Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

As the feeling of Wesley's presence in Grimsby returned, Cassandra let out a joy-filled giggle. "There he is, hehe!" she said, grinning once again. She looked in the direction in which she felt him, then looked back to Mariette. "By the way, Countess...there's something I must do to you. And it will be QUITE painful, but needed if we're to keep this little ruse up! You understand, oui?" she said, tilting her head once again she spoke. "Don't worry, I won't kill you! And don't take it the wrong way. Our agreement is still on, and I won't try and hurt you anymore after this!"

What happened next was so fast that it was practically a blur. Cassandra took a single step backwards, drew her rapier out, lifted it above her head with both hands, and plunged the entire blade downward through Mariette's chest. There was enough force behind it to make Mariette's knees buckle and force her onto the ground as the tip of the rapier erupted through her lower back and jammed into the dirt beneath her. The pain was sudden and excruciating, and Cassandra seemed to relish it.

As she stood up above Mariette, she let out a satisfied sigh. "If they see you carrying my rapier, and see those wounds as they heal, they'll think you tried to fight me. They won't suspect that you made a little deal with me." she stated, smiling as she peered down at Mariette. "...Plus I owed you that. A little payback for you being such a tease back at the mansion."

She stepped back, flicking her cloak back around her and adjusting her inquisitorial hat. "Now then! Stay there for about five or ten minutes, then go find the others. À plus tard, Marriete." she said finally, before turning about and practically disappearing.

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​

Valeria nodded towards Ethraeil. "We need to leave soon. Otherwise several locals will likely be killed. I'd rather not have more innocent lives be cut down during our mission." she said, cutting a glance to Jakob. Jakob had been the most outspoken about 'not being able to save anyone'. And he likely blamed her. She'd have to talk to him about it later. For now, they had far more important things to worry about. "Can you sense where the others are?" she asked, looking back to Ethraeil then Rosanna. Rosanna nodded. "Aleister and Camille are over on nearby rooftops. Mariette is off in th' woods. Erwin is in the other room next door, likely talkin' with Theodore. Wesley is out in th' hallway, and Galina is in 'er room." she replied. "Good. Ethraeil, get their attention. We're leaving within the hour." said Valeria finally, standing from her chair.

"LEAVING? So soon? The party hasn't even started yet!" stated an all too familiar voice, coming from the window across the room. All eyes shifted quickly in its direction. There, sitting in the window sill with one leg dangling outside, was Cassandra.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Happy to have his friend back, Jakob talked to Rosanna about the little escapade they had earlier with Mariette, Aleister, and Camille in an attempt to cheer her up while Valeria spoke to Ethraeil. "You won't believe it. The Marquess kissed Aleister on the cheek!" He let out a hearty laugh. "I also played with the band there...man I wish you were there. Needed my trusty guitarist!" He looked at her happily. "Looks like you still got your guitar to--" he managed to get out, before hearing and seeing Cassandra in the window. "AWW HELL NO!" he yelled, quickly drawing his revolver and firing off shots at Cassandra. "I swear to the gods, I'm gonna teach that wench some manners! We REALLY gotta go, ma'am!" he said, throwing a look at Valeria as he fired upon Cassandra.

 

[K0mori]

When Cassandra revealed her intent to hurt Mariette without killing her, the latter knew exactly what was in store. She was going to "slow down" Mariette in the same exact manner Mariette had previously done to Cassandra. The Countess could only accept it as the price she had incurred through her own double dealing. Driven to the ground by the force of the blow and the excruciating pain, Mariette clutched at the hilt and basket breathlessly, having not even been given time to object.

Before Cassandra's disappeared, however, Mariette gathered up the strength to get beyond her visceral urge to cry out. Instead, she spoke in a rasping, agonized voice as she began to pull the blade back out: "Yes... we're... even, now. Ah! AH! L-let's not do this again. Not while we have... common... enemies..."

