Graded [Arborhaven City] Rooted in the Past

[LadyOfStars]

After he closed the door, the old man was ready to get back to making his preparations, but when he turned around and saw a stranger standing in the room with him, he let out a small yelp. Then that stranger kicked his cane, which was also his magic catalyst, out from under him. "Help!" He cried out to an empty audience as he was tackled to the floor. With the attacker on top of him he could see now that it was a rat, and a woman at that. He felt her hand tighten around his throat and immediately begin to gasp for air. "W-Wait!" The old man cried just before the rat began to drown him in Cayde's concoction. His cries were silenced by the gurgling noise he started to make as the potion choked him and forced its way down his throat. Within second the old man started to put up less and less of a fight, until his arms fell to the floor. He was unconscious now, thanks to the brew. All Kesh would have to do was escape with him now.

Ceylan words resonated with the frightened few who were listening and hoping to learn more about the church and the claims of demonic action. He spoke with such a passion and had information to back up his claims, they were inclined to believe his words. Then he revealed his status an connection to the Syncretist Church and they were even more interested in what he was saying. His declaration that he would be investigating the church made them all nervous and in an instant, those who were scared started to mumble amongst themselves. Considering leaving most likely.

Those who were rooted firmly in their belief stood their ground, ready to argue with Ceylan and even get violent in the name of their god. "The First Shrine is no longer open to the public because it is at the heart of the great tree and must be protected! Arborhaven is no longer full of the faithful, there are outsiders like you that seek to poison our beliefs and bring down our great god! And what a surprise, its a priest from another church who seeks to upend our faith and convert us to his own." The man approached Ceylan and jabbed his index finger into the hound's chest. "You can try to launch an investigation and say whatever you want, but you're wrong and you'll never get to the roots." He stared at the dog, looking him in his eyes with a ferocity that was normally dangerous when seen in the religious types.

Mira looked around and counted at least 12 people listening to Ceylan, 8 of which did not seem happy to hear him speak. She spared a brief glance back to the entrance and then looked to her companion. "Perhaps we should not provoke them any further." She whispered to Ceylan. If a fight did start then they would not only be outnumbered, but also outmatched as neither of them were fighters.

The guards had grossly underestimated Hildegard and even now the woman had surprised them. She successfully put one man on his back and knocked the wind out of him, leaving him gasping for air. His companion was caught off guard by the strength and skill that Hildegard displayed. Now a crowd had formed. A mix of city soldiers and residents surrounded the church in full spectator mode. Now the guard couldn't think of backing down to her, it would make the church look bad if he didn't at least fight to defend it. "To hell with you!" The man said as he raised his blade and aimed it at Hildegard. Before he could act however, there came a second voice, along with a weapon that was aimed at his head. "What is this?" The man asked. "You two working together? Got a death wish or something?" The man looked over his shoulder at Cayde with a slight growl in his tone.

The guard who had been knocked down managed to get back to his feet and although his breathing was still unsteady, he managed to raise his weapon and point it at Hildegard. "Both of you drop your weapons." He demanded.

Elvario Skyhunter The Last Curse Dante Verren

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Mira LadyOfStars | Hildegard Dante Verren | Cayde The Last Curse

Realisation of the effectiveness of his words slowly sunk in, as he suddenly noticed some folks were getting ready to get physical. Only someone weak of mind resulted to using physical force to counter an argument. “If you knew anything about the Syncretist Church, you'd know that we seek to support and incorporate, not to take over or convert.” He had to hold himself back from snarling as he was jabbed. “If I'm wrong, then I'll take fault and return on my knees to apologize, but until then, I'll get to the bottom of this.” He wished to continue, but Mira was wise enough to stop him. He silently nodded to her, turning around to leave the church with her. They'd given Kesh a good amount of time and even if they'd be gone, their actions would likely still be discussed for quite a while after.

He'd also already given a few folk a chance to rethink their actions, which was a nice bonus to the job of forming a distraction. Four out of twelve was a low number, but it was better than nothing. That said... The scene he encountered outside wasn't exactly happy either and if the people behind him were to see what he was walking into, they might quickly (and not unjustly so) suspect him to be planning to start an all-out riot here. “I think it's time for the both of us to back up.” He said to Mira. Ceylan knew his worthlessness in a fight and didn't wish to get caught up in one.

Trying to slip past the guards, Hildegard and Cayde, although giving them a brief nod, Ceylan would make way towards a side-alley. He'd stay nearby in case his healing was needed, but far enough away to not get in their way. Having a bit of time, he finally got to ask a question he'd been meaning to ask Mira for a long time. “Your sister. What does she look like? Does she resemble you? If she's even close to their level of indoctrinated, we'll need to make sure to take her out in way that's curable afterwards. I'm afraid a violent outcome is becoming more and more likely, as much as I'd like to avoid it.”

It wasn't a fun topic, but he realised the information would be important. Not only that, but he wanted to see how ready Mira was to face the idea of having to take down her sister. If she wasn't able to do so, Mira would become a liability. After all, with how little Mira had seen her sister, it was likely that the latter was kept near the roots, where Mira wasn't allowed to go.

C Grade Cooldown (2/3)

• Preach – Religion C, Connected C [Syncretist Church] – Character holds a long theological speech about faith. Not very entertaining, but theologically sound. - Grade C - 3 Post Cooldown.

D Grade Cooldown (1/2)

• Preach – Religion D, Connected D [Syncretist Church] – Character holds a long theological speech about faith. Not very entertaining, but theologically sound. - Grade D - 2 Post Cooldown.

 

[Dante Verren]

Hildegard Karling
Interaction: LadyOfStars The Last Curse Elvario Skyhunter


Hildegard had her weapon out and at the ready. She was about to parry the blow from the guardsman and bring the flat of her blade onto his helmet, knock him around a bit. That ended up not happening as that damn Clyde interrupted their righteous battle of taunts and blows. With his weapon raised he got the foolish guard to pause in his action, his threats managing to stall the man's blade for a moment. She had to bite back her angry retort at her companion, but shortly after her fit of rage managed to realize that his assistance was for the better. Less likely to end in two bloody corpses of poor guardsman on the church square. She was a pertinence woman, but her patience was not infinite.
A crowd had formed, and she could see determination hardening in her opponents eyes. It was time to take it up a notch.

A smile lacking any manner of friendlessness appeared on her face. "You honestly think you can even lay a swipe on me? In one motion I winded this man and dodged your swing. Do you not think I can't do it again? Well let me tell you something" she snarled. "I have fought cultist, slain kidnappers, saved an innocent child by pulling her soaked in head to toe from blood from a sacrificial alter. I have stared down the eyes of demons and monsters themselves and wielded my weapon in it's holy fury against there evil. What have you accomplished? What have you done to better the world? You have stood in front of a pompous temple praying to a rotting log! You who has done so little to help those in need think you have the strength to scratch me, Let alone send me to hell?!" She chuckled flicking her blade in a gesture to come closer. "Most gods tend to teach their followers wisdom, it seems that trait is lacking. Of course I shouldn't be surprised considering what your faith really is. Don't worry I won't kill you. Unlike your beliefs, I have a code of conduct to follow. Just know if either of you take a step closer to the cliff you face, anything afterword's will be your own fault."

