Fantasy Arva: Tides of Darkness [IC] [Closed]

[joshuadim]

A quick search of the waters had Cain finding and lifting a small coin out of the water for a closer look. On closer inspection, he saw that it had small engravings in what was assumed to be an older dialect of the elvish language while the coin itself was made of what appeared to be polished copper, which was strange considering how it had been submerged in water. As he held it in between his fingers Cain felt a rather strong feeling of security wash over him like one would feel in the comfort of their own home. He couldn't exactly put his finger as to how or why, but it was a welcome feeling nonetheless as he pocketed it for safekeeping.

Back near the campfire, Hughin chuckled in response to the comments made by both Valentina and Waylond before responding to the latter: "Now now, let's not tempt fate shall we?" he spoke half-jokingly. "I'd prefer the rest of our voyage on this continent be uneventful."

"Knowing how fate has gone so far, I doubt we will be that lucky." Zakala commented rather bluntly in response as she lay with her back against a tree with her eyes closed. She was in a particularly sour mood considering what news they had come across, and it didn't help that in her eyes people weren't taking it as seriously as they should be at the surface.

 

[Viper Actual]

Carefully Eirana touched the acorn. She could feel a warmth and purity within. It was a special kind of purity as well, one she hadn't felt since she left her homelands. Eirana bowed her head slightly as a silent sign of gratitude and respect towards the oak. She had just let go of the acorn when the seed detached on its own and fell perfectly into her now cupped hands. Closing her left hand to shield the acorn Eirana placed her right hand on the oak's bark-covered surface.

"Thank you," she said with a soft voice. "I shall treasure this gift and keep it safe."

Even as she held the acorn in her cupped hand Eirana could feel its powerful healing attributes set into motion. After bowing her head towards the tree she silently left in search of more mysteries.

 

[joshuadim]

After handing over the cloak to Eidunn for her to use Ellas looked over and saw Eirana, after having picked her acorn, move about elsewhere as if searching for something. She followed behind for a moment rather quietly as to see what exactly the elf was searching for, before feeling what exactly Eirana had picked up earlier. "Ah... you've received a rather generous gift." Ellas spoke up from behind Eirana, "You carry a descendant of Nalor. Perhaps one day, it too shall sprout and grow into a venerable arbor. May you both keep each other safe."

As Da'Vost continued a lesson with Lanya, who usually found her mind wandering off to other places usually, she now found her attention attracted to something flickering at the shoreline of the nearby lake. Da'Vost's voice essentially became background noise as she tried to figure out what exactly was shining at the banks of the lake while her tutor continued to speak on the topic for today until he realized that she hadn't been paying attention for the past couple minutes. As for Valentina, she noticed in the near distance some interesting looking plants that were a bit different than what she was used to back home. She felt a sense of curiosity swell in her as she realized that perhaps what could be found in this garden could go well in whatever stories she might want to tell in song.

 

[Viper Actual]

Eirana stopped and turned towards Ellas. Glancing towards her still-cupped hand the Elf nodded slowly. "I intend to keep it very safe, fear not." She gestured towards a cluster of nearby trees. "Tell me, stewardess of these woods, does this forest age like in our realm or is it all simply...timeless?" Eirana's voice trailed off while her eyes darted between trees. By the look of things she was growing more amazed by the minute.

 

[Dmaster]

The Aervis had made efforts to calm himself and the company after the startling revelation of the spire falling, and he tried his best to explain his gift of foresight to a curious Lanya. Such a lesson was brewing into anothe rlesson in and of itself, as Da'Vost always found it simpler to ground explanations of the Aether with comparisons to more rudimentary schools of magic. It seemed to be the best way to get their minds off of the impending perils for the night, and in such a serene place how could he waste such an opportunity?

Yet even when they had such calming sights, sounds, and energies in abundance ther Utterlin found herself distracted. This prompted a frown from her teacher, as he knew her to be quite bright would she only buckled down and focus a bit more. With a sigh he gets up slowly, old avian bones light and brittle yet having to be convinced into moving again after being seated for so long.

The Fateseeker trotted to the shoreline, cooing quietly while he tried to examine the shimmering object. "Amd what have you found here, pupil?" he asks, kneeling toward the waters to scoop up the shimmering trinket through use of manipulating the water it was surrounded by. Once in his palm, his head darted about to better examine it.

 

[joshuadim]

"Hm... time." Ellas simply responded to Eirana as she looked about, "Time... is only relative to those who succumb to its current." The druid would walk over closer to a nearby flowering plant with strangely spiked branches and stems as she floated a hand over it before continuing to speak: "For more primal, untamed realms time has no meaning. For the essence of such things that make up existence are so strong as to prevent its influence for the most part. A snail's pace considered to what the realm of mortals experience, but one day into the great future so incomprehensibly far away will the Grœnnfold, and even the eternal light of Acarah, fade and die. By that point, we will all be long gone..." She looked rather somber as she faced Eirana once more before quickly returning to a smile. "But we are here, now. Cherish it for all you can."

As Da'Vost picked up what Lanya had saw, he noticed that it was a gemstone of a remarkably deep blue color. Even out of the water though, it felt as though the Aervis could feel ocean currents along its surface. He stared at it for a few moments and could even barely feel some sea spray come off from it and into the air around. It was peculiar how it acted, and even more strange was how Da'Vost felt when he carried it. From his hand and up to the rest of his body he felt a strange sort of connection with the very essence of the waters not just of the lake but in everything around him. He felt as though he was refreshed and rejuvenated and had a hop to his step as he stood up with rather ease considering his age. It seemed as thought the very heart of the ocean was reaching out to help him.