 

[Breadman]

The trip back from the sewers was quiet for Theodore. He really couldn't put his finger on it, but the whole thing felt too easy. Like there was meant to be a bigger trap set, but it never sprung. it made him feel suspicious that there was more to come. Erwin seemed to share that suspicion. The two weren't ready to relax behind the magic just yet. Staying inside they waited. It was only going to be a matter of time. Erwin was a skilled hunter so waiting was like second nature to him. Theodore on the other hand had to resort to a book so as to not let the boredom and anticipation get to him. 'A case for the cursed'. A controversial read to say the least. Points made out of genuine care for those afflicted by curses of vampirism, lychantropy, undeath and whatever existence. Often time caught up in naive ideas about the world, the people that inhabit it and those afflicted. Yet some carried hard truths about prejudice, zealotry and an overbearing militant organization. 'Young Constantine was a rebel wasn't he?' Theodore wondered about the author.

He was a few dozen pages in when he heard the gunshot coming from outside.
"Merde!" Theodore cursed as he threw the book away and reached for his revolver. Both him and Erwin left the room and entered the hallway. The two barge in to where the shot had originated from only to see the damned vampire standing in the window. Did she pierce through the veil Mariette created? That would bring forth another series of questions, but answers were few and far between right now. Instead giving way to the instinct to shoot the fanged bitch.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister found himself lost in a happy fantasy, in a near dazed state of meditation that was not quite sleep, when he was rudely roused by a nearby gunshot. He glanced away from the night sky and down towards the city when he heard another. It was not far away - and in the direction of the inn. A frown curled his lips and he sat up from his lounging position, his feet hanging over the edge of the bell tower.

What ever is the matter now?

He considered for a moment if it was even worth his time to investigate. There were no strange auras nearby, and it was entirely possibly it was simply street brigands and urchins having a row with themselves or the constabulary. Deciding it was better to at least have a look, he hopped out of the tower and landed safely a dozen feet down on the roof. He quickly strode across the slate tiles and leaped towards a shorter nearby roof, and then quickly worked his way down with a few well-aimed grasps and footrests on balconies and drainage pipes.

The inn wasn't far at all, just down the street, and by the time he was near street level he finally saw the problem. Up in the window was her. His skin prickled in alarm and he hesitated, stepping back into a dark doorway with his back against the wooden door itself. One hand reached back at the knob, but of course, the home or shop was closed. Not that hiding would help. She'd be able to sense him unless he simply ran, and kept running. There was little he could do against this monster, and he didn't think there was much the others could do, either.

This may be his only opportunity to run.

The distasteful thought burned in his mind for a second as he felt rather disgusted with himself. To flee was not only cowardice, but entirely improper. How could he ever measure himself to Undite, or Gyasis, if he gave in to his desire to flee and live another day? It was beyond shameful.

Still, he remained in the dark doorway on the street, peering up at the scene. Hasty action would be just as bad as no action, and he needed a moment to think or find an opening. He glanced at the doorframe around him and, with his carefully manicured nails, forced them into a portion of the wood and ripped a jagged stake of wood out. He couldn't spare time to lament the damage to his nails, but it would be rather moot if he wasn't alive to do so later.

Aleister kept back, watching closely.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille sat perched on the building she had chosen, perking up once she heard the sounds of gunshots just across the street. Were the inquisitors firing upon some brigand or run of the mill intruder, or was it actually Cassandra? To confirm her suspicions on the details of the situation, she caught a blur moving through the rooftops and toward the inquiry's location. The Marquess had a hunch that it was Aleister, and that was the final scrap of a warning she needed to understand what was going on.

Without hesitation she leaped up from her spot on the roof, hopping down to a lower incline as she gained speed by sliding down the slate tiling before dropping to the edge and getting a hold of it. From there she jumped across the street below and grabbed onto a nearby drainage pipe, hoisting herself up to the next set of rooftops where she ran across and flipped her way down using a set of crates and stacked barrels. The final, harsher descent's impact was softened by her performing a roll as she quickly got up to her feet. Without hesitation she drew both her rapier and several quills, sprinting toward where Aleister had been frozen with a makeshift stake in hand.

