Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

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Preface

What a man has made himself he will be; his state is the result of his past life, and his heaven or hell is in himself. Catherine Crowe

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It is the year 1880, three years after the fateful incident on Grimtham Isle. The continent of Adonia, as well as the rest of the world, is in a state of flux after the Abyssal Icon of Vainglory, Sazak, used Senior Inquisitor Valeria Witlock to get his hands on two of the artifacts of the divine. The Ring of Adona, and the Sword of Velin. Time has begun to malfunction, and beings from an era long past have begun to reappear in the present. Meanwhile, the Goddess of Judgement, Velin, has awakened from her centuries long slumber to return to the world. She is disgusted by what she has found. The Divine Church has become lazy in its affairs, and the Vigilant Order is a shell of its former self. Frustrated by the world's state, and upset over being absent from the Grimtham incident, Velin has begun to purge all that she deems hostile to humanity. Attempting to reshape things into her perfect vision of the world.

Thanks to the ascended demon Tariun and her loyal allies, as well as members of her own orders, the goddess has discovered that Valeria Witlock still lives. Trapped by Sazak deep within the Abyss, the dark and cold domain of the Demon King, Taranoch. It has also been discovered that Taranoch now controls the two artifacts captured by Sazak, and now has Sazak searching for the remaining three. After striking a deal with Tariun, Velin and the angel Cassiel have begun gathering a group together to venture into the Abyss to rescue Valeria and retrieve the artifacts, as well as attempt to kill Sazak should the group encounter them.

The group gathered are a variety of the world's worst, ranging from abominations and hybrids to former royalty and warlords. Mixed in are people that have suffered through the worst the world has set upon them. But the group will need to band together to survive the hellish realm of the Abyss and their clashes against the forces of the Abyssal Icons.


This RP is currently a closed RP, but might potentially open for new players later. Keep an eye on it!

As GM, I control various NPCs in the story, but some may be controlled by players. All events will be under my direction. Feel free to throw ideas at your fellow players. I want you guys to have fun!

Rules​

1. Please, be nice.
2. No power or metagaming. You have a lot of freedom and slack, but ultimately rolls determine if things happen.
3. Out of Character (OOC) chat should be in double parentheses, ((so it will look like this when you post OOC)).
4. If you go inactive or drop, your character(s) will be under my control (and may potentially die.) If you let me know you're going to be inactive for a while and can pick back up later, I'll look after your character till you return.
5. This is primarily a PvE game, but PvP can still potentially happen if its agreed upon by both parties and run by me.
6. As GM, I'm god. New rules can be implemented on the fly.

Link to Facepunch RP discord: https://discord.gg/TGpuRrh (Highly recommended that you join this if you join the rp or are otherwise interested in this rp. All OOC discussion and news on the rp occurs here!)
Link to the Hunter's Moon Wikia page: Hunter's Moon (It is still a bit under construction, but all lore and character pages and such are there and up!)

Players​

(If a player drops out, their character will be controlled by me and listed here as dropped.)

Aliana Feneris
Anya Voronina
Gwenaelle de Chamoroux
Henderson
Hudson
Jakob Phillomon
Loque
Riberta von Blutrausch
Senya Melgaeron
Seriphine de Ironwind
Shaguma Inari
Takato Ka
Uloth Shazgub
Venextos
Vincent Beaumont
Wesley Wilch

 

[Infab]

October 9th, 1880
The Grand Cathedral of the Divine
Eternis, Atraca

"It has been two weeks, my lady. It is time to proceed." stated the well dressed man, clad in a silky black suit. He brushed a few strands of his almost white hair out of his face, his silver eyes locked onto the tall armored goddess whom was currently peering down at a sheet of paper in her hands. Faint traces of electricity surged across her metal armor, briefly crackling before darting down her legs into the tile floor of the room. She had been using this large room for some time now as her primary headquarters, after taking it from the former Grand Inquisitor. The embellishments and paintings that he had hung up in the office had been removed, replaced with art from the goddess's native country of Volusia. The mahogany desk was replaced with a simpler one, made of stone that matched the tile. She had made it her own, expecting to be here for a long time. As long as it took to fix things.

She looked back to the man, before tossing the paper onto the desk. "Good. Send everyone out of the grand hall, and gather them there. Have their equipment retrieved from the armory as well." stated the goddess, as she soon turned around to completely face the man. "Yes, lady Velin." responded Cassiel. And a moment later, the man in black disappeared. As if he simply vanished in the blink of an eye.

He would reappear below, inside the grand cathedral itself near the altar where a priest was currently in the middle of a sermon. "Father, I believe we need to cut today's gathering short. Our lady has work that needs doing." said Cassiel politely. The priest nodded, before turning to his flock in the hall. The sermon was concluded quite quickly, and he promptly instructed the men, women, and children inside to depart quickly and quietly. Once the grand, extravagant hall was empty a few minutes later, Cassiel motioned for the priest to return to him. "Gather a few priests and Order members. The equipment in the armory that we have gathered needs to be brought here. Task a few of the Order to also descend down to the dungeon, and bring our guests up. Seek out the others as well, and bring them here"

The priest nodded again, before departing to do as instructed. It was time for them to begin their mission. As he patiently waited in the grand hall, standing now just in front of the alter, the various members of the Beaumont Mission were gathered in the hall. A group of remarkable, yet terrible, individuals. Most of them, anyway. The members of the Vigilant Order soon arrived with the group's gear from the armory. A variety of weapons and armor for them to use during their incursion into the depths of the Abyss. As things and people were gathered, Velin descended from her tower and stood next to Cassiel at the altar.