For Eidunn the cloak was warm, which was surprising considering it was made of leaves rather than furs or leather as one might expect from a cape. And interestingly enough, she felt as though she was fast on her feet and could spirit like the wind when she put it on in its entirety. It was an odd feeling, to be sure, but it also gave her a sense of safety that she hadn't felt in a long time as though the cloak would help protect her both now and in the future.

 

[Adobe]

Eidunn brushed her hand over the surface if the cloak, the leaves felt strange, a kind of strange she wasn't used to. As she looked down at the cloak pulled in her lap, the sounds of her fellow company members faded into a low murmer, a different voice taking centre stage. Shaking her head quickly, the sounds of the grove returned as she let out a quiet sigh. She couldn't get rid of the nagging in the back of her head. It felt to calm, to serene, to natural.

Taking the small knife out from her cloak, she gently pressed it into the root she was seated on, prying out a small piece of bark. Good idea. Getting up from her seat, Eidunn carefully made her way over towards Ellas, her new cloak still clutched in her hands. "Where exactly are we?" She asked, coming to a stop behind the elf.

 

[joshuadim]

"It's an extension of the realm of life, the Grœnnfold, into the mortal world as you know it. It allows me to collect and catalog are forms of flora from over the ages to what you see here. An archive of the history of life, if you wish to have it simplified further." Ellas explained to Eidunn as she turned to face her, "Once there were many druids of such who resided here, but now it's only me that remains... it becomes lonely here sometimes."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Given reassurance by Waylond, a joke by Hughin, and healthy cynicism by Zakala, Valentina sighed and smiled as she realized that it really could be worse than this. "Oh well, I must admit I am a bit glad I'm out here having an adventure and not home tending to an overbearing old woman." Valentina shrugged, and looked around the campsite one more time. Trying to find some inspiration for her music. She had an idea upon seeing that interesting looking shrubbery. It had such an alluring, beautiful aura to it! She got close to the bush and began to think of a few words for a song, trying to find inspiration on the leaves and fruits of the plant. But the more she looked at it, the more charmed she felt about the plant. "My... I've never seen such a beautiful plant before..."

 

[joshuadim]

The plant Valentina observed the most from the bunch she found herself nearby was rather beautiful in how its leaves gently drooped downwards and curled at its tips, topped off with a majestic swirling of red and orange colors for its flower petals at the top to signify its beauty. It seemed as though it was a larger, more ancient version of a rose that one perhaps could mistake for a wildflower due to how unrefined it actually was yet its aroma was unmistakably almost perfect to that of a natural rose flower. Seeing an opportunity for a keepsake, Valentina went ahead to try to remove the flower, as carefully as she could in order to not actually hurt the plant itself. Remarkably enough, as she gently pulled the flower off from the plant itself it regrew quickly to replace what it had lost and in a few moments there was another flower just like the one she had collected herself. As she held it, she felt a sense of confidence fill her thought not of battle courage or anything of the sort... but one born more from desire than anything else. It was strange to her but the Dandolian kept the flower nonetheless as she stored it safely because after all, she would need proof of her exploits for the stories.

As the group coalesced once more around their campfire, Arnas was noticeably absent as he continued to wander about to see the sights. Both Zakala and Hughin would both receive boons of their own with the former having her bowstring replaced with that made of red vines and seemed to ooze power when the demoness plucked at it. Hughin in the meantime received a ring made of black obsidian rock that, when placed upon him, made him feel stronger. He felt as though he could lift a small boulder with this newfound strength even as old as he was and gave a chuckle at the notion. As the group talked and spoke to both themselves and to Joony and Ellas, the time passed as one by one the group would eventually take their time to rest in the safety of this enclave and fall asleep.

Arnas however was restless as he walked about the Garden without much thought or rather much attention given to the environment around him. He didn't feel as he could sleep and so was trying to tire himself to get himself to sleep. Through the thick foliage and flora did he push himself through and passed by all sorts of strange and ancient life around him. What he didn't expect however, was a voice to speak up from behind him.

"Who are you?"

Arnas quickly spun about from this sudden scare and saw Ellas standing a few feet away as if she was observing him. Yet her demeanor was not friendly as she had been before, but rather one filled with suspicion and caution as she eyed the young man. He didn't quite understand what she meant by this as he squinted at her in confusion: "What do you mean? I'm Arnas-"

"Yes, but who are you? I can't put my finger on it..." Ellas quickly cut in as she walked over to him, easily towering over him by a full foot without including her antlers. As she circled him, Arnas' confusion only grew as he didn't understand what her questions, nor her intentions, were. "I've had the inkling of a suspicion ever since you all had arrived here... a seed of doubt in my mind." she continued before stopping in front of him and motioned with her hand. "I must be certain of this. Follow me." she then said as she walked off rather quickly. Seeing no other recourse, along with a need for answers as to what the druid was talking about, Arnas followed along as he walked with her through to a new area of the Garden.

Unlike the waters of the lake and subsequent streams of the Garden, this new pool of water was small but seemed to glow with the radiance of the moon that sat in the sky overhead. Not only that, streams of energy seemed to pour out of it like steam from hot water in large quantities which signified that this water was a fount of power of sorts. Nearby was a basin made entirely of stone that jutted out of the ground to chest height for Arnas and was etched with strange symbols on its sides that glowed the same as the waters nearby did. The glow on the basin only grew in intensity as Ellas gathered some of the waters in a large pitcher and poured it into the basin to form a small pool.

"Look into the waters." she then said with a rather stern look, which confused Arnas as to what exactly was going on.

"Look... I'm not sure what is going on here in the slightest. What-"

"I'm looking for information you hold, even if you might not know you hold it yourself." the druid quickly spoke, motioning a hand to the basin.

