Fantasy Guild of Heroes: Recall Protocol

Silver Wolf said:

"Bloodsucking fiends!" she shouted as her bandages ripped open and her blood coalesced around the edges of her blade. With new extended reach, she swiped with the liquid forming an extension of her slash which would undeniably hit at least one of the creatures. Of course she chose that line to strike as an irony. If they liked blood so much, they might as well die by it too.

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Vampire Attack Party
Location: Woods Near Caspul
With: Alteras Hanarei lil_kreen Birdsie Silver Wolf

The various vampires continued their fight, dodging and blocking where possible, and attacking when and if the situation presented itself. The arachnid was also better than they'd given it credit for. Those heroes were good at their job, and were clearly worthy of such moniker - but the vampires of Clan Baryon were well-renowned for their sorcery... and one of them had just exposed herself to it.

"That was a mistake," one of the vampires said, as his eyes set upon Sophia's blood flowing out from her wounds.

He extended one of his hands and focused the might of his magic, commanding the blood in his vicinity to move towards him. His eyes glowed a deep shade of red, and his target - the blood knight - could feel an alien presence taking hold of her blood; an intruder attacking the very essence of her vitality. Large droplets of the rust-bleed ichor detached from the mass, but it was difficult for the vampire to keep a hold on it: she was clearly an experienced practitioner of hemomancy, and she probably learned how to defend her blood from parasitic intrusion such as this.

However, she wouldn't be left untouched. The attacker had managed to draw out a sizeable amount of her blood, which meant she'd be, at best, a little woozy, and at worst, she'd get bad fits of vertigo. Nonetheless, the vampire simply retreated into the shadows, relaying a message to his master. 'The Ensilvered Sorcerer was with them.'

The other vampires retreated at once, following the lead of the first one.

All except the one who was bound by the silver ropes. There was a loud bang, and a bullet found its way to the vampire's heart. Wordlessly and soundlessly, its physical form crumbled to ash, leaving behind a red wraith who instantly dissolved into the ether.

===

Lord Gabriel Baryon
Location: Baryon Mansion
With: Churl

Churl said:

“I a-accept, then.”

It seems once she was out of her ‘villain’ mode, the stutter returned.

“B-By the way, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, um…”

She raised her shackles and gave them a pathetic shake.

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Just before Baryon resumed his speech, he felt a message making its way through his veins. 'The Ensilvered Sorcerer was with them.'

Quite unfortunate. Cyrus was a powerful wizard indeed, one he'd had the pleasure of meeting personally once or twice. He'd even had him check one of his research papers, back in his academy days. However, they were on opposing sides, now. He was an enemy - one to be respected and admired - but an enemy nonetheless. He had to create contingencies.

As Baryon returned his gaze to Tamah, he felt an opportunity opening within her mind. The doors were open, too open for it to be natural, and so he retreated from her psyche, giving it total freedom. He extended his normal human hand and made the shackles turn to dust, only to then help her to her feet.

"Rise, Tamah. I am not in the business of servitude. If you are to be my apprentice, learn this - in time, you will be my equal. In time yet, you will surpass me," he said, with a charming smile on his face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a warm, comforting squeeze. "You are not to be my underling, but my student."

Jaunt Nemesis
Location: Woods Near Caspul
Nearby/Mentioned: Alteras Hanarei Birdsie Silver Wolf Captain Gabriel

---

The vampires reacted quickly to the new threat of the ribbons and his bite caught air as the one changed direction out of stabbing range but was caught by the ribbon for his trouble. Ribbons quaked and held the vampire that it quelled him as a threat that the spider continued his wheel about just a bit early the hammer held high as the other dodged the ribbon by partly sinking into the shadows then re-emerging in the redirection. Redirected, however, was a kind word for what happened immediately after as the hammer on a deft blade arm followed across a prodigious field of view to the exit point. Metal and red clanking from within connected with the sickening squidge of rotten vampiric flesh as he bounced the creature off a crater in a nearby tree. Seeing it little the worse for wear in slightly flatter retreat Jaunt flip slung his hammer. A backing spin of a multi-legged creature returned to his harrow engine left on the ground just behind for expeditious draw of his melee weapon.

Jaunt clamped into the sawtooth mount with reflexive ease and knelt his head behind blade arm braces and gun for cover as he heard a gunshot. The heretics had killed their own rather than be captured. The speaker crackled and twittered with angry discordant speech as he pulled a lever then a hiss of the gimbal the clink of safety let him open fire. The first rapport came with a rapport felt in the chest as it rolled off the man-sized cannon trying to track fast-moving smears. Small trees bulge then shatter in a shower of wooden shrapnel with flashes of the end of the harrow engine.

FOOM-HISSHHCLANK-FOOM-HISSHHCLANK-FOOM-HISSHHCLANK-FOOM-HISSHHCLANK-FOOM-HISSHHCLANK-FOOM-HISSHHCLANK PING!

He didn't stop firing until the receiver clanged with its distinctive sound of the ammo gate automatically hammering open for quick reload having emptied the gun. He immediately started reloading with some semblance of quiet returning to the transceiver. The Tiller's magical presence was a sodden boulder in the flow of magic as energies frothed about the temple that the void had damaged and cast more than physical heat from the Vulcan organ with his lungs. Though his will wasn't directed toward a specific Matriarch they could likely feel him riled from the magic being re-radiated at them.

Captain Gabriel said:

The other vampires retreated at once, following the lead of the first one.

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Cyrus Trostenvald // Elsimore "Ellis" Bellathriel
Woods Near Caspul

As the vampires started their desperate retreat against the indomitable heroes, the old wizard half-turned to regard the relatively young man - in comparison, at least - next to him, breathing in reaction to the intensity of his spell. "Ellis?"

