Breadman
Big loaf supreme
4
-
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Fantasy Terrorchild: Awakening
- Thread starter K0mori
- Start date
hardcore.munchkin
Professional hater
4
joshuadim
the writer
2
bat_hacker
Junior Member
1
turtwigwins
Member
2
Infab
The Demon Fanatic
2
Damian0358
Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere
2
Passively Refuse
New
K0mori
Servant Supreme
Option 1: 1 Vote (13% - Range: 1-13)
Option 2: 4 Votes (50% - Range: 14-64)
Option 3: 1 Vote (13% - Range: 65-77)
Option 4: 2 Votes (25% - Range: 78-100)
Fae Roll: 17
Malawyn stares, blinking in disbelief. "Um, are you sure...?"
Your allies are stunned as well, with Kulka making a particularly indignant sound, but you ignore them to focus on your line of argument. "We're all sisters of Lythrefang, aren't we?" you ask, pointedly, before gesturing at Seith. "...All except for him, our honored guest. If you lot are going to insult us this way, to tell us that we can't be trusted, then I suppose we're not sisters after all."
The apparent groundskeeper shifts uncomfortably at your declaration, checking over her shoulder to see if anyone else is present to help her diffuse this awkward situation. When she speaks again, her tone is far lighter and more nervous, as if to placate you. "Oh, well... I'm certain that sister Callypseae meant no offense..."
"No offense?" Kulka repeats mockingly, having now realized your game. She thrusts the end of her cane almost into the elf's face. "You say 'welcome' and then demand our capitulation - as if I wasn't a member of Callypseae's circle for twenty years! No, if she truly cannot meet me without disarming me first, then perhaps I won't introduce our young phenom, and allow Agranne to introduce herself in the way she's most accustomed to...!"
Now, the elf seems ready to panic. "Nononono! Please, I must've misunderstood my directions. Um, wait here, thank you!" the elf sputters before hurrying back toward the manor.
Kulka looks at you wearily, but then a quiet chuckle escapes her. "...Well, I'm glad you didn't go with the plan B we outlined earlier," she says.
"We'll see," you reply, bleakly. "I don't like that they even tried that."
The pair of Embryx and Stalna step up to meet you, looking absolutely bewildered. "Is everything alright?" Stalna asks, looking toward the manor.
"For now," Kulka answers.
Embryx taps on the shaft of her war scythe. "Want me to stick around?" she offers, uneasily. You take a look at the faces of the others present and judge their level of readiness. Corrinth is currently clutching herself and rocking back and forth, probably unsure of where she is or why you've brought her here. Seith is fully relaxed, still seated on the edge of the wagon with his feet dangling over the edge. Sharyx... Yeah. You'd be surprised if she isn't already imagining herself driving her blade through each and every elf in the palace.
Suddenly, Malawyn reappears, having apparently gotten some reassurance, and greets you all once more. "...You may enter as you are. I apologize for the earlier confusion."
You turn back to Embryx. "...I think we'll be okay."
She promises to return within the hour, and then heads for the gate with Stalna.
You and Kulka lead the others toward the unassuming door at the rear of the building, which is made of heavy wood and plated with iron, like most luxurious buildings of this type, to prevent burglars and other intruders from entering. At the moment, however, it's left slightly ajar, and the groundskeeper has no issue pushing it aside so that you can enter. Kulka leads the way, of course, and you stride in behind her alongside Sharyx, whose gloved hand is wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword, even as it sits in its scabbard. Seith and Corrinth are the last to enter, of course, as the latter takes a significant amount of coaxing to proceed.
No sooner does the door shut behind you before the attack begins.
The room you've entered is clean, minimal, and white, square in shape and with a high ceiling. Two staircases trace the walls at right angles, and artwork is displayed on a number of pedestals as well as the walls. The first indication that something is amiss is the sound of Sharyx' sword cutting the air behind you, and with a turn, you shove her backwards into the wall with telekinesis just in time to prevent her from turning Kulka's head into bonemeal. Corrinth wheels backwards in a panic, shrinking even further into her childhood appearance and crying out eerily like a little girl, and Seith - still smiling, grabs hold of Sharyx' sword arm before teleporting them both to the top of the stairs above you.
"Faaacking hellz!" Kulka hisses, her suppressed accent showing through. She lifts her cane and hobbles forward with it in both hands, spotting one of the enemy witches and blasting her and the entire wall behind her with lightning that burns a deep gash into the plaster. Moments after the woman falls dead, the enchantments of the palace begin to do their work, causing the blackened marks to melt away into the pure white of their surroundings. Kulka turns, unloading several more blasts - each one an order of magnitude more powerful than the single bolt of lightning that nearly killed you when Jannava tried it.
Now, it's your turn to act. You swiftly glide into the room, excited and a little relieved that you no longer have to suppress your power. As a number of magical strikes pound the pedestals and make dust clouds of ceramic artworks, you begin to teleport rapidly, zigzagging your way through the room and up the stairs to the second floor. Your telekinesis catches the fragments of a ceramic vase and carries it along until you spot one of your attackers, who's scrambling away from a style of fae-infused witchcraft that she's never seen before. Ruthlessly, you drive the fragments into her at the same moment the manor's enchantments begin to repair the damage, and watch with a twisted glee as the pieces dig their way through the elf's chest and abdomen on their way toward reforming the vase within her body.
You hear Seith behind you as Sharyx' blade cuts the air again, narrowly missing you for the second time. "No, like this!" he says as Sharyx moves to swing against him with her backhand. Instead, she's teleported across to the opposite landing, where another witch is trading blasts of magic with Kulka down below. As soon as the magical cloud appears, Sharyx emerges and slashes clean through the witch's neck, causing her head to fall backwards over a limp and crushed spinal column in a gusher of blood. You reach out and break the compulsion, freeing Sharyx from her involuntary actions as a halfling witch fires a crossbow bolt into your chest from the opposite end of the hallway.
The force is enough to drop you from your feet, but in an instant, Seith appears, ripping the bolt loose and tossing it into the air. As his healing magic closes the wound, you grip the bolt and return it to its sender, who barely dodges out of the way before the missile strikes one of her sisters. A thin haze of acrid green fizzles in the wound, which causes Seith to laugh as you rise to your feet. "Oh... Poison? That's impolite," he remarks.
Furiously, you reach with your telekinesis and rip the same bolt loose from its second victim, before grabbing the one who originally fired it and dragging both towards you at the same time. The halfling screams, dropping her crossbow and pulling out her wand, but by the time she's prepared to cast, you've already thrust her to the side, crashing her head and torso through the stained glass windows. You grab the bolt out of the air and turn it over, blunt side down, before stabbing it into the halfling's back with all your might, grinning madly as the manor's enchantments reverse the damage to the window. The glass reforms in a single pane directly through the witch's neck, slicing her head off and causing it to plummet down into the yard.
