Estylwen

Iris Ascendis

Ciara Ventura

Acendia, Room 103 Fountain
@Nanaya

---

She saw that glint. She saw it, and she didn't like it.

“Brave, truly. But it takes more than that to break my defenses, Ciara.”

Ciara clicked her tongue, trying to press harder against his barrier, feeling the weight of the force pressing back.

“I'll show you brave, professor.”

She watched the exchange between Iraleth and the professor, cursing under her breath, about to act-

When-

“And now you're both here with me.”

”Wha-”

Before Ciara had time to react, a prison of thorns and vines encased them, surrounding them. Was this really the power the professor held in this place?

In the muted darkness of the thorny prison, she could hear shuffling. Something was coming. On instinct, she sent out shadowy feelers to act as her eyes, and felt it when the thorns shot towards her from all sides.

“Give it your all, ahaha!”

Ciara grit her teeth.

”Fames.”

As the thorns approached with their spear tips, tendrils of darkness wrapped around the shafts of each, circling before pulling tight, shredding each into harmless plant matter that merely scratched Ciara’s barrier.

A huff as Ciara stood there, the adrenaline of a split-second save rushing through her veins.

Ciara, strike with intent, but leaving the top of the dome unguarded by your shadows.

If it wasn't pitch black before, save Iraleth’s glow, it was pitch black now. A small smile split Ciara's features, shadows writhing all around her. She could feel it. The overwhelming darkness, the unification of her shadow with this entire space. It was just her, and she was everywhere. She could feel the two separate domes surrounding them, the upturned soil versus the thorns, the texture of Iraleth’s metal boots versus the professor’s leather. The minute details, an extension of her.

And she loved it.

Strike with intent.

”It'll be my pleasure,” she thought across the mental web, and coiled her body, ready to attack.

Tendrils of darkness shot out, wrapping around the professor’s neck and ankles from a myriad of angles. With vice-like grip, they pulled, aiming to roughly yank the professor like a doll to the right.

At the same time, darkness coated the blade Ciara held. She stepped forward, elongated edge cutting through the vines as she spun the blade around from the left, cutting at an angle aimed towards the professor’s abdomen. She spun, cut once, then spun again, and cut again, the darkness’ razor edge impacting the PB.

So there were two forces at play - the shadowy tendrils pulling the professor into the embrace of the sword, and the sword slicing against the PB with explosive intent. She pulled the sword back once more, and sent forward a single jab, trying to run the professor clean through the abdomen.

Then, she took a step back, and the tendrils holding the professor grew, aiming to wrap his limbs and torso, to suffocate him.

And then for good measure, she struck again with the darkened blade. And again, and again, and again.

Her eyes were alight with hungry, hungry focus, keen to see the professor’s barrier break.

Revue of Annihilation [Faction-Ruling Demigods Vie for Ascension]

Interested! Thanks for the mention.

I don't do Discord, but organizing collaboration through PMs and docs works alright for me, is that alright?

Iris Ascendis

This is gonna be a good round... I'll have a post up tomorrow!

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

That post was totally on point, nicely done, Angel! (The pfp is looking real nice too.)

I think that brings us to Lexi again!

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

Any good news, Angel? :>

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Here are new NPC's for Layla, her abstraction has been updated in the CS tab:

Mr. Riil

Kipnu.Riil

320 | Kipnu Riil | He/him [hr//]"I've found a goldmine, and its all mine."

Description:

A masked eldritch horror that takes on the form of a shadowy man. He is the eldest of the Riil siblings, and for the better part of his life has been harassing the Hyacinthus bloodline for their sweetness. For him, the Hyacinthus sweet blood is like liquid gold, precious and intoxicating. He has been known to spend days at a time drinking the Hyacinthus bloodline to near death. He is known to be cunning and manipulative. He demands that he is called Mr. Riil instead of Kipnu, even by his siblings.

He can sometimes be seen playing with the Riil minions, which consist of thirty mid-sized hellhounds shared between the siblings.

Abstraction:

Tincture Horrors

Is able to create different combinations of poisons that have different effects on a mortal or apparition form. These are spawned from smoke and are children abominations of the Void. Vials and needles are also created when a poison is brought forth.

The effects of these poisons range from paralysis, vomiting and fever, halucinations, manipulation of emotions, and near-death weakness.

Bahlok Riil

Bahlok.Riil

121 | Bahlok Riil | She/her [hr//]"I can smell your fear."

Description:

Bahlok is the second-oldest Riil sibling, always seen wearing a barb-wired hat with a wide, glowing smile under that makes up her face. She was spawned after the great-great grandmother of the Hyacinthus family took her life due to the torment of Kipnu. Bahlok is especially sensitive to suffering, and relishes every moment of it.

