Graded &nbsp; [The Underbelly] An Unexpected Demise

Skyhunter @D. Rex @EMIYAman

Skyhunter · May 23, 2022

In the Ryken Academy...

Arthur Verg

Arthur sighed as he read the book in front of him, it explained a lot of how spirits worked and how being a spirit medium is able to manipulate the energy ghosts protruded, their ectoplasm into what a person wants. Depending on what you want to do with it. As he was pretty indulged with studying and focusing, he would notice someone come up to the table, but he did not look their way as he continued his studies, writing down notes and sentences then looked back to continue reading. When they announced their presence and asked if he was Arthur.

He, of course, did not answer, flipping through the next page, sniffling as he then cleared his throat. Showing that this person did not interest him nor garner his attention. Arthur's ghostly purple arm glowed with a strangeness to it, an enigma it was. It was ethereal but a coldness would emit from the arm, Victorique would feel a chill, it was one of death. His arm was cold like a corpse. Although upon hearing that this person was from the Adventurer's Guild and that she was a investigator. He stopped writing for a couple of seconds but did not move nor look at her. And instead he continued writing, showing little interest in what she was saying. Hearing investigator, Arthur almost was brought back to his previous life, nearly. But remembered he wasn't that person anymore. Flipping through the next page of text, Arthur continued his studying and writing.

Interaction:

Elvario · May 23, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

Victorique was not amused. The fucker was outright ignoring her, not even bothering to say 'no' properly. If he'd done the latter, perhaps she would've just buggered off, but now this was personal. “You know, for someone with connections to thugs in the Underbelly, you're awfully eager to ignore anyone mentioning the topic. Do you have dirt you're worried about exposing or do you still have people you're covering for? Whatever it is, I'm not here for whatever mess you've made. I'm here for something much bigger; making sure we won't get a second Control War, now that the coliseum's bigwig champion croaked in mysterious circumstances. Considering the life you've picked up here, I doubt you'd like to be dragged into such a thing either, but I imagine you'd be in hot water if the Underbelly starts acting up too much, which they're bound to do sooner rather than later, as the royals will want to cleanse anyone with ties to the underside from any public institute, Academy included.”

Skyhunter · May 23, 2022

In the Ryken Academy...

Arthur Verg

Arthur listened carefully as this woman talked. What was her name again...? Victorique? Upon hearing her accusations of him having something to hide, he did give a little smile and snicker, now just toying with her, he could care less about what she thought he was hiding, which was nothing besides having a couple of contacts in the Underbelly. His smile then died when he heard of the Underbelly's champion being found dead. He stopped his writing immediately and slowly raised his head to look at this woman, but only for them to be a child. He raised a brow looking her up and down but then sat up straight. Closing his book calmly and putting his pen down. He then crossed his arms as his dead and tired eyes looked at her. He then let an arm out to the chair across from him.

His cold eyes watched Victorique as she sat down. Arthur looked grumpy, rude and like he wanted to kill her. After a couple moments of silence, Arthur finally spoke. " I'm not afraid of you thinking you can expose me for, nor do I care covering for people from down there. Say what you want. But what has piqued my interest is that you say the Champion, Auregnog, is dead. You realize this spells trouble not only for the Underbelly but for Ryken as well. Mainly for the Underbelly. " Arthur spoke with confidence, he knew much of the Underbelly regardless of being there for less than a day, he has met many a people there and has created connections with them down there. Arthur then leaned forward looking at Victorique with his same serious expression, " But hearing that I am known in the Adventurer's Guild for delving into such a cesspool of degeneracy and crime, doesn't look good on me. " Arthur was known to be a [Thug] when it came to crime, despite not really doing much crime besides killing an innocent but has been forgiven for it. He was even known for his tendencies for violence as well [Ruffian.] " So let me point out, despite knowing all you do about me. You still had the balls to come here to talk to me. " Arthur looked like he was ready to flip the table. But instead, he cracked barely a smile. " Impressive. Especially coming from a hackshaw. You would think one such as you to come around someone like me would scare you off. Granted, when you have no one to protect and we are in here alone. " Arthur shook his head. " Not that I would, of course. Just a little scare for you. " Although it sounded difficult to tell if he was serious or not.

Arthur got serious again, his eyes began to have some strange warp to them. Arthur looked distracted for a moment then sat back closing his eyes. Opening them, they were normal again. " So, what do you want, Ms. Sopheana? " Arthur finally asked. What Victorique didn't know is that he saw those faces again... The ones he had taken from this world and the previous, their blood on his hands. Suddenly having a change in his attitude.

The Bloody Defiance

As it would be predicted, there was chaos, people began fighting one another, gang guards had to get involved, wearing knight like armor stained black and red, like it was crudely painted over. They began beating anyone they saw, it was getting insane, but it was understandable as to why these people were acting like this, Auregnog was an idol to these people, the bastion of defense for the Underbelly. Roaring of fighting and yelling filled the Underbelly.

Once outside, Dayle and his crew would talk to the Red Star contact, as they spoke, they would see guards running pass them wearing black and red stained armor, wielding thick wooden weapons, steel maces and shields, these were the Blooded Guard, The Bloody Defiance's personal guard, probably the scariest gang in the Underbelly as they had the most money, the most advanced technology, and the most respect, being Auregnog's sword and shield. Weapons that wouldn't necessarily kill but if it came to that they made weapons that would easily kill a man. Eventually after the incoming guards, a petite female knight wearing good knight amor would be walking up, her armor had red and black engravings on it, she wielded a large shield and a sharp sword. She was Auregnog's second; Lykra, the Red Stained. Lykra's hair was stained red from all her battles, she saw the Red Stars and steered her way over to them. " Red Stars... " Her voice full of malice, " What is happening, seeing you lot here on our turf spells trouble. You know Auregnog does not care for other gangs coming here to indulge in the festivities. " Her voice was elegant. " Now we have a riot and now you lot standing here looking guilty. Speak now before I cut you all down and deliver your heads to Auregnog's dogs. " It seemed that she was unaware of the situation, she seemed like she was under a lot of duress and stress.