"Agranne!" Kulka calls out, and you turn away from your macabre work as it slides limply down the glass, the blood trail dissolving into nothingness as the glass cleans itself once more. Another pair of teleports and you've arrived back in the art room, finding Kulka positioned at the ground-level door at the opposite side from where you originally entered. "Don't go too far. Stay with me, sister!"
Sharyx hits the ground next to you, her blade and her clothing covered in blood up to the shoulders. In her off hand, three witch's heads dangle from their hair, which she shows you proudly before tossing them aside. "Lead on," she says darkly.
Seith arrives a moment later, appearing from a puff of gray smoke. "Yes, shall we?" he adds with a grin. "...Coming, Corrinth?"
Now appearing no older than ten, Corrinth runs up to Seith on her bare feet, as her shoes no longer fit her. He holds out his wand to her, but she merely stares.
"Wildshape," you demand, and the changeling complies, grabbing onto Seith's wand without taking it and dissolving herself into the form of a crow. She perches herself upon his shoulder for the moment as you turn back to Kulka. "Where do we go from here?" you ask.
She ambles forward, once again using her cane as a walking stick instead of a weapon. "I don't know; this is too organized to have been put together in the hours since we sent our crow. Callypseae might not even be here anymore." As you pass by another open door in which another attacker appears with a short sword, Kulka turns, lifts her cane, and throws out a necromancy spell that creates a construct of the witch's bones. Her body contorts, and a horrified scream is cut short by the slicing of flesh as the skeleton rips itself loose from the flesh and rearranges itself into a spiderlike shape, dragging shreds of skin and sinew along the way. "I don't even think this is her circle. They're probably just young, hungry fools from across the pact."
"Your elf friend probably tipped them off," Sharyx says, "last night, after she fainted."
Your blood begins to boil at the thought, but you temper yourself. Nytha was too comfortable this morning, too casual. She couldn't have plotted this against you - at least not this exact outcome. Perhaps she relayed a message, but it's Callypseae that set this trap, and you won't allow yourself to forget it. "...There's nothing for us here, then," you say. "We should find Embryx and Stalna and leave town as soon as possible."
Seith sighs. "Really now? The fun just started. Besides, we can't leave the way we came; the door is one-way - I checked." He then smiles again. "...On the other hand, if we go wandering the streets, it wouldn't be long until someone else gets in our way," he says as if it's a good thing.
"Let's find an exit, first," you say through clenched teeth, trying not to let yourself be tempted by fae-laced fun. "We'll decide what to do when we get there."
1. Go to Callypseae's Chamber - You ask Kulka to lead you in the direction of Callypseae's private quarters, reasoning that it might provide you a hint as to where she's gone or whom else she's been in contact with. She instructs you to find the grand stairwell near the front of the manor and then climb to the third floor.
Option 2: 4 Votes (50% - Range: 14-64)
Option 3: 1 Vote (13% - Range: 65-77)
Option 4: 2 Votes (25% - Range: 78-100)
Fae Roll: 17
Malawyn stares, blinking in disbelief. "Um, are you sure...?"
Your allies are stunned as well, with Kulka making a particularly indignant sound, but you ignore them to focus on your line of argument. "We're all sisters of Lythrefang, aren't we?" you ask, pointedly, before gesturing at Seith. "...All except for him, our honored guest. If you lot are going to insult us this way, to tell us that we can't be trusted, then I suppose we're not sisters after all."
The apparent groundskeeper shifts uncomfortably at your declaration, checking over her shoulder to see if anyone else is present to help her diffuse this awkward situation. When she speaks again, her tone is far lighter and more nervous, as if to placate you. "Oh, well... I'm certain that sister Callypseae meant no offense..."
"No offense?" Kulka repeats mockingly, having now realized your game. She thrusts the end of her cane almost into the elf's face. "You say 'welcome' and then demand our capitulation - as if I wasn't a member of Callypseae's circle for twenty years! No, if she truly cannot meet me without disarming me first, then perhaps I won't introduce our young phenom, and allow Agranne to introduce herself in the way she's most accustomed to...!"
Now, the elf seems ready to panic. "Nononono! Please, I must've misunderstood my directions. Um, wait here, thank you!" the elf sputters before hurrying back toward the manor.
Kulka looks at you wearily, but then a quiet chuckle escapes her. "...Well, I'm glad you didn't go with the plan B we outlined earlier," she says.
"We'll see," you reply, bleakly. "I don't like that they even tried that."
The pair of Embryx and Stalna step up to meet you, looking absolutely bewildered. "Is everything alright?" Stalna asks, looking toward the manor.
"For now," Kulka answers.
Embryx taps on the shaft of her war scythe. "Want me to stick around?" she offers, uneasily. You take a look at the faces of the others present and judge their level of readiness. Corrinth is currently clutching herself and rocking back and forth, probably unsure of where she is or why you've brought her here. Seith is fully relaxed, still seated on the edge of the wagon with his feet dangling over the edge. Sharyx... Yeah. You'd be surprised if she isn't already imagining herself driving her blade through each and every elf in the palace.
Suddenly, Malawyn reappears, having apparently gotten some reassurance, and greets you all once more. "...You may enter as you are. I apologize for the earlier confusion."
You turn back to Embryx. "...I think we'll be okay."
She promises to return within the hour, and then heads for the gate with Stalna.
You and Kulka lead the others toward the unassuming door at the rear of the building, which is made of heavy wood and plated with iron, like most luxurious buildings of this type, to prevent burglars and other intruders from entering. At the moment, however, it's left slightly ajar, and the groundskeeper has no issue pushing it aside so that you can enter. Kulka leads the way, of course, and you stride in behind her alongside Sharyx, whose gloved hand is wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword, even as it sits in its scabbard. Seith and Corrinth are the last to enter, of course, as the latter takes a significant amount of coaxing to proceed.
No sooner does the door shut behind you before the attack begins.
The room you've entered is clean, minimal, and white, square in shape and with a high ceiling. Two staircases trace the walls at right angles, and artwork is displayed on a number of pedestals as well as the walls. The first indication that something is amiss is the sound of Sharyx' sword cutting the air behind you, and with a turn, you shove her backwards into the wall with telekinesis just in time to prevent her from turning Kulka's head into bonemeal. Corrinth wheels backwards in a panic, shrinking even further into her childhood appearance and crying out eerily like a little girl, and Seith - still smiling, grabs hold of Sharyx' sword arm before teleporting them both to the top of the stairs above you.
"Faaacking hellz!" Kulka hisses, her suppressed accent showing through. She lifts her cane and hobbles forward with it in both hands, spotting one of the enemy witches and blasting her and the entire wall behind her with lightning that burns a deep gash into the plaster. Moments after the woman falls dead, the enchantments of the palace begin to do their work, causing the blackened marks to melt away into the pure white of their surroundings. Kulka turns, unloading several more blasts - each one an order of magnitude more powerful than the single bolt of lightning that nearly killed you when Jannava tried it.