"She can no doubt sense us down here. We have to make a move now when she is busy spouting her inane drivel to the inquiry." Camille whispered as she stared straight on at Cassandra, readying a quill to toss at her. "They cannot fight her in close quarters, we need to draw her out... If she can see us, pretend to flee. When I distract her you change your course and assist me in slaying her. Hopefully that will give the other members enough time to come out here and surround her. Compris?" Her tone was quiet, intense, and hushed, and she quickly flipped her quills about and spread her stance, readying a blade to throw straight through her neck.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra simply laughed as the group fired upon her, swinging her leg over the window sill and standing up inside the room. The shots from the revolvers collided with her limbs and torso, forcing her to simply glance down and snicker. "I swear, you idiots never learn! I'm not a normal vampire! I'm better. Its how I dealt with your pureblood witch friend in the woods! She's kinda stuck now." she said, looking back to them and grinning. "Also...why are you so focused on me? Did you think I'd come alone? You lot killed one of the twins. Did you think I'd force the other to stay away while I did this myself?"

She cackled again. "One thing you should never do is piss off a necromancer." And almost as if it were a signal, there was screams elsewhere in Grimsby. "That must be her! You should probably tend to that! But before you go, I need something from you." she said, before glancing to Valeria. A moment later, Cassandra disappeared.

And so did Valeria, as well as the Sword of Velin which had been standing in the corner nearby. Wesley also disappeared, vanishing from the hallway outside.

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



​

Outside, Aleister began to sense the aura of undead beginning to grow throughout the area around them. Along with a pair of powerful auras approaching them. One was clearly the Dullahan they had sensed before in Oar's Rest. The other was...human? But how could it be that powerful? Humans had relatively minor auras, save for those talented in the magical arts. This one was far more powerful. Clearly magically enhanced, and growing more powerful by the minute.

Soon enough, a handful of zombies rounded the building nearby. Sprinting. These weren't ordinary zombies. What had that witch done?

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob watched as Cassandra vanished once again, not only taking every one of his shots but apparently grabbing the Sword of Velin without getting zapped by Velin. As well as capturing Valeria in the process. He let out an inhuman grunt as his eyes began to glow. "I swear on everything that's sacred that I'm gonna smack that cun-..." but the sudden commotion outside made Jakob's eyes revert to normal and his face shifted to pure shock. The dullahan and another entity were in town, along with a horde of crazed undead. "Oh gods no!" he said, before darting out of the room. He ran to his room, grabbing his shotgun, before heading downstairs and outside. "I won't let them this time! Not this time!" He checked his pockets, searching for something. "Where is it?! Where's that damn th--there!" he said, drawing out a whistle finally. He didn't want to wait any longer. He wouldn't allow these people to harm any more innocents. Once out on the street, panicking citizens beginning to move about, he noticed zombies sprinting towards the Inn with the sole intention of killing the inquiry for having killed the necromancer's sister. Jakob then began to blow his whistle, with the hopes of attracting not only the undead to him, but also getting the attention of any surviving constables. These things were everywhere now, and he needed to gather the lawmen together, if there were any left. He blew the whistle a few times, before pumping his shotgun and opening fire on the horde of undead.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil didn't even have time to react before Cassandra made away with Valeria and the sword, vanishing into thin air like she had in the previous encounter they had with her. There was also the presence of Tristyn, which was ever ominous, but also... one he recognized that was growing in power. No... she can't mean to...! Ethraeil thought as he made his way to the roof and made his way across the rooftops towards where Tarja was. Lives were being snuffed out in a flash, and he felt the transition of souls to the necromancer... it was one of the most dangerous ways to transition to becoming a lich. And he needed to stop the dark sorceress before it was too late.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister was surprised to see Camille appear so suddenly, his mind focused on Cassandra, and he listened to her proposal intently. However, before either of them could make to try it, the situation rapidly began to change. His eyes widened as he sensed the terrors closing in on them - the dullahan, necromancer, and a host of undead pouring into the streets. Cassandra appeared to be gone from the window somehow, and Jakob was already running out into the street with his constable whistle.

