Fantasy The Black Plague

[PhantomSamurai]

Marcus watched the older man who was currently going on a tirade, he sighed and looked around noticing Azagog was nowhere to be seen. This was a relief to him as it meant he could breath for a few moments without the demons constant chatter. "Look I honestly don't care if I die or not as long as i take some of those monsters with me I dont care where i end up" he says looking around at all who were gathered. He removed his helmet revealing his scarred face, " now I dont know about the rest of you but I lost everything to this blight so I have nothing to lose by going after it" he says going back to resting against a stone.

He did not care if he had to go it alone he would see this thing to the end, and then he would deal with the contract he had with Azagog.

 

[Midrick]

Richter shook his head after seeing and hearing the salty old man and the unknown began speaking, he sighed as he stood, apparently the old man was all knowing and decided that everything was shit. Yeah, tell me something I don't know. He thought to himself he motioned with his hand for Ka'Bandha to follow him into the circle. He stopped and looked, unimpressed at the white headed one. "You done bitching?" He asked in a half amused tone. He moved inside the circle and sat crossed legged. He drew his sword and a removed whetstone and small vial of oil and began to sharpen the blade with honed movements.

As he honed the already razor sharp edge of the blade he removed the sack that was strapped to his back and moved it in an orderly pile along with the other various items he brought with him. He noticed that most of the ingredients that were being combined in the wizards were mostly poisonous. Mistletoe was a great incapacitating agent, and you had to be a fool if you couldn't recognize wolfsbane. His demon followed suit and found suitable space to rest itself.

"Davy, do yourself and all of us a favor by keeping the chatter to a minimum." If one thing that was ingrained into the knights of the Slayer order was their professionalism. Roshar's words now made sense, and he began to realize that himself, Roshar, and the loner were probably the only ones who had taken a significant number of lives. Maybe the lady in red as well, it was still to early to tell with her. And it seemed another, painfully green knight had joined them. Richter removed his helmet and set it next to the large sword in his lap, it was a two handed, it was hefty to boot, but still light enough to be swift. He decided to see what he was working with. "You ever actually been in a battle before?" He asked the maple knight, it would really suck if these knights from the orders were greener than grass.

OverconfidentMagi LavenderTea

 

[LavenderTea]

Temperance’s face brightened from the acknowledgement of Luther, Arianne, and Aema. Awkwardly, she bowed in return to the Knight of the Crimson Blades, then popped back up with an excited smile. It was comforting to know she had an ally… maybe even a new friend within the group! Though the alliance wasn’t a steadfast one, it at least made her feel a bit more comfortable in a group of strangers. “It’s nice to meet you…uhm.” Temperance paused upon realizing the woman hadn’t given her name, before saying. “Also honored knight!”

She did the same for the Knight of the Order of the Crow, happy to meet so many new faces.

As eager as she was to shake hands with everyone, Temperance followed Susina’s bidding and instead found herself a place within the Stones, close enough to talk to the others. She began the process of loosening straps and doing away with some armor pieces to be more comfortable, dropping her pack and shield from her shoulders. The young woman then stretched, glad to be free of the extra weight. Her spine popped and she rolled her shoulders, giving a sigh of relief.

Aema called for introductions, and Temperance sat cross legged, holding her ankles, and smiling with gratitude. At least she hadn’t missed any introductions! Davy introduced himself after Aema, and oh! Favorite foods! Such a good question. She had wanted to know favorite colors, but foods was just as good for getting to know a bit more about the others. That is, however, when things took a dip for the worse. The red-haired knight watched as the older man went off, even going as far as calling Aema irrelevant. He reminded her a lot of Sir Ralphwolf, who usually became just as ornery during a flare up of arthritis. Pain always made people irritable and angry. The older man from the Order of the Waking Sea had to be in a lot of it from the way he spoke. Poor man. Sympathy and pity crossed over Temperance’s face. Getting older really was both a blessing and a curse.

"You ever actually been in a battle before?"

Realizing this question was addressed to her by another knight, Temperance looked towards him and blinked in bewilderment. She immediately answered, “Of course! I’ve defended my home ever since I was a Squire.”

Why this question was posed to her was utterly lost on her. Perhaps he was nervous about his own experience? No. He looked much like a veteran, and to assume others here were inexperienced or unworthy was both insulting and foolish. No matter the alliances, friendships, or rivalry, the plague was a threat to humanity, just like what the scarred knight had gone through. Each knightly order had a stake in this. She wouldn't dishonor anyone here by thinking them unworthy. Therefore, perhaps he was just uncomfortable around strangers! That made more sense. Stage fright was certainly a thing. Performing in front of others you do not know was harder than with the allies you had grown for years. Temperance could certainly empathize with that. She should say something to make him more comfortable!

The Maple knight flexed her right arm, and provided a wide toothy grin as she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!”

Beaming, and hoping to have soothed the other knight’s concerns, she attempted to steer the conversation back to what Aema intended. “Anyway, again I’m Temperance, I know it is a bit of a mouthful, apologies for that. But!” Her hazel eyes looked towards Davy. “I also like sweets! If you haven’t tried a fruit before, apples are in season! I’ll look out for one for you!”

 

[Soviet Panda]

Luther quickly took the bowl away from Davy and the probing tentacles of the Kraken, even with a phoenix feather it was easier to light things on fire when they were dry. He let the young man to reintroduce himself to everyone while Luther got ready to light the fire. He was about to strike the flint and steel when the one armed knight approached him, accusing him of tricking all present into throwing away their lives for nothing.

"Hope tends to make people do foolish things," he said before looking directly at the one armed knight with eyes of steel. "And if we are to fail, there will be no one left to remember us." And with that, sparks flew, and the fire was lit. "A slip of the hand," said the old man, whose hands had remained steady up until that very moment. "If you wish to leave in the morning, then I will not stop you, Roshar Blackheart." Luther practically whispered the name, a knowing smile turning the corner of his mouth upwards, Illumine once more whispering into his master's ear. "But I have a feeling you will not be leaving unless it's with Davy, so I welcome you. Now, let us have a meal and get some food in our bellies."

