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The Hourglass Order

Secrets of Kirimansk

(Yvain's POV)

After a decent night’s sleep and still feeling somewhat awkward without the use of magic Yvain set out with Yuliya, the girl that always seemed close to his cousin yet he knew very little of.

First they stumbled upon an old lady, a yasoi fisherman and a man who Yvain fondly remembers. The mere commoner that thought he could handle the greatness and perfection that is the pride of the Berbignons. Seeing Yuliya approach the woman let him trail after her. He did not speak the language so his understanding and participation around the conversation was next to none… Although his face was probably enough to get the woman to feel more comfortable around the two… As Yuliya finished the conversation and moved forward towards a warehouse the noble left with a shit eating grin on his face, staring Igor straight into his eyes.

Once arriving at the warehouse they assorted themselves as true nobles, even if one was of the merchant class supposedly. They were supposed to be here and what was this guard supposed to question them on it? After a small chase after a suspicious man with a box they stumbled upon some Nikanese swords and wielding it was truly natural for the two members of the Oath of the Blade. Once the box was acquired the two began to look for a locksmith and stumbled upon a tower. The two blondes climbed the stairs like it was their own house’s and soon enough came trouble peaking it’s head out. Four filthy commoners that do not know their place did not move out of the way for them. Their behavior was truly vile as they drew swords towards their betters.

The bout was glorious! Swords clashed as they focused on the Perrench man. Not like a pitiful four men could ever do anything against the utter peak of humanity that is Yvain de Berbignon. As beautiful as a butterfly, Yvain moved along the stairs, parrying most stabs and slashes from the man. gracefully trying to disarm them. However his hand got slashed once. His expression was no longer one of a smile. One of the four men tried to slash once more. The swords clashed, followed by a jab from the Perrench man and in one clean slice he was disarmed… quite literally. Yvain talked through the man’s screams of agony. ”A deserving punishment for spilling a noble’s blood.”

The other three were not finished yet after such a sight and one even tried to push the savage noble off the railing and to his fall yet the Vossoriyan woman made sure it was not Yvain to take that fall. His anger by this disrespect was starting to boil over and as if Eshiran himself wished for their demise he received a couple more cuts from one of the remaining men. Angrily clashing swords with the man, Yvain yelled and kicked. ”FILTH, FILTH, HOW DARE YOU!” After a barrage of sword hits the man lost his footing and without a second of doubt Yvain cut straight through the man’s neck.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the final standing man insists. "I won't cause you no more trouble. Wasn't nothin' personal, milady." He nods toward Yvain. "Milord." The man hides his burning anger whilst groveling in front of the two. This act of acting his position caused Yvain to be of sound mind once more and the pair made it upstairs once more.

Entering inside the two were spotted, the guards glance among themselves in uncertainty and then one twists to look at Yuliya. He crosses his arms. "Little politeness goes a long way 'round here, rich girl." Yuliya stops, slashes the blood off her foreign sword and sheathes it, before giving a curtsy. "Sir, four ruffians have just accosted me and attempted to steal our chest here. Could you do us the favor of leading us to the locksmith?" with the sweetest smile she could muster, knowing that if this smartass commoner made one more remark she'd lose it.

Another man approached the two. He looked her up and down, stroking his bushy beard. He nodded. "Sorry you had to go through that." He nodded in Yvain's direction as well."Looks like you know how to handle yourself, though." He waved her forward. "Ivan, Vassily!" he shouted. "Take these two up top. Take 'em to the smith.” And before long they were led towards the balcony and they were told to wait for the smith. Yuliya however split off from Yvain to inspect the area further by going a floor up through a trapdoor.

Yuliya was taking quite a while… too long even. It caused concern in the noble's heart and forced him to feel uneasy. He decided to inspect the same area as Yuliya and what he found was rather something he did not want to see. An unconscious Yuliya and a group of men armed, pointing their rifles at him. In an act of defiance and sheer luck he managed to drag the girl away but his luck soon gave out as he was hit in his spleen by one of the bullets, slowing him down enough for the others to surround him.

As the others surrounded him a weird gas from the floor above began to fill the area as one of the men put on a mask. Then… like he was invigorated by divine means he got his magic back. pushing the gas away from him and into the assailants causing most to gasp for air. ”Be prepared to face true divine might!” Bullets were no longer a concern, they could not even get close to him and soon enough only one man stood defiantly against him. Clicking his tongue, he began to clench his hand as he attempted to stop the man’s heart. Before realizing the mistake that had been made everything went dark..

Yvain awakened to a woman’s screams, he was scared. What even happened before? He was winning and suddenly everything went dark. Thinking about it gave him a chill. He kept completely still as the feeling of these entities drawing were enough to even make him hesitate to act. He overheard the conversation between Yuliya and another woman as his restraints came off. Yvain’s thoughts ran in circles. The Vossoriyan was a Sanguinaire? Does Penelope know? If she does, why hasn't she told him yet? Is it a trust issue? Can he trust her around his cousin? He played along like nothing was plaguing his mind, not saying much.

The Hourglass Order

---

Barracks under Siege

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Involved: Dorothea, Manfred @Force and Fury, Qasem & Viktor @YummyYummy

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Gunfire rang constantly from the direction of the barracks. The headquarters of law enforcement in Mandelein was quickly established as a stronghold to keep citizens safe. Constable Leonhardt was leading the stand from the roof of the building while Laura sniped from the old tower and other constables tried their best to repel the beasts from elevation. A couple wielding spears were the only units standing between the beasts and the improvised haven that wasn't a makeshift barricade made of wooden junk. Luckily for them, the beasts lacked the intelligence to exploit the shortcomings of their defense, but their brute strength was going to be enough in just a few minutes.

The constables weren't the only ones fighting - Viktor was there too. He wasn't in the safe zone, and instead took on the beasts. He had started from roofs, and after taking down one of the creatures, ended up dragged down by a more aggressive of its kind and was forced to get close and personal. Not that he couldn't do it, he held his ground with a knife and his own impressive strength.

“Hohenfelter!” called out the Magusjaeger as he kicked the still very active beast away. “Just in time. I counted six of them, plus this one.” he explained before charging it to swipe the slightly disoriented beast. He was managing on his own, but soon there would be more beasts upon them, “There are more coming. But they're mostly busy with the barricade. Not that it has much time left.”

Indeed, four of the six were mowing down the defenses and soon would be primed to commit a massacre. The constables were the only ones truly holding them back. If their barricade and two men on the ground fell, it'd spell the end for the barracks.

Six of them? How many of these freaks of nature are around? The idea that there were more than one beast was something that was already discussed but this? How was this not spotted beforehand? Should I use it in such an open space? Dory thought to herself, being rather hesitant to use magic that might have her viewed in a worse light than she already is.

She readied her rifle and steadied her aim. "We have to make sure these things don't hurt anymore people."

Manfred nodded. "You do whatever you need to stay safe, love." He glanced significantly at her headwear, hiding his scowl of disapproval. Then, looking at Viktor, he sprung into action, raising his rifle and snapping off a series of shots at the monster his fellow magusjaeger had kicked.

Qasem kept himself close to the conspicuous couple of the group. He sought out opportunities, as he knew the true threat that lurked in Mandelein, and it was not the primitive beasts that littered this town. But for now, he pointed his lion's stinger toward the second beast that had taken an interest in them and chugged his 'magic juice'.

Manfred's shot struck true, and then they were all over it: him, Dory, Qasem and - unexpectedly - Viktor. If the latter two didn't do much, then the same could not be said for the power couple. Manfred and Dory attacked in tandem, and it wasn't long before one of the monsters lay dead at their feet. Cigar hanging out one corner of his mouth, mustache magnificent, Manfred began by blowing half the second one's face off. the others finished the job. to their credit, even Viktor and the Darhannic were useful. He grinned. "Hah! Like shooting fish in a barrel!"