He grasped at his rosary in his left hand, holding it tightly as sorcerous energies began to swell about him. "Camille, get to the rooftops! The dullahan is coming! Find the necromancer instead!" Based on the screaming and direction the undead were appearing from, it shouldn't be hard to find her, but he gestured distinctly in the direction that he sensed her aura.

Aleister felt that they should all make for the rooftops to avoid the zombies and the dullahan, but Jakob was already committed to the ground. He hurried over towards him. There was no time to try any advanced magic that would take time to cast. Instead, he simply raised his right hand with the thumb crossed over the palm and began to direct bolts of holy energy at the undead in quick succession. If they could clear the zombies away before the dullahan arrived, then maybe they could get to the roofs.

 

[K0mori]

With a protracted groan, Mariette tore the remaining portion of Cassandra's rapier out of her chest and fell over on her side, swimming in the pain that came with it. The sword rolled out of her hands and onto the leafy earth as she clutched herself. The Romanov Blood must have dulled the pain and sped the healing... she considered as she remembered the other pureblood's less arduous recovery from the same attack. If only I had some...

She remembered the heavenly taste of the forbidden blood on her lips as she clawed at the forest floor. It wasn't just the incredible leap in power which tempted her, it was that taste beyond compare, the most purely delectable substance she had ever been exposed to, and now she had none. For the sake of her sanity, she should never taste it again, and yet it was the only thing on her mind during the first few minutes after the sword's removal. Maybe it was her mind's way of coping with the sensation of impalement, offsetting the horror with the most pleasant memory... And then, abruptly, the pain began to subside and she forced herself to stand and stagger forward, growing stronger with each passing moment. She looked back on the implement which had pinned her down and decided, oddly, that if Cassandra was so intent on leaving it behind, then it was now her own property. Mariette nearly fell over as she lifted it from the ground and held it for a moment, then set her eyes forward and began to march.

For her own survival, the survival of her plans, and the future of the vampiric race, Mariette had allowed herself to be humbled, and sent Cassandra and her cohort into Grimsby. Innocent people were probably already dying. and so Mariette shook her head fiercely at the thought of pitying herself any further. Her deal was exclusive to herself and her counterpart, and there was nothing stopping her from seeking the dead witch's twin and reuniting her with her sister. Her steps turned into a jog, and then a sprint, her wound still gaping and dripping with agony as she picked up the pace to leaps and bounds. It wasn't much longer before she sighted the outskirts of the city. Now without reason to conceal her identity any longer, her deep red eyes reappeared along with her fangs and claws as she scaled the first rooftop, bypassing the winding streets entirely as she headed for the inn.

 

[Breadman]

Theodore chased after Jakob down into the chaotic streets. A plethora of curses ran like a stream through his mind. Cassandra managed to abduct Valeria and she took the sword with her. If the vampire could take it did that mean that purebloods were immune to its magic? Or was her technically being part of the order a factor in this? 'Fucking gods and their arbitrary rules.' He kept cursing as they went down the stairs of the inn. 'Why do we even bother with them, when we are nothing but playthings in their grand games? Bah, no better than nobles.' Whatever anger he had for the divine, he quickly focused to the rotting flesh shuffling towards them.

Jakob was already on the case. Blowing his whistle to alert the creatures. Good, they were grouped up with little chance to harm innocent bystanders. The scholar lid the fuse to one of his bombs and tossed it right in the middle of that group.

 

[Dmaster]

Upon seeing Cassandra practically blink out of existence, Camille's mouth hung open just a bit before she closed it back, beginning to scowl as she tightened her grip on her weapons. This was growing frustrating, it was impossible to corner and kill this pureblood without her disappearing completely. With her senses and speed she could torment the inquiry for as long as she wished, and that was eating at the huntress' patience with each and every encounter. Aleister spouted something about taking care of the necromancer, and she turned her attention to him before shaking her head. "Fine." was all she said before sheathing her weapons, turning around quickly to climb and jump back up the rooftops from the way she came.