The remainder of the night was a fairly peaceful one, with only a handful of the infected throwing themselves into the wall of fire before promptly evaporating. The quality of the ingredients and the amplifying properties of the Stone were fully displayed during these events, this would surely be the best nights sleep the warriors had in some time, and quite possibly for some time to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sprawling city of Amberfall lay before the party as they crested a hill, the spindly towers looking to almost graze the few wispy clouds overhead. And even from where they stood they could hear it, the horrid moaning of hundreds of thousands of Plague victims.

From atop his wagon, Luther spoke. "There is but one person that still lives in Amberfall, and we are going to go meet her. Unlucky for us, her tower is close to the Academy of Demonology. The shortest and most direct route is through the southern gate, but even then it is still far into the interior of this city. I suggest we get ready now, and quickly cut our way to the tower before any abominations notices us. You could all ride on my wagon, but it will be a one way trip, and we will not be able to use it on our way out or for our travels. I leave it up to you Knights, as I'm sure you are all more capable of making a plan of attack than I."

 

[Viper Actual]

Arianne responded to Temperance with a curt nod. She would spend the remainder of the night near the others with Uzhkarok at her side.

In the morning, before the wall of fire was retracted, Arianne and Uzhkarok could be seen standing by it with their hands raised.

Unlike what others might guess they were in fact not trying to keep warm but were in fact doing something far more useful. Just before the fire was extinguished Uzhkarok grunted and nodded towards Arianne.

* * *
​

The city of Amberfall looked much like the other cities Arianne had seen. Desolate, ruined and filled with the undead.

As the wizard spoke she looked at him and when he was done she shook her head. "Save your wagon, wizard. Uzhkarok and I can clear a path for our main force."

Uzhkarok chuckled and made the flames erupting across his body intensify in color and size. Meanwhile Arianne pulled her sword out of its sheath, extending the blade towards Uzhkarok.

The demon grabbed the blade, causing it to ignite, before letting go.

"Who dare goes with me?" Asked Arianne with her chin raised.

 

[NanLia]

As the night descended Faelian felt her strength returning and the power within her bonded demon. It was a comfort to know that it would return, each morning when the sun started to rise and she felt it slowly decaying she couldn't help but worry it wouldn't come back to her. What would she ever do if she were not a Volhkvy? Certainly not return to the Dark City. She mused darkly. The others started to settled around the camp, tucking into whatever meals they had brought or settle down for rest. She did neither - she felt alive again, like herself. She found herself a quiet place to sit and rest as much as she would, letting Or'galok fade from sight so he could sulk around the encampment and listen in as much as he could to the others.

***

She stood atop the crest regarding the city they needed to traverse through the Sight Or'galok shared with her. She tilted her head slightly as the the Old One spoke about using his wagon for conveyance quickly followed by the Crimson Knight requesting allies to cut their way through the demon hordes below. "If we travel silently Or'galok can persuade the demons within the city to leave us be - save our strength and the cart for when we truly need it only." As she spoke her reaper-esque demon reappeared at her side. He grinned, slowly nodding. Not but a whisper escaping his pointed teeth. We go in silence. The weak minded demons will not know we tread through their territory.

 

[Ayama]

Aema Starag

Proficient - Summoner - Devotee

"I live to serve the Crow."​

--

Location: [The City of Amberfall]

With: [The rest of the party]

Mood: [Worried]

​

The young Knight from the Waking Sea introduced himself, though between this being his first time on land and his demon's curiosity, he was hard-pressed to sit still or stay focused, going immediately off on a tangent about food and wanting to eat fruit. The rude man who, apparently, was also of the Waking Sea, proceeded to call her irrelevant before rounding on Luther and accusing him of using them and leading them to their deaths. Aema's shock at the man's attitude was superseded by confusion.

This doesn't make sense, she thought. He came here to help, just like the rest of us, so why is he acting like this?

The man from the unknown Order removed his helmet and declared his commitment to their cause. From his words, his tone, and his scarred visage, it was clear that he had lost and suffered much. Still he did not deign to introduce himself, which made Aema nervous. Surely, there was no reason to keep his identity a secret? Vane then challenged the new arrival, asking if she'd ever been in a battle before. Aema bristled. Yes, it was possible that some here might be inexperienced in battle, but if the Knightly Orders had chosen to send them it should be more than sufficient for those present.

The Knight seemed unfazed though, going so far as to respond with a good-natured joke, and the moment passed. The rest of the evening went by uneventfully, save for the scattered attacks by infecteds once the flame circle had appeared. It bothered Aema that, come morning, the Knights of the Volhkvy, Waking Sea and unkown Order still had not revealed their names. After all, how were they supposed to work together otherwise? Luther had somehow known Roshar's name without him revealing it, and Aema had a feeling there was more to his story that she should be aware of, though she could not think of it.

The sight of Amberfall spreading out beneath them as they crested the hill, described in worrisome detail by Tezrian, pushed such concerns to the back of her mind, however. The person they sought was at the heart of an overrun city? Their quest was starting off with pure madness!

Lady Arianne made it worse, pulling out a flaming sword even as her demon turned into a flaming beacon at her side. Aema's mouth went wide with horror.

"Are you mad?!" she hissed, an edge of fear to her voice, "or do you wish us to be spotted by every infected within a league of here? Put it out!" On her shoulder, Tezrian was buzzing excitedly. The demon's true nature was one that relished in fighting and carnage, and Uzhkarok's display was agitating her, making her long for battle.

When the Volhkvy suggested using the power of her demon to cloak them instead, Aema thoroughly agreed, but felt confused.

"Are the infected not sluggish and inert during the day?" she asked. "I thought they usually remained inside and ventured out at sundown." She wondered how much she might be ignorant of now, having spent the better part of the last year holed up behind the walls of the Crow castle.

OOC: Suicide mission ;P ​

 

[walteryosmite]

Mother Haf'Gufa would give off annoyed borbles as the bowl was taken out of her reach, returning her wandering tentacles back to Davy's shoulders. Davy was intent on waiting for everyone to share and speak their names.. However, it appeared none found it necessary to create even that simplest of bond. "I've never met so many people this shy before. The only people aboard the Nautilus who refuse to give their names are stubborn or shy children." Davy would make this simple observation and then smiled warmly as Temperance began to speak to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He'd say, already deeming her his favorite as she even joined in on his question of foods. "Apples?" He'd ask, sitting up with a wave of curiosity rolling across his face. The mother of the deep would also show signs of a shifting mood as Davy clearly grew excited, her tendrils moving about much less slowly and more in search of something to discover. "Are those the red ones? I've seen those in the books mother showed me. She always said those were her favorites.." He'd muse as he finally leaned back to relax near the fire.