Now, it's your turn to act. You swiftly glide into the room, excited and a little relieved that you no longer have to suppress your power. As a number of magical strikes pound the pedestals and make dust clouds of ceramic artworks, you begin to teleport rapidly, zigzagging your way through the room and up the stairs to the second floor. Your telekinesis catches the fragments of a ceramic vase and carries it along until you spot one of your attackers, who's scrambling away from a style of fae-infused witchcraft that she's never seen before. Ruthlessly, you drive the fragments into her at the same moment the manor's enchantments begin to repair the damage, and watch with a twisted glee as the pieces dig their way through the elf's chest and abdomen on their way toward reforming the vase within her body.
You hear Seith behind you as Sharyx' blade cuts the air again, narrowly missing you for the second time. "No, like this!" he says as Sharyx moves to swing against him with her backhand. Instead, she's teleported across to the opposite landing, where another witch is trading blasts of magic with Kulka down below. As soon as the magical cloud appears, Sharyx emerges and slashes clean through the witch's neck, causing her head to fall backwards over a limp and crushed spinal column in a gusher of blood. You reach out and break the compulsion, freeing Sharyx from her involuntary actions as a halfling witch fires a crossbow bolt into your chest from the opposite end of the hallway.
The force is enough to drop you from your feet, but in an instant, Seith appears, ripping the bolt loose and tossing it into the air. As his healing magic closes the wound, you grip the bolt and return it to its sender, who barely dodges out of the way before the missile strikes one of her sisters. A thin haze of acrid green fizzles in the wound, which causes Seith to laugh as you rise to your feet. "Oh... Poison? That's impolite," he remarks.
Furiously, you reach with your telekinesis and rip the same bolt loose from its second victim, before grabbing the one who originally fired it and dragging both towards you at the same time. The halfling screams, dropping her crossbow and pulling out her wand, but by the time she's prepared to cast, you've already thrust her to the side, crashing her head and torso through the stained glass windows. You grab the bolt out of the air and turn it over, blunt side down, before stabbing it into the halfling's back with all your might, grinning madly as the manor's enchantments reverse the damage to the window. The glass reforms in a single pane directly through the witch's neck, slicing her head off and causing it to plummet down into the yard.
"Agranne!" Kulka calls out, and you turn away from your macabre work as it slides limply down the glass, the blood trail dissolving into nothingness as the glass cleans itself once more. Another pair of teleports and you've arrived back in the art room, finding Kulka positioned at the ground-level door at the opposite side from where you originally entered. "Don't go too far. Stay with me, sister!"
Sharyx hits the ground next to you, her blade and her clothing covered in blood up to the shoulders. In her off hand, three witch's heads dangle from their hair, which she shows you proudly before tossing them aside. "Lead on," she says darkly.
Seith arrives a moment later, appearing from a puff of gray smoke. "Yes, shall we?" he adds with a grin. "...Coming, Corrinth?"
Now appearing no older than ten, Corrinth runs up to Seith on her bare feet, as her shoes no longer fit her. He holds out his wand to her, but she merely stares.
"Wildshape," you demand, and the changeling complies, grabbing onto Seith's wand without taking it and dissolving herself into the form of a crow. She perches herself upon his shoulder for the moment as you turn back to Kulka. "Where do we go from here?" you ask.
She ambles forward, once again using her cane as a walking stick instead of a weapon. "I don't know; this is too organized to have been put together in the hours since we sent our crow. Callypseae might not even be here anymore." As you pass by another open door in which another attacker appears with a short sword, Kulka turns, lifts her cane, and throws out a necromancy spell that creates a construct of the witch's bones. Her body contorts, and a horrified scream is cut short by the slicing of flesh as the skeleton rips itself loose from the flesh and rearranges itself into a spiderlike shape, dragging shreds of skin and sinew along the way. "I don't even think this is her circle. They're probably just young, hungry fools from across the pact."
"Your elf friend probably tipped them off," Sharyx says, "last night, after she fainted."
Your blood begins to boil at the thought, but you temper yourself. Nytha was too comfortable this morning, too casual. She couldn't have plotted this against you - at least not this exact outcome. Perhaps she relayed a message, but it's Callypseae that set this trap, and you won't allow yourself to forget it. "...There's nothing for us here, then," you say. "We should find Embryx and Stalna and leave town as soon as possible."
Seith sighs. "Really now? The fun just started. Besides, we can't leave the way we came; the door is one-way - I checked." He then smiles again. "...On the other hand, if we go wandering the streets, it wouldn't be long until someone else gets in our way," he says as if it's a good thing.
"Let's find an exit, first," you say through clenched teeth, trying not to let yourself be tempted by fae-laced fun. "We'll decide what to do when we get there."
1. Go to Callypseae's Chamber - You ask Kulka to lead you in the direction of Callypseae's private quarters, reasoning that it might provide you a hint as to where she's gone or whom else she's been in contact with. She instructs you to find the grand stairwell near the front of the manor and then climb to the third floor.
2. Break Down the Door - "...Gods, what am I saying?" you say, exasperated. "Let's just tear that door off its hinges and leave out the back door," you say. You don't particularly care about preventing random innocents from meeting violent ends as you search for Embryx and Stalna; a part of you is convinced they're in danger of another ambush.
Last edited:
Infab
The Demon Fanatic
1
joshuadim
the writer
1
CHUUYAS_HAT
ᴏɴᴇ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀʟʟ ɪᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ
1
Breadman
Big loaf supreme
2
turtwigwins
Member
2
hardcore.munchkin
Professional hater
2
bat_hacker
Junior Member
2
Go to Callypseae's Chamber
New
K0mori
Servant Supreme
Option 1: 3 Votes (43% - Range: 1-43)
Option 2: 4 Votes (57% - Range: 44-100)
Fae Roll: 5
"We'll go there and figure out what's going on, and then walk out through the front door," you reply, taking your place at the head of the group. With a swipe of your hand, you throw the next door open with telekinetic power, revealing another corridor with unusual geometry. It begins to dawn on you that the manor has been intentionally designed and furnished in a way that's similar to the castle keep in Thandan - with plenty of tight corners and difficult angles that favor the occupants and render the intruder vulnerable to traps and ambush.
Within seconds of entering this new passage, you hear a doorway open around a corner, chains jangling, and the sound of large animals grunting and growling. The angry commotion rises to an intensely violent note as clawed feet scrape against the floors, and soon, they're rounding the corner: half a dozen wolf-dogs come bounding towards you, snapping their jaws, barking and howling. The intense fear you experienced when Embryx used wildshape for the first time returns, and you freeze. Instead, it's Kulka who pushes you out of the way to blast the dogs with fire, but to the horror of you both, they press through undeterred and seize onto the goblin with their gnashing teeth and begin ripping her apart, even as fire engulfs their fur. They aren't just attack dogs - they've been compelled to kill.
