictured each droplet, focused her mind on each drop getting smaller and smaller, pictured the cells that made up the blood, imagined them flowing through her body. It was a powerful meditative technique, to picture something one is familiar with growing smaller and smaller, as one did that ones Talent grew more and more focused, more and more powerful.

Unfortunately for Isabeau, though she was able to block off distractions and focus solely on her Talent it wasn't enough. Lucie seemed particularly resistant, or perhaps trained to resit such mind altering tactics. A third dagger buried itself in her shoulder, piercing muscle and weakening her arm. Isabeau knew now she couldn't fight, even if she wanted to. She was not ambidextrous and her sword arm was now shot. She had only one recourse now. She yanked her Talent back from Lucie, freeing her from any lingering effects, and poured it into her own body. She strengthened her lungs and blocked the pain, and turned and ran as fast as she could. Caution and bravado both gone now, she simply ran.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

putting this here so I don't loose it. need it for my next post or the one after that or whatever.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

looking forward to a post @orcpunx :-) I'm about to head out to Africa so I won't be around for a bit myself. Hopefully I can get something up before I leave (beginning of July).

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

@kapuchu I wasn't aware I was being passive aggressive. That would be pretty hypocritical of me; I keep vanishing abruptly myself. I genuinely meant what I said-- no one should be stressing out about this RP and that there isn't any real rush. I apologize if it sounded that way or if I came off that way. Truly sorry.

@monochromatic Rainbow no excuses or forgiveness needed! Hope things are settling down some.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

well no rush. Not supposed to be any stress with this story so definitely don't worry about it too much. I'm not going anywhere.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

@monochromatic rainbow if you want to great, if not just let me know. I just don't want to mess up anything you have planned.

@conteAmarula um....I think something might have been cut off. Unfortunately I haven't a clue what it was. so lets just pretend it is not there.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

@Monochromatic Rainbow no pressure but will you be posting soon? I don't want to put up Adam's part which might interfere with you, unless you aren't ready yet and want me to go ahead. I'm not in a rush though so don't feel rushed yourself.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Isabeau & Lucie

Isabeau had been fighting off the fear as moved. She knew something was out there, something following her, and it was not her creation. Stories were told among pesants, stories of things that came lurking in the night, and Isabeau was almost to the point of believing them.

She had stopped running, she was getting nowhere fast, and instead moving as quickly as she could without tripping, smacking into bushes, and still keeping mostly to the shadows.

She used her own talent to suppress the speed of her heart, control her breathing, but despite her psychic command over her own body battling her mind was a different story. She kept thinking of her private terror, the Penanggalan. She had never even seen one but in her research into the keys to immortality she studied alot of undead folklore and there were some island natives who had this truely terrifying myth of a woman that could detach her head and fly off at night to feed on the living.

From the bushes beside the road a deer bolted, straight at her. Isabeau barely stiefled a shriek as she dodged the terrified animal. That start did not help her mood at all. Still her pursuer gained on her and she had no idea what was stalking her.

No idea that is until the human voice carried through the dark. Isabeau worked with life and death, understood it as few others in this world. She knew what could be done and what couldn't and she knew this was a living voice. If it was living it could be killed, barring that delayed until she could escape.

Isabeau stopped at the voice and stood still, drawing herself up and burring her fear deep inside. She was a powerful woman, a master of her art, brilliant, cunning, and dangerous. She held onto that as she strained her eyes in the dark, not seeing anything.

The sound behind her caused her to turn and she thought she caught a glimpse of movement but it was gone rather quickly. The voice spoke again from behind her and this time when Isabeau turned the woman remained visible. The shadows hid most of her body and for a brief second all Isabeau saw was her head; the flash of fear returned before logic, and the sight of the woman's body just hidden in the shadow, drove it out.

Isabeau's assessment was quick and efficient, her fear banished in the wake of cold confidence. The woman was fairly tall, and 'felt' healthy and strong and Isabeau didn't want it to come to a hand to hand fight for survival. She doubted she would win. She had to have been sent by Adam; random coincidence just made no sense. That also meant she was clever and likely Talented in someway.

Even as she evaluated the girl with her eyes, she reached out with her Talent probing her. Just a tiny bit to see if she spotted any obvious weaknesses; injuries or the like; but there seemed to be nothing so simple.

Meeting Lucie's eyes, a challenge in the wonky darkness, Isabeau smiled a cold smile. It was nearly as chilling as Lucie's own.

“Guess what? I can see you now” she said in a slightly sing-song voice.

Those were the only words Isabeau said before leveling the force of her psychic Talent against Lucie's own psychic nature. Isabeau had no idea precisely how her abilities would affect the other woman, knew only that she had to try and cripple her in mind and body, enough so that Isabeau could escape un-hindered. It hit Lucie like a drug, worming its way into her body, trying to alter her mental capacity.

******
Lily & Ren

Ren had been holding Lily quite gingerly, he had this crazy fear that he might break her. She had seemed somehow diminished when she left her body. He didn't even really know what happened, only that something was drastically different. In much the same way he didn't actually see what happened to the monstrous creature to cause the myriad of tiny wounds to blossom all over it. He put the two things together however and knew that Lily had done something and now she was back to her usual self again.

“Master Adam ordered me to keep you safe” said Ren with a dull finality allowing no argument. “Take my revolver” he said pressing the metal hard into her hand. He was shaking too much to use it accurately anyway and he had other ways of fighting. He was not weak, and he had Adam's training. “If we can get away from the fighting here maybe you can do...whatever it was you just did again. This time shooting the kokot thing in the face.”

He helped her to her feat, not so much helped as picked her up and placed her carefully down on her feet, before looking around to find a place they could get out of the fight. A wall, piece of old machinery, or tree to shelter them, something so they could go unnoticed. He knew instinctively if Lily was going to do her here-but-also-there trick they would need a safer place.

"There" he said pointing to an old rusted piece of equipment. It was so badly rusted out he couldn't tell what it was, but it was overgrown with weeds and made a nice mix of metal and vegetation they could hide behind.