Well that didn't answer much. he thought to himself as he scoffed before slowly walking to the basin and saw the edges of the water, glancing at Ellas for a moment who only responded with a silent nod. "Alright then..." he muttered as he positioned his face to look at the waters from above. A few moments of silence passed as Arnas looked into the waters and, as expected, only saw his reflection. Yet he then felt a slight tugging at his head, as though something was gently moving his head to the waters. He couldn't move his gaze as the waters began to swirl and crackle with energy and felt himself fixated as the tugging grew more and more powerful until, suddenly, he was violently pulled into the maelstrom of the basin.

Even in the waters he could scream as it felt as though the waters hitting his lungs felt like air while he plunged further and further into the depths of whatever he had been pulled into. The light of the moon faded as he sank until finally he was alone in the darkness. He couldn't see anything, not even himself, as he frantically moved about sluggishly in the depths but to no avail. Something moved however as the waters began to shimmer and images began to form in front of him. At first they were vague approximations of scenes that he could barely make out but grew in strength until suddenly Arnas felt himself thrust as a witness to a scene of unimaginable scale.

---

Acarah
So Long Ago...

Halls of marble and light surrounded Arnas as he sputtered in confusion as to what was happening. He was in a ampitheater, surrounded by hundreds of beings that he couldn't discern yet all had voices of their own and in front of Arnas stood an hooded figure wearing gold and white amor with wings of white energy streaming from his back as he faced similar beings, his kin perhaps, five in total. It quickly dawned on Arnas that what he was viewing was a tribunal.

"You must understand!" the lone figure pleaded with his bretheren, "Creation itself is flawed! Doomed to suffering of its inhabitents, and Father does nothing to rectify it!"

"Tread carefully, brother. You speak of heresy. The Grand Design cannot be flawed, for it is made in his vision." the largest of those that stood before the accused spoke, his wings made of golden streams spread outwards in anger.

"I have seen it for myself, the truth! The Rift... countless beings condemned to live lives of suffering and torment and chaos! How is-"

"You traveled to the Rift? " another one spoke, her wings blue and her voice gentle yet assertive, "We are forbidden from doing so-"

"And why is that, do you think Alandra?" the figure retorted, "To hide his failures-"

"ENOUGH!" the largest of the tribunal spoke, pointing a spear made of metals and energy beyond Arnas' comprehension as he witnessed an unfair trial come to its conclusion. "You have broken our sacred laws, interferred with the Grand Design, you are acting out of your station."

"How is it that questions are feared as heresy!? These archaic laws bind us all to blind servitude Ozdan!"

This comment was enough to send the entire audience roaring with anger at such a notion, and Ozdan himself pointed his sword at the accused with rage. "You... you have no sense of duty." he spat with disgust.

"And you are a slave to it. If this is what we are... then I will stand as one of you no more."

---

The Abyssal Maw
Some Ages Ago...

The waters shook violently as the scene dissipated to nothing before quickly switching to another, as Arnas witnessed the fall of a mighty empire unlike any in the mortal world. Green fire and horrible creatures like the ones he and the Company had fought descended upon the Demons with such ferocity and savagery that they slaughtered even the women and children, the bodies of their once great city in this realm littered with corpses and stained with the blood of tens of thousands. He felt sick to his stomach as he watched all matter of depraved cruelty be dealt upon the Demons, and he knew not how such things could come to pass. As he ran through the streets, he found that the remnants of this once mighty people were fleeing through their portals to an uncertain destination. But surely anything could be better than what they had been subjected to here.

"Empress! You must leave while you can!" an aide rushed to an armored and crowned figure as she oversaw the last desperate defense of her people, what few were left.

"No! I will not leave any of them! We will hold for as long as we can, ensure as many of our people get to safety... I will not let any more people die from my father's treachery." she spoke with a rattled, yet determined voice as she viewed the inner ramparts of the keep. The monsters were closing in on breaching their final defenses, and still many hundreds more needed to be evacuated. Arnas looked at her with pity and great remorse as he could even feel her thoughts, one in particular stood out. Have I failed? she thought as a tear fell down her cheek.

Is this the way the world ends?

---

Somewhere on Argos
Some Years Ago...

Unlike what else he had saw, what Arnas now witnessed was something far more familiar. A woodland back home on Argos and a lodging, yet it was on fire and there was screaming and the clashing of swords. A woman's scream pierced the air from inside the lodging as a man rushed outside, cradling a child in his arms. He coughed as he felt smoke ravage his lungs as he turned around in horror. "NO!" he yelled, preparing to re-enter the house before being stopped by another man. "It's too late for her!" the man spoke, "They will be looking for you both!"

The father collapsed to his knees, mouth agape in shock as he processed what was happening. "No.. they will only look for me. The traitorous curs!" he then spat as he stood up and handed the child over to his friend. "You must go. Ride fast, and ride hard. Abandon your post and do not look back... he will not be safe here."

"But-"

"No... just, please. Keep him safe. He will be your responsibility... consider this as your life debt repaid."

The other man was silent for a moment as he looked down at the baby before nodding. "I understand..."

---

And then Arnas was brought back to the darkness, with nothing he could see around him as he floated about. Fear returned to him as suddenly, unlike whatever visions he saw, he felt a presence there with him, and it was a presence of terrifying power as Arnas felt dread rise into his chest and throat. And it was then that he could see again the true extent of horror was revealed to him. Two eyes of flaming purple stared through Arnas' very being, matching with an incorporeal face made from the darkness itself. Faced off against this unseen being, Arnas found himself standing alone on a platform and was terrified by both what he was facing and what he now looked like: his skin had turned a deep blue, his teeth sharpened and his head sporting terrifying horns.