"Do you think this will work, my lady? Sazak is not one to be trifled with...and neither is the dark lord Taranoch." whispered Cassiel, glancing up to his goddess. Velin grunted. "Not really, no." responded Velin, without looking. "But nothing of value will be lost. Except for three of my children." Cassiel eyed the goddess for a moment, before looking back to the group. She had no faith in them. Not even in Vincent or Hudson.

---
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Days prior...
Red Gorge, Atraca
Phillomon Detective & Hunting Agency

"'ey, boss! There's another letter here for you!" said one of the detectives, strolling through the building towards the office of Jakob Phillomon. "It says its from a...Weston guy." It had been a few weeks since Jakob had received any letters from Weston, likely due to the nature of his duties. As both a priest and a high inquisitor in the Vigilant Order, Weston had a lot on his plate. But now it seemed that he finally had the chance to send him something. Hopefully more information on the situation with Sazak.

As Jakob received the letter from his employee, he quickly opened it and began to read over it.

Jakob,

They found her! They found Valeria! It turns out that Sazak has been keeping her imprisoned in the Abyss. Velin is launching a mission into the Abyss soon to retrieve her, as well as attempt to retrieve the two artifacts that Sazak has taken. They will be going into the Abyss through a hidden door in northern Daristein. Enclosed within this letter is a snippet of a Daristeinian map. Marked on it is the location of the door. Do not share this location with anyone else. If word got out of a door to the Abyss existing, there will likely be people attempting to venture through it or get people OUT of the Abyss. Hurry and get there if you want to help save my daughter.

High Inquisitor Nathaniel Weston
​

---​

Back in Eternis...

As soon as the group had gathered their things and were ready to go, Velin stepped forward. "Now, as you know, you will be venturing into the Abyss. I shouldn't have to warn you about what you will encounter down there. I am not sending you directly into the Abyss, as that will drop each of you into random locations. That isn't helpful. Instead, you will be venturing through a door into the Abyss, located in Northern Daristein." said the goddess. She looked back to Cassiel, whom stepped over next to her. A moment later, he snapped her fingers, and a portal appeared in front of the altar. On the other side, visible through the portal, was a lush green forest. "Proceed through." she said simply, motioning for the group to go.

The first one through was Vincent Beaumont, leader of the mission. He quietly walked over and through the portal, emerging into a dense forest. Up ahead as a small clearing, as well as the face of a mountain side. It was oddly quiet here. There were still birds chirping and animals moving about around them, but it was quieter than one would expect from a forest like this. As the rest of the group came through the portal, they moved ahead. Velin and Cassiel soon emerged, following behind the group.

They proceeded into the clearing and soon found themselves face to face with a large stone door, embedded into the side of the mountain.

​

 

[K0mori]

Not far from where the portal had opened, Anya's encampment stood unoccupied. The woman had gone for a stroll out of boredom earlier in the day and was returning just as the expedition arrived on site. Only half-surprised at their appearance, as she had been told they would be coming, she dropped the small pile of firewood she had gathered along the way. "...Zdravstvujtye," she addressed them, eyeing each with suspicion as their various threatening auras frightened her more and more. It wasn't until she saw Lady Velin and her angel companion, however, that she truly felt a surge of panic. She had never seen or felt the presence of a god or goddess before, but being in Velin's presence was an unmistakable sensation. She covered her mouth and took a step back into the shade of the forest. "L-Lady Velin," she gasped.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson stepped in the portal after Vincent, rather nonchalant after the dimensional shift that the goddess had just performed. The whimsical nature of being in the presence of one's patron deity is quickly lost both by time spent in their presence and the futility of the mission they were presented with. Despite that the demon hunter would still do his best to see it through, simply because he felt that he had no choice in the matter. Even with a prosperous life and family, now waiting for him and praying for his survival, he had been unable to live with the guilt of his past actions. A crushing weight on his soul was all it took for him to realize that he would not be able to rest until he had atoned.

The hunter walked to the ominous gateway and looked up at it, completely ignoring the woman that had appeared out of the forest as she clearly had no business with the likes of him. There was no guarantee that things would not fall apart as soon as they left the goddess' presence, and he half expected the team to slaughter one another as soon as they passed through the threshold. If that's how he would go out, so be it. At least he would have made the effort to do something with meaning.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

The days in prison passed with great boredom, but when the day came that their gear was provided, Shaguma Inari's mood had soared to new heights when she discovered that Winchester had evidently preserved her clothing, armor, and most importantly of all - her swords. She possessed a set of matched blades that were more valuable to her than the lives of a thousand men, or even enough of her best retainers. Her katana was an ancient blade from long before she had been born, imbued with a hungry and violent spirit known as a Gashadokuro. It had been granted the name Kioshi, and was thus known as Kioshi, the Thirsting Blade. It was a rare sword that drank the blood of those it injured or killed, and should enough blood be found on the ground, it could sip from that as well. Like other spiritually imbued swords it could be temperamental. Kioshi in particular would fail to guide properly in her hand if it were drawn without feeding, and possibly rebel to the small degree that it could. She had known it for a very long time, and had come to an agreement with the spirit that if she mistakenly drew it without allowing it to feed, it could take her own blood in return. A risky move, as if her willpower was shattered, the blade could potentially sup until she died. Her other two swords were a more typical wakizashi and tanto, both pearl-handled and not touched by spirits. They were blessed and paired as a three-piece family, and in time, Inari hoped to create a legendary set of spirit blades. That power was far from her grasp and anyone who knew how to do so was either dead or refused to reveal such knowledge. Her occasional exploits into finding a blade-maker or monk who knew this generally ended in... unpleasant circumstances.