Her head would turn to Dayle and his little posse, " The Red Star's little bitch. " Yes, she meant like a female dog. " You were down here not that long ago, causing havoc with those other rats. Creating more chaos than needed. " Her head turned to Zeke and the new blood Roy, " The bitch's little bitches. One has seen battle; the other is nothing much but a little pup starving for blood. " She chuckled an evil one. Turning her head to the informant. " And I do not know you, but your clothes tell me you're a bigger dog than these whelps. Doesn't mean I still can't skin you when you're on our turf. " She threatened them, and the Red Stars couldn't do anything about it since they were on Blooded Guard Territory, while allowed to tread on the grounds for the Coliseum, Aruegnog only allowed for that, but it was rather strange that most of the Blooded Guard wasn't already here. Could have been due to the events that have happened not even a couple days ago with the Gang War.

interactions:

Elvario · May 24, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

She finally got the dude's attention at the mention of the deceased champion, getting him to gesture towards a nearby chair. She didn't like the way he looked, but she figured that even if she sat down, she'd still be able to get away quickly enough if things were to go down the wrong way, so she did so. Between sounding tough and stating the obvious, his first impression wasn't a good one. For a second it looked like he was going to pick a fight, but a combination of perception and insight made her think it was a bluff. She turned out to be correct.

She wasn't sure what he was on about with the hackshaw, whatever that was, or whether he was threatening her or teasing her, but she did have her reply ready. “If you were to be stupid enough to try attacking me in the Ryken Academy after doing whatever you did to get in here, I'd immediately have known I'd come to wrong person. I try not to work with idiots, with perhaps one exception... Anyhow, I'm not a fool. I know going into the Underbelly blind is likely going to be a death sentence, so if I want to investigate in peace, I'm going to need an insider. That's where you come in. You seem connected enough to know your way around, but low profile enough not to stand out too much. Considering you're in a library rather than a bar or brothel, I'm also assuming you're trying to get your life back on the rails and don't stand to gain from the Underbelly being on a path to self-destruction and taking the rest of Ryken along with it.” She paused for a moment, really wishing to light up her pipe. That said, the library was probably not the place for it. Instead, she just happened to watch Arthur space out for a while, which was a bit creepy, just like pretty much everything else about him, for that matter, be it his eyes or arm or general attitude. At least he didn't give off clear vibes of wanting to cause her any direct harm.

With all that said, it was time to discuss business. “Get me into the Underbelly and into the crime scene so that I can do my investigation and help me sort this out. Whether you want some good credit with the Adventurer's Guild, some monetary compensation or some credit with the Underbelly for avenging their champion or whether you just want to avoid a second Controls War, I'm sure you'll find your reasons to help out.”

Shatter Shard · May 25, 2022

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ D ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ E ]
[ E ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

The informant and Dayle took their time to exchange info, and with the situation around them, they stuck out like sore thumbs. Sure enough, one of the guards that looked like a knight took notice of them and spoke to them. Zeke and Roy were initially passive, but their eyes contracted when the knight's words began hurling insults towards Dayle. They would not care about their own reputation, but to spit on their boss' name is an unforgivable sin in their eyes.

They were ready to go at it with the knight, but Dayle stopped them with his hand. He then looked at the woman, his eyes still as water despite the insults. Although those words ignited flames of rage inside him, Dayle wasn't so stupid to attack someone clearly superior to him. Besides, this was not their territory. The only thing he could do was endure and diffuse the situation. "Knock it off, will you?" In his own little way. "You guys don't have the time to spare with us right now. As far as I can tell, four guys are the least of your problems." He glanced at the informant beside him, and he only smiled in silence. Dayle snorted before looking back at the knight. "Keep your priorities straight. Your champion's gone, and even we are being affected by it. It won't be just the Red Star snooping around soon, and it's not our best interest to be tied to a clusterfuck." He said as he crossed his arms.

"With that said," the informant spoke "Rest assured our business is not one aimed at anyone's throat." He took off his hat and pressed it against his chest. "As despicable as we are, we have enough tact to respect the Blooded Guard." he reassured without breaking his smile, showing impeccable high class etiquette. It was discordant to the scenery of the Underbelly.

Mentions:

Skyhunter @D. Rex @EMIYAman

Skyhunter · May 26, 2022

In the Ryken Academy...

Arthur listened to Victorique go on about how he wouldn't dare attack her, and she was right, he wouldn't have actually attacked her. But she didn't realize how easy it was to hide a body. Arthur sighed sitting back in his chair now looking bored as he looked away at the library, a sign of disrespect. " Bar or Brothel? Please. " Arthur looked at Victorique, " I've had my fair share of that before, good times and all, but those times are long pass for me. " Arthur explained, " This is more important than some booze or call girl, studying is practice, and knowledge is power. More than people realize. " Arthur stared his books, leaning forward placing a hand on his chin, his eyes looked up at Ms. Sopheana when she got to the business. She wanted him to get her into the Underbelly and find out what happened, Arthur just stared at her with a look of speculation.

Arthur sighed and sat up straight, " I didn't think I would be insulted like that. " He crossed his arms staring at Victorique with a look of disappointment. " Some meaningless credit with your Adventurer's Guild, money or credit is not what I want either. No, what I want is information, Victorique. An investigator like you should have much of it. For now. " Arthur sat up, leaving his studies where they were at. " Let's get going. " Arthur sighed, he was wearing a long black trench coat over his regular attire. He was already heading out without Victorique, not even letting her talk or explain. It was time to head back down to the Underbelly.