Yet nothing paled in comparison when he was rumbled by the voice of this being:

​

The scene collapsed once more before Arnas violently ripped himself away from the waters and back into reality. He quickly fell over onto his back and scrambled away from the basin as he looked at Ellas with wild eyes. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?" he yelled aloud in fear and anger, but was only met with silence as Ellas looked at him rather stunned.

"You... how can it be..." she whispered as Arnas scurried off back to camp with a fear induced strength.

What the fuck!? WHAT THE FUCK!? he thought to himself as his mind raced, What the fuck did I see? What the fuck did she do to me!?

It didn't take long for him to stumble back into camp, with Ellas following quickly behind. "Wait!" the druid spoke, "Please, let me explain myself-"

"Explain what!?" Arnas shouted back, sticking a finger in her face in anger, "That you... you tricked me into some kind of spell!? That I felt like I was going to die!?"

He was about to shout more until a bellowing horn was heard that cut him off, causing his eyes to go wide. He recognized that horn... and it was bad tidings. They followed us here? How? he wondered as Ellas herself looked to where the horn came from and was also shocked. "No! The Garden has been breached!" she yelled aloud with surprise. Arnas got to work waking everyone as Joony rushed over to the group: "Mum! I saw them! They broke tha seals!"

"Joony, get everyone to lakeside gate. Now." she then spoke, as she sprinted off into her home. As Hughin and Zakala woke up, they were at first confused but the second bellowing of the enemy's horn quickly got the message through to them. They were under attack and Hughin was scoffing in disbelief as to their horrendous luck: "How the fuck!?" he spat out, "Fuck! Alright, everyone follow Joony! Quickly!" The group hurridly gathered their belongings and equipment as rushed over to where Joony was leading them: the Gate was rather large and made up of vines entwined into a perfect circle yet as Hughin stepped forward to enter, he was stopped by Joony.

"No! Tha gate isn't ready. Mum has ta set it up for you lot."

"Fuck, I knew it wasn't going to be that easy." Zakala said as she drew an arrow onto her bow.

"Quite so." Ellas replied as she rejoined the group with a stave made of gnarled branches and began to move her hands about at the gate, causing the vines to shift and twitch as she did so. "It will take time... and in this rush I cannot guarantee the destination to be what you need it to be."

"How long?" Hughin asked.

"I can't say for sure..."

"Then we'll buy you that time." he stated as he drew his sword and shield, "HELLDOGS! Ready up!"

 

[Viper Actual]

As the horn of war sounded once more Eirana drew her sword and readied her shield. When it became clear that they'd need to hold off the enemy until Ellas could transport them the Elf swung around and angled herself towards the sound of the encroaching enemies.

"HELLDOGS! Ready up!"

Eirana lowered her head, adjusted her footing and banged on her shield twice. "If the enemy hope for a battle then we shall grant them one- let us also grant them swift deaths," she muttered from behind her shield.

 

[Breadman]

Waylond stood up and turned to Pottrey

"Stay back for now, squire. We need someone to keep an eye on things here." While not entirely true, the knight wasn't comfortable in throwing his cousin into battle yet. There's still much to teach him before he's on that point. He followed after the others to where the enemy was starting pour from.

 

[Auda]

The berries, with its mysterious and magical properties, had been a lucky find for Aureal. Making sure to grab more than a handful, the Elf returned back to camp and settled down, satisfied with his exploration of the land. Though, bad luck seemed to follow Aureal and the others, as if cursed by the Gods above, as the familiar roar of a horn rattled his bones and planted dread inside his stomach. "Not again." The Elf spat out, immediately tensing up as he prepared both his mind and body for the inevitable fight that's about to happen.

 

[joshuadim]

Arnas and Zakala, as well as the rest of the company, would swiftly draw their own weapons and brace themselves for what was to come as the war horn sounded once more much nearer than it was. The enemy was moving in quickly as the group could see the thrashing of trees and plants in the distance signal their movements. Both Pottrey and Lanya positioned themselves to be behind the rest of the group, considering their inexperience in combat, with the latter rapidly looking towards the distant movements and to Da'Vost with worry and fear. It wasn't long before a menacing voice could be heard as a chuckle that one could compare to steel scratching on ice pierced the atmosphere.


It spoke with a deep, rumbling voice that tore through the air as relentlessly as its own claws could.



Hughin felt a bit of sweat fall down his head as he tried to find where the voice was coming from, with no success. Zakala frantically pointed her bow from place to place in her own weak attempt to figure out where this new threat was exactly while Arnas' eyes opened wide with uncertainty... and anger. "SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARD!" he yelled aloud, "OR ARE YOU TOO AFRAID TO FACE US YOURSELF!?"

These insults only prompted laughter from the voice as large numbers of footsteps could be heard rumbling through the Garden, with flames rising in the distance as it became clear they were desecrating the place.



Winged figures suddenly burst out from the shrubbery in the distance and sprinted towards the group with cries of battle and rage. Their skin was leathery and pale and covered with spikes as their dark wings flapped with great strength to propel them swiftly towards their targets. Hughin's eyes went wide as he only muttered a single word: "Fuck."

----------

The Battle of the Garden
14x Balthir Brutes - 10 HP each
2x Balthir Lieutenants - 20 HP each

Debuffs
Crippling Fear - Every 3 turns, all Company members must roll to resist panicking with a 1d20 (Success is >10).
​

As the enemies drew near, Zakala let loose a powershot with full intentions on killing the target that was closing in on her. Arnas and Hughin in the meantime let loose their attacks of the enemies rushing the group's center with intent on breaking their cohesion. Yet unlike before, Arnas felt something swirl in his chest as he swung his blade that he hadn't felt in fights he had been a part of recently. It felt as though something was different as he felt sluggish and heavier in general.