Meeting Velin didn't go quite the way she wished, either. She had hoped the goddess would be weak enough to mock, though the woman clearly had great power and was not one to be trifled with. Allowing herself to be cut down by a foreign god would be far too tasteless and dishonorable to even consider. There were other more pressing matters, naturally. The other inquiry members.

She did not fear the others. Yet as they gathered at the portal to step through, she knew that it could very easily descend into a blood bath, even with the goddess present. Or whenever Velin departs to leave them alone. The elves looked shifty and the big ones too dull to hold back their destructive instincts. They were all a delightful bunch to be going into the Abyss, as she would have wanted no one else but the very best killers she could find, but there was little that bound them together.

Stepping through the portal, Inari eyed the others closely, especially those with firearms. Her chestplate had done well enough against the occasional small caliber, but she didn't want to test it against any of the larger guns or newer models. Regardless, a bullet to the back of the head could hardly be stopped even with her reflexes and sword skill. Her hand remained tight on the grip of Kioshi, and she wondered just how soon it would be until it could feed again.

Some woodland lady was already waiting for them on the other side, it seemed, though they appeared rather freighted. Inari couldn't tell if they were part of the team or some random person who happened to be here.

 

[Doomevil]

It’s been a few weeks since Senya arrived in Eternis after meeting an angel known as Cassiel that could have a job for her granting a lot of gold notes, if this mission was successful. This suicide mission meant they needed the best of the best to succeed. Senya witnessed the others such as the hybrid, Elves, and a strange Redonian woman.

Once Velin opened up an portal to Northern Daristein Senya shrugged, following the leader of the Inquiry Vincent as they entered. She brought the essentials items the moment she arrived in Eternis: One of her family’s swords, a hunting rifle, and her Melgaeron black armor designed for heavy protection, and a shield.

Although it seemed a bit cumbersome, she carried her items effortlessly. The most interesting thing so soon as they exited out of the portal was something she’s never seen before. The Red Warden stared at this stone door, turning to her coworkers to see their reactions .

Senya also had to remind herself this is an official Inquisitor mission, therefore she was simply a freelancer who has experience regarding demons and other creatures. Truth be told, she wasn’t planning on taking control or commanding people what to do. If they all can just work together, they might have a chance getting back to the mortal plane.

Might, Senya kept in mind.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Red Gorge, Atraca

Jakob Phillomon stood in front of the graves of his wife and son, Cecil and Abraham. Like he always did in the morning of each new day. It was routine, and he never wanted to miss a day where he could visit them. Despite the constant reminder of their deaths, the main reason was that he was there to remember the good days. When he had all of his family together. Jakob noticed he was tearing up a little bit, and cleared his face before turning to walk away from the cemetery. However, he was surprised to see the old gravedigger standing near him. The old native man gave Jakob a smile, both hands behind his back. His old milky eyes looking directly at Jakobs. "Still unable to walk away?" asked the grave digger, with his gentle voice. Jakob just made an awkward chuckle, looking away and trying to find an excuse. "I...y-yeah...I...Just can't, to be honest. You see me everyday...I just..." The gravedigger placed his hand on Jakob's shoulder, and the detective felt an odd sensation. His hand was cold, yet Jakob felt...peaceful. "They love you as much as you love them, Jakob. But they no longer walk among us. They're supposed to be at peace...but your sorrow doesn't let them. They don't want you to suffer." The old man looked past him, at both of the graves.

"You remember what you told me? What Abraham said before parting from our mortal world?" Jakob was unable to say anything. "...That he will watch over your family. Like an angel. You think he wants to see his father like this?" Jakob was crying a bit now, but quickly wiped the tears away. "It's not that easy to let go, old man." The gravedigger gave him a smile. "You're a wounded man, Jakob. You took too many hits in life like all us mortals do. But the key is to continue forward...Its to let go and accept the way things are. They are at peace, Jakob...Cecil and Abraham...Even your old war buddies. Let Adona guide you, to look past this pain." Jakob cleared his throat before speaking up again. "...I'll try, old man. Thank you for...your kind words, really." The old man nodded faintly. Jakob then noticed something he saw several days prior. A cowboy, resting by the tree. A plethora of colorful fall leaves around him. The cowboy gave Jakob a look, before looking back to the graveyard. Jakob looked to the gravedigger again, then asked "Who's that guy?" The gravedigger whispered something, but Jakob couldn't hear him well. He then just gave Jakob a pat, before walking away through the graves. Jakob just stood there, confused, before finally leaving the graveyard.