That was how it continued. If Manfred had once struggled with mastering magical combat and with his new rifle, neither was novel to him anymore and the use of both came easily. Dory, as well, was absolutely deadly. Viktor killed a beast in one shot. Such was the ease with with they dispatched these monsters that Qasem could run interference and strengthening at will. Something that should have and certainly could have been a life-or-death struggle was more or less trivialized by the application of sheer Drudgunzean FIREPOWER.

When it was over and the final monster lay scattered about ten yards from Manfred in pieces, he turned to his beloved and smiled warmly. "The couple that slays together stays together, no?" He blew her a small kiss and winked in the direction of the flabbergasted crowd, just as he had with Dory a couple of minutes earlier, only this current wink didn't say, 'I am going to fuck you stupid tonight' like its predecessor had.

When she asked about his cigar, he glanced sadly at the butt of it lying on the ground, used up and forlorn. Then, he reached into a pouch, pulled out one more and, with a twinkle in his eye and a grin, conjured a lick of flame and lit it up. "For mein Spratzmuffin." After getting it started, he held it out to her.

Dorothea did not show any hesitance this time. She wasted no time with worrying and threw her strongest tolerated magic at these monsters. "Eat Scheisse, all of you!" A feeling of satisfaction ran over her as these beasts fell. Glancing towards Manfred with a smirk. "But of course we'd stay together, love. And nice shooting, well... for a Kerreman."

She gave the man a little wink before pointing at the cigar. "Mind giving me a puff?" Manfred made a little horrified face at her 'Kerreman' comment. "Oh? Ya? And that Koppelman you so eagerly use? Where is that from, my dear?" Dory whistled unknowingly. "I do not know, dear. Where does it come from?" "You cheeky bitch," He lowered his voice. "I'm gonna fuck that little smirk right offa you tonight." "Well... only if you could lead, that is." It seems that such a comment only made her more smug.

The threats had been destroyed. Viktor wasn't one for theatrics as much as the youths, but it did prompt a chuckle from the experienced magusjaeger. His Koppelman was reloaded as he kept a lookout for any threats. “Impressive, Hohenfelter. And the lady.” he nodded toward Dory.

---

Second Wind

---

Qasem sighed in relief. So much carnage was avoided by their quick intervention and his colleagues' brazen recklessness that ended up paying off. "Are any of you hurt?" he called out as he walked toward the barracks. But then he stopped. They all felt it - intense heat coming from the right. And during this brief moment of distraction, it could emerge from the alley behind Qasem. The creature leapt at the Darhannic, and the man quickly turned to use Lion's Stinger as a quick barrier between him and the threat. It was another beast, but thinner, shorter and definitely more agile. Where the others were around two to three times the volume of a person and some being double the height, this one was a couple of centimeters shorter than Qasem. It also didn't have the mighty strength of the beasts, but it would be enough to keep him pinned. For a moment he had a clear angle to impale the reckless beast, but something was wrong. Something made him hesitate as he saw the beast lunging at him.

"Help!" the creature had scratched him up, and was now trying to rip a piece off him with its teeth.

But just as his calls for help reached the others, the surge of energy they had sensed crashed into the group. It was one of those fiery beasts! One with its eyeballs literally melted and spread the flames onto buildings it passed by. Viktor was the closest to its course and wasted no time focusing it down with his Koppelman, while Dory would have a piece of barricade flung at her from the beast's flailing arms! Manfred, on the other hand, was the best placed to fully assess the situation being the furthest from the flaming monster.

Dory, thinking quickly enough, managed to propel herself away from the piece of barricade flying her way. Qasem however, was not as lucky, getting bit on his arm by the beast that had attacked him before. Luckily for him nobody truly saw that he was afflicted. The beast that had attacked Qasem before turned its gaze at the others. It looked a lot more lean than the others that they had encountered before.

The thing’s attacks did not have too much punch to them compared to the others but hitting that bastard was the hardest thing even for the three magusjaegers. The speed of it caught even a veteran like Viktor off guard as the beast stabbed into his abdomen with its claws before retreating. After much back and forth attacks and evasions the beast was finally hit, growling loudly as it cried in pain. It however was far from being done with the group.

It lunged towards Dory but the Feskan froze, was she an easy target? Could she be frozen from the fear of death from the thing coming her way? It was then that the girl moved, grabbing it by the beast’s throat and arm before using its momentum and what little kinetic prowess she had to slam it to the ground, ready to snuff out its light before Manfred yelled out. "Schläfere das Ding ein!" without much acknowledgement towards the other Dory tightened the grip as her chemical prowess did its work, soon enough putting the beast to sleep. "Gute Nacht, du Dreckskerl”

The Hourglass Order

Adventure around the town

Playful treats

Yvain looked towards Penelope as her cousin was binding food into existence, a weirdly warm smile covering his face as the loaves turned to cookies and more sweet delicacies. In truth he was a bit jealous of such abilities. For all the finesse and beauty his appearance gave off his affinity towards magic is more brutish than anyone he knows.

What a drag.. Yvain looked rather tired with all the locals messing around with his hair and tugging on his clothing. What a horrid curse, to be so beloved by all! But alas, it is a burden to bear If he had the freedom to move he would have dramatically placed the back of his hand on his forehand.

The Perrenchman’s interest was caught by her cousin shaking her head as if certain thoughts were plaguing her. Was he responsible for those thoughts? People were always acting differently around him when she was present. The expressions, the minor changes in body language. In truth, he had always appreciated having her around as a source of genuinity.

Penny knew the chemical formula for sugar, so, with a smirk and some trial and error, she began making sweetbreads, and then... Well, why not icing sugar? Cookies, cupcakes, and then cakes! She worked her way up the ladder. The kids darted in when they thought she wasn't looking and stole some and she pretended not to see them, except when it was too obvious. Their punishment was a tiny electrical zap on the rear and a dab of frosting on the nose. Before long, they were coming back in just to be caught and it became a kind of game until some of the village women broke it up.

They shooed the children away to go bother Yvain after that, and sat around her, speaking in their strange tongue and communicating through gestures whenever Nikolai wasn't around. The Perrenchwoman may have even picked up a few words of Kyrgish in the process. She made dough, as well, and some of the women brought out boards and formed a circle, kneading it as the hours of Oraff edged toward those of Eshiran. For a moment, she was just one more woman in their circle: part of something and no different than the others. Her heart swelled with a sense of purpose. She would use her power to ensure that this place - a place that was good and right - would thrive and not wither.

Seeing some of the children leave his presence to go over to Penelope to steal some of the treats she created could not help but put a soft smile on Yvain's face. Soon enough they returned to him as they were shooed away. A rather surprised look came across his face as he was offered a piece of a cookie from one of the children. Taking the piece and eating before clapping his hands and showing the children around him some small illusions such as floating cookies and cakes. The floating delicacies moved about around the children as if they were in a dance.

The Begemot

Nikolai’s weight shifted. His nervousness was palpable and contagious. The smallest of children near Penny and Yvain broke out in tears, somewhere further away, a dog howled, but it wasn’t enough to cut through the excited whispers of the translated news of the begemot and her child making its way through those gathered.

"Arrête de rêvasser, cornichon!" Penny pulled on all of her kinetic power to blow past her cousin. "Les petits gâteaux et les biscuits n'arrêteront pas le mastodonte!" At this rate, the Begemot would catch Ilvir in a minute or two, and the lure would do nothing to relocate it.

