Fantasy World of Gea: The Greatest Adventure [IC] [CLOSED]

[Breadman]

"I'm afraid that he managed to swing an axe at ser Gewain and deliver a serious blow." Waylond said with a tinge of shame in his voice "Luckily, he is far harder to kill than he may look."

 

[Roda the Red]

Syll couldn't help but feel a little dissapointed when the trainer told them it was about time to stop the flight, not really all that much for himself, but rather Grunde looked like they were enjoying themselves so much it was a bit disheartening having to stop. But truth is they had already arrived to the stable fairly late...Also speaking of rides, Syll was a bit worried the others would try to make him pay for all four griffins, but they would never make him do that...right?

Upon landing, they were greeted by a few members of the company...and wait a minute, was that a wraith behind them?

Syll listened silently to all they had to say... And it was not good. The Cult of Nyarlaexedum, an extremely infamous group that worshipped the biggest threat in all of Gea and also practiced forbidden arts. Syllannan knew them somewhat well, he had studied all books he could gather about the cult, even if they were barely a few available, after all it was their fault for what happened to her... Syll doubted for a second on what to respond, but Gawain's words were sound, if they were looking for Sentry, they couldn't just sit idly and wait for another attack, they had to go on the offensive, even if they already had their hands full with a Redcap wannabe.

He was also pretty worried about what he heard of the Skæglin looking for Kastalli, Syll remembered what she mentioned back at the Inn about their intentions of arranged marriage. Don't worry Kastalli, i'll protect you! ...was what crossed his mind for a second, but for some reason he found it very embarassing to say.

"I'll fight whoever tries to hurt us, in this company we look out for each other"

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Petrocoles was somewhat amazed at all the trouble that seemed to be lurking in the hob city. Despite their quarrelsome nature, he wouldn't have ever guessed that there were so many dangers intent on harming people - on harming them - traversing the city. Then there was the matter of the murderer hunting couples. Something seemed very, very evil about that, and while he knew little of the situation and the investigation the others had been following, it was his duty as a warrior to dispel evil wherever it was, and however it reared its ugly head. His hammer couldn't solve every problem, but stopping a murderer was certainly one of them.

He glanced around at Paulin beside him, the young man elbowing him in the hip. "Punt them? Hmm. I don't know if I am very good at kicking," he admitted, crouching down to stay hidden better. A dark shape looming in an alleyway entrance was probably sure to scare people, so he kept his head low. He could still see Abasi and Cassandra well enough, and he looked around with squinted eyes for any sign of trouble. He didn't want either of them to get hurt, and he wasn't convinced them playing bait was very safe. "But I will hit them very hard nonetheless."

As some of the time passed, he wondered about their ambush. "This is a big city. Are we so sure our culprit will find our trap? They could even be in bed at this time. Or maybe we need more couples? There are rabbits back home that do not go for small bait, but not for the large, either. They are picky creatures who only go for the right amount of carrots." He eyed Abasi and Cassandra from their hiding place. "They are strong but... what if our foe tries magic, or arrows, from afar? Do they always kill the same way?" Petro was somewhat frustrated, the anxiety born from worry at all the possibilities.

 

[joshuadim]

Gsera had hoped her words wouldn't fall on deaf ears, but now it seemed as though they were insistent on directly going after these hunters which only continued to stoke the exact fears she had conveyed to the griffin: her friends getting hurt because of her. Words were hard to come by as the group continued to deliberate essentially charging at the enemy that was hunting Sentry (and her) until she finally managed to get a though: "B-but... we're not even all together! We are all separated a-a-and the people in the city might get hurt if we start fighting!" she spoke out in protest, trying to find reasons for the group to *not* engage in this fight.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

A silence filled the air of the academy as the Gawain mentioned the cult of Nyarlaexedum. The handlers were quite unnerved by this and many ushered their Griffons back to the pens, only a few remained to listen out of utter curiosity. Perhaps the strangest thing was Sera's nervous tone and look. Something Kastalli, Sentry and Gawain noticed.

"W-what? Sentry? Being... hunted? We have to leave then! It's not safe here!"

Alberto also noticed Sera's panicking state and he understood why, the cult of Nyarlaexedum is both dangerous and deadly. "Calm down my lady, I understand that you are unnerved." He then looked at the others. "She has good reasons to be intimidated, the Cult of Nyarlaexedum is a threat not just to us but to all living beings of Gea... that being said, we must not give these cultists a chance to attack us, we must hunt them down and destroy them before they try anything, not just for our sake, but for the sake of Waterham as well."

"The greatest threat they pose is their demonic taskmaster, no doubt. I would greatly like to disintegrate that foul creature personally. After all, he thinks me unimportant and disposable and I would greatly prefer to prove him wrong."

"At ease Gawain, we will search for them... but a demon is no joke, even a Imp has power enough to kill a few of our warriors and needless to say, a Chort is far stronger than any of us." Alberto didn't understand why the wizard seemed to be so offended by what the demon said, as he didn't appear to be a prideful man.

"If we are to strike, we need to know where they are. Master wizard, can you work your magic to track them or the demon?"

Being a talented wizard, Gawain already had the passive ability to detect magical auras, however, he knew of a stronger spell that would allow him to get a better reading. "Detect Greater Powers", an incantation written several thousands of years ago by an ancient Magi King Yovel II, known by many as The Summoner King, this spell would allow Gawain to feel the auras around him for several miles. (1d10 = 6 | Success!) Gawain casted the spell, which was invisible to the others, but he could feel the magical auras of hundreds of people all around him. He could see the powerful auras of Sentry and... Sera? "Hmm... must be because of her Druidic powers." said Edgar, apparently aware of Gawains enhanced vision. While looking at his surroundings, Gawain did feel something, a faint demonic presence in the distance. He also detected several smaller presences approaching them. While Gawain looked towards the general direction of the smaller presences, Ser Waylond warned Kastalli of the drunken sailor looking for her.

“I see...thank you, Waylond. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. This man did not try to hurt any of you, correct?”

"I'm afraid that he managed to swing an axe at ser Gewain and deliver a serious blow. Luckily, he is far harder to kill than he may look."

"Indeed, that brute that is chasing you almost cut Gawain's head with his bearded axe." Beaded axes are a rather common weapon in Skæg, used by both commoners and warriors alike, it's an efficient weapon and it was unsurprising it almost beheaded poor Gawain. Alberto noted that Syll wanted to protect his comrades, truly he was a brave young man. "Well, we cannot dally anymore, let us go back to the tavern to regroup with the others, we need to p-" Gawain raised his hand to Alberto, before pointing at the direction all the smaller presences were coming from.

It was her, the Sheriff of Waterham, alongside her constables. "Just one day!" she shouted while approaching the party. "I let ya lot in and lotsa weird things are happening! Two of my constables are dead, I got complaint of a loud man looking for one yer folk and a citizen said they saw a crow person running on the roofs! And... yer undead friend has a freaking spirit behind him?!" She pointed at Alberto, who she knew was one of the leaders besides Cécilia. "...What the bloody hell is going on here, Ser Knight?!"