There is an appendage of tentacles and eyes that grows out of Bahlok's right shoulder that is the source of her abstraction.

Abstraction:

Eldritch Appendage

The red and black appendage that grows out of Bahlok's shoulder is covered in glowing eyes and tentacles. It is fully flexible, acting like a third arm, and can reach up to 15 feet. The tentacles have a vice-like grip, and can easily carry the weight of one or two grown adults. It can morph its shape entirely, becoming thin like paper, or thick like an anvil.

Bahlok’s signature move is to shoot out the appendage and have it wrap around a limb until the skin turns puffy and blue.

Bahlaas Riil

Bahlaas.Riil

12 | Bahlaas Riil | She/her [hr//]"It's the end of the world and I'm just so excited!"

Description:

Bahlaas Riil is the youngest of the Riil siblings. She was spawned the moment Layla's sister was torn apart by Kipnu and Bahlok. She doesn't remember much of her previous life and neither have figured out that Bahlaas is a fragment of Layla's long lost sister. Bahlaas was the one who happily set fire to Layla's home the night the rest of her family passed away.

Bahlaas is the most impulsive and childish of the Riil siblings, admiring her brother the most and often argueing with Bahlok. She likes to dig her teeth in a bit more roughly than the other siblings when feeding on Layla, less concerned with the ‘Riil Goldmine’ and more concerned about making Layla's life miserable. She is often seen threatening Layla with setting fire to various things.

Abstraction:

Embers

Has the ability to create sparks, flames and embers on a whim from her fingers and palms. These embers can be sustained to create light, or thrown to set flammable items ablaze. They can be thrown as far as Bahlaas can see like a small fireball.

Wet hands or a soaked environment can cause the flames to be less effective or not able to light anything.

Here is Luna, a new PC:

Tsukino (Luna) Inoue

"Everything can be fixed with a little Light."

_______________________________________________ Tsukino (Luna) Inoue She/her | 25 | Japanese | 63 inches | 101 lbs. _______________________________________________ Vitality _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "I guess I'm a bit of a nerd." ___________________________________ [+] Taekwondo Student ⫻ She has attended a local Taekwondo dojo for the past four years, earning a blue belt. Gamer ⫻ Has a natural talent for all types of online and console games. Pianist ⫻ She took lessons as a child and able to play expert level piano music by ear and by sheet music.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "When is the next techwear sale…?" She's slightly short at 5’3, and built thin with lithe muscle. A runner's body with similar endurance. Taking Taekwondo classes twice a week gave her trim muscle and shaped abs. Due to her abstraction, her eyes slightly glow white, with burning irises. Her hair is dyed white and carefully cared for, often styled in a braid. She is somewhat shy, so the bangs often cover her eyes. She has scratch scars across her back and chest from when she fought in the battles against the Stygian Snake. She has a tattoo of the House of Cards Mafia's skull on her left shoulder, despite being a thrall and not a made man. Phantasia keeps her separate. She is often seen wearing loose, baggy techwear and a cloth mask over her face. Her iron gauntlet is almost always on her right hand.

_{Psychology
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"I like to think I'm dependable."

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Wants to find a place where she truly belongs.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ It is better to do good to those you trust, and destroy those who would threaten them.

SECRETS ⫻ She is dissatisfied with being ‘just a thrall’ at the House of Cards.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Too innocent.

FEARS ⫻ Death.

REPUTATION IN OLD COVEN ⫻ Stood up for those who needed it, which sometimes ended in clashes due to her stubbornness. This may have helped in the dissolution.

ROLE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE STYGIAN SNAKE ⫻ Struck the snake with her sword using a mix of ground and aerial strikes.

FLAWS ⫻ Ridiculously stubborn.

_{Backstory
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"I have nothing to complain about."

Luna grew up in Japan before her family moved to St. Portwell. She had a conservative life, with her father owning a restaurant and her mother caring for her as an only child at home. They never struggled for money, and she lived in relative peace.

Until she had her kindling event. There was a psychopath with a knife trying to get into her house, and she was called to the attic where she uncovered an iron gauntlet. With enough power to knock the lights out of the crazy person, she saved her home. However, her parents hated her new powers, and sent her away. The Sycamore Coven essentially adopted her.

An old Sycamore Coven member, Luna was involved on the front lines against the Stygian Snake. However, when they won the battle, everyone really began to argue and fight. Luna would often back the losing side, and her stubbornness would lead to these fights becoming physical. Eventually, she just couldn't take it, and was one of the first to leave.

She eventually found herself adrift without a coven. Due to her strength, she was harassed by the 8th Street coven for many months to join them. It got bad, to the point where she was getting stalked.