Once she had her vertical vantage point, she squinted toward the direction that Aleister had sensed the witch responsible for the waves of undead appearing. Her pace started as a jog, then broke out into a sprint, the Marquess began to free run from building to building as she safely traversed the zombie-filled streets without incident. Camille was going to find this witch and skewer her on her blade, one way or another. They could not keep getting ambushed without thinning the numbers of their enemy, and as of now she had no idea that Cassandra even kidnapped Valeria and Wesley. Even if Camille knew those details she wouldn't allow them to distract her from the here and now, as innocents were being killed by the dozen from the wanton chaos that witch's magic was weaving.

Quickly as she could she closed the distance, ready to strike with a flurry of thrown quills whenever that freakish woman appeared in her sights.

 

[Infab]

Grimsby Streets (Inn) - Turn 1
Jakob = 4. Four Constables have arrived.
Aleister = 8. Sprinters driven back.
Theodore = 10. Sprinters destroyed.
​

Aleister's holy magic was helpful at eliminating the approaching dprinters, and driving them back a bit. The bomb that Theodore tossed proved more effective, though, exploding and blowing all the sprinters apart. The shockwave forced the rest of the sprinters that had avoided the blast to stumble and fall, allowing for some breathing room for the members of the group. As Jakob opened fire on the survivors with his shotgun, a group of four constables came rushing up from the opposite direction. Each with their own weapons, a mixture of revolvers and shotguns. They also opened fire, focusing on the same targets that Jakob was firing upon.

Rosanna eventually emerged outside, wielding her lever action. "I'm gonna head for the necromancer and Tristyn!" she said as she darted by Jakob and Theodore. She bolted off down an alleyway nearby, heading in the direction of the ever growing aura.

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​

"SHOOT THE BAST--"

The constable wasn't able to say much else as Tristyn's longsword cleaved his head from his shoulders. He soon found himself being fired upon by two other constables, whom were also taken down with grace as the dullahan knight cleaved them to pieces. Nearby, Tarja floated about, gathering up the souls of the fallen citizens of Grimsby and absorbing them. "Keep slaughtering them, Sir Tristyn. I need more souls if I am to cross the threshold." she said aloud, turning her glowing green eyes towards the knight. He gurgled, as usual, and continued to cut down anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. She then turned her attention back to the corpses, before motioning towards them with her hand.

A moment later, the corpses rose from the ground. "More puppets for the puppet master. You know who to kill." she said, before the newly created zombies went sprinting off into the city. As she watched them run off, she noticed auras fast approaching where they were currently, inside of a market square. "Oh, they're coming to us. Perfect. It seems you'll be avenged rather quickly, dearest sister."

As Camille, Ethraeil, and Rosanna reached the marketplace, Tarja raised both her hands to the sky, and muttered a quiet phrase. A moment later, the ground around her began to crack and split open. From within the newly formed holes crawled several skeletons, clad in old steel armor and wielding various forms of weaponry. "Kill them." she said simply, and the skeletons marched forth. Meanwhile, Tristyn marched on his own towards them.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette was nearing the epicenter of the battle and had now begun to grasp the terrible damage the necromancer was causing to the city. Her aura was far different from an ordinary human's; it was growing in strength and beginning to resemble Ethraeil's. She leaped across an alleyway to the next rooftop and winced as she hit the ground, blood still dripping from her the dark wet patches on either side of her body which marked the path of Cassandra's attack. Considering how quickly her head had managed to reattach itself after she had been briefly decapitated, Mariette was frustrated with how long it was taking to regain full strength. Just my luck, she thought, the wound will finally heal just as I need to prove my alibi to the Inquisitors...

She soon came upon the marketplace. Far above street level, she was able to get a quick grasp of the situation. Camille and Ethraeil were already on scene, and down below, she spotted Rosanna catching up and called out to her. "Rose!" she yelled from the rooftops, jogging along side her. When the dullahan had spotted her, Mariette dropped into the trench between two buildings, and using her claws and toe tips, she skittered a bit down the wall to prevent a hard landing. Regardless, as she hit the brick pavement below, she had to catch herself with her hands as she let out a pained yelp. "Cassandra caught me by surprise and pinned me down, literally," she explained, displaying the rapier with a hate-filled grimace. "I think she meant to return to me later... Where is Valeria?"