"Nah. I fumbled that." There was a scrape, as Ellis picked up the sword and staff, rising to his feet with an almost cheerful bounce. "Go ahead, master."

The wizard nodded, a simple prod of his staff tipping his hat slightly as he cleared his throat and cast out his arm, drawing a set of five arcane runes in the air - four runes to represent the four cardinal directions, and one to represent a blood-sucking entity. And over these, he drew the rune of imprisonment. "Sirmhael agacchati, atra vetala!"

At first, dark lines began to surround the section of the forest the vampires were fleeing into, forming complex geometric angles. A snap - in the blink of an eye, the lines converged into a tighter configuration, translucent panes of glossy dark material appearing between them. The resulting axonometric manifestation contracted, further and further, until the remaining vampires were stuck in a narrow floating voxel, smushed together, with insufficient space to move their arms or cast spells. It was a terrifying spell to be stuck in, as the spell utilized the energies of void and mana in a novel application, giving the vampires a small taste of what the Heroes experienced for the last half-decade.

"And like that, I'm out of mana," said the old wizard, looking at the fellow heroes. "It seems our stay in the Void has truncated our abilities critically. At least I learned something from observation. I am Cyrus of Trostenvald, this is my apprentice, Elsimore."

"Yikes. Call me Ellis," whispered Ellis as he moved past the group and moved a hand close to the ring on his finger - a swirling, luminous vortex of popping firefly motes manifested over its jewel and he reached in, pulling out a length of chain. He looped the chain around the floating void prison and ensured it was taut, then knotted it.

And then, with no more dignity than a horse pulling a cart, he pulled the floating void prison out of the undergrowth and into the middle of the copse.

"I remember you said we should move for Laurellia," Cyrus addressed Averza. "I believe that strategy to be correct. As the Guildmaster said, the entire Guild is likely to be scattered, around the country but also continent, and without the Seals, there is no method of effective communication. Until we're located and picked up, we're on our own. Let's move."

"And these guys?" Ellis asked his master, pulling on the frozen void-block of kill-vampires.

Cyrus pulled out an elegant wooden pipe, repeated snaps of his fingers lighting its end on the third try. After a heavy draw of tobacco to lubricate his old thoughts, he replied, "Pull them with us. The spell won't decay for another three days. Vampires do not require sustenance for survival. We can find a safe place to interrogate them on the way there."

He paused, thinking, and breathing out - smoke, but also bubbles of arcane yellow distortion. "However, I believe these would be vampires of the Baryon bloodline, which'd render them all local. It's likely he allied himself with Script after his takeover. It's, therefore, increasingly likely there is a secondary kill team after us. Maybe even tertiary with reinforcements, depending on how wide the net was on Mephisto's spell. As such, we'll make a rest here for enough time for me to brew a mana potion for myself, and then move under a non-detection ward that I shall drag with us to ensure our security. It'll take me twenty minutes. Until then, I want everyone standing guard."

"And you, Dragonblood Knight," the wizard finally said, turning upon Sophia, "How much have you lost? It's important that we replenish your blood-stocks and have you re-affirm your oath to Aegir. It stands as the fastest way to rapidly scaling our combat strength at the present time, and that'll be critical for our survival in the near future. If any of you have other divine oaths that will be easy to remake, do so as fast as possible. Ellis, with me, you'll help me brew."

And with that being said, the wizard stalked down to a small half-clearing and sat down upon an overturned oak tree log, wide enough in diameter to have served as the spine of a trading ship, its trunk ancient and hollowed out; its edges overgrown to such an extent with moss and other weeds it was practically half-sunken into the earth below.

Cyrus reached into his various kits and knapsacks and started to pull out alchemy equipment. His apprentice sat down next to the old man, accepting a mortar and pestle, and beginning the arduous process of grinding down large ingredients into more granular forms. Neither said anything, merely chipping away at their task.

Silver Wolf lil_kreen Alteras Captain Gabriel Hanarei

Captain Gabriel said:

Vampire Attack Party
Location: Woods Near Caspul
With: Alteras Hanarei lil_kreen Birdsie Silver Wolf

The various vampires continued their fight, dodging and blocking where possible, and attacking when and if the situation presented itself. The arachnid was also better than they'd given it credit for. Those heroes were good at their job, and were clearly worthy of such moniker - but the vampires of Clan Baryon were well-renowned for their sorcery... and one of them had just exposed herself to it.

"That was a mistake," one of the vampires said, as his eyes set upon Sophia's blood flowing out from her wounds.

He extended one of his hands and focused the might of his magic, commanding the blood in his vicinity to move towards him. His eyes glowed a deep shade of red, and his target - the blood knight - could feel an alien presence taking hold of her blood; an intruder attacking the very essence of her vitality. Large droplets of the rust-bleed ichor detached from the mass, but it was difficult for the vampire to keep a hold on it: she was clearly an experienced practitioner of hemomancy, and she probably learned how to defend her blood from parasitic intrusion such as this.

However, she wouldn't be left untouched. The attacker had managed to draw out a sizeable amount of her blood, which meant she'd be, at best, a little woozy, and at worst, she'd get bad fits of vertigo. Nonetheless, the vampire simply retreated into the shadows, relaying a message to his master. 'The Ensilvered Sorcerer was with them.'

The other vampires retreated at once, following the lead of the first one.

All except the one who was bound by the silver ropes. There was a loud bang, and a bullet found its way to the vampire's heart. Wordlessly and soundlessly, its physical form crumbled to ash, leaving behind a red wraith who instantly dissolved into the ether.

