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

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Days later...
The Abyss.
Leakhena's Family Farm, Land of Gluttony.​

Whatever it was that Cassiel did, he made sure the Church really came through with whatever they could spare Leakhena. Crates full of rifles, some of which are a bit old while some are quite new, are being hastily carried into her barn and hidden under stacks of hay. They'll remain inside there for now until she's able to find a proper staging point later. For now though, her home will have to do. Zebulon watches a pair of gluttony demons stack the last crates into the barn, and once they're finished, he opens the back door for them to allow them inside. Once they're in, the three of them join a few other gluttony demons gathered around a table with Leakhena pointing around at a map of the land of gluttony unfolded on it. She's explaining to them a plan she's been thinking of over the past few days, and while they all seem to be in agreement with her (mostly out of eagerness to get some payback on Thorgan), Zebulon can only hide his bewildered expression under his scarf. She wants to make her first move in her home city of Tehom of all places, which will surely end with her being crushed due to how fast Thorgran would be able to mobilize his forces in his own capital. 'This plan is suicide' he thinks to himself. He needs to let her know before her armed revolution is stopped before it even begins.

"-And once they've been distributed to the people, I will then give the signal. And then, all at once, we raise hell!" she enthusiastically gesticulates. "His men wouldn't know what to do in the middle of all the chaos!"

Zebulon's had enough being silent. "I don't agree with this plan. At all." A statement which earns a surprised look from Leakhena, as well as a couple of leers from the others.

"...You don't?" says one.

"No. Tehom is still well under Thorgran's grip in spite of all that you and the others did. Attacking it with what very little we have now will get us all killed. We need to start a little smaller, so I propose a different plan." He begins shuffling around some of the markers they've placed on the map; taking them far away from Tehom. "...One that actually works. Now watch." He drops one marker in the very far away village of Bathalom while holding the others in his hand. Then another is placed in a village adjacent to it, then another, and another, and another nearby without any sort of pattern until every town, every city, every village surrounding Tehom has a marker on it. "We start small. We work our way around Tehom, not to it. We rally the people in these locations, give them weapons and such as you want to, we diminish Thorgran's hold there until we have Tehom completely surrounded. Then, finally-" All the markers he had placed surrounding the city are pushed into it all at once. "We strike when he has no more room left to breathe."

"And how do you know this will work?" asks Leakhena.

Zebulon looks at her, his tone becoming a little uncomfortably grim. "Because it did against my father. Trust me, Loque. I know what I am saying. It worked against us, it will work against someone as impulsive and inattentive like Thorgran." All eyes around the table slowly shift over to Leakhena in anticipation to what she has to say to this new plan, while she looks back at him worryingly over what he had just said.

"Well..." she sighs. "Alright. We'll start in Bathalom instead." There's a bit of disappointment in her voice as she really hoped to send a message by hitting him where it hurts the most. Again. But he's right, they're not capable of doing such things yet. She may have gotten away with killing his head chef and crippling him the first time, but that's because they didn't plan to stick around. They also were given assistance from Tariun, as minimal as it was at the very least. But they have no one now; they're on their own. So they have to grow in number, and thankfully that isn't something impossible as pretty much everyone here in this part of the Abyss is disenfranchised already. All they need is a little push... While her followers leave the room and begin sorting through their belongings in preparation to move out, Leakhena remains at the table; looking down on it with a sullen face.

A pat on the back causes her to look up. "Hey." Zebulon gives her a little smile. "You can do this, Loque."

"I know... I know. I'm just worried that the more time we spend taking smaller towns, the more people he'll have killed in the big ones."

He shakes his head while keeping his smile. "Any that he murders, we will avenge them; I promise. But do not forget that we are the poor-bets here. Should we make any mistake, then there won't be anyone else to save them. You're their hope, Loque. That's why it's important we do this carefully."

"Gods, you don't need to tell me that." Leakhena rubs her face, weary of what's to come. "Do you know how lucky I am to have you here? Do you know how lucky we are to have them around too?" she says, pointing to the gluttony demons outside getting their transport wagon ready. "I don't even want to think where we'd be had the church not come through." Growing wearier still, she takes a seat. "So I know I need to be careful, but I can't help but feel we're on borrowed time here. Taranoch still has the artifacts because of our fuckup... Honestly, I'm starting to think we should've gone after them instead of that inquisitor."