 

[Breadman]

Waylond readied his sword and took swings at the creatures. Whoever their master was, he would have to come take his servants back in pieces.

 

[Auda]

Eyeing the nearest enemy, Aureal felt the familiar rush of magic course through his veins as he let out a blast of flames towards them.

 

[Viper Actual]

Eirana tightened the grip around the hilt of her sword and unleashed a warcry. Using her shield as a battering ram she charged forth, bashing and stabbing.

 

[joshuadim]

Battle of the Garden - Turn 1

Ally Rolls
Hughin - 6; Hughin deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #2. Balthir Brute #2 HP = 7.
Arnas - 4(5 - 1[Inner Turmoil]); Miss.
Zakala uses Powershot. Crit roll 1d6 = 6. Zakala deals (3 + 1[Sharpshooter] + 6[Crit roll]) 10 damage to Balthir Brute #1. Balthir Brute #1 is dead!
Waylond - 6, 10, 9 [Swift as the Wind II]; Crit roll 1d6 = 3. Waylond deals (9 + 3[Crit roll]) 12 damage to Balthiur Brute #3. Balthir Brute #3 is dead!
Aureal - 6; Aureal deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #4. Balthir Brute #4 HP = 7.
Eirana - 8; Eirana deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #5. Balthir Brute #5 HP = 7.
Cain - 10; Crit roll 1d6 = 5. Cain deals [3 + 5(Crit roll)] 8 damage to Balthir Brute #6. Balthir Brute #6 HP = 2.
Valentina - 7; Valentina deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #7. Balthir Brute #7 HP = 7.
Eidunn - 9; Eidunn delas 3 damage to Balthir Brute #8. Balthir Brute #8 HP = 7.
Da'Vost uses Aetherbolt. Damage 1d4 = 4 + 1[Ocean Heart], 5. Da'Vost deals 5 damage to Balthir Brute #9. Chain 1d2 = 2, Pass. Da'Vost deals 5 damage to Balnir Brute #10. Balnir Brute #9, #10 HP = 5.

Enemy Rolls
Balthir Brute #2 - 5 (6 - 1[Vanguard]); Misses Hughin.
Balthir Brute #4 - 10; Crit roll 1d6 = 5. Aureal takes (3 + 5[Crit roll]) 8 damage. Aureal HP = 7.
Balthir Brute #5 - 1; Critical Fail! Roll 1d4 = 4. Eirana deals 4 damage to Balthir Brute #5. Balthir Brute #5 HP = 3.
Balthir Brute #6 - 9; Cain takes 3 damage. Coin of the Bulwark nullifies 3 damage.
Balthir Brute #7 - 1; Critical Fail! Roll 1d4 = 3. Valentina deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #7. Balthir Brute #7 HP = 4.
Balthir Brute #8 - 1(2 - 1[Swiftleaf Cloak]); Critical Fail! Roll 1d4 = 2. Eidunn deals 2 damage to Balthir Brute #8. Balthir Brute #8 HP = 5.
Balthir Brute #9 - 4; Misses Da'Vost.
Balthir Brute #10 - 6; Da'Vost takes 3 damage. Da'Vost HP = 12.
Balthir Brute #11 - 1; Critical Fail! Roll 1d4 = 3. Hughin deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #11. Balthir Brute #11 HP = 7.
Balthir Brute #12 - 2; Misses Arnas.
Balthir Brute #13 - 2; Misses Zakala.
Balthir Brute #14 - 9(10 - 1[Ironbark Armor]); Waylond takes 2 (3 - 1[Ironbark Armor]) damage. Waylond HP = 13.
Balthir Lieutenant #1 - 7; Eirana takes 5 damage. Eirana HP = 10.
Balthir Lieutenant #2 - 6 (7 - 1[Vanguard]); Hughin takes 5 damage. Hughin HP = 13 (HP MAX = 18, Obsidian Circle).


​

The enemy forces charged and clashed straight at the group's front lines, with a few moving about to the sides to flank as well and perhaps seeking to attack Ellas as she was trying to get the gate ready for the group. Hughin, Waylong, Eirana, and Arnas were all at the vanguard as these new foes came down upon them in force but they held strong as Hughin managed to strike a deep gash into one of the creature's midsection. Arnas' attack would miss as this feeling of imbalance inside him continued to grow, making his head more and more dizzy, but Waylond managed to step in to deal with the creature as one cut sliced open the creature's chest, another sliced off an arm and then the final strike beheading it. The brute fell backwards into the grasses of the Garden as its putrid black blood spilled out into the open and visibly began to wilt the plants nearby.

Two more brutes were charging towards Waylond but a well placed shot from Zakala through one's head sent it collapsing just as quickly in front of the knight, while the other managed to swing a hit onto the knight. While the impact hurt, it seemed as though the armor he had obtained was doing work as it managed to absorb most of the damage taken from the creature's claws. Arnas in the meantime dodged another creature's attacks while Hughin delivered a brutal counterattack to a second brute that had been charged at him with intent to maim him, scoring a deep stab into the creature's shouder. Eirana in the meantime would enter a duel with one of the brutes as she stabbed a brute in its belly and would retaliate even harder as the creature attempted to fight back and fail with another stab into the creature's chest.