===

Lord Gabriel Baryon
Location: Baryon Mansion
With: Churl



Just before Baryon resumed his speech, he felt a message making its way through his veins. 'The Ensilvered Sorcerer was with them.'

Quite unfortunate. Cyrus was a powerful wizard indeed, one he'd had the pleasure of meeting personally once or twice. He'd even had him check one of his research papers, back in his academy days. However, they were on opposing sides, now. He was an enemy - one to be respected and admired - but an enemy nonetheless. He had to create contingencies.

As Baryon returned his gaze to Tamah, he felt an opportunity opening within her mind. The doors were open, too open for it to be natural, and so he retreated from her psyche, giving it total freedom. He extended his normal human hand and made the shackles turn to dust, only to then help her to her feet.

"Rise, Tamah. I am not in the business of servitude. If you are to be my apprentice, learn this - in time, you will be my equal. In time yet, you will surpass me," he said, with a charming smile on his face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a warm, comforting squeeze. "You are not to be my underling, but my student."

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Tamah Babbit
Location: Baryon Mansion
With: Captain Gabriel

Oh, Tamah knew this part! This was the bad guy recruitment scene, she liked those. It ensured a tragic end for the receiving party, in this case herself, and in doing so promised that Good would triumph in punishment of hubris. She almost hated to say it, but even putting that aside the vampire lord was pretty cool. Only the most stalwart hero could say no to a speech like that, the man had so much presence even in those few words. She was being used, obviously, but people like her were meant to be used anyway. Her station in his eyes didn’t matter, she knew her place was below him, or maybe parallel to him as a person with good intentions. But if he wanted to call her a student instead of a slave, at least she would be learning. Her magic needed to improve, especially if nameless goons like her new Lord’s servants could so easily take her down.

“I-I accept, then. Um, what would you have me do? A-Are the, uh, heroes going to make their way here, or are your men pursuing them? I know the G-Guild has returned.”

Claire Motoye

The ambush had taken Claire by surprise. The girl shifting as the attacks revealed themselves moving incredibly fast. The girl's eyes seeming to catch the one going for her almost as if it was moving a a much more normal speed not that it changed the fact it was an ambush as she drew her blade as to defend the girl at great risk of getting herself sliced. The blade itself had escaped its sheath just as the assassin would of struck, however it seemed something else had come into play watching as the attack was suddenly restricted before it could even reach her causing the knight to look on a bit in surprise. She shook her head holding out her sword in an offensive stance nodding he head as to get herself to focus on the situation at hand. This was a life and death situation after all.

Claire gripped her sword preparing to strike back though it seemed it was all for naught as they retreated, except the poor unfortunate one who was shot suddenly being brought to its own demise unable to flee. It seemed her chance to show what she was capable of was unfortunately not to be. Truth be told it was a bit of a relief to not have to strike someone down, though it was quite clear those weren't normal humans either. Clearly something very much supernatural just by gazing on them. Her very existence felt almost repulsed by their very being. A rather uncomfortable feeling to have that she had all but come to try and get use to feeling almost disgusted in herself for it.

The knight glanced over a bit puzzled by whatever it was the spider had been doing, the sounds luckily a bit deafened given their origin to her ears. Her head turned only to see the retreating vampires seemed to be suddenly... compressed? She wasn't quite sure what she was seeing truth be told but it was a rather large spectacle. She glanced over blinking a bit puzzled by the old wizard before glancing at the handsome younger man who seemed to accompany him. She glanced over as it seemed there attention had focused to the girl who they had tried to help though seemingly to generally ignore their existence focusing on the task at hand.

"I... uh... is everyone alright?" She spoke trying to express concern despite the confusion throwing her through a bit of a loop. Oh, he had stated they should stand guard right? The girl seeming a bit disheveled glancing about keeping her sword drawn though put more at ease as she seemed to fumble a little as if to act on guard duty clearly being a bit lost what to do exactly as she looked out glancing back briefly to try and get a better look at the new people though shifting her attention back to try and stay on watch.

"Who... exactly are you two? Friends of the Guild of.. I ... I mean um.. well friends?" She sp[oke stumbling a bit more realizing she was likely saying a bit too much. Even if they seemed to be allies it seemed to be better off her not bringing up the Guild of Heroes and allow for its actual members to say anything. It was clear the Guild had some rather dangerous enemies and throwing their name around was likely a thing she shouldn't be doing so casually.


lil_kreen Alteras Silver Wolf Captain Gabriel Birdsie

Sasha Korneev

Sasha just stared disinterested at Faust's other forms of payment, her main body was already missing a forearm, a leg from the calf down and she had an eye transplant. To put it lightly she was running out of things to trade in the corporeal department. The trade of giving in one of the people in her head got the discussions started, all the people who lived rent free in her head all of them having their own opinions.

"What is this child made of bones trying to imply here? If he wants to go for a couple rounds I would be perfectly okay with showing him why lichdom is not it once he can't remove his head from the behind of the draugr I summon." Eik said with a smile as arcane lightning already begun crackling around his body.

"Weird way to put it, but I'm not exactly afraid of the sitcom version of Turenval either." Mr Noone claimed, boasting for once.

"Maybe extracting me won't be that bad, if my family finds this store they'll probably be able to afford me back. Professional diamond crushing athletes get crazy sponsorship deals and my wife still has all the wealth from ravaging civilisations."

"This guy is too worried about trying to extract something from a bunch of dudes, thoust needs to extract thyself some harlots." Fuchsalot was in agreement with the others.