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh growled as the man barely fought back, but getting the potion into his mouth was difficult, she placed the potion down and even stuck her hand into his mouth to force him to swallow, " Just swallow-consume it! " Kesh told the Elder, " That's what she said-stated. " Kesh breathed heavily once he had finally succumbed to the potion's effects. She got off the man and sighed rubbing her head, she took the blanket off and threw it over the Elder then rolled him over the blanket to turn him into a religious blanket burrito. A true sign of symbolism to the fatties that ate too much and prayed too much. Although Kesh had to redo this process a few times to make sure the Elder was fully concealed. Kesh stood over the elder smiling while rubbing her hands, " Yes... Yes... " Kesh then stood on the man's back still rubbing her hands, " My all... My precious-valuable. " Kesh then snapped out of it realizing she was standing on the Elder like he was a possession. But technically he was since she was ratnapping him.

Kesh took the potion and attached it to her belt, then moving to pick up the staff with a red gem on its end. " Mind if I have this? " There was silence for a moment, " Say nothing if I can have this. " Kesh held the staff in the air, smiling as she wielded it like a wand. Silence again. " Alright, thank you. This will be contribution to the Kesh's Family Plan of, uh, schooling for schooling. We, uh, I appreciate your donation. " The ratkin then shrugged and strapped the staff to her belt and proceeded to pick up the Elder, as she slung him her shoulder, she was caught off balance and began moving backwards. " Oh no. " She then fell into the desk and dropped the Elder onto it. Kesh released the Elder and held her side where she hit the desk, hissing in pain as she even fell onto her knees. " Oh gods, why...? " She mumbled and stood up rubbing her side, now sore. She moved back to the wrapped up religious burrito and saw that she had knocked over a candle as the desk began to erupt into flames, Kesh's eyes widen and quickly pulled the religious burrito off the desk, letting him hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, the blanket starting to catch on fire. They would be lucky if this guy only had bruises at the end of this. " Oh no oh no oh no. " Kesh began to slap the flames, extinguishing them. " Whoo... That was close. " Kesh felt hot on her face and looked up seeing that half the room was already in flames. " Oh shit. " Kesh said with wide eyes, she rolled the religious burrito out of the room into the hallway.

Kesh groaned as she picked him up once more and threw him over her shoulder. She could feel the hot licks of inferno on her tail and quickly began to make her way down the hallway. " Come on Kesh, we are almost out of here. " She whispered to herself, walking down the stairs with the heavy Elder on her shoulder. " You've been hit by. You've been struck by. A large Ra-a-a-t. " Kesh sang as she reached the bottom of the stairs then she looked up the stairs, seeing the bright lights of the flames on the walls. Kesh began walking out to the entrance and walked on out seeing the huge commotion that was going down. Kesh gulped and quickly made her way down the stairs and tried to find the nearest alleyway to go down. Whistling quietly as she did, even amongst the angry rants and ravening of these religious fanatics. " All the same they are. " Kesh huffed under her breath. When she reached the alleyway, she turned her head. " Oh my gosh, there's a fire! A fire in the church! " Kesh yelled into the crowd before making her way deeper into the alleyway. " Let's go my friend. " Kesh patted his back as she walked.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario LadyOfStars Dante Verren Skyhunter ​

Even as the guard turned to face Hildegard again, Cayde kept his crossbow trained on him. However, if on cue, Ceylan and Mira slipped past him, Cayde exchanging an acknowledging nod as they went. Now that only left Kesh in the building, but Cayde imagined she was probably on her way out. No doubt she took a souvenir, or five, he thought, now picturing the Skaven escaping with the elder alongside a comedically large sack of stolen goods. With those three out, it was just him and Hildegard, but it seemed their situation wouldn't be so easy to escape. With the crowd forming behind him and Hildegard's continued verbal lashing, a fight seemed almost inevitable.

Nonetheless, Cayde thought he should still try his hand at talking to the guards. Cayde doubted he'd be able to diffuse the situation, especially after the mockery Hildegard made out of them, but if he could get the guards to attack first, he'd at least have the moral high ground. Fight or no fight, Cayde wasn't coming out as the one who instigated it. "You two are good men of faith; I can see that. But as my partner said: what you'll do next will not only show us," Cayde paused to gesture at the crowd behind him, "but the entire city what you and your religion stand for." The contempt faded from his voice for a moment, "You two look smart enough. I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

Cayde lowered his crossbow just enough to seem like he was conceding. Meanwhile, his eyes scanned the guards for weak points, anticipating where to shoot if they took the first move. Cayde wasn't keen on killing anyone, but if push came to shove, he had some ideas about where to aim first.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Mira was glad to follow Ceylan out of the church, but she was worried that they hadn't given the ratwoman enough time to do her part. They had to take their leave though or risk endangering themselves. She trailed behind, Ceylan following him to the alleyway and marveling at Hildegard's bravery and courage in the process. She ducked down into cover, doing her best to hide, but also trying to keep an eye on everyone else. There wasn't anything that she could do to fight or even support the others, but she wanted to be aware of what was going on.

Ceylan had a distraction however. and one that was very effective in drawing her attention to him. Her sister. The woman's face flashed in her mind and she gave a swift nod of her head. "We have a few similarities, but we do not really look alike." Mira confessed. "But I do not think that she would have gone as far as to...become an Elder for the church. I have thought that perhaps she is a prisoner now...maybe....something worse." Mira's gaze fell downward as she thought that her sister may be a victim of the church. It was not what she wanted, but it would be better than her sister having become a criminal like the rest of them. "If she has betrayed our original goals then...I don't know what I will do."

The crowd watching Hildegard's display had slowly started to become less and less impressed by her and more annoyed by her. While most people in the city disliked the church, they still loved their faith and the story of their god. "Boo!" One person cried out before a piece of food flew through the air and hit Hildegard in her neck, splattering across her armor and her face. "We don't need you here!" A second voice declared as another piece of trash was hurled at the righteous warrior. "Yeah! Get out of our city!"

The two church guards smirked, smiling at the reaction of the crowd and how they seemed to turn against the outsiders. "You should return to wherever your absent god lives and hope he shields you from our wrath." Said the man who was held at arrow point by Cayde. He looked at the crowd who seemed to only get angrier and angrier. The city's soldiers even possessed a look of disdain for Hildegard and her friends, but as they were special guests of the city they didn't take action against them. They wouldn't make a move to help them either though.

