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The Rise of Conflicted

Started by Onilius, February 09, 2017, 01:33:40 PM

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Onilius

The day seemed ever so calm as snow lightly fell from the clouded sky. In the land of Fell ancient cities, kingdoms, temples and more laid in ruin or almost frozen in time. Climbing or some debris from a once proud castle wall Onilius trudged through the snow. Clad in his armor and protected from the cold with his blackened cloak he stood out from his surroundings.

Slowly making his way to a clearing he knelt down examining day old tracks. A calm day indeed, but it wouldn't remain for long as Onilius was on another contract. Some traders and caravans of supplies and soldiers have been coming up missing in the lands of Fell, which had been used as a shortcut from city to city until recently.

Glancing around at his surroundings he sighed with a heavy breath that made steam rise from within his helmet. The hunt went on as he followed in the direction of the tracks unsure of where they would lead him in unfamiliar lands.

Medievarad

@Marakai Trin

"What brings us here, Kulthanos?" Evelynn asked coldly. Her eyes reduced to sliths, a massive, wrapped up blade on her back. One she carried around to honor her fallen house. Every soul that carried her name. The spirit blade.

She glanced up at her companion, wrapped up in a warm and snug cloak, regardless of her being an ice elemental, the cold not bothering her. It was both a fashion statement and just protection. Enchanted clothing. The same protection as steel plate armour would.

She glanced at him, then at the stranger. "Who are you?" She inquired.

Marakai Trin

The humanesque creature beside her sniffed the air, too-blue eyes flicking back and forth to survey the environment around them. From within his good, one could see a pale-skinned, boyish face peeking out, his features young. But those eyes held something else, betraying a spark of hidden fire, a wrathful inferno blazing just out of reach.

He wore a loose, black hooded coat and simple black breeches, his clothing nondescript. The coat was left open despite the cold to show a thin, bare chest. Over where a normal mans heart would be, the skin was blackened and pulled taut and something writhed just beneath.

After a moment, Kulthanos glanced toward Evelynn as she spoke. "I....do not know. Some scent. It's....odd. And familiar....but I do not know why. I am reminded of....chaos."

He looked toward the man that Evelynn then addressed, and his eyes narrowed. His insides writhed with a need to consume, yet the binding of him by Evelynn's will held strong as it had every time before. He ignored the hunger, and waited on the man to answer her.

Onilius

Onilius halted in his tracks, he made no sudden movement and left his hand open so he wouldn't be seen as a threat. Taking in a deep breath he took in their scent to remember them by and also faintly catch some info. An elemental of some sort standing beside an unknown creature.

This was interesting none the less, but he had no time to waste as snow continued to cover the tracks he was following. "I mean no harm. I'm not looking for a fight. I have a job to do. If you wish to follow then go ahead."

His hands remained open, still he couldn't pause any longer as he finally took a step and began his calm pursuit once again. His gaze hidden behind his helmet and hood he got a closer look at the two once he passed them. Both seem to have seen plenty of battle like he had.

Wanting them to follow he dropped a rolled paper as he trudged through the snow. Implying they should pick it up. The scroll would read ("Wanted Mercenary to track down the disappearance of caravans and travelers in the Fell region. Return to Reajh with info or survivors for a $25,000 coin reward.")

Medievarad

Evelynn leaned down in the snow, picking up the scroll, before glancing at Onilius. "Your name," she demanded once more. Since he failed to comply earlier. Her ice cold, blue eyes burning at her back as he moved to leave. She had no intention on following a man that hid his name. No intention of risking it. She had her own issues.

Regardless of the reward. Even if it was more than a coffin of gold. Anyone but Kulthanos here was an enemy until proven otherwise. She trusted none but him.

Magyar

Aohdei crouched over the corpses of a trader and his assistants, only the tatters of ruined clothing to hide his indecency. He couldn't have cared less. Their blood dripped from his cracked lips, staining them and his hands as well. The warm, dark liquid became congealed in his beard and also pooled on the ground around them.

The sickening snuffling and crunching of his voracious chewing echoed off of the walls of the ruins of the castle in which these men had chosen to camp. They hadn't known about its previous inhabitant, however, and had paid dearly as a consequence. If any would stumble upon these people, they would find their throats bruised and cut, limbs broken, and bones fractured. All signs of a skilled fighter dispatching unskilled, perhaps unsuspecting victims. What would be out of the ordinary were the torn bites around the jugular veins, and the gaping holes where normally laid sternums. Aohdei had done this, this systematic slaughter of caravans over the course of the last month, and had thus killed and consumed the hearts of eleven men and women travelling through the ruins of the Fell. His beard had grown long and wild, his hair too, and he was lean, almost skinny in his build. But his eyes, they were another matter. Both because of his demonic heritage and also because of the many souls he had devoured over the last month, his amber eyes were luminous and shone with a dim orange light.

He now stopped his feast, the sounds of eating quietly reverberating and then fading. Voices had begun to echo down through the tunneling hallways and improvised passages created by the crumbling keep. Voices meant more people. Perhaps more food. Perhaps not. People going missing would eventually attract attention, he knew, but this was rather early. He knew as well, from the various scripts and possessions of the caravans and travelers he had slain that there had been disappearances in the Fell prior to himself, and of much larger quantity. Maybe that was the purpose of these voices. Bandits? Bounty Hunters?

Perhaps. Aohdei stood up straight, his joints cracking, then resumed his crouching, crawling movements and began to slowly wind his way through the constricting passageways to the surface. He would see for himself who these newcomers were.

Onilius

Chuckling softly as he walked on, he returned nothing more than a word to answer the elementals query. "Onilius." After stating his name he caught a very faint scent of someone or something else, however, this scent made the hair on Onilius's neck stand on end. A firm grip went to his sword at his side.

He had to keep moving, an surely whatever was lurking had a minor role in his current contract. Dangerous lands and even more dangerous people where nothing new to this lonely mercenary. It simply comes with the job as some would say.

His golden eyes glowed and pierced the darkness of his helmet as he looked deeper in the distance. The snow falling even harder now, the end of these tracks would have to be found soon. Along with shelter of course but one thing at a time. If he had some more bodies along with him it could make the job go more swiftly.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

In the distance, a small figure could be seen trudging through the snow. A young boy, no older than sixteen. If