Unlike all them however, Sasha didn't seem that particularly interested in the offer of the lich of the dozen of platinum he attempted to convince her with, her attention was immediately turned on the new person who just entered the shop.

Sienna would be familiar with the cold, calculating and deeply analytical eye of the little girl in front of her, wordlessly she would take note of every single detail of her and determine her threat level. Gods only knew what she thought of Sienna, however despite all of that, the only word Sasha needed to say in her mind to describe the girl in front her was;

"Cute."

"Personally, I prefer frugivorous or granivorous birds, because as you know they can engage in the process of seed spread, as the purpose of all other life is to allow plant life to bloom." Chris had to add his line in somewhere.

Unfortunately for our poor isekai girl, that momentary slip up allowed Sienna to land a second devastating hit as part of the combo. As she said "who" like an owl would, the levels of sweetness got too much for her body to handle, making her heart skip a beat as the Russian girl went and grabbed her chest to regain her composure. Taking a deep breath she would turn towards Faust with a shocked expression trying to maintain focus.

"Just the ammo then, I'll take the bag anyways assuming you'll remember to give me the stuff when I put the money in it. You guys really need to look into automation."

Having her blood cooled down again after having to interact with Faust, she would turn around to the Owl girl again.

"I'm Sasha, it's nice to meet you, do you want to form a party together? To save the world, no other reasons." She definitely had ulterior reasons, but she didn't to make that any clearer.

Birdsie LostHaven Noble Scion

She had to admit, it was a risk to use her blood arts while fighting vampires with hemomancy, but she was confident in her abilities. What a mistake that would be once she got out of combat. While she did resist the attempt, the vampire still got a little bit of blood out of her. Well, it would have been just a little bit had she been at full power. Quite a day to see her most tried and true methods of combat fail her so spectacularly so far. A few vampires, she should have been able to hold them off longer. Thankfully, she didn't need to. With them retreating at the sight of Cyrus, and said mage capturing them in one fell swoop at the cost of his own mana, it really made her wonder how powerful she was, really.

With the combat over, the oath faded, and that's when it all came crashing down.

"Sorry to say this Cyrus, but-" Sophia grabbed her mouth and then her eyes went wide and she released whatever fluids in her digestive cavity out, enzymatic fluid spilling forth from her mouth with its telltale stench and falling to the forest floor. After that, she fell on all fours, unable to hold herself up with her sword any longer. Her skin started lightening as Aegir's blessing left her body piece by piece to return back to its owner. Her breathing quickly became labored and she choked on nothing trying to gasp for air. It certainly wasn't a pretty sight, seeing a proud knight on the ground in a fetal position as she gasped and coughed for air she was getting, but couldn't make use of. All the while, she was losing more blood.

"Food...rest...wound..." was all she could manage to cough out before her eyes started rolling back into her head. Why did Mephisto teleport her to a dire wolf den?

Jaunt Nemesis
Location: Woods
Nearby/Mentioned: Birdsie Silver Wolf Hanarei Captain Gabriel Alteras

---

Light smoke still crept out of the harrow engine's faintly red barrel from the ballistic violence that erupted graves from plant life. Just as much as his ridged pedipalps clacking together belied similar seething fury. He'd reached for the works of wrath he thought were there in his mind, one after another, but found moist wreckage where the images should be. The clacks stopped at the direct touch of a false Matriarch with a mild prismatic zot of wild magic buildup that leaped to her skin. His capacity growing higher than the tiny wayside shrines in his mind to use it on. The path to serve in his head still slowly draining hymn down from the mountain tip where he'd sung from his mind into the void for years from Matriarch Nemesis' pillar of strength.

Not quite frothing with energy now but still magic seethes out of his pores while pulling a lever beside the strange paddle trigger and safety on the back of the gun. Sawtooth mount released to the side opposite the blade arm Averza touched spring-clanged it away. He looked up toward her with the five eyes as the fangs fold away into the two pedipalps beside his jaws.

He gripped the transceiver box on his front, spoke loudly at first then turned the volume dial down, and faced it upward toward her, "THE VOID ... has taken so much, Averza. I want to dismantle them but wrath would become my line. Instead, I reach for the beautiful weapons illustrated for me by others. I just find drifting painted constructions of wrath by the worthy for the innocent now too muddied to remember clearly. "

Though he recalled the false Matriarch Lady Motoye as he eyed Sophia to reply with a gesture of one long leg to a dagger hilt freed of an armor fold to stick up and pointed the speaker Claire's way, "I am fine Lady Motoye; care for the other false Matriarch. I feel a dagger that didn't get through lymph if someone could remove it slowly."

He wasn't quite sure if it was from the vampires or how long it had been there but the shock of his rifle firing made the poking rather more apparent. He couldn't see directly behind him very well even if his field of view was rather prodigious compared to the humans. Though as Averza left he followed suit as riled instincts very much disliked leaving a false Matriarch to sole self-defense.

The spider's head barely turns to center a pair of eyes on the floating rot configuration as he trailed Averza his legs making slight scuffing noises through the grass, "I will have to start tithing all over again. It is good the high wizard is here but I don't like being exposed and unable to hit anything hard enough to defend us, Averza."

Every so often crunching noises started as he yanked a plant out of the ground to start eating it. The Void was long, barren, and he was starving.

Claire Motoye

Claire was taken a bit back hearing Averza address the one man as Master though it was a thought that was put on hold watching as Sophia collapsed. The young kn ight gasped as she suddenly ran over reaching her arms out to help though pausing. She wasn't sure what the cause was or if her touch might help or hurt her more causing her to withdraw slightly watching in rather discomfort as she emptied the contents of her stomach. A rather unpleasant sight to see far worst even then what she had initially seen of her. It seemed Averza was quick to jump into action working to try and aid her.