Yvain clapped his hands and soon enough the little floating pastries disappeared, carefully plucking the locals off him. Seeing his cousin blow past him caused him to chuckle. "Frimeur. " He prepared to catch up to his cousin. Cela ne suffit pas, je dois être plus rapide. Realizing that just augmenting his pace would not be enough.

Yvain's stance got more relaxed, lifting himself up from the air and soon enough darted towards her cousin. He was able to close the distance between them but did not manage to overtake her. This can't be right. Did he lose his edge? No matter. This is not a time for his ego to be hurt, even if it were to sting.

Landing not too far away from his cousin. "Suppose we can't just use brute force against this thing, huh?"

Penny shook her head, trying to create some water in the dirt and mix it in ahead of the begemot. She gritted her teeth. "Non, cousin, I think not. Now come help me, would you?"

Yvain sighed. "Cher moi, I am not a chef." He began to use his kinetic magic to create small rotations in the softer earth. "I can mix it as well as a trained cook, however it will do the trick. You focus on softening the earth." The mud did not slow this behemoth down at all.

People barking orders at him would usually be met with a proper punishment, but through it being a high tension situation and he seems like the dumb yelling type he let it slide. "Least you could’ve done is grovel at my feet and beg for my help…” A rather annoyed look appeared on his face before. "But it seems you truly would be hopeless without his gracious moi!” His smug aura was practically radiating off him.

With a sigh he nodded towards Yuliya to start to coordinate with her. In truth, Yvain was rather frustrated by having to work together with a merchant, or rather one pretending to be one. Even if his ability for illusions is not the highest, this was humiliating. "Travaille avec moi, lumière" As he tried his hardest to coordinate with Yuliya to get their structure of light to move away from the town slowly. As it started to move Yvain could be seen with a shit-eating grin. "Sometimes I scare myself with how talented I am." Even whilst under this mental strain of keeping such a behemoth consistent. It did not stop him from looking as perfectly presentable as ever.

As the Begemot started to move away the illusion began to dissipate Yvain let himself slump over a little, not even caring about the mud all over his frame. ”I did it… I actually did it…” The boy’s voice was soft as if trying to not let anyone hear it. His giddy smile said more than words could have. It was one similar to an excited child. Once realizing how he may have appeared he coughed a little before standing upright and showing his noble character once more. ”It seems like I am truly gifted in every magic that I start practicing. I might give old Bene-” He halts himself as he was close to saying something that might have insulted such an important figure.

The Hourglass Order

Searching for the search party

Dory & Laska @Force and Fury

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Visiting the Husband

It was naught but a few minutes later when Edyta moved off after Dorothea to see if they couldn't find anyone to help in their search for Manfred, the two yasoi girls, Viktor, and Anna. In truth, she noticed, Ymiico had disappeared as well, shortly after some incoherent speech in broken Avincian earlier

The household Sister Laska and Dorothea would be seeking was the carpenter's abode. Heinrich Stigenroth was, just like his father and the father of his father, a simple man that worked with his hands. The 'shop' was open, with a good half converted into a workshop and the other serving as a living space. Mandelein had its own carpentry guild, however with the arrival of a child and Anna's ambitious to follow her step-father's footsteps, the father had made preparations to do more minor work from home.

Of course, in these troubling times there would be no work done. Just the cries of a needy babe and a father far too overwhelmed to handle things at the moment.

Dorothea paused upon hearing the cries of the child, looking towards the good sister. "Think he can help? He looks like he has more than he can handle anyway."

"Do you think Lady Stigenroth might still be... out there? If she was wounded badly and with the time that has past..."

The two women would end up at the carpenter's door with baby cries resonating from beyond the thick, stone walls. It took a solid minute of frantic footsteps until the door was answered by a young man with black circles around his eyes and unkempt stubble. “Was?” he asked dryly, clearly not in the best of moods.

Dorothea looked somewhat hesitant to ask anything of the young man, his appearance did not look all that rested. "Ich frage Sie nur ungern..." Her voice became dry just by trying to get the request out. "Der Suchtrupp ist ebenfalls verschwunden. Wären Sie bereit, uns bei der Suche nach ihnen und Fräulein Stigenroch zu unterstützen?"

Heinrich shot a nasty glare toward Dory, “Es ist Stigenroth. (It's Stigenroth.)” he corrected with growing anger in his voice, “Wie soll ich dir helfen? Ich habe einen Sohn, der seine Mutter braucht. Es ist ein Tier auf der Pirsch. Und ich bin nur Zimmermann. (How do you want me to help? I have a son that needs his mother. There is a beast on the prowl. And I'm just a carpenter.)” his hand clenched the doorknob and seemed about ready to close the door, “Bis zu Ihrer Ankunft war alles in Ordnung. Wie kannst du meiner Frau helfen, wenn deine Freunde es nicht können?! (Everything was fine until you got here. How can you help my wife when your friends couldn't?!)”

"Heinrich." Edyta placed a hand gently but firmly on the door. "The fear and helplessness you are feeling right now is not something I am... unfamiliar with." She bowed her head and shook it tightly. "And I shall offer up prayers to Ahn-Eshiran to spare your wife, but I believe that Ahn-Dami gives us free will so that we might act to make good on what we pray for, empowered by the Gods." She paused as Dory translated for her.

"Perhaps the people sent with us are her deliverance. They have succeeded and are on their way back this moment. Perhaps they have failed. If the latter is true -" she shrugged. "Then I doubt we will succeed alone." She was not finished, however. "Yet, it also strikes me that this task falls to us as no other people in this town are looking for her." The Rezaindian shook her head. "It is not my place to guess why that is, but it occurs to me that, were they to lend a hand, we would have a much better chance of success." She gazed up at him implacably, but not without empathy either. Much of the personal effect was surely lost as all communication needed to be filtered through Dorothea, but at least the girl was an emotive speaker.

This woman spoke just like Jacques. All these religious formulations and confidence in a divine presence were all too intangible to Heinrich when his problem was very real. It all felt like an excuse to not take things as seriously as he was. The lone father was just about ready to slam the door into Laska's hand until Dory's translation got to the point: They wanted to do something, and they were asking for help. His expression hardly changed from one of contempt, but he was no longer clenching the door.

It took a brief moment of silence before he'd answer to the nun directly, “No can help, me.” he said in broken Avincian, “But Koppelman?” he tried to explain what he meant, but lacked the vocabulary, so he gestured for the women to follow him to a shed at the back. There, hanging on the walls and surrounded by well maintained tools of a carpenter was a Koppelman 211 - similarly custom-made for the needs of the region. That thing resembled a portable cannon and was definitely heavy. Heinrich would explain that Anna's great uncle would hunt Skuggvars with the thing, although nowadays there was little use for it. It also came with five heavy caliber bullets. Why gather people when a big weapon wasn't going to second guess you at any point?

Dory's eye inspected the rifle... well it was quite a bit bigger than a normal rifle, her eyes would practically sparkle whilst looking at such a beauty. "Eine Koppelman.... Was für ein Prachtexemplar. (A Koppelman, what a beauty.)" Her sight returned to Heinrich with a look that gave mixed messages. On one side it practically begged him May I? May I? May I? whilst also asking Is it really okay to lend such a thing

Heinrich didn't seem particularly enthused in giving away such a prized item to strangers, but they were also the only ones that were going to do anything about this. He merely gestured toward it, essentially giving the okay to Dory.
With the big weapon in hand and time being on short supply.

Conversation through the mist

It was about time the duo made off into the Teufelssumpf, following the path the previous group had taken. They had, at the very least, the location of the hunting lodge Viktor had been using. However, after a half-hour trek, they'd find it, of course, empty and without any indication of where the group may have went as Viktor had taken the map with him. Not optimal, but there was something both women could notice that definitely seemed off: Increased moisture and a drop in heat just two hundred meters North-East of the lodge.