---

The Bloody Defiance

Lykra, the Red Stained snorted at Dayle's dismissal of them not having time and these four guys weren't her problem, " Four guys that look like they are conspiring something IS my problem. " Lykra was always known to be a very fierce and brash warrior. " Especially in front of the home of Aruegnog, the Underbelly's Champion. The Blood Defiance, named after said Champion. " Lykra explained, " Even after we just had that huge gang war and that's finally been diminished, too many dead. Yet we have this shoddy Red Star pricks here, conspiring something next? " Lykra shook her head, listening to what they said, " How about you come with me and we can have a little chat- wait- " Lykra shook her head confused once what Dayle said had finally sunk in, " What do you mean my champion is gone? " She asked, looking confused, she pulled her sword out, " What did you do? " Lykra asked.

mentions:

Elvario · May 26, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

Victorique sighed. Even as an investigator, she thought the 'knowledge is power' quote was way too overused. Perhaps not in this world? Either way, as a novelist, she made sure to avoid such phrases in her previous life and realised just how awkward they sounded when Arthur tried being smart with it. Well, she wasn't sure what she heard it from, but she knew the reply to that one. “Power is power. Knowledge just lets us gain it or learn how to use it.” Whether she had heard it in some series or read it somewhere, she'd forgotten, but if he wanted to play this game, so would she.

The fact that he called himself 'insulted' annoyed her. “If you're already feeling insulted by the fact I'm stating the venues through which you can gain to benefit, you should prepare to have your feelings hurt a lot.” She didn't like this guy, that much was clear.

That said, it seemed like he was exactly what she needed to get into the Underbelly, so she followed him in silence. Besides, his type was still heavily preferable over the slimy bastard types and his attempts to be cool and edgy actually had made him a fair bit less scary than his appearance had made him out to be at first. It also helped that she wouldn't feel guilty if she'd ever have to run and leave him behind, so for that matter, being on barely 'okay' terms was the ideal situation for her.

That said, she did keep in mind to keep a bit of distance and to check her surroundings well. Now that they were going to less than savoury places, she needed to ensure she'd be able to make a run for it if the guy would suddenly change his mind and get any wild ideas. She also wouldn't put it past him to 'test' her through some odd manner, so either way, she was on guard.

Shatter Shard · May 27, 2022

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ D ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ E ]
[ E ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

Dayle's expression hardened after hearing the knight's surprise. "What did we do?" he said "That's what we should be asking you! Aren't you guys supposed to be the first to know?" there was clear confusion, and even the informant was baffled by this. One would think that Auregnog's close guards would be the first to take notice of his absence, yet people other than the Blooded Guard got ahold of the information. What was going on? Dayle held his hand up in mock defeat. "Great. Even the Blooded Guard is unaware of the entire situation." Dayle held the bridge of his nose while his people were on guard against the knight.

"Unfortunate, dear knight, but do you truly not know what happened in there?" The informant asked, pointing his hand at the colosseum. "Auregnog did not appear, and we all know that his eagerness for battle is a fire that keeps on burning. This was his furnace, and the blood spilled in this place are his fuel." Dayle looked at the informant with a complicated gaze, but he paid no mind to him. "Yet his presence was not known, and worse yet, the announcer was not informed of such event. Hence, the chaos that unfolded." He paused, letting loose screams from the colosseum to echo out for the others to hear. "Truly inexplicable." The informant held his chin and looked away to ponder.

"In any case, we're just as confused. That guy ain't someone that would pass up an opportunity to let loose. That's the whole reason why he founded Bloody Defiance in the first place." He said. "Besides, I haven't met the guy. The Red Star ain't big enough for such a..." "For such an honor to be had." The informant continued. "Yeah, that. Lanky boy here was just here to inform me of something. Not like it's an uncommon occurrence around these parts. If we really did something, we wouldn't be stupid enough to stand around like a bunch of sitting ducks."

Mentions:

Skyhunter · May 30, 2022

Ryken Slums

Arthur Verg

As they would make their way into the slums, the back end of Ryken, Arthur would check back to make sure that Victorique was still following or whatever she was doing. It wasn't like she couldn't walk with him, but it was better that she stays away from him, she was someone that Arthur couldn't stand. Eventually he would make contact with someone that came from the shadows, a skinny looking man that looked old and shriveled up, his eyes were wide and wild looking. The two of them spoke quietly before Arthur handed something off to the man from his trench coat pocket. The old man held a small brown bag and looked inside, he grinned widely and closed it nodding to Arthur who looked rather uncaring. The old man waved his hand to Arthur and Victorique as he would lead them to a manhole in the middle of the street. If Victorique was perceptive enough, she would notice that people were watching them from the houses around them, not necessarily for bad intentions, but for protection of their home. Whether that was the Slums they were in or the Underbelly.

Arthur watched the old man knock on the manhole in a specific way, in a pattern. The manhole opened after a couple moments, two men came out wielding crossbows, pointing them at both the old man and Arthur, seeing who it was they lowered their weapons and hopped out, looking over the area, they were masked men wearing black clothing. Arthur turned to where Victorique was at and waved her over as Arthur headed down the manhole. When Victorique reached the manhole, one of the men pointed their crossbow at her then lowered it, " A child? What the hell is this? " The other ended up hitting the one that spoke, " Dumbass, she is a halfling. And by the looks of it, she is with Arthur. Keep your mouth shut before you end up like Setzen, talking too much shit. " The other quieted down and looked at Victorique. " You best get down there, Arthur can be rather impatient when it comes to the Underbelly. Welcome, you're a part of the Divees gang as long as you're with Arthur. " The other spoke.

When Victorique made her way down the ladder of the manhole, at the bottom she would see Arthur talking to another dark clothed man, " Underbelly is still in cleanup? " Arthur asked, the other nodded, " Yes. The Blooded Guard was doing most of the cleanup, which is weird. Unless Auregnog commanded it, he does care for his people as much as he would kill his fellow man. Which could explain how he was assassinated, his guard could have been sent out to help which let him either defenseless or low in numbers. But hardly know anymore than what we saw. We only heard of Auregnog being 'missing,' but that could only mean he is dead. " Arthur nodded taking this information, " The streets still covered in blood and have bodies? " Arthur continued his questioning. The man nodded, " There's a lot of blood and a lot of bodies have been cleaned up but there is still streets full. This could cause a plague in the future. It's weird all this is happening to the Underbelly. Most small gangs are dead due to a Gang War. Now Auregnog is dead or missing. Something is going on, Arthur. Be careful. " He moved out of the way for Arthur and Victorique to walk pass. There was many of these black clothed, masked men. Known as the Divees Gang.