The young knight adverted her eyes during treatment not wanting to come off rude gazing upon Sophia as she was undresed. She wasn't treating her so there was no reasons to have her eyes pry on what one might consider something private. She stepped back electing to keep on standby keeping a rather formal posture at the ready incase she might be needed for help. Perhaps a bit overly dramatic to some extent for her to be so formal but given the situation how awkward it felt that sort of structure kicked right in almost instinctively due to her teachings. Her attention had shifted briefly as she heard Averza speak up now daring to look back now giving a nod.

"Yes ma'am! I... I mean yes!" She spoke a light blush on her cheeks feeling embarrassed being overly formal on accident before snapping back into focus. She looked over to see Jaunt being gently patted. Was that a typical gesture one did to sooth a giant spider? It was still a rather strange sight to see something like him. Then again things in the world seemed rather tame before today. She hadn't expected so many strange things to suddenly happen around her, nevermind in such a such a short period of time.

"Ah... uh... oh... founder.. legend... purse?" She muttered as she seemed taken aback, in part merging a bit what was said at the end with what had been said before, granted the latter bit had turned more into a word salad for her in her mind after hearing the former. The girl suddenly turned bright red as she felt a tinge of embarrassment. She fumbled starting to bow a bit while dropping to one knee in a rather awkward gesture towards Cyrus.

"it.. it is a true honor to meet you Lord... I.. I mean... M... Master Cyrus. I am truly humbled to be in your presence." She spoke keeping her head bowed remaining upon one knee in gesture not sure how to great him feeling as if she had done some great disservice in the way she might have initially acted around him.

lil_kreen Alteras Silver Wolf Captain Gabriel Birdsie

lil_kreen Alteras Silver Wolf Captain Gabriel Hanarei

Cyrus of Trostenvald + Elsimore Bellathriel

As the girl knelt in front of them in some kind of belated and frankly embarrassing apology for not recognizing them, Cyrus glanced up momentarily from his work to scrutinize her. After a moment of careful observation, he appeared to settle on something.

"You," he said, and then reached into his knapsack and threw a rod of copper and a small pile of glass vials in Claire's direction. "Find and bottle water. You have ten minutes."

After several minutes - and after Claire returned with the water - the wizard and his apprentice were finished with the first batch of necessary potions. As soon as they were bottled, both wizard and apprentice downed a mana potion each, and then Ellis approached Averza and Sophia, kneeling next to the wounded knight.

He rummaged in his ring's subspace pocket for a moment, then pulled out a small half-loaf of ration bread and offered it to her along with some water, to help down the health potion. The potion itself was masterfully brewed, and using good materials; it would have a near-immediate effect, kicking in like a mule and sending Sophia's endocrine glands into overdrive to make up for the weakness of the body, and restoring some of her blood, then helping minimally with her fatigue and wounds over time. It was powerful; in ten minutes, it'd have the effects of a full rest day, and in thirty minutes, the effects of a full week of rest, diminishing exponentially after that.

As he shimmied back away from her, Ellis commented, "It was unwise to expose your blood in front of vampires, especially since you were already in some fight earlier today."

"No time to discuss who did what," Cyrus declared, stepping into the midst of the group. "We've tarried long enough. Assuming that no one is divining our location as we speak, the apparent absence of the vampires is likely to have been noticed. We should flee this place, promptly."

"Right," Ellis said, before moving around and giving potions to the others: a health potion per person, and one further for the unfortunate Jaunt, whom the apprentice also aided in removing the dagger, removing the offending implement with a precise but steady motion and then working some basic healing magic to help stem the blood loss, by sealing the uppermost tissue layer of Jaunt's body. "I think we're set. Are you sure we shouldn't interrogate the vampires here?"

"Hmm." After a moment's consideration, Cyrus looked back and shook his head. "No. On second thought, we should leave them."

"What?"

"It's unlikely we'll learn anything we don't already suspect, and given the absence of a threat to civilians, the use of torture to extract data would be unconscionable under these circumstances. Be prepared for an ambush as we go, however. The Overlord is no fool. If he already knows of our return, it's most probable the borders are stacked with guards, and the patrols inside the country have been redoubled. We presumably don't have anything that'd pass muster for official documentation, not after five years of reforms directed to create a nation politically opposed to us. Assume that any civilian we meet would be endangered by our presence, and that we're constantly being tracked. That being said, let's move!"

And with a clap of the hands, the wizard set off, expecting the others to follow.

After frowning for a moment at his back, Ellis looked at Averza and Sophia, speaking to the former about the latter in a soft, offering tone, "Can you help her walk? I'll keep ready in case someone targets either of you."

Thankfully the shop owners were quick to whisk her away to sustenance. A mage without mana was like a fish missing a fin, crippled. The mention of a panacea was tantalizing, but she had to admit she wasn't exactly willing to steal something that expensive from what she assumed was a local business. A duo of healing and mana potions would be just fine. Maybe not a full restore, but enough to get by until she was away from Espania again.

As she was led away, she noticed the sole other customer clutching their heart, to which she gave a curious tilt of the head, before shrugging and following after the saleswoman. Maybe some sort of illness, perhaps they were here for an antidote? She noticed a distinct touch of the void on them, were they from the guild too? Or was it coincidence? ...Maybe she should've spent a bit more time socialising with the other members than secluding herself in her studies and training.

She knew a couple of things about poisons that could illicit heart pain. Not that it was her problem, though she'd offer some potential antidotes once she got the chance, just in case.