A cautious inspection would lead them to find a wall of fog in that covered a good 500 meter diameter. Sensing what was inside was difficult, as it felt like a lot of the energy there had already be used up somehow. The fog itself definitely looked out of place in this softer weather and just suddenly appearing there. For Laska, this could've been a trap, especially if she was convinced this was a Wildblood issue. Usually, when transformed, these creatures were consumed by rage and a desire to feast, but once they were 'taken by the beast', they eventually adapted to their form and, while definitely not 'intelligent' by human standards, developed instincts and strategies to catch prey without being overtaken by a murderous drive. This could very well be one of those traps.

Sister Laska's demeanour had changed. Her eyes flicked about suspicious and she seemed tense. Reaching into her satchel, she quickly pulled out a prime shot. There was a ghost of a scowl and she downed it without much fuss, tucking the empty vial back in. "You have some special trick up your sleeve, right?" she inquired, giving Dory a once-over. Her eyes lingered on the crown for a moment. "I may need you as bait but I don't want to leave a helpless babe out there in the forest." She began to grow indistinct, as if already slipping into the space between realities: that comforting space where everything was better. "No matter what it is, it cannot sense me in that place. If you can draw its attention, and you're strong enough to hold it off, then I can appear at the right moment and solve it, once and for all."

She smiled in what was perhaps meant to be a reassuring way, but Edyta did not have that sort of manner about her. "Don't worry. This is not the first monster I have hunted." With that, she began to move, for there was ground to cover and a hunt to be had. The crown... the demon crown. She could sense its energies. She could hear its whispers! How they called to her, taunted her, begged her and mocked her. She tried not to visibly shake her head. Whatever the beast was, she was certain it was powerful. yet, it was nothing compared to whatever had been sealed within the headwear she had not once seen her counterpart remove.

As Laska asked her about any special tricks Dory smirked and lifted the hand cannon up. "I have the Koppelman." Oh, she could almost be seen to be hugging that beauty of a rifle. Then as the seriousness kicked in she looked rather hesitant to say anything. "I do... Although I prefer not using it. It's not something people will look kindly upon." Dory tapped her crown softly with a questioning look on her face as if she were begging for advice.

Edyta pursed her lips. "Hmmm. Yes." She kept her voice low as the walked, even though there was nobody to hear them. "That is a dark magic artifact of unfathomable power." She shook her head, taking a couple of cursory glances around. "Sometimes, it is necessary for the light to use the darkness. That's what I was taught..." She trailed off and the place they were walking through became more deeply eerie than before. "But still, I have my doubts." She paused and a look of some concern came to her eyes. " You haven't made any sort of deal with it yet, right?" Surely, nobody could be so daft.

"Unfathomable power? My little crown? Surely if that were to be the case you would have enlightened me on it all the way back in Ersand'Enise." Her expression was saddened by her zeno group friend's words. "Doubts? What kind of doubts? That I do not use my gift to shine a light in the darkness? To try and make it better for my loved ones?"

A powerful human and threatening artifact had entered the den. Both would inevitably get noticed by whatever prowled these cold, misty grounds. Stray bones of wildlife found by trees were the first hints of something that wasn't quite right. Some of them almost felt purposeful in their placement, like a warning. But there would be nothing to sense within the intruders' range.

Deeper in, they would end up before a very steep downward slope. The fog wasn't letting up and the bottom was hard to distinguish, although basic drawing allowed them to determine it was no more than ten feet deep. On the slope itself were many roots from the nearby trees sticking out, some of them looking to have been uprooted not too long ago. Maybe from something that tried to climb out?

Beyond a couple of birds flying above the trees, there were no signs of life. Not even the smallest of critters.

Then came the distorted, remote howl coming from the West, very much beyond the foggy perimeter they were in and all too similar to what they had heard on their first day to Mandelein.

Little time was giving for these two to ponder, however, as an overwhelmingly powerful force downright dragged them into the pit. A pit full of bones and cold, damp dirt.

She had been misunderstood, as was so often the case. Edyta shook her head. "Nevermind. We have a job to do and I will have your back. I will explain later, if we live." With that, she let herself sink out of this reality and into the space in between.

Scarcely had she done so when there came the howl of what could only be a monster, somewhere off to the West. The rezaindian stayed her course, however, rising close to the surface of the grey space and faintly sensing Dory to keep track of her. They were stopped at the edge of a pit of sorts and there was something eerie about it, without a doubt. The Feskan leaned over the precipice to peer in and, to Sister Laska's horror, seemed to lose her balance and start falling in. Głupek! She shouted at the girl mentally, diving out from the veil to grab her.

That was when she realized her mistake. Dory had not fallen. She had been pulled, and so was Edyta. Maybe it was the shock of judging so harshly and then being the idiot herself. Maybe it was the setting, her suspicious, and her lack of sleep. Whatever the reason, she was too slow in fading out of the world. By the time that she had, she was at the bottom. She went evasive, ready to attack if needed

The moment she felt herself being dragged downwards the first thing Dory could think of was propel herself upwards, however no matter how much force she put into the spell it did not matter for she was going downwards into the pit whether she willed it or not.

Landing onto the damp dirt rather roughly. She wasted no time to get up however, readying her rifle whilst clicking her tongue. "Scheisse, ich bin so blöd!" Looking towards Laska to check up on her. "You okay?"

The Greyborn faded as she watched, disappearing into the space between dimensions with a small nod. Now, it was time to see what sort of hell awaited them.

The pit was filled with bones, some with old, rotting meat on them, others with puddles of congealed blood below them. Most were animals, with even a Skuggvar carcass set aside, belly wide open, but there were some unmistakably human bones too. The stench had become overwhelmingly powerful to those who lowered themselves into the foggy den of death.

Before Dory, and eventually Laska, was a growing mass of energy that lurked within a burrow on the earthen wall opposite of them. They didn’t need to sense any energy or even see anything to know they were being stalked. Something behind the white veil, hiding inside the earth, had picked them as an appropriate mark for dinner.

The thing crawled out of its space now that it had prey in its trap, and the sweet scent of food was too alluring. A large, barely human-like shadow began to grow within the fog. Loud, uncouth steps were getting ever closer to the duo of women that had gotten lost in the woods. Just a few more steps, and they could see the horror for what it was. Sticky, unkempt grey fur covered the beast that easily tripled their height, yet remained hunched to just barely surpass the tallent by a head or two. By how it stood, it was clearly bipedal but it favoured using its humanlike front paws to drag itself forward as would an animal.

It was now close enough for its face to be seen. It’s snout was that of a human, but its lips and teeth were undoubtedly that of a beast’s, clearly canine by the shape of the legs and the rows of teeth. It’s eyes were a strange blend of both worlds, making for an uncanny and misshapen horror that was the beast’s face.

It eyed both prey, and then stood on its hindlegs before unleashing an ear-piercing screech that would echo through the entirety of the Teufelssumpf. A howl so strong it could almost shatter the wills of both Laska and Dory as if they had tangible forms.

The beast engages

They were not given the luxury of any leisure as they recovered from the fall as the beast lunged towards Dorothea. A gasp of surprise was all that the time allowed to escape her mouth as the beast was quite a bit faster than his size would tell them. In a moment of desperation used the frame of the beast to propel herself back with the use of what little knowledge of Kinetic magic she accumulated. Her arm shook as the girl noticed that said push was not enough for the arm to go completely unscathed.

The good sister however was able to land a clean slice against this thing’s knees. Growling in pain, the beast turned its gaze towards the sister which had delivered the blow. Dorothea tried her hardest to give Laska some breathing room by distracting it with magic of her own. It barely affected the large figure to much of her frustration.