Walking through Red Gorge continued to be a spectacle. The once frontier outpost had become a fully industrialized yet lively town full of culture. Things had eased up a bit since the last visit from the inquisitors and the attempts of the towns people to enact 'frontier justice'. News of this attempt got out, and the Goddess most certainly knew of this by now. Still, she had yet to come and punish the town for its act of defiance. As Jakob walked through the streets, he noticed the kobold newspaper boy selling a newspaper to a tall man in a bowler hat and a suit. Jakob walked over to the little dog boy, and threw him a coin. "Here, boy. What's the news?" The canine had trouble grabbing the coin, before giving Jakob a newspaper. "H-Hrongar & Sons found more mineral veins, sir!" said the shy little thing. "That dwarf company is really leaving a mark on this town. Heard they even found gold near Skull Creek." Jakob pet the boy on the head, before walking away with his newspaper. He headed straight to his agency, which was still doing rather well. The local government had asked them for their service several times, and they had even people from Eshax come and ask for their assistance. Jakob couldn't be happier that his entrepreneurship had started a successful business. All thanks to Mariette, good gods bless her soul.

Jakob walked inside, stretching a bit by the door and waving at his detectives before strolling to his desk and sitting down. He put the paper away, before looking up to see Volog, his goblin detective, bringing a cup of coffee and jar of sugar. He gave the young goblin a smile, before grabbing the spoon to dip some sugar out of the jar. As soon as he touched it, however, he yanked his hand back. His eyes flashed yellow. "G-Gods damn it, Volog. That's a silver spoon! Where's the steel one!?" The little goblin rushed away, while Jakob shook his hand. Soon, the goblin came back with the steel one. "S-Sorry for shouting at you, kid. Just remember, I'm a lycan. I can't touch that shit...it burns a lot." Volog nodded rapidly, before walking away and leaving Jakob to his coffee. As he was drinking from his mug, one of his detectives approached. Ol' Johnson, bringing him something in his hand. "'ey, boss! There's another letter here for you! It says its from a...Weston guy." If Jakob was in his feral form, his ears would have perked up by now. He was waiting for a new letter from Weston. He grabbed it quickly, and began to read it.

Jessica, Jakob's sister and by now a fellow detective, was near when she heard about the letter. She walked over and into his office, to find him reading it. He opened the letter, looking to his board of clues next to him, and then quickly got up and stormed out of his office. Marching right past Jessica and straight to the Agency's armory. "Jakob!? Jakob what are you doing?" He didn't answer, as he grabbed two revolvers, a pump-action shotgun, and several rounds of ammunition. "Jakob! Answer me!" asked Jessica, as Jakob walked past her yet again. "WESLEY! Wesley!" he called out. Ever since his visit, the artist-turned-vigilante had decided to stay with the Phillomons. Jakob was more than happy to let the young man stay. Jessica certainly didn't mind either, as the man was handsome. Lucy, Jakob's little daughter, was more than happy to paint pictures with Wesley too.

Jakob walked out and up the external stairs on the side of the building to where the guest quarters were. "Wesley! Grab your gear! They found her!" he said, as he entered the room and gave the young man a smile. "Come on! Like old times." Jakob then walked past Jessica yet again. This time, she wasn't going to let him go. She grabbed him by the arm, stopping him. "What in the Abyss has gotten into you, Jakob Phillomon!?" Jakob turned to her. "They found Valeria inside the Abyss, and I'm heading to go help them get her! They know where she is, and not only that, we can do something to stop Sazak!" Jessica looked to Jakob with a mixture of shock and annoyance. "You're joking?! You're going into the ABYSS?! Jakob, you have a daughter to watch over! A business to keep! You could die there, and what am I going to do without my brother?!" Jakob went quiet, looking down to the ground as Wesley arrived with his things.

"I need to do this, Jessica." he finally said. "Valeria... she's my friend. She trusted me back then at Grimtham. And I...I failed her. I could have been there and helped her." Jakob raised his head, and noticed Lucy was now nearby, wearing her school uniform. The young girl looked at her father with utter sadness. Jessica looked down, and stormed past him as Jakob was left alone with his daughter. "...hi, sweetie." Lucy looked away. "Dad...you're leaving again to do something dangerous?" Jakob nodded, ashamed. "...Yes, my dear. I...remember the lady that visited you and your mom? Remember what...I told you? I need to save her." Lucy looked down. "You said revenge is bad." Jakob looked at her for a while, speechless. "I...what?" "You said revenge was bad, and that you should never seek revenge because it consumes you..." Lucy looked straight back into her dad's eyes. Jakob was shocked, but then gave her a smile. "You are right...I said that. This is not revenge, though. This is...its hard to explain....I failed too many people, Lucy. Your mom...your brother...my war buddies...Mariette, hell, I failed the inquiry and Valeria...I want to make things right. I want to save Valeria. Help everyone." Lucy looked down again, but Jakob placed both hands on her cheeks and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I love you. Don't think I'm leaving because of anger. I'm leaving because I need to do this. I promise you...I'll be back." Lucy teared up a little, before nodding and walking away. Back inside the building.