Zebulon cuts her a look, signaling he doesn't think too highly of that last sentiment. Meanwhile one of her followers walks up to the window and taps on it, letting them both know that they're ready to move.

 

[Dmaster]

"Huh, don't recall meeting your wife down there but if Vincent says she is there's no reason to doubt him." Hudson comments, though Camille's expression shifted from that of warm neutrality to deathly serious. "You have a name, often that's more than enough." Camille replies sternly, looking down at Theodore. "Even if they've changed names, vampires live long and often surround themselves with their own kind. It's all about asking the right questions." she explains, though twists her mouth somewhat. "The real difficulty that would come from this is the fact that he is more than likely in Nocturne now. Despite the best efforts of the Summit I am not sure they will be taking the necessary steps to ensure that the island can't be used as a safe haven for vampires that have caused horrendous crimes."

"Still, being an Escarian vampire means that he is within my jurisdiction to bring to justice. If you need help with hunting them, Hudson and I shall be there to assist you." the huntress declared with a nod. "Yeah, perhaps Nocturne's government will let you conduct an investigation there." Hudson commented. "I wouldn't hold my breath." Camille replied.

 

[Infab]

The presence that Ethraeil felt was powerful unto itself...one of the most powerful he had ever felt, rivaling the Icons of the Abyss. It existed deep within the dead city, amongst the towering stone buildings and stained windows. He would need to venture deeper in order to reach it, but he knew that it had to be the Runeforger. Why he had chosen to reside in this place was a mystery. Had he found out that this was Adriel's birthplace and original home, and choose to remain here in honor of the legendary First Demon King? Or did he come here seeking solitude...to be away from the evils of Taranoch and his Icons, and away from the other demons causing chaos and mischief? Perhaps he would discover as to why. For now, he needed to locate them.

As Ethraeil moved, traversing streets and narrow alleyways, he heard whispers here and there. Voices, speaking ancient tongues. But often when he looked, he saw no one. There were faint auras, but nothing powerful. Perhaps ghosts? This was a dead city after all. As he moved inward, the buildings grew taller and taller. And light began to fade in the shade of the towering structures. But he grew ever closer to his target.

------
​

Cassandra soon spoke up, glancing to Camille and Hudson before looking back to Theodore. "You know...I think I've heard of a Pierre Aliker during my time roaming about. I could do a little poking around..." she said. "...Its likely one of those vampires clinging to the Bloodlines traditions knows something about him, or may have heard something. Often members of the houses know more than most, and might could point us in the right direction."

 

[Dmaster]

Camille immediately scowled at that idea, swiveling her head back to Cassandra. "You must be even more insane than I thought to imagine that you would be given free reign to do anything like that. You'll tell us what you know and stay under the watchful eyes of the gods and Inquisition here." she ordered quite sternly. Hudson held the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of what to say considering he was kind of caught in the middle of things at the moment. The pureblood was insane, there was no doubt about that, but she did help him and the team in the Abyss when it mattered most.

 

[joshuadim]

The voices of those long departed were nothing new to Ethraeil, he had heard many such lost souls in his time, but this was a different set of circumstances. As he advanced further into the depths of this labyrinth of stone and cobble, he felt as though such lost souls were peering upon in as if he were a trespasser. The presence he was drawn to grew more and more powerful as he pressed onwards until he finally reached the deepest recesses of the city. It was there, in the dim streets there, that he heard the distant sounds of what appeared to be a forge along with a hammer striking an anvil. Yet this was unlike any normal blacksmith as such impacts sent powerful booms throughout the area, which let Ethraeil to assume that whatever was being worked on was filled with such raw power that he could only assume that this was the Runeforger he had been seeking.

He headed in the direction of the sounds, each strike of the hammer causing dust to fly off the street and walls he was traveling through and growing further with intensity as he approached closer and closer.

 

[Infab]

"You must be even more insane than I thought to imagine that you would be given free reign to do anything like that. You'll tell us what you know and stay under the watchful eyes of the gods and Inquisition here."