Alberto looked a bit confused but slowly he started to put a few pieces together. "Sheriff, besides your Redcap wannabe, there's a cult chasing us... although, I do not know about the bird person, Zen, our comrade, must be with Cécilia right now." The Sheriff looked at Alberto with some disbelief. "...w-what do you mean wannabe?" The old knight sighed as he looked at his companions. "...There's a lot going on tonight, madame."

Somewhere in Waterham
"Fucking BITCHES!" Shouted the Skæglin sailor after getting away from the knights and their undead master. "That bitch has some weird companions, tsk..." In a fit of rage, the sailor kicks a barrel pull of water, breaking it. "TO HEL WITH HER AND HER QUEER FRIENDS!" He shouted as he removed something from a pouch. A mushroom, not any mushroom however. "I'll find you, you whore... heh, yeah, I'll be a hirdman! Hehe... yer friends ain't stopping me!" He said while biting the mushroom. In a matter of second, the sailor started to grunt, thick saliva started to drip from his mouth and beard. His eyes were moving around erratically. "KASTALLI!" He shouted to the top of his lungs, like a Werwulf howling at the moon. Unbeknownst to the sailor, he was being watched by a man, who was smiling widely. Another perfect distraction.

St. Berthana’s Plaza

"I wanted to travel the world , get as away from that desert as I could, I don't think ill ever go back there... not willingly at least..."

Cassandra looked up at Abasi as he spoke, it was clear that he had gone through some great trauma back in his homeland. She wondered what happened and was tempted to ask about it, but was it worth to bring up the young mans painful past? She shakes her head and gave him as a smile while his tail caressed her arm. "H-hey... s-stop that! It tickles a bit!" she said between giggles. "H-hey... no need to get sad right now, okay?" She said while squeezing her new friends hand.

"And while I was indeed a bit shocked about the climate, people tend to forget that the nights in the desert are as cold as they come, besides I know many ways to keep myself warm..."

"Oh my dear Gaia!" Snorting again, the young Hob scholar shakes her head. "Is everything an innuendo with you?" She then rested her head on Abasi's arm, to both pretend and to get comfortable. "Hehe... you know, you are fun! a lot of fun! I saw you dance and celebrate back at the tavern when I got there with Malthara, and the way you talk... is so... unique! Hobs are not exactly... well, we don't talk about..." She tapped her lips for a moment, thinking of a word. "Saucy? Saucy stuff... you know, the act... and all that! It's a private thing... but you seem to be loud and proud about being... saucy... Gosh, I sound like me mum right now."

While the Hob scholar and the half-Basteti interacted. Zen continued to watch over the streets from the room rather comfortably. Unaware of something, for now. Meanwhile, down the alleyway, Petro expressed some of his concerns to Paulin.

"This is a big city. Are we so sure our culprit will find our trap? They could even be in bed at this time. Or maybe we need more couples? There are rabbits back home that do not go for small bait, but not for the large, either. They are picky creatures who only go for the right amount of carrots. They are strong but... what if our foe tries magic, or arrows, from afar? Do they always kill the same way?"

Paulin noticed his frustrations and he had to agreed that this plan was rather scuffed, specially now that the team was divided. "H-hmm... yeah, there's too much we don't know... but hey, we gotta try don't we?" said the young Eranoiran while grabbing Petrocle's hand. "If everything works, togethered we will beat that red hat bastard down a bloody pulp, right?!" His face light up bright as ever.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Paulin noticed his frustrations and he had to agreed that this plan was rather scuffed, specially now that the team was divided. "H-hmm... yeah, there's too much we don't know... but hey, we gotta try don't we?" said the young Eranoiran while grabbing Petrocle's hand. "If everything works, togethered we will beat that red hat bastard down a bloody pulp, right?!" His face light up bright as ever.

Petro wondered if Paulin was tugging his hand because he was scared, or because he was happy. He recalled how the young man had been glued to him earlier, though Petro hadn't spotted any hobs being rude to him, or anything particularly frightful at the time. The minotavur nodded, glancing back up at the others. "We will do more than try, we will stop the murderer, and no one will get hurt," he said. He glanced back around at Paulin and offered a reassuring smile, and allowed the onion farmer to keep hold. He was probably pretty nervous, too. "There is no need to worry. I was merely voicing, um, possibilities. We have ample people here all around to handle any mean hob... redcap... person."

 

[Auda]

As much as Grunde was enjoying the rush of the wind on their body, the trainer sadly informed them that the ride was over. As they were descending, the slime can see the form of Gawain and the other members of the company. Their stiff posture and serious aura filled Grunde with anxiety. Grunde felt free when they were up high, untouchable. But one cannot escape their problem forever and the slime can feel them catching up the closer they got to the ground. Upon landing, the slime stayed on Syll's back, deeming it safer and it helped calm their nerves when they're near a friend.

Grunde listened attentively as the others informed them of the current situation, anxiety turning into dread the more they talk. It seemed like everything is going downhill. Not only do they have to deal with a dangerous redcap, but The Cult of Nyarlaexedum as well and they're specifically hunting Gawain and Sentry, and a malicious individual gunning for Kastalli's head. Grunde knows that both Sentry and Gawain are capable enough to defend themselves. Sentry is strong. Gawain, powerful. The slime repeated it in their head, trying to calm themselves down. Grunde doesn't want them to get hurt. A Ddraig too, and while they personally didn't know any Ddraigs, Grunde also wished for their safety nonetheless. As for Kastalli, she is gentle. She reminded Grunde of the forests back home, but people tend to make the mistake of thinking that gentle is the same as being meek and she was anything but that.

At first glance, describing their situation as bad was an understatement.

"I'll fight whoever tries to hurt us, in this company we look for each other"

But at the end of the day, they were a group.

"I hope things are okay in the other end, right?"

Suddenly, Grunde heard Cécilia's voice in their head. They were confused at first, not knowing where it came from, but quickly figured out that it was coming from their other body. The slime quickly changed their focus to the mini-Grunde on Cécilia's party, perking up on their caretaker's hands.

"H-hello. Situation bad. But nothing happened. Yet. G-gawain. Sentry. Kastalli. Targeted. That's all." The slime tried to make their report short and concise. Hopefully Cécilia understood what they meant. "A-also. Do you have message? For other members."

 

[Beann]

"I'm afraid that he managed to swing an axe at ser Gewain and deliver a serious blow."

"Indeed, that brute that is chasing you almost cut Gawain's head with his bearded axe."