Just as she was pondering the woman, they suddenly approached her and made some extremely strange suggestions. A party, and to save the world.

The only response she could think of was to laugh, and laugh the owl did. A sound she hadn't made in quite a while emanating from her beak, a shrill, warbling sound, before she covered her face at the indignity of it.

"A-aha.. W-well.. You're quite forward, aren't you? Let's talk about it after I'm done here, I'm not the most comfortable being when I'm in-doors." Sienna answered, before turning back around to the attendant.

"Ah, just some stock healing and mana potions. I'm unsure if you're all mages or not, but.. I'm sure you could tell I've been in a less than savoury environment for some amount of time." she answered, an amicable, embarrassed smile appearing on her face as a claw rose up and rubbed the back of her head shyly as they walked, soon dropping back down to her side.

".. And as you'd expect I'm.. A little short on money, though I'm sure we can come to some sort of alternative arrangement? One of my skills and talents can surely provide something. and I assure you, I am... More than I appear." she chuckled suggestively, with an almost flirty lilt as her eyes scanned the rows of inventory.

First came the bargaining, then the theft as a last resort. She may have been an assassin, but those times were behind her, and a mage was her profession now. She had principles, and standards, otherwise she'd just be a pawn in her mind for the rest of her life. Not that she intended to forget any of the skills she'd learned along the way.

Hopefully she hadn't overdone it..

LostHaven June Verles

Sasha Korneev

The ghosts of Sasha mental palace were once more perplexed by the change in scenery. It's generic grey walls would break down to reveal what looked like an expanse of infinitely expanding pinkish light that was beginning to engulf everything except them.

"What sort of Svartalfheim sorcery is this? Is this meant to blind us?" Eik said squinting, confused.

"Whatever it is they could've picked a different colour." Adventurer 1 added as he covered his eyes.

"Her hypothalamus is creating oxytocin in her magnocellular neurosecretory cells of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei in response to external stimuli, truly just more inefficient than pollination."

"You nerd what the hell does any of that mean?" Fuchsalot asked kindly for elaboration.

"The laugh of the owl lady and the fact she wanted to talk later was too much for her mind to handle and now we're stuck in her daydreaming, let me fix this before we start seeing images them of planning their wedding and fate forbid, holding hands." No one cleared things up, before materialising a steering wheel before just spinning 180 degrees. Now facing Faust in her peripheral vision, the infinity of a young girl's passion was shattered by his mere visage and returned her conscience to reality.

For everyone else, not privy to her mind, it would just look like Sasha stood there for a few moments, unblinking as if in shock before doing a military like about turn to face the store keep before blinking like she just woke up.

Coughing as if nothing happened though, she would walk to the counter again. "Mr Storekeep, I'll take a little bit more time from your eternal imprisonment in the jail of mediocrity of your own self design to say that, despite the fact that you are basically the ultimate NEET who does nothing with their power, to thank you. I'm not sure what mildly inconveniencing problem made you never want to touch grass again, but your self imposed exile from the real world gave me the chance at something greater. Do not worry, I won't remember you just for your sheer repulsiveness but also for your sacrifice." She told him with a smile full of hope, her eye gleaming with excitement.

At that point she would just turn around without uttering another word and walk out of his store.

Birdsie LostHaven Noble Scion

The friendliness of the owl dissipated to nothing more than a cold look at the steely reaction of the woman. They were emotionless it seemed, with not even a smile breaking their lips at her words. Her words were wasted on them and she didn't intend to waste any more if it wasn't going to lead to anything.

"The fact you think I wish to purchase a panacea after what I've told you is laughable, if that is what it is. I don't intend on spending much longer than I need to here to repay your 'master', so let's start at mid-grade. My only request is that I may use the potions before payment to make the acquiring of the alternative payment easier." she replied seriously, her face now the very model of a stone's.

"for one of each, I'll give you a feather and.. Let's say five forest critters. Of what kind, I can't say, but they'll be alive and unharmed for you to.. do as you please." she said after a moment.

"If this is not enough I'm also more than capable of killing, skinning, and cooking them if wanted. I'm sure a fox pelt could be fashioned into something more valuable than one of these things. Acceptable?" she sighed. She'd never been one for bargaining, but hopefully they'd just accept and let her go.

Plucking a blood-stained gold coin from one of her pockets, the owl made to hand it to the woman. "This coin is dear to me, you may keep it until I return as assurance. I shouldn't move any farther than the forest outside. It won't be long."
LostHaven

Churl said:

“I-I accept, then. Um, what would you have me do? A-Are the, uh, heroes going to make their way here, or are your men pursuing them? I know the G-Guild has returned.”

Click to expand...

Lord Gabriel Baryon
Location: Baryon Mansion
With: Churl

Baryon sighed, folding his arms to his chest. A simple acceptance wasn't enough to make sure she wouldn't just stab him in the back - something he expected from her, totally and completely. He pondered for a long time, making use of his heightened reflexes to spend more subjective seconds on the many possibilities; slowing down his perception of time was a feat as easy as manipulating the blood flow in his brain and adding a few trace amounts of magic.

The answer, in retrospect, was plain as day to see. She was a meddler of the swirling, wild energies of chaos, a nascent eldritch creature with no patron to lead her in her growth. It was very uncommon for mortals to reach apotheosis and ascend to godhood; the stuff of myth, the very tales they recounted in legend. But it was, theoretically, possible - and that was one of Baryon's many objectives. To eventually reach godhood, one way or another.

And what better promise, than one of power?

"As a first,Tamah, I'd like to make you worthy of being my apprentice. How would you like to have a patron again, young warlock?"