"Camille, I will go anywhere on this continent I please. Neither you, nor the Inquisition, will stop me." responded the pureblood. "I have knowledge of the inner workings of vampire society. I will use that information myself to discover any information I can on the status of Pierre Aliker, and bring the information I discover to Theodore here. If you attempt to stop me because you have your feather laced undergarments in a twist, I will rip your spine from your body and hand it to your husband."

 

[Dmaster]

That answer prompted the huntress to twitch slightly, taking a step forward as she leveled a finger at Cassandra's chin. "You will not openly threaten me. I do not trust you, not after all that you've done. Were it not for your psychotic intervention we may have had the means to save Valeria." Camille accused her, visibly enraged. "Were it not for you we may have not been cursed, or at the very least would have been given a fighting chance! You may have convinced others of your desire to help, but not I. Your allegiance to whatever cause you take up only persists when it sees your own benefit, and threats such as that are exactly why I shall never trust you."

Hudson straightened up in the meantime, starting to scowl at Cassandra for that threat. "Try to rip out her spine and I'll make you wish you could still die from taking a walk in the sun."

 

[Breadman]

"All of you, calm down damn it! Not here and not now!" The scholar tried to get a hold of the situation as best he could. His own state of mind being taxed by the workload and news he'd have to content with.

On one hand he was elated that he didn't have to do this alone, though Cassandra's offer surprised him "I..did not expect your aid in this, Cassandra, I'll be honest. But I'm not one to...how did they say it? Look a gift horse in the mouth. However I'm not sure how the vampire clans would react to your sudden reappearance given the news of your death would have likely spread" There was another issue he hadn't mentioned till now "Camille, there is another problem we have to content I'm not so sure how keen Aleister would be to allow us to roam about looking for someone. If he's actually there."

Just then Sara came back up the stairs, the box in hand. "Oh that cursed thing. I nearly forgot about that." The scholar said in an exhausted tone before addressing his colleague "Was it there?" He called out to Sara

"It was. When we get back, I'm going to personally execute Ludwig for this." she picked up the pace to join the group. She stopped once she noticed that there was obvious tension between most of them. "Should have known where the raised voices came from." She turned to Theodore " In any case, I'm recommending Harrison for a promotion for catching the code. The sheer amount of evidence hidden right under our nose and we somehow missed it."

"We are relatively young as a group, but we try to be thorough." Theodore looked to the box, well aware of it's contents despite the cover. "I should fill you in somewhat." He pointed towards it "That box contains the head of one Lady Lynch, pureblood vampire and a relative to inquisitor Sara."

"And source of shame."

"...yes. You have her and my own naivete to thank for that monstrosity, Henderson." He briefly glanced to Hudson before continuing "Before this, former head archivist Ludwig was facing likely incarceration in isolation somewhere."

"Now, I'm upgrading the sentence to death." Sara spat out the words "Bastard basically hung her remains on a stick for me to follow to Theodore in Red Gorge. Once this and the rest of the evidence has been catalogued, I plan to give the head a proper burial. As much grief as she caused us in life, she's owed that at least."

"Perhaps give it to Nocturne?" The suggestion cause her to look at him with confusion "Your family lot will be targeted by others she harmed, some might try to dig it up to try and revive her, hard as it may be given what Henderson did to her body. Passing off vampire remains, pureblood even, to be properly buried and disposed off to Nocturne by us can be viewed as a sign of good faith that we trust them not to dabble in anything wicked." He looked to Camille "And even so, we can probably send someone on our behalf to observe and make sure that the remains are handled correctly."

----
Earlier, somewhere in the lands of Wrath

They were here. Lozon knew they would come eventually. The old demon knew it in the pit of his stomach that it was only a matter of time before Taranoch's wrath would descend upon him. He was called to arms and his own hesitation cost him the opportunity to fight for glory and status. Now the only thing he would reap was shame and punishment.

Stepping down the path of the cemetery, he could see the riders dismount from their infernal steeds. The head demon striding in the front, his black armor shining from the torches the others held.

"Lozon. It's been a while, hasn't it?" He spoke, a voice barely containing his excitement "How long has it been actually? Last time we spoke was what the mortals called the age of darkness, isn't it?"