His excitement would wash away in one moment as he heard Roshar speak his mind. The smile on Davy's face would begin to look more and more forced as the older man's gaze would linger on him personally. Mother Haf'Gufa began a demon's glare at the older man, the wrapping of her tentacles around Davy's shoulders and upper arms showed the tension in the both of them. However, Davy's frustration was snapped away with the ignition of the wall of fire... realizing what he was doing he would glance back to the kraken and smiled worriedly. "Forgive me, mother." He'd say as he felt her grip only tightening on him as he raised his arm to lightly stroke the side of her large head. "I am calm, mother. I am calm." He'd say in his most soothing voice... The kraken noticeably snapped out of her own anger right on queue with Davy's shift in body language....

Oh good... another grumpy bastard decided to stick his nose where it didn't belong. Davy's calm face would snap back into annoyed, his eyes closing as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "Do everyone and yourself a favor, old knight... If you plan to speak as ignorantly as Roshar... then keep your own mouth shut." Davy's childlike demeanor would shift ever so slightly. "I can't believe two of the oldest people here are actually this blind. Do the both of you truly believe that every order would send people they did not trust to accomplish the last hope of humanity?" Davy's frustration manifested in his voice as it grew more and more stern. The Kraken on his back would once again manifest his emotions, gripping his body as dark clouds would begin to form in the sky above the firey wall. The first crack of thunder would snap Davy out of it, once again. "H-Haf'Gufa! C-calm down!" He'd seemed far more panicked this time as he turned to grab her tendrils and tried to loosen her hold... "Mother! It's okay! It's okay..." He'd tried to speak as soothingly as possible, the first sprinkles of rain striking the fire barrier before slowing to a light mist before it could grow into the torrential downpour it threatened to become. The Mother of the Deep would remain ever so slightly tense as she stared between the two older men who spoke as though trying to prove something. "Stop trying to provoke people..." He'd say as calmly as he could towards the group. "Keep peace amongst us... Or leave... We don't need people who are simply going to drag the rest of us down with their negative emotions." Davy would sit back against the jar on his back and closed his eyes. Whether someone spoke to him or not... he needed to keep his mind as clear as possible.. doing his best to ignore Roshar and the slayer knight and potentially any other negative comments for the rest of the night.

-----------
Come morning the group would have already been on their way to their first destination. Davy's head was on a constant swivel as his childish demeanor had returned by sun-up. In awe of the nature around them, Mother Haf'Gufa was also in brighter spirits. However, when it came time to crest the final hill the group would march no more. They would stare upon the decrepit city, filled with the horrible moans of those who were once human.

Take the cart with them.... leave it for later travels...... Go in in a blaze of glory..... sneak in with the cover of a sly tongue.. So many options... so many people seemed already ready to act. "May we keep the cart for later travels? So we may use it for resting while moving on a later date?" He'd ask the wizard and then let his gaze snap between those who already spoke their plans. Looking towards the woman and her fire blade he would cock his head. "Do we wish to slay every infected in the town?" He'd ask them and then turned towards the woman and her sly tongued demon. "Do your words trick even the infected?" He'd ask as he turned looked among the rest of the group who had yet to speak up. He would have nothing to put in favor of a plan, his own experience with combat with those of monsters of the ocean... Not much help when it comes to dealing with the infected. "Can someone explain the infection as simply as possible.. I'm not as familiar with it as I would like to be." He'd smile softly as he hoped the party would do him the courtesy of teaching him this simple request.

 

[OverconfidentMagi]

Roshar's eye narrowed at the old man using a name from his past. "Careful," he warned. "I hear the plagued find the brains of men that think themselves smart the most delicious." He glanced at the roaring wall of flame. "Sword," he commanded under his breath, waiting a moment longer before leaning back and sticking his hand and arm through the wall, causing it to part like an inverted waterfall of fire. Roshar was as nonreactive doing this as he had been to all but Luther's bringing up the Blackheart, but a scent of burning flesh seeped into the air, and the ground seemed to writhe as if something beneath was twisting in pain. He brought his blade through above his arm so as not to burn it, only after bothering to remove his arm from the heat and flames. Somehow his sleeve wasn't so much as singed, but something had certainly been burned.

"You done bitching?" This from one of the armored knights almost earned the speaker Roshar's approval. It also almost convinced him to dislike the man, though those two things were not mutually exclusive to Roshar. The man telling Davy to shut it and questioning the experience of those present pushing him firmly towards approval. Unfortunately, the female knights response only proved to him that this band of fools was utterly without hope of survival. Roshar was nearly unable to maintain his stony demeanor, so close did the stupidity of her answer come to drawing a pained groan from his throat. Perhaps it would be more bearable to step out of the circle and let the plagued end him.

Roshar's eye fell on Davy as the boy threw a tantrum in response to the rather tame, and entirely warranted, doubts and insults being thrown around the circle of standing, though mostly fallen, stones. "The orders? The second you took your first step onto this land your precious order became meaningless. I don't care about the order, I care that the child before me is still unable to keep his emotions in check at mere wordplay, yet he thinks himself prepared to face the horrors of the plague. Lose your mind on the battlefield and your life will follow." He moved to grab food before returning to sit as near to the wall of flame as he could without singeing his back. "Don't make me have to dig your grave," he said in a quieter voice before turning away to eat and then sleep.


"The crow girl is right this time," Roshar glowered down at the fiery woman and her equally eager to die demon. "You must be mad or just an idiot. Now douse that sword before I lose my last pretense of chivalry and toss you into that wagon."

His threat came off as somewhat hollow, his attention slipping back to the city before he'd even finished speaking. Roshar could barely look away from the city, the sight and the sound even moreso filling his mind with terrible memories he'd spent decades running from. These green knights were eager to rush in to battle with the plague, and all he wanted was to leave them to do it. He'd already paid this price, walked away with regret and nightmares, come to hate himself more than the plague itself. These children didn't yet understand. The worst of the plague wasn't the abominations that had the strength and cunning to wipe out scores of unprepared knights. Those were the easy ones. Those ones didn't show back up in nightmares.