Arthur looked back at Victorique and moved his head, pointing to their way into the Underbelly. Arthur began walking down the long sewer ways, disgusting waters that had a couple of bloated and decaying bodies in the water. Victorique would best stay close to Arthur now, now that they were about to enter a whole new world of criminality, debauchery, and death. A city of crime and freedom. Of chaos. As they made their way through the sewers, they would come across an opening in the wall at the end of a hallway, looking out they would see the large city known only as The Underbelly. Arthur sighed, sounding unhappy being here again, it was too much like home for him. Something he wish he didn't have to come back to.

---

The Bloody Defiance

Lykra growled deeply, pushing Dayle back with one arm, she was strong, " We were busy cleaning up your mess! The mess you were involved with! It is so much worst than you realize, while you sit on your ass in there, watching the fights! You Overcity Dwellers know not of the damage you have caused nor do you care. " She roared at him, pointing a bloody finger at him, " The mess our Champion wanted cleaned up! The only man to care for everyone as a whole! " Lykra growled, she wanted badly to take Dayle's head and feed it to her two headed dog. " I should kill the lot of you! But there are bigger things to be held. If i find out you had ANYTHING to do with Auregnog missing, I'll personally hunt you down and make sure to kill you! Your friends! Your loved ones! And your Red Star gang! I will disassemble everything your pathetic lives revolves around! " Lykra sounded worried and scared. Angry and rageful. But her words were truthful, if the Blooded Guard were to be called anything; bloodthirsty, vengeful and compassionate would be the right words. Lykra quickly then ran off as she made her way to the Bloody Defiance, pushing any of her guards out of her way as she made her way into the arena.

It was clear that Lykra was very passionate about Auregnog and his views, the entire Blooded Guard was, otherwise they wouldn't be the most feared gang, even though they usually stay to themselves in the Bloody Defiance arena, the named arena after The Bloody Defiance himself. But it was strange that Auregnog would send most of his guard if not almost all his people to go help clean up the streets of the Underbelly.

Interactions:

Elvario · May 30, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

Victorique followed silently, yet alert. They were clearly being watched, as Arthur seemed to pay off some dude to let them into the Underbelly. Going into a manhole was far from 'fun' to her, but apparently it was the way to go, so she did so. She ignored the dude that was calling her a child, although it was tough. She had the desire to cuss him out for being an idiot, but his partner was already doing so, which helped. “Divees gang, huh, how fun.” She muttered, as she nodded to the two and followed Arthur. So that's how things worked here. Pay off a gang to be 'part' of them and get access to the Underbelly.

There was one thing that Victorique immediately caught up on. “Wait, so no body has been found?” That was some very, very interesting information. She was already forming some possible conclusion based on it. She went through them mentally, as they moved towards the Underbelly. She tried her best to ignore the scents in this place while at it. The sewer with a hint of bloated bodies really didn't do well on her stomach. Nearly made her throw up whatever was in it. Good thing she'd eaten a light breakfast this morning.

“Bigger than I thought...” She mumbled, upon witnessing the Underbelly. This was indeed a small city, not just some punk's hideout. “If the body is missing, it changes some things. For one, we'll have to figure out if there was anyone that Auregnog was close to; close enough to 'go missing' for the sake of saving them. Did he have a wife or kids or some secret lovers?” She was straight to business, as she didn't want to waste time here.

Shatter Shard · May 30, 2022

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ D ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ E ]
[ E ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

Dayle looked on to the knight's strangely impassioned words, hearing what she had to say with a straight face. She wasn't wrong to hurl such barks at him, but the Underbelly wasn't his home. Why should he care for a place he barely had any connection with? She was right, but Dayle already knew that. He couldn't blame the knight for defending her home, but she was all too eager to put the blame on anyone as long as they are involved. He was a little aggrieved at the accusation, and although he was involved with the matter, it couldn't be helped in his perspective. The knight was also extreme with her promises, but they were hollow words of a desperate person in Dayle's ears. To curse someone else for their own misfortune was something he have heard so many times before. But to do so in consideration of others? The amount of them could be counted by his fingers. To think there was someone who cares so much in a lawless place, it truly surprised Dayle. What wasn't surprising though, was the foolishness of someone blinded by ideals. There was only pity in his mind as the knight finally blew off much of her steam.

His two goons were already at their limit trying to restrain themselves, and when the knight finally called it off for now, Dayle held their shoulders as all of them watched the knight power her way to the colosseum. "Quite the meeting, wasn't it?" The informant smugly asked. Dayle was still tense when he looked back at the informant. "...I ask that you go easy on me, sir. Talking in the wide open-" "Was a great idea." The informant smiled. "Although there weren't solid leads, we were at least able to discern the Blooded Guard's disposition." He nodded his head, and began walking away. Dayle worriedly look at the informant's back "Sir-" "You will be not punished for showing disrespect to the hierarchy, Dayle." He said in passing as he took off his hat. "Really, calling me a 'lanky boy'." He muttered with a helpless smile. He turned around to look at Dayle "Mr. Loren is benevolent, after all. Small transgressions are beneath him." He waved his hand and disappeared into the alleyways.

"Fuck, thinking about ranks is making me frustrated." Dayle said underneath his breath as he ruffled his hair in annoyance. Ever since he was forcefully integrated into Red Star, he had to always keep ranks in mind when dealing with their own. This syndicate is especially strict about its hierarchy, and a show of defiance is grounds for punishment, no matter how small. This allowed it to breed loyalty within the syndicate, but the relationships with the people within it were terrible. It was still a small wonder why it hasn't been fragmented with how domineering the upper echelons could be, but Dayle could not complain. He was a special case, and he's lucky enough to be under someone that would not cut off his ear for uttering a statement against his superior. He sighed, and shook those thoughts out of his mind for now. There were other things he had to do.

