Fantasy Dark Fantasy RP ((CLOSED))

[Tetro]

Prologue
​

After two days of fighting, the city of Vale cried out in victory and pain. The sour smell of rust and rot mixed poorly with the blood that still flowed through the dirt roads and dank alleys. The survivors broke down the barricades they had set up, allowing the city to reunite. The vampires were dead, and it felt like somebody had lifted a weight off of Vale. Finally, after so many years, it was as if the people could finally breathe. The blot wasn't completely gone, but it no longer suffocated as harshly as it once did.

~

Vox kept his gaze fixed on the tall, pale woman before him. As exhausted as he was, the fight wasn't over yet. The cheers and cries of the people brought him no comfort. Duty was what drove him now. He couldn't bring himself to finish what he started. He didn't know how to. But now, he could justify his actions. If he let this monster live, she would start the cycle again, and the city would be consumed by vampires once again.

Readying himself, Vox stepped forward, swinging the blade of his sword up and diagonally at the vampire. Vox exposed his left side, and that's what he was hoping she would exploit. Before he had time to adjust himself, Vox felt pain blossom from his left shoulder. When he looked, he saw the woman's mouth clamped on him near his neck, and a large chunk of his shoulder was already missing. She had bitten him at least once before latching onto him. He dropped his sword and wrapped his right arm around her, stopping her from getting away. By the look on her face, he could tell she realized her mistake too late. She tore her mouth away from him, taking skin and muscle along with her. No matter how hard she struggled, Vox wouldn't let her go. He started squeezing her against him, tightening the hug he had on her. Her hissing and snarling turned into wheezing as the air left her lungs. Vox had both arms around her now, knowing it would take all he had to put her to rest. He closed his eyes shut and fought as hard as he could.

''I'm... Proud of you...'

Vox heard the whispers of his mother right before the sound of bone breaking. He opened his eyes and stared at the woman, seeing the empty and lifeless gaze in her own eyes. He knelt slowly to the ground, placing her gently onto the floor. Vox laid down beside her, resting on his back and staring up at the ceiling. He wondered how everyone else was doing.

 

[SimplySugar]

It was startling at first.
Touching. Feeling sensations. Being aware.
When one is born into the world, they are generally too small to remember coming out of the womb. No one remembers when air pierced their skin for the first time, when light first landed into their pupils, when their mothers voice soothed softly in their ears - whether for the first or last time. They cry and cry, then forget.

Unfortunately, Ethereal wasn't blessed with a mother or memories that could be forgotten.
As she recalled it, there was the pain. As quick as it was painful and cold, it was soft and consuming. When she had opened her eyes, the sky looked like shards of glass moving gently in the air, reflecting her small image delicately. She had never seen a face before.
If she had wanted to, she might have floated in that limbo of time forever, believing it to be the world. Except, like the drive a child has when they're ready to leave its mothers stomach, Ethereal felt the need to move. A tight string connected to her heart pulled and tugged. She felt the screams that sorrow cried and the ache that fear drove, and no sooner than when she had reached up to touch her reflection, she found herself sitting up on the edge of a large lake consumed by living things destined to meet her.
She gasped, choked. Breathing was never kind to anyone the first time.

It had been a few days since then. Ethereal found herself wandering the streets of the city for that time, her floating dress becoming ripped, shredded, and dirty. Her skin was musty, her eyes were dull and her hair was broken. She saw the people she was driven for so desperately ravish themselves and the very things that had once consumed them.
Ethereal found herself face to face with a vampire. It was dying on the ground, stabbed aggressively through the chest, and was wheezing quietly so no one would hear. But she heard. When the child looked at her, it was only with hunger. There was a deep disgust that rang through her being when she first saw it, but it was quickly replaced by a deep broken sob. She turned - there was nothing she could do to it.

So she wandered, relishing in her beginning to protect what was hers.

 

[FellowKnight]

He braved further. Towards the noises of struggle.

He stepped over debris and through ruined walls, over bodies. Towards a particularly dark room. He could almost distinguish what the sounds were: Someone rearranging furniture? Two men fighting? A nonchalant burglar, perhaps?

He broached the door, forcing aside wood and stone rubble, making a stern entrance. He paused. The noise had stopped.

Then flinched and screamed as they came wailing back, the black corners of the space rushing forward to consume him.


Khuzani Cerker woke with a start in a cold sweat. He instantly produced a blade from a crevice at his side, murder in his gaze as he lifted it… And relaxed a moment later, letting it fade. No one was there. He banished panic from his mind as he woke himself and came to his feet in a stretch, peering out. The craggy foothills of Dunaq were still asleep, blanketed with moss-covered boulders nestled into the earth, and trees that rose triumphantly to catch the morning light. Judging from a first look, he figured it wasn’t past eight just yet so the coming hours were especially absent. Aside from the sweeping winds and occasional spider, he was alone. He appreciated the silence here as a sort of exclusivity; most of Foswen didn’t have the heart to share it, making Dunaq its own little paradise.

He turned to regarded his sleeping pad of hay before deciding breakfast would have to be skipped, and stooped down to pack up. In just a few short minutes he was garbed and cloaked, had siphoned fresh water from a smaller tributary, and took to the road once more. His path out of the foothills took him up a depression that opened onto a tall-grass clearing and the road to the capital was just beyond. The sun broke from cover of the treetops to warm the old man's bearded face, and he stopped to bask in it. He sighed.

And glanced sideways, into an overgrown ditch, locking eyes with a dead man, his face twisted and body stiff from the chilling night before. There was a hole ripped in his armor, clean through, and dried blood stained the grass under him. Another woman lay sprawled out next to him, the upper-half of her skull missing, her tunic soaked red. More corpses were arranged in an inconspicuous manner, leaving their scent a mystery and their discovery unlikely. His gaze hardened, the ghost of certainty roosting on his shoulder, and pressed on.

He was outside the opened gates of Vale just before the evening and was greeted by a posse of guards and townsfolk, deconstructing a makeshift barricade. Had it held the gates closed? Had they resigned to die if they'd failed? One of the guards turned, halting him with an outstretched hand.

"Vale isn't quite safe for entry, traveler. What's your business here?"