They would however take action when they saw a window burst on the second floor and fire erupt from the room. "Everyone get back!" The first soldier instructed as he and his companion rushed from the angry mob. At the same time, the inhabitants rushed from the church, fleeing with a cloud of smoke hot on their tails. "Is their anyone left inside?" The church guards asked of their fellow faithful. "The Elder is still in there!"

The Church guards looked up as the office burned and the fires spread throughout the building. "Don't go in there, it is too late for him!" The soldiers demanded. Soon the angry mob had returned to being a spectator crowd as they watched the church begin to crackle and collapse while the flames consumed it from the inside out.

Mira stepped back to look up at the destruction, it was the perfect distraction for the whole group to make their escape as well as draw the attention of the cultist. Mira saw Kesh fleeing the scene with what looked like sack of stolen good, but she hoped it would be the Elder. "This way!" She called out to the rat woman.

They needed to wait for Hildegard and Cayde to escape the scene as well before they could move forward with their plans. "Now we just need to get to the roots and then he can lead us to my sister and any other prisoners that the church may have." She turned to look at Ceylan and then at Kesh as the rat approach. "Well done, both of you. This plan would not have worked without either of you."

Elvario Skyhunter The Last Curse Dante Verren

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Mira LadyOfStars | Kesh Skyhunter

Truth be told, Ceylan was a bit concerned by how much Hildegard kept aggravating the guards. Even from a distance, he could hear her taunts and started to wonder if this would end up way more bloody than needed. Luckily enough, a crowd seemed to start booing her out instead, after which a fire distracted them all. Did that mean that Kesh succeeded? Ceylan surely hoped so.

He wasn't sure how to reply to Mira, other than one regular statement. “It's good to hope for the best, yet to be prepared for the worst.” He didn't think people were brainwashed into the level of Elder either, but there were plenty of other bad situations in which they could encounter Mira's sister. He didn't wish to confront her any further about it, but at the very least she would hopefully be a bit prepared for what they might encounter.

He couldn't stop his tail from wagging when he noticed Kesh escape with a neatly wrapped Elder. So far, everything was going according to plan. “Well done.” He said, after quickly checking that the Elder was still alive. They probably needed him alive, after all. He also quickly confirmed that the rat hadn't sustained any injuries, glad to see she didn't look the slightest bit hurt. Thus far, their plan had gone by flawlessly. He wondered if that luck would hold, as he looked at the crowd that Hildegrad and Cayde would have to escape from.

“It's a bit too soon to celebrate, but I'm glad things went well thus far.” He replied to Mira. In his mind, he was wondering if he could do anything that'd help the other two join up with them without too much of a fuss, but he couldn't come up with anything. With some luck, they'd act like they were scurrying off to avoid further shame by the crowds and be left alone as a result. That'd probably make for the easiest meet-up. He hoped Hildegrad wasn't too prideful to do such a thing.

In either case, it was probably good to be prepared. “Is the Elder light enough to run whilst carrying him? We might need to make haste once other others get here. If need-be we can carry him between the two of us or take turns carrying him with Mira.” He knew he wasn't strong, but half the weight of an Elder should be doable enough. The blanket made for a nicely wrapped up person to hold as well, which hopefully would be to their advantage.

C Grade Cooldown (3/3)

• Preach – Religion C, Connected C [Syncretist Church] – Character holds a long theological speech about faith. Not very entertaining, but theologically sound. - Grade C - 3 Post Cooldown.

D Grade Cooldown (2/2)

• Preach – Religion D, Connected D [Syncretist Church] – Character holds a long theological speech about faith. Not very entertaining, but theologically sound. - Grade D - 2 Post Cooldown.

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh took to the alleyways while holding the Elder, she was somewhat struggling to hold up the man in the rolled-up blanket, the Ratkin turned her head to see both Mira and Ceylan, she looked relieved and happy. " Hello, it's good to see you guys again. " Kesh had a large smile on her face, she then saw Ceylan's tail wagging and pointed, " The doggo is happy! This is a good day. " Kesh then pulled the rod from her belt and presented it to Ceylan, " Here, a stolen- uh, a gift to you! That I stole from the Elder... " Kesh whispered the last part, still smiling. " Oh, I'm fine, just that my side hurts from hitting the desk. I think the Elder-Senior is okay, I may have slammed him around a bit, and he may have gotten burned a little, but he should be fine. " Kesh admitted. Hearing Ceylan's request of wanting to help, Kesh smiled and patted Ceylan's shoulder, " Don't you worry your pretty little head about helping with the Elder-Senior, you just continue to preach that good word and enjoy that staff. " Kesh kinda struggled to hold the Elder and even moved into the wall with him. " Religious Burrito. " Kesh cursed as she straightened up.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Dante Verren LadyOfStars ​

A lot had happened in the past few minutes. A fight hadn't broken out, much to Cayde's relief, but instead, the whole church went up in flames. He felt his stomach twist as guards ran in and church members ran out, "Lord almighty..." He mumbled, backing away from the fire. Cayde realized this was the signal to move, though he hadn't expected it to be so violent. Frankly, watching the flames roar made him feel ashamed. He shouldn't feel guilty, he thought; after all, the church deserved whatever came to them, but watching people run from the destruction that he had a hand in, made him feel like the villain.

However, there'd be no time to wallow in regret. This fire was Hildegard's and Cayde's best bet to escape, so they needed to move now. Returning his crossbow to the side of his pack, Cayde ran over to Hildegard's side, wining at the food covering her armor. While he had only gotten a few verbal warnings, she'd had taken the brunt of both the church and the crowd. Cayde couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about that, too. "Look, they'll be thanking us when this is all over," He murmured, wiping a chunk of food off her gauntlets, "But we've gotta move. The others can't be that far." Cayde looked behind him, spotting the crowd reform into another wall of bystanders. "You did great, Hildegard, but it looks like we're gonna need to push through..."

Finally, he turned around and walked over to the front gate, the horde of civilians the only obstacle between him and the rest of the crew. Cayde assumed an emphatic tone in his voice, "Fine! Stop your heckling. We'll leave! But know this," He pointed to the blazing church, "Your own are burning in that building, yet you stand around and jeer at outsiders? This is your city. Take action! Help your guards, anything!" Without even awaiting a reply, Cayde moved forward, pushing past the crowd to the much more open street, hopefully with Hildegard in tow.

 

[Dante Verren]

Hildegard Karling
Interactions: The Last Curse LadyOfStars


Hildegard's smile disappeared as the crowd turned against her. Her annoyance of everything was growing just as much as the crowd's annoyance of her. Still she kept her blade raised and did the smart thing, holding her tongue knowing that if anymore words were said from her that blood would be spilled. As much as she wanted to wipe off the pathetic smiles of the worthless guards in front of her who thought they won she knew that if she did then she would only be stooping to their level. Even so she felt her hand flex and all of her muscles scream to start swinging her blade the moment she felt the disgusting trash bounce off her neck. Someone was going to die.