After one of these confrontations, she was approached by one of the House of Mafia made men, and was introduced to Phantasia.

Eventually, she ran to Phantasia's promise of protection, and discovered the strange ‘businessmen’ that always hovered around Phantasia. Their relationship grew, with Luna discovering herself in the Renaissance Gaze of Phantasia's. Thoroughly attached and addicted to Phantasia's presence, she became a devoted thrall, happy to do Phantasia's bidding. Recently, this has involved spying on the Sycamore Coven.

Luna has lost about five years of her life since staring into the eyes of Phantasia. However, recently she has been feeling a bit empty at the House of Cards, spying on the Sycamore. Where does she truly belong?

_{Abstraction
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"The light is strong."

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Pure Knight's Power, Orange Lux, channeler is an iron gauntlet.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻

Luna's Pure Knight’s Power can be broken down into facets:

Pure Wings - Made of pure white magic, these wings sprout from Luna's back, faintly glow, and allow Luna to take flight.

Pure Sword - Also made of white magic, a sword is conjured out of thin air. The bigger it is, the more difficult it is to swing, so she usually keeps to a slender sword's size. Imbued with white magic, it melts through apparitions like hot butter. It burns and sears the skin of those who believe they have ill intents.

Pure Armour - Made of white magic, Luna can conjure plate armour from head to toe, including a helmet. It is strong like steel, and packs a punch when she throws down. This protects from physical and elemental attacks, especially attacks that are dark in nature. If the attack is strong enough, like a bullet, it can shatter her armour, causing Luna to need to recreate it, which is physically taxing.

LIMITS ⫻ Piercing attacks like bullets can shatter her armour. It takes energy to recreate the armour, which can quickly exhaust Luna.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ (DO NOT FILL THIS OUT, I WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU)

^{Other
_{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
”Can I show you my collection?”

She has a photo album of all the instances she has spied on the coven. This includes a photo when Alizée was shot. Bird's eyes shots of the Temple's outsides, of Dairy Queen. The gazebo. The burning church…

Here are NPCs for Luna, as well as a new organization and its location:

Phantasia Vorpal

Phantasia.Vorpal

38 | Phantasia Vorpal | She/her [hr//]"You could call this my hobby."

Description:

Mystery is a part of her glamor as the leader of the House of Cards Mafia. She is known for her silver tongue and knife arts, but most importantly, she is known to have eyes - mesmerizing pink that change color depending on the Gaze - that none can look at straight on without feeling the power behind them.

With her headquarters hidden in the mafia-owned Hearts Club Casino, recently reopened, she tries to keep tabs on the paranormal heartbeat of St. Portwell, always looking for the opportunity to come back from the raid the Wolfpack did to her people years back.

Abstraction:

Phantasia Eyes

Phantasia’s eyes can be broken down into facets, and affect living beings and apparitions in similar ways:

Passive Eye Contact - A sudden looking to keep staring, hard to break eye contact except with great will. An immediate boost to the mood of a person, like taking a serotonin pill. There's an immediate elation, a removal of fear, anxiety, and depression. There will be the feeling of safety, and an encouragement to drop one’s guard. There is a debilitating affect, as time is slowly siphoned off in minutes and months. One second of eye contact is equal to one week of lifespan taken. Any eye contact, whether it's a fear or hypnotic gaze, will have the same pull on the lifespan.

Fear Gaze - Eyes turning a shade of black, the target will feel unbearable fear shaking their bones, and chilling them to the core. They will feel that their death is immediate, and unable to think clearly due to the fear, which is palpable. Physical reactions include shaking, dry mouth, tears, weakness in the knees, falling to the knees. Even if eye contact is broken, the effects of fear will last for hours unless Phantasia remedies it with another Gaze.

Pain Gaze - When her eyes turn a shade of red, the target will immediately feel as if their entire body is being lashed with a whip. The nerve endings will be on fire. Physical reactions include screaming, crying, writhing on the floor, and unable to speak coherent sentences. They only have to see the eyes for a split second, and the effects will last for hours unless Phantasia remedies it with another Gaze.

Forgetful Gaze - Turning a shade of white, Phantasia can make a person forget events for a few hours. if a person has an event playing in their mind, this will be forgotten temporarily. Or, if the person is focusing on Phantasia's gaze, they will forget the hours up to and meeting Phantasia temporarily.

Hypnotic Gaze - The eyes turn a shade of purple, and become two swirling vortexes that draw the target in. With one look, the target becomes entranced. It becomes difficult to look away, and even if they can, the effects are still inside them: extremely open to suggestions, extremely prone to speaking the truth, and little to no guard up. The effects are like taking a powerful drug that makes a person feel high, on top of the world, and last for many blissful hours.