With a heavy thump of the air that shatters the tile floor behind you, Sharyx flies forward - having using a magical blast from the end of her sword to propel herself forward much faster than mortal legs could have launched her. The slash of her dark blade cuts a vertical slash through one animal's head, causing it to burst apart in either direction in flaming chunks. Immediately after, she launched another blast into the ceiling in order to change the direction of her movement, chopping down on another dog's neck before tucking her arms and rolling sideways through the air, moving like you've never seen anyone move with a weapon. It's immediately clear how a witch who knows nothing but the simplest magic can deal out so much death and destruction.
She can't stop all of them, however, and in the seconds since your limbs stopped obeying, one of the beasts has closed the final few feet before clamping down on your shoulder with its savage bite, carrying with it the enchanted flames of Kulka's spell. Its weight slams you down to the ground, and you scream in horror and pain, instinctively teleporting yourself back down the hall - but with the dog's fangs still sunk into your flesh, you carry it with you, and now you and the animal are both on the ground behind Seith and Corrinth upon his shoulder.
"Alright, that's enough," Seith says, amused as always. He kicks the dog off of you before hitting it with a spell ward. Instantly, the enchanted flames are extinguished on you both, but the dog finally perceives the pain inflicted form its many burns and releases you with a sharp cry. You swipe the soul out of it and roll away, staggering back to your feet as Seith heals your wounds. He chuckles quietly and teases you: "Someone's got a phobia..."
You try to ignore him, although his comments are enough to turn some of your excess fear into anger. Sharyx is attacking the wolf-dogs with ruthless intensity, but she needs your help to prevent Kulka's body from being fully destroyed. You know that she can put herself back together from most of this damage, but not if her phylactery is damaged, and not if the bones and broken up into fragments. Unlike the otherwise fatal wounds you and Jannava survived by using temporary constructs, the destruction of Kulka's bones can't be healed after-the-fact, as there's no living tissue which can conduct the healing - and so you move to end this quickly.
One clench of your fist is all it takes to telekinetically compress the brain matter of the two remaining dogs and kill them, their blood spraying from their eyes and mouths as they drop to the floor - finally released from the pain inflicted by Kulka's fire. You feel foolish for not thinking of it before, and curse yourself for not acting sooner. While Sharyx stalks up the hallway to guard against further attacks with Seith and Corrinth beside her, you attend to the elder.
Kulka's cloak is ripped and torn, and the wilted remains of her body are in varying degrees of destruction - her arms and legs have been torn free and in some cases have been ripped into smaller chunks. One of the dogs had apparently gotten a hold of her hand and swallowed the small bones whole, leaving nothing but the stump of the wrist and a few of the carpals attached via magic. Her entire ribcage has been ripped open, revealing the absence of discernable organs within; she was essentially hollow to begin with, and it's unclear how much skin is missing due to the dogs and their fire, and how much was already gone. You suddenly realize that a few of the ribs are gone as well, and are probably either in one of the dogs' stomach or lying broken on the floor somewhere in the hall.
Her head, thankfully, is fully intact, and as you turn it over, the eyeless face shudders into movement and asks you calmly, but with a seething anger:
"Did thoze muttz chew on my cane?"
You snatch her dragon bone cane off the ground and turn it over in your hands, finding no faults. It seems the compulsion hex they were placed under led them to ignore everything except the bodies of their targets. "Not a scratch, sister," you reply, setting it down on her intact hand, which grabs hold of the shaft. You then place the Pandemonium Door against her, and she reassembles as much of her construct as she can, eerily rising from the floor and taking stock of her missing parts.
"Three ribz, a radiuz, mozt of my right hand, four of my toez...! How dare they..." she rants, her voice ragged with fury and displaying absolutely no attempt to disguise her native accent. "...Did they really think thiz could ztop me?" She lifts her cane, shakily, modifying the hex as the bodies of the wolves begin to rip themselves apart, just like the unfortunate soul in the prior rooms whose skeleton slithered out under Kulka's influence. This time, however, the bones are magicked in the goblin's direction, until all of her missing parts are reunited with her body, or else replaced by suitable substitutes. A few extras are added in, just for good measure. You watch as she stands a bit taller, embracing the canine additions into her strengthened form as the ragged skin encloses her once again.
She returns the Door to you with a thankful nod before turning to Sharyx, who has stopped in her tracks to watch the hideous spectacle with rapt attention. "The handler iz mine!" she howls, walking intently ahead of you, faster than you're used to seeing her move. One by one, she moves to each door, lifts her cane, and blasts the locks free before knocking the wooden surface out of the way, until at last the animal pen is located behind one of the doors. The cornered witch within - a scarred and crippled human - stands over a badly wounded wolf-dog... apparently mangled by its own kin as they were released from their separate cages only moments ago.
The human lifts her wand and sends a blast of lightning into Kulka, who feels nothing, even as a new hole is burned in her remaining skin. In turn, Kulka raises her cane and sends out a lockbreaker that splits messily through the human's neck, causing her to gush blood onto the dying dog. As the dog begins to halfhearted lap at the meal drizzling onto its body, Kulka turns to you with a dark grin. "Thiz... I will need your help with, zizter."
You simply stare back and await her answer. Your elder is finally about to teach you new magic - something only someone of your strength can achieve.
"Take the human'z zoul... and put it in the dog."
"Looting is easier than bartering, yes," she replies idly, and you can't help but sense boredom in her tone of voice. You wonder if that's all it is, or if she's restless and longing for home. The diversion into Sonnamille will probably save time overall, but being stuck in Ellifarre while the elders talk can't be much fun for the human, who's doubtlessly tired traveling by this point. "...We have the clothing we came for," she says. "If the other shops aren't going to treat us as proper customers, then we might as well go back to the manor and hand them over."
You sigh. "Yeah," you admit. "It's almost sundown. I was hoping that I'd find some armor in my size, since we didn't see any up north, but even if we found a weaponsmith or an armorer around here with a good set, I don't think they'd sell it to me."
"...We could just charm them," Stalna replies, rolling her eyes a bit.
At that moment, an elf emerges from the shadows. "Quite a weapon you have there, sister," she says quietly. "You're with the Terrorchild's lot, aren't you?"
Expecting this newcomer to be friendly, you offer a smile as your response. "Embryx of Aelesh-Yna, sister. And you?"
She looks past you, over your shoulder, and nods. You turn around just in time to witness a second elf grab Stalna from behind, covering her mouth and holding a knife to her throat as she's pulled into a nearby alleyway. "Keep calm and she lives," the unknown witch warns you from behind. "Walk with us, we only want answers."