She began to turn her eyes filled with hatred in an attempt to find the one who threw the trash at her, but stopped. More accurately she was saved from making a horrible mistake. Fire, it was fire. The lord's infinite wisdom brought the flames of realization to her clouded mind. It burned away her hatred and instead filled her with satisfaction. Her job was done. She had kept the crowds attention for as long as she needed to, and thanks to the lord's guidance Kesh lit the fire at the right time.

She watched the flames for a moment, transfixed on the orange fury that spilled out of windows and devoured everything that wasn't stone. She would have forgotten to move if it wasn't for Cayde showing up to stir her from her trance. It was the movement of brushing some of the food off her gauntlets that snapped her back to reality. She glared at him first, but that glare softened into a nod and even a warm smile of thanks. "You are right." She said. "We most not waste this god given moment." then she followed him.

If she was leading then she wouldn't have even spoken any words to the crowd, just pushed through them. However, she wouldn't dare step on Cayde's toes and interrupt his attempt to rally them to help put out the fire. Instead she sheathed her blade and waited patiently for her companion to move. Once he started pushing forwards she followed. Instead of just shoving her way through and pushing people aside, she tried to redirect people. Not shoving them aside but pushing past them and moving them in the direction towards the fire to get them moving.

 

[LadyOfStars]

The team was finally reunited, everyone back together and safely away from the inferno that now raged. As Hildegard and Cayde raced to rejoin the group, soldiers and church guards seemed to come running to help with the blaze. The crowd finally seemed to scatter as the smoke polluted the air and made it difficult to be near the church as breathing became a chore. The moon's light was obscured by the destruction of the church and Mira felt this was the perfect time to make their move. "Let' hurry to the roots before our leverage wakes up." She spared a brief glance at the unconscious Elder and then gestured for the group to follow her.

The city would be in an uproar and as they traveled through the alleyways, it was clear that some sort of fighting had begun between the church and the state. The church fire didn't seem any smaller and in fact it started to illuminate the dark alley paths that the group traveled on. The cloud of smoke stretched across the city sky, giving scent to the growing frustration and desperation in the city. When one of their alleyways came to an end, Mira stopped the group as she tried to discern their way forward.

While they were paused the group would see city soldiers marching in formation and citizens running in the opposite direction. "The military is here to oppress us! They've killed our Elder!" Could be faintly heard as young members of the faith attempted to slow the march of the soldiers who had begun arresting the more hostile church members. "They're trying to sacrifice us!" Counter cries from the citizenry rejecting the church as fear warped their minds and forced them to blame those they could not trust.

Everyone knew that the tension between the state and church was high, but Mira who was actively working against the church from within, hadn't anticipated this sort of fallout. The two factions seemed to have declared war on one another in an instant. "We should keep moving." She whispered before rushing across the street to the next alley.

With all the commotion it would take a considerable amount of time for them to arrive to their destination, but Mira had managed to get them there without incident. The trunk of the tree was at least a mile away still and yet, the roots were right before them. Mighty and dense, the roots were massive, comparable only to the buildings back in the city.

"I suppose now we should awaken the Elder? We might need his knowledge going forward." Mira turned and looked to the group, then her eyes went to the religious burrito.

Skyhunter Elvario The Last Curse Dante Verren

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Mira LadyOfStars | Kesh Skyhunter | Cayde The Last Curse | Hildegrad Dante Verren

Ceylan was pretty confused and conflicted upon Kesh' reaction. He didn't quite like his tail being pointed out, as the blasted thing made it pretty difficult to play poker look as calm and reserved as he sometimes wished to be seen as. On the other hand, he did quite like her genuine enthusiasm. That, in turn, was a lot more complicated when she handed him a stolen staff. It made him sigh. “In most cases, stealing would be a bad thing... Then again, these Elders aren't exactly the best people, which makes stealing from them less of an issue. Even so, I'd rather not accept stolen gifts, so as grateful as I am that you're willing to gift it, I'd rather not accept it. I'm sorry, but thank you for offering it.” He hoped the rat would be capable of comprehending him at least a little bit.

That said, considering they'd be moving around soon and as a sign of good fate, he offered a quick prayer to Aceso, his personally favoured deity of healing, as he used a quick [Healing Prayer F] to ensure he'd rid Kesh of all her scrapes and bruises. “There you go. I'd rather have you be in top condition for what we're about to get ourselves into.”

He then noticed that the Elder had been rough-handled a fair bit, although mostly by the rat simply clumsying around with him. Although she denied his offer to help her, she did look like she needed help, which made him wonder if he should just do so... Luckily, that's when Cayde and Hildegard arrived. The latter would probably be a lot better at transporting the Elder. “Welcome back and well done.” He said, as his tail yet again revealed he was glad to see them return in good health. He nodded at Mira, following along with her.

His heart ached at seeing the chaos that was enfolding and knowing that his own actions had contributed to it. This was definitely not bringing good into the world, but he knew that the end result, that of stopping the cult, would balance this out. He just wished there was a better, less violent and aggravating way. At times, he had to really hold back on trying to talk sense and peace into the groups that were about to break out in a fight. He knew that he'd only waste time and energy and that getting to deal with the roots was their primary objective. The sooner that was done, the sooner peace might come again to the city. Even so, his tail had stopped moving and his ears had drooped even more down than they how they usually stood.

When Mira turned to ask about the Elder, he was breathing heavy. Both from running around and from the mental exhaustion of feeling like he should do more to help the people they encountered whilst knowing he was already doing what was expected of him. Her suggestion to wake up the Elder was a fair one, but first he looked at Hildegard, Cayde and Kesh. “I'm pretty sure he'll come too if I heal him to restore his senses. However, perhaps we should be ready to threaten him not to start screaming or try something the moment he comes too. We might even considering tying his arms or gagging him to make sure he knows what positions he's in. It might be good to search him first as well, to make sure he hasn't got anything on him that he can use against us.” He then looked at Kesh questioningly. “Unless Kesh already took anything of worth from his person.”

Although he made the suggestion, he'd leave it for the others to execute them. Once they were done (or refused), he would do his part. Restoring senses was a bit more difficult, but it was still well within his means of healing. He figured using [Healing Prayer D] would be sufficient as he called upon Aceso once more.

D Grade Cooldowns: (0/2)

• Healing Prayer – Healing D, Religion D – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

F Grade Cooldowns: (0/0)

• Healing Prayer – Healing F, Religion F – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade F – 1 Post Cooldown.