"Eyes and Smiley are right," he finally said when he pulled his head back out of listening to that horrible moaning. "We don't need to exterminate the plagued, just pass by. We should avoid attracting attention to ourselves, only fight defensively, when necessary and quietly." He stressed the last word. "I am not up for having every monster and its mother in that forsaken shadow of a city crawling down my back."

 

[Midrick]

Richter sat and listened, the maple knight said she knew what she was doing, he only hoped for her sake that she was telling the truth. Davey's 'little' outburst concerned him, not because he feared him, but his lack of control could be a detriment if they got into a fight with the infected, although he had never personally engaged an infected individual, he heard from the older slayer knights that they were extremely dangerous and not to be underestimated. Roshar had gone back to his condescension, which to be honest, was pretty entertaining from Richter's point of view.

Richter gathered his belongings and threw them into Luther's wagon, if it was there he might as well use it, besides, the less he was weighed down, the better. "Alright, let's get this started shall we?" He said as he rested his drawn sword on his shoulder, Ka'Bandha had also risen and loped over to Richter. The demon flexed its neck side to side, two monstrous sets of pops sounded with each bend. When the proposal of avoidance was brought up, he could feel Ka'Bandha roll his eyes and irritably flex his fists. If it was one thing his demon loved to do it was fight, and he wasn't to keen on being told to do the opposite. But Richter wasn't to keen on dying, so they would sneak. "Who'll take point with me?" He said as he surveyed the rest of the assembled knights.

 

[LavenderTea]

Temperance yanked off her helmet as the group crested the hill and became witness to the remains of Amberfall, and the sounds of its victims. A frown marred her face as she listened, her hand tightening its grip on her helmet. If she had to guess the total behind the chorus of moaning, it had to be in the thousands. All those people… it really put more perspective on the importance of this mission. Sadness welled in her chest, that, and sympathy. Bowing her head, the Maple Knight closed her eyes and murmured a prayer to the Goddess. She asked for quick and merciful deaths to the Infected they would come across, protection from the plague victims, and guidance to help the group through its task. This was the only moment she would allow herself to feel anything towards the Infected. Empathy and pity could get her killed if she wasn’t careful, Sir Ralphwolf had certainly knocked that into her head with a few strikes of a pommel. The people these victims were, were long gone now.

Ending her silent prayer, Temperance found herself amidst a discussion as to how to proceed. Fighting, sneaking, offense, defense, the experiences of these knights were showing more clearly now, and she found herself glad to be a part of it. Sadness was buried underneath the weight of her excitement as she listened to the knights come up with ideas and defended their choices. Shifting her gaze once more to Amberfall, this time Temperance took in its layout. She had never been to Amberfall before, and that ignorance could prove fatal if they moved in rashly. The Order of the Maple was known for its zealous defense, and that came partly because they knew their lands as deeply and intimately as they knew the scars that adorned their bodies. Even if the Infected were considered mindless, they still had the upper hand in occupying the city. If the knights got caught or forced into a dead-end, they would be overwhelmed.

A tiny hand was pressed into her cheek, and Temperance found herself relieved. She shifted her helmet to her hip and used her other hand to lift Susina up to be within eye level. “Thank you, my friend.” She whispered, and the dryad acknowledged her by giving a twirl of her leaf skirts.

Temperance settled her companion upon her breastplate before realizing that no one had answered Davy’s question yet. The redhead rounded over to the younger knight of the Waking Sea and held up a hand to her mouth as if keeping it a secret between them. “The Infected are victims of the plague, more monster than human. Take note, the only way to kill them is by removing their head or burning them. Otherwise they can heal their injuries and keep going.” She paused, considering her next words carefully, “Most of them are pretty simple, but I’ve heard from the older knights that there are other rare Infected that really are like monsters! Hopefully we don’t find any of those today.” Temperance provided a comforting grin and gave a nod to Davy before following in step behind Richter.

Excitement bristled across her face once more as Temperance this time spoke to Arianne, “I greatly admire your courage, Lady Knight! But I agree with the other knights, I think it would be best to save as many resources as we can and move defensively instead.”

The Maple Knight took a moment to twist up her long red hair, before donning her helmet. Susina felt like a second heart, as the dryad wiggled herself underneath the steel of her chest plate. “I would like to take point with you, if that’s alright.” This time her words were for Richter as she lowered her visor and shifted her shield from her back to her arm. She could already tell that many of the knights here were leagues above her in offensive ability. But that was not why she was here. Like her order, defense was Temperance’s calling. She was here to protect Luther and the other knights. If she could give them the opportunity to strike cleanly then her job would be fulfilled.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Luther smiled warmly as Davy suggested leaving the cart behind to be used at a later date. "I thank you. It took me years to gather those books. And I'm sure the horse is grateful for you as well." As he spoke, he rummaged around in said wagon before pulling out a short sword to pair with his staff. Climbing down, he looks towards the others and began answering the question that was left unanswered, the question that Aema had asked.

"In some regions of the world such as the desert, this is true. However, even if we were in the desert the Order of the Deep One call home, there is something about Amberfall that does something to them. It has called every Infected to this one place for miles around, and I very much doubt one would notice a single woman with her sword and demon ablaze." He nodded respectively towards Arianne and her demon, letting her know that, despite what the others were saying, she was bringing no real harm to them.

"Cast your spell, Or'galok. I trust in your ability, that being said I do not wish to press our luck. Those that wish to lead, lead on." With that, he whispered to Illumine who quickly took wing and flew towards the city. "She will know we are coming, for better or for worse."

As they approached the city, the cacophony of noise seemed to get louder and louder until they passed through the gate, when all noise cut off completely. Even with the spell Or'galok cast and the Infected's known stupidity, it was easy to feel like their entrance had not gone unnoticed. But for the time being, the streets were relatively empty. There was a handful of Infected scattered around the immediate area, none of them having appeared to notice the troupe of knights.

 

[Viper Actual]

Arianne's expression remained neutral even as some of the other knights disregarded her plan in favor of their own ones. She nodded towards Temperance as a silent 'thank you' for at least not being insulting about it and when Luther, the wizard, spoke she bowed her head gently.
If stealth was determined to be the favored plan of advance then she would obey- there was no reason for her to argue against it. She just hoped that the others knew what they were doing. Dispatching single infected individuals is a far less daunting task in comparison to the one that lies ahead of us.

