Completed Chapter V: Out of Sight

[SephirothSage]

Bartholemew

The Hunter of Shadows

​

As the battle raged on, a figure looked on from a roof. He had been watching- waiting for a moment where he felt needed, from a nearby rooftop- having climbed atop it earlier to escape from the Mist and try to get a View. Disappointed by the failure of this stratagem- he looks on. And that is when he spots the Priestess, possibly about to be overwhelmed. That will not do. He steps back, crouches- and breaks in to a run. He crouches at the edge of the building- and leaps, as he draws his Katana- and begins to fall towards his target, blade first. He falls like a blurring star from the heavens- aided by gravity, he falls with an surprising amount of force on to the monstrosity- himself spared from the pain of the fall, by it's body breaking his fall, as he yanks his Katana up from it's ruined mass, and whips it about in a wide arc to force back the other monsters. He is eerily silent, as he does all of this.


He is clad in black armor, of an unfamiliar design and make- around this, he wears a black cloak and hood. He smiles- little of his face showing in the Darkness, and speaks, breaking the eerie quiet of his actions. "Are you Injured? Please- allow me to deal with these for you; the battlefield is no place for a woman of the Cloth." His speech is lightly accented, but manages to flow at least adequately.

​

 

[Kaerri]

Maggie

Priestess of the Maker​

Maggie flinches as one of the monsters gets past her guard - and is suddenly dropped (and dropped on) by a new stranger. Startled, she stares at the new arrival for a moment before giving him a cheerful smile. "I'm well enough, thanks to you!" she says, and waves her staff at the other monsters. "Mind the rest, though!" For the moment, she's going to ignore any comments about her "place" - this isn't the time for an argument.

 

[Doctor Calgori]

Henvei v. R. Daltzen

Master of Cards

​

Hands still dripping with fire, Henvei turned back to check in with the main of the battle. The party was going rather well: everybody danced, back and forth, with enthusiasm, and the two sides were starting to get more comfortable with each other, coming closer and closer for a more intimate dance. Henvei cupped his hands to his mouth, his shout spewing little drops of fire onto the ground in front of him.


"Friends! I think you've invited more guests than you accounted for! We're running of room on the dancing round." Truth be told, Henvei had never cared too much for these sort of parties. He'd rather be indoors, wearing something dry, and drinking something warm. "Things must end soon, if you have any hope of lasting to the after-party." The scholar briefly considered a fireball or two, but it would flow too far and too fast, scorching guards as much as fish-men. The battle would have to clean up some before any grand finale.

 

[Zatheron]

A'kal

The Sword of Ages
​

A'kal deflecting a blow from one monstrosity before whirling his blade around to slice open another spawn. He turned his sword around and brought the blade back under his arm, and right into the creature behind him. He spun around and decapitated it in one swift strike. He glanced at Meric to make sure he was okay and then at Sanya. An interesting individual, one with unique fighting prowess. Later I will inspect such a swordsman. He turned his attention back to the engagement. He rushed forward towards the line of guards that was holding back a whole other wave. As he ran, he drew upon his power, dramatically slowing down everything around him. He was going faster as he leapt over the guards and sliced through the first row of monsters before time evened itself again and he stood with his fellow soldiers.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Rain eased up a bit, but was still falling. By now all of the monsters separate from the main group were dealt with. Meric nodded at Sanya, speechless, catching his breath. And A'kal's intervention helped things significantly... But not nearly as much as what happened next.


Dina's world suddenly spun around her; her eyes fell shut and she fell down on her knees, losing the ability to stand without warning. She felt... something, some kind of presence, flowing through her veins much like her powers were, both of them. Finally, after the longest moment, the girl slowly rose up, but as someone else. At that moment Violet noticed her, having stood close. The elf hurried to her side, asked her if she was alright...


"Out of my way." the girl said, sounding calmly yet sinister somehow. The long cut along the underside of her right arm shone a radiant dark purple, and there was a matching gleam in her eyes as well. She looked... unnatural. She went past Violet who was stunned, and made her way deliberately down the street to where the main fight was. Her black hair was dripping wet, her dress clung close to her body, accentuating the curves and the edges.