1. Cooperate - This could get messy quick; whatever's happening, you need to make sure it doesn't spiral out of control, or else it could cost Stalna her life and maybe endanger Agranne and the others if word gets out about infighting. You slowly nod, and the witch moves past you, beckoning you to follow into the same alleyway.
2. My Answer Is Violence - ...You punch her in the throat.
Option 2: 4 Votes (57% - Range: 44-100)
Fae Roll: 5
"We'll go there and figure out what's going on, and then walk out through the front door," you reply, taking your place at the head of the group. With a swipe of your hand, you throw the next door open with telekinetic power, revealing another corridor with unusual geometry. It begins to dawn on you that the manor has been intentionally designed and furnished in a way that's similar to the castle keep in Thandan - with plenty of tight corners and difficult angles that favor the occupants and render the intruder vulnerable to traps and ambush.
Within seconds of entering this new passage, you hear a doorway open around a corner, chains jangling, and the sound of large animals grunting and growling. The angry commotion rises to an intensely violent note as clawed feet scrape against the floors, and soon, they're rounding the corner: half a dozen wolf-dogs come bounding towards you, snapping their jaws, barking and howling. The intense fear you experienced when Embryx used wildshape for the first time returns, and you freeze. Instead, it's Kulka who pushes you out of the way to blast the dogs with fire, but to the horror of you both, they press through undeterred and seize onto the goblin with their gnashing teeth and begin ripping her apart, even as fire engulfs their fur. They aren't just attack dogs - they've been compelled to kill.
With a heavy thump of the air that shatters the tile floor behind you, Sharyx flies forward - having using a magical blast from the end of her sword to propel herself forward much faster than mortal legs could have launched her. The slash of her dark blade cuts a vertical slash through one animal's head, causing it to burst apart in either direction in flaming chunks. Immediately after, she launched another blast into the ceiling in order to change the direction of her movement, chopping down on another dog's neck before tucking her arms and rolling sideways through the air, moving like you've never seen anyone move with a weapon. It's immediately clear how a witch who knows nothing but the simplest magic can deal out so much death and destruction.
She can't stop all of them, however, and in the seconds since your limbs stopped obeying, one of the beasts has closed the final few feet before clamping down on your shoulder with its savage bite, carrying with it the enchanted flames of Kulka's spell. Its weight slams you down to the ground, and you scream in horror and pain, instinctively teleporting yourself back down the hall - but with the dog's fangs still sunk into your flesh, you carry it with you, and now you and the animal are both on the ground behind Seith and Corrinth upon his shoulder.
"Alright, that's enough," Seith says, amused as always. He kicks the dog off of you before hitting it with a spell ward. Instantly, the enchanted flames are extinguished on you both, but the dog finally perceives the pain inflicted form its many burns and releases you with a sharp cry. You swipe the soul out of it and roll away, staggering back to your feet as Seith heals your wounds. He chuckles quietly and teases you: "Someone's got a phobia..."
You try to ignore him, although his comments are enough to turn some of your excess fear into anger. Sharyx is attacking the wolf-dogs with ruthless intensity, but she needs your help to prevent Kulka's body from being fully destroyed. You know that she can put herself back together from most of this damage, but not if her phylactery is damaged, and not if the bones and broken up into fragments. Unlike the otherwise fatal wounds you and Jannava survived by using temporary constructs, the destruction of Kulka's bones can't be healed after-the-fact, as there's no living tissue which can conduct the healing - and so you move to end this quickly.
One clench of your fist is all it takes to telekinetically compress the brain matter of the two remaining dogs and kill them, their blood spraying from their eyes and mouths as they drop to the floor - finally released from the pain inflicted by Kulka's fire. You feel foolish for not thinking of it before, and curse yourself for not acting sooner. While Sharyx stalks up the hallway to guard against further attacks with Seith and Corrinth beside her, you attend to the elder.
Kulka's cloak is ripped and torn, and the wilted remains of her body are in varying degrees of destruction - her arms and legs have been torn free and in some cases have been ripped into smaller chunks. One of the dogs had apparently gotten a hold of her hand and swallowed the small bones whole, leaving nothing but the stump of the wrist and a few of the carpals attached via magic. Her entire ribcage has been ripped open, revealing the absence of discernable organs within; she was essentially hollow to begin with, and it's unclear how much skin is missing due to the dogs and their fire, and how much was already gone. You suddenly realize that a few of the ribs are gone as well, and are probably either in one of the dogs' stomach or lying broken on the floor somewhere in the hall.
Her head, thankfully, is fully intact, and as you turn it over, the eyeless face shudders into movement and asks you calmly, but with a seething anger:
"Did thoze muttz chew on my cane?"
You snatch her dragon bone cane off the ground and turn it over in your hands, finding no faults. It seems the compulsion hex they were placed under led them to ignore everything except the bodies of their targets. "Not a scratch, sister," you reply, setting it down on her intact hand, which grabs hold of the shaft. You then place the Pandemonium Door against her, and she reassembles as much of her construct as she can, eerily rising from the floor and taking stock of her missing parts.
"Three ribz, a radiuz, mozt of my right hand, four of my toez...! How dare they..." she rants, her voice ragged with fury and displaying absolutely no attempt to disguise her native accent. "...Did they really think thiz could ztop me?" She lifts her cane, shakily, modifying the hex as the bodies of the wolves begin to rip themselves apart, just like the unfortunate soul in the prior rooms whose skeleton slithered out under Kulka's influence. This time, however, the bones are magicked in the goblin's direction, until all of her missing parts are reunited with her body, or else replaced by suitable substitutes. A few extras are added in, just for good measure. You watch as she stands a bit taller, embracing the canine additions into her strengthened form as the ragged skin encloses her once again.
She returns the Door to you with a thankful nod before turning to Sharyx, who has stopped in her tracks to watch the hideous spectacle with rapt attention. "The handler iz mine!" she howls, walking intently ahead of you, faster than you're used to seeing her move. One by one, she moves to each door, lifts her cane, and blasts the locks free before knocking the wooden surface out of the way, until at last the animal pen is located behind one of the doors. The cornered witch within - a scarred and crippled human - stands over a badly wounded wolf-dog... apparently mangled by its own kin as they were released from their separate cages only moments ago.
The human lifts her wand and sends a blast of lightning into Kulka, who feels nothing, even as a new hole is burned in her remaining skin. In turn, Kulka raises her cane and sends out a lockbreaker that splits messily through the human's neck, causing her to gush blood onto the dying dog. As the dog begins to halfhearted lap at the meal drizzling onto its body, Kulka turns to you with a dark grin. "Thiz... I will need your help with, zizter."
You simply stare back and await her answer. Your elder is finally about to teach you new magic - something only someone of your strength can achieve.