With a quick glance and a nod from Uzhkarok the lady knight looked at Luther and spoke. "I wish to take the lead. Should our presence be revealed the dead will have to claw their way through my fire."

Once the party was inside the city Arianne's eyes darted back and forth. She was no stranger to combat though admittedly this peculiar situation was something of a new experience for her. There was a reason for avoiding the great cities. Let us hope that Amberfall does not wish to teach us a lesson.

Arianne glanced over her shoulder. "Looks like we may be able to press on for quite the distance though I am concerned regarding possible routes for retreat."

 

[NanLia]

Faelin listened to the continued debate, surprised at the number of warrior from other Orders would choose combat so quickly. She thought perhaps those from the Dark City erred on the side of caution due to their nature but when several others, including one that had arrived angered and blustered the day before, she knew she hadn't been wrong in her assessment. The majority didn't know the city layout. They weren't aware of the sheer numbers within the buildings, even with Luther's warning about the significance to this place even he couldn't surmise a total. She had confidence in Or'galoks ability to keep the Fouled at bay. She would trust him with her life at any time but she did not trust the other Knights to make good on her warning of silence.

"Go Or'galok." She commanded, the grinning apparition of a demon hissed a complaint for her ears only. "Leave me with my own sight, little as it may be. You'll need all your strength to keep our movements hidden. Faelin wondered for a moment if he would disobey. Never once in their years together had he ever second guessed her command but after a long minute of silents he bowed his head and disappeared from sight, the last tendrils of dark wispy form dissipating in the growing heat of the day.

She felt his Sight leave her, the blindfold now leaving her with nothing she didn't have a choice but to remove it in order to see for herself. It was painful, the light of the day burning her eyes, causing them to water. As the other readied themselves to travel into the city she did as well, donning her horned helm and thick leather cap and gloves over her Volkhvy robes, her long thin sword never leaving her side.

Faelin descended into the city keeping herself towards the middle of the group of knights. She would be no service at the front with diminished sight nor at the rear. She glowered at the fire knight as she started to speak, after she had been warned that noise at all would signal their presence. It wouldn't do them any good if she were to answer, instead she hissed at the knight to remain quiet from behind her own helm, hoping it would be enough for the others to understand.

 

[Ayama]

Aema Starag

Proficient - Summoner - Devotee

"I live to serve the Crow."​

--

Location: [Amberfall]

With: [The group]

Mood: [Nervous]

​

Just as she was worrying about her own ignorance, Davy spoke up plainly, asking questions about the infected. Aema didn't want to reveal any more about her lack of knowledge than she had to (considering what Order she belonged to, it was quite shameful for her), so she was grateful that he had posed the questions.

Roshar sided with her on the matter of flames attracting the infected, but the manner in which he did so was so insulting that it made her ashamed to have him defend her opinion. Brother Vane offered to take point, which Aema thought was quite brave, considering. He was joined by the Knight of the Order of the Maple.

Luther's explanation, though clearly meant to reassure her, did just the opposite. Some mysterious power drew every infected to this place? And because of this he thought that a flaming demon and flaming sword would not be noticed? What kind of logic was that? And just with that, they were already moving forward.

Aema, staying near the middle of the group near the Knight of the Volhkvy, could not help but feel nervous. What if the demon's magic was not sufficient to cloak them? What if some infected simply weren't affected by the spell? What if what drew them here made them stronger and more dangerous than normal? What if-

Tezrian did very little to reassure her, describing the streets and the infected in detail, and going on at length about what an impressive and gratifying sight Lady Arianne and Uzhkarok made, likening them to a flaming beacon at the head of the column, unafraid of battle and actively lusting for blood and seeking it out.

Aema knew this last part was Tezrian projecting her and Ukhkarok's preferences onto the Lady Arianne, but it didn't change the fact that, spell or no spell, those Aema feared would give away their presence here were exactly in the correct position to do so. If the spell failed to extend to the front of the column...

Aema, needing little to no directions from Tezrian on obstacles due to walking through a city and being in the middle of the group, instead focused on what she could hear. A slight breeze coursed through the streets, and occasionally she would hear a creaking or tapping of wood (door, shutter, sign...) against stone.

What she really was listening for was the infected. She heard them shuffling nearby, sometimes moaning softly. She was on high alert, straining, waiting for the moment when these sounds would become aggressive and nearer to them. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and tried to calm down, with little to no success.

You are a Proficient of the Second Wing in the Order of the Crow, she sternly reminded herself. You command a fearsome demon. It is your job to find and eradicate the source of this plague and restore the Crow's name. You were chosen for this. The Order is counting on you.

She took a deep breath, steadying her pulse and bringing back her calm focus. She was able to find the detached observer she was meant to be within, accurately recording details of what she heard and what she was told, for later record and use, without fear or emotion getting in the way.

OOC: Hope they don't get attacked ;P ​

 

[walteryosmite]

Davy would look between the other knights, listening to them all talk before the massive woman began to answer his question. He would stare up at the woman as she spoke, whispering her answer to him as though he was never supposed to find out. Little did he know that Aema needed to know too, surely she listened in on the answer as well. He'd listen to the woman, glancing down at his weapon as she spoke, the fishing spear would likely not be the best at decapitating their targets. However, he knew better than to think he'd be their strongest fighter. Regardless of his experience, or lack of, in land combat he was not the strongest physically amongst them. Judging by their group, he simply could not say who that would be.. nor did he truly care. With Temperance finishing her words he would pull his weapon from his back and rest the bottom of the pole against the ground. "I understand." He'd say shortly to the tall woman in armor and then smiled. "Thank you. The insight will surely help." He'd bow his head slightly and then glanced off towards the city. "Plague.... I suppose that means touching them with bare skin is not the best choice." He'd state simply happy that his weapon of choice was as long as it was versatile.

It appeared as though the group had come to terms with their plan. The spectre among them would be dispatched to release his spell. While the woman on fire seemed to nod in agreement to their decision as a group. At least this part was, in some way, civil.