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh stared at Ceylan with a look of calmness, " So... Do you want me to throw-toss it so you can fetch it then you can keep it? " She offhandedly joked with a smile. " I'm only joking-kidding, doggo. " Kesh patted his head with her friendly smile, " I can sell it for that sweet sweet gold-money. " Afterwards she followed after Mira, struggling to hold the Elder along the way, " What did this big dummy-idiot eat? " She complained following after the group. " Whatever you guys did kept them off my butt-ass, so thank you. "

As soon as they reached their safe area, Kesh released the Elder as she tossed them onto the ground, she then stretched her entire body out as she fell onto the ground. " Ugh... That was a workout... " Kesh quickly got back to her feet, " Don't mind the bruises and burns on him, he should be okay. Or choke marks. " Kesh commented as she then moved over to him and hunched over the rolled up Elder smiling. " Yes... Yes... Ratnap complete. " She held the Elder's catalyst in her hand and even held it up like a beacon as she stood on him. Realizing what she was doing she got off him and undid the blanket, shoving him out of the blanket in front of the group taking the blanket and throwing it over herself like before. " Sweet... " She whispered holding the staff.

 

[Dante Verren]

Hildegard Karling
Interaction: LadyOfStars Skyhunter The Last Curse


When Ceylan welcomed them back with kind words and a swishing tail Hildegard nodded and gave her own smile. "Thank you. It looks like everyone succeeded.". That should make the next stage easier. Seeing that they had a moment before they set out, she took the opportunity to wipe away a bit of the trash that had splattered on her neck and upper armor. It wouldn't come entirely off until she could get a good washing, but at least the worst parts of it were easy enough to brush off with her hands. When Kesh thanked them in her very Kesh way of speech the warrior chuckled. "You have the lord's blessing when it comes to timing, Very well done Kesh."

The trek through the town was rather interesting. It was like they had started a civil war. No real violence as of yet, but a storm of fire and blood was just over the horizon. They would need to work fast before the city broke out into a bloody skirmish in the streets. She noticed Ceylan seemed in particular troubled by the state of the town. His expression and the way his tail/ears drooped reminded her of a stray dog during the middle of a riot. A creature frustrated at it's inability to stop the chaos brewing.

Once they arrived she watched Kesh throw down the elder and retrieve her blanket while Ceylan debated what they should do. Hildegard stepped forward and with her clean gauntlet patted Ceylan on the shoulder. "What ever we do we should make it fast, for the town." She said before moving to stand next to the unconscious elder. "I don't care how but wake him up. With the lord's guidance I will make sure he knows exactly what his position is." she said as she crouched down on the right side of the elder. She flexed her right fist getting it ready to strike down on the elder if needed.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: LadyOfStars Elvario Skyhunter Dante Verren ​

After the rendezvous with the rest of the team, it was finally time to transport the elder to the roots. The trip there was troubling, it seemed as if the climax was already around the horizon, and just one more event would set the entire city into mayhem. It troubled Cayde, but, to his surprise, it also seemed to get Ceylan. That concerned him; for every adventure the two went on, Ceylan was always the one who kept both himself and others composed. If it wasn't for him, Cayde wasn't sure if he'd even be an adventurer right now. So, seeing Ceylan look so defeated left him genuinely heartbroken - it didn't boost his morale either. Cayde took a deep breath, "We'll push through this," He thought, smothering the seeds of doubt before they could take root, "We always do." Whether that was wishful thinking or plain hubris, Cayde didn't know.

As soon as they reached their destination, Cayde immediately noticed the giant roots before him. He knew the Aegorizea was enormous; that was obvious, but seeing its roots up close stoked a sense of foreboding. His allies had already started preparing to move: Ceylan waking the elder, Hildegard about to threaten them, and Kesh, being Kesh, running his pockets, snatching his catalyst. Cayde stood there, still transfixed by the roots, but as soon as Ceylan mentioned tying and gagging the elder, he snapped back to reality. "Can't say I've got either of those on me, but maybe I could improvise a little." He said, setting down his pack and rummaging through it, pulling out a large spool of twine and a long piece of cloth. He knelt to the elder and went to work, tying the cloth into a makeshift gag over their mouth and binding their hands together with a generous amount of twine. "It's not rope, so if he tries really hard, he might break out." Cayde warned, "But, I'm sure Hildegard here can give him a few good reasons not to."

Cayde set the twine back in his pack and pulled out his ingredients pouch and the same bottles as before. "I'll make another potion just in case he gets a bit too fidgety," He nodded to Kesh, "I'll give you the honors, Kesh. Just try not to give him the whole thing this time, yeah?" With that said, Cayde crafted another bottle of his [Bewildering Brew]. He added a pinch of powdered fireweed, causing the solution to churn. Other than aesthetics, it was no different from the previous poison, but Cayde figured why not make it a little more fascinating for Kesh?

Spoiler: Abilities Used

• Bewildering Brew - Alchemy E, Medicine D, Nature E -By combing hallucinogenic herbs and mushrooms, Cayde can create a slow-acting poison that causes dizziness, nausea, hallucinations, and confusion. Larger targets require more poison to take effect while smaller targets require less. - Grade E - 2 Post Cooldown

 

[LadyOfStars]

Looking up at the roots, Mira thought that she saw something move, a shadow or a person, but as she continued to look, she didn't see anything. Her eyes darted around briefly, looking at more of the gigantic roots, but again seeing nothing. Her eyes slowly trailed down to see that Kesh had thrown the old man down on the floor and she winced, feeling his pain. The group seemed to agree that fear tactics or more potions would be how they kept the elder in line, but as Cayde worked to secure the man, the Elder started to wake from his unconscious state.

"He's waking up." Mira quickly announced as the man started to kick and stretch. His eyes opened, vision blurred and eyes slowly taking in his surroundings. "Mmrph!!" He grunted. The sight of the rat woman who had attacked him startled the man and his panic seemed to worsen when he realized he was gagged and that a plague doctor was tying him up. What were these depraved heretics planning to do with him. "Mmhpf!!" He cried out once more as he started to kick and squirm. Without his catalyst, which Kesh now possessed, he was defenseless. But after a few second of hysterics, he spotted Mira and seemed to calm down immediately. He quickly raised his hands to the woman, pleading to be freed and it was then that he saw the giant roots which surrounded them.

Right away he seemed to relax and slowly started to smirk and chuckle through his gag. Mira felt her heart rate slow as fear started to sink in. Despite his current predicament, the old man didn't seem worried anymore. He in fact seemed very pleased with himself. Mira looked to Ceylan and then to the others, then her gaze went upward once more and she saw what she thought she had seen before. Figures stood atop the roots of the tree, armed with weapons it seemed. "Uh...guys..." The young woman pointed to the roots with a shaky hand.