Jakob looked back to the dirt. He hated seeing his daughter like this, but he couldn't stay. He had to do this. He gave Wesley a look, and the two men walked back around to the front of the building. Jessica and a few detectives were waiting at the doors, as the pair got onto a pair of horses that both Jakob and Jessica owned. Jakob looked to Ol' Johnson. "I'm leaving you and Jessica in charge, but if you need help with academic stuff, go visit Theodore. He's living by the church. He's smarter than all of this town combined, so don't feel afraid to ask for his help. He then looked to Jessica, whom look disappointed. "...Take care, sister. Take care of Lucy while I'm gone." Volog looked at Jakob. "W-Where is you going boss?" Jakob gave the little goblin a smile, before chuckling a bit. "Straight to Hell! Take care, y'all!" He then looked at Wesley, and both left Red Gorge as fast as they could.

The letter stated that a mission was being dispatched soon, so Jakob and Wesley were not going to reach them in time unless then hurried. And so they did, through the red sand deserts with cold lonely nights and hot merciless days. Into the swamps, full of strange creatures such as will o'whisps and swamp cocktrices, guided by the helpful advice of the local swampfolk. There was little time to rest, but the horses needed to. They camped under the stars in the Atracan wilds near Eternis. Close to the Daristein borders, they had to hurry. Through the woods, they had seen incredible things. Fairies dancing and satyrs playing, ogres wrestling with each other and breaking the trees around them. Passing through beautiful towns and settlements they never thought they'd ever see. But there was no time to see the sights. They were close, and they had to push through. Both were tired, but the thought of helping to stop Sazak and save Valeria helped fuel them to push on. Again, the only reason to ever stop was to let the horses rest.

It was sixth day of their travel, and the two were almost there. Jakob looked at his map one last time, before pulling the reins of his horse. "Easy, Duncan. We're close." Jakob looked to Wesley, and gave him a nod. The two were finally there, near the gates of the Abyss...It was so strange. It felt like they really shouldn't be there, but they were ready for whatever awaited them behind it. Suddenly, he saw two men emerge out of thin air, and soon he was followed by several others. The last to emerge were a rather cute looking man with near white hair, and a woman in armor. Jakob stared at the woman in armor, taking in her powerful aura for a while, before realizing just who she was. "...Oh, for fuck's sake." The two got off their horses, and Jakob reluctantly waved his hand at them.

 

[Damian0358]

As he had done so far, Takato continued the errands and menial work those at the church assigned him to do, ever glad to be of assistance. After his first encounter with Velin had gone decently enough, the goddess having grunted in response to his seemingly rude-sounding yet incredibly polite greeting, Takato returned to his quarters, having learned of the new assignment he had been tasked - joining an inquiry that was headed to the Abyss! When he was told of this assignment, he was in shock and awe - heading to the home of the ancestors of the oni, the demons that had once ravaged the Heavenly Empire that stood where the fractured lands of Upper Redonia lay now?! A grand endeavour, to be sure.

After returning to his quarters, Cassiel appeared from thin air, milk in tow, revealing to the Upper Redonian not only that he was an angel, but revealing something Takato hadn't anticipated - they knew. And it was that knowledge that prompted them to assign him to the inquiry. Flustered he was, as Cassiel elaborated further. After the angel had finished explaining, Takato had calmed and understood what was to be done.

Days pass, and soon, Takato received a knock on the door of his quarters - a holy man had come to inform him that it was time. With a solitary nod, Takato began gathering his things, his few personal possessions he had - the clothes he wore, headwear included, his cloth sack, in which he kept any other goods, and, in his robe, his small boxes, in which he held his talisman-like card sets. Though he was mighty enough to use magic without anything but the qi in the air and his own skill, he had grown fond of the cards.

Soon, he departed, and arrived in the grand hall - it was here that he finally felt the auras of those he would be joining... vile, they were, manifest in many crude ways. It was troubling, though considering where they were headed, it was not a surprise. He was surprised to feel the aura of a kitsune though, being sufficiently perceptive to see through her disguise, even if this was the weakest he had felt a kitsune of this age, at least assuming he was correctly assessing that she should have five tails, based on her aura. The one with the aura reminiscent to the oni was present too, one he would learn to be a genuine demon. He pondered whether they would feel a familiar aura from him. The robed one and his aura was intense too, but in the presence of Cassiel and Velin, it wasn't awe-worthy. The quiet armored one and her aura, he couldn't put his finger on it, but it was different, for sure. The others, their auras weren't entirely special, except for the hybrid, whom he could tell was fierce.

Stepping through the portal, Takato watched his fellow inquiry members, wishing to see how they would react upon the sight of the door, an Abyssal Door. Just as he had thought when Cassiel first regaled to him about it, the door reminded him of Redonian legends, speaking of the demons departing from a 'Demon's Gate' deep in the mountains of the northwest. Were such legends true? He hoped not.

The aura of the lady they had just bumped into was reminiscent to the aura from the one that was called a northern elf in their group, and to some extent, the hybrid - the lady was human, but her form concealed that of a werebeast. However, abruptly, he felt another pair of auras from the other direction - humans, men, this time, the older one concealing the form of a werebeast too, if better than the northern elf did, while the younger one felt like one of those nightwalkers he has had to contend with in the past. Apparently, what he called nightwalkers were actually vampires? Nonsense, they didn't befit the status spoken of in Upper Redonia... though the hybrid also felt like a nightwalker...