She glanced up at the fast-approaching armored skeletons and realized Rose's response would need to wait a moment. Beyond them, Tarja was floating in mid-air and collecting power, her eyes a fearsome emerald green. Mariette looked to the rapier in her hand and back to the armored skeletons, then back at the witch, and back to her sword... and then shrugged before quickly drawing her pistol instead and firing several rounds at the necromancer.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob let out a cheer as Theodore and Aleister blew the bastards away with holy magic and an explosion. "Damn good work there, Theo! Aleister!" Soon, the surviving constables approached them, firing at the rest of the undead that came close. A rather mature and portly mustachioed male approached him, catching his breath as he reloaded his revolver. "W-We came as fast as we c-could...w-who are you?" Jakob patted the man on the shoulder. "Happy to see you fellas. Jakob Phillomon. Constable in Airedale, and currently helping a Inquiry." Jakob pointed at Aleister, whom was vanquishing a zombie with his divine magic. "Don't shoot that vampire. He's good." A young female constable pumped her shotgun nearby, having finished reloading. "So what's the plan, sir?" she said, with a calm voice. "I want you four to follow me as I take point. We have to kill these things and buy more time for the civilians to reach the nearest Abbey. We need to be careful, and act quickly as a team. And if you see a huge motherfucker with a sword, you run or take cover, because that guy ain't goin down easy. He's a dullahan." The two constables looked to one another. "Its a very long story. I'll tell you the details if we survive." He then looked at Aleister and Theodore. "We gotta clean these streets, and reach the others! They went directly for the necromancer!"

 

[Viper Actual]

After returning to Grimsby Galina had stayed inside her room. While a part of her was happy about Rosanna and Wesley returning she was at the same time extremely suspicious. The entire mission to save Rosanna had been too easy and because of that sole reason Galina didn't feel like she could relax or sleep. After a while she considered going downstairs to get some food but just as she got out of the bed she could sense it. People are about to die. This can mean only one thing.

Quickly she grabbed her rifle and opened her door with haste. Just as she stepped out into the corridor she could hear gunshots followed by a blur and for a mere second she thought she could see Wesley vanish into the thin air. Cassandra.

Once the party began to engage the horde of undead rapidly approaching Galina followed suite, though she opted to guard their rear at first. As Jakob explained the situation to the arriving constables Galina grabbed Aleister by the shoulder. "Can you sense the necromancer? We need to kill her. Fast."

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil dropped from the rooftop and into the marketplace, finding himself alongside Rosanna, Mariette and Camille in the fight against what appeared to be both Tristyn and the other Devonshire twin. What concerned him the most however was the latter, as she was using a soul well as a means to try to become a lich. An extremely dangerous method that, for good reason, isn't used by practitioners of necromancy to ascend to lichdom.

"Bullets will not do anything right now." Ethraeil stated bluntly as he stared at the spectacle unfolding before him. "Focus on Tristyn. I will deal with the would-be lich." he said as he walked ahead and threw ice spears at the undead moving towards the group to try to clear a path to Tarja.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille leaped down from building to building just as the risen skeletons and Tristyn approached them, performing another roll to cushion the fall. Weapons drawn, she squinted at the necromancer and was about to throw her quills, only to hear Ethraeil state that such attacks likely would not work. Gritting her teeth with frustration, she quickly sheathed the throwing knives back into their spaces about her leg. Skeletal enemies and armored targets meant that the thrown force of her daggers would not be enough to pierce their armor, and the skeletons had no flesh for them to gain purchase. Quickly she drew out her hatchet yet again, flipping it to the blunt and heavy end yet again as her dominant hand clutched her rapier. It was a fighting style she was having to get used to, but not terribly different from fighting with a rapier and her daggers.

