Psyker Landshark

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

Iraleth smashed through the bulkheads, taking care to not bowl over any guards in the way. As she flew through, however, her Adapa pinged. She read.

Northwest, on the third floor. At least she hadn't burned through that much Essence on nothing, then. Iraleth was already in the northwestern quadrant of the Iris Record, by her reckoning. The ceilings weren't as reinforced as the bulkheads were. And this talk of a magical darkness that wasn't Ciara's? What, did she have a collaborator-

The imp.

Her eyes narrowed beneath her Ethos's helm. Damn it all, every single one of Iraleth's mistakes was just coming back to haunt her today, weren't they? She raised her shield above her head, stretched her wings of light out, and took off straight upwards, smashing through the ceiling once, and then again.

The Inheritor emerged directly in the midst of the fight, light Essence already forming on the tips of her wings as she took a second to survey the situation. And it was one of the longest of her life.

Davil, half dead and with a crossbow pointed at him. Chunji, with Ciara in tow. Ciara, fleeing from the other source of darkness, trying to rescue Davil. And the shrouded figure itself...

Memories of that one night a decade ago came back unbidden. Ciara's magics had tipped Iraleth's suspicions. But this...? This was Umbralism. In an instant, Iraleth shifted her aim from Ciara to the mystery man. Magic bolts surged forth from the tips of her wings of light, aiming to scythe through the shadowy lizards as Iraleth raised her sword and shield.

"Keep moving!" She barked down towards Ciara. "We'll settle our affairs later!" Iraleth charged full bore towards the Umbralist, brimming with radiance.

Was this a mistake? Should she have finished Ciara off when she'd had the chance? Maybe. But the darkness in front of her couldn't be ignored or set aside for even a moment. This was what she'd trained over half her life for. Light surged around her sword.

"Ignite! Intensify! Purge!"

The light surged into radiant flame, and she swung, sending the shockwave out horizontally in an attempt to catch both the Umbralist and his remaining shadow lizards in the same arc.

Iris Ascendis

Working on it tonight, actually

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

Alone? How curious. The good duke managed to slip away from the crowd at his very own gathering? Poor manners from a host, really. This sort of social gaffe was something Renar wouldn't expect from the man. Either he'd had some sort of particularly important business going on, or he'd already been ensorcelled at this point. Just more subtly.

"Your time is appreciated." Renar nodded to the servant before turning with a swish of his cloak and stalking back into the main hall.

"Sir Aglan," He stalked forward towards the knight in question, keeping his voice low. "Whom would you believe to have the most knowledge of the duke's dealings among the manor staff? Has anyone gone through his personal records yet to search for a cause behind all of this? His son, perhaps?"

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

To Izayoi, the only thing worthwhile about the byplay between Galahad and the traitor dragoon was that the former seemed to truly have no idea about the latter’s betrayal. As the two Edreni separated, the samurai took her opportunity to intervene and leapt forward, barreling straight into Valon from the side before he could reengage with Galahad.

”Ergh!” He grit his teeth, hurriedly bringing the haft of his spear up to try to ward off Izayoi’s series of strikes. ”Fast…but…!” With the barest hint of an opening, Valon used his superior strength to shove Izayoi away from his position, quickly catching his breath from having to fend off two warriors in quick succession.

”...Not fast enough.” He concluded with a chortle, twirling his weapon around once more. ”You know, I didn’t believe the handlers when they said you’d gone to the dogs. By the stories, I should be dead by now, even with the bit of help I’ve gotten. And speaking of, you’re feeling it, aren’t you?” Valon chuckled as Izayoi narrowed her eyes, her movements ever so slightly slowed by the Siren’s call. His laugh didn’t last long, overshadowed as it was by Ciradyl’s song in response. One by one, his men started falling, over half of the dozen pseudo-dragoons he’d brought dying in quick succession before he had to hurriedly make a long vault away from Eliane’s field of fire as the first few bullets pinged against his plate, grazes drawing blood.

”Oh for the love of-” He sighed, raising his free hand to his mouth to let out a loud whistle. ”Can’t even last long enough for me to have my fun. Assault unit, regroup! Form up and fire from range, take out their cannoneers so we can bring the airship in closer!” His remaining five men did as he bid, keeping well above the fray as they aimed down, a fusilade of fire bringing down several of Bikke’s men manning the guns. Their escort airship began to close in as the assault dragoons shifted their fire to both Eve’s wings and Ciradyl, aiming to literally clip their primary target’s wings while subduing the most annoying supporter on the field. All the while, Izayoi scowled, looking to Galahad.

”They are out of my range, even with magic. And where is the boy-” Valon’s voice cut her off, shouting across the field to the point where he could be heard down below.

”Right, Siren? If you’d care to help at any point in time? Mare Imperatrix, release your restraints! Tides unending!”

