Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

October 10th, 1877
Airedale, Grimtham Isle, The Kingdom of Atraca

"Shall I take your bags, Inquisitor?" asked a rather stout looking man, dressed in the common colors and uniform of Airedale's constabulary. His face was half hidden by the large brown beard that he apparently didn't maintain beyond a few trims here and there, and his beady brown eyes were barely visible in the light projected from the lantern in hand. He looked as though if he were to run, he'd pass out after half a block. Lucky, though, that he was carrying a revolver on his hip. It took far less effort to shoot someone than to chase after them with the typical billy club the constables often carried.

"Yes. Please take them inside the church, and inform Father Bartley of my arrival. He'll know what to do with them. Also, inform him that I will be joining him shortly. I need to stretch my legs after the long journey here." replied a feminine voice, as a figure emerged from the covered wooden carriage. She stepped into the light of the lantern, revealing auburn red hair and icey blue eyes beneath the wide brim of a well worn inquisitorial hat. The constable nodded, before motioning up to the driver of the carriage to assist him in unloading her equipment from the roof of the carriage.

Meanwhile, the inquisitor stepped away from the carriage, gazing up at the rather large church before about at her surroundings. Empty cobblestone streets, a faint fog, darkened buildings with a simple candlelight in a window here and there. She drew a silver watch from her pocket, pressing the button on the side to flip open the cover. Three in the morning. She had arrived rather early, long before activity in Airedale was set to pick up.

She clicked the lid closed on the watch, before slipping it back into its pocket and looking around once again. Across the street was Airedale's city hall and courthouse, sitting silent beyond a lone constable patrolling around it. The market nearby was also silent, though an art gallery was lit up on the far side. Awful late for people to be gazing at the magificent paintings and sculptures of old and new, but she knew exactly who was likely to be in there. Someone she'd be speaking to soon enough.

Eventually, the clack of boots on cobblestone behind her signified that the bags had been moved and the husky constable was approaching her again. "Your bags have been moved into the church, ma'am, and Father Bartley has been informed of your arrival. Is there anything else you need, Inquisitor?" he asked, stepping up next to her before glancing about himself.

"Yes. Has anything interesting happened lately in Airedale?" she asked, her gaze shifting from the art gallery across from them to the constable. He knew what she meant. "Well, there have been a few vampire sightings around the lower residental districts on the east side. The potentially hostile type. We also killed few ghouls over in the slums. There have been two friendlier vampires around lately as well." he explained, returning his attention to her.

"Two?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. She had only been informed of one. The other must have been a recent arrival. "Aye, ma'am. A man and a woman. The man has been wandering around the art gallery and upper residential districts. The woman arrived yesterday, and is staying at the inn just over there." replied the constable, motioning to a set of three buildings to the west across the church courtyard. The Northern Paradise Inn was located in the middle, with a few windows lit via candle or lantern.

She looked upon it for a moment, before nodding. "I know who the man is. Aleister Meredeth Germain. A former priest of the Divine Church. He is of no threat to the public, as assured by the Church itself. As for the other..." she said, looking to the constable. He filled in the details. "Lady Mariette Desrosiers, I'm told. A countess in Escaria. I believe she owns several vineyards back home. Who knows why she'd be here though, this far north in Atraca..." stated the constable, adjusting his cap.

"She's a vampire. I question their motives every second of every day." responded the inquisitor. This forced a chuckle from the constable, which was promptly silenced by the dark look she gave him in return. As the constable coughed and gathered himself, the inquisitor glanced past him and noticed another individual arriving at the church. This one was on horseback, clad in a dark colored sheepskin jacket and light blue jeans. A black leather hat (which was of a style popular in the southern Atracan territories) rested atop her head, covering dirty blonde hair tied in a ponytail. On their feet, black leather riding boots fitted with steel spurs, while her hands were clad in typical leather rifleman gloves.

The horse the person sat on was a chestnut color, and was equipped with a similarly colored saddle. Various bits of gear and equipment was scattered across the saddle, but what stood out was the lever-action rifle poking out of a rifle holster on the side. Another gun sat in a holster on the person's right hip, the grip and steel frame visible. Eventually, the constable himself looked around and saw them. "Just arriving?" asked the constable, as he walked away from the inquisitor towards this new individual. The inquisitor followed quietly behind, studying the person on horseback.

"Yep. Helluva long ride from Skull Creek, that's for damn sure." said the rider, her voice also distinctly female. "Skull Creek? Isn't that down near the southern border?" said the constable, a bit shocked by the information. "Mhm. The preacher 'round? I'd like to talk to 'em about work. Name's Rosanna McFadden, with the huntin' guild. You know the one." said the rider, before she swung her leg over the horse and slipped off. She landed gently, straightening up and tieing her horse's reins to a nearby hitching post.

"The Atracan Hunter's Guild? You're a bit too far north, aren't you?" asked the inquisitor, making her presence known to the new arrival. The woman glanced over, instantly recognizing the typical attire of a member of the Vigilant Order. "Oh! You're one of those in-quiz-e-tor types, eh?" said Rosanna, stepping over and inspecting the inquisitor as she folded her arms. The inquisitor nodded, before offering her hand. "Senior Inquisitor Valeria Witlock."