It seemed like the others were focused on dispatching the necromancer, which meant that she would have to try and deal with the dullahan and the skeletons, or at least start to. Twisting the hatched about with a twirl of her wrist, she steps up to the horde of skeletons and gets into her stance. Feet spread apart and her rapier was leveled with the necks of the flesh-less undead before her, she quickly attempted a stab directly through one of their skulls, following through with a bash of the hatchet to another.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"The necromancer isn't too far ahead," Aleister said to Galina, and he glanced over at the others as they continued down the street, attacking the zombies as they encountered the. "And neither is that monstrous dullahan! This won't be an easy fight!"

It was remarkable just how fast everything had fallen to shit, in less elegant words. He hadn't seen Cassandra disappear from his angle, but it appeared that the pureblood had manage to steal not just the sword, but Valeria and Wesley as well. Even if they manage to defeat the dullahan and necromancer, losing the head inquisitor and the sword to Cassandra was a great defeat in and of itself. The damage to the city was also growing as the fight went on, but that was not a matter the inquiry was concerned with. Many lives were on the line here. Perhaps this would finally rouse the godsdamned military to a state of war.

Aleister continued along with the group, shooting magical bolts of energy at the zombies as they encountered them. It was low level magic, but effective. It would be wasteful to try anything fancy on these undead, because he was going to need all the magic he had to perform some very dangerous stuff to try and take the necromancer down.

 

[Infab]

Grimsby Streets (Marketplace) Fight
1 Group of Skeletal Soldiers, Tarja Devonshire (Witch/Necromancer - Boss), Sir Tristyn Protheroe (Corrupted Dullahan - Super Boss)

Tarja Devonshire (Witch/Necromancer) (Boss)
50 HP
Trait #1: Raise Dead - Can raise skeletal and zombified minions to use as allies.
Trait #2: The Dark Arts - Immune to Dark Magic, does +2 DMG when using magic against enemies. Weak against Holy (Light) Magic.

Five Turns till Tarja ascends to Lichdom.

-----

Sir Tristyn Protheroe (Corrupted Dullahan) (Super Boss)
100 HP (!)
Trait #1: Angel of Death - A nearly unstoppable killing machine, Dullahans are quite terrifying. Does 3 DMG instead of 1 during combat, and forces +1 chance to miss from foes.
Trait #2: And Hell followed with Him - Unholy magic corrupted this Dullahan, and he uses said unholy magic against his enemies. +3 DMG when attacking with Dark Magic. Weak against Holy (Light) Magic.
Trait #3 - Knightly - As a former knight, Tristyn is a master swordsman. He expertly uses his longsword against his foes. Automatically counters a failed (parried) attack with a critical hit.

-----

Grimsby Streets (Marketplace) - TURN 1
Cheerful Cowgirl in effect. Group receives +3 HP boost from Rosanna.
Mariette = 9. Does 1 DMG to Tarja. Tarja HP = 49.
Rosanna = 10. CH Roll = 10 - 1 (9). Death's Herald employed. Locked onto Sir Tristyn. Does 7 DMG to Sir Tristyn. Sir Tristyn HP = 93.
Ethraeil = 6. Does 2 DMG (Master of Death) to Group of Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers HP = 10.
Camille = 7 + 1 (8) (Infallible Focus). Does 1 DMG to Group of Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers HP = 9.

Grimsby Streets (Marketplace) - TURN 1 (ENEMY)
Tarja = 7. Does 3 DMG to Mariette. Mariette HP = 15
Sir Tristyn = 6. Does 3 DMG (Angel of Death) to Rosanna. Rosanna HP = 15.
Group of Skeletal Soldiers = 8. Does 1 DMG to Camille. Camille HP = 17.


​

"I think she meant to return to me later... Where is Valeria?"