The beast was strong, but Edyta had seen things like it before, and knew it was no match for her. She had already damaged its left knee. She now savaged its wrist with blood magic. Then, Dory struck with an arcane lance that burned it as well. They kept it this way, pinned between them, alternating attacks as needed.

The beast recoiled and glared at the two. Instead of lashing out, it extends its hindlegs, the initially wounded one now fully healed, to stand up completely straight. Then, it howled once more, although not nearly as loudly as it was with the one before. However it wasn't an intimidation tactic. Both Dory felt herself compelled to withdraw, make herself small and her body felt overall weakened. Edyta did not stick around for it. The moment she felt it - eerily like... She shakes her head to clear it. She fades into the space between realities. The beast itself looked invigorated in some way.

Dory felt her mana not doing what she wished them too made her somewhat remember the start of what happened with the highwaymen. However! She was not as reliant on only magic as before! This time she has something else to help in cases like this.

She steadied her aim, waited for the right shot and fired away. The kinetic energy released by it was enough to practically fling the girl away. All that mattered in the end was for it to hit its mark and hit it did, the bullet hit true as a hole was blasted through a part of its abdomen.

The beast cried out as the bullet hit it. Its attention returned to Dory and attempted to gore her, luckily as it was about to bite down on the girl. Edyta summoned all of her kinetic magic to slam its hideous head into the ground. The beast only grunted further in pain. Blows were exchanged between the two parties yet Dory began to falter, her spells began to lose its effectiveness against this hulking monster. The beast was taking control of the situation as it circled the wounded women as if they were cornered prey

In desperation Dorothea fired a Dark Bolt and like it was as slow as molasses was dodged by the beast. The good sister began to build up a rather large cryogenic spell. Dory panicked as a lot of the damage done to it began to slowly heal away. The energy radiating from Laska’s spell caught the monster’s attention. Dorothea knew there was only one way she could hinder such a beast and once more readied her the Koppelman, steadied it for how much she could in what little time she had and fired it a second time, hitting true once more. The beast recoiled from the hit and cried out. This gave Laska the perfect window to release her spell upon the beast, freezing it in place.

The mist subsides

Finally, it was encased in a prison of cold that penetrated through the massive hole in its body and glaciated its entire bloodstream. Still, it didn't falter. In its agony and rage it attempted a final, desperate attack on the nun, only to stumble and fall right before her feet. Its heart had exploded from within, and no amount of binding could restore it from such catastrophic damage. The beast, with slush for blood pooling under it, had been slain.

Sister Laska lined her scythes up to either side of the beast's head, crossed.

It didn't feel right.

Certainly, it had been powerful - a menace, even. Certainly she was good at the job for which she had trained since she had first manifested the Gift. Dorothea was, unsurprisingly, a capable mage, and with both Dark magic and the Koppelman in her hands... a menace.

Edyta's muscles flexed - taut and sinewy - and her twin blades finished the job. Slushy half-frozen blood squirted and then slowly began to pool. "This was a beast, to be sure," she said evenly, "But it wasn't the beast." She shook her head. "The things we found in that dungeon. They weren't like it." The rezaindian pursed her lips and made a sour face, shaking her head tightly. Then, she forced a smile. "But we did well today. I could not have done this without you."

She forced herself to gaze dispassionately upon the creature's misshapen horror of a face. So close. She had come so close to death, at least a handful of times in that fight, and Dorothea, even more so. Still, we were only two. She'd been blasted with fire and burnt, despite her mastery of the Thermal and her attempts to resist it. The wounds were healed now, covered with fresh pinkish skin. It was far from the first time Edyta had smelled her own flesh cooking and it likely would not be the last, but her clothing was tattered: almost indecent, and it bothered her. There were no men present, but she still pulled what remained of her habit over to cover her largely-exposed left side. Then there had been the teeth, the fangs, and...

Most of all, it had been that...noise. The rezaindian had second-guessed it a few times, but her calling was specialized enough to have had contact with it before. It reminded her of Command Magic, as daft as that sounded. It reminded her of such and... she considered paying a visit to Fr. Dubosque, but she did not trust him, in truth. She would have to pray on the matter. For now... "We should leave this pit of death and search for the others." Her voice became grim. "First, however, within this place."

Dorothea's hands shook as the adrenaline from what had just transpired started to fade away.

Not good enough the girl gritted her teeth.

With the satisfaction of having beaten this thing came a feeling of bitterness. After everything she has done to be more imposing, more powerful it did not help much against this... thing, every spell she threw at it barely had an effect if any and it left her frustrated. Never has she been this close to death before. Eyes travelled towards the Koppelman in her hands, clenched tightly. "Firearms never let me down..."

This must be discussed with the young brother at the church. Turning towards the sister. "Do you think we might be able to find more evidence if we search this thing's pit for a while?"

With its death came the dissipation of the fog its body had been emitting, likely as a means to disorient and trap prey. There were bones everywhere, and a lot of rotting meat. The skuggvar is had been eating had been dead for likely over a week. The human bones looked old - not ancient, but old.

Inside the den it had made itself on the earthen wall, there were piles of old clothes and leathers, along with a piece of metal that shined as the sun reflected on it. Some of the more intact skeletons and carcasses may also have goods that could be of use. If this experience taught this group anything, it was that anything they could find could be a considerable use in their endeavours against aberrations of nature!

Laska’s search

Edyta went more or less immediately for the shiny object. Call her worldly or simple minded, she didn't care! She reached out. Laska found an old but well-preserved watch with a Haureenium casing. A very fine piece of Thalak craft with the initials 'C.W.' engraved on the shell. Would sell for quite a lot, or just tell the time very well. What is it doing here in Mandelein? Edyta blinked, pocketing it as evidence. She cast about for more. The skeletons were too old to be any of her peers, and that was some relief, at least.

There wasn't much more bling to find. A lot of it was old tools, bones and dried flesh. She could notice that the watch wasn't close to any corpse, and there weren't any bones in the creature's small den. It definitely gave some consideration to hygiene. It occurred to the rezaindian, briefly, that this watch had likely belonged to the original human that had become this... beast. She searched carefully for any further evidence of a link to someone she might be able to research later.

Unfortunately there wasn't too much to find beyond this watch. Clothing had long since been ripped apart and decayed into the soil. There were pieces of a rifle nearby, although most of it had been charred from the beast's flames

Dory’s search

Dory looked towards the skeletons. looking around to see if anything was moving before inspecting them to see if they'd hold anything of interest. Dory found corpses of various typical wildlife in the Teuffelsumpf. Some human bones too with not much left of them. There was a big Skuggvar carcass stinking up the place. And a few echobird feathers remaining that aren't burnt from the beast's rampage. Dory grabbed the feathers before she made her way towards the Skuggvar carcass whilst preparing herself for the stench.

There wasn't much to salvage, except for the Skuggvar's tail, still filled with quills and Dory ripped it off before looking towards the sister.

Continuing the search

Edyta grabbed the stock of the rifle, just in case and, with that, she dusted her hands off and emerged from the den proper. "I think that about wraps things up here. We should go meet with the others."

Dory followed suit. "I hope the others are okay, if things similar to this one is why the others took so long... It makes me concerned for their safety."

---

The Hourglass Order

Enjin

S O R A Z A R U ❖ 空ろ

”Of course I am the best, otherwise I would not be here”

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2 2 | Ō N O | C A L L I N G | 7 2 | S K Y B O R N

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A P P E A R A N C E ___ __ __ _ _ 外観

Black, messy hair and gray eyes and somewhat below average height. The young lad in his twenties certainly doesn’t look too professional and does not pretend to be. His attire is made to stand out. The fur-lined clothing combined with the metal accessories not truly befitting of his class gives him the general appearance of a bandit. The tekkō, suneate and belt serve as added weight to the skyborn’s frame. He binds a red cloth around his arm every time he has beaten someone who considered themselves better than him.