With Luther looking to Davy and thanking him for his consideration, he would smile up at him and nod. "Of course! Surely this creature wouldn't have enjoyed being amongst those monsters. They are quite skittish, are they not? It would only make our attempts at stealth all the harder.." he'd pause for a moment and then jumped slightly "Oh, but yes! Your books too. We wouldn't want those being destroyed either." he'd laugh nervously as he seemed to almost completely skip over the sentiment.

Soon the party would be on the move yet again, Davy remained in the back for no other reason than to be allowed to keep his head on a swivel. With the party in front of him he seemed to have some trouble seeing over some people.. but he still absorbed what he could from their surroundings. That sound, oh that sound. It would dig into his ears so quickly and it certainly did good work on making him uneasy. Though, the calming touch of Haf'gufa would pull him from his worried thoughts. He could actually see the waves of unease crashing into Aema right before his eyes.. and for such good reason. The moment the first of them entered the city limits he could hear again..... Wait... he could hear again. This reminded him of his time through the wilderness.. the moment the forest grew quiet was when danger was afoot. He noticibly tensed up, readying himself so he could react at any moment. His spear now in both hands as he made sure not to trip over any of the loose clutter and garbage of a not so deserted city. With a slow deep breath he would do his best to calm his nerves... It worked for the most part, though he refused to lower his guard entirely. Perhaps this was an aspect of Haf'Gufa's emotions... her own hold on Davy was stern and almost protective as they moved along, making sure that no water was left in the jar to make noise, this would be the largest Haf'Gufa could be without use of more water, filling her jar to the brim, much the same as the water did the previous day. What would be waiting for them? Would one of those other variants of the infected be here? Would he be able to work how he wanted among a party? Part of him was doubting how this would go, though the rest of him was almost itching for a chance to blow of some steam and energy. The nervous smile was growing ever so slowly on his face... He was eager to say the least.

 

[PhantomSamurai]

Marcus elected to say nothing instead gripped the handle of his sword which was now sheathed on his back and followed the others. "look at all these wretched souls out here just waiting to be released from their mortal shells" came Azagogs raspy voice in his ear, Marcus sighed and waved his hand to tell the demon to be quiet. "oh dont worry about me big fella they cant hear me, worry about your big clinking armor attracting them first" he continues placing a hand on Marcus's shoulder.

Marcus gripped the handle of his sword even tighter preparing himself for the attack that could come at any moment, he was not nervous though in fact it was quite the opposite, he was anxious he wanted to tear apart as many infected as he could. The grip he had on his word handle tightened, "ohhhhh someone is ready for a fight, by the way I have a present for you, you big violent brute" rasps Azagog, the demon reaches into his robe producing three blood red corked bottles. The demon hands them to Marcus over his shoulder, Marcus grabs them all in his large free hand and looks at them they seemed to be pretty heavy for their size and something seemed to be swirling around inside.

"what the hell are these, what are you up too?" he whispers "dont worry it's not poison i still need you around, at least for awhile. Now these bad boys.." the demon starts pointing to the bottles "are souls but not just any souls no these souls are those of warriors from years past. Very violent, very brutal, and very strong" the demon continues. "I collected them as payment for the same deal I have with you but ive taken them and mixed them with some of my demon magic and now they can be used to augment your physical strength to levels unheard of for a brief period of time" he says gripping Marcus's shoulder tight licking his lips.

"Augment my strength?" He whispers back "oh yes these beauties will will turn you into an absolute monster one could say you may even become demonic? Hehe. I have a lot of souls that can be used for various things but for now these will do just smash them against your chest when it's time and hold on" the demon finishes chuckling before disappearing again. Marcus looks at the bottles once more before stuffing them into his chest piece.

 

[LavenderTea]

With the decision made and the group in somewhat agreement, Temperance did as she claimed and took point for the group. With shield in arm and hand steadied on the hilt of her blade, she took some of the first steps through Amberfall’s gate. The wave of silence that crested over her, felt even more overbearing against the ruckus she had been wading through just moments before. Suddenly she was more aware of every clink and clack of her metal plates and leather straps. She could practically see the dull shrrk sound come off her chainmail, which tugged against her joints as she walked. It was unnerving. She knew she couldn’t be any louder than just moments ago, cresting the hill, but this city could make a pin drop seem like a crack of a whip.

Temperance let out a slow breath, fingers curling a bit tighter around the hilt of her blade as she surveyed the area a moment before leading on. The only blessing she could surmise out of the situation was at least it was easy to maneuver. Temperance was so used to the knotted roots and shrub filled forests of her home, that the straight and carved out streets were a godsend to move through silently. Here she could measure each step, decide how her weight should land before moving on. She trusted her companion and her contract’s spell, but the Knights she had studied under had beat a good sense of paranoia into her. She knew something, or anything, could go wrong at a moment’s notice. The few infected they seemed to come across at least didn’t seem to take any interest in them, and that helped to soothe the Maple Knight’s trilling heart beat.

She recited a prayer in her head as they trudged along the abandoned streets and kept tabs of their surroundings. Susina had already began to dig her roots in beneath Temperance’s breast plate as if in preparation, and the knight wished she could verbally thank her, but didn’t dare try to raise her voice. Temperance had to admit, she was a little scared that one off sound would break the spell completely. But that wasn’t a way to think about it! She would trust her companions, and she would protect them! No matter the cost, no matter the amount of enemies, for the Goddess and her home, she would help this group succeed!

 

[Soviet Panda]

Luther quietly advanced to the front of the group, so as to lead the way. The knights he passed, he put a reassuring hand on their shoulder, letting them know that they would be okay. Or at least giving them the feeling that was how it was going to be. "Lady Haldas, smother your flame, there are more eyes in the city." he whispered to the Knight of the Crimson Blade as he finally passed her. "You'll have your chance to burn soon enough."

As they progressed deeper into the city, the number of Infected slowly grew. Where there was once a few scattered in the street, there were now small handfuls, with more lurking in the alley ways. While they could still weave their way around each cluster, it was becoming more and more difficult with each passing street corner. At one such corner, Luther was forced to lash out with his short sword, quickly catching the crumpling body with his staff, but he could not catch the departed head. He froze as the head squelched wetly against the cobblestone street, quickly scanning the nearby infected. They had not seemed to notice, but it was not wise to press their luck. And so, he ushered the party deeper and deeper into the city.