"...he...he what…?" Kastalli's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked from Waylond to Alberto, and then to Gawain. As undead as the mage looked, she still cared about his well being and most importantly she considered him a friend. Taking a step forward, she bowed her head towards Gawain. "I apologize for the injuries you sustained on my behalf." Kastalli's hands balled into fists as she thought about her interaction with the sailors from earlier. Perhaps she wasn't clear enough? Well, they were brutes after all, their skulls were too thick to comprehend any underhanded insult. She was kind enough to brush off their words about her husband and mother earlier but their actions? To attack one of her friends? Unforgivable. Even the Sheriff who had just approached the group spoke of what she could only assume was the Skæglin in question. "I had no intention of bringing my personal business into this matter. Please, meet up with Cécilia and the rest while I deal with one of my own." Could she even consider the sailor as one of her own? Though the two may hail from the same land, they certainly weren't cut from the same cloth and she would most definitely make that known. Not wanting to argue about whether it was safe for her to venture off alone or even confront the Skæglin alone, she turned heel and started to walk in the direction of the city's market where she last spoke to the sailors. While Kastalli was a gentle spirit, she certainly could hold her own ground. If not from her husband's training, then from the Skæglin blood that coursed through her veins.

 

[Roda the Red]

The night was getting progressively worse with each passing moment. Just a few minutes ago he was enjoying a night ride with his friends, and now danger was showing up from every angle, and to think they managed to damage a powerful wizard like Gawain like that...this was no trifling matter whatsoever.

Suddenly as Kastalli heard what the Skæglin brute had done to Gawain, she decided to go get him on her own. Her bravery was commendable, but other than that what she was doing was madness! heading out alone tonight was a suicide act, and he just couldn't let his friend put herself in danger like that. Syll grabbed Grunde and handed them back to Sentry, then procreeded to rush to his rakshasa friend.

"Kastalli wait! i know how you feel but you can't go alone like that, not just that brute but the cult and the murderer could be anywhere ready to strike us" he then sighed heavily before resuming.

"I know i can't stop you, but i don't want to see you get hurt...so please, at least let me help you"

 

[Breadman]

"Aye, we have a bit of a problem with the local cult you see." Sentry answered to the constable "Did you know you had one, actually?" She scratched her chin since she wasn't sure herself. They probably didn't. Or if they did, they didn't know where to look. Maybe Gawain would come in even more handy?

"Lady Kastalli, wait!" Waylond chased after her along with Syl "Your pursuer may come from your homeland and you may feel obligated to confront him on your own because of it, but I ask you to reconsider. Let us aid you in this."

 

[Woffy]

"H-hey... no need to get sad right now, okay?" She said while squeezing her new friends hand.

"Dont worry , that is all in the past" Abasi said with a smile

"Oh my dear Gaia!" Snorting again, the young Hob scholar shakes her head. "Is everything an innuendo with you?" She then rested her head on Abasi's arm, to both pretend and to get comfortable. "Hehe... you know, you are fun! a lot of fun! I saw you dance and celebrate back at the tavern when I got there with Malthara, and the way you talk... is so... unique! Hobs are not exactly... well, we don't talk about..." She tapped her lips for a moment, thinking of a word. "Saucy? Saucy stuff... you know, the act... and all that! It's a private thing... but you seem to be loud and proud about being... saucy... Gosh, I sound like me mum right now."

"Well I would be lying if i said that hasnt brought me problems in the past...or in this very town , but i dont think ill ever try to change that about me , as long as i can smile and joke and dance with joy ill be happy" He felt cassandra's head resting and he rested as well , he wasnt used to people holding or touching his body in an innocent way like this , to him people always had ulterior motives or desires for beeing close to him , it was a nice change.

 

[Beann]

Despite not wanting anyone to follow her, Kastalli wasn't surprised to find both Syllannan and Waylond chasing after her. She wondered how Sera felt about it as well but knowing her friend, she probably didn't want to confront the cult nor the sailor. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to face both men, her tail swaying gently in thought. "I understand the concern for me but I can handle the situation myself. The Cult of Nyarlaexedum is a much larger threat. Taking away two capable men to help me in my personal affairs will only put the rest of the group in danger." Kastalli took a step forward to hug Waylond, the armor admittedly a bit uncomfortable against her but she didn't mind all that much. "Have trust in me," she said before turning to Syllannan and offering him a hug as well. "Should the situation turn sour at any point, I am half-Rakshasa, I do not think any brute can match my speed." Pulling away from the embrace, she flashed the two of them a smile before turning back in the direction she was initially walking in.

 

[Roda the Red]

He couldn't help but still worry about his friend, but he also trusted her as she proved herself to be more than capable to take care of herself, and it was true that the others needed as much help as possible with the cultists.

"...alright, i know you can do it, go give that brute what he deserves!" Said Syll as he saw Kastalli head to the market

Syll then turned around and walked towards the group, as much as he feared facing the cult, there just was no escaping it tonight "okay Sheriff, you call the shots here, what should be our next move?"

 

[Breadman]

"I...understand." Waylond let out a solemn sigh as she hugged him. Awkward as it was through the armor. "Good luck in your confrontation my lady." The knight turned back and headed towards the group.

"Should have told you not to try." Sentry gave him a soft smile "But better for you to get let down gently. That woman is as hard when she needs to be as she is soft to us. I can tell."

 

[joshuadim]

Nobody was listening... why was nobody listening? Gsera's panicked mind raced with thoughts of fear and despair which only furthered as Kastalli went after the drunken sailor now hunting her down and left not only the group among them with one less person but also ever more separated than before. "Kastalli! NO!!" she had cried aloud as she watched her run off to confront the enemy, leaving her feeling ever more alone in the ever increasing dire tidings. She wanted to curl up on the ground and cry, or take flight to the skies... and while the latter was impossible given the situation, the temptation grew ever greater as she resigned to crouch on the floor, place her head between her legs and rock slightly back and forth.

It seemed unavoidable now as if two carriages were racing towards each other for a spectacular crash and she had a front row seat straight onto it... as did the people she considered to be her friends. She scratched through her hair through anxiety and panic as she tried to figure out what to do. Could she run? No, that would mean abandoning the others... she didn't have the heart to do such a thing. Could she fight? But then that would mean risking so much... and if they're after her then that would mean playing into their hands exactly as they would want it should the worst case scenario happen. But what other options were there? Fight or flight... at this point she wished that her father was here to make such a decision instead of her. She had no capacity to do anything of the sort at the moment...

She practically started to cry as she remained crouched in place, sobbing uncontrollably as she was completely frozen in panic and unable to hear anything else and instead focused on trying to go to happier thoughts: a safer place deep in the recesses of her mind as she blotted out the outside world and shielded herself with the usual coping mechanisms she had used before when she was upset.

 

[Breadman]

"Sera, what's wrong?" Sentry dropped down on one knee and placed her hands on Gsera's shoulders, trying to calm her down. The Runeseeker was utterly befuddled by the outbursts from her, but now she really didn't know what to do, but wrap her arms around the crying druid. "Shhh, it's ok. Calm your heart." She spoke softly. "Whatever comes, we will overcome together. It's why we're here as one." She continued "Don't fear the shadows or those who dwell in them. They're greatest ally is your fear and without it they're nothing."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

The Sheriff watched as Kastalli walked away from the group, apologizing from bringing her issues to the party and the city, she gave Ser Alberto a confused look, hoping they'll give them a better explanation. "You see ma'am... we are dealing with many threats right now, we are trying to help you and your people deal with this Redcap wannabe, we think they are not an actual Redcap, but someone trying to be or become one." said the old knight, the Sheriff was visibly confused but she had an idea why the party believed that. "...aye, Redcaps raid and kill folk indiscriminately... I thought about it fo' a while."