For now, he would try to fulfill Red Star's request, which was to find out the entire situation revolving around The Bloody Defiance himself. If he could wrap it up, then he must. There wasn't much information to begin with, but the fact that such a request was given to him meant that its importance was high. Dayle wasn't sure how he needs to go about it, but he already had an inkling of an idea regarding the matter. Thinking about the situation during the last few days, the Blooded Guard helping with the cleanup never really crossed his mind. They were knights for the Underbelly, and this much should be a no brainer for anyone. However, they were still Auregnog's group. They've always kept to themselves in and around the Bloody Defiance, and are only to be sent out on special occasions. But it was strange. Remembering earlier, the amount of guards in the colosseum was strangely low for how big it was. If the Blooded Guard had higher numbers, the pandemonium inside wouldn't have escalated so quickly, or perhaps it would've been culled easily. This meant that the majority of the Blooded Guard was out, but that shouldn't have been the case.

This was all conjecture on Dayle's part, and could not confirm anything yet. Although he already knew the disposition of the Blooded Guard, especially that knight just earlier, he did not personally know Auregnog. He might have reasons to send out so much of the Blooded Guard, but it was still strange for a man's personal army to be away from him. Dayle could only ponder at the thought, before looking at his two subordinates. "Zeke, Roy, It looks like it'll be busy again." Zeke clumsily straightened up and saluted to his forehead. "I hear and I follow, boss!" Roy held his right chest and bowed slightly towards Dayle. "I am at your command, sir." Dayle nodded, and took the first step to this whole thing. "The Red Star didn't give us even a crumb of information. Looks like we'll have to find it ourselves." Zeke and Roy followed as Dayle walked, unwittingly moving towards the direction of Arthur and Victorique.

Mentions:

Skyhunter · Jun 1, 2022

The Underbelly

Arthur Verg

Arthur overlooked the city with a sigh, " I doubt it. I think he meant that no one has seen the body, these people speak a different lingo than you're probably used to. " As they overlooked the city there was a breeze that passed through the hole they were looking out of, causing his cost to flap in the wind. Arthur looked down at the way down, a ladder to a slope that you were able to walk down, from there they would reach the main city that would lead to The Bloody Defiance, a arena named after the champion himself. Almost like a mockery to the Overcity that was Ryken, and a symbol of hope to the people of this chaotic city.

As they walked through the Underbelly, Arthur had his arm ready to summon any weaponry to use against their foes. And to protect Victorique. Seeing that there was hardly anyone around showed Arthur that the gang war either killed so many or they were hiding. Walking, a powerful stench of burning flesh would hit the two, Arthur knew this smell well, already preparing for what was coming. As the two came around a corner another a road where he and others were fighting at previously would show Arthur that the war was way worst than he realized, on a large road would be bodies upon bodies lit aflame with guards standing around them, making sure to throw more bodies onto the hills of burning bodies. This flame was different, not the orange they were used to, but this was red fire, it looked like the waves of the fire was bubbly and whipping more furiously than usual.

Arthur didn't say anything as he watched the horrific scene before him. He didn't look phased but underneath he couldn't believe so many were really this dead, all along the road there would be more and more hills of bodies. Arthur looked at the ground for a moment and let out a sigh, then he saw the concrete ground, it was red, stained with red. Stained with blood. Arthur could see the blood go up the roads all around him, there was puddles of it in other places. This could cause a plague for the future. Arthur looked to Victorique then away. " We need to find another way. " Arthur cleared his throat sounding a bit choked up. He moved along to a new route, as they walked he would see Dayle coming, Arthur stopped as the light of the flame was on his face, showing his cold exterior. " Red Stars... Should have known you would be here. What are you doing here, Dayle? " Arthur knew of the Red Stars, knew Dayle. Didn't know his cronies but it looked like they were coming from where The Bloody Defiance was at.

Interactions:

Elvario · Jun 1, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

[Mentions:[/b] Dayle

Shatter Shard | Arthur

Skyhunter

Victorique was confused. “That Divees guy quite specifically said the champion is dead or missing, so wouldn't it be a bit too pre-emptive to assume he's killed? Besides, even if he is killed, the fact that his body is missing might indicate he was lured away by something first. From what I've gathered, he's not the type to come peacefully if someone tries kidnapping him and he doesn't seem to type to just croak either, so wouldn't the likeliest option be for him to have been lured away?”

For as far as first impressions went, the Underbelly outdid itself. The scenery was far from pleasant. Heightened sight and good perception didn't help there, as it only helped her spot more details of this gruesome scene. “Why do so many people stay here if corpses are piling up like this?” She didn't understand the appeal of a city like this in the slightest. She noticed the 'funeral' pyres as well. At least it was better than leaving bodies to float in the sewers. “What's the appeal of a place like this to people like Auregnog?” She had her suspicions, but she wanted to hear it from someone else as well. The more she understood the champion, the more easily it might be to figure out what could've happened to him. She always wanted distraction from the ongoing scene, as it was making her stomach act up.

Victorique had absolutely no idea who the 'Red Stars' were or who this Dayle was, so she decided to stay silent for now and leave the talking to Arthur. She would, however, use her [Ultimate Detective] to get a grasp on this man and his compatriots. From the tone of his voice to the subtle movements he made in body-language, she was trying to get a full reading on what seemed to be the 'boss' in particular.

D Grade Ability Cooldown: (0/2)

[Ultimate Detective] – Appraisal D, Heightened Hearing F, Heightened Sight F, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception D – Character combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

Shatter Shard · Jun 1, 2022

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ D ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ E ]
[ E ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

"Ey! It's that one arm guy!" Zeke exclaimed as he pointed at Arthur. Dayle raised his eyebrow at the new company, his hands within his pockets. His posture was confident, and it seemed like he was someone who was not so easily dealt with when it comes to force. He seemed to be not hiding anything, and was directing his full self at the two. His two men behind him were distinct from each other, but both wore the same red and black schemed uniform worn by the Red Star Syndicate. One man wore outfit in a slovenly manner, while the other had his attire properly buttoned and worn. The former had a build that was close to Dayle's, and had the same ruggedness from the shape of his face down to the scars that show on his body. The latter, on the other hand, had a more lean build and he seemed to have the impression of someone elegant, and his face could be considered that of like a fox. However, all of them seemed to be very alert, as Dayle was focused on the two, the others were probing the surroundings for any threats.