"Take the human'z zoul... and put it in the dog."
---
A few blocks away from the palace, you wonder how Agranne and Callypseae are getting on as you lead Stalna in and out of the elven shops, getting what supplies the venders are willing to part with in exchange for Turadalian coin, which is far less desirable than the local currency. "You know," you say with a bit of frustration, "I'm starting to miss Thandan."
"Looting is easier than bartering, yes," she replies idly, and you can't help but sense boredom in her tone of voice. You wonder if that's all it is, or if she's restless and longing for home. The diversion into Sonnamille will probably save time overall, but being stuck in Ellifarre while the elders talk can't be much fun for the human, who's doubtlessly tired traveling by this point. "...We have the clothing we came for," she says. "If the other shops aren't going to treat us as proper customers, then we might as well go back to the manor and hand them over."
You sigh. "Yeah," you admit. "It's almost sundown. I was hoping that I'd find some armor in my size, since we didn't see any up north, but even if we found a weaponsmith or an armorer around here with a good set, I don't think they'd sell it to me."
"...We could just charm them," Stalna replies, rolling her eyes a bit.
At that moment, an elf emerges from the shadows. "Quite a weapon you have there, sister," she says quietly. "You're with the Terrorchild's lot, aren't you?"
Expecting this newcomer to be friendly, you offer a smile as your response. "Embryx of Aelesh-Yna, sister. And you?"
She looks past you, over your shoulder, and nods. You turn around just in time to witness a second elf grab Stalna from behind, covering her mouth and holding a knife to her throat as she's pulled into a nearby alleyway. "Keep calm and she lives," the unknown witch warns you from behind. "Walk with us, we only want answers."
1. Cooperate - This could get messy quick; whatever's happening, you need to make sure it doesn't spiral out of control, or else it could cost Stalna her life and maybe endanger Agranne and the others if word gets out about infighting. You slowly nod, and the witch moves past you, beckoning you to follow into the same alleyway.
2. My Answer Is Violence - ...You punch her in the throat.
joshuadim
the writer
1
Breadman
Big loaf supreme
2
hardcore.munchkin
Professional hater
2
bat_hacker
Junior Member
1
Infab
The Demon Fanatic
1
Damian0358
Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere
1
turtwigwins
Member
1
CHUUYAS_HAT
ᴏɴᴇ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀʟʟ ɪᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ
2
My Answer Is Violence
New
K0mori
Servant Supreme
Option 1: 5 Votes (63% - Range: 1-63)
Option 2: 3 Votes (38% - Range: 64-100)
Fae Roll: 93
You hadn't put any thought into it before you let it fly. All at once, a horrible dread wells up from within; you would've rather talked this out than risk anyone dying over a misunderstanding. But as your fist connects with her windpipe solidly enough that you don't even need to watch her fall - and you know good and well that Stalna can't afford you hesitating at all, now, you nonetheless can't help but feel betrayed by your own decision. Why did you do that!?
...As if you even need to ask. The influence of the fae has played a dirty trick on your mind, and made you act on a reckless impulse at the worst possible moment. You immediately move to unhitch your war-scythe from its harness and turn toward the alley, knowing that you only have a split second to lock down the other elf with compulsion before she can slit Stalna's throat. You don't care that there are witnesses around; if they choose to look, then whatever happens to them next is their own fault. You have to save Stalna - even if compulsion isn't your best technique, even if your implement is far heavier and slower than a wand, you have to save her before her death is on your hands.
The blade rips a trail of black magic through the air as you unleash the hex, and you find yourself staring into Stalna's wide, horrified eyes. "Embryx...!?" she calls out.
It's already too late.
By the time your hex lands, the elf's knife has already slashed across Stalna's neck, and so the magic only succeeds in preventing the attacker from shoving her victim away and reaching for her wand. Stalna slumps forward, clutching her throat as she falls through the elf's stiffened arms, and crashes to the ground gagging and struggling to live as her lifeblood gushes out onto the stone pavement. You can't help her; there is nothing you could possibly do which would preserve her long enough to find a cleric. Your blood boils. Your shock gives way to righteous fury, and you let out a scream that's more than just a battle cry. If you could kill this elf with nothing but your voice, you would, if only to sound your anger to the entire world at the inexcusable loss of a sister.
You have precious few friends. Stalna could have been one of them.
The blade of your war-scythe drives into the elf's chest with enough force that it doesn't just find a passage through the ribs - it breaks them and pries them away from the sternum. Wrenching the shaft of your weapon with all of your strength, you propel her skyward, leaving her to scream in agony as the scythe pierces her heart and then emerges from the muscle of her back below the shoulder blade. With a twist of your blood-soaked wrists, you flip her over and slam her head first into the ground, breaking her skull on impact before kicking her to pull your weapon loose. The elf is dead, and you look to Stalna with tears streaming down your cheeks, hoping that in her fading moments, she at least lived long enough to know that her murderer had paid with her life.
But there's nothing behind her glassy eyes - no acknowledgement. For all your strength, and all your passion, you can't move her to speak another word. You would trade your right eye for Stalna's forgiveness, but she can't give it, and you don't deserve it. ...But even if both of these things are true, you still kneel in her blood and place your hands on her, whispering your apologies and offering what little comfort you can to her.
Within moments, she stops twitching, and you are alone.
Your breathing begins to quicken. Is this what happens when Agranne isn't at your side? You shake your head in disbelief, it had happened so quickly. When you move to wipe your face clear of tears, you accidentally smear the poor human girl's blood on your cheek, and all at once, a terrible, terrible rage begins to build in you - not just against the remaining, living attacker, but against the fae which robbed you of your reasoning, against Corrinth for inflicting this madness upon Agranne and you, and even against the elves of Sonnamille for whatever great disfunction has led to this attack. Worst of all, you rage against yourself.
Why couldn't you just be good at something other than hurting people?
You snatch your war-scythe off the ground and turn, looking for someone to attack in order to avenge yourself. The other elf who attacked you won't do, since she's already incapacitated - still struggling to breathe even after the minutes you spent in the alley behind her. But surely, she'll know who you need to kill next. You step out of the alley and hit her with a burst of manipulation that floods her mind with guilt and shame for harming you, and then you demand answers.
"Who sent you!?" you demand.
The witch wheezes before replying: "...Callypseae," she manages, laboriously.
"Why?"
"The coven... it's at war with itself..." she pants. "You came... to kill her..."
You practically explode at the explanation. "No, we didn't - not until now."
The elf shakes her head, helplessly, before taking a deep breath and endeavoring to tell you the whole truth: "Callypseae and Diala had a deal... Once the die was cast, they would stand together... against Kulka... Diala had the door and the Terrorchild... Callypseae believed in destiny, she believed... you would be on our side... Diala died... and then the Terrorchild left Mardenaal... Callypseae waited to see... until she reached Thandan... She waited to know if you all would kill Kulka..."