The old sheriff then looked at Kastalli, who was hugging both Syll and Waylond, upon noticing this as well, Alberto took a deep breath before explaining the problem with the Skæglin sailor. "Our friend Kastalli seems to be chased by a Skæglin sailor. A loud brute that almost beheaded Gawain and I assume is the man you got complaints about as he was shouting like a mad man." the old knight watched as Kastalli walked away from the party, wanting to fix this problem on her own, he understood that and respected that, but feared if the man got the better of her. "Que Gaia te proteja, Kastalli." he murmured under his breath.

"That don't explain why me men are dead! The lads were stationed in the western wall. One o'em found floating in the ocean by a group of our fishermen and the other was unrecognizable!" said the Sheriff to the concerned Alberto. Sentry approached the Sheriff to tell her something.

"Aye, we have a bit of a problem with the local cult you see. Did you know you had one, actually?"

"That's bloody impossible, lass!" shouted the Sheriff. "Our folk follow the big mother and nuffin' else!" Alberto nodded, remembering something Cécilia said. "I doubt the cult is local... Hobs ain't the type to have religious differences, and I haven't seen shrines to the cult of Gods or any other faith here." The sheriff nodded. "We ain't offending Gaia with nonsense, if anyone in this city follows other Gods, they do it in private. We already taught some crazed pagan preacher to keep his ramblin' to himself." Alberto looked at the Sheriff with a raised brow before looking at those around him. "...a pagan preacher?" he asked suspicion. The Sheriff looked back at the knight, a bit confused at his inquisitive tone before realizing something. "...yer not thinking...?"

"okay Sheriff, you call the shots here, what should be our next move?"

The Sheriff thought about what to do next. Now her city seemed to be incredibly insecure and she was questioning wheather or not it was smart to let the party stay, but Cécilia had given her word that she'll try everything in their power to help them. She might as well accept it and help them back. Before she could bark an order to her men though, she heard something in the distance. Bells.

Somewhere in Waterham

​

Kastalli was walking at a fast pace, trying to get away from her friends while also trying to find the man that was chasing her. She then heard the sound of bells in the distance, coming from the various watch towers across the Waterhamerite walls. Something happened, what a way to ruin that wonderful Griffin ride. Just as she was about to keep walking, she heard the thunderous voice of a man a few streets away, calling for her. It wasn't Jagers more melodic and less accented voice. Now knowing where he was, she ran towards her hunter.

The Skæglin sailor was salivating all over the place, shouting at the top of his lungs like a mad man. He ignored the bells that were ringing across the town, it was the problem of the Hobs, not his. As he continued his way down the street, he found himself face to face with her, the woman he's been chasing about with such unreasonable zealousness. She recognized him as the brute that was alongside Jager and the others, the one that the captain had accused of a wife-beater. (Skæglin) "H...heh... hehe... jeg fant deg!" ("I found you!") he said while brandishing his bearded axe. "...who... t-the fuck you think you are?!" The sailor looked rabid and she had an idea why, while she never joined the raiders of her home nation and their quest for foreign gold, she knew of the Berserkers, men who would eat a specific type of mushroom to go into a frenzied state.

"W-who you think you are to... disrespect men like that?! HUH?!" He said while swinging his axe menacingly "Because of women like you Holmstæin and Kjotvi are going to Hel itself, it's a good thing Konung Ragnarsson is dead... means a real man will step up and teach you all whores a lesson!" He then grin, laughing like a mad man as his blood-shit eyes looked at Kastalli's. "I saw your friends... hehe... and there was no sign of your slant-eyed husband!" Kastalli could feel the rage building up in her body, her arms tightened around her spear. "I think... you lied to that limp-dick Jager, your husband... he is gone, isn't he?! Hehe... better yet, means I can beat you senseless... and then marry you to Jager's cousin easily! I'll be a Hirdman!" Whatever he was rambling about, it fell on deaf ears. Kastalli was ready to fight, something that amused the sailor greatly. "Oh, you want to fight?! BRING IT ON!"

• Kastalli VS Olaf •
6 coin tosses, 7th toss to break a draw. Kastalli: Tails, Olaf: Heads.​

(Tails) With a thunderous roar, Kastalli lunged herself towards the Sailor. Enraged that he dared to attack her friends and offended of what he said about her husband. Olaf did not expect such direct attack, and attempted to grab Kastalli's spear as she approached him, to no avail, as the tip of the spear pushed through his thigh, causing severe damage to the sailor left leg. "G-GHAH... y-you stupid BITCH!" He shouted before swinging his fist at Kastalli, who evaded it and pulled back, ready to thrust again.

(Heads) In retribution, Olaf charged at Kastalli, swinging his axe in a wide arc, Kastalli managed to avoid the attack but while she was avoiding his axe, the sailor punched her right in the jaw. This staggered Kastalli long enough for him to punch her again with such brutality that it actually sent her down on the ground.

(Heads) Unable to regain her footing, Kastalli raised her head only to be kicked right in the gun. Olaf's strikes were merciless and carried such force that she felt her entire body shake with pain.

(Heads) Kastalli squirmed in pain in the ground after that kick but she tried to get back up. She was not going to die or get captured by this cretin, not now after all she's done to get away from Skæg. But right as she got on her knee, Olaf punched her again right on the chin, sending her backwards into the ground again. "You weak bitch!" He shouted as he approached Kastalli with murderous intent.

(Tails) With the thought of her new friends and of her husband, Kastalli got up just in time to kick the sailor right in the gun. Screaming in rage she attacked him again with her spear, this time pushing it right in his chest but based on the fact it didn't push further, she hit a rib. Still, the Skæglin sailor was puking blood now.

(Heads) But with one tenebrous roar, Olaf swinged his bearded axe with furious strength. Kastalli's eyes opened wide.

Slowly, the Skæglin woman looked down at her side. The axe was lodged right between her lower ribs, her blood dripping down to the cold ground bellow. She let out a pained moan before collapsing to the ground, blood from the wounds her mouth has sustained was now coming out of her lips. She tried to crawl away, but the Sailor let out a victorious shout as he walked towards her. "Pathetic... you should have payed respect to us." He said while pressing his hand against the wound in his chest. "I told you... how this was going to end up... hehe... stupid bitch." Kastalli kept crawling away until she felt the sailors boot stomping her tail, forcing her to stop. "You know... I realized... you are quite cute..." He said with a tone only describable as macabre. That was enough for Kastalli to start to struggle with all her might, only for the sailor to kick her again.