"Business, Arthur." He said. The guy never really told him his name, but the Red Star gave him info on the guy. After all, he was also involved in the incident, along with the others. There was a bit of bad blood between Dayle and Arthur, but he wasn't petty enough to hold on to it. It was not like he tried to stab him or ate one of his men. The look he gave at Arthur was noticeably complicated, but his clear eyes showed that there was no malicious intent towards the two.

He looked at the girl beside him and gave a confused look. "And you brought with you someone." He crossed his arms, and looked like he was pondering something. "Looks like you two are going to the colosseum, but I don't think you'd want to go there right now." He advised. "Shit's hit the fan there, riot and all that stuff." Then he remembered something else. Arthur was a student of the overworld's Ryken Academy, so what was he doing here again? There could be only one thing. "Don't tell me, you're here because of Auregnog?" The scale of the problem could rival the incident from a few days ago, and Arthur was also involved in the last one. According to the information he was given, he was a volunteer when the academy's orb was stolen. But why was he involved this time? As far as he knew, the academy had no relation to Auregnog whatsoever. "But then, you're from up top. So Why?"

Mentions:

Skyhunter · Jun 2, 2022

The Underbelly

Arthur Verg

Arthur's eyes didn't leave Dayle, although his ghostly arm was ready if he attempted anything, although he doubt that Dayle would, but it mattered not, Arthur was a very wary man. Paranoid even. But he did say he would protect Victorique, even if they had their differences. " Yeah, I did bring someone. More like I'm guiding them and making sure people don't harm her. " Arthur explained, although the next part didn't surprise him. " I'm aware. I've been told about Auregnog, the riots is something I'm unaware of though. That will complicate things but it could work in our favor. " Arthur whispered the last part to Victorique as he looked over at her for a moment then back. " What I'm doing here is my business. Not yours. " Arthur replied harshly.

" But from what I see, you're coming from the coliseum's direction. I could ask you the same thing. I could also say your Red Stars could have done something as well, you could easily be involved with Auregnog's demise or disappearance. We won't know until we reach the coliseum. " Arthur explained. " The Red Star's Bastard Dog needs to go back to his masters. But let me ask you, why are you here. " Arthur asked, expecting to not get a answer but he wanted to taunt the Red Star's dirty worker, maybe he would wake up finally.

Interactions:

Elvario · Jun 2, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

[Mentions:[/b] Dayle

Shatter Shard | Arthur

Skyhunter

Annoyed, irritated, frustrated and a little tired of this already, Victorique realised Arthur was a worthless insider when it came to information. He could get her in, sure, but he wasn't helping her with any insider information, as he straight-up ignored her questions. The fact that he was pretty much claiming to be her baby-sitter didn't sit well with her either, but at least it sounded like he felt responsible for her safety. That was a nice extra.

Riots? Victorique had some thoughts on how to exploit those. “Chaos makes it easier to get into places.” She nodded, figuring that was probably also what Arthur was thinking. “We should figure out who stands to gain from...” She suddenly realised something mayor mid-sentence. Who stood to gain from riots and chaos? Of course, only one group. The overworld, the royalty! “Do you think someone from above is steering towards a second Controls War?” She asked herself, knowing Arthur probably wouldn't answer anyhow.

That all said, was a little surprised when Arthur seemed to taunt Dayle. Was that the game they were playing? Well, she could play that one as well. She might as well give Arthur some back-up there. “He seems way too straightforward to know more about it than we do. I'm assuming he's just a low ranking goon of this Red Start group?” She asked Arthur, without being particularly subtle or silent about it.

Shatter Shard · Jun 3, 2022

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ D ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ E ]
[ E ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

The insult towards Dayle caused his two men to sharpen their gaze at Arthur, but Dayle pacified them with a raise of his hand. Dayle snorted at the question. "The same thing's what everyone's been doing; wonder what the fuck's going on." He answered a tad derisively. "Arthur, both you and I know our merry band don't have the power to pull off that kind of stunt. Only an idiot would try to that shit while everybody else are watching." Dayle took a stride and sat atop one of the boxes laying around like a delinquent.

After hearing the girl's question, Dayle laughed. "Girl, I can see that you're not from here. One advice from me, don't spout shit that can get you killed." He then looked at Arthur. "But I guess with him around, you have a certain protection to keep talking like that." He wasn't particularly insulted, as he dislikes Red Star as much as many others. In fact, he was happy if anyone talk shit about the syndicate, as long as they weren't anywhere near other members of it of course.

Dayle sighed and finally cut to the chase. "Let me be straight with you guys. I needed information, and although I could've marched to his quarters, I doubt the Blooded Guard would let anyone in. Those guys can be fanatical if they want to be." Roy worriedly looked at Dayle as he muttered. "Sir..." Dayle looked at his subordinate and shrugged, before looking back at the two. "Seeing that you're curious about what's going on, how about we team up?" He grinned and leaned over. "From what I can see, we are effectively here for the same reason. I can be your guide in the Underbelly, and if needed, I can pull some strings from Red Star." Dayle held his hand out as he continued. "All I ask is that I also get the same info as both of you. If you have a way in, then you'll also have to bring me with you."

Mentions:

Skyhunter · Jun 5, 2022

The Underbelly

Arthur Verg

Arthur was ignoring Victorique's questions until she mentioned something about someone else above in the overcity that was Ryken possibly trying to start a second Control War, it made sense to him, the one thing that stopped the Royal Family from pushing the law into the Underbelly was Auregnog, The Bloody Defiance. It made a connection to that the underbelly had a large battle between gangs to try and cull them, he never did find out who was the one who ordered the job. His digging left to nothing but a dead end, talking to Clover also did not help, she said the one she heard the job from ended up disappearing. It was a conspiracy, but it was a sound one. He was positive it was true, but he needed more evidence, and hopefully they could find it if they find out more about Auregnog's death. " You may be right. " Arthur said lowly, " But we will need more than just words, we will need some compelling evidence. But I am inclined to believe it. " Arthur nodded, he looked at Victorique with an impressed look but then it disappeared when she asked about Dayle, " No, Dayle here is a not a low-ranking member, he is the Red Star's personal worker. He is known as the Red Star's Bastard Dog. He is pretty good at leading a group and working as a team with his people. But alone, he wouldn't be as strong as he is currently. " Arthur told Victorique, " Like a pack of dogs. " Arthur stated calmly.