"Yes, Gne'Vehn. Somewhere around that time." He looked to the group of demons that had gathered at the cemetery gates and those behind them. It seemed excessive for someone like him. "I assume you're here on our lord's orders?"

"I am." The armored demon unsheathed his sword and planted it in the ground "Orders are to teach your a lesson for deserting your duties. But you didn't desert did you? No, instead your cowered here in this forest among your servants hesitating to take any action."

"I send out a call to arms to the wraiths so I would actually have a force worth bringing."

"Figured as much." Gne'Vehn waved him off "And I care not about your excuses. They bore me." gripping the hilt tighter he continued, now with a notable anger in his voice "You see, one of your wraiths embarrassed one of my officers not too long ago. Now I usually ignored such petty trite, but we're in a state where such an insult cannot go unnoticed. I have a reputation among the others to uphold."

"So take it out on me then." A laugh escaped Gne'Vehn's mouth. Lozon wasn't prepared for the bastard to do just that. A throwing axe flew the distance and embedded itself in his shoulder. The hellknight closed the distance and grabbed him by the horn and brought a kneed to his stomach. The old one lost his balance when the armored gauntlet smashed him across the face.

"You insisted." Gne'Vehn taunted "But this is not how it ends. This is just the start." Gripping Lozon by the horn again, he lifted him up "We counted your wraiths. Five hundred in score. Decimate them! A hundred dead at sunrise tomorrow morning. You will perform the executions personally. Make sure to pick your favorites. Do this and you may still live to serve the master. Fail and we slaughter the lot of you."

"AM I UNERSTOO OLD MAN?"

"...Yes..."
---
Following morning in the Northern wastes

Tiloc awoke with a yell in the carriage. The sound nearly caused Constantine to jump and fall down under the wheels.

"The hell is going on in there?" He shouted "Are you drawing blood or something?"

"No you fool." She shouted back. "Didn't you feel it?" She gripped her chest as she breathed heavily "A hundred of us just having their spirits snuffed out. Like that. As if it was nothing."

"I didn't, no." He was silent for a bit "Are you sure that was it? That it's not this place having an effect on you?"

"No...Something happened back at the cemetery. Something terrible."

"Well it's too late to turn back now. We've arrived." The carriage slowly stopped. Constantine jumped down and opened the door for his passengers. Once they were out, their transport evaporated in a gulf of smoke and flame like always. Tiloc was still shaken up from what she felt, but she tried to hide it as best as she could. Colette on the other hand looked to concerned for her. This was the first time she'd seen the proud wraith in such a state. Whatever had happened must have been related to the old demon somehow, but as Constantine said, it was too late now. Speaking of which, the gambler was standing in front of the gates already. "Eh, howdy! I think you should be expecting us. The demon lady, Annen send us. Scary looking, can use blood magic."

 

[Infab]

"Were it not for Sazak's choice of friends, I wouldn't have intervened." responded Cassandra. "I do not recall whom came to that morgue and put me back together, but I do know Sazak was involved in it. He orchestrated it all, so don't you dare place all of the blame squarely on my head."

She then motioned to Theodore and Valeria nearby. "And who's to say that you would have won if I had not shown up? Its Sazak. The Icon of Vainglory. The very demon that has been planning this for hundreds of years. He may have planned out your deaths on that rooftop...or simply planned to curse you all anyway." She then looked back to Camille. "I honestly don't care if you trust me at all. You and what you do matters little to me. I am here only because I wish to end Sazak's life for what he's done. To you, the Inquiry, Valeria, me, Mariette...the world. Then, I go home. Back to the Abyss where I belong."

She then glanced to Hudson and chuckled. "I've died hundreds of times in various ways at the hands of Azgon. Nothing you do will surpass the torment he inflicted on me every hour of every day."

When Theodore spoke up, Cassandra went quiet again. Giving Camille one hell of a hateful look.

 

[Dmaster]

"I would have measured the odds better were it not for the raving lunatic that threw a wrench in everything." Camille said through grit teeth. "You don't have to tell me you do not care, for only a selfish monster gets as far as you have." Hudson didn't seemed fazed by that tidbit of Cassandra's extensive torture. "That just tells me you're better at dying than anything else." he shot back, only for Theodore's shouting to get everyone back in relative order. The glares continued on despite that.