"Dina!" Violet called after her friend, following. She was confused. She called for her compatriot who was ahead. "Meric! Something's wrong with Dina!" The other elf took notice, since there were no immediate threats around. He too called after Dina but the girl ignored him as well. Meric saw the sharp purple glow across her arm, saw her eyes glowing too. This was not right. Before he decided what to do, though, the girl was past him and in the middle of a spell.


"Taint, my old friend..." Dina said, her right arm raised in front of her and surrounded with what appeared to be purple ribbons, circling her arm like liquid smoke of purple darkness. She was now standing just behind the first row of soldiers that held back the tide of amphibian monsters and A'kal who was among them. Slowly at first, then quickly, Dina lowered herself and brought the palm of her hand down against the wet ground. Dark cracks spread from it as fast as lightning, covering the area ahead of her, the entire battleground, and just when this got everyone's attention - multiple fissures opened and crystalline growth surged forth; dark, purple glowing rocks shaped like teeth of a dragon. Several monsters were impaled on the spot, but this was not all. The girl made a hand gesture, rising up again, and the crystals exploded with such force that threw everyone and everything aside - monster and guardsman alike, including the surprised A'kal - against the walls of the side buildings. The air glimmered with a thousand purple shards in the rain, and as moments passed in disbelief, it became clear that the monsters were dead. The City Watch soldiers were moving, most of them, some of them attempting to stand. A'kal took the blow better than others, though his whole body felt it. It seemed that the only reason why mainly the monsters died in the blast was because they were unprotected. The armor of the guards was scorched, as if they had been rolling around in some dark purple embers. A'kal's armor as well, though his was not really damaged. He would just have to clean it afterwards.


Ironically, the girl was the last man standing amid the carnage. She turned around to face those behind her. "Behold the might of the Taint!" she cried, clearly relishing the moment. "You foolish mortals have no grasp of... true..." Her words came out barely, forced. Then she screamed and fell down on her knees. When she raised her head, the glow from her eyes disappeared. "H-help... Violet, please, I...I c-can't..." But just as Violet or Meric or someone else would have attempted to approach her, the girl sprung up, the purple flame in her eyes rekindled. "No! Stay back! Back, or I'll bury you alive! This one is mine now." She didn't sound as confident anymore. It was as if every sentence was a struggle.


And it was. Henvei knew what this was. It could only be one thing. The priests guessed as well, and Maggie with them. It had become somewhat obvious even to the others who didn't know Dina at all, seeing her for the first time ever. But there was a single person who could know exactly what and how happened; one man who remained in the background, a necromancer who never really divulged the reasons for him being at the forsaken temple where he joined the Chosen.


In the blink of an eye, Vittorio Valtieri realized that the spirit he had been harboring... was not longer with him.

 

[SephirothSage]

Bartholemew

The Hunter of Shadows

​

The Mans eyes had been following the girl as she moved- suspicious.... and then it all happened. His first thoughts- rapid, unnerved Demonic Possession? Here? Damnit! Followed shortly by increasingly lucid modes of thought... No... my blade does not glow- so what is this black magic..? What dark spirit..? He thinks, as he holds his blade steady- and moves. He steps in between the Priestess, and the Madwoman before him, and holds his blade confidently. His poise is relaxed, ready to move, as he holds the Nodachi in two hands, eyes fixed ahead.

 

[Crocodile]

Sanya Sarkov

The Seventh Sword
​

Sanya had sheathed his sword when the madness played out, whirling towards the disturbance on the balls of his feet. His boots squelching across the wet and blood soaked ground until it could find stone. He approached the odd behavior of the girl wit ha severe expression on his face, his swords clinking lightly while he assessed the damage done. He was glad to see most of the guards were still alright, at least those who had survived the melee. The struggle he could see now with the exhausted girl was more than enough to make him feel a burning anger at the thing trying to take claim of her.