Closer to the back, the group's sides would be assailed as Cain, Aureal, Eidunn and Valentina moved to protect the Company's flanks from the enemy. Cain would score a stab through one brute's chest, piercing its lung, as it howled and immediately pushed itself away from the half-elf and coughed up its black blood in pain, while Aureal's magic orb would strike another brute and burn its skin on its arms fiercely as it attempted to block it. Aureal would however be victim of the creature's counterattack as it took a flanged mace and smashed it into the elf's side, sending him to the ground in pain and with the taste of blood in his mouth. As he scrambled back up, pain shot through his side and into the rest of his body which signified that a rib had been broken. Cain's target would eventually charge back at him with rage as strike at him, but would find that the air around Cain seemingly shattered in his defense and would completely prevent the blow from going to him.

Valentina meanwhile managed to land a cut onto her target's leg, before easily dodging its attempted counterattack and stabbing straight into its exposed backside and hurting it deeply as it cried out in pain. Eidunn's attacker charged at her with full intentions of smashing a black sword into her but, without thinking about it, she sidestepped rather quickly as the creature's blade hit the ground harmlessly. As if the currents of wind were guiding her through her cloak, she had avoided being wounded and now she took the initiative to stab into the creature's elbow quickly. Da'Vost's spell would focus on two more creatures that were charging him from the side, managing to get through the group's lines, with his Aetherbolt. He felt his gemstone's aura radiate through him as he summoned the energies for his attack and resulted in both creatures being severely burned. Yet that was not enough to dissuade them in their lust for blood as they lashed out of the Aervis, with one missing while the other scoring a cut into his back.

Back at the front, the bigger and more heavily armed Lieutenants pushed forward and struck hard with one knocking Eirana to the ground a few feet away from its hit while the other slammed onto Hughin's shield with such force that it sprained his wrist, causing him to sputter in pain.

Turns until Crippling Fear takes effect [ 2 ].
​

With the Lieutenant's blade still embedded into his shield, Hughin managed to push through the pain and dislodge himself from the creature's weapon as he regrouped himself. His shield arm was now compromised as his wrist burst with waves of pain that only seemed to intensify as the minutes passed by. Zakala quickly drew another arrow and loosed it upon the Lieutenant that had been attacking Hughin, but his attention snapped over to a cry of pain from Arnas as he suddenly clutched at his head and collapsed onto his knees. To him, he felt an extreme wave of agony shoot out into his head without warning as his vision quickly blurred from the sheer intensity of what he was experiencing. His mind raced in confusion, fear, and uncertainty as he knew he was in danger yet whatever was happening to him was entirely hindering him from even defending himself properly at the moment. The brute that Hughin had been fighting earlier quickly moved in to score an easy target, which caused Hughin's eyes to go wide as he rushed towards Arnas with a cry of anger and sliced at the creature.

Arnas is incapacitated for the next turn! [Inner Turmoil]​

Ellas in the meantime focused all her efforts on getting the gate ready, as more and more vines coalesced to form its outer ridges while the fighting ensued. So far, none of the enemy had made it to her but she found herself breaking sweat as the toll needed to form a gate that quickly was taking an effect on her. "I need... more time!" she yelled aloud to the Company, "It will be ready soon! Hold out as long as you can!"

 

[Breadman]

Waylond grunted from the hit, but refused to budge from place as the armor was working it's magic. The knight was now going on the offensive. He raised his blade to shove it in the creature's throat and would move on to the next.

 

[Fauxs]

After successfully striking the approaching enemy, Cain attempted to keep his guard up. however, after his attack, the brute quickly stood back up and prepared for another strike in which Cain was unable to prepare for. As the brute's weapon was about to reach Cain, he suddenly felt a familiar aura, one he felt back in the river. The presence of that feeling also affected the enemy, preventing his attack from harming the half elf.

The boy then suddenly glanced at his open pocket as the coin gleamed in his sight, in which served as his newfound trust of protection from the item. With such protection in his hands, Cain confidently strikes back at the enemy with his rapier.

 

[joshuadim]

Battle of the Garden - Turn 2

Ally Rolls
Hughin – 9; Hughin deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #2. Balthir Brute #2 HP = 4.
Arnas is incapacitated for the turn!
Zakala – 7(6 + 1[Redvine Bowstring]); Zakala deals (3 + 1[Sharpshooter]) 4 damage to Balthir Brute #2. Balthir Brute #2 is dead!
Waylond – 6, 5, 2 [Swift as the Wind II]; Waylond deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #5. Balthir Brute #5 is dead!
Cain – 9; Cain deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #6. Balthir Brute #6 is dead!
Aureal – 9; Aureal deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #4. Balthir Brute #4 HP = 4.
Eirana – 5; Miss.
Eidunn – 9; Eidunn deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #8. Balthir Brute #8 HP = 2.
Valentina – 8; Valentina deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #7. Balthir Brute #7 HP = 1.
Da’Vost – 9; Da’Vost deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #7. Balthir Brute #7 is dead!

Enemy Rolls
Balthir Brute #4 – 4; Misses Aureal.
Balthir Brute #8 – 7(8 - 1[Swiftleaf Cloak]); Eidunn takes 3 damage. Eidunn HP = 12.
Balthir Brute #9 – 5; Misses Da’Vost,
Balthir Brute #10 – 3; Misses Valentina.
Balthir Brute #11 – 1; Critical Fail! Roll 1d4 = 2. Hughin deals 2 damage to Balthir Brute #11. Balthir Brute #11 HP = 5.
Balthir Brute #12 – 5(6 – 1[Vangaurd]); Misses Hughin.
Balthir Brute #13 – 7; Zakala takes 3 damage. Zakala HP = 12.
Balthir Brute #14 – 4(5 – 1[Ironbark Armor]); Misses Waylond.
Balthir Lieutenant #1 – 2; Misses Hughin.
Balthir Lieutenant #2 – 6(7 – 1[Ironbark Armor]); Waylond takes 4(5 – 1[IronBark Armor]) damage. Waylond HP = 9.​