"Well well well... I did not expect you to defeat her!" Kastalli raised her weakened gaze to see a man on the street. Captain Jager, who looked at the scene with a neutral expression. "See?! I told ya... this stupid bitch should have respected us! heh... heheh... I'm tempted to marry her myself!" shouted the sailor down at Kastalli while Jager shakes his head. "You know that'd be illegal, she's the daughter of a lawspeaker." said the Captain while slowly approaching Kastalli. "I don't care! We can sail to Snækol, I could marry her there!" Jager was now right in front of the sailor, Kastalli could see the un-amused look on the captains face. While Olaf was looking at his wounds, the captain kneeled next to Kastalli and places a dagger next to her. Jager says nothing, he simply looks at at the dagger before looking back at Kastalli, face still devoid of any expression. Right as the Captain got back up, Olaf kneeled next to Kastalli, a deranged smile across his face as he grabs Kastalli's left ear.

St. Berthana's Plaza
Zen continued to watch over the plaza carefully while Cassandra and Abasi continued to peacefully conversate. Petro and Paulin were also talking, albeit it appeared that the Minotavur seemed oblivious of Paulins fondness for him. Cécilia was still concerned despite the fact she was near to Korzhev, who kept trying to calm her nerves down. Right as she was dreading the moment the Redcap wannabe would show up, Grunde spoke up.

"H-hello. Situation bad. But nothing happened. Yet. G-gawain. Sentry. Kastalli. Targeted. That's all. A-also. Do you have message? For other members."

Cécilia's eyed opened wide, how come they got themselves into so much trouble in one of the most secure cities in the western world? "W-what do you mean targeted...?" she asked while petting her little slime friend. Unaware to everyone in the ground, someone had been stalking the party and was waiting for an opportunity to strike. (1d10 = 7 | Success!) And despite his zealous vigil over the plaza, Zen was well aware of his own surroundings as well. He turned around, swinging his left wing towards the person creeping up on him, it was enough to distract her.

"Kawk!" shouted the Tengu as she regained her composure. "Okubyōmono yo! Uragirimono yo!" She shouted as she attempted to attack Zen. (1d10 = 3 | Failure.) But he evades her attack and forces the Tengu to trip, when she hits the ground she lets out a loud shout, realizing she had cut herself with her own blade. The shout however, was enough to alert the rest of the party on the ground.

Cécilia and Korzhev looked up at the roof where Zen was located, in a panicked but hurried way she warned the others. "Everyone! Zen is under attack!" She then turned her attention to Grunde. "I t-think the Redcap copycat is attacking Zen, get everyone to St. Berthana's plaza, hurry up please!" She said before looking at Korzhev, but the frog Shaman was nowhere to be seen.

"Anata wa keiteishimai o uragitta!" she shouted before charging Zen again, but the experienced Tengu ninja evaded her attack again. Are the Kuroyasha sending recruits after him now? Or did they send this newbie after him to test her abilities? Either way, he was not going to get killed by such a young ninja. He readied his weapons and prepared to face his opponent.

• Zen VS Kouriki •
6 coin tosses, 7th toss to break a draw. Kouriki: Tails, Zen: Heads.​

(Tails) Despite her age and size, the newbie knew some of the tricks Zen learned in his days among the Kuroyasha. The female Tengu used a spell to temporarly blind Zen. When he regained his vision, the female Tengu stabbed him right in the shoulder. He managed to move just in time, otherwise she would have stabbed his heart.

(Tails) But that was not enough for Kouriki, who attempted to stab Zen again. The older ninja managed to push her blade away, but he felt her sharpened talons sink into the flesh of his leg. Tired of being so close to his enemy, Zen spreads his wings to jump away from Kouriki.

(Tails) Using this opportunity, Kouriki throws a small clay granade at Zen, hitting him right in the chest and throwing him on to the ground. How is a veteran ninja like him falling to this kid?! Zen grew frustrated, but not hopeless as he grabbed his shurikens.

(Heads) As Kouriki approached Zen, the male tengu turned on his back and threw several shurikens at his opponent. Kouriki evaded some of them but got hit by two of them, make a deep cut on her left arm and lower torso. The younger ninja pressed her hand against her wounds.

(Heads) Now with his attacker wounded, Zen got of the wound with jump and then lunged towards the enemy ninja, ninjato ready to strike down his foe. Kuoriki wasn't able to move away in time and Zen's blade sank into his left arm, rendering it useless now. She let out an ear piercing shout before pushing Zen away.

(Tails) Just as Zen was getting the upper hand, the enemy ninja surprised him with an ability he was not expecting. Using a magical Shigese scroll, the ninja banished for a split second only to appear behind Zen. Such obvious move, yet Zen had completely forgotten that the Kuroyasha used these scrolls regularly. He immidietaly tries to jump away from Kuoriki's reach but sadly, he feels her metal make a deep cut on his back and right wing.

Zen falls to the ground, bleeding profusely as feels he cannot move his right wing anymore. He looks behind you to see the cold and indifferent face of Kuoriki. "Kore wa anata ga ataisuru monodesu." She said as she lifts her blade. But right as she was about sink her blade into Zen's torso, a loud and rather hollow thud is head. The lady Tengu's eyes open wide before rolling sideways and falling to the ground, unconscious, Korzhev standing right behind her. There were several benefits to be a Vodyanov, one of them being the uncanny ability of climbing up buildings with ease. Climbing trees is more fun.

St. Berthana's Monument

"Well I would be lying if i said that hasn't brought me problems in the past... or in this very town, but I don't think ill ever try to change that about me, as long as I can smile and joke and dance with joy ill be happy."

Cassandra's smile grew bigger after hearing that. He really wasn't like her kinsmen, that's not to say that the Hobs were joyless people, they found joy out of comraderie, out of hard work and hearty meals and as conservative as they might be in some areas, there was always something that united Hobs together. But Abasi and his friends were nothing like the Hobs, they were adventurers from all over, and he was enjoying his life at his fullest. Something she admired a lot. While they were having a pleasant conversation, Cassandra noticed a few other members rushing to another location. "Huh?" She looked at Abasi as he was turning around to look at the scene as well. Did something happen while they were talking?

Right as both of them got off the bench they were sitting, they noticed that nobody from their company was visible anymore and this was a cause for concerns. Right as Abasi was about to lead Cassandra away, he noticed a man approaching them. "H-huh?" Cassandra looked at the man wearing a Red Hood, and imidiately felt fear flowing through her body. "D-d-dear Gaia! I-it's been a funny night innit? L-love?" She said rather loudly while squeezing Abasi's hand, but none of her companions seemed to be around to hear her. They were alone, and now, a strange Hob stood in front of them.