 

[joshuadim]

It had been some time since the mission had coalesced in Eternis, and now it was time for them to venture into the Abyss. Venextos was no stranger to the black pit, he had studied it and visited many times but his reason for entering the dark realm would be for a different one this time. During this time before the group ventured off, Venextos took good care to take notes on those that would be traveling for the mission and to try to see what kind of beings and people would be in the fight. Of course there were the inquisitors Vincent and Hudson, both of whom were most likely commanded by Velin herself to take upon this mission. Then were the elves that came along with the group, though he did not know their names as of yet as he had not the chance to speak with them. The demon, Loque, was a wild card but had a chip on her shoulder when it came to her abyssal bretheren which would prove useful in the struggles to come.

The Red Warden, Senya, was an oddity to be sure. Venextos had heard of her kind, mutants brought about by what most outside their lands would consider a blasphemous ritual that perverted the body. Then there were the Redonians, one man and one kitsune. It was unusual to see both of them so far from their homelands, but if they were brought on the mission they were brought for a reason. Reasons that would reveal themselves in time. The orc was self explanatory, their fighting prowess was legendary and would be invaluable in the Abyss. As was Riberta, the monster that Venextos had heard so much about. The endless warmonger and conquerer, cursed to fight forever by the very demon they were now traveling to slay.

Venextos was about to speak his remarks on the door before noticing that Jakob had arrived, with Wesley in tow. The sorcerer was somewhat surprised that yet another member from the former Inquiry had been brought along to the mission, though it was not entirely out of the realm of possibilities from when he had last spoken with the detective. He smiled as he approached Jakob: "Ah, Monsieur Phillimon! It's good to see you."

 

[Dmaster]

The hunter continued to stare up at the gate, hand wrapped around the grip of his bastard sword before his ears picked up on Venextos approaching yet another newcomer. At least it would appear there would be some strength in numbers for the insurmountable task ahead of them, but his attention was only caught by how the mage addressed the man. "... Phillimon?" he repeated, tone just above a rasp as his feet shuffled to turn him toward the newcomer. The name was familiar to Hudson, and it was in recent enough memory that it was easy to pick up on.

"You shouldn't be here." was all he could say, standing behind Venextos while he greeted the werewolf.

 

[Frankafurter]

For the time prior to their eventual gathering and portal hopping, Uloth had busied herself in the cathedral's archives. She had asked Cassiel for her gift of gab to be upgraded to being able to read as well, as despite her appearances and mannerisms, she did have a minor interest in academics. Her interests were mostly in warfare and weaponry, which is what she studied in the archives, namely for the purpose of fighting demonic hellspawn. After her studies, she had worked with the Order's armorers and craftsman to develop equipment that would be ideal for her in the Abyss given what she'd be up against. She knew that her strength and will would never waver but they are nothing without the proper tools to utilize it. Her axe, a relic of the bygone era she had hailed from, had it's main head reforged with hammered iron versus the rough hewn stone it had been carved from. They also forged her iron armor using overlapping segmented plates to create something similar in appearance to a Sappenpanzer cuirass. The backplate is segmented and overlapping as well to allow her to bend and move with relative ease despite the weight of the armor. She has similarly segmented leg and arm covers with reinforced leather gloves and laced boots covering her hands and feet.

Speaking with one of the gunsmiths, she has them acquire a machine gun similar to the one she had turned upon the Daristein troops when she was captured. It's not the same appearance but functionally and mechanically it is the same gun. Automatic belt-fed death. She has one of the armorers tailor the weapon to be used with two hands from a low slung top grip. Also she had them adjust the firing grip to be more ideal for her large gloved hands to manipulate. She was ready and the pack she put on her back had a fair share of preserved food rations, water, basic first aid supplies, and for a little morale boost in dire cases, a metal flask of whiskey. There was a single bedroll attached to the top of the pack and a trench shovel hanging off the side from a cloth loop.

She could respect Velin for her strength and conviction, but not necessarily her personality or general perception of races other than humans. Uloth understood this sort of bigoted behavior from a human though, her kin had long been the bane of Northern Atraca for a long time and had slowly started to spread into other areas, like her warband had. Between all the races of the long past, there was plenty of border gore going on and all the strife and turmoil associated with it. She suspected that humans always felt singled out when it came to things being done to them. Orc warbands raiding them, Elven slavers taking thralls, so on and so forth. Humans outlasted everyone else though, now this is their time to be the big empire and Velin is doing everything in her power to enforce it. Uloth recalls the purges amongst orcs to root out any and all forms of vampirism and lycanthropy amongst their bands. Such diseases had no place in the clans even if the allure of their power was strong. Sadly, as the age of darkness rolled in, the Orcs had bigger threats to contend with and eventually met their end in.

Uloth slips back into the throes of reality and notices a portal open, she steps through behind the others who had gone before her and steps out in the forested area. She follows the party to the Abyssal Door and waits for everyone to regroup. She's wary of some of the more supernatural types around her like Riberta for example, she feels they could become problematic over the course of the journey. She also has a healthy amount of suspicion towards Hudson and Vincent, two of the Order's own. She doubts they would spare a hand to save one of the non-humans from a perilous fate, it would just be a "public service" death as far as they were likely concerned. As for the Elves that seemed to be present, she figures they're scheming plans within plans within plans about how to exploit the rest of the party for their own delusions of grandeur as Elves tend to do from her personal experience.