Camille crossed her arms at the mention of Aleister, rolling her eyes. "He's not keen on much more than threatening war with Adonia. Even still he cannot have his island remain an international haven for long. To escape those idiotic purges is one thing, but I have no doubt that he is harboring many more vampires that are wanted for actual crimes beyond existing when Velin called for their deaths." she reasoned. Hudson held up a hand dismissively when Theodore mentioned Henderson again. "Listen, the less I know about the fucked up experimentation your division did the better. For as ruthless as Velin's Order was I can say for sure we never dabbled in anything like that."

"It's a fair plan, Theodore. Given the... Grand Bishop? Whatever his rank is. Given his penchant for theatrics I'm sure he'd be ever so slightly moved by this olive branch." Camille concluded with a nod, only slightly glancing to the scholar. Her eyes were still on Cassandra.

 

[Infab]

"...It would be wise to let Aleister know of Valeria too. I'm sure he'd like to know that she's safe now." stated Cassandra, returning the same gaze that Camille was giving her. "...He was part of the Inquiry too, so he deserves to know." She unfolded her arms, straightening up. "...I don't believe I will have much trouble with the vampiric houses. I have a reputation, obviously, and I don't believe that my 'death' will mean much since I'm back in the flesh. I'll pull some strings, speak to some old employers...Hopefully I'll find something for you, Theo."

She then directed her attention back to Camille. "...Maybe I'll find something before the mighty huntress does."

 

[Dmaster]

"I have my doubts that you will." Camille replied with a shrug. "Try not to senselessly kill any of your potential leads." she warned with a touch of venom.

Hudson massaged between his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Is it too late to go back into the Abyss..?" he grumbled, though his wife elbowed him in the stomach as soon as he asked that. Once again the poor man was coughing and hunched over, gasping for air for a few moments. "FUCK..!"

 

[Breadman]

"If you're going to Nocturne, I'm coming too." Sara spoke up. Theodore turned to say something to her but was quickly shut down "Save it. This involves my family and I'm seeing it through."

"I suppose it's pointless to ask the gods what did I do to end up working with the tree most stubborn women in this hemisphere." Theodore squeezed the bridge of his nose before continuing "However I still appreciate all your help. Sara, since you're involving yourself, I suggest you write a more formal letter to the Grand bishop and tell him about our discovery. In the meantime, I'll be consulting what we have about demonology and Abyssal affairs. If my wife is trapped by such circumstance, then it's likely she's not alone."

 

[Infab]

"Try not to senselessly kill any of your potential leads."

"Don't worry, Raven." responded Cassandra, with a smirk. "I'll leave them for you to mindlessly slaughter. You seem to be good at that when it comes to vampires." She chuckled to herself, glancing to Hudson afterwards. "...I don't understand how you ended up marrying this woman and having children with her. She must have you by the balls or something if you let her beat you like this." she said in his direction, before turning and walking towards where Cassiel and Vincent were standing.

 

[Dmaster]

"I efficiently kill vampires that commit crimes, I'm a hunter. You're just a psychopath." Camille corrected, though looked back to Theodore as Cassandra made her exit. "Of course, I'm happy to assist you. Especially in a matter as important as this." Her hands transferred to her hips, Hudson finally managing to stand back up straight after the blow to his diaphragm was no longer leaving him reeling.

"... She's getting a lot of free passes today, I wouldn't normally let her beat on me like this." he managed. "I think she's just making up for lost time." Though Cassandra was gone he felt the need to explain himself to Theodore. "Stubborn is one way to describe her though, though I don't think I have to justify my choices in romantic partners to that vampire of all people."

"If you need some help with demonology or how they operate, I can help out with that too. I would hope I know a thing or two after hunting them for so long." Hudson said finally with a nod.

 

[Breadman]

"I can't say no, monsieur. You've far more experienced in Abyssal matters than anyone in the church, except for ser Royland." Theodore crossed his arms "And I am not going to get any help from him, the infernal wretch."