Khuzani Cerker drew his hood back to reveal silver-dusk hair tied back in a ponytail, and an untamed beard framing a weary visage. His maroon-washed eyes came to bear on the man, then beyond him. He could see into the city, where the aftermath of battle was still being cleaned up. Flaming debris and fresh blood, bodies of citizens and monsters, and the weeping. So much crying. The city had suffered.

"Vale is my home. I've come to Cleanse it of Corruption."

"..The fighting ended just a few hours ago, all the vampire scum are--"

"Dead, no doubt. All the more reason to allow me entry." He locked onto the one that spoke, a younger boy with an inappropriate mustache. "It's no kept secret that they left more than stale air and death in their wake. You will need all the help you can get."

The guard wasn't quite convinced, and certainly wasn't content on letting a senior enter a place of such rot and ruin. But his insistence was.. off-putting, so he agreed to move the man along.

And so Khuzani entered a city he hadn't seen in years, among a ravaged people. Their safety had been violated and their future suspended in uncertainty. Even with the vampires gone, they were still scared, as they should be. Vale itself felt different.. sick to the roots, if he had to diagnose it.

But that ended now. ​

 

[Tetro]

Hours passed before the people of the city removed the barricades that kept them trapped within. Once the excitement had died down, everyone wasted no time burning bodies, tearing down Tainted houses, and rebuilding. Being the only guild member left capable of leading, Vox assisted in demolishing the ruined guild house. Setting fire to the building, he decided it was best not to enter, not wanting to see his old comrades' bodies. Once the fire was sure to keep burning, Vox grabbed a crate nearby and stood on top of it, addressing the large gathering of people. The guild was the only beacon of hope for Vale's people, and to see it come to an end in their home was like losing a loved one. Naturally, people assembled to watch in silence and pay their respects as the building burned.

"The vampires are dead, but this is not the end. They were simply pawns of a grander scheme. A scheme I intend on putting to rest before this city suffers any more than it already had. Those of you who are able and willing, I call upon you now to take up arms once more and march with me. If not for your home or family, then march to end the city's suffering once and for all. Our target is the castle," he pointed in the direction of the castle that resided in the city's center.

The Beauregard castle was untouched ever since the duke and duchess retired indefinitely behind its stone walls. Thanks to the court wizards, a small army of golems and animated armor sets protected the walls of the castle, never leaving their posts or lowering their guard at any point. Potential attackers and trespassers for the first few years were taken out quickly and without bias. For this reason, the citizens of Vale left all within the castle walls to their own devices.

While many were inspired by Vox, retaining a fighting spirit, the castle's mention was enough to keep those listening silent. Vampires were one thing, but a fortified building protected by magic was another thing entirely. Many believed this to be a job for adventurers or even mercenaries, people who no longer inhabited the city in large numbers as they did before. The burning of the guild house was evident enough of that fact.

Vox waited patiently, scanning the crowd. If he had to do it alone, he would, but he didn't know what laid in wait for him. As powerful as he knew himself to be, he also knew he wasn't infallible or even unkillable.

 

[FellowKnight]

Despite his talks with the vulnerable, distraught citizens, some now homeless and widowed, Khuzani knew he wasn't getting but half the story. Pieces were missing, shadows were shifting, and something smelled rotten. He was told the vampires had been hiding under the church, in the catacombs even. Guards, he vaguely remembered, were to patrol that plot to ensure no squatters. It was abandoned but, as far as he knew, sealed off. The Guild of Artoria, alongside some adventurers, had risen up to stop them, and all but two guild members remained. And the eerily quiet castle.. It had a court of wizards, last he recalled, summoned from all over the country, some from all over the world, all renowned and loyal. Vale, it seemed, had enough defenses in place to at least anticipate an attack on this scale. Yet it proved highly susceptible to corruption, slow-burning and sinking to its core. For years.

Why didn't the wizards sense this dark magik the vampires had used to turn Vale inside out?
Why had the corruption been allowed to fester so long?
How did the vampires get in so easily?
And why was the castle so quiet?
What were the Beauregards doing in there?

Decidedly unsatisfied, he took a self-led tour through Vale, to make up for a lack of answers. He listened with intent, spoke innocent questions, and shambled about, to blend in. He kept his eye on the people, even their precious guards. They'd all done dirty things for years, so much that it had become their lives, and they were comfortable in that garbage. Stink like that wouldn't just go away, and Khuzani knew it. If the city was to be cleaned, and kept that way, they required correction most of all.

"..but this is not the end. They were simply pawns of a grander scheme.."

Khuzani heard the voice as he was amid a hushed discussion about the "hefty pockets and grabby hands" of the guards, with a strained mother of three, and spared a glance in that direction. It belonged to a mountain of a man, no doubt a bred and tested warrior, making proclamtions of their ongoing fight against the corruption of Vale. A leader, is he? Khuzani politely exited the conversation and shuffled into the growing crowd at the Mountain Man's feet. Now that he was closer, Khuzani wandered why he felt the need to stand on a crate at all.

He glanced as the warrior gestured to the castle, indicating it was their intended target; Khuzani waited for the first person to yell "traitor!", another maybe "hang 'im at the neck!", or perhaps the guards had simpler solution and would pelt the warrior with arrows. Nothing happened. Only silence ruled the time that followed the speech, to a point it was almost unbearable. The fear in these people was palpabale, now most of all. Even the guards rejected eye contact with the warrior, turning their backs on the castle that held their beloved rulers. Not one soul, even an adventurer of sorts, moved a muscle. Vale's salvation was distant, sure, but at least within sight. Did no one care to take action? Unballing his clenched fist, Khuzani sighed and took deliberate steps forward, through the crowd and towards the massive warrior.

"It might digest better," Khuzani projected his voice, as people parted around him. "..if the good people of Vale knew your plan. Or any plan."

An elderly man appeared from the crowd, coming before Vox. Certainly he was an odd sight to see; he wore garbs that matched with the townspeople, hell, he looked like one of the people. He must've been from around here, but he wasn't afraid. That much was clear in his movements, his voice clear and firm. He wasn't slouched with a demeanor of defeat, like so many of the townspeople, and his face wasn't absent. Most of all, his eyes weren't dead.

"If what you say is true, and the castle is that fortified, a simple mob won't do. I think you know that." Khuzani Cerker jabbed a thumb to his own chest, eyeing down Vox. "The safety of Vale lies in the balance of what we do next, and there is no room for error but.. I'd rather stand with you, warrior, than not stand at all." And even we will not be enough, Khuzani reconciled, and he made some peace with that. He turned to face the crowd.