Captain Gabriel said:

Lord Gabriel Baryon
Location: Baryon Mansion
With: Churl

Baryon sighed, folding his arms to his chest. A simple acceptance wasn't enough to make sure she wouldn't just stab him in the back - something he expected from her, totally and completely. He pondered for a long time, making use of his heightened reflexes to spend more subjective seconds on the many possibilities; slowing down his perception of time was a feat as easy as manipulating the blood flow in his brain and adding a few trace amounts of magic.

The answer, in retrospect, was plain as day to see. She was a meddler of the swirling, wild energies of chaos, a nascent eldritch creature with no patron to lead her in her growth. It was very uncommon for mortals to reach apotheosis and ascend to godhood; the stuff of myth, the very tales they recounted in legend. But it was, theoretically, possible - and that was one of Baryon's many objectives. To eventually reach godhood, one way or another.

And what better promise, than one of power?

"As a first,Tamah, I'd like to make you worthy of being my apprentice. How would you like to have a patron again, young warlock?"

Click to expand...

Tamah Babbit
Location: Baryon Manor
With: Captain Gabriel

Tamah scratched at her head as she thought about this. She hadn’t ever really put too much stock in her patrons, they were only ever meant to represent a force of evil. Either as a tool to be used for good, or a villain to be behind her actions when she did evil. She didn’t even bother remembering most of them, in fact she didn’t know if she could name more than one or two. Everything… just became a blur, in a way. They took a lot on their way out.

“I… don’t k-know if I really need a patron. I sort of generate my own arcane energy now, using the leftovers from my old patrons. If it’ll help me be a more useful minion, though, I don’t m-mind a new one.”

Jaunt Nemesis
Location: Woods headed to border
Nearby/Mentioned: Averza, Sophia, Claire, Ellis, Cyrus

---

Diligent to a fault inasmuch a creature of particular genetic habits Jaunt lagged just a bit behind Averza ( Alteras ) with a half turn to have eyes on both sides when she stopped. There was a matriarch nearby that had been injured, more than one nearby, there'd just been a fight, so as humans might say his blood was up would be an understatement. The soft sinusoid waves of sharp claws flexing atop his blade arm in continuous itching war standing to scan their horizon in his field of view. Though once his name was called turned with the rhythmic shhk-clap of all seating at once.

"Matrem Vult!", came the now-instinctive rejoinder from an inner formal salutation at Averza's yell, "Are we ready to move, Averza?"

As she started helping Sophia ( Silver Wolf ) up and toward him the many legs quietly reposition to make a larger space available between them. A blade arm with its tightly pressed bumpy edge arcs back as a better step up and set his body down on the dirt. The knees of his legs held quite high did his best to make it easier for the weakened false Matriarch to get over his two weapons.

A glance that moved the leathery body underneath the saddle angled to get his arm in range of Sophia's legs. There were small pad and peg flexor arrangements for riders to hook a knee in and a double roller plate to support a foot in any orientation and still slide out easily. Few were familiar with the kind of tack wall-crawlers would use to carry humans to line things up right without breaking an ankle. It ought to make it easier for the Matriarch to keep herself in his saddle at least. Jaunt started the process of untangling his legs on that side in a dance of pick-up sticks until his blade arms stuck in the earth to press the whole body upward.

It wasn't his nature to coddle but he did take due care around the smaller human false Matriarchs. Especially to soothe ones with bleeding wounds or future danger. He tried to think of the needs of the local Matriarchs rather than obsess about threats on the horizon but a prodigious field of view brought many suspicious shadows. His wound started to exhaust more than it should though realized that beneath the waters that were trying to pull the injured false Matriarch down his nature had started to push upward from beneath. The high soldier's Will couldn't fuel her abilities without a tithe but the static charge creeping up from direct contact gave her own somewhere firm to stand.

With the new Lady Motoye ( Hanarei ) a Seeker to the guild and false Matriarch Sophia in recovery deferred to Averza as the implicit false Matriarch of the highest order. Even though there were rungs for a second rider the third might fall off if climbing a cliff or something too steep. He followed along quite content with Cyrus and Ellis on point.

Once stood up Jaunt dialed up speaker volume that riders could hear the servant's elegant phrasing if noise-scuffed by stress, "In my homeland metal plate armor would make it too heavy to stand. Here you are all a pleasant lightness for me to conduct forth, false Matriarchs. Cyrus and Ellis will be good to see to your care."

He directed a comment at Claire though had clear trouble deciding what direction to point the transceiver's speaker, "Lady Motoya, Ellis, keep an eye behind us, if it pleases. The injured false Matriarch constrains my view." ( Birdsie )

Cyrus of Trostenvald + Elsimore Bellathriel

"I'll consider it," said the wizard in response to Averza's remark. He smiled at them enigmatically, half-looking back. "I am not currently disposed for work interviews - I'm afraid your friend will have to satisfy herself with being a squire for the time being."

"I've got you," Ellis said, moving behind Jaunt in order to guard the rear.

And so their journey of a thousand steps began - headed north, avoiding large cobbled roads in favor of smaller forest trails and more than a few hillock paths beset on all sides by the unnaturally stiff gales of the northeastern mountains across the river. As the heroes journeyed, they crossed by autumn-hued fields in landscapes of pastoral idyll, dotted with humble abodes and filled with snaking creeks and small ponds, where dozens of farmers seemed to make their home in lightly-clustered hamlets. As they walked further north, close to Laurellia's eastern border, this scenery changed further away from the Albionian standard of agrarian countrysides and peaceful vistas, into barren meadows and badlands with no trees in sight, and barely any trace of grasses upon the bald earth.