The elder struggle to direct his attention to where Mira had pointed, but managed to catch a glimpse of what she saw. "Mgggrh!!" He screamed now before he squirmed and kicked some more. Mira slowly moved back a step and as she did, the figures atop the roots moved as well, their heads shifting to look directly at her. She froze like a statue, too afraid to do anything else. There were at least 20 silhouettes perched upon the roots, leaving the group grossly outnumbered. "Thee...senthnithals!!" The Elder mumbled through his gag. "Kith...uth...ahl!!" As he spoke, on of the figures dropped down from its perch, landing with a loud thud and standing in the group path. Even standing over 20ft away, it was clear that the enemy was made of wood, armed with wooden weapons, and as tall as the average male human. Without warning, the sentinel threw its spear like a javelin, hurling it directly at Hildegard.


Elvario Skyhunter The Last Curse Dante Verren

 

[Dante Verren]

Hildegard Karling
Interaction: LadyOfStars Skyhunter The Last Curse Elvario


The moment the creature's appeared Hildegard's eyes were locked on them. They had come looking for a fight, and now they were going to get it. As the spear was leaving the sentinels hand Hildegard was already on the move. She rolled throwing herself to the side away from the elder. there was no grace in it, just the force and will to not get impaled. Shen then pushed herself up as fast as she could and charged forwards. "Fill me with your fury oh mighty lord. Grant me the power to strike down these creatures that stand in the way of your will." She prayed to herself as she drew her blade in he right hand.

The sentinel was only 20 feet away, she should have enough time to reach her enemy before the others joined in. Rushing forwards she snarled at the sentinel as sparks of lightning started to build around her hands and feet. Once she hit the 10 feet mark she let her magic charging forwards in a burst of lightning electricity as she brought down her blade on the sentinel. The bolts of electricity coursed form around her body and spun down the length of the blade striking out like snakes trying to burn through the wood like a bolt of lighting striking a lone tree.

Ability Used:

• Ability: Lightning Rush: Magic Affinity E, Elemental Affinity (Lightning E), Componetless Magic F, Fast F- The user channels their magic power and combines it with there natural speed. Using the combination of physical and magical strength the user rushes and strikes out at the intended target. -Grade F- 0 Post Cool down

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan ​

Mentions: Mira LadyOfStars | Kesh Skyhunter | Cayde The Last Curse | Hildegrad Dante Verren

Ceylan raised an eyebrow at Kesh. “What is a doggo?” The term sounded a bit like an insult, but she did seem to say it as a mere jest. The same was clear from her speciecist remark about having him fetch the staff. As if he'd ever want to play fetch. Hmph. With some help from the others, they quickly had the Elder under control. However, that didn't prove to be enough, as some unexpected foes appeared.

Knowing he was absolutely useless in a fight and could only help with the aftermath of one, Ceylan backed up. He wasn't too proud to hide behind allies. However, he felt like there was something off with these tree creatures. Were these corrupted sentinels, were they following some general protocol, or were these simply confused? He decided to use his [Divine Senses] to see what he could learn from these tree sentinels and threw in an Appraisal [E] just to be safe. Perhaps there would be a way to pacify them or negotiate them, or maybe it was even possible to deactivate them altogether.

However, it wasn't enough. Whilst Hildegard was already charging at them valiant, Ceylan turned to the Elder. Gagging him wasn't useful if they were already under attack, so he un-gagged the man. He wasn't the greatest at threatening someone, but he knew how scary Cayde could be to witness, so he figured he'd use that. “You'd better tell us how to pacify these tree sentinels, or I'll have Kesh force-feed you my companion's brews. I can't guarantee you'll stay sane from consuming those, so I highly suggest you cooperate instead.” He technically wasn't lying, as he still recalled feeling drugged out of his mind from all the Blue Dream spores and could only imagine the amplified effect of an action potion of them.

He was also a bit disappointed by Kesh, as she hadn't nearly gone through the man's pockets as thorough as he expected her to do. He figured he'd have to do so himself. This elder was clearly confident that the tree creatures wouldn't hurt him. Ceylan suspected the latter might be due to him having some some sort of identifying item or mark, or anything of the kind, which would allow him to go unhindered by these creatures. The latter was what Ceylan was looking for. Amulets normally did the trick, sometimes rings. Getting the man to answer would be easiest, of course, but Ceylan didn't want to waste time on hoping he'd be giving them a clear, direct and honest answer, so he might as well search him whilst awaiting his reaction the the earlier question.

C Grade Cooldowns: (0/3)

• Divine Senses – Magic Affinity C, Magic Range D, Religion C, Sixth Sense D – Characters connection to the gods allows them to sense dangerous/evil magic and curses that might go unnoticed by others. - Grade C – 3 Post Cooldown.

D Grade Cooldowns: (1/2)

• Healing Prayer – Healing D, Religion D – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

F Grade Cooldowns: (0/0)

• Healing Prayer – Healing F, Religion F – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade F – 1 Post Cooldown.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: LadyOfStars Elvario Skyhunter Dante Verren ​

Yet again, another fight stirred, but this time it was with some humanoid tree-like creatures. At first glance, Cayde couldn't recall what they were, but as one threw a spear at Hildegard, it was clear they were hostile. The latter had already lept into battle, Cayde watching as she struck one with her lightning magic. After the previous situation, he figured Hildegard would be the first into the fray, and thankfully so, her initiative would give him enough time to plan his next move. Running headfirst wouldn't be the greatest idea, especially with his current gear, but he couldn't stay too close to Ceylan, lest he put him in more danger. Although the thought of a spear running him through was nothing but terrifying, Cayde would have to move forward.

Before he did so, Cayde turned to inspect Kesh. From what he could see, she didn't have any weapons, apart from some claws he hadn't noticed before. "Kesh, do you have anything to defend yourself with?" He reached over to his hip and unsheathed his hunting knife, handing it to her, "Here, you can borrow my knife." He said, emphasizing the word borrow. Of course, this was still Kesh. If he hadn't made that clear, Cayde was sure she'd pocket it later. "I'm gonna move up a little bit, see if I can give Hildegard some backup." He nodded, "Whatever you do, please be careful, Kesh. We're so close to ending all this."

As he said, Cayde pushed forward, bringing his crossbow back into his hands. He stopped some distance away from Hildegard, close enough to assist her yet far enough to stay out of spearing range. He brought the sights of his crossbow up and prepared to shoot, but then it hit him: where was he going to aim? Typically, animals and monsters alike had similar weak points, yet the sentinels before him weren't so easy to read. Granted, a shower of bolts could do the trick, but with the sheer number of them, there'd be no chance he'd get them all.

So, instead, Cayde studied them, using [Bestiary Bookworm] to glance all over their body for some weakness or at least a defining feature to identify what creature they were. Then, he could share an exploit with his allies, hopefully giving them the edge.