 

[Viper Actual]

When one of the knights hissed at her to remain quiet Arianne furrowed her eyebrows. Surely this magic was powerful enough to not beytray our whispers?
Regardless, she lowered her voice to a mere whisper- just in case.

Arianne glanced at Luther when the wizard spoke to her. Her expression remained unchanged as she nodded. In turn she nodded towards Uzhkarok and made a downward motion with her hand.

Uzhkarok frowned but complied. His flames grew less intense and his glow faded to that of a campfire seen miles away.

At the same time Arianne's blade faded as well with its metallic surface appearing to be covered in a million embers. It looked quite beautiful.

Progressing deeper into Amberfall made things far more challenging. Arianne tensed up as Luther clumsily dispatched one of the infected though luckily the others did not react to the event.

Moving on, Arianne soon found herself in need of her sword as another infected stumbled out onto the street from the cover of a abandoned wagon.

Quickly, Arianne struck the being several times in its chest while moving forward. As her blade plunged through its body she grabbed hold of its attire- a worn tunic stained with blood- to control the body on the way down.

Taking its last, gurgling, breaths Arianne quietly eased the being down onto the ground before pulling out her blade. A pair of bony hands reached up towards her just as a final vertical slash separated the head from its body, sending the infected to its final rest.

Uzhkarok clicked his tongue upon witnessing the kill though Arianne herself ignored it. She glanced at the others and nodded to signal that she was intact.

 

[Ayama]

Aema Starag

Proficient - Summoner - Devotee

"I live to serve the Crow."​

--

Location: [Amberfall]

With: [The others]

Mood: [Worried]

​

They progressed further into the city without incident, each member of the group tense and alert. Aema frowned when Tezrian buzzed in her ear.

Azagog has presented his master with three bottled evil souls- they will turn him into a Berserker if he uses them. Aema's eyes went wide with horror.

He wouldn't actually use them though, would he? Something like that would attract every infected in the city straight to us! Tezrian gave the buzzing equivalent of a shrug.

I've long since given up on predicting what Azagog and his masters will or won't do. Aema bit her lip, worry mounting within her. The armored knights clanked at the head of the column and, even though she knew they were concealed from notice by the Volhkvy's spell, it still made her nervous.

Luther passed them, and the fact that most of the group seemed to be attempting to be first in line, even though it might have meant they simply wanted to be the first line of defense and protect everyone, did little to reassure her. She feared that most of them might be bloodthirsty rather than cautious, and worried that they would cost them the success of the mission, and possibly their lives.

Aema frowned when Luther instructed the Lady Arianne to conceal her flame- why had he not done so earlier? Why had he stated earlier that it was not a problem, letting them enter the city with a flaming beacon at the head of the column, and only now did he ask her to do something about this? What game was he playing?

A short while later, as the number of infected grew, Luther dispatched one rather noisily. The whole column held its collective breath, waiting to see if there would be a reaction from the others, but they didn't seem to notice. The Knight of the Crimson Blades did the same, though far more skillfully.

Aema couldn't help but notice that the infected were a lot more numerous now, and wondered how long it would take for them to take notice of the group due simply to a lack of space. She hissed towards the front of the column, hoping her voice would not carry

"Luther! How much further?"

She could feel Tezrian buzzing excitedly near her ear and knew that, though she did not want their cover to fail, the demon was longing for carnage.

OOC: Dun dun DUNNNNN ;P ​

 

[walteryosmite]

Davy was somewhat surprised to see how tense the rest of the party was. Thank god he wasn't the only one. He hadn't even realized that luther had still been behind him... and when it came time for the man to move past everyone to get towards the front he couldn't help but tense up at the unfamiliar touch on his shoulder. A warm hand touching his shoulder was not something he was ready to receive as Haf'Gufa was his comforting embrace in this stressful experience. He had truly flinched when Luther had made contact, now patting his chest slightly to calm his panicking heart... He was just glad he hadn't swung out of reflex. He had quite the view from the back, seeing two of the plague victims being dispatched with varying skill. He was still somewhat in a bit of a frazzle from the unintended shock that he hadn't noticed just how many of the infected were around them. How insanely quiet the whole town was, safe for moments here and there of the quiet shuffling of undead-like footsteps.

With his heartbeat finally coming back to him he had come to realize just how many of the undead they had passed.. that uneasy feeling of being surrounded was all too familiar. Life at sea, there was a time where he feared the ocean, even if it was a fleeting thought, it would never truly leave his mind.. The idea that you are constantly besieged from all sides was horrific to imagine.. Though, now, he was facing a foe he was not familiar with.. in a terrain he had only just first experienced. These towns were so much different to the Nautilus... building of stone and wood.. Roads of cobble, shops full of dusty materials. The ever looming sense of dread; that feeling of knowing that a whole civilization once existed here within his own lifetime. He was so distracted, he hadn't noticed the infected walking out from a doorway just as he was stepping in front of it.

The movement broke him from his trance-like thinking, his eyes turning to see the infected reaching blindly in front of itself. Was it a man? A woman? There was nothing to discern now? Why did he care? His moment of shock, again, was over as he saw the infected open its mouth. Sound.. He feared it intended to make noise even as it loomed over him. He was at the back of the pack, which meant he had to deal with it the best he could without alerting the others and everything around him. With the distance so short it would be hard to stop its noise without closing it's mouth. With a agile step back he'd steady himself on his back foot and kicked his other straight upwards... Though the infected was taller than him, his sandal made a clean connection under its jaw. Slamming its mouth shut and breaking its means to bite... "Regenerating wounds... right." He thought to himself... such a clean hit would have knocked any human out... but this was no human. The infected would stumble back, its already unsteady balance pushed over the edge as it was now falling backwards. "Mother." His voice was as quiet as could be. The kraken would respond to her nickname with clean understanding of his intentions, wrapping a tentacle around the pole of his spear, the two would reach out past the undead to pierce its body with the barbed hook on the back of the fishing spear. With help from the kraken, he would slow the fall of the infected enough to keep it from making a ton of noise. "Severe the head." He reminded himself, ripping the hook out of the shoulder blade of the infected before stepping on its chest to gain a better angle. With Haf'gufa still wrapped around the hook, she would add her help to the attack. Her dexterity was leagues higher than any human, the muscle control of any kraken was able to pick up a baby rat without crushing it at their largest size. With their combined strength they would drive the fishing spear into the plague victim's neck, wedging the sharpened weapon between the vertebra and severing the spinal cord... With the force behind it, Haf'Gufa would keep the metal spear tip from pushing past the other side of the infected's neck.