 

[Breadman]

Hendrson cracked his neck until a nice pop could be heard. He was cramped up in that cell for far too long. The occasional walks outside to hunt something or other while nice, failed to capture his interest outside the meal it would provide. Packs of werewolves and dens of vampires aren't nearly as interesting taking on when you have a literal god and her brownosers around.

He stood up straight as Velin gave her instructions. It was only for appearance really. He had heard the details from the human that was pretending to be their jailer for a bit. The rest he could figured. Kill some demon, get something and come back. The details were of little interest to him. What caught his attention was the makeup of the group. Very interesting. Demon hunters, odd creatures from far away lands, the hybrid and elves. What was Velin planing with this little group of freaks and geeks exactly? Slam her fist into her palm, eat lightning, shit out thunder and hope they don't end up killing each other?

When the head bootlicker moved though the portal, Henderson walked after him. No sense in waiting, especially with that armored divinity of temper tantrums behind them. Once he was through he smelled a familiar scent. Wet fur and canine breath. Werewolf. This one was different. He was hopeful?

"I smell bitch. And surprisingly its not you my dear." He said to said to Riberta.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Inari eyed the two other newcomers, both men with auras, as they approached from what appeared to be long traveling. They looked well armed and geared up. It seemed odd there would be three random people waiting for them, as she vaguely recalled Velin or some lackey ranting about how important it was to conceal the location of the scary door, something she would remember well for later if she ever came back to this ridiculous continent. These must have been more members of the team, or maybe suppliers. However, Hudson said something that indicated they weren't supposed to be here.

"If they have food, let them stay. I was given so little rice for this journey. If they have no rice, send them off," she said, patting the small roll of rice slung on her back that Cassiel had provided for her. Of all people around, the angel was a nice one. Someone she'd have tea with.

"Though with that many gun, maybe they shoot well? All I say is I no share any my food if they come."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Hours ago...

The loud noise of a magazine being slapped into a receiver breaks the silence within Loque's chambers, startling the maids surrounding her as she loads her big game hunting rifle.

"But, Madame, it's the Abyss!" one pleads. "You'll be trapped in there!"

"I've escaped once." responds Loque, draping herself with a long coat. "I can do so again."

"And what if you were to perish at their hands?" asks a butler.

"Then I perish. What I have is then yours, and I do hope you split it evenly." She tightens a belt adorned with pouches around her waist with a click and leaves with her hunting rifle in hand.

Now...

Loque stands among the others, but dressed quite differently than she did when she initially appeared before any of them. The Abyss is an awful, cruel place, and she knows that better than anyone else in the group. Should she enter wearing her fancy clothes, she predicted she'd be torn apart in seconds as flaunting her wealth and taste would make her a prime target for its hideous and barbaric denizens; so she dressed accordingly for the task. Instead of her normal attire, she now wears a hodgepodge military getup using equipment and uniform pieces borrowed from some of her servants that were once military men. The only thing that she is still wearing that identifies her to the rest of the group is her trademark mask, but even then it's been modified. The jewels that were once encrusted into it have been removed and sheets of bent metal reinforce it. She's geared for battle, and that's exactly what she's expected to do the moment she walks through the door. The inquisitor isn't going to rescue herself, after all, and they'll do anything to make her to stay.

As she looks on the door with her rifle in hand, second thoughts about the whole thing slowly surface, but there's no turning back now. Especially with Velin standing behind her.

 

[Doomevil]

Senya heard a female's footsteps heading up to the door. She could sense something was off about her, but so far she can't read races, not how it worked. She needed to inspect bodies for that. Senya had a good idea to get to know her group rather than act ignorant and flaunt arrogance when the time came. The Warden marched to Loque slowly, noticing her unique mask on arrival. To greet this mysterious woman, Senya bowed with elegance. "Hello. Nice mask."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Hmmm..." It takes a moment for Loque to notice Senya bowing at her. "Oh, why thank you! I made it myself, you know...." She eyes her a little, taking in all the details of the finely crafted armor she's wearing before coming to the possibility she might be wealthy just like her, especially if she can afford a full suit with custom detailing. "Might I warn you however, it's not for sale."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at everyone who were staring back at him, and he immediately recognized one of them. Venextos. The wizard had visited him in the past, and he was surprised to see him here. "Venny! I didn't expect you to be here, but then again...you are a mystical fellow, aren't ya? What a weird group of folks you got here." Behind Venextos was a man clad in armor holding a strange censor. He seemed to have recognized Jakob despite the fact they had never really met. Was he one of the goons that had visited Red Gorge before? "I beg to differ, pal. Got plenty of reasons to be here." He crossed his arms, while looking at the armored inquisitor. "Do I know you, by the way? Can't tell with your helmet on." He then heard a strange creature in the back calling him a bitch. Jakob chuckled, while smelling his armpit for a brief moment. "Hm? Phew, yeah. Sorry about that, buddy! Been riding for six days to get here." He then looked back to Venextos. "Had I known you guys would just pop in out of thin air, I would have gone to Eternis. But I figured you guys would march the ol' way...that is, I was unaware the 'queen of all c*nts' was going to be here! No offense, Lady Velin." Jakob patted Wesley on the back. "So we just took the scenic route...Oh, by the way..." Jakob looked at the strange Redonian lady, and gave her a smile. "No rice, but we got venison...Wesley poached it on the way here."