​

"I must admit... you guys brought a lot of fun to Waterham tonight." he said while raising his gaze, revealing his older face. Cassandra recognized him immidiately. "H-huh... you are... Balneach, you... I thought you were arrested for preaching heresy?" said the scholar, squeezing Abasi's hand even tighter than before. "Yes... but they let me go when I started to say I worshiped Gaia, of course... it was a lie." Balneach then revealed a wicked looking blade. "...so, I did not expect to our acclaimed and famous local scholar and librarian to date a foreigner... or is it all part of your little plan you had here?" Cassandra was now sweating profusely. "I... I don't..." The Red hooded Hob let out a chuckle. "You think I wouldn't know, your company is too big... and I have eyes everywhere, I know your other disgusting half-breed friend is getting hunted by one of those savages from the northern sea, I also know there is monstrous little bird person chasing yours... and I think she just attacked him, a perfect distraction... there's also those cultists, I am sure you know of those."

"I-it's been a funny night innit!?" shouted Cassandra, to no avail. "Shut it... you won't get an answer, you and your little pet here are going to die." He said while slowly walking towards them. Abasi stood in front of Cassandra, who was confused as to why a local scholar and writer like Balneach would go this way. "Why are you doing this?! Attacking interracial couples... a-are you that much of a bigot? What the Hel is going through your mind?!" The red hooded Hob let out a chuckle. "Heh... because you are disgusting, every single person in this stupid city has decided to abandon the ways of our ancestors. These walls make us weak and look at you... holding hands with a disgusting creature, a half-breed mongrel!" Cassandra couldn't believe what she was hearing. "T-that's why?! If you wanted to follow the old gods of the Hob you could have left the city with your daughter and head to the Redcap tribes!"

"Heh... no, I want to stay here... because it's my mission to awaken the masses of Waterham... you and your ilk... you taint us further, I can still teach about the old gods to these people, I just need to get rid of the bad apples... then, of the apples that are too... matured... starting with that bitch the Sheriff... and then, I'll be there, singing the songs of the old gods, feeding BLOOD FOR THE HARVESTER!"

 

[Dmaster]

Gawain was mostly silent as he cast his spell, his once-empty sockets now burning with a ghostly blue glow within them as he focused the intent of the spell to find the aura he was searching for. When the sheriff approached and began to question Alberto and the others he passively shut them out as he saw them as the distractions they were. Gsera's aura being so pronounced was interesting, but he was inclined to agree with Edgar for the moment. As the sheriff talked with Alberto he realized that he may have broken one of the rules imposed by her in creating his faithful wraith servant. Oops. That hardly mattered now.

His concentration was momentarily shattered when Gsera began to have a breakdown of some kind, leaving the skeletal mage to awkwardly put a hand to his skull as his eyes looked in the direction of the demonic aura. Was it underground like he suspected? "I am... getting something. A single demonic aura not too far from here. It is faint but there, I will need to start moving toward it to see it more clearly." Gawain commented, only now noticing that Kastalli had left them. Curious. It was of little consequence if she wasn't being pursued by the cult herself, he had only hoped the belligerent drunk wouldn't be too much of a problem for her.

"As ever there is little time to waste. If certain individuals would rather not deal with the cult, I understand but urge reconsideration. I've seldom dealt with demons, and while I welcome the opportunity to learn I do not think I will be able to kill it and its followers easily without numbers to bolster our chances."

 

[Auda]

Grunde was about to respond to Cécilia but they were interrupted by a familiar voice, Zen? and it appeared like they were in trouble. Look at where the voice came from, the slime can see their bird-friend fight with another avian though the darkness made it hard to differentiate the two and their fast movements didn't help either. Grunde decided to inform the other members of the party and it appeared that Cécilia had the same idea. But before that, the slime decided to release a sizable portion of its mana further shrinking them till they're a size of a baseball to start make-shift flare, hoping that the other mages of the party can sense it and find them faster.

"I t-think the Redcap copycat is attacking Zen, get everyone to St. Berthana's plaza, hurry up please!"

With a nod, Grunde directed their focus back to the mini-Grunde in Ser Alberto's side.

"E-emergency! Zen and others under attack. Redcap copycat ambush." Grunde immediately said with a shout, getting the attention of everyone in the vicinity. "Meet in St. Berthana's plaza says Cécilia!" Panic evident in their voice as the slime urged the others to move. Zen and the others are capable enough to hold their ground until the rest of the party can regroup, Grunde is confident. But the constant strain of worry and anxiety was still present.

 

[Beann]

While Kastalli was fairly confident in her ability to defeat the Skæglin brute, she had underestimated the strength of a Berserker. Had he not been equipped with the mushrooms, the fight may have been vastly different. Unfortunately that had not been the case this time as she found herself heavily wounded and crawling away from her attacker. The stomp to her tail sent a wave of pain through her body and for a second she wasn't sure if she was going to throw up or pass out from it. The memory of her husband was the one thing that was keeping her conscious - Saito was her reason to keep fighting and to keep living in this world. However, she was fairly wounded and while her fighting spirit was still high, she couldn't think of a possible way to turn the tides in her favor. One thing was for sure though, she would not give this foul man the satisfaction of seeing her beg for mercy.

"Well well well... I did not expect you to defeat her!"

Her ear twitched slightly as she picked up on a familiar voice. Lifting her gaze slowly, her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Captain Jager. He was the one responsible for this encounter, had he not suggested a marriage or even brought up her husband, she would not be in such a weakened state. She continued to glare at the two of them as they rambled back and forth about the idea of marrying her off. At this point, she would rather die than let that happen. Her frown deepened as Captain Jager kneeled down in front of her and she had half a mind to lunge forward and rip his throat out with her fangs. She refrained from doing so though as she heard the faint clatter of metal against the ground and her eyes followed his at the dagger he set down beside her. He...was helping her? She didn't understand why nor did she have time to as she winced in pain when the Berserker grabbed her by the ear.

As much as she wanted to grant this man a slow and painful death, she knew it was unwise in her condition. So, without hesitation, she took hold of the dagger and mustered all her strength to plunge it deep into the side of his neck, aiming for the carotid artery. "Min man lärde mig det! (My husband taught me that!)" She spat the blood that collected in her mouth at his face before immediately removing the dagger from his neck to let him bleed out. Kastalli used her legs to kick him away for good measure before dropping the blade on the floor, breathing heavily as her attention was now focused on her wounds. She placed her hand to the wound she sustained in her lower ribs, applying pressure in an attempt to slow the bleeding. "Why...why did you help me…? You would...let me kill...kill one of your men?" Kastalli glanced back at Captain Jager, still unsure of what his motives were.

 

[Woffy]

"Heh... no, I want to stay here... because it's my mission to awaken the masses of Waterham... you and your ilk... you taint us further, I can still teach about the old gods to these people, I just need to get rid of the bad apples... then, of the apples that are too... matured... starting with that bitch the Sheriff... and then, I'll be there, singing the songs of the old gods, feeding BLOOD FOR THE HARVESTER!"

Abasi was deeply disturbed by all the information he seemed to have , he needed to get to back to the others if they were is some sort of danger , but dealing with this scum was first

"By the gods that is so....stupid , i tought there was a big reason behind this , but really you are so....so boring ! all you do is destroy things that people have created , did a big strong human steal your childhood crush ? is that it ?"