Rosanna smiled, and extended her own hand. "Looks like I came to the right place at the right time. I 'magine you could use a little help in...whatever it is you're doin' up here?" she said, as they shook hands. "Vampire hunting." stated Valeria.

Rosanna tipped the edge of her hat up a bit, the light from the constable's lantern revealing a bit more of her face and her green eyes. "Bloodsuckers? Easy 'nough. I should probably go ahead and let you know my little secret right off at the start, then. That way you know what you're workin' with." said Rosanna with a smile, before reaching up and placing her hands on the side of her head. She then lifted straight up...and her head seperated from her neck. Thick grey smoke plumed out of the jet black hole left behind, and Rosanna's eyes turned as black as the hole itself. "I'm a dullahan." she said, her voice bearing a new and faint (but still noticable) echo.

Valeria raised an eyebrow, while the constable seemed as though he were about to run for the hills. Valeria had never really encountered a dullahan, but she had heard tales from other inquisitors and hunters about them. Headless killing machines, seemingly unstoppable unless you had a golden weapon. "...Glad to have you working with me, then." she said, still eyeing the smoke and hole in Rosanna's neck. Rosanna simply grinned, and placed her head back onto her neck. The smoke stopped, the hole sealed up, and her eyes returned to their normal human green. "And I'm much obliged to ya for employin' me."

Valeria finally nodded, before motioning towards the church doors. "Speak with Father Bartley inside, and state that you're with me. He'll tend to whatever you need. I need to go speak to someone at the art gallery. If anyone else should show up asking for me, or looking for work, just say that I'll return shortly and tell them to wait for me." she said, before turning and proceeding across the courtyard in the direction of the market and art gallery. Rosanna watched her walk away, before glancing to the constable. "Think ya might wanna go with her, constable? She might need the light." she says, tipping her hat to the man before heading towards and through the church doors. The constable looked in both their directions, before sighing and following after Valeria.

 

[Dmaster]

"Perhaps the black powder addict is right." Camille admits, increasing the pace of her horse so she could break a bit further ahead of the group. "No need to fill your head with an overload of information, you'll know if you are capable of being a real hunter within the first few moments of combat with a vampire." That had actually been genuine advice on her part, as her first real battle with a vampire had her woefully unprepared for what they were capable of. If he could find a way to manage crawling out of the most dire situation by the skin of his teeth, then he would be proper hunter material.

The Escarian huntress kept a brisk pace with the rest of the group, only taking in the dreary sights now and then as she did not seem to care for the waves and greetings of the townsfolk. It was easy to assume that she thought little of them or this place, but in truth she was more focused on the task at hand more than her surroundings. For the first time since those damnable undead were stuffed into the carriage she had some peace and quiet to herself. That was until the constable began singing. Muttering something to herself, she allowed him to continue his tune for a few more moments, trying to shut her eyes and be patient as well as understanding. Best to let the man exhaust his vocal chords now before they were further out from town and the ghouls were upon them, she wagered they fancied the more talented meats up here.

 

[Infab]

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CHAPTER TWO

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After a few hours of rest, and a chance to fill their bellies with sustenance, the group made their way back through the city and back to the boats. Then, another journey was taken, back across the bay towards the small fishing village of Islebury. The group was tired, and once they reached where they had left the carriage and horses, they set up camp once again and got some much needed sleep.

The next day, they had a conundrum. Where exactly had Cassandra taken Wesley? Most likely to the Duke, but he was likely going back to Peltragow. At the moment, that was all they had to go on. So, the group set out towards the nearest city to see if they could pick up the trail. Oar's Rest, another fishing village but slightly larger than Islebury and sitting on a river delta. The journey took two days, and they eventually arrived in Oar's Rest by nightfall.

What they found was rather shocking. Oar's Rest was empty. The shops were still open, the taverns still had drinks sitting on the bar...it was as if everyone suddenly had got up and left.

"...Uhm...where is everyone?" asked Rosanna aloud, looking at the others before around at the empty village. They stood at the center, at the north end of the docks where various fishing boats were sitting silent. Even the boats looked suddenly abandoned. Valeria looked about as well, before looking to Mariette and Ethraeil. "Either of you detect anyone?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. As the pair would search, they would discover that it truly was abandoned.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

The night of the meeting, Aleister remained reserved and quiet following his outburst, having not the desire or energy to carry on against people who simply didn't understand nor properly care. Once he had retired to his room, he wrote two letters. First was a small one to the doctor they had left Jakob at. Aleister had left his paintings there, and he enclosed an address and some coins for the doctor to mail them back to the mainland. To his family home in Whitecliffe. The estate was more of a storage house for items he collected, as the staff was a skeleton crew and no one lived there permanently. He often resided with his blood family, the Saville's, at their estate on the edge of town.

The second letter was also relatively brief. One to mail to his blood family, to check in with them and inform them that he was in... a dangerous situation that he hoped to return from. Perhaps most importantly was the last line, and e stared at it for a moment.