"You will release the girl, spirit. I do not fear you. I do not fear death against the unjust. You are a thief and you will release your prize," Sanya declared boldly as he stands before her with a scowl. He was hoping some of the more mystically talented here could so something while he kept the thing focused on him. No one deserved such a fate and his rage at being unable to directly punish the culprit was palpable even as he easily held it in check. He'd spent far too many decades hunting criminals of all sorts to lose control of himself.


"It is clear you cannot hold control. Let go before the owner might just throw you out themselves."

 

[Grey]

Vittorio Valtieri

The Gentleman Necromancer

​

You damned fool, Vittorio, he thinks, steeling himself, casting aside all sighs and doubts.


He shakes the feigned dust from his bones, draws himself to full height, and strides out with ghoulishly decorated silver dagger in one hand, staff raised in the other. His eyes smoulder with the uncolours of the Shadow Realm.


"Cold-blooded argent, treasury of the forsaken kingdom, heed now my call. You, cold, bloodless shade reflected now within this blade - Out! out!; for I as hold this silver key 'tween death and here your hold will be broken."


A phantom wind raises his cloak and frost spreads from his footfalls. The dagger hums and shivers in his white-knuckled fist. Closer and closer to Dina, as his ice rimed blade reflects not her own face, but a monster where she should stand - all shadow and inchoate menace.


"Out! This body is not for you, this life unoffered; take the dead or be imprisoned."


He stands mere feet from her now, blade raised, staff sharing the unearthly light of his eyes.

​

 

[Doctor Calgori]

Henvei v. R. Daltzen

Master of Cards

​

The sounds of the scholar's soft shoes slapping against the ground floated through the air. Henvei dashed as quick as he could to the forefront of the newest spectacle, spellbook spinning through the air behind him. He had been fortunate enough to view the tainted outburst from a safe distance, but now he skid to a halt, panting for breath, at the forefront of the action.


Bold voices pierced the air, but the scholar kept silent, animal enthusiasm plastered across his face: a hunter's gaze, a toothy grin. How familiar this seemed. How intriguing! His outstretched hands traced invisible chapters through the air, until his spellbook caught up, flipping open to present a fresh page under his frantic fingers. The swordsman Sanya spoke first, and the scholar scoffed, audibly, sending a leer of haughty disapproval towards the warrior's efforts. But soon the necromancer took his place in the act, and Henvei took note, each word the necromancer spoke appearing in hasty script within the scholar's notes.


That it would affect the girl, at this time...that was reason enough to ponder. How the party would handle the disturbance, however, was the true attraction of his show.

 

[Kaerri]

Maggie

Priestess of the Maker​

Maggie stares in wonder as every monster is disposed of with such...finality. She turns to the source of the purple magic, intending to thank her. But both intent and expression are suddenly altered when the priestess sees the truth behind Dina's actions. Possession - that's one for me, for sure... She ducks under Bartholemew's arm (and sword) with a murmured, "My call, friend." Shifting her staff to her left hand as she moves towards Dina, she reaches for the holy symbol hanging from a chain around her neck with her free hand. Hearing Vittorio's voice behind her, she turns to look and skids to a halt, rather unnerved by the sight. She reflexively draws back to one side and out of the way, as he plainly knows more of what's wrong with Dina than she does. She bows her head, holding her symbol tightly. "Maker bless his efforts," she whispers.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Dina smirked at Sanya, mocking him. "Foolish mortal! Even in this exhausted, untrained body I am far more powerful than you - none of you would stand a chance against me while I was alive. The last time I walked this world, it took the combined effort of several angels to undo me." A flash of purple came from her eyes, but it was just a threat. The girl then turned her attention to the necromancer who had come forth, backed by the priestess.


"Ah, there you are necromancer. Why the sudden change of heart?" Her tone changed to a much more pleasant one, sounding more similar to the real Dina. "I thought we had a deal, you and I... But of course! You have fulfilled your end of the bargain. You brought me to the temple. It is the promised reward that you are after, not my banishment. Yes." The girl smiled reassuringly, completing her transformation from an evil sorceress to a seductress. She took a few steps towards Valtieri, then stopped in front of him. "It wasn't supposed to be like this I'll admit. I intended to depart in the temple, as promised, but when this one took the Taint upon herself, I could not resist the opportunity. Far better than what I had planned. I even got to see poor old Raziel. Cursed fool." Dina laughed, and she sounded just like normal. It was unnerving, because this was clearly not her.


"I'll tell you what." she said, preparing to make an offer. "You allow me to keep this body - merely a slight twist in our agreement - and in return I will fulfill my promise to you... twice. I know of hidden vaults of powerful artifacts that can be yours, and yours only. Think, necromancer! To attain power of the kind your colleagues could only dream of! To rise up to the old legends, surpass them in time, even." She finished her offer with a cunning smile and a humble nod. "And all you have to do... is nothing. Just let me be."


No one said anything; this was between the necromancer and the spirit, but everyone was watching closely in anticipation.

 

[Grey]

Vittorio Valtieri

The Gentleman Necromancer

​

Valtieri gives a thin-lipped smile.


"This is nothing." He says, and strikes the ground with his staff, speaking words of banishment that echo with the beat of wood on stone.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Upon the staff's impact the incantation triggers a burst of necromantic energy that surges from where the staff connected with the ground outwards. Visually, it looks not unlike black fog whipped by wind. This force blasts Dina mercilessly, and black particles begin catching onto her like liquid darkness. The girl shrieks; to anyone who had never witnessed a banishment before, which is to say most people gathered, it looked like the ritual was hurting both the host and the spirit - when in truth it was not so. Violet called Dina's name but dared not approach. She stared hatefully at Valtieri, but he could not see it from behind his back.


Eventually the girl's body is overcome with darkness and rises, hovering in mid air, a couple feet off the ground like a black doll. As a final act, the darkness suddenly disperses in every direction, its fragments fading like smoke. Acting as if from experience, Meric seizes the moment to swoop in and catch her as she falls down, going limp in his arms. She seems to be unconscious, but she survived. And the evil spirit is gone, banished back to the reaches of the Shadow Realm. Violet is quick to move to Meric's side, worriedly placing her hands on the girl.


It is at that time that a large colon of guards hurriedly marches out into the street; City Watch reinforcements. The guards quickly move to assist their fallen compatriots while others disperse to look for remaining enemies. They find none. It seems that for now, the threat has been averted. One of the guards, a captain judging from the slight differences in his apparel, stands in the middle of the street, addressing everyone at the same time.


"A job well done, but who the hell are all you people? Are you outsiders? How did you traverse the cursed fog?"

 

[Crocodile]

Sanya Sarkov


The Seventh Sword
​

Sanya walked over to stand next to the captain, finally able to turn his focus on the new arrivals. He spares the one who'd scoffed at him a simple, dismissive look as if it was below his notice or care. Then he looks back to the others and crosses his arms.


"Hard to say, Captain. They were quick to come to our aid in the fighting though. Really there are only two obvious options; one being that they are truly here and on our side or the other being that they are sappers sent in to ruin our defenses. Personally, I'll vouch for them, even the necromancer after what I saw done. And if they prove otherwise, I'll kill them myself as well," Sanya said with a calm certainty of a man who'd had to do so before.


"What's the word on the other end of the siege? How bad were our losses?" He shifts his gaze over to the captain for a moment at that question.

 

[Doctor Calgori]

Henvei v. R. Daltzen

Master of Cards

​

But, really, what merit was there in upholstery? The purest, and thus, noblest, expression of the furnisher's art was, without a doubt, within the carving of the wood itself. Any adornments further were there to conceal a shoddy wood, or an amateur's slip of the chisel.


Henvei shook his head free of furniture. The necromatic adventures had been...well, they'd gone by quick, and the Taint was no sooner in full colors than it was a distant memory. Already his head filled with distractions, thoughts of...chairs. Away with the spellbook, disappearing back into the scholar's clothes, and he clasped his hands together behind it, all innocent smiles.


"I'll vouch for them as well. I have never seen outsiders fight with such zeal!" The scholar offered, as the swordsman consulted with the captain of the guard. To his own little party, the scholar gave hush words: "What now? The party is over; are you prepared to weasel your way into the afterparty?"

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

"None." said the Watch captain to Sanya. "Since we've sealed the Main Gates, the Undead have made no attempt to breach. But I can already see we've lost more than a few here... Damnation. And third night, at that." He spat on the ground, irritated. "I'd take the word of a Sword of the Kossar any day, friend, and no offense," he said to Sanya, "But in this case you can't rightly know anything about them, can you?" The City Watch captain was extremely glad to have met the Seventh Sword when he arrived in town three days ago, and has been nothing but friendly towards him since. He seemed to have a ton of respect for the man.


"But you should." said Violet, coming closer. "Or have you forgotten me already, captain Andrés?


"Maker! Mrs. Robbins!" the captain exclaimed in evident surprise. "It is you! Oh, you've no idea how glad I am to see you, albeit in odd company. This is hardly the Resistance regiment I was expecting!" Seeing Violet's look he hurriedly explained: "It's alright, it's alright. Less than a week ago we officially switched sides. Dunn is now openly on the side of the Resistance. Orders from the Commander himself, and most of us here were only too happy to oblige. There was a small, tiny issue of dealing with a handful hardened sympathizers of the usurper, but we're all -"


"Thank you, Captain." Violet interrupted what was becoming blabbering. "But what the hell is going on here? Why would you be expecting a whole regiment if things are under control here, and what are these... these things?"


"You don't know? Ever since this cursed fog fell, we've been cut off. From the Resistance, from the world. We're still unsure if this is the Sorceress' doing. But how did you get here?"


Meric told him. "Through a portal and out by the riverside a mile north of here. Not exactly where we meant to go."


The captain began nodding. "Ah, I see, I see. I suppose that makes sense. Right at the edge of the fog, you say? So there is a way to fool it! Damnation! If only the Mages Guild portal wasn't broken... But I'll send someone to notify them of this as soon as possible. Perhaps then the whole thing will be given a higher priority, you know? Damn wizards... Until then, I suppose you're stuck here just like the rest of us."


Captain Andrés might have said more, but he was interrupted by an angry dwarf with a bloodied greataxe. "If by stuck you be meanin' stuck out 'ere in the bloody rain all night, then yes we be as stuck as we can be! Hm!"


Shaking off the initial shock, the captain waved his men to stand down. "But of course. Forgive me, Mrs. Robbins. Allow me to escort you and your fellow travelers somewhere dryer... We should all get some rest, too, while we can." He sounded tired all of a sudden. "Lord Brook will want to see you in the morning, once he learns of your coming. He'll answer all of your questions. Is she... is she alright?" He discreetly pointed at Dina who was still in Meric's arms.


"She's alive." Meric said. "She'll be alright, but we have to get her somewhere safe."


The captain mutters another apology, then leads Violet, Meric and everyone else through the gates and into the city proper. The rain kept pouring, falling straight down, and would continue to do so throughout the night.

 

[Kaerri]

Maggie

Priestess of the Maker​

Like most present, Maggie watches the banishment intently, though with less concern than some - though she hadn't actually seen a banishment performed before, she knew the theory, and knew that the shrieking and other effects were the last protests of the possessing spirit, not signs of injury to the poor girl being possessed. As the darkness fades away, she moves forward to help, but is forestalled by Meric and gives way to their presumably closer relationship with Dina. She listens to the conversation, and joins in as everyone heads towards the gates. "If it's all the same to you, Captain, I'm sure I can arrange for them to stay at the temple guesthouse.* Helping save the city and all ought to be good enough recommendation, plus the girl" - she nods at Dina - "ought to be in a secure place until she's able to care for herself again. And this rain isn't getting any lighter!" She grins at the party and beckons them to follow. "Bet I can get some kind of dinner going, too, for those who are more hungry than tired."


*guesthouse, priest quarters, etc., whatever spare rooms are likely to be available

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Lord's Castle, Dunn, October 7th, year 3321


---------------------------------------------------------------


Maggie's proposal was accepted by captain Andrés. Dina could be better cared for in the Maker's Temple, and the comfort level did surpass the barracks. It would be difficult finding proper lodging anyway, the captain said. All of the visitors who happened to be in town were now stuck there, plus the population from the Riverfront that could afford it. The temple really was the best choice.


By around nine 9 o'clock in the morning the fellowship was up and about. Dina included. The girl felt well rested and her normal self; The possession did not seem to leave any scars, physical or emotional - except the fact that the network of purple cracks spread significantly across her arm. Valtierri could still catch Violet giving him the evil eye. After a quick breakfast captain Andrés dropped by to escort them all to the keep, where they would have audience with the Lord of Dunn. The road on the way to the castle was already packed. People bickered with merchants, accusing them of withholding goods in a time of crisis. Most of the traders did offer a noticeable discount, but none were yet ready to be simply handing out their stock. The rain had stopped falling sometime around dawn, so everything was still soaked, and with the Sun hidden behind a heavily clouded grey sky the humidity wasn't going to go away anytime soon.


Lord Brook sat on his wooden throne; a relatively modest, small, barely adorned thing, but a throne nonetheless. He was a man in his late forties, with a squarish face and short, auburn hair. A rather friendly looking fellow, which he proved to be right from the start. "Violet! What a welcome surprise! To tell you the truth, I began doubting if I'd ever see you again. Perfect timing!" he said, following the customary introductions. There were two guards posted on the sides of the throne, and aside from the Chosen, the lord had invited three more people: The priestess Maggie, Sanya the Seventh Sword, and the rather obscured character who joined last night's fray and now introduced himself as Bartholomew Hank.


Violet stood out in front of the group to meet Lord Brook who rose from his chair to give Violet a more intimate welcome. "It warms my heart to see you here, Violet." he said, walking up to her and hugging her. "It is good that you've arrived when you did. Your presence, and of course that of your colorful company, might make all the difference for Dunn."


"I am glad," said Violet, "But what is going on here? What were those creatures last night?"


"Just one of the grave issues we face, I'm afraid." replied Lord Brook, sighed, and then began the story. "Three days ago, a thick fog descended on the area. We thought nothing of it, of course; we live next to a river. Fog is common sight. But that was at first. We quickly realized this was no mere fog when people proved unable to traverse it. Entering seems to simply get one back where they started. It's incredibly thick, too, and fixed in place - it did not lift since, and it surrounds the city, hugging the southwest wall and allowing a bit more space in other directions, up to a mile. We cannot even see the other side of Dunnaev. We are effectively cut off from the rest of Asgard. Oh, and the weather! It is either cloudy and raining, or cloudy. But this was only the beginning."


"The fog descended early morning. Sometime in the afternoon the dead had risen from the local graveyard, in overwhelming numbers. I had no choice but to order the Main Gates sealed... Leaving the Outskirts to fend for themselves. A terrible thing, but we couldn't reach it anyway due to the fog. So we shut the gates, and after a while the clawing and bashing ceased. It has been quiet since, but if you look over the wall there, you won't be able to make out a thing. I'm sure the Undead haven't gone anywhere, though." Lord Brook paused for a few moments before continuing. "The same day, just past nightfall, those... creatures... came out of the lake and attacked the Riverfront. We lost a good number of people by the time the Watch could assemble and fend them off. We were fortunate to have the Seventh Sword here, visiting Dunn." He motioned at Sanya Sarkov. "But the creatures returned the following night, in greater numbers. And the next night. And last night, as you witnessed. There is no doubt that they will come again, tonight. We will prepare, of course, but we need a more permanent solution. With these reinforcements, I am hoping we can get to the bottom of this."

 

[Petal]

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard

​

"You have people investigating the matter I presume? I would like to join them." Dina stepped forward. If she got in contact with some mages who knew something about the Taint she would be more than happy to pursue that topic as well. Dina's eyes grazed her arm for a flicker of a second. The purple web was spreading. She must never again push herself to exhaustion just in case some hostile spirits wanted to use her body. If only she could question that spirit for it was apparent that it knew more about the Taint. Vittorio will have to do. She eyed the necromancer with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Dina couldn't wash concern off her face whenever she thought about what Taint could do to her once it spreads completely.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

"We had people investigating." Brook corrected Dina. "I'm afraid all proper investigation ceased when the main gates were shut. The mages haven't been able to repair their own portal, let alone fix this mess. Though it might motivate them to focus on the portal repairs now that your company has proved that portal travel still works. Captain Andrés tells me you arrived through one." seeing Violet nod he continued. "I will send word to the guards stationed at the Main Gates to let you through if you feel like tackling the Undead. But be cautious, please. I must save my troops to defend the Riverfront, so you're on your own out there. Still, I would appreciate if you could commit some resources to helping the defenders of Dunn after nightfall."


"And one other matter. If you'll be up and about, perhaps you could talk to some of the merchants - the major ones at least - see if you can persuade them to part with some of their inventory or at least offer a significant discount. Supplies could be running low before all this is over, and I would hate to have to take things by force unless as a last resort."


"We will do our best, my Lord." said Violet.


"I think a dwarf like me would be more useful at the forge, hm? I am not without talents when it comes to runecrafting." Laurolf decided.


Meric said: "Dina could handle the merchants, I bet, with backup from someone else. I volunteer to lead the expedition into the graveyard. I'd be honored if the famous Seventh Sword would join me, along with anyone else." The elf turned to Sanya with a friendly expression.

 

[SephirothSage]

Bartholemew


The Hunter of Shadows

​

The Cloaked and hooded figure who had sheathed his sword, as the Necromancer- a Necromancer!- was trusted to expel the spirit, had so far stayed away from conversations- but now.. plans of action being made, swords being rallied... Yes. He will join this. The figure approaches the others- those talking- and throws back his hood. It reveals an foreign face of foreign features- too angular, the eyes too small, the face all around.. off. The skin is heavily tanned, but even that is of an odd coloration. He smiles, faintly.... "You plan to attack the Dead in their own crypt? I would join you in this endeavor- it is noble and just, and deserves doing." He speaks softly, his words flowing forth- another fact about him that contrasts the three different swords he openly carries, and the speed and strength with which he moved in the nights battle to save the priestess.

 

[Grey]

Vittorio Valtieri

The Gentleman Necromancer

​

Valtieri shuffles forward, leaning - genuinely - on his staff. Exorcising that shade tired him, like he hasn't felt tired in years. A grim reminder he's been trying to exorcise from himself with brandy, pipesmoke, and reciting classical poetry to young women at the Inn.


"I'll go. Academic curiosity. professional courtesy, and personal ethics, if you will." He says, giving the Elf a weary smile.

 

[Kaerri]

Maggie

Priestess of the Maker​

Maggie nods as they discuss splitting the group up to handle different problems. As people start volunteering, she too speaks up, "I'm up for helping with the crypts too. Unless..." She looks at Dina, with uncharacteristic hesitation. "Maybe you'd like me to go with you instead? With your other friends headed outside, and all." She stops there, letting Dina make the decision.

 

[Petal]

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard

​

"Thank you, I would love some company. I don't know my way around this town..." Dina smiled brightly. She wanted to be quick about her business and quicker when it comes to slipping away to try to find some information while they wait for nightfall.

 

[Zatheron]

A'kal

The Sword of Ages
​

A'kal looked at Meric, Sanya, and Bartholemew. "I will join you as well. If it is the dead you fight on their own blighted grounds, then you might need as many swords as you can get."