"Uhm, Theodore. I don't think badmouthing him here isn't going to do you any favors."

"Sara, you were complaining about him on the way here. It's not like he can manifest if someone speaks his name often enough. He's a wraith, not a full blown demon." Now it was Sara who elbowed him, but it was too late. It didn't stop him from revealing Royland's true nature. She could only hope that the two were in on it.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille raised an eyebrow at that revelation, though Hudson was far more aghast than she was. "What? You mean to tell me that a creature such as a wraith was in the Order of Velin? How did that happen?" he asks, confused as can be.

"Perhaps Velin is willing to look past certain traits if one is a good enough killing machine? I imagine she came to a similar conclusion when selecting her most favorite zealot." the huntress chimes in. "Can't imagine she was too torn up about enlisting the help of demons or other monsters for the mission you just got back from."

"... That's a fair point. I wouldn't put it past her. If he's given her years of unflinching loyalty she likely wouldn't have reason to dismiss him." Hudson reasoned with a nod. "Still, doesn't sit well with me for obvious reasons."

 

[Breadman]

"I honestly thought you knew." Theodore was surprised at Hudson's ignorance of that fact "I thought everyone knew. He's over three hundred years old and wields a magic flaming sword and his horse..."

"Irrelevant at this point. Secret's out." Sara sighed "You are correct in your observation. His service is chronicled in one of the tomes downstairs. The man died in the Age of darkness, but as it happens sometimes, he came back. Stronger than ever and deadlier. A creature of the Abyss, but something was different. Although his targets were marked by Velin, he was noted to engage undead and necromancers with extreme prejudice. It goes on and on." she twirled her hand by the wrist "Rather not bore you with the details."

 

[Infab]

The hammer continued to strike, with such power that it almost rattled Ethraeil's very bones even at such a distance from the source. As he continued on, eventually descending down a stairwell into an underground portion of the city, he started to notice an odd heat. The Abyss was cold in most places, save for the capital of Dis and where Zalmakul formerly resided, but here it was warm. Almost like the Mortal Realm warm. Perhaps it was due to the hammer's power? Or naturally given off by the Runeforger's work. Either way, Ethraeil continued on.

And as he finally neared the Runeforger's home, he heard a voice call out to him. "...Why have you come here, Lich King?" spoke the voice, his raspy voice echoing through the empty halls and tunnels around Ethraeil. There was a dead silence afterwards. The hammer had stopped. The voices and whispers, gone. It was almost unnerving.

------
​

"Eh, howdy! I think you should be expecting us. The demon lady, Annen sent us. Scary looking, can use blood magic."

There a moment of silence, before something shifted inside the gate. Gears began to turn, and the gate cracked open, both of the massive doors sliding sideways to allow the trio inside. On the other side of the gate, two teams of demons were pulling what appeared to be massive levers. Slowly opening the gates so that they could enter. And not too far away from them, standing in the doorway of a small building, was Annen. She was propped against the door frame, a wine glass in hand. She eyed the trio, with a smile. "Good. You followed the path instead of straying from it." she remarked.

Wandering around the walled area were other demons, some carrying equipment while others seemed to be working on weaponry. There was also three dead worm-like things laid out across the ground, covered in blood but with several gunshot holes in each of them. More blood worms, common to the Wastes. The trio eyed the worms as they walked in, moving towards where Annen was standing. "Follow me. We're going underground." she stated, turning about and disappearing into the blackness on the other side of the door.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil was silent for a moment as he decided to choose his words carefully. He hadn't come all this way for nothing, and did not want to risk angering the one being that can give him what he wants. He continued to slowly walk forward afterwards and spoke: "I come for your help." he stated in a forthright manner which pierced the silence before taking cautious steps ever closer to where the Runeforger resided. "I need a weapon... a weapon powerful enough to kill Taranoch and those that stand beside him." He continued to walk forward, glancing around for any indication as to whether the Runeforger or any of the voices he had heard before were visible but saw nothing. "You created what I wear and wield, and so you know who I am... and you know the goal of my vengeance. I bring the blood of a demon king to meet this goal."