Rumbling began to come from the ocean, shaking all those on board…

Iris Ascendis

@Nanaya Oh yeah, permission to have Iraleth catch up and act this round? I'm assuming it's implied from the post, just double checking.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

He'd thought that the situation would have lost its humor by now, but Renar just couldn't resist taking amusement in the inherent comedy of such a person of influence debasing himself like this. He didn't exactly have much to contribute here, not being versed in magics like Gertrude or having a connection to the fey itself like Fionn, so Renar contented himself with observing the situation for now.

The king's own court mage being here wasn't much of a surprise, considering the Duke being a member of His Majesty's line. Still, it was something to keep an eye on. Trying to make inroads with the man at the current moment was ill-advised, considering all of them were here to fulfill an actual task. Something to keep in mind for later. At the very least, Renar could take the time to see what made the man tick.

Renar stayed on the fringes of the gathering, wondering to himself for a moment. If this were him, how would he have taken advantage of the situation? There was always somebody looking to profit from a crisis like this. One only had to consider the correct angle...ah. He nodded to himself for a moment before stepping out of the hall briefly and flagging a passing servant down.

"My good man," Renar casually slipped the servant a handful of coin. "No doubt you know that we're here to investigate the duke's...condition. Tell me, does he have any political rivals or anyone who stands to benefit from the poor lord's sudden befuddlement?" He'd already ruled the son out. The man had the perfect chance to rule in his father's place by deeming him invalid, but as it stood, it seemed Thedric's child had made no moves in that regard.

SPIRITUM

Kalina Kovalic

Kalina couldn't even have half a moment to enjoy the sight of Ivan getting what he deserved before Morden had to butt in and express an opinion. She narrowed her eyes in displeasure, telepathically responding while listening to Ivan squeal.

You're right, sorry. That's my bad. I should have stabbed him instead. Second, he's not a civilian, he's an auxiliary. And last, I don't care what else he is besides incompetent. That's grounds alone for worse in wartime.

Her stare intensified into a full on glare as Ivan tried lie after lie. Even if Kalina didn't know Ivan as well as she did, the sheer logical inconsistency of his excuses was a red flag.

"Dad isn't the one with imperial contacts. I always suspected you were dealing to them on the side, too."

He's selling all these on the black market, I guarantee it. Take everything we need. Dad and company won't miss what they were never going to get in the first place.

Then Gerard handed Kalina the gunblade, and her eyes widened as she read the inscription.

Etched on the blade, in the old tongue of the eastern regions, read:

To my little Lina.

She lifted the gunblade, testing its weight and heft. Finely crafted, intended for battlefield use, and fit perfectly in her hands. Though not without a few decorative flourishes.

"He didn't have to bother getting the flowers..." She murmured under her breath before returning her stare to Ivan. This had been meant for her. Her father had never mentioned a word of it, so it must have been intended as a surprise gift. Ivan...

"We do go back. Long enough for me to think Dad should've had you shot years ago." Kalina said flatly, looking Ivan dead in the eyes. "This just confirms it." The tip of Kalina's newly-acquired blade came plunging down towards Ivan's throat. One clean motion, no hesitation.

I'll cover up the evidence before we leave.

Warhammer 40K: His Angels of Death

Strike Cruiser Tenacity of Sigismund

The Karia Crusade emerged into realspace with minimal issue, its ships' Gellar Fields holding steady throughout their voyage on the tides of the Warp. Aboard the Tenacity of Sigismund, a lord of the Astartes poured over a tactical readout of the current void situation, barking orders as the Striker Cruiser's escorts stayed in formation around it.

"Commsman, get me open channels with the Navy and any Space Marine detachments in the theater. Battlefleet Trecentis, do you read? This is Marshal Hartmut of the Black Templars, arriving in-theater with ground and void reinforcements. Requesting any and all tactical information on these unknown xenos, over."

Had this been a known enemy, there wouldn't have been the need for hesitation. The order to launch boarding torpedos and engage in the void would have been given already. But nothing in the Templars' long history of battle had any information on these new xenos. Not an unheard-of situation, especially among those dedicated to the Eternal Crusade, but it still merited some amount of caution.

Was that supermassive abomination above Tergatus Magna a living ship like those of the Tyranids, or an entire leviathan soaring through the void? One could be boarded and its inhabitants fought. The other was simply asking to waste the Emperor's currency on fruitless actions.

"To all servants of the Emperor in-system, we are the Karia Crusade, and we bring the Emperor's wrath upon these foul wretches. In the name of the Emperor and Dorn!"

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

At sea…

Five days spent on the waves. Two more until they reached Costa del Sol, according to Bikke. For the most part, the voyage had been rather uneventful thus far. The seas had been calm, and they’d not encountered another ship in days. That was about to change.

”OI! On th’ horizon! Airship on our arses, capn’!” The lookout up in the crow’s nest set his spyglass aside, yelling down to the rest of the crew.

”What?!” Bikke roared from his position at the helm, craning his neck back to confirm that, indeed, there was an airship closing in at high speed on their position. ”Damn it! All hands, to stations! Those of ye not on guns, prepare fer boarders! Helmsman, hard to port, get us in position fer a barrage!”