Davy was now out of breath... excitement plastered on his face as he finally had his chance to blow off some steam. "They seem rather dumb." He thought to himself as he pulled his spear from the lifeless body... Glancing back towards the group he would do his best to catch back up, occasionally glancing back towards the now dead body. Part of him felt sad to do such a thing to what once looked like a human, but the rest of him was happy to put them out of their misery.

As he turned his attention back towards the group he was somewhat wondering if anyone of them had seen that... as it wasn't his most clean kill.

 

[OverconfidentMagi]

Roshar had grown uncharacteristically silent as the group approached the city, not even touching the ground with his cane as they reached the cobblestone streets. His normally overbearing presence had simply been extinguished like a blown out candle flame. No speaking, no sound of footsteps, even his heartbeat had slowed. It would have appeared to anyone sensible that Roshar was the most calm member of the group as they moved deeper into the city. But his heart was not stilled by calm, it was chilled by an overwhelming dread. Roshar, the Blackheart, responsible for more death and destruction than he could keep track of, was afraid.

The thing he feared came to pass. Luther, spry for an old man, intercepted the first of the infected unfortunate enough to stumble into the group's path. The disembodied head hit the ground and rolled a short ways before coming to rest. Roshar stared at the head, seeing the face of an old drinking buddy, twisted in inhuman rage, flames all around, his sword finding the man's mouth. It had taken no physical effort to make the cut that separated the top half of the head from the rest, but the emotional effort had nearly broken his spirit. Eventually, it had. Roshar lowered his head as he passed the resting place of the infected's decapitated head. "Find peace now," he spoke to the dead, and then continued walking.

The first infected had been lucky. Despite his appearance, Luther knew how to use the sword in his hand. He'd cleanly dispatched the infected, an instant death with no unnecessary suffering. Even with the noise the dropping head had caused, even in their current circumstances, Roshar would not look upon the man unfavorably for his actions.

The second infected was not lucky. It was the woman with the flaming sword that caught it. Shallow cuts, the hiss of spoiled blood touching hot metal... Roshar gripped his cane tightly. It had not been an instant death. In its final moments, the infected had felt pain. He simply shook his head as he passed by the mangled corpse left in the groups' wake. He had no gentle words for this soul, only harsh ones saved for the woman responsible, if he could only speak them aloud. It was more likely he never would, not in their entirety. That would be too close to opening up. He'd simply scold her, tell her to do better, and shoo her away without saying why. That was how it always went.

He turned back to the scent of dying behind him. Davy was standing over an infected, spear deep in its neck. Dead. The boy was high on sweat and adrenaline, the look on his face that of excitement. He'd killed an infected, all on his own. Roshar remembered that feeling. It destroyed him. Davy pulled his spear from the corpse and looked to the rest of the group as Roshar watched. The look in his eyes was the saddest the boy would have ever seen, but it was not aimed at him. It was for the dead.

The monster stirred at the smells of death all around, but the spoiled blood of the infected was not what the thing hungered for. Roshar was able to ignore the thing for now. If he let his monster out, any chance of passing through the city with stealth would be evaporated as fast as the infected blood on that woman's sword.

He followed in silence, each infected put down reminding him of his own sins. The face of a friend, an acquaintance, a complete stranger, all dead at his hand. He hated the people that had let themselves succumb to the plague, he hated the people that had made him kill, he hated the people around him now that thought nothing of the people they cut down, but most of all, he hated himself for this feeling. Let others do the slaughtering for once. Roshar blocked out the death around him, contained the monster inside him, and followed in silence.

 

[PhantomSamurai]

Marcus followed the group keeping quiet, he watched as a few others engaged some of the infected in the near area. "let's play, come on big guy get in there and do some damage you could take them on with just your fists" the demon said in his ear, Marcus simply shook his head "I'm not going to go on a rampage and attract every infected in the area" he says making sure to keep his voice low. "You are no fun, no fun at all" the demon says before disappearing again, the wretched being was right though he could take on most infected with his fists alone considering how layered his armor was and he did want to fight but it would do no good to start a huge brawl now.

it was crazy to think all these were once regular humans who were going on with their daily lives before succumbing to the plague that now ravaged the area. They would all have to be purged every single being that once called this place home would have to be destroyed, he sighed and continued on with the group.

 

[Midrick]

Richter looked at the shambling abominations that surrounded them, not a threat individually, but simple minds also thought alike, they were more than likely to use swarm tactics, and lucky for him he was good at taking on multiple enemies at once. As they progressed the other knights started to kill the infected that were becoming to numerous to simply avoid, some had fucked up and taken longer than needed on their kills, mostly because they were using weapons unsuited for close range stealth. He shook his head when he saw the woman with the flaming sword and Davy use unneeded energy for such a simple task, Richter removed a Rondel dagger from his belt, the infected that had come into his path had not noticed him and he shoved the pointed blade into the area in front of the ear where the skull was thinnest, and hooked an arm around the infected, almost like he was cradling it as he lowered it silently to the ground.

Richter repeated this action for every infected he could not avoid, trying to conserve as much energy as possible, it wasn't worth the effort to use a sword or larger weapon when a simple thrust would do, they might need to fight hard if any of the nightmare beasts that he had heard about decided to show up in the city. He had downed another infected and this time he repeated the process of lowering them to the ground, he added an extra step of wiping the blade on whatever scrap of clothing the unfortunate victim of the infection had on. 'Bloody blades cause savage pain', it was drilled into recruits that they keep their blades dry whenever they had the chance, a slick blade could slip when hitting flesh or a target, and blood running down the handgrip could make it hard to grasp, and the muscle memory of training had taken over as Richter smeared the black ichor on the rancid shirt of a dead man.

Richter dropped back from his position up front to match the pace of the wizard, Luther. "Any idea how much farther we've got to go?" he asked in a whisper he assumed that the infected reacted more to sound, seeing as he had been able to approach most of them within their sight lines. For one thing, he would rather not be caught in an infested city during nightfall with god knows what waking up to stalk the darkness.

Soviet Panda