As Mariette turned, drew her revolver, and fired off a few shots at Tarja's floating form, Rosanna commented on the subject as she cycled the lever on her rifle. "Cassandra showed up an' took Valeria! She also nabbed the sword and Wesley too!" she said, before taking aim at the incoming knight. She fired off several shots at him, cycling the lever of her rifle almost like a machine. As she fired one shot after another, her eyes shifted to their dullahan black. He was her target, and would likely be her target till he was put down for good. The dullahan needed to die before he cause more harm. A few of the shots hit him in various spots in his armor, but a few hit between the joints where the metal was either soft or there were simple leather coverings. He'd occasionally flinch as a round would rip through flesh, but he kept marching on.

When the knight was in range, he swung his longsword rather sharply at Rosanna, intending to slice off an arm. It connected, but instead gave her a deep gash as she simply moved to avoid it. He's good with that sword of his, I'll give 'em that. Meanwhile, the shots that Mariette fired off hit Tarja in her shoulder and thigh. It didn't seem to faze her much, though. She simply cut a hateful look to Mariette, before muttering something and pointing her hand towards her. A moment later, a green ball of energy errupted from her palm, rocketing towards Mariette. With no time to react, the ball collided with Mariette's chest, sending her sailing backwards and bouncing off the cobblestone street.

Ethraeil's icy spears were rather effective at eliminating the incoming skeletons, shattering them or simply impaling their armor and sending them falling backwards. Meanwhile, Camille was focused more on single targets than groups. That would prove to have its own consequences, as she struck one down just to have another cut her arm with a broadsword.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister kept moving quickly and soon enough arrived in time to see Mariette get hit with a ball of green flame. The woman was launched back into the cobblestone, but when she started moving again he knew she was alright. It would take more than that to keep her down. He fired away with small bolts at some nearby undead, but made towards a building and scaled it, getting up to the rooftop to avoid the smaller, weaker creatures. The most pressing concern was not the skeletons or zombies, or even the dullahan - but the necromancer attempting to become a lich. The trouble that would occur if she succeeded....

The vampire priest settled down on one of the rooftops, taking cover behind one side of a gabled roof so that he wouldn't be in direct clear site of the necormancer and others. He needed time to focus and prepare a powerful spell. Taking a deep breath, he clasped his hands together and watched the necromancer intently. A soundless stream of words of power and prayer came forth from his lips. It was foolish to attempt anything too dangerous, but this was an exception, and he needed something to really hurt that necromancer. A lance of divine energy. Not unlike his attempts at channeling lightning, but even stronger. He had to keep failure out of his mind, not lest because it would not be painless.

Blessed Undite... we need you now more than ever....

 

[Breadman]

Theodore followed the others through the streets as they were chasing after the rest of the group. His short stature wasn't too much of a hindrance. When they caught up to them it was revealed that they were facing not only the other necromancer, but the rampaging dullahan as well.

Obviously the brute would require immediate attention, but him not being the only force on the battlefield could not be ignored. Theodore focused on the necromancer performing some dark ritual. That couldn't go on uninterrupted. Picking the right thing for the job, he tossed another bomb at her. This one ready to erupt in an inferno.

 

[K0mori]

Tumbling to a stop after taking a direct blast of whatever dark energy Tarja was working with, Mariette shook her head fiercely as she shoved her pistol away. As much as the blow stung her, she was more concerned with the news Rosanna had given her. "They got Valeria!? And the sword too? Merde!" She spat. This wasn't supposed to happen. If this is Cassandra's way of honoring bargains, then perhaps I'll kill Wesley should we ever meet again... Or maybe hex him into loving me instead. She snickered at the thought. Stay on task... We need Mademoiselle Valeria and that accursed sword.

"Bullets aren't going to distract the witch as I hoped they would. Rose, I'm going to try clearing a path forward." She took up Cassandra's rapier and got into a very amateurish stance. She would rely mainly on brute strength as she advanced on the undead.

 

[Viper Actual]

Arriving with the others to reinforce the group battling Tarja and Tristyn, Galina crouched down and sprinted into a covered position before taking aim with her rifle.

She quickly realized that odds were not in their favour but decided that the best course of action would be to attack Tarja.
A quick three-shot burst was sent flying towards the necromancer shortly after.