 

[Doomevil]

"Figured." Senya uttered to her, noticing the military equipment on her. "Are you a soldier of the sort? We could use a lot of experienced people once we head down to the Abyss. Karnax knows we'll be facing armies over there." Senya explained. She has never been to the Abyss before, but Florentinan folklore stated it was where the source of evil laid where people who have committed sins were sent there as punishment. Valencia itself had a good share of sinners.

"Any reason why you took this contract?" Senya asked, tilting her head.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson shook his head from side to side, the man's extreme naivete only confirming his suspicions. Inari's obsession with food gave him pause as his head swiveled to stare at her before he made a dismissive motion with his hand, returning his attention to Jakob. He was definitely fitting the description he had heard in the past, and that had been more than enough to tell him that he was the last person that needed to be coming along with them. It also came to his attention that another familiar name came up, Wesley, which got the morose hunter to sigh with further discontent.

"No you don't, but I know of you." he said, stepping closer to the both of them. "My wife filled me in on everything I need to know. You need to leave."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"I make my company with ex-soldiers, if you'll take that as an answer. They make for good bodyguards, you know, particularly against beggars. But, I am no soldier myself. I only wear the uniform they've loaned me for the time being. The only times I ever use this-" She hoists her rifle closer to Senya. "-is for hunting sport."

"Any reason why you took this contract?"

"Oh, but what other reason do any of us need but for the adventure!?" she says, shaking her arms in excitement. "And, for the spoils. Especially the spoils."

She probably shouldn't tell Senya the other reason why she's here, especially when Velin is nearby.

 

[Infab]

Velin eyed werewolf nearby, whom had spoken to them with a Tsavanian accent. Nobody was supposed to know that this door was here, and she was here as if she had been waiting for them. The knowledge of who she was came quickly. "Anya Voronina. Why are you here? Come forth and speak." she said, before snapping her head around when she heard Jakob and Wesley arrive. She knew exactly who Wesley was, after encountering him on Grimtham three years prior. The other was new, but she could tell he was a werewolf as well. She glanced to Venextos, as it seemed the man knew the wizard. She shrugged off his comment about her being the 'queen of all c*nts', and turned to face him fully as electricity gently started to ripple down her armor to the ground. When his name came to her, it only served to make her angry. "Jakob Phillomon. You're a particularly brave one for coming here. I was planning to pay your little town of Red Gorge a visit after I was through here." She then cut a look to Cassiel. "Does everyone know this door exists? Is this another fuck-up by the church that I have to correct?"

Cassiel shook his head. "Only high ranking members of the church know of the door. They likely learned through one of the church members. The same goes for our werewolf friend here." he responded, to which Velin grunted as she turned her attention back to Jakob. Nearby, Vincent simply observed, holding his semi-automatic hunting rifle at waist level. It looked as though they would be getting more members. Good. The more they had, the better their chance of success. He glanced to the large hybrid nearby. Riberta, her name was. She simply stood there, arms folded, as her large claymore remained shoved into the dirt next to her. She was looking towards the door, a blank expression adorning her face. But her red eyes were moving, scanning the features of the door itself.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at Hudson a bit weirded out. "Your wife? And who might that be, huh?" The guy had a slight highlander accent, and Jakob knew very few Highlanders. And even fewer Highlander women. Unless his wife wasn't a highlander, Jakob had no idea who this man was talking about. "And like I said, pal, I am here because I want to be here. I wanted to join you fellows in rescuing Valeria, and that's what I'm going to do whether you like it or not." Then Velin spoke. Jakob couldn't believe that this woman was a god. Whoever picks them certainly wasn't expecting her to be like this. "I know because I'm a detective. I have resources and time." Jakob leaned in closer. "...And leave Red Gorge alone. You are not our goddess. We are our own people, and we decide things for ourselves." He then shrugged. "Think of it as Eshax. Out of your stupid religious bounds."

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos visibly cringed when Jakob decided to insult Velin in person without a care into the world. He quickly turned to Velin to speak. "I assure you Lady Velin that Monsieur Phillimon is a perfect choice to fight alongside us in this quest." he said before sparing a quick glance to Hudson. "Even if some might be blinded with ignorance towards that."

 

[Infab]

Velin visibly twitched, as the electricity surging through her armor increased. "Red Gorge is within spitting distance of Eternis. You have a church there. You likely pray to the others. Which means you pray to me too. I am your goddess regardless as to if you believe in me or not. And I can come down to Red Gorge and BLOW IT OFF THE FACE OF THE FUCKING CONTINENT IF I SO CHOOSE." she said, her voice escalating till she reached the final statement which she shouted. "Nowhere in this realm is out of my bounds. I go where I please. Red Gorge, Eshax, Nirdonia, Redonia, anywhere. Do not test me, because I will annihilate all that you love." When she finished, she cut a look to Venextos as he spoke. She then paused...and chuckled. "Yes. He is a perfect choice to go with you."

 

[joshuadim]

The sorcerer quickly gave quick nod before shuffling over to Jakob. "Are you trying to get her to go on a murderous rampage?" Venextos hissed uncharacteristically into the detectives ear.