 

[Infab]

Silence followed Ethraeil's statements, but eventually, the hammer started back up its slow rhythm. "Come then, Lich King. Come to my forge so that I may greet you and inspect what you've brought." spoke the voice. The whispers and voices around Ethraeil started back up, and he could faintly see specters moving along the walls. Watching him. Studying the trespasser in their dead city. Eventually, he reached the end of the tunnel he was traveling down, emerging into an open room far beneath the city. Light filled the room, coming from a roaring flame in a fire pit off to the right side. And in the center of the room, hammering away on an item on the anvil, was the Runeforger. Ethraeil paused only for but a moment, before approaching the maker of his armor and gear.

The Runeforger paused his hammering again, setting the hammer to the side and shoving the item he was working on into a barrel of cool water. Steam hissed out of the barrel, rising up into the air as the Abyssal demon turned about to face Ethraeil. "It has been a long time, Lich King. I see the armor still serves you well." he spoke, folding his primary two arms and letting the other two hang at his sides. His tail gently moved about behind him, almost like a snake. "Let me see this blood you claim to possess."

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil held out the his blade, balanced and laid out across both of his hands, for the Runeforger to inspect the blood upon it: "Taranoch's own blood... from how little I could damage him." As he waited, he couldn't help but feel a bit odd as to where he was. It was unlike the abyss for such warmth to be so concentrated and present. Raw metal and unfinished pieces of work seemed to litter the walls and ground nearby, either yet to be finished or outright discarded as to not meet the the ancient demon's standards. He just hoped that what he had was enough for what he needed.

 

[Infab]

The Runeforger inspected the stains, eyeing the blood carefully. "...Hmmm...I believe that is enough for a proper weapon. What would you like to use it on? A sword? Hammer? Axe? Something longer, like a spear or halberd?" he soon spoke, straightening up and motioning to a wall of raw materials behind him. "Or I can use it on something you already possess. Did you bring any other weapons with you?"

 

[joshuadim]

"I'll need something to complement my sword... so an axe will do." Ethraeil replied with his selection, before looking about again for a moment. "...what was this place?" he asked, "And why do the dead seemingly haunt it?"

 

[Infab]

"An axe it is, then." said the Runeforger, moving over and grabbing a chunk of materials from the wall. He moved over, and began to cast what seemed to be a spell on the material before throwing it into the firepit. "This place is known as Alosea...it is also called the Canyon of Titans. Here in this decaying city is the first Demon King, Adriel, was born. In her early years, this place was but a small village. An oasis in the midst of Hell." he said, glancing back to Ethraeil. "...It was eventually raided by hostile demons, under the command of Trig. Trig was an Archdemon...considered one of the most powerful entities in the Abyss. Even more powerful than modern Demon Kings. Several of Adriel's family members and friends were killed in the raid. Adriel swore to change things afterwards. To get stronger, and change the way things were in the Abyss. She became a warlord, forming a small army of demons supportive to her cause, with Alosea as their home."

"In time, Adriel grew in power. And with her growth, her army grew. And Alosea grew. Eventually, Adriel became what is known as an Abyssal Titan. She also became the first Ascended Demon to ever walk the Abyss. She became a beacon of hope and change for the Abyss, and lead her forces to clash against Trig's. Many died in the battle, but Adriel managed to slay Trig once and for all. She crafted a crown using the horns off his skull...the Abyssal Crown...and took her places as the first Demon King of the Abyss. Well, queen, but you get the idea."

"The crown granted her even more power, and she used both her own power as well as the power gifted to her by the crown to reshape the Abyss. To mold it into something that people could live and thrive in. Her kingdom used to stretch from the Central territories you know...all the way out deep into the rest of the Abyss. When the Abyss started to shift around...eventually the Canyon of Titans found its way out here. Much too far away from where Adriel had established her capital. The people that lived here moved away from it, abandoning this city in favor of the lands in which they could live close to their Queen."

"...The ghosts you see and hear scattered about are some of the ones that chose to stay here...whom died here. Some of them are even from the time in which this place was just a town, when Trig's minions slaughtered them." finished the Runeforger, drawing the enchanted material from the fire and turning to start hammering away at it on the anvil. "As for the warmth you feel...It is an oddity, even to me."