"Your home is in peril. Your rulers are in darkness. Who stands for Vale?"​

 

[SimplySugar]

The time wandering became a blur. From the people Ethereal saw mourning to the poison-laced whispers she heard from one mouth to the next, she wondered silently how much of the city had been saved by getting rid of the vampires. To what cost, to what real victory? Her shell of a being weakened as she walked among the destruction barefooted; glass shards digging into the soles of her feet, emotions of all kinds strewn too deep.

A meek voice scratched at her heart, etching within her core.
They were just the cover. Flip the pages.

Ethereal saw a child crying outside the burnt edges of what had been a large, towering house. Her little laced silk dressed was soaked in mud and blood. Her eyes grieved so deeply Ethereal felt the world crack with each tear the child wept into her knees.
She quickly stepped forward, arms outstretched, ready to dowse her in everything Ethereal wished she could give every citizen that had been broken - but a guard replaced her and stepped forward seconds sooner than she could.

"We have a place for you." He whispered gently, picking her up and eyeing his partner steadily. He spun around, but not before catching her looking at them and grimacing at her appearance. Their eyes met. She felt a dark uneasiness, a trickle of brewing anger brewed in his orbs until he turned away. What was that feeling?

Was it a lie?

__________________________

She was so startled by it she had to stop and focus intensely to make sure it was real. It was like a torn-up string or a light path of stench that connected them, something pungent and against every fiber of her being. Her brows furrowed as she followed the scent of corruption leaking into the streets, picking up her dress as she got faster and the smell grew stronger.

Ethereal got there just in time to see the man point at the castle behind her. She withered. His words were static, and his structure felt like ice stabbing her flesh. The vile was too new, too overwhelming. There were so many things she felt at once she couldn't even bother to focus. She couldn't see him, only the aura that surrounded his being. Her body shook in pure disgust while glass climbed up her skin, ready to seize an opportunity to kill whatever it was.

And yet, she breathed.
An older man stepped up, his voice slipping into the madness storming in her mind by the initial stench.

"The safety of Vale lies in the balance of what we do next, and there is no room for error but.. I'd rather stand with you, warrior, than not stand at all."
Ethereal took another breath, slowly understanding his words and the situation. Ethereal's narrowed eyes relaxed as she took in Vox's figure, a new realization dipping into the corrupt scent she had felt the moment before. She saw light brushes of pain and turmoil, a drip of battling emotion—a ripped piece of a picture that reminded her of hope.
She scratched off the glass that had etched into her arms, ambling into the crowd and listening closely, both to this new deity's aura and the older man's motivating words.


"Your home is in peril. Your rulers are in darkness. Who stands for Vale?"
Who was she to judge darkness that had a glow inside of it? Ethereal was born from slaughter and pain, a cry that summoned her from voids she could no longer remember. She craved more than anything to see that glow turn into a fire that could save her city. She felt the hopelessness carved deep within those around her, the fear that the castle walls had knitted. So she decided to believe in them both.

She wondered if he recognized her as she did him.

"I!" She shouted, raising her dirty fist in the air. "Vale was never theirs to lose," She smiled softly towards the gentlemen. "So let us bring it back."

 

[Tetro]

Vox looked towards the older man who spoke up. He didn't show it, but Vox recognized the man. In his former life, Vox would confront him. But he wasn't that person anymore, and so he had no qualms with him. Not anymore, at least. Vox listened to the man's words, looking back to the crowd for any more potential volunteers.

He could feel her before he could see her. Vox kept his eyes fixed on a woman he saw coming through the crowd. She didn't need to push or excuse herself. People naturally made way, not of their own accord, allowing her to walk towards the two that addressed the crowd. She was not human, and Vox felt a dark desire to consume her. There was an alluring and unnatural light to her eyes, to her very form. The darkness that resided within knew her as an enemy. But the burning sense of duty made him want to kneel.

Vox stepped down from his crate and looked her over. She was stained and barefoot but cleaner than everyone else here. The filth on her was fresh. She looked like she had just put on a newly woven dress after taking a bath. The man, on the other hand, had a noticeable vitality. It betrayed his simple attire and casual look. The three of them standing together was more out of the ordinary than an internal war between man and vampire of the same city.

"Any more who wish to join us can follow. The rest of you, go and rebuild your homes and families. Before the day is over, Vale will know peace." He projected his voice to the crowd over the roaring fire that continued to burn behind him.

He looked down at the two of his new companions. "What are your names?"

 

[FellowKnight]

Khuzani didn't have to wait long for a volunteer, though he did do a double-check on the approacher. He'd seen her dress, moving like a dirty wisp amidst the crowd, and soon the people parted themselves to let her through. Truthfully, he expected her to be.. well, older. But he, ironically, didn't really think her much of a child, as it became immediately apparent that something magical was at work, unearthly even. Why couldn't he place that scent? Why were his suspicions gradually fleeting, less concerning in her presence? He'd have to keep her in his peripherals, he wouldn't stop her joining the merry band; it seemed she could handle herself one way or another, and even still, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop her.. Out front then, behind the warrior, supporting.

The people swiftly took heed of the warrior's command, glad to busy themselves now that their adventurers had volunteered to do the heavy-lifting. The Mountain Man's mighty promise was doing it's work, overzealous as it was. Pretty soon, it was just the three of them warming the town square, as the streak-less sky softened from a desolate grey into a staunch orange. Night approached. Would the vampires retaliate, Khuzani wondered, when a swath of their closely-knit community was massacred?

Undoubtedly. It was only a question of when, and how hard. Cruelty begets cruelty.

The warrior asked their names and there was pause, brief but tangible. Khuzani was certain records of his service had been destroyed, his name not spoken aloud for decades now. His work was not known to the people, and only a snarky little niece and few other Beauregards even knew of his existence. Trust. The vitamin to stave off corruption.

"...We should find a vantage point to see over the castle's walls," He subtly pointed out an older bell-tower, decrepit but worthy of a look. "I know one or two passages that can take us at least past the first wall of the keep, assuming they haven't been mortared over.. Then there's always the sewers. A channel down there, I think, can take us under an inner-lying watchtower. Maybe then we can see what the Beauregards are really up to." He offered his hand, his features having not altered but lightened up.