It suddenly begins to make sense. When Agranne killed Diala, Callyspeae probably assumed that Agranne learned of the scheme they had been hatching against Kulka, if she didn't know of it already. When Agranne chose to join forces with Kulka instead, and then immediately set a course for Ellifarre, Callypseae must have assumed that Agranne was coming to clean up the loose end. "...Where is Callypseae now?"
"She's... She's headed west, to Zuklanar... She wants the protection of the Imperial Elder..."
"Then who's in control, here?"
The witch has finally caught her breath, and looks at you grimly. "I told you - the coven is at war with itself. When Calypseae told us we would kill the Terrorchild, factions formed... Some wanted you all dead, and others refused, so Callypseae killed the objectors and left the loyal ones in control. But then... they had second thoughts among themselves, and the pact broke down..."
You demand to know who's in control of the coven's palace.
She reluctantly replies: "...we are."
You take a step back, survey your surroundings, and take stock of the horrified faces of the onlookers. They heard the other elf's death throes from afar, and they see you drenched in her blood, looming over another elf whom, as far as they can tell, has done no wrong. You already know that this entire situation is fucked beyond all recovering, and so the only option is to commit. Your lip twitches; you want this to be more painful than what you can deliver without dipping into your magic, which you need to preserve until you reunite with Agranne. Until then, intimidation is your only friend.
"That's all I need, sister," you state, hosting the scythe above your head like an executioner in full view of the onlookers. "HAIL SYRITH!"
"Hail-" she begins to say with her eyes closed when the blade crashes down on her neck. It's not a clean swipe, and her head remains partially attached, but nonetheless it does the job of ending her life. A number of the witnesses scream and run from you, which is exactly what you were hoping would happen as you set off toward the manor. You just hope that everyone there is okay, and that Agranne will forgive you for blowing your allies' cover.
You glance down at the miserable thing you helped create. Kulka's request began to make sense when you actually attempted it - moving the soul of the human witch into the wolf-dog's body didn't exactly add a second soul to an occupied body, as you would've expected. Instead, You felt the essence of the human soul begin to dissolve as you attempted to push into the same body, until they began to bleed into each other. The soul of the human, which had been a discrete substance to you just like any other soul, became unstable in your grip - and as pieces of the soul began to sheer away, pieces of the dog began to do the same, until a mixture was held within and a mixture was expelled. What now remains in the dog is a hybrid soul - less than human, but more than an animal - full of confusion, guilt, and self-loathing.
Seith did the job of stitching the creature back together from its wounds, as Kulka, in her anger, declared that she'd keep her new pet around forever - you imagine this means she'll attempt to turn it undead against its will, at some point in the future. When she calmed herself, however, she confided within you: "...Sister, when we're done here, I need to discuss with you the technique I had you use." Her tone was burdened; you already know that she wouldn't have suggested the idea if she hadn't been so carried away with rage. You wonder how many other tricks she knows that she's been afraid to teach you...
You reach the grand stairway and ascend, leading the others up the two floors and onto the landing outside Callypseae's chamber. There, you're presented with a problem - your lockbreaker bounces off the lock, and the door remains solid against every other attempt you make to pry it off its hinges. You're going to need to teleport in, and you're more than a little worried of unseen traps on the other side - both of the mundane sort as well as magical. There's no telling if you're going to be attacked, or if you'll become trapped for a while, unable to teleport back out once you're in. While you can bring someone with you, you're really not certain you can handle warping more than one extra person. Seith can also teleport, as well, but there are five of you. Someone is going to need to stay behind.
1. Leave Sharyx - "Sharyx, I need you to stay out here and guard the exit," you say. She objects, predictably, but you insist. "I'm guessing Callypseae has set traps that are going to need the most experienced of us to be present. I'm trusting that you'll be able to handle anyone dumb enough to come up after us," you explain, offering up the Door for her to renew herself before you bring it with you into the private chamber.
2. Leave Kulka and Her Dog - You turn to your elder. "Kulka, the rest of us can handle whatever's on the other side of this door... You've already been through a lot today," you say with a wry smile. She seems reluctant to take a back seat, but she can't help but acknowledge your point.
3. Leave Corrinth - "Corrinth, lose the wildshape," you order, and she reappears immediately in her human form, tumbling off of Seith's shoulder and flopping onto the floor. "Stay here with the dog," you instruct her as you compel the dog to sit, knowing that they have no choice but to obey.
Option 2: 3 Votes (38% - Range: 64-100)
Fae Roll: 93
You hadn't put any thought into it before you let it fly. All at once, a horrible dread wells up from within; you would've rather talked this out than risk anyone dying over a misunderstanding. But as your fist connects with her windpipe solidly enough that you don't even need to watch her fall - and you know good and well that Stalna can't afford you hesitating at all, now, you nonetheless can't help but feel betrayed by your own decision. Why did you do that!?
...As if you even need to ask. The influence of the fae has played a dirty trick on your mind, and made you act on a reckless impulse at the worst possible moment. You immediately move to unhitch your war-scythe from its harness and turn toward the alley, knowing that you only have a split second to lock down the other elf with compulsion before she can slit Stalna's throat. You don't care that there are witnesses around; if they choose to look, then whatever happens to them next is their own fault. You have to save Stalna - even if compulsion isn't your best technique, even if your implement is far heavier and slower than a wand, you have to save her before her death is on your hands.
The blade rips a trail of black magic through the air as you unleash the hex, and you find yourself staring into Stalna's wide, horrified eyes. "Embryx...!?" she calls out.
It's already too late.
By the time your hex lands, the elf's knife has already slashed across Stalna's neck, and so the magic only succeeds in preventing the attacker from shoving her victim away and reaching for her wand. Stalna slumps forward, clutching her throat as she falls through the elf's stiffened arms, and crashes to the ground gagging and struggling to live as her lifeblood gushes out onto the stone pavement. You can't help her; there is nothing you could possibly do which would preserve her long enough to find a cleric. Your blood boils. Your shock gives way to righteous fury, and you let out a scream that's more than just a battle cry. If you could kill this elf with nothing but your voice, you would, if only to sound your anger to the entire world at the inexcusable loss of a sister.
You have precious few friends. Stalna could have been one of them.
The blade of your war-scythe drives into the elf's chest with enough force that it doesn't just find a passage through the ribs - it breaks them and pries them away from the sternum. Wrenching the shaft of your weapon with all of your strength, you propel her skyward, leaving her to scream in agony as the scythe pierces her heart and then emerges from the muscle of her back below the shoulder blade. With a twist of your blood-soaked wrists, you flip her over and slam her head first into the ground, breaking her skull on impact before kicking her to pull your weapon loose. The elf is dead, and you look to Stalna with tears streaming down your cheeks, hoping that in her fading moments, she at least lived long enough to know that her murderer had paid with her life.