B A C K G R O U N D ___ __ __ _ _ 履歴

Not everyone is born on equal footing. Some are born silk whilst others in cloth, yet there are the unfortunate few that do not receive even the common people’s privilege of the cloth. Some are born in even lesser standings due to the sins of their parents. The son of two Hinin beggars, used for pity from the passerby and as soon as that faded was thrown out. Having to grow up by collecting the scraps of the scraps. As a petty thief the boy raided the food supply of anyone and anything, be they human or animal. A couple years ago he was caught trying to steal food from the Ōno clan.

Being pardoned upon swearing allegiance to the Daimyo himself. Many still doubt his loyalty and honesty in his words. Some have given him the derogatory nickname of Sorazaru due to the way he moves and acts.

P E R S O N A L I T Y ___ __ __ _ _ 人格

❖ Smug
❖ Sadistic
❖ Recalcitrant
❖ Competitive
❖ Unruly

By not having owned much through much of his life he has gotten quite the complex of proving that he is better than others for they do not know the life of a street urchin. He’s not one to be efficient around fights as his complex around proving his superiority causes him to “play with his prey” so to say.

He has no respect for most people of a higher social class than him however the daimyo himself is one of the few exceptions.

M O T I V A T I O N ___ __ __ _ _ 動機

Even if he usually has no respect for any form of authority he does wish to prove himself to Ōno Murashige as both a way to repay his debt to him as well as climbing the ladder in the daimyo. He is rather content with his life but something in the back of his head to strive for more, to wish to bring one’s self even further up on the hierarchy.

T H A U M A T U R G Y ___ __ __ _ _ 魔法

Having picked up lots of small bits during his wandering, he has acquired a rough understanding of magic and how to best apply it. His favored techniques all fall under the Kinetic school as he mostly uses it to become even more nimble and sometimes when needed put a little more punch behind his light body. In recent years he has picked up small bits of both Chemical and Arcane techniques, making him truly a pest on the battlefield.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S ___ __ __ _ _ 技量

❖ Light on his feet.
❖ Stealth
❖ Infiltration
❖ Blade Dancer
❖ Sleight of Hand

Having to steal to get by. He has gotten quite adept at infiltrating homes and even a castle at one point. Making full use of his Skyborn to get in unheard. His swordsmanship has been completely self taught and thus can become quite unpredictable from the normal swordsman. Taking inspiration from looking at others' fights and movements from performers.

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S ___ __ __ _ _ 弱点

❖ Etiquette
❖ Smug
❖ Bad Temper
❖ Master of None
❖ Physically Mediocre

Being a previous street urchin the boy has not properly trained with the blade or any weapon for that matter and thus can not wield it as well as any other swordsman. Another obstacle he has to face on the daily is intrigue with his lack of proper etiquette.

I N V E N T O R Y ___ __ __ _ _ 所有物

❖ A strangely well made blade.
❖ Spoils of battle on his frame.
❖ A Gourd filled with spirits.
❖ A satchel of coinage from the Daimyo

M I S C E L L A N E O U S ___ __ __ _ _ その他

❖ His color code is 964B00
❖ He has a feathered partner he named Tomotori

Just thought I'd write this as a proof of concept

The Hourglass Order

Finding a way in

Dorothea traced the castle’s walls wearing her cloak to conceal herself around her surroundings, her glasses making her sight a lot sharper in the darkness than it usually would. She knew she could probably take the guards out if needed but that could cause more problems than she would’ve like to deal with. ”verdammte graugeboren.” The Feskan mumbled to herself, clearly annoyed by having to find a more difficult way in compared to her companion.

”Fast so ärgerlich wie damals, als dieser Travendour-Junge es tat.” After quite some soft grumbling and mumbling Dorothea found herself a pipe with metal barriers going through it. It was a sewage pipe… Toll... Das scheint der beste Weg zu sein, mich zu verstecken. She sighed. Soon enough the smell hit her nose. Götter, es stinkt

After a couple seconds of taking it all in she made an opening big enough for her to fit through with the use of Chemical magic. After taking the smell in for a bit longer made her realize that it did stink as much as she thought, as if it has not been used that often. Is the castle understaffed or something? Not that it mattered much with the current trek though she couldn’t help herself but use some Chemical magic to make it smell a little nicer for herself.

Barrier after barrier was dealt with in the same way. Scheiße! Did they really have to put so many barriers in the way? This is starting to get tedious. Quite a bit after she stumbled upon a room that looked akin to something of a basement. It looked so old that she could feel the dust cling to her. Her companion to her annoyance was already there to welcome her. ...Angeberin… Then they spotting something that would not fit a basement… but rather a dungeon as a chained up skeleton that… did not look human… Yasoi?... No, it looked more beastly than that. ”What.. is that?...”

The Hourglass Order

Happenings at the church

Mandelein

@Yummyyummy, @Force and Fury

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Foodie wanted a hider

From the Inn, a walk eastward through a straight path led to the impressive Church that was only matched by the castle further north in size. Not quite a cathedral but certainly bigger than a village’s site of worship, Mandelein was unmistakably Quentic with more care put to the building compared to the more weathered structures that populated the compact streets of the Kerreman town. Sounds of earth being grinded would inevitably bring attention to the plot of land right of the Church. There was a cemetery with a grave in the midst of being dug by the local grave tender.

The house of the Gods was always open to all, figuratively and literally in this case. Inside were sets of pews with a robed young man sat at the front indulging in some reading, rows of candles aligned to the walls being lit by an elderly nun and an ornate altar at the end of a recently cleaned carpet. Behind the altar was a golden tabernacle that stood out in its lavish appearance compared to the more humble colours and decor of the Church.

Emerging from a door leading to one of the quarters behind the establishment was a tall, balding man with a red moustache that easily put Manfred’s to shame. By his liturgical getup and age, it could be deduced that he was the Priest that led this church, “A most warm welcome to Mandelein. I am Father Jacques Dubosque.” he greeted in perfect Avincian and a deep voice, “I trust Ines has offered adequate hospitality even under short notice.” He flashed a smile at the group as he walked closer to them. He had a very clear limp on his right side, although it didn’t seem to really slow him down, “I had been told that there were many of you,” he first conferred a glance toward Dorothea, “of different walks of life,” then Ymiico, “and most interestingly, a sister walking among you.” Finally, his green eyes landed upon Laska. He addressed her specifically, “This could not be a matter of the Church. So I must ask,” he took a seat on a nearby pew and sighed in relief, “what warrants such a visit from such a distinct group to our humble town?”

Meanwhile, the robed man sitting at the front turned to watch the introductions unfold with a playful grin on his face. The nun, on the other hand, was completely unperturbed in her duty.

She was not, of course, the only nun in the church. Edyta Laska was there as well, and she well recognized the trappings of the town’s former glory. She smiled softly at Father Dubosque and bowed in the fashion of the church. “Father,” she greeted him politely, “I am Sister Edyta Laska, of the Red Rezaindians.” She gestured towards the other two. “These are Lady Dorothea Hohnstein of Feska and Ymiico’luun’yoru: a yasoi of Nikan.” She smiled evenly. “I will not mince words with a comrade in faith,” she decided, “for you deserve the truth. If one of my order is here, it is for the reason you have most likely ascertained: there is a monster of a magical nature in your town and I, along with my friends, are here to cleanse it.”