Hughin slammed straight into the side of the brute that had raised its blade against Arnas with such force that an audible crack could be heard as the creature yelled out in pain and was sent tumbling away before it was quickly dispatched with an arrow to its neck by Zakala. Another one would immediately attempt to strike Hughin afterwards but would find itself victim of a feign where the experienced captain took advantage of his opponent's position and gave a quick stab into the creature's torso. One of the larger lieutenants would swing a large mace downwards but miss Hughin entirely as he sidestepped the slow moving attack which caused a large amount of grass and soil to burst upwards from the impact. Waylond wouldn't fare as well however after dispatching another one of the brutes, as another lieutenant landed a solid strike onto the knight just it had did to Eirana, and sent the man rolling onto his back.

The creature that had failed to hit Cain the last time roared in anger and pursued to get another strike in, but a well timed strike from the young man pierced the creature's heart and killed it instantly as it clutched at its wound and fell back to the ground. Eidunn's own battle with the brute that had her in its sights continued as she got in another stab into the creature's side, much to its anger, but would promptly receive a punch to the face as a result to swat her away. The impact was hard enough to have her taste blood in her mouth as she stumbled back from the brute as the two recollected themselves and prepared for another bout. Valentina's own duel would be fruitful as she landed yet another strike and dodged another from her opponent, while Da'Vost finished the creature off with a well placed blast of magic. Aureal would also land a small fireblast onto another enemy, which would cause it to miss its attack as it stumbled about in pain as its body smoldered from the intense heat of the attack.

Arnas' sudden onset of extreme pain receded rather quickly as his vision returned to normal. He shook his head and breathed in deeply as he realized that the fight was still ongoing and quickly rejoined the fight by taking his blade and attacking the lieutenant that had tried to strike Hughin, with his father joining along shortly afterwards. Zakala in the meantime took a quick look and, much to her shock, saw another large group of enemies sprinting towards them from their flank. The group was about to be overrun by a large number of enemies, but the ground began to rumble violently as Ellas took notice and put a hand to the ground and whispered in an lost language. All around this new group of enemies the ground tumbled and sank beneath them as roots and vines burst out to entwine and entangle them. Many struggled and roared as they grabbed at, sliced, and cut the vines as much as they could but were ultimately powerless to stop such powerful old magic from taking them beneath the earth to their graves.

"It's almost done! The Grœnnfold is shifting for your travels." she announced as she quickly returned to focus her work on the gate as Joony burst out of the bushes nearby. "Mum! More enemies! It's like a whole army!" he cried out with fear.

"I know... stay safe in the back with the others." she spoke sternly, which brought Joony to sit near Lanya who was hiding as best as she could behind some rocks with Pottrey on guard near the two of them.

 

[Fauxs]

As the enemies draw near his allies, Cain began to back up and breathe for a moment. Immediately, after he regains his strength, the half elf began to open his journal, revealing several of his difficult spells. With a spell in mind, the boy started to mutter the words written on the current pages. The sky above his enemies began to crackle as he continued to read, forming several projectiles aiming down, towards the brutes.

SPELL CAST: HEAVEN'S JUDGEMENT​

 

[Auda]

Aureal carefully probed his sides, gritting his bloodied teeth as he examined the nasty bruise that's forming. He couldn't move a muscle without his body flaring up with pain. Luckily, the next brute missed it's attack but Aureal's sudden movement to cast the fire blast caused him to kneel once more. The Elf knew he is currently a stationary punching bag and couldn't do much without making his condition worse. Aureal took a step back from the battlefield and focused on his allies instead, noticing Cain's muttering and the sky's anger. Crushing the berry he found inside the garden, Aureal felt the familiar boost of magic course through his veins as he redirected it towards Cain. Aureal offered his magic to his companion as he let it wrap around the Half-Elf, empowering them in the process.

Spell cast: Augment​

 

[Breadman]

Despite the hit, Waylond got back up. He needed to bring that lieutenant down. Focusing on the weak points of it's armor, the knight let loose more attacks.

 

[joshuadim]

Battle of the Garden - Turn 3

Ally Rolls
Hughin – 7; Hughin deals 3 damage to Balthir Lieutenant #1. Balthir Lieutenant #1 HP = 17.
Arnas – 7; Arnas deals 3 damage to Balthir Lieutenant #1. Balthir Lieutenant #1 HP = 14.
Zakala – 10(9 + 1[Redvine Bowstring]); Crit roll 1d6 = 3. Zakala deals 7 damage to Balthir Lieutenant #1. Balthir Lieutenant #1 HP = 10.
Aureal casts Augment on Cain. Cain’s damage is increased by 4(2 + 2[Moondust Berries]) for 2 turns.
Cain casts Heaven’s Judgement. 5 enemies take (2 + 4[Augment, Moondust Berries]) 6 damage each.
Balthir Brutes 4, 9, 10, and 11 are dead! Balthir Brute #12 HP = 4.
Waylond – 8, 6, 10; Crit roll 1d6 = 4. Waylond deals (3 + 3 + 3 + 4[Crit roll, Swift as the Wind II]) 13 damage to Balthir Lieutenant #2. Balthir Lieutenant #2 HP = 7.
Eirana – 2; Miss.
Eidunn – 7; Eidunn deals 3 damage to Balthir Brute #8. Balthir Brute #8 is dead!
Valentina – 4; Miss.
Da’Vost – 3; Miss.