But there's nothing behind her glassy eyes - no acknowledgement. For all your strength, and all your passion, you can't move her to speak another word. You would trade your right eye for Stalna's forgiveness, but she can't give it, and you don't deserve it. ...But even if both of these things are true, you still kneel in her blood and place your hands on her, whispering your apologies and offering what little comfort you can to her.
Within moments, she stops twitching, and you are alone.
Your breathing begins to quicken. Is this what happens when Agranne isn't at your side? You shake your head in disbelief, it had happened so quickly. When you move to wipe your face clear of tears, you accidentally smear the poor human girl's blood on your cheek, and all at once, a terrible, terrible rage begins to build in you - not just against the remaining, living attacker, but against the fae which robbed you of your reasoning, against Corrinth for inflicting this madness upon Agranne and you, and even against the elves of Sonnamille for whatever great disfunction has led to this attack. Worst of all, you rage against yourself.
Why couldn't you just be good at something other than hurting people?
You snatch your war-scythe off the ground and turn, looking for someone to attack in order to avenge yourself. The other elf who attacked you won't do, since she's already incapacitated - still struggling to breathe even after the minutes you spent in the alley behind her. But surely, she'll know who you need to kill next. You step out of the alley and hit her with a burst of manipulation that floods her mind with guilt and shame for harming you, and then you demand answers.
"Who sent you!?" you demand.
The witch wheezes before replying: "...Callypseae," she manages, laboriously.
"Why?"
"The coven... it's at war with itself..." she pants. "You came... to kill her..."
You practically explode at the explanation. "No, we didn't - not until now."
The elf shakes her head, helplessly, before taking a deep breath and endeavoring to tell you the whole truth: "Callypseae and Diala had a deal... Once the die was cast, they would stand together... against Kulka... Diala had the door and the Terrorchild... Callypseae believed in destiny, she believed... you would be on our side... Diala died... and then the Terrorchild left Mardenaal... Callypseae waited to see... until she reached Thandan... She waited to know if you all would kill Kulka..."
It suddenly begins to make sense. When Agranne killed Diala, Callyspeae probably assumed that Agranne learned of the scheme they had been hatching against Kulka, if she didn't know of it already. When Agranne chose to join forces with Kulka instead, and then immediately set a course for Ellifarre, Callypseae must have assumed that Agranne was coming to clean up the loose end. "...Where is Callypseae now?"
"She's... She's headed west, to Zuklanar... She wants the protection of the Imperial Elder..."
"Then who's in control, here?"
The witch has finally caught her breath, and looks at you grimly. "I told you - the coven is at war with itself. When Calypseae told us we would kill the Terrorchild, factions formed... Some wanted you all dead, and others refused, so Callypseae killed the objectors and left the loyal ones in control. But then... they had second thoughts among themselves, and the pact broke down..."
You demand to know who's in control of the coven's palace.
She reluctantly replies: "...we are."
You take a step back, survey your surroundings, and take stock of the horrified faces of the onlookers. They heard the other elf's death throes from afar, and they see you drenched in her blood, looming over another elf whom, as far as they can tell, has done no wrong. You already know that this entire situation is fucked beyond all recovering, and so the only option is to commit. Your lip twitches; you want this to be more painful than what you can deliver without dipping into your magic, which you need to preserve until you reunite with Agranne. Until then, intimidation is your only friend.
"That's all I need, sister," you state, hosting the scythe above your head like an executioner in full view of the onlookers. "HAIL SYRITH!"
"Hail-" she begins to say with her eyes closed when the blade crashes down on her neck. It's not a clean swipe, and her head remains partially attached, but nonetheless it does the job of ending her life. A number of the witnesses scream and run from you, which is exactly what you were hoping would happen as you set off toward the manor. You just hope that everyone there is okay, and that Agranne will forgive you for blowing your allies' cover.
---
As you and your allies work your way from the animal pens to the front of the manor, your opposition thins out until it's clear that the few remaining witches in the building are seeking escape from you. The palace has become eerily quiet aside from the footfalls of your allies and the jangling of the chain leash connecting Kulka to her new "pet."
You glance down at the miserable thing you helped create. Kulka's request began to make sense when you actually attempted it - moving the soul of the human witch into the wolf-dog's body didn't exactly add a second soul to an occupied body, as you would've expected. Instead, You felt the essence of the human soul begin to dissolve as you attempted to push into the same body, until they began to bleed into each other. The soul of the human, which had been a discrete substance to you just like any other soul, became unstable in your grip - and as pieces of the soul began to sheer away, pieces of the dog began to do the same, until a mixture was held within and a mixture was expelled. What now remains in the dog is a hybrid soul - less than human, but more than an animal - full of confusion, guilt, and self-loathing.
Seith did the job of stitching the creature back together from its wounds, as Kulka, in her anger, declared that she'd keep her new pet around forever - you imagine this means she'll attempt to turn it undead against its will, at some point in the future. When she calmed herself, however, she confided within you: "...Sister, when we're done here, I need to discuss with you the technique I had you use." Her tone was burdened; you already know that she wouldn't have suggested the idea if she hadn't been so carried away with rage. You wonder how many other tricks she knows that she's been afraid to teach you...
You reach the grand stairway and ascend, leading the others up the two floors and onto the landing outside Callypseae's chamber. There, you're presented with a problem - your lockbreaker bounces off the lock, and the door remains solid against every other attempt you make to pry it off its hinges. You're going to need to teleport in, and you're more than a little worried of unseen traps on the other side - both of the mundane sort as well as magical. There's no telling if you're going to be attacked, or if you'll become trapped for a while, unable to teleport back out once you're in. While you can bring someone with you, you're really not certain you can handle warping more than one extra person. Seith can also teleport, as well, but there are five of you. Someone is going to need to stay behind.
1. Leave Sharyx - "Sharyx, I need you to stay out here and guard the exit," you say. She objects, predictably, but you insist. "I'm guessing Callypseae has set traps that are going to need the most experienced of us to be present. I'm trusting that you'll be able to handle anyone dumb enough to come up after us," you explain, offering up the Door for her to renew herself before you bring it with you into the private chamber.
2. Leave Kulka and Her Dog - You turn to your elder. "Kulka, the rest of us can handle whatever's on the other side of this door... You've already been through a lot today," you say with a wry smile. She seems reluctant to take a back seat, but she can't help but acknowledge your point.
3. Leave Corrinth - "Corrinth, lose the wildshape," you order, and she reappears immediately in her human form, tumbling off of Seith's shoulder and flopping onto the floor. "Stay here with the dog," you instruct her as you compel the dog to sit, knowing that they have no choice but to obey.
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