"You can call me Khuzani. I used to work for them, as an advisor of security. Then I got old and they sent me on my way. Dangers of the trade, I suppose."

 

[Ivan Dark]

The sight of the city streets was enough to tell Andrius how far the dukedom had fallen since he had left.
For the first time in twenty years, he stepped into the alley way that was once his home. Looking around through his ominous helm, he stared blankly at the pools of dark riddling the cobblestone, the same cobblestone that connected the lives of all in Vale to the town center. As he passed by the run down, empty, and rotted stalls, he recalled the sounds of the carriages as they passed by, the merchants that lined up outside his tiny crevice between the annexes in order to sell their wares to opulent, albeit questionable trading partners. Perhaps that was when he noticed that something was up, especially when those dark-hooded folk stopped coming back to Vale. The orbs, the salves, those strange talismans that seemed to gleam in the dark. Were they gypsies? Sorcerers? Demons? Whatever they were, they never once held fascination in Andrius' eyes more than they presented him with the fear of the occult, the unknown.

Passing by that very crevice he had lived in for so long, Andrius stared at the gap between the two buildings, wondering. He would never be able to fit between them anymore. After a few seconds had passed, he continued down the alley. His plate armor clinked softly between his nimble steps.

From mere months ago, the sight of the town square was more detailed than Brother Palewood had described. Far from it. What was once a vibrant and lively town center, filled with dancers, vendors, and livestock were now just a remnant of what it once was.
Andrius came upon the clearing as the thought spurred in his mind. The same dark liquid was splashed about this place. The smell of old rust was stagnant in the air, as if the very air itself had tarnished since he left, taking the rest of the city along with it. The children playing usually by the town center was now replaced with what seemed to be the remains of an old sheep. The carcass, though rotted and rancid, lay untouched, even by flies. The blood that was once in it had already merged with the tainted liquid of those dark pools. They wrapped around the carcass, staining the underside of its once snow-white hide, a dark, sickly black.
Andrius felt sorry for the creature. Perhaps it was the last of its kind to walk Vale, only to be slaughtered with nothing but its bones and ragged pelt left for a dying urchin to scavenge.

But what surprised Andrius the most was that the faces he had seen in the town square were not so familiar as they were all those months ago. A pair darting in and out of the shadows, dueling with knives in the dark for scraps of rotten flesh stopped their squabble and crouched low behind barrels, like lowly rats. Their eyes were barely visible as Andrius entered the square; he had never once seen those eyes before. Even now, nearing the town's very center, a figure alongside two unlikely characters seemed to attract the attention of the rest of the common folk. Most in rags, they looked to these three either as if they were their saviors or that they were insane - or both. From a single glance, Andrius could see that these were not the same people that had lived in Vale the day he left. When had they come? And where were the others? There wasn't a familiar face in sight.

It was only as Andrius approached the crowd that the sound of his plate seemed to attract their attention, and as they turned, regardless of their unfamiliar and sodden faces, the reaction they gave him was all to memorable. The silence that once plagued the area was cut quick with a gasp from an older gentleman in the back of the crowd, and the rest of the group turned to look in fear.
A knight of Beauregard had returned to the city streets - of course they would be terrified.
The man instantly shrinked away from Andrius' form, as did so many others. Regardless of man, woman, or child, as Andrius approached the group of three at the front, the many people that blocked his path split like a sea around him, afraid that even touching his plate would eviscerate them in an instant.
But it wasn't just the plate armor that made the common folk cower; now nearing the front, a large, vicious curve of white metal was could be seen bound to the knight, strapped across his back. And with it, a hail of black arrows lay dormant in a quiver by his side.

Andrius could only grin at the sight of these people. Without turning back, he knew that the way he had entered was still open, as no one among them who valued their life would dare move an inch in his presence. But what of the "fated" three? Yet more unfamiliar faces, it seemed.

"Well well," He remarked as he turned to look at the three, his back to the crowd, "Where in Vale have you been?"

 

[Tetro]

"Where in Vale have you been?"

"Speak for yourself, dog." Vox crossed his arms and looked down at the elite warrior. "I've been dead in a ravine if you hadn't heard. The name's Vox now." Vox was aware that word spread far of his demise as Marcus. If the man was an elite guard and not just some talented warrior who killed one of the dukedom's best, then odds are he would be able to put two and two together.

"As for these two, I've not a clue. Tell me, though, where have you been? Did you partake in the fighting, or did you arrive after like these two? Last I heard that the Beauregards scattered the elite guard to the wind. So it's rather odd seeing you here now of all times."
Ivan Dark

 

[SimplySugar]

Peace. Despite her fixed suspicions set on him that continued to set off an overwhelming defensive instinct, his words were like soft honeysuckles - short and sweet, something to look forward to next time. Trickles of hope dripped from the scattered civilians around them, many of who were still closely gathered nearby despite his dismissal, judging quietly and whispering faintly. She felt distantly their secured doubts and the stir of perturbed emotions; they weren't exactly the most desirable little group. Ethereal was not did not have visible, recognizable status - if anything, her newborn position made her look anything but of part of the city. Yet, she felt the problems that were rooted deep and the daggered pain it released as the Vale tried to restore its pieces.

She smiled faintly at the older gentleman before her, who was flowered in a distant aura that she did not recognize compared to the beings around her. Yet, she felt the knot that connected him to Vale deeply, although the feeling was murky and somewhat strained. "Elysian," Ethereal replied gently, being the first to shake Khuzani's hand and quickly recognize the deep imprints in his palms from years of work and hardship. She placed her other hand on top of the one she shook, squeezing it gratefully. "I can't imagine how long you've been gone, but thank you for coming back." Vale needed everyone it could get, especially those who were equally as quick to volunteer as he was. While the deity next to them showed power and words of loyalty, she was still heavily conflicted and in desperate need to know more about him.

Ethereal opened her mouth to ask a question in regards to his plan, but was quickly stopped by a gasp that pierced the air and a spike of fear in the assemble around them. She shrunk lightly at the awareness, looking over towards the newcomer. There was a sense of admiration in his stature and character that echoed strength of will and morality. He was almost recognizable in a way, but only in his tie to Vale and his standing as a guard. The rest she was only able to understand from the citizens around her.