Enemy Rolls
Balthir Brute #12 – 3; Misses Aureal.
Balthir Brute #13 – 3; Misses Cain.
Balthir Brute #14 - 7; Cain takes 3 damage. Coin of the Bulwark nullifies 1 damage. Cain HP = 13.
Balthir Lieutenant #1 – 10; Crit roll 1d6 = 5. Arnas takes (5 + 5 [Crit roll]) 10 damage. Arnas HP = 5.
Balthir Lieutenant #2 – 1; Critical Fail! Roll 1d4 = 2. Waylond deals 2 damage. Balthir Lieutenant #2 HP = 5.

The enemy group retreats! The Company is victorious.
​

Eidunn's own battle would end decisively as the weakened brute lunged at her sluggishly which, helped by her agility from the cloak, was easily dodged as she placed her dagger into the creature's back and set it collapsing to the ground dead. Waylond would shift his focus onto the Lieutenant that had struck him and would unleash a series of blows against the creature, getting an extra one in with a decent counterattack after it tried to retaliate, while Valentina, Eirana, and Da'Vost would continue their own combats but would be unsuccessful in their own new offensives.

Hughin, Arnas, and Zakala focused as a team on taking on one of the Lieutenants that had been targetting them, with Arnas and Hughin coming in from two sides at the same time for an attack while Zakala focused it from afar with another well placed shot into the creature's chest. The impact of which dragged attention away from the two men who sliced and hit at the beast and carved off large chunks of flesh from it as it roared before hitting Arnas straight in the chest. The wind was knocked out of him as he spat out blood as he was knocked a good two dozen feet away all the way to where the non-combatants of the group were huddling, which prompted Joony and Lanya to quickly scuttle over to him to try to help him up. Through gritted teeth, Arnas slowly got up with his hands on the ground and coughed up more blood. "Stay... safe here." he simply said as he picked up his sword to continue fighting.

What changed the field however was what Aureal and Cain had planned as the skies thundered with magic as the half-elf, empowered by the gift of the berries Aureal had picked earlier, unleashed a torrent of magic downwards onto the enemy. Originally, the spell would have been used as crowd control but through the sheer amount of power channeling through Cain it ended up turning several brutes to ash as they were struck by the spell which left nothing behind but blackened earth underneath them. With their numbers having significantly dwindled all of a sudden, the remaining group of enemies slowly backed off as they growled and roared at the Company before moving quickly back and retreating further. The fight was seemingly over... but a sudden silence crept over the Garden.

CRIPPLING FEAR
Hughin – 6; Pass
Arnas – 8; Pass.
Zakala – 4; Fail. Zakala is frozen in fear!
Aureal – 9; Pass.
Cain – 3; Fail. Cain attacks wildly in panic! Hughin takes (3 + 4[Augment, Moondust Berries]) 7 damage. Hughin HP = 6.
Waylond – 7; Pass.
Eirana – 3; Fail. Eirana is frozen in fear!
Eidunn - 6; Fail. Eidunn is frozen in fear!
Valentina – 4; Fail. Valentina attacks wildly in panic! Waylond takes (3 – 1[Ironbark Armor]) 2 damage. Waylond HP = 7.
Da’Vost – 7; Pass.

​

Looking around, the Garden was under siege from all sides as flames rose from other areas of the grove and the sounds of roars could be heard in the distance of more and more enemies. The enemy had defiled this place and as Ellas looked about she felt tears run down her face as she realized the extent to which she had failed her duties. She continued to focus on the Gate, but the group had other problems. A sudden, unshakable feeling of dread and doom entered the group's hearts and minds which clawed away at their senses and reasoning like a rabid animal would at a fresh kill. What would shock the group however was that their retreating enemies suddenly roared and cried out in pain as they withered and died into husks as something had been ripped out of them.

In the ensuing panic Zakala, Eirana, and Eidunn would freeze in fear at this sudden turn of events. With Zakala breathing in rapidly in panic and trembling all over as she found it impossible to move a muscle. Cain and Valentina however would fare worse as they lashed out in their own bouts of panic at threats that didn't exist and would accidentally hit their own friends as Cain would catch Hughin across the side with his rapier while Valentina would chip at Waylond's should with her own blade. Then the voice returned from before and cackled with glee.

​

Near where Ellas' house once stood strode out a massive figure, with horns of flame and leathery wings that far surpassed in width anything the group had ever encountered before. It was easily twice larger than the Champion the group had fought previously... and was intent on showing its strength in full as the flames of burning flora around him strengthening as it raised a hand to the sky.

JARAXXUS, ASPECT OF FEAR
??????? HP
?????????
?????????
?????????
​

"You must flee!" Ellas shouted, pointing towards the Gate. "The gate is ready! You must flee! This foe is beyond any of you!" she then cried out before quickly walking over to Joony. "Listen to me... you must lead them far away. To Altissia, understand? Do not turn back for anything." Joony was trembling in fear and had his own tears running down his face as he tried to speak: "But... what about you!?" he asked.

"Do not worry... it will not help you." she then said as she turned to the group once more, "Follow Joony! Flee!"

"Come on! Move it!" Hughin yelled aloud as he, and others, grabbed those that were panicking and moved as quickly as they could towards and through the gate.

Ellas prepared to fight as her hands began to glow green with the old magics to defend everyone's escape. Hughin however, being the last one to leave, was concerned for the druid as he shouted to her: "Come on! You can still come with us!"​

"No! This beast will only follow us. I will destroy the Gate after you are in the Grœnnfold. Follow Joony, and... farewell."

Hughin struggled to find words but gave a silent nod as thanks before entering through the Gate himself, leaving the two to fight it out to an uncertain fate.

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END OF CHAPTER 2​

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