The good father passed his hand over his thigh as Laska presented him with the obligatory introductions followed by clear motives. His eyes drifted again to take in the clergywoman’s entourage, “The ways of the Rezaidian order may have changed since my arrival in Mandelein, but it strikes me as unusual for an envoy of the Church to be sent with the unaffiliated.” Dubosque responded, “Answer me frankly, sister, and I will reciprocate. Has this endeavour been ordered by the Church?” his eyes returned to her with a stern look to them.

“Maybe the senhorita wants to bring the right tools for the job, Jacques.” a voice echoed from the front row of pews as the sound of a loudly closed book punctuated the remark. A man no older than his mid-twenties spoke with a modulated voice, recognizably Segonian by his accent and choice of words. A man with a long stubble and tied, long hair emerged, wearing a Stresian getup that hide his lanky being, “Besides, the Church wouldn’t send an entire squadron over rumours and minor problems, would they?” she shrugged with as he approached the group, his book hidden under his arm, “I believe the sister is capable of answering simple formalities, brother.” remarked the older priest, “That would still leave the question of why such particular interest to Mandelein?”

Dorothea looked around before walking away from the other two to approach the young man back in the front, smiling warmly at the robed figure. ”Guten Tag,” The girl thought to herself before speaking further. ”Sprechen Sie Kerreman oder wäre Avincianisch besser geeignet?”

The monk waved his hands after grabbing his book from under his arm, “Oh, por favor, let’s keep it Avincian. I just arrived.” he smiled charmingly at Dory, his eyes shifting between her crown and more ‘generous’ assets on her, “But Olá! You can call me Baudile, Philosopher of the Stresian Order!” he was one for dramatics, taking a bow before the Feskan and reaching out to seize her hand, offering an introductory kiss to the lady, “From the big capital school, eh? Boa! I’ve only been once to the magic city myself.” he was slick, but Dorothea could easily notice he was often eyeing the headwear.

Sister Laska narrowed her eyes, but only slightly. It could just as easily be taken as a gesture of consideration as one of suspicion. “I attend the academy. I work for the church. One may fulfil both worldly and spiritual duties at once,” the young nun remarked, an idea coming to her. “Is it not so, Father, as the priest of this small town?” She allowed her eyes to rove somewhat pointedly over the unusually ornate tabernacle and other accoutrements.

“I wholeheartedly agree, sister.” he allowed a smile to form as he emerged from his seat with a light grunt. That leg had seen better days, “We do have a duty to the worldly needs of our flock too.” he affirmed, pacing toward the tabernacle and passing by Baudile, “The question still stands, however, Sister. Whether the Church or the School, what made Mandelein so worthy of the prestigious school’s time?” he inquired as he arrived at the altar, one that wasn’t nearly as decorated as the tabernacle, but looked more recent, “Although it is clear they would not have sent your group without certainties. And to that I will confirm the existence of a …” he inhaled loudly as he was mulling over his words, “Scourge that had caused some grief. A scourge we have since taken measures to handle.”

“I come here at the academy’s behest, but I do so to perform the same service I would for the church.” She clasped her hands and followed the priest, glancing at his conspicuous limp. “Pray tell, brother in faith, what is this scourge you refer to?” She now regarded his leg conspicuously. “Was it the cause of the injury that you now so stoically bear?

“You were correct in your assertion, Sister Laska. A so-called beast has caused grief among the townsfolk and our cattle.” he explained, finding support on the altar to sustain his weight, “It started three months ago. Since then we’ve managed to limit the dangers.” then came the subject of his leg, and the mere mention got him to rub his aching thigh, “Hah, that. Is it of your nature to inquire about everything you see, regardless of formalities?” he chuckled to add levity to his question, “It’s an old leg injury from a Skuggvar attack. The damage was simply … Too great.” his smile faded as he peered down to the Menana rested on the altar, “I’d bring my cane but I’m afraid a certain brother has taken the habit of imposing his own cleaning habits.” he shot a glare at brother Baudile.

The Feskan’s face contorted into one of surprise before letting out a sigh. How could she forget that not everyone around the churches were locals. “Ah, Avincian it will be then.” Clearing her throat. “Nice to meet you, mister Baudile. What did you think of Ersand’Enise then?” A wave of discomfort hit the girl as he eyed her headwear. ”Fancy my attire? Or are you perhaps eyeing something else?” Dory smiled warmly. Baudile shook his head and gestured in dismissal, “Oh, pardon me,” he looked her in the eyes, “I’m simply surprised to see such a gorgeous senhorita in this humble Church!” he chuckled, “And for you, I’ll turn a blind eye to not calling me brother!” he gestured over to the pew, inviting Dory to sit, “Ersand’Enise … I remember very vividly a little stand that sold coffee near the school.” he rubbed the his stubble, ”Their crest had a girl’s face on it. Weird, right?”

Dory bowed her head in a playful manner. ”Oh, I’m sorry Brother Baudile.” Soon after taking a seat. ”Ah, I think I know the place you are talking about. I believe it is called ZenoBucks™. Dory thought to herself. ”Ah, so you have been there quite recently?” Baudile crossed his arms, his hand still holding his nondescript book, “A few months ago, around Caldores.” he answered, “I was there to assist my mentor in an investigation that was ending. Some of our brethren went missing around Velles.” the suave monk explained, “But that’s not too important.” he nudged his head to point at Dory’s crown with his chin, “So, Feskan Royal, eh?”

“There should be no formality between we servants of the Pentad,” Edyta added with a smile. “And you will find me curious both by duty and by nature. How else does one master the Gift, after all?” She clasped her hands behind her back, looking about the church in admiration. “Such a beautiful house of worship and I can see how much you care for it and your flock.” There was, this time, a hint of genuine warmth to her smile. “Rest assured that I am here to help you with your problem, to make this place safe for you and all of them.” With that, she unclasped her hands. “And I shall not trouble you much further but, first, pray tell, Father, just how dangerous are those woods? What can one expect were she to venture there? This beast: do you believe it to be a mere rogue skuggvar?”

Jacques Dubosque also gave an admirative gaze to the Church he had led for over twenty years now, “I must apologise, sister.” he looked out at the Church window and its colourful mosaics, his eyes showing a man that had something to say but was gripped by hesitation, “I may have held a bit too much doubt in regards to your intentions.” he admitted, looking down briefly before eventually making eye-contact with his junior, “After a while in my position, you tend to become wary of outsiders, even if they follow the same creed as yourself.” He opened the Menana before him and stopped at a page with the top corner purposefully bent. It had been the basis of his sermon the day prior, and such memories always brought him ease of mind.

“The beast is no Skuggvar. In fact, you won’t find many anymore.” he answered with no signs indicating deception, “The Teufelssumpf, the forest surrounding us, holds many dangerous animals, including Coal Toads. It wouldn’t be wise to venture without some guidance.” then, he called out to the nun in the same tongue that was spoken all around the village. Dorothea could hear it, but again it was quite distinct from the Kerreman she knew. The nun replied with a brief answer, prompting a nod, “There is a man called Viktor. Strong, tall and blonde that is unmistakably Magusjaeger. He has been helping us, and since then there have been far fewer incidents. At this time he’s likely in the forest but …” he took a moment and then nodded as if he had convinced himself of something, “You can probably find him in the Inn you're staying in early in the morning. I’ll have Sister Eberl inform him of your situation.”

“You are a credit to your order, Father.” She bowed in the manner of the church, mind swirling with ideas, and bade him a polite farewell, turning her attention towards Dorothea in case she required assistance and, if not, towards the pews where she might pray for Shune’s wisdom and Eshiran’s strength.

People disappeared around the time of the trials? Was it that team of holy men? The girl always thought they had to go do some kind of divinely inspired mission or something akin to that. She was taken by surprise as the brother pointed at her crown. ”Royalty?... No, no, I could never.” confused by one thing the girl looked at the brother. ”How’d you know I was Feskan by chance?”