"Where in Vale have you been?"
Thankfully she wasn't quick to answer, but despite his daunting grin the comment let loose a small bound of excitement. Where had they all been? And what were they planning to do? Her hope grew higher. These were strong warriors -

"I've been dead in a ravine if you hadn't heard. The name's Vox now."
Her head whipped back to meet Vox's eyes, the rest of his words muffled by her thoughts. If that was where he got his deity status, she hesitated to think about what took place in order for him to get it. "How long has it been since then?" Ethereal interrupted, curiosity sparking her voice.

 

[SparrowVale]

A glass rose shines in hand stained in blood that is met with the gaze of Andromeda. Who's eyes were covered in ashes. Her hand shake with rage as she place the glass rose on the tip of her ring finger as it becomes one with her skin. Her ring finger now imprinted with symbol of the rose in her heritage giving this jewel to someone means a marriage everlasting in life and in death. Even though unfortunately when the loved one dies the rose leaves their body in search of their parent until they are given to a new love. Andromeda could feel her heart being pulled into her stomach as she felt tear of craze rise within her. Andromeda ha driven herself into mental and physical silence, as words sent out warriors to break her sanity. She covered her mouth with her hand as tear formed a waterfall over them. With her other arm she held her stomach as she dropped to the floor letting herself go into mental breakdown. Her injuries worsening her tears, a gash on her lip, a vampire bite on her ankle as well on her wrist.

People who she once saw as a potential family, attempted to tear her apart limb from limb until they won. She rose from the ground and walked into the main part of the city. looking for anyone that was in her party. As she furthered herself through the city unknowing of who was alive. She saw relieved faces and ones with fear, she wore a face of confusion herself. As she continued Andromeda felt gazes ripping her apart by watcher's near by. Staring at her with blame and gullible question of her nature, they knew her heritage and of her wedding. They had reasonable suspicion even if it angered her the people had the right to assume. The Mestoph family or part of them are presumed dead and only the bastard bride is still alive. She knew this would be the result if she had live but she wouldn't dare let them treat her this way. She placed her hand over a dagger tied to her thigh slightly covered by tattered clothes. Her glare whipped in focus toward the villagers looking at her. "Stare long enough and I'll make sure you end up just like them!" She cried out not realizing that a group of people stood not far from her and one of them included Vox.

 

[Tetro]

"How long has it been since then?"

Vox looked to address the small woman. It wouldn't hurt to let her, and the other two, know a bit more about him. If they were going to be going on a dangerous mission together then some proper trust needed to be formed between them all. "Four years since I fell in. Thirteen days since I climbed out. Why do you ask?"

Vox whipped his head to the side when he heard the voice of his sister, immediately forgetting about the conversation he was just in. His massive sword materialized in his grasp and he rushed in the direction of her voice. "Andromeda!" He called out, finding her in seconds as a few stragglers of the crowd got out of the man's way. The crowd had mostly dispersed by now, but there were still enough people that he noticed some were eyeing Andromeda. He got in front of his sister, his anger flaring as he stepped in the way of their stares of judgment and bloodlust. "I said... Return to your homes now..." Vox spoke with more command and authority. The command was more of a threat now than a hopeful statement. He didn't need to ready his sword for the few people who may have been planning something against Andromeda to immediately back down and go about their business.

Vox turned once they started to leave, letting his sword clatter to the ground. He pulled Andromeda into his arms and embraced her. He held her up off the ground with his protective hug. "Thank the gods you are alive," he sighed in relief. He lost so much that day and to know Andromeda hadn't been killed was the best news he could have hoped for. He let her go only enough so that he could look at her. His once stoic and almost stern expression now soft and full of warmth. The anger in his eyes was replaced with endearment and love. The sight was definitely one out of the ordinary for someone as grumpy as Vox.

 

[SimplySugar]

Ethereal was surprised to hear a pained, fierce cry lash out from the soft buzz of the crowd around them. Her questions were quickly muted as she felt waves of humanity, shock, and relief pour out of Vox, whom immediately recognized the woman's voice among the whispers. She had never seen a person look so dumbfounded and yet so quick to act. It was hard to understand the variety of feelings he was emitting at once until she witnessed him bolt into the flock, shouting out the womans name.

"Andromeda!"
Ethereal stood silently, watching him engulf the woman in his arms as emotions dripped off of the both of them. She felt her eyes water slightly at the grief that pooled out of the deity she had already cast off as cold and brooding. She had, in the midst of her suspicions, forgotten to notice the light string tying him to Vale. She had forgotten to look at his pain, only his power. And it was overwhelming, so much Ethereal nearly choked.
This was just another broken soul. Even worse, he was one of her own that she swore to protect in spite of their evils, and yet she already refused to see beyond his. She turned away to look at the citizens around her, to allow the two space from another pair of prying eyes. Guilt and determination washed over her.

She refused to forget where her duties laid again.

 

[FellowKnight]

The finely-aged assassin did his best to regard the reactions of his companions, with no perceptible change in his visage. They didn't know him or his work, how his mind threaded plans together, or what his true intentions were. This was much to his advantage, as it could be his undoing. What they assumed, they could end up challenging, and where they were ignorant, they could become doubtful. As with the citizen of Vale themselves, Khuzani shouldered the fact that he'd be watching his companions as well. Yet he needed their trust. There was no telling what the castle held for them, what cost would be demanded of them, or what even could be achieved after their impossible victory. Strength in numbers, and focus on the end: their only advantages now.

He shook the strange girl's hand and matched her eyes with silent intent of his own. Elysian, she had said. What was that? An alias, a name, or a people? It was unfamiliar to him but held a reminiscence, something he felt he should know. His eyes shifted away from her, having softened, and his hand, in a slight tremble, retracted. Whatever this girl was, he didn't like the way she seemed to read him. It was too pure, too honest. Something lesser than the divine, yet more genuine than magik.

"Are you--"

His head angled at a sudden gasp from within the surrounding specters, his hand sinking into the darkness of his cloak, his eyes set... only for him to appear. He would've know that armor anywhere, and the boy-made-killer than now wore it. He knew not the man's name, but his title under the Beauregards, and the horrifying tales that followed. But it didn't matter. All of Vale's Elite Guard were taught loyalty to the throne, honor on the people, and terror in battle. This newcomer, who ever he was, could only stack their odds. His temperament was clear, well-disciplined. It would balance the antidote Vale needed.