Spoiler: Abilities Used

• Bestiary Bookworm - Medicine D, Perception E, Nature E, Survival E, - After spotting a creature, Cayde can recall useful on its strengths, weakness, and typical behavior. Currently works on creatures of D-grade and lower - Grade D - 2 post cooldown

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh was smiling as the Elder began to wake up, she still held his rod, his catalyst that she was holding over her head like she was going to hit him, " Hello there! You have quite the rod-staff here. " Kesh wielded it like a sword, even jumping around and slashing the air. " Whacha! " She yelled out, attempting a backflip but only to fall onto her back. Kesh hissed in pain and rolled over on her stomach and stood up, " Owwwwgha... " She mumbled in a deep voice holding her back as she slowly got up on her feet. " Okay... Don't attempt-do that again. " The Ratkin told herself while she looked down at the Elder, hearing Ceylan threaten to have her feed the Elder Cayde's concoctions and such, she smiled. " I'll do it too. " She laughed before groaning in pain from falling on her back.

But Mira's voice came up and Kesh turned around to see what she saying, " Uh oh. " She saw the tree sentinels coming down for them. She turned her head hearing the Elder's muffled words. " Quiet you religious burrito. " Kesh swung the rod and hit the Elder across his face like she was playing golf. Kesh then took the rod and placed it on her belt on the back. Turning to face the elementals, Cayde moved pass her handing the Ratkin his knife, she stared at it with a excited smile and wide eyes. She held it up like a child, " It's so cute... " But then she heard him mention that he would want it back, Kesh sighed deeply, " Damn it... I mean, of course. " Kesh held the knife looking at the incoming and attacking sentinels. Kesh knew she would have to use the knife to survive this attack. Seeing there was so many, Kesh decided to use her powers, her ring glowed as she spoke, " I need to Conceal-Hide Away! " Her words echoed as she would disappear from sight.

Conceal-Hide Away! - E - Magic Affinity E, Undetected F, Magic Duration F: Kesh uses her abilities to hide away from both people's sight and having the ability to suppress her sound as well. This effect lasts for 1 minute. (1 Post Cooldown)

As Kesh disappeared, she would then use this opportunity to get around some of the approaching elementals, she moved quickly as she flanked one that was coming for the group, she quickly jumped up onto the elemental's back, wrapping her legs and tail around it's torso. " It's Keshin Time! " she then used Cayde's knife to quickly stab it in it's head and neck, " Come on die you shrubby thing-thing! " Kesh quickly continued her assault.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Hildegard's swift thinking allowed her to dodge the spear and then close the gap between the sentinel and herself, launching a very deadly attack against the entity that sparked with lightning. Without a shield the sentinel was forced to raise its arms in defense, and that proved to be enough to protect it against Hildegard's assault. Its wooden arms creaked and even cracked under the pressure of her strike, but the creature fought back and pushed the holy warrior away. Although it repelled her attack, the sentinel's arm smolder from the strike with little embers floating off of it. Another Spear was then hurled at her from atop the roots, ripping through the air towards Hildegard. It would narrowly miss her, scrapped against her armor and knocking her to the ground. That was when a second Sentinel dropped to the floor.

Ceylan's removal of the gag would free the elder to scream at the top of his lungs. "They're going to kill us all!" He repeated. watching the scene that was unfolding not too far from the group. "I...I've never seen them active before! They were just...a safety precaution to step the government if they chose to march on the tree." The elder struggled to his feet, rolling over on his stomach and then pushing upward onto his knees. He didn't even protest, Ceylan rummaging through his pockets because he knew there was nothing that he could take from the man. "If there is a way to halt these things, I certainly do not know it." The fear in the man's voice was clear and it showed in his panicked expression. Although he should have been more fearful of Kesh who chose to assault him with his own cane.

Cayde's movements would not go unnoticed by the sentinels who would respond in kind. Several of them raised their spears and took aim at the rest of the group. One spear was launched at Cayde, aimed at the alchemist's legs. Mira Would tackle Ceylan, throwing the dog and herslef out of the way of an incoming projectile. That same spear would run through the Elder, who was unable to evade as well as the younger people. The weapon crashed into the ground after it ripped through the man and left him hanging. A few light gasps were all that would escape him before the light left his eyes. "Cayde! Be careful! Mira would warn in desperation.

Kesh's advance would go uninterrupted and she would reach her target without harm, but the attack would do little for to the sentinel. She would manage to deal a great amaount of damage to its head before the sentinel's fist locked around her tail and gave a mighty tug. In one smooth motion it would dethrone the rat woman and throw her back towards Hildegard.

"Thine trespasses shalt not be forgiven, mortals." Spoke a powerful voice that seemed to emanate from the sentinels, causing the voice to echo as its words left the 20 figures at the same time. "Return to thine city and await thee. For I shall bring oblivion to all."

Spoiler: For Ceylan

Divine Sense - Reveals a mixture of dark energy and divine energy.
Appraisal - Reveals Titles [Minions] [Guardian of Aegrizora]

Spoiler: For Cayde

Bestiary Bookworm - Reveals the creatures to be [Guardians of Aegrizora] with a weakness to Fire and Ice. They are strong against Water and Wind elements. As well as a resistance to Slash Damage. Most importantly, Cayde learns that the sentinels are often controlled by another figure, somewhat like puppets.

Dante Verren The Last Curse Skyhunter Elvario

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Mira LadyOfStars | Kesh Skyhunter | Cayde The Last Curse | Hildegrad Dante Verren

Ceylan was rather perplexed when he heard the Elder's concern. For a moment, he thought the guy was bluffing, but perhaps he was wrong. After all, the Elder's panic seemed genuine. Ceylan wasn't quite sure why Kesh was whacking the guy with his own staff whilst he was going through the guy's pockets, but there was little time to wonder about it. He had to figure out how to deal with these tree things. He wanted to continue questioning the Elder, but he could suddenly feel someone throw herself into him and knock him over. Was he such a good boy that the ladies were already throwing themselves at him? Before he could good and well know what was going on, he saw and felt blood splatter from just besides him. He only had to look up to see the Elder had been pierced straight through the chest.

More than a bit shocked, he stammered a reply. “Th..thanks.” This was a lot more bloody and intense than he was used too. His heart was skipping enough beats to make him worry it'd give out on him altogether. Despite his fear, however, he picked up on something. These tree things were sentient, as they told them to return. However, there was something more odd, he could feel a mixture of dark energy and divine energy. They were minions, guardians of Aegrizora... Were they corrupted along with the tree?

However, there was some divine left in them. Surely there had to be something he could do with that. He also noticed that the sentinels spoke as if they were one. Was this the tree itself speaking through them? If that was the case... “I don't know what happened to you, but I don't believe this is the path you're meant to follow. Don't you recall the days when fae and mortals alike nurtured and water you into the mighty Sun Tree you are now? I don't know what misdeeds made you desire to bring about oblivion, but I promise I'll do whatever is in my power to correct any wrongdoings. It's not too late to return to the times of mutual care and protection. These cults and governments, only looking to expand their own power and influence, aren't all there is. There are still many good people out there, wishing to live under your mighty branches and who respect and care for you.”