They'd reached the halfway point of their journey at roughly the same time the sun began to set over the horizon. It emanated bleary rays in the late evening, a molten hemisphere sinking slowly into the dark hidden places beyond the mountains of the west, its dying light casting long shadows across the crags and spires of corrugated stone and limestone mushrooms standing like quiet sentinels upon the ground. As the sun's final rays were about to disappear with their reddish twilight, Cyrus raised his staff and stopped the heroes' advance with a thoughtful hum.

"We'll make camp here," he declared. "It's exposed, and therefore, poorly defensible - but it'll offer advance warning for those same reasons. I'll make some basic alarm wards for the night. All the rest of you get a fire and some sleeping accouterments going. I'll conjure bedrolls if I have any magical power left after I'm done, but I doubt there'll be enough."

At least he was honest.

Ellis started to pull out thin sticks and small branches of dry wood from his ring, and when he ran out after collecting but a handful of twigs, he frowned and started muttering spells to multiply them over and over, until the wood spilled out of his open palm like a fountain of kindling. It all dropped to the earth under his hand.

After a moment of this, once the pile had grown to a satisfying size, he sat down on the earth and cast his hand forward - a spray of sparks leaped out, igniting the wooden pile. It blazed shortly into a flame of respectable size.

"I have two bedrolls in my storage ring," he said faintly, eyes staring into the flame. "Who wants them?"

Hanarei Alteras Silver Wolf lil_kreen Captain Gabriel

Claire Motoye

Claire looked on being given the vial. The girl jumped up nodding obediently taking it as she ran quickly to fetch water not at all thinking the question the affair. Who was she to question such a great man after all? Returning swiftly she was huffing a bit having been rather careless at the pace she took and overwhelmed by the ordeal as she tried to regain her composure quickly to show respect. She wasn't certain what else to do standing at attention like a loyal soldier half waiting for an order trying to figure out what she was really suppose to do. She was quite green after all on the ways a guild might work.

The knight turned her head to hear Averza speak out in regards to herself. A bright smile filling her lips though she caught herself. The girl attempting to be more stoic steadying her expression as to be more calm and relaxed... as best she could. The giddy girl's attention shifting to her spider like companion looking towards Jaunt giving a nod of acceptance towards his request before shifting her attention back over to Cyrus. His comment striking her a bit disapointing though still nodding enthusiastic.

"Wh.. whatever it takes!" She spoke nodding her head enthusiastically in response. She would do her best to show she was guild worthy after all! It was her dream, as silly of one as some might view it to be.

Claire kept watch as best she could. At the mention of making camp the girl nodded feeling quite exhausted as she was though not showing it trying to cover up any bit of being worn down she could. Having to create a good first impression was important after all! She ventured forward looking over at Cyrus nodding in response.

"I'll pass for the sake of someone else." She spoke nodding her head trying to show herself as being generous.

lil_kreen Alteras Silver Wolf Captain Gabriel Birdsie

Most things were a blur for a short while. All she knew is she was likely on the spider. The walk had been a fair opportunity to rest, and the health potion had restored some of her vitality. The problem, it wasn't enough. The bleeding of the wound had slowed down, and by the time they stopped she was capable of pulling herself off the spider. Just in time to hear Ellis offer bedrolls and Claire refuse one.

"I'll take one, I'll need all the warmth I can get tonight," Sophia said. Once she had the bedroll, she began pulling leaves around to form a makeshift bed. She had fond memories of camping with her old companions. Her father and mentors commonly used evening as a time to unwind, but she felt anything but ease as she felt her body grow weaker from pulling the leaves. She looked towards the ground and picked up a stick. She took it and went to the fire, poking and prodding it before saying, "I'll only be able to do this. If someone could catch a deer, that would do wonders for my recovery."

She stared into the fire, gently levering and stirring the flames so that it would continue to grow and burn until actual firewood was available. As she stared into the flames, she gave a hefty sigh. What a day it had been, and while she wanted to reaffirm her oath to its original strength, Aegir's oath was complex and different. It had conditions that needed to be met. Prayer, meditation, and practicioning her duties and values as a servant of the dragon god would restrengthen her oath. That and time, as she spent more time out of the void, the less static would linger. She could speed up the process, but not forcibly restore it.

She missed the old days when she did this with the order, her old companions and comrades before that damn tyrant took over Albion. She understood it was because they were on the wrong side of the conflict, but it didn't make it sting any less. Her father, her mentors, her peers, her brothers and sisters in arms, she missed them. Not all were dead, but she missed traveling and defending with them. Saving hamlets and defending the defenseless was a rather joyous endeavor for her. Now, she had to suffer alone as her oath sizzled and blurped in the back of her being from the void static. All the while, she tended the fire with a somber look on her face.

Emily Ashton
Emily was speechless. Was this barn animal for real?! Which store would let the customer just drink the merchandise before paying, and just let them walk away afterward, without paying, bound only by an empty promise to return?!

"With all due respect, I don't think I can accept your offer," replied Emily as she received an old coin from the owl. "I believe these sort of negotiations should be taken to the owner. We don't allow these sort of deals often regardless - we can't just let a customer take off with wares with a verbal promise to pay us back at a later date, generally some form of soulbound contract needs to be made before any of that can happen, I hope you understand." However, despite her explanation, Emily turned back to the shelf and retrieved the mid-grade potions anyway, and held them in front of Sienna.

"That said, mid-grade potions are hardly priceless, and the prospect of something that is both edible and non-hallucinogenic is rather appealing. Do try to take thirty minutes, at most."

Noble Scion