Devout Gaze - Staring at her blue eyes, a person will feel as though they've taken a mix of morphine, drugs, and psychedelics. They will be over the moon, wholly focused on Phantasia, who they will consider to be special, even their ‘mother’. They will become insanely protective of Phantasia, even at the cost of their own health. Phantasia usually shows theses eyes to those she wants to become her thralls.

Renaissance Gaze - With one look from these golden eyes, the target will feel an immediate rush of inspiration, creativity and endless confidence. They will become their best version of themselves, whatever they could possibly imagine, times by one hundred. They will fight smarter, talk better, and act like a billionaire CEO. The effect lasts a few hours, depending on how much of the creative energies are used.

Passive Influence - Even without eye contact, Phantasia holds an elusive and mesmerizing presence that intrigues. People who are not on their guard will feel the pull to meet her eyes. Like a desire to quench thirst. It can be as bad as feeling a burn in the throat, the desire to see her eyes. Near painful. It is not debilitating to be in her presence, and does not affect a person's years.

Phantasia must have a target’s eye contact for a fraction of a second for her powers to work. If the target refuses to meet her eyes, they will be safe from her Gazes. Likewise, if she is wearing a blindfold, she can do no harm. Emotional fields dampen her ability to affect, as it is usually a battle of wills for her eyes to work.

Isabella

Isabella.Blackthorn

32 | Isabella Blackthorn | She/her [hr//]"Anything for Mother Cards..."

Description:

Growing up in a mafia family, her whole life has been centered around the House of Cards. She was there when the old casino burned down, wept with the family at their loses. The holes the attack left allowed her talents to shine forward. She's natural in a crowd, with a voice that commands and an amazing sense of delegation. Catching Phantasia's eye, Isabella went through several loyalty tests before she was given the title of Underboss, working directly below Phantasia and trusted with the darkest secrets of the mafia.

She's got long dark tresse, dresses similar to ‘Mother Cards’ (Phantasia), and always has a pistol pocketed in a shoulder holster under her overcoat. She uses her abstraction devoutly, being one of the best spies that Phantasia has. She has discovered mutiny secrets that she has squashed several times over, riding the family of moles and less-than-faithful members.

She has lost a few months off her life from staring at Phantasia's eyes on occasion through the years. Phantasia doesn't consider Isabella a thrall.

Abstraction:

Mind Suggestion

Anyone who lays eyes on Isabella will be a target for her abstraction, where she can suggest she is something else in their mind. For example, if she is sneaking around and wants to be unnoticed, she can appear as a chair or a dropped pen to a walking security guard. However, the security cameras will see Isabella for who she is.

The House of Cards Mafia

THE.HOUSE.OF.CARDS "We were glorious once, we'll be glorious again."

.. . . . The House of Cards is a mafia organization that changed leadership after their Hearts Club Casino burned down in what news reports claimed to be an ‘accidental fire’. After their first mafia boss succumbed to burn injuries, leadership of the mafia changed to Phantasia. The House of Cards, upon the recent opening of the new Hearts Club Casino, focuses on connecting the criminal underbelly of St. Portwell. Not just the layman crime bosses, no. They have a preference in working with the seedy magical side of St. Portwell's night scene. They don't get along with everyone, but have a wish to make the magical scene thrive for the folks who really deserve it - the ones with magic. Of course, the House of Cards doesn't turn away layman help - they need thralls, after all. Specializing in small heists, and supplementing their income with the money gambled away in the casino, the House of Cards guarantees their partners a chance in the limelight and pockets laden with cash. They also guarantee to be a thorn in the side to anyone who dares tries to intercept them or their goals.

Hearts Club Casino Location

St. Portwell Location: Hearts Club Casino

The Hearts Club Casino is located in the heart of St. Portwell's downtown, and is made of three stories of shining glass and angular concrete. It's situated beside a parkade to handle the amount of eager gamblers ready to try their luck at the slots or the tables. Parking is free on the weekends.

The bottom level is host to the slot machines, kitchen and stage. The second story wraps around the stage and is filled with tables, giving gamblers a bird's eye view of performers. The third story is made up of offices and comes off as the administration of the casino.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

@FernStone The drawing looks awesome, wow. :D

Iris Ascendis

No rush, hope you feel better soon!

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

@Days Thaaaanks. :> And yes, yes he definietly is. ;)

@Lexisheeps You're very welcome! I'm so excited. :D

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

The collab looks great, Lexi! Let's collab more often!

Also, here is the map for the new area of the pyramid, for everyone's reference! There is a locked door between 4 and 5.

Hider