He wasn't sure if his words would reach the tree deity, but it was certainly worth a shot. However, he made sure to back his words up with what little theology he'd learned (preach F) and hoped his luck (using Lucky skill) would hold out well enough to make some sort of impact. Whether it'd be convincing them, pacifying them momentarily or simply distracting them. He was worthless as a fighter, so words were all he could offer right now.

C Grade Cooldowns: (1/3)

• Divine Senses – Magic Affinity C, Magic Range D, Religion C, Sixth Sense D – Characters connection to the gods allows them to sense dangerous/evil magic and curses that might go unnoticed by others. - Grade C – 3 Post Cooldown.

D Grade Cooldowns: (2/2)

• Healing Prayer – Healing D, Religion D – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade D – 2 Post Cooldown.

F Grade Cooldowns: (0/0)

• Preach – Religion F, Connected F [Syncretist Church] – Character holds a long theological speech about faith. Not very entertaining, but theologically sound. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown.
• Healing Prayer – Healing F, Religion F – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.

 

[Dante Verren]

Hildegard Karling
Interaction: LadyOfStars The Last Curse Elvario Skyhunter


The zealous warrior scoffed as her blade was stopped and she was forced to take a step back. This sentinel hadn't gone down as easily as she wanted. Normally taking out an enemy in a single strike would have made it to easy, but considering that there were 20 of these foes, and only four of her allies in total.... one-shoting this foe wouldn't have felt so bad. Still she could tell she did some decent damage. The creature's arm was soldering smoking with embers. If it could burn, it could be killed. As she readied herself for her next attack she became aware of her allies actions. Kesh charging forward, Cayde stepping up, and the elder being ungagged by Ceylan.

It was this lack of focus that caused her to take a hit. She saw the javelin coming for her slightly too late and moved to side step it. The weapon scrapped across her armor and the force threw her sideways onto the ground. As she picked herself up she saw the elder get skewered, Kesh get thrown like the rat she was, and more of those dammed javelins get hurtled at Cayde. A fury filled her at the sight of it all. One that grew when the almost robotic voices spoke to them, warning them of the impending doom. This gnarled root that the foolish town called a church at just threatened to kill everyone, even it's own followers. Even though she didn't have even a single ounce of care for the brainwashed worshippers of this tree, the fact that it would so casually wipe them out pissed her off.

"You speak with not the voice of a god, but of a demon." She snarled at the sentinel before her. "Burn in the lightning bestowed by a true god!" She roared as she resumed her attack. First swinging her sword in a downwards arc aiming straight for the creature's already mangled head with both her hands. Once the blow struck something, she would release the grip on the sword with her left hand and then follow it up with a wild swing of the hand which for the moment of attack shimmered with electricity.

Ability used:
Ability: Lightning Claw: Magic Affinity E, Elemental Affinity (Lightning E, Componentless Magic F- The user strikes at an opponent with their hand lightning forming at the tips of their nails to rake across the enemy. - Grade F- 0 Post Cooldown

 

[Skyhunter]

Kesh

​

Kesh kept on stabbing her dagger into the sentinel's head as her spell failed, revealing herself. " Yeah! Get some! " Kesh yelled as she kept shanking the wood sentinel in its head and neck, trying to take it down, " Oh uh, wise guy, eh? " She taunted throughout her attempted murder. " Think you can take a good shanking and shake it off? " Kesh continued her ranting and raving, she even tried climbing on the body more to get a better angle of striking the head but that would be her downfall, or unravelling. Kesh would feel a hand wrap around her tail in which she squeaked and was quickly alerted by the sudden tug. Oh shit-crap! She would then feel her tail tugged tough which received a strange moan from Kesh with a dark blush on her face, just as she was tossed away back towards the group. Kesh was flung across the room and hit the ground, rolling towards the group. Kesh groaned as she began to stand up.

Upon getting to her knees, she would come face to face to the dead Elder with a spear through him and him dangling off the ground, " Wh-what!? What happened to the religious burrito! " Kesh had a worried look on her face, this wasn't what she wanted to happen, quickly, now on full alert, she backed away and moved to the rest of the group to Mira's side, " What's the plan-idea? " Kesh asked, trying to not show her fear but it seeped through. Kesh still held the knife she had and quickly pocketed it, even in fear, she can't help but steal.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario LadyOfStars Dante Verren Skyhunter ​

Cayde wouldn't have much time to digest this new information, spotting a spear soaring at his legs. That, and Mira's warning, was all he needed to jump out of its path, hopefully unscathed. He did not forget about the other spears hurled toward his allies behind him, but as he turned to see if Ceylan and Mira were struck, the horrible sight of the Elder's speared corpse met him. He shifted his eyes away before he could fully comprehend the scene. "That could've been me..." Cayde muttered, imagining himself in the Elder's unfortunate place, "That spear would've... I could've-" He shook the thought away before completing his sentence. A deep sense of dread developed regardless.

The events up ahead didn't help either. Kesh was tossed away, and much to Cayde's surprise, Hildegard's previous attack didn't obliterate the tree sentinel, instead singeing a part of its body. Cayde took notice of the burn, and an idea started to form in his head. While he couldn't light the sentinels on fire, there could be a way to make them more volatile. If he were to hit a sentinel with something flammable and have Hildegard strike it with her lightning, that could be enough to catch a flame on their wooden body. After that, it'd just be a matter of time before . Of course, it wouldn't kill all twenty, but perhaps it'd provide a well-needed exploit.

Getting the alcohol on the sentinel would be another issue, but fortunately, Kesh had retreated to the group. She would come in handy. Cayde waved her over, taking caution not to peek at the Elder again, "Kesh! Come here," He fumbled through pockets of his pack until he found an empty vial and the bottle of alcohol. "Don't worry about the Elder anymore. I need you to head up there and splash one of those sentinels with this. Tell Hildegard to hit it with lightning afterward. If we're lucky, it just might set one on fire." Cayde filled the vial and pushed it towards Kesh, "If this works, I could use something similar to set the rest ablaze."

While she was here, Cayde figured he should share what he learned, "These sentinels aren't like any creature I've seen. They're made of wood, so fire and ice will help us, but that means slashing at them won't do much." He explained, recalling the sentinel's grave, yet oddly robotic warning, "Something or someone must be controlling them. That voice came out of all of them in the same tone, all at once, simultaneously. No way that could've happened by coincidence." Cayde hoped his observation would help give Kesh a little bit of insight. If one more teammate had knowledge of the sentinels, that would make all the difference.