“They say Feskans have the … brightest of eyes!” he winked, trying his best to keep his own eyes onto Dory’s, “And the accent. It has a distinct melody to it.” Baudile looked over toward the altar. The exchange was reaching its end and things had to be done, “I’m afraid, Senhorita, that our time together must end for now.” a courteous nod was dedicated to Dory, “If you have any need for help …” he leaned in by her ear, and for a brief moment there was an anti-sound bubble formed around them, “Tomorrow night, the Trade Guild might have something that would interest you. Maybe.” then he backed up, finger-gunned with both hands and eventually retreated to one of the chambers at the back.

The Hourglass Order

The first of many tasks

task One

Just before the eve of Nox Arcanum, Dorothea got a special request from the crown. Not fully understanding why Vedil wished for her to take one of the Society of the Gift’s prized possessions, the Staff of the Covenant. A legendary staff of Eskandish origin as she has overheard over the last year of hearsay. Not only did she need to steal it from the Society of the Gift she also was tasked to take it to the Mausoleum of Ste. Berenice. The reason why was not disclosed as the only response back that was given was an ominous “You’ll see.”

To prepare for the masquerade where the Staff would be shown off the girl made sure to select the most opulent of dresses she had. Having sewed in an inner pocket where she could hide a couple samples of her newest product, derived from her mastering around the chemical formula that would put someone into a state of unconsciousness. A powder that was created with the similar formula, heating up upon contact with high concentration of moisture and becoming her signature gas. She dubbed it her Schlafpulver. She bound a rather small knife sheath along her thigh, the knife itself was not big or noticeable but it might come in handy. Donning the Mask of the Wandering Witch Doctor as she went to the party.

The evening masquerade was well underway and the staff was in her eyesight, she just needed the right time and place. Not thinking she could take out the students guarding it and make a run for it. Her indecisiveness came in handy this time around as… Hugo… came back and the girl could feel her ability to use magic fade away. using the shock and lack of magic to her advantage as she ran towards the staff, grabbing some wine from a person she passed. grabbing her powder and as she reached her destination released the powder into the wine and caused it to unleash her incapacitating agent. knocking out the people around the staff one by one. The girl had no time to think it through any longer as she grabbed the Staff and made a run for it.

Without her noticing the girl had not realized that something happened to her or rather with people around her. First their eyes were not glued to the staff… but rather to her and her figure. Without much of a warming the girl was getting swarmed by these people. The girl used the Marrowood staff to fend the people off enough to open some sort of pathway, her clothing was getting torn from the hands grabbing onto. The long dress turned a lot shorter after some tearing, but eventually the girl was out of the group’s stampede as the effect subsided as her magic returned to her.

Without much warning a dark portal appeared and a frog-like being hopped out, was it a frog? No, it reeked too much of Void energy for that. It appeared to be a Frog Demon of sorts and quickly lunged towards the Feskan. Out of fear the girl did not hold back against the demon and cast Touch of Doom against him, causing the little frog demon to expand before violently exploding into tiny bits.

As if one demon was not enough, soon another portal opened and another small demon appeared, this one looking somewhat more human? The noise it made was terrible cackling noise. To deal with the pest quickly the girl used Blizzard of Knives to skewer the demon and quickly let it escape this plane of existence.

Then as if the other two demons were more a test of her patience another presence came out of a third portal. This one felt different, it gave the girl chicken bumps by just its sheer presence. A massive grinning demon made itself present and looked straight at Dory. The Feskan shook in her boots before something clicked in her mind and soon enough her body began convulsing. The demon within the girl’s body did not say a single word with the only thing present on him being a content smirk. With little effort the crown’s demon tried to remove the grinning demon from reality, however it was not enough as he clawed its way back. Then “Dory’s” face contorted into a more annoyed frown. Putting in more effort into its next spell as the space around the grinning demon turned into the void and without much chance to struggle was erased from reality.

The crown’s demon let control over the body go and soon enough Dory came back, grasping her head and continuing her way towards the mausoleum, then one last portal opened as a small chicken demon appeared out of it. Dory, having had enough of this debacle, used Coldfire to coat the chicken demon with a non ending flame.

Then a sensation that was familiar from before came over her as what little people were around were dangerously attracted once more to her for some reason. Every person coming close to her was hit full blast by a gaze of sloth from her, forming up a line of unconscious bodies.

The sensation left her once more as a small condensed cloud hung over her head and poured cats and dogs, the girl struggled to keep up her pace with the rising winds. Lightning struck and like a gunslinger, Dory blasted it and the cloud away with a darkbolt. Running just in case a cloud returns.

Upon reaching the Mausoleum of Ste. Berenice, Dorothea looked around and found a couple of Gargoyles. Most of them look as if they have been left alone while others look quite damaged. Dory walked forward and placed the Staff upon a broken altar as was requested. The staff emitted energy and soon enough the statues around her began to move? The statue-esque beings soon enough approached the girl and kneeled. Out of the ten gargoyles only six managed to look unscathed, two unfortunately did not come to life from their broken form. It was then that Dory noticed that they were not seen around the group of six that slowly approached the girl, one was missing an arm while the other missed a wing. Their cries almost sounded like begging.

Taking pity on them, the girl sighed. She did not know how to bring back limbs with how little blood magic she had. Placing her left and right hand on both of their heads, even if she does not have the magic to heal them she can soothe their pain. But as if the gods themselves heard these being's pleas the arm and wing grew back upon their form. Both of them grabbed her respective hand and shook them before falling back in line with the other six.

Then everything went numb, she could still see however there was no way for her to speak or move on her own. It seemed as if Vedil had taken over. The words out of her mouth was not a single language she could understand in the slightest. Then something that sounded like a list of names came across. the two that came to her were called out first. “Zabarchazad, Arisztaxa” Then the others were called out “Simbarids, Gorganchack, Dandrouyo, Kalifenni, Dexoria, Allanayax” Vedil’s words continued a while further and the eight of them flew off, leaving Dory alone at the mausoleum once more. ”What just happened?...”

The Hourglass Order

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Of course Benedetto would resort to violence the first chance he gets, however it is too hot to argue too much with him and his ways. Why the hells do they all have to resort to violence that quickly? I mean I hate those people that always think peace is the best solution but hells, this is getting ridiculous!

Then this armored person… Really? In the desert? Is this person insane? ..To think someone that would probably be one of the highest ranked dumbasses in the Red Table Society would talk to Benedetto like this? Are they wishing for a swift death? I mean why such thick armor?... Talk about old fashioned..

Before this might get dirty or he gets tasked to do something he bent light to make himself unseeable to the human eye and scurried to a bit of a safer distance away from the Red Table Lady and Benedetto before he could be hit by any of the two’s attacks. Idioten, both of you…

The Hourglass Order

The Artist arrives!... In the desert?...

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Fiske followed suit of the others as he was thrown out of the portal although he was not one to make an ungraceful entrance. The boy used his kinetic magic to redirect his momentum into a flip, landing gracefully on his feet soon after as he took a pose akin to having finished a dance. “Opa!~” Bowing towards his nonexistent audience

He soon enough got to realize that his normal attire was not suited for this arid.. Hot.. Horrid place. A desert. Quickly drawing and casting to keep his body from potentially overheating. “Why do people choose to even live here?!” He grabbed onto his collar of his vest.

Seeing the others prepare to fight got him rather hesitant to stand out any further. A shiver appeared on the poor lad’s expression as he spotted Benedetto’s grin. “A way to get there?..” The boy was on his toes, prepared to move out of the way if the Revidian wanted to show off his brawn like usual.