As the airship approached, its Valheimr colors became evident, and Izayoi frowned as she beheld it.

”They must have followed us from Kugane.” She noted with a hiss, her hand falling down to crack an inch of steel from its sheathe. ”To arms, then!”

The airship slowed its approach just before entering vertical range of the pirates’ cannons, causing no small amount of consternation among the crew. Before Bikke’s battle plans could be redrawn, however, movement from the interceptor caught the attention of all on board.

A glint of light shot out from the airship’s boarding ramp, arcing up into the sky before coming crashing down towards the Scurvy Fishman, several smaller flames following its arc. As the light began to descend, Izayoi widened her eyes in surprise, recognizing what was going on. How could she not, when she’d faced so many of them during the war?

”Incoming dragoon! Move!” She cried out to everyone in range, already leaping to the side.

The dragoon’s jump missed her by inches, and the apparent Edreni turncoat in question backflipped out of the way of Izayoi’s retaliatory strike, landing with an unnecessary twirl of his spear. His purple armor gleamed in the sunlight as he landed, tilting his helmeted head, face hidden behind a visor.

”Pity. I was hoping to avenge my fellows. Ah, well. You’re just a side benefit, anyway.”

The flames following the dragoon revealed themselves as several armored Valheimr with large metal backpacks spewing flame, enabling some amount of limited flight and highly enhanced jumping capability. They brandished rifles bearing axe-bayonets as they landed, impaling and shooting several of the pirates after having taken them completely by surprise on their unorthodox approach.

”Godsdamnit, get off me ship, ye cunts!” Bikke snarled in frustration as he brandished a massive battleaxe, one of the Valheimr faux-dragoons nimbly boosting out of the way of his blows with their jump pack.

For his part, the one legitimate dragoon among them regarded his compatriots with disgust, spewing orders with no small amount of derision.

”Alright, squires, time to prove if you’re worth the time I’ve been putting into you. Capture the dragon girl and don’t bother engaging the man wearing armor like mine, not even if he attacks you. Caradoc’s life is worth a hundred of yours’, and if any of you wretches somehow luck your way into killing him, I’ll make sure you die by inches. And try to stay out of our…attache’s way.” His orders given, the enemy dragoon turned towards Galahad, offering a respectful nod.

”Galahad. Forgive the trespass. You’ll understand one day.”

His chance to say anything further was cut off as Izayoi engaged, just barely managing to bring his weapon up to deflect her opening blow. The two went back and forth for a few moments until he flipped away once more, landing nimbly atop the ship’s mast as he surveyed the battlefield. ”None of that, Limbtaker! I’ll deal with you in a moment. Just give me the chance to speak to an old friend-is that Rudolf Shilage??”

The purple-armored dragoon lifted his visor up to reveal a jovial, blonde-haired face ever so slightly younger than his Caradoc fellow. One which was recognizable to the two Edreni men he’d been addressing.

”You’re supposed to be dying of plague, according to Otto! What in the hells are you doing here?!” After a moment, he shrugged. ”Ah, well. Questions for later, if you survive.” He leapt up again, this time plunging down towards Rudolf, spearhead aimed for his heart.

All the while, the remaining Valheimr continued to launch their assault on the ship’s crew and the Kirins, rifle-axes lashing out. Despite their commander’s disdain for them, their effectiveness approached those of legitimate Edreni dragon knights, swiftly moving through the air and striking with impunity thanks to their technological crutches.

”I will enjoy hearing the explanation for this once his corpse riddles the bottom of the sea, Caradoc!” Izayoi yelled in Galahad's direction as she narrowly sidestepped a rifle shot and started to close in on one of the Valheimr dragoons.

Iris Ascendis

Iraleth Kyrios

The Inheritor rammed shield-and-shoulder first into the bulkhead that got in her way, leaving a sizeable dent. But not one that could be broken through without more focused effort. And with several others past that...this was a waste of her time. Who was in charge of the security system?! Otis? Didn't he realize Ciara could teleport? This would do nothing but aid her and inhibit-

He wouldn't. Even for someone who'd presented as untrustworthy as him, that was insanity. What was his game? No, that was only if Otis was behind the controls at this moment. Something to deal with later. For now, Iraleth would have to take care of this herself.

She ran through her available options in her head with all the speed of a combat veteran, thinking of and discarding various methods until she had the Essence codewords she'd needed. The transfigured paladin slammed her weapons down into the floor, holding her hands palm out as she bent her knees to brace herself.

Light, burning bright, formed between her palms. Iraleth focused her magic, shaping it with the proper codewords until her power reached its apex. She thrust her hands forward, vocalizing the Essence words to give her spell greater strength.

"Radiance unrelenting!" Iraleth bellowed as a focused beam of light shot forth, drilling through the first bulkhead and not stopping as it sought to punch an opening through as many as possible in the paladin's path. This wouldn't stop her. Ciara would face justice today, or Iraleth would die trying.