His reasons and methods clearly disgusted abasi to his very core , he was exactly the type of person he hated , all he did in life was destroy the lives of people who had found love in another
he kept his distance to him standing infront of cassandra , he wasnt really sure if she had any combat skills but it wouldnt matter he wanted to take care of this repulsive creature by himself since it looked like his companions had been otherwise occupied

Cassandra saw one of his hands moved down his side caressing his skin almost in a sensual way...until it found the hilt of a highly decorated curved dagger that was previously hidden between the..few clothes he wears

 

[EdwardDewey98]

​

What was the meaning of the bells, wondered Alberto as he looked around the city. The Sheriff's expression became more serious than ever before as she pull out a bell from her waist belt, she started to ring the bell alongside her constables, she then turned her attention to Griffin Riding Academy, the handlers that moments ago were putting their Griffons inside the pens were coming back outside with their trusty beasts. The lady handler and owner of Fluffy approached the Sheriff with the clear intention to ask her for orders, the Sheriff quickly answered. "Ride across the city and look around for any suspicious fellows and do be careful, we dealing with heavy stuff tonight!" Her commanding voice inspiring the riders and constables. In a matter of moment, the Griffin riders started to fly the sky above looking for suspicious individuals.

"Sheriff, what are these bells about? Is the city under attack?" He asked with a surprised expression in his face. "...Please don't tell me the city is under attack." He added with a more frustrated tone. The sheriff shook her head and then pulled something that was strapped on the back of her belt. A flintlock pistol. "Huh, who would have thought the sheriff was packing heat." said Ser Justin as he admired the technology in the Sheriffs hand. "Ya lot brought a lot trouble to this city tonight, but I do appreciate that yer trying to help at least." added the sheriff while preparing her weapon.

"E-emergency! Zen and others under attack. Redcap copycat ambush. Meet in St. Berthana's plaza says Cécilia!"

As if things were not complicated already. It seems like the copycat had finally come out and attacked the party. "Bloody Hel, everyone! Get ready for a fight, we are heading to St. Berthana's immidiately!" shouted Alberto while the other knights readied their weapons. "I hope... Kastalli is okay..." murmured the old man, genuinely hoping for the best.

"As ever there is little time to waste. If certain individuals would rather not deal with the cult, I understand but urge reconsideration. I've seldom dealt with demons, and while I welcome the opportunity to learn I do not think I will be able to kill it and its followers easily without numbers to bolster our chances."

"Aye, the undead is right... I'll overlook the fact he has a ghost, for now." She then started to walk ahead of the group. "Come! I think these bells are because of these bloody cultists, we gotta find 'em as soon as possible!" she shouted before running away, her constables and the party soon follow after her.

St. Berthana's Monument

"By the gods that is so... stupid , I thought there was a big reason behind this, but really you are so... so boring! all you do is destroy things that people have created. Did a big strong human steal your childhood crush? is that it?"

"Hehehe... I'm amazed that such a pathetic little creature knows how to speak." said Balneach while slowly approaching Abasi and Cassandra. The Red Hooded Hob looked a bit disgusted as Abasi sensually pulled out a dagger which he then aimed at Balneach. "Hmph... deviant freak, I'll enjoy kill you." he said with a macabre tone to his voice. Balneach then pulled his hood down and opened a pulled something from a medium-sized bag hanging from his pocket. It was the Red cap. "See this... a gift from the gods to the true believers! I'll make the Harvester proud by slaughtering you!" Abasi watched as Balneach put on the cap, the Hobs eyes opened wide and a malicious grin appeared in his face. "BLOOD FOR THE HARVESTER!"

​

• Abasi VS Balneach •​

6 coin tosses, 7th toss to break a draw. Abasi: Tails, Balneach: Heads.​

(Tails) Balneach did what he always done when dealing with those that tried to defend themselves against him. He lunged forward, attempting to stab Abasi with his wicked blade. But Abasi evaded his attack with a graceful spin, shocking the Redcap wannabe. "H-how?" He muttered before getting a strong kick right in the spine that sent the man tumbling down onto the ground.

(Tails) But as Balneach fell, Abasi noted how the man vanished in a red mist before appearing right in front of him, attempting to stab Abasi with his dagger again. Only for Abasi to evade it with another dance, something that frustrated the wannabe quite a bit. "Y-you... you clown!" He muttered before trying to swing his blade again, but then saw Abasi attempting to stab him. While trying to grab the half-Basteti's blade, he got stabbed right through the right hand.

(Heads) "Y-YOU FUCKING IMBECILE!" He shouted before "belly-butting" Abasi. He then vanished into the red mist again and attempted to stab Abasi again, this time with a bit more success as his blade sank on Abasi's thigh.

(Heads) With that successful stab, the Redcap wannabe then rubbed the bloodied dagger on his hat. "Yes, feed the hat, feed the Harvester!" He claimed before casting a spell through the hat that sends Abasi forward. He now had a small burnt mark on his lower back from the magical bolt.

(Heads) Abasi tried to get up and fight back, but right as he tried to, he felt that bastard grabbing his tail and yanking it violently, he heard a popping noise and he felt a lot of pain going through he body. Balneach then attempted to stab Abasi again, time in the belly, but Abasi moved to the side in time and only received a moderate gash on his belly.

(Tails) Not wanting to have her new friend killed, Cassandra lunged in, hitting Balneach right in the face with her book. This distracted the Redcap wannabe long enough for Abasi to get up with a jump and then lunge on the Redcap. Abasi's claws sank into Balneach's left cheek and with feral force, Abasi tore through it. The Redcap wannabe let out a pained shout as he held his face, his own hat feed on the blood gushing out of his face wound. "G-GAH?! AARGGH... Y...You... YOU PEST!" He shouted. "I won't just kill you... I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!" In a fit of rage, the Hob murderer charged towards Abasi.

(Tie Breaker: Tails) Abasi jumped to the side, avoiding the wicked blade miraculously and then, with another artistic spin, Abasi's blade met with the one weakness of Balneach. The Redcap. His eastern-style dagger pushed through the red cloth, but it felt like cutting through living flesh and once he had cut through, the hat bleed violently all over Abasi and its wearer. Balneach's eyes opened wide as saw his hat fall to the ground. "N..no... no... no no no! NO!" He started to panic, he kneeled before his broken hat and tried, hopelessly, to fix it. "NO! NOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! ODILLA IS NOT EVEN HERE ANYMORE, WHERE WILL I GET ANOTHER HAT?!" He turned around, dagger still in hand.