Elisa, do you still have our theater masks? The ones we used to play with and put on little shows for the others? Find them. I will need them when I return.

He reread his letters then sealed them. The following morning they were mailed off, and he joined the inquiry by sitting in the carriage with Wesley. He said not a word to the other man, and decided to rest his eyes and sleep for the carriage ride. There was no use in talking anymore.

 

[Infab]

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THE FINALE

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The area surrounding the keep and other parts of the castle between the outer wall was relatively abandoned. There were old trees catered about, having lost their leaves due to the autumn weather. The grass had grown up as well, some of it almost knee high. The cobblestone path to the large main door of the keep was worn and broken in places, covered in large splotches of grass and moss. The castle itself bore several cracks, and bits of stone were missing in places on its walls and towers. Still, it stood tall, towering over them and over the mountains surrounding it.

Valeria glanced to the others, before walking towards the main door of the keep. It seemed to be slightly ajar, as if someone had accidentally left the door open. There was a blood stain on the door as well. Someone had been gravely wounded here. Valeria looked back to Ethraeil for a moment, before stepping over and cautiously pushing the door open. Just inside the door was a dead knight. "...What the hell?" she muttered, studying the dead vampiric knight on the ground. His head was missing, and he had several slices through his armor and flesh. Further in were a few more knight corpses. Did the others already get inside? Valeria glanced up. No holes in the ceiling yet. As they continued into the main hall, she did see a shadow on the wall on an upper balcony. It was tall, and resembled that of Edmond, but disappeared rather quickly before she could be sure it was him.

The main hall looked like what one would expect for such a large castle. Large stone staircases, old carpet on the stone floors. Faded and torn paintings on the walls here and there along with old torches. A few large pillars stretching up to the high ceiling, where several large chandeliers hung. There were a few wooden double doors nearby, leading to other parts of the castle, as well as a set of stairs descending down between the two grand staircases. A few large banners hung down from the second floor balcony, bearing the colors of Atraca from long ago. They were faded now, with parts missing and several large tears.

Valeria glanced back down to the bodies on the floor in the center of the hall. "Did Edmond kill his own men?" she said, glancing back to Ethraeil and Galina. "It appears so." replied Galina.

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Camille and Aleister descended through the hidden door behind the guard house outside, climbing down an old ladder into a dark stone tunnel. Aleister quickly cast a small floating light, and the two began their trek through the tunnel towards the innards of the castle. There were several traps inside the tunnel, mostly bear traps set quickly to impede progress. Simple, but effective. Thankfully, Camille's rapier and quills were useful in disarming the traps. Soon enough, they came to a flat stone wall. The end of the tunnel. There was a switch to open it somewhere, but the problem was finding it. There were a pair of torches on the walls next to them, as well as a few loose bricks in the wall itself. The question was which actually opened the door?

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Meanwhile, Wesley, Theodore, and Francis moved along the wall as it wound around to the left side of the castle. The wall itself was in the same state as the castle itself: covered in cracked or crumbling stone and old wood. One wrong step, and you could be sent down inside the wall due to rotten wood. There were stairs that descended down into the walls and towers, but they weren't going down into those. Eventually, they found that it connected to the side of the keep's upper levels. There was a door that they could pass through, but where was the fun in that? They were going up. Wesley took the rope that Francis offered, walking up the wall and lowering it down to them once he had reached the top. One at a time, he pulled Francis and Theodore up to the roof with him. Now was the moment to find a nice spot atop the keep to blast through.

 

[Infab]

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EPILOGUE

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As Winchester said he would, he sent a letter to the Church officials on the mainland. It soon reached the Church in Eternis. It wouldn't be long before several representatives from the Divine Church would arrive on Grimtham Isle, with two battalions of Atracan forces. Peltragow was secured, and any remaining members of Archer and Wallace's forces were rounded up and imprisoned. Porthcrawl was requarantined, until the numerous undead corpses could be cleaned out of the burning city. Survivors were located inside the city as well, and were promptly taken care of.

Airedale was turned into a sort of operations post for forces arriving from the mainland to deal with things. The church in Airedale was quite active during the day and night, as Church officials and members of the Order attempted to cover the events that had occurred on the island as well as the extent of the Duke's plans. The Duke had murdered countless aristocrats during the events at the manor in Tresomin. Several vampires had been slain, which alarmed members of the Church as to how high up the vampires had managed to place themselves in modern society without being noticed. The officials had been from all over: Atraca, Escaria, Tsavania, Daristein, Eshax...the list went on and on. The Duke really had been planning a total takeover once he had mastered the ring.

In the days following the Church intervention, numerous members of the local population began to notice strange occurances. There was a rise in 'deja vu' moments, where people would see something they had already seen happen previously. Small things like seeing the same cat cross the street twice in the same direction. A bird flying out of a nest in a tree, only to somehow fly away again out of an empty nest. A tree that had been cut down days prior was being recut as it had somehow stood itself back up. The oddities were scattered and varied, but still certainly strange.