Arthur listened to Dayle's next request of teaming up, Arthur understood the benefits of it, he gets information that the Red Stars have, and that information could be of benefit later on. Especially with his plans for the future. The downsides are that Red Star isn't very well looked upon, so him being seen with Dayle, the Red Star's Bastard Dog, could be a bad look for him and could dampen his reputation. But the information was better than how Arthur would look, he had reputation back in his old life, he was a killer, good at it and reveled in it. But he was also seen as someone who brought death where he followed so people tend to stay away from him except for a few people of course. Arthur looked at Victorique then back to Dayle, he knew that Dayle would be an asset, especially if they teamed up. And they could be a pretty be a pretty powerful team, Arthur was nothing but violence incarnate as it was all he knew. But he also knew the art of making a deal. He's had to many a time. Slowly Arthur walked up towards Dayle, his face unchanged from his usual cold demeanor, stopping a couple feet away from the Red Star gang member, his eyes looked at Dayle's men, he could tell they were very loyal to Dayle. Loyalty... He knew the feeling. He once was loyal to someone and betrayed them then in returned was betrayed by those he trusted.

Arthur yearned for that once again, he yearned for the ignorance of bliss that they had installed within them. That he once had beforehand. it felt like a long time that Arthur looked at them when in actuality it was only for a moment or two, his amber eyes moved to Dayle, their fearless leader. Much like the Don Arthur once served for, that he was groomed to kill for. But Dayle was different, different from that man, that beast that killed Arthur. The one armed man looked into Dayle's eyes for a few moments before he spoke, " It's a deal then, Dayle. I'll expect your crew here to not go off the deep end, they're loyal. Stupid but they're loyal. They are your bullets, and you are their gun. " Arthur cared not if Dayle got the reference or not, it was mainly for his own sake that he knew what Arthur once was, it was for himself than Dayle and his crew. He would then turn to Victorique, " Let's go. "

Interactions:

Elvario · Jun 5, 2022

Victorique Sopheana

[Mentions:[/b] Dayle

Shatter Shard | Arthur

Skyhunter

Victorique had growing issues trying to take this Dayle person seriously. The way he sat alone, atop some boxes, looked like he was utterly desperate to look cool. Like an edgy teenager in the body of a grown man. If it wasn't for the fact that he was probably capable of killing her with ease the moment he'd catch her, she'd have laughed at it. That said, his answer did provoke her a little. “Saying stuff that can end up getting me killed seems like a droplet in an ocean. I've seen more corpses in my short walk through this place than I've seen in the rest of my life combined. I'm pretty sure just being here comes with such a high chance of getting killed that there's little I can say or do to make it considerably worse. Or are you saying there's a rule against killing halfling women unless they're speaking up too rudely?”

She also frowned at Dayle's suggestion. Arthur was quick to agree to it, but Victorique herself was a fair bit more sceptical. “You just admitted the Red Star is too small to do much against this Blood Guard, so if you'd be our guide, what would you do to to help out?” She wasn't yet seeing how this would be mutually beneficial. Not yet at least. Just having some extra eyes didn't seem to weight up against the chance of bringing aboard a back-stabber and Arthur didn't seem to be on the most favourable terms with this dude either. She wasn't sure why he was agreeing so easily. To that extend, she wasn't sure why Arthur was berating her after having taunted the guy himself first. Did he think she was too small to taunt guys? Fine. If it was that way, so be it.

That said, if this Dayle wanted to be on board, he'd best make himself useful immediately. “Why don't you explain, in detail, how you learned about Auregnog's disappearance? The way it sounds to me, it's been planned to have the most impact possible, by having he public find it out at the height of some events going on in the coliseum that everyone would be watching. It's tailored to cause the most chaos and to be impossible to hide by the Blood Guard. Ah, on that note, do you know how much the latter knows about what happened? I think I heard they were his personal guards, so it's a bit odd if none of them know anything. Perhaps one of them is in on it or perhaps they were tricked.”

She continued her thought process aloud. It was loud enough for the others to hear, but also silent enough to be clear that it was more of a train of thought than an actual conversation with them. “If we're going by our previous assumption that starting a second Controls War is the end-goal, the first three major check-points have been met. The champion is gone, the Underbelly is severely weakened by infighting and the Blood Guard sounds to be too out of the loop to keep up. However, we're not seeing the royal army march in just yet. They might think that the situation will get even worse on its own, or they've got even more in store to weaken the Underbelly before moving in for the final strike against them. The latter would mean we'll have to figure out what they're plotting before they can pull those final strings. However, it'd also mean that they still have something or someone working here, which gives us something to investigate...”

She was thinking. Where would a good place to start be at? She looked at Dayle and Arthur. “Is there any chance we can speak to someone from this Blood Guard? I'm assuming at least a few of them would care enough to figure out their boss' fate enough to speak with outsiders, or is that a wrong assumption?” She really wished to ask them some questions, but wasn't sure how likely that'd be. “Not only would it be great to inspect the scene from which the champion vanished, I'd also like to see if I can figure out whether or not they might be involved with the Royals somehow.”

She finally realised that she'd been following Arthur after he said 'let's go', but had no clue where they were going. “So... are we going to the coliseum now or..?”

Shatter Shard · Jun 5, 2022

Dayle Keller
"Red Star's Bastard Dog"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

[ D ]
[ F ]
[ E ]
[ E ]
[ E ]

E

Active Titles:
Human | Thug | Unruffled

-Ryke-
Underbelly of Ryken, Colosseum

Code by: Shatter Shard

Arthur was still throwing insults at Dayle, souring the moods of his men, but Dayle calmly looked at Arthur as he spoke. The fuck is a bullet and a gun? It was his thought about Arthur's final lines, but nevertheless grinned wider as he accepted the deal. "It's a deal then, Mr. Arthur." He stood up and turned around to start leading the way, with his men walking beside him. "And don't worry about my people here." He reassured as he raised his hands. "I trust them enough to be on 'Wake Up' duty." The two slapped Dayle's hands in their own way. "That's right boss." Zeke affirmed. "Loyalty is my greatest virtue." Roy stated with conviction.