Khuzani stepped back as the Mountain Man, Vox apparently, caught up with the 'dog' of the Elite Guard. He'd died in a ravine, yet here he was, four years and nearly two weeks later. More magik at work. He shifted his attention to a woman drawing commotion to herself, and reached for a weapon in her own defense. Yet what could the people do against one as crazed as her, but a stranger--

"Andromeda!"

"...what?" Khuzani wandered under his breath, eyes following the action of Vox coming to this girl's side, massive blade in hand, to send to townspeople away. A fling, maybe. Or a sister. Given Vox's despostion so far, neither, or both, would surprise Khuzani. He turned away as the two caught up in something heartfelt no doubt, and looked to address the other two, sitting on an old crate. Elysian, her eyes curious and wandering fluidly, he lingered on for a moment, but moved on from. He had questions that possibly couldn't be answered, that he didn't want answered here. The Dog however..

"You return after the Beauregards renounce your service and turn to corruption." His maroon-washed iris rested on the man, watching in apathetic study. "If you'd oblige, I'd ask.. Why?"

 

[SparrowVale]

A wave of dizziness hit Andromeda before she felt herself drown into the words being yelled at her. Was that her name being called? She tried to let her eyes meet the person calling after her pushing through the crowd. Her eyes distorted reality before it faded into place when she was embraced by a familiar build. Andromeda couldn’t bare to be held at the moment and forced herself from his embrace. She dropped to the ground before looking up at the large man. “Thank the God’s…” She scoffed, “Thank the God’s for killing my husband or nearly letting me die in there with that monster they made him…” Andromeda felt herself lose the energy of the anger inside her, it was hard to admit but she was grateful Vox had been alive. She didn’t necessarily want to lose him either. She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes, “I hope you are alright and don’t plan on making yourself useless anytime soon, if anything will make you like Lazarus is carelessness...and I don’t want that to happen.”

Andromeda had looked away from Vox ashamed from the outburst she had given, she grew curious though as she examined people who were looking back at the reunion which had probably raised questions. “ Are those your people? They look interesting to say the least.” She said crossing her arms and without response she walked over to them, to watch them talk amongst themselves with boring conversation. But, it was also to examine they’re capability and see if they’re worthy of her brother or even her for that matter. Andromeda examined one of them even closer, He was a blonde-haired man who looked stern and noble for some reason he gave her a disgusted feeling. “They’re cute, Vox I can tell you that.“

 

[Tetro]

Vox let out a sigh, picking up his sword and putting it away before crossing his arms. "You were the one who dealt the killing blow. And I never left your side until after we started the fire." He turned to look at the three that were back where he left them. "They are indeed part of our group, for now." His tone went back to being harsh. It didn't surprise him that Andromeda would be ungrateful and aggressive, but it was bothersome. he walked with her as they got closer to the group once more. "The small one is cute. She's a spirit. She is recently born, from what I can tell. The other two, though? Endearing would be a better word. One is an elite warrior, and the other I'm not sure. Maybe a user of magic."

Once they got close enough to be heard over the fire and the chatter of other people, Vox prepared himself to say something but stopped short, noticing the two new bite marks on Andromeda. Andromeda hadn't turned before when she first came to the guild, so he knew she was immune to vampirism somehow, but seeing that she suffered more wounds concerned him. "Come here, and don't struggle," he warned Andromeda, almost in a threatening tone as he took hold of her arm. With a small glow of light coming from his hand, Vox covered the bite mark on her wrist with his palm, sealing the wound before moving to work on her ankle, lifting her leg just enough before leaving Andromeda be. He knew if she felt manhandled by him at a time like this, she would start throwing punches. It wouldn't have been out of hate. He just knew she felt comfortable enough with him to vent through violence. She had done it before, not too long after their first meeting. "Do you know where any of the others went after the vampires swarmed us? How many of them survived?" He asked Andromeda.

 

[Ivan Dark]

Andrius let out an amused grunt at Marcus - no - Vox's proposal; the very stature of this man was all he needed to put the face to a name. The dead walk the earth once again. And he had new friends. Andrius crossed his arms as he observed the strange group that stood before him more closely, silently keeping to himself even as Vox dropped his blade to tend to the newest addition.

Someone's lost doll, a young lass who'd seen better days, and a walking corpse.

"I have no interest in the dead," He called to Vox, "If you saw fit to come back to this world, such affairs are not my business, Vox." He tossed the name in, scoffing it out as if it was nothing more than a presumptuous title.
"But, speaking of business, what you say is true." Andrius continued, watching him embrace the girl. "Perhaps it's the stench of those fiends that drove me back here. Or, perhaps it is because the arrows of my brothers didn't cut into your heels deep enough; many have long since past. Dogs without masters, call us what you will, many of us had a home here once. If Palewood were here with us, he'd likely share my resolve." Vox and the lass stood together, making their way back towards the other strangers. The girl, in particular, seemed to interest him. The way she seemed to peer into the group... well, she had standards at least; shocking, considering how she has terrible luck with men. She grimaced at him, and he smirked at her discomfort.

"You return after the Beauregards renounce your service and turn to corruption."

Now there was a familiar voice. A bit marred by age, yes, but nonetheless recognizable. "Ha!" Andrius turned with a brazen guffaw, to meet Khuzani's gaze. "Corruption? Devotion? They're just perceptions of the eye. Now more than ever, I could care less about the name that is bestowed on me or the titles I am given - not by the church, by the Duke, or even by you. Or... have you already forgotten that heathen-boy who bites the hands that feeds him? The boy that raised an arrow to a devoted teacher as he was cast to the wayside?" Andrius uncrossed his arms, putting one down on Khuzani's shoulder, peering down at him, knowing fully well that many years ago, Khuzani had done the same.

"Tell me, did I ever succumb to faith, old man?"

"If you'd oblige, I'd ask.. Why?"

Andrius patted the old man. "Well you'll just have to find out, won't you?"

 

[SparrowVale]

"Come here, and don't struggle."

Andromeda took in her words and processed them, immediately regretting being vulgar in their desired reunion. Andromeda is headstrong very scared of showing care for others, she understands that she needs to the difference between love and survival. As the large man tended to her wounds, she didn't dare look at them, "I want you to know that I am pleased to see that you care but showing a form of weakness such as that is no good in witness of people I don't know or care for. Last time that took place, my husband died and I don't care for that happening to you." Andromeda took time to listen to every word coming from Vox about the people before them.

"A spirit? What kind of spirit?" Her interest grew stronger learning more about the people he spoke of, mostly in regards of their purpose and use for further endeavors. " An elite warrior? That makes sense.." She said softly, staring daggers at the smug man. "Warriors like to speak grand about how noble and misunderstood they are when really it comes out as a pathetic speech about how they are not owned by anyone." Andromeda rolled her eyes as she heard the group speaking amongst themselves. Before returning her attention to Vox when he asked about the others.

"I wouldn't know their whereabouts, I would presume them dead. I couldn't see anyone past all the dead bodies everyone looked the same. Lifeless..." She spoke with discomfort and let her words drift off in silence.

 

[Yhmera]

The half-orc shifted the pack that clung to her shoulders as she headed into town. A large warhammer swung on her hip with her shield strapped to her back over the pack she carried. Each footstep hitting the ground with a thud. Her chainmail armor clinking softly as she moved. The smell of death still clung to the air. A fading aroma that made her stomach churn. The way people skimpered at her approach made her realize how bad things had been here.

The 5'9 half-orc was light green in color. Long thick raven hair pulled back into braids. Unlike most orcs, even half, she had no tusks of any kind. Broad at the shoulders and at the hips, Shuza carried herself more like an elf than either an orc or human. A large pendant swung against her chest. A symbol of her god. "Maybe my services will be needed after all." She muttered to herself.

Shuza stopped a few yards off from where a small crowd had gathered. What was going on there? They didn't seem to fit. Worse she could since not all were living there. Her jaw flexed as a hand moved to the grip of her hammer. Her inner voice said she should go in attacking. But the town didn't seem to mind them. Then again, if there was an attack then the town may not have time to worry. Such a dilemma. Her god demanded that the risen to be returned to their resting place.

 

[FellowKnight]

"Tell me, did I ever succumb to faith, old man?"

Khuzani glanced up at the man, grown from a sapling to an oak, with strong roots and a confident breeze in his branches. Their legacy of blood was so well known, no secret could be sowed of the Elite Guard, no grandoise tales woven, no songs sung enough. Yet even they were no match for the corruption of Vale. And It seemed more that the boy he knew many years ago, living by testament of adventure and victory, had found an oversized shell to hide in. As they boiled off Vale's impurities, Khuzani wondered if it would hold. A small part of him hoped, in vain, that it would.

"Faith is not an illness, it is a prison." He looked away, at the imposing walls of Vale's keep, and the cowards behind them. "It poises the mind towards delusion, and confuses the soul into obedience." He stood, adjusting his gaze slightly, still looking up to Andrius. A bitter smile creased on his lips, and he poked a stern finger against Andrius' breastplate. "No matter. Retirement suited neither of us. Vale calls us all home: undead men, hungry prisoners, and lost dogs alike." He glanced at Ethereal, and the girl, Andromeda, nonchalantly sizing them up. "..and those caught in the middle."

Khuzani then spotted something past Ethereal, gazing through the group, and into a figure that crossed the dying rays of sunlight. An orc, from afar. Another to be lured in. She seemed to be staring back at them, but her joining was inevitable, and her skill seemed apparent. The antidote would brew stronger.

"You return on a gamble.." The older man locked eyes with Andrius once more, his words low and hushed. "Have you any.. faith your city won't abandon you twice?" Then he turned away, stretching and basking in the chilling air. When night came, the first of many hardships would begin, and with a bloated and diseased body such as Vale.. well, their work was surely cut out for them.

 

[J. Africa]

The light of the rising sun peered in through the window of Onatahn's room as he woke from his well needed rest. He rubbed the sleep out of each of his three eyes as he contemplated the last 48 hours. The beasts of the night had appeared in greater numbers than ever before, striking down any and all who were unable to defend themselves. He had stood with his students to defend their house of worship and the grounds in which their ancestors lay in their eternal rest. "At least they didn't witness the carnage firsthand," he said to himself, speaking of those long dead. They did their best, but the Eryunite quarter of Vale had been truly decimated. Many souls -- souls of his own people -- still needed to be ferried to their proper place before days end. He struggled to get the images of death and decay out of his mind, the faint weeping of lives cut short, trapped between this plain and the plain of spirits. The fact he'd been able to sleep at all, despite being awake since before the chaos began, was a small miracle.

Onatahn bathed with a stale wet cloth and got dressed in his least tattered set of clothes before grabbing his staff and heading outside. The stink of warm bodies and fear breached his nostrils as he opened the door and gazed at the ruins of his adopted community. Carts were piled high with remains of the once-living; some were his kind, others were not, and more still were disturbingly indistinguishable. Buildings were torched charcoal black, torn down to the foundations. It was a wonder their temple still stood. "Brother Boaz!" a voice called out to him. "Ah, Brother Uftali! You're a sight for these sore eyes. Were you relieved from watch by Brother Adom?" Onatahn watched his student approach, glad he was one of few that were still drawing breath. The pain of how much was lost still had yet to set in. From the accounting they had done just after daybreak, only about a dozen families remained in tact, with many widows, widowers, and orphans left scattered. Uftali was one of these lucky few who still had his parents and siblings. "Yes I was relieved. It seems the vampire beasts have truly stopped their attack. There's been no sign of them since we drove off that band before sunrise." A wave of comfort washed over Onatahn. Their ancestors continued to watch over them. "Thank the spirits for that bit of good news. But we cannot be sure how much time we have before the destruction resumes. Do what you can with the others to finish the burials and cast the wards. I fear we must leave the city before nightfall if what remains of our brethren are to survive. Instruct those who are able to gather supplies for your journey to the wilds. The homeland is the only place our safety is ensured."

A look of confusion came over Uftali's face. No Eryunite born in Vale had ever been to the wilds. "Are you sure Brother Boaz?" Onatahn gestured to the ruins of their community rather bluntly. "With all due respect Brother, it would be foolish not to be realistic. The sooner we can leave the better. Be quick -- while you prepare I am going to see if any of those unaccounted for were driven to other parts of the city." Onatahn gave a curt bow and proceeded to leave the temple grounds, but Uftali grabbed him by his robes and turned him around. "But, Brother," he said, tears forming in each of his eyes. Uftali continued telepathically, "what if you don't come back?" His thought echoed in Onatahn's mind. It was always a possibility, but given his knowledge of death and the spiritual plain, Onatahn was more prepared to deal with death then just about anybody in the city. He responded using his mind: "Do not worry brother. If I have not returned by the time you see the first star in the sky tonight, lead the others out of the city to our homeland. The spirits will guide you. Remember your training." They both closed their eyes and embraced, touching their foreheads together in a solemn, wordless goodbye.

Onatahn spent the early hours of the day scouring the nearby districts for signs of fellow Eryunites still clinging to life. He'd found a few that had not been lucky enough to survive, trapped under rubble and trampled into the muddy streets. He did what he could, blessing their remains and consoling their spirits. As the sun still continued it's ascent, Onatahn turned a corner and sensed a baffling mix of dark and pure spiritual energy. At the end of the avenue a small group was present: a city guard in full armor, and old man, some kind of child, a woman in tattered dress, and an absolute behemoth of a man, all locked in some bout of lively conversation. Onatahn noticed a green-skinned woman out of the corner of his eye further up the road, closer to the commotion. Her hand was gripped around her weapon, trying to make sense of the group as well. The sheer power and juxtaposition of energies was too much for Onatahn to ignore. Wishing to determine if they were some new threat, Onatahn casually approached the band of oddities. "Good morning!" he called out to them as he passed the orc woman, now casting her gaze towards him. He gambled on not having his staff raised, and hoped he appeared docile. "May I have the privilege of asking who you all might be?"

 

[Tetro]

Vox stood there, resting with his arms crossed as the two men standing before him conversed. He couldn't help but crack a smile at their words. He let his smile fade before speaking up, seeing a half-orc woman eyeing them from afar. He looked down at the two men, "say what you will about faith. I stayed, and you both left Vale with your tails tucked between your legs. I fell into the Chasm and made death yield to me. Then I came here and personally led a two-day war against an army of vampires." He took a step forward, leaning in close and glaring at them both, "that's why you're the dog," he regarded Andrius first, "and you're the retiree," then Khuzani, "and I'm the one leading." He straightened upon hearing a loud 'Good morning!' and looked to the Eryunite who approached them.

"You'll get your answer in a moment," Vox responded to the newcomer's question. "You there, she-orc! Are you going to help us or not? Get your ass over here! We don't have much time!" He barked at the orc woman. Once everyone was gathered together, or at least close enough that everyone could hear him without raising his voice, Vox addressed them all. "As you all know by now, the last of the vampires were slain earlier this day. But I learned from a few of them that the root of Vale's issues comes from within the castle walls. Some of you are aware of how heavily fortified the walls are, but I have a plan to get us inside. Of course, we can't do it unless we work together effectively, so let's go around and introduce ourselves and what we all bring to the table."

 

[SparrowVale]

Her lips twisted in amusement at the utter incompetence of the subject at hand spoken by the men with complicated pasts with each other. She stood her ground, waiting for them to be done sitting word in one another’s face. She kept her eyes on a few the members analyzing their move,ent, personality, and strength. Most seemed weak and vulnerable, their most outstanding attribute is their appearance. Some cute, some handsome, some mystical, useless qualities in general which eased her as she heard her brother speak.

“... so let's go around and introduce ourselves and what we all bring to the table."

Andromeda bit her lip before it turned into a smirk as she confidently waltzed up toward the crowd further edging her way amongst them. Pushing herself between her brother, Andrius, and the warlock before grabbing her dagger from the pocket on her thigh and twisted it in her hands.

“I am Vox’s sister Andromeda not by blood more by marriage but that doesn’t remove the known fact that of anyone bothers him. I will make sure you will experience the worst pain the human mind could take...and I will enjoy it.” She smirked at all of them and lingered her stare at some of the members to prove her point.

”All you need to know is that I’m skilled with a dagger, strategical battle, and since I am among the smaller of the group. I’ve used my height through out my life as an advantage, enemies have a harder time spotting me. It will benefit and lastly, I am swift and good at climbing, I can get anywhere you ask me. I promise you that.”

She put her dagger back in it’s designated pocket before crossing her arms, “Lastly, when it comes to my allegiance know that I care for none of you the only thing that interests me about your lives is your skill. Other than that you are worth nothing to me, I hope you use that fact as advice for your future. Care shows weakness and heart which destroys you in your fight, to make my point I hold these same values when it comes Vox. That is all.”

 

[Yhmera]

She didn't try to join the group at first. Still trying to get feel for them. She watched as a man walked past her to join them. It was clear she drew a few eyes but no one reacted much. At the good, maybe. It was clear that the man joining was a stranger as well from the introduction he gave. Then the smaller woman spoke up as well. She didn't know what to make of the hodgepodge group. Finally one spoke up and addressed her. Not surprised by the title he used. "This is the beginning of the end." Shuza muttered, letting her hand pull away from the weapon.

Taking a few steps, she stayed on the outskirts of the group. Something about them still set her nerves on end. The hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up. Golden eyes rolled over each and every one of them before landing on Vox. "Half. I'm half-orc. Name is Shuza." She corrected. Not like it would make much of a difference to them. Then she looked to the smaller woman who finished talking. "I don't make speeches or pointless threats."

Shuza crossed her arms as she let out a sigh. The feeling of unrest was still there. Something about the group was simply offputting. But it was also clear now that it was this gathering of people that drew her here. Granted that the town had seen more than it's shares of troubles. Something had pulled them to this spot. One could easily argue that it was the gods will at work. Then again, such an unlikely mix could also have easily been coincidence. "Follower and cleric of the order of Nulgha." Not that she expected anyone to know who that was. An Orcish god of herbalism, protection, and medicine. "I will stay as long as my god wills it."

She still didn't understand her purpose there yet. Nor did she trust the group. Like hell was she going to tell them that she was technically excommunicated and was no longer with the order. But it didn't stop the calling of her god. The will to help those who needed it. Tone corded arms folded over her chest as long course black strange of hair falling down around her angular face.