Right as Abasi was about to either kill the man or knock him unconscious to be arrested. Balneach rushed towards Cassandra, grabbing the young scholar by the neck and pulling her close to him. "DIE! DIE YOU SCUM!" He shouted as he was about to stab her right in the face. (1d10+2 = 9 | Critical Success!) But right as he was about to kill Cassandra. Balneach watched as his arm was engulfed in flames and burnt his flesh. "G-GAH?! WHAT?!" He panicked until he saw the source of the flames. It was Malthara, Petro and Paulin were right behind her. She extinguished the flame when the Hob murderer fell to the ground. "N...no... no this c...can't... I... I..." Having lost a lot of blood and now suffering severe burns in his arm, Balneach passes out from the pain.

"Holy Gweros, you kicked his ass Abasi!" said Paulin as he sheathed his sword. "That was so cool, I wish we could have arrived sooner but Zen got attacked!" He said as he approached the barely breathing serial killer. "I hope he doesn't die... we need to take him to the Sheriff." He said, but Cassandra gasped. "Y-yeah... yeah sheriff all that... h-holy mother of Gaia... t-thank you Mally... t-thank you Abi, I thought I was about to die!" Cassandra slowly lowered herself to the ground, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. While the Hob scholar tried to calm down, the group was joined by Cécilia, Korzhev and Zen, who was being carried by one of the other members of the company, there was another person being carried, a lady Tengu, she was tied up.

"Huh? Is that... the Redcap wannabe?!" exclaimed Cécilia as she looked down on the serial killer. "Thank the Goddess, something I don't have to worry about now... s-sadly, Zen is severely wounded." Everyone looked at the female Tengu. "I d-don't know why she attacked him... but... I have a feeling we need to ask Zen when he awakes."

Somewhere in Waterham
Jager watched as Kastalli stabbed Olaf right in the throat. The sailors eyes opened wide for a moment and remain concious enough to hear Kastalli's words before falling on the ground, his blood flowing out rapidly. With nothing else to say, the captain turned around and started to walk away.

"Why...why did you help me…? You would...let me kill...kill one of your men?"

Jager started to talk while still walking away at a slow pace. "Primarily because he was a pig headed brute that disobeyed orders... secondly, because if he killed you, forced you to marry him or my nephew or... well, raped you... that'd bar me from ever going to Holmstæin... and I know your dad, remember? He would hunt me down if he learnt I let his daughter be the prey of some bastard!" He chuckled outloud, but right as he was about to walk out of sight, he stopped.

Jager looked over his shoulder with a much softer expression. "...but also... as he talked about you at the tavern... he kept saying these things about you... disgusting things, it felt like he was talking about... an actual animal, rather than a person..." He paused for a moment. "...Made me realize the things I said when I saw you were not... nice? I don't know... maybe I'm just an old sailor used to different things." Jager then continued walking, shrugging. "...eh, well... don't bleed out... might the Old Man watch your travels, Kastalli."

As the captain walked away from Kastalli, he noticed a stranger slowly making his way through the city. "Hey, lad." said the captain, catching the attention of the stranger. "Huh? Heh, you are dark as the night itself!" said Jager with a grin. "Mind helping the lass over there?" He said, pointing at Kastalli as she sat next to Olaf's corpse. Jager did not stay to explain himself further, he had a ship to sail in the morning after all. The Stranger made their way to Kastalli, looking down at her.

Somewhere in Waterham
The party now led by Ser Alberto continued making their way through the city as fast they could. Their mission was to get to St. Berthana's but it was clear that the Sheriff was on high alert for the cultists. The old knight knew that they would meet these cultist bastards soon enough, hopefully before they hurt anybody. But unbeknownst to him and the party, they were being followed by them, their human operatives whose magical auras were as small as the Hobs civilians cowering inside their houses, making it nearly impossible for Gawain to tell that they were being watched, until he started to noticed a strong, dark aura approaching them at a fast speed.

 

[Woffy]

"Hufff...it had been a while since i had to defend myself like that ,hah...guess those make a big target eh ?"

Abasi held his thigh , blood was pouring as well as from his belly he beared injuries rather well , he was no stranger to people...pulling his tail in situations , and the cuts and burn..well they were nothing new thanks to the more "sadistic" desires of his last master...

"Ask me and you should do away with this scum right away...but i suppose ill leave that to the hobbs"

he turned to cassandra and then malthara

"Thanks for the assist , i thought he had me there for a moment...hah imagine comming all this way to die gutted in a plaza...and thanks to you as well but now , this "redcap" here , he said something about the others , he said something about kastalli she is beeing hunted by someone from the north...where are the others ?"

 

[FloweryMuffin]

While keeping an eye on Cécilia and the other on the lookout for their wannabe Redcap, Korzhev noticed that somebody was no longer on their post. Obviously, Zen would not at all costs ditch them, so reaching the most logical conclusion had been a quick a process: he has been attacked. Korzhev was proven right but a moment later, when he heard a shout that definitely did not come from their resident ninja. He took that as his cue to slip away from his spot and come to Zen’s aid.

He climbed up the building closest to where Zen had been keeping watch, but due to his age, the frogman could only climb so fast. When he did reach the roof though, he found Zen’s attacker, another Tengu ninja, he noted, judging from her black attire and also the funny sounding language they were spouting out, all while their back was turned to him. Korzhev wasted no time holding his staff above his head, much like they were holding the blade above Zen, before swiftly bringing it down on the unsuspecting Tengu. Once he was certain they won’t be returning for another rounds with his fellow company member, he turned his attention to him, examining the damage.

Korzhev was panting after the entire ordeal and climbing up a building in a matter of minutes, yet between heavy pants he spoke to the wounded Zen with his characteristic cheer. “Eh, that enhanced vision woulda certainly come in handy, wouldn’t you say, mister Zen! Look at you! Let’s get you back on your feet now, for the job of our eye in the sky is not over, you know!” With that, he proceeded to recite a simple incantation, a request for a blessing, while his free hand was hovering over the worst of Zen’s wounds.

“Ah, just to be certain, I must also give you a potion! You must forgive this old man for getting too into your personal space, just this once!” He carefully lifted the Tengu up, almost in a sitting position, before giving him one of the potions the frogman had on him, in order to ensure that Zen wouldn’t choke on it. “Say the word when you’re back into commission, yes?”

 

[Dmaster]

The pervasive sense that something was off was nagging at the back of Gawain's mind, though the frantic events that were taking place were more than enough of a distraction to make sure that he wasn't able to notice it immediately. In the commotion with the sheriff and those annoying bells ringing throughout the city he seemed to have lost direction of the demonic aura, unsure if it had moved or it started to mask its presence somehow. For that reason he quickly told Alberto and the others to stop as he spent a few moments getting his bearings.

"So many auras about, but I am certain that we shall find our target if we take just a moment..." he theorized, rolling his jaw about as his flaming eyes scanned about the horizon. Were there auras in houses now? Perhaps more Hobs like the sheriff and her group earlier, but that didn't seem right to him. From behind him he could feel a dreadful presence rapidly approach, getting him to turn on his heels as he started to look at it head on. The mage threw his arms to his sides as they began to course with electricity.

"Prepare yourselves! Something dark and powerful makes its approach to us now..!"