As they walked, Dayle boisterously laughed at the girl as she prattled on. He turned his head and asked Arthur with a raise of his eyebrow. "Where'd you get this girl? There's so much words filled in this one that it's making my head ache." He said, shaking his head in helplessness. "Red Star is not small, little girl, but rather it isn't that powerful compared to the Blooded Guard. There's a difference." He explained. "I can provide you info the top dogs in this place could provide, and unlike the both of you, I have the backing of an organization working in the Underbelly." He shrugged. "Unless you pay, you're not going to find another guide like me."

"And if it's about Auregnog, you already know where I got that from." He replied to Victorique, tapping the Red Star's emblem on his back. "The thing is, little girl, nobody knows squat, not even Auregnog's prided Blooded Guard!" He explained easily, as if the information itself was public knowledge. "The champion's disappearance is certainly a shocking news, but let me ask you this; his disappearance was recent. I myself didn't know about this until the shit that happened in the colosseum. With that in mind, how did you get a hold of the info before the reveal happened?" Zeke turned his head as well to add on something. "I ain't that smart, but even I can smell them conspiracy's brewin'." He nodded to himself as if agreeing with his own statement. "In any case, it's a food for thought." Dayle spoke. "You seem like a clever girl, more than me at least. Now that I gave you another angle, go on and say more conjectures."

"Well, the colosseum's the first thing we should go to, so for that account..." Dayle remembered that one knight that started spitting. "...with how thing's are? I am not sure if the Blooded Guard would consider any visitors. I got chewed out when I was only there to see a spectacle. But then again, those bastards are always wary against other groups." He looks at the two people behind him. "But they're more hateful against overworlders like you two. And me." He stopped just a bit of a fair distance from the colosseum and turned to look at the others. "I don't know about you, but it seems very convenient that overworlders immediately came after their champion's disappearance."

Mentions:

Skyhunter · Jun 8, 2022

The Underbelly

Arthur Verg

Arthur looked somewhat annoyed with Victorique's ramblings, he rolled his eyes with a sigh, Arthur was someone who was quick and to the point with his words, rather than spouting thoughts out loud and having everyone that was listening to them, hear her spout her bullshit, while he somewhat agreed that something may have been happening, it didn't mean she was being smart with talking and theorizing outloud. Arthur turned his head to Victorique, loud whispering to her. " Hey. Do us all a favor and shut your fucking mouth. " Arthur had an angry look on his face, " You're going to get us all killed if you keep talking about conspiracies out loud like that. Look around you, we have people listening and you don't even realize it. It's the same just like up top, but here it's much worse than you realize. " After Arthur told Victorique to shut her loud pie hole, Arthur turned his head back to Dayle who called him Mr. Arthur. " Arthur will do just fine, Dayle. " Arthur said with a huff venting his frustration with Victorique, his head looked to his men when they agreed with Dayle about being loyal. Arthur's eyebrows perked up at the mention his eyes drooped a bit while having the slightest smirk, showing either skepticism or disbelief. " ...Right. Anyways. This investigator came to me back up top at the academy. She knew of something happening down here. She asked for my help with guiding her since what happened only a few days ago is still fresh on people's minds. " Arthur looked to the side like he was staring at someone next to him, in Arthur's eyes, he was staring at a woman he killed in his previous life, one he had a relationship with.

But quickly Arthur turned back to the Red Stars when Dayle acted like his group was big down here, Arthur shook his head, " Please, Dayle, let's not try to exaggerate the Red Star's presence here any bigger than it is- wait, what do you mean the Blooded Guard doesn't know anything either. " Arthur asked, he then quietly began to contemplate on the information, after a moment Arthur huffed as he turned back to Victorique, " Maybe your theory is right. " That was his apology. She wouldn't get anything else other than that. " Dayle, take us to the Arena, we need to figure out what is happening, and fast. " Arthur crossed his arms still sounding montone and cold.

---

The Bloody Defiance

Within the arena was only chaos, fighting and more fighting, rioting, with the entry of the Blooded Guard it only added to the overall fighting. While they were working to culling the anger of the crowd, they were beginning to make ground by nonlethally taking down rioters. With their champion gone, this crowd didn't know what to really do, it was a mix of anger, worry and fear. Where was Auregnog?

" Damn it you fools! Cull your anger! " The voice of Lykra rang out as she was using her fists and beating rioters left and right, she had a arm on her as she was able to knock a man down to size. The Blooded Guard was with her, helping their second in command push these angry patrons back.

Warrior's Respite, (Fighters Room Beneath the Arena)

Down below The Bloody Defiance, there was no fighting within the Warrior's Respite, ironic if you thought about it. Warriors and fighters were lingering about, talking about what was happening, " I never would have thought Auregnog disappearing would cause this. A full on riot in his own home. " A half-dressed gladiator spoke, another was shaking his head with crossed arms, a fighting with chainmail on. " Believe me, this is very strange, they say Aurgenog has been around for almost two hundred years, and he now disappears? Has fought in over one thousand fights and now decides to disappear after the Gang's War? Something is up, I tell you. " This same sentiment was shared among the fighters of this pit, more and more warriors, soldiers, and fighters alike were saying similar things. All except one. A goblin in the corner, sitting on a box while he sharpened his Khopesh. Xix, or Goblo that was the nickname he was given from those out there, seemed more flustered and angrier than concerned about Auregnog's disappearance. " What is a goblin to do to earn some sort of respect? " The goblin pondered outloud, his eyes looked up as he saw the figure of a large orc woman wandering about. Xix then would gain an idea. " Oi, brawn and muscle, come ere, I got a idea to help cull this crowd. " Xix called, beckoning her with his blade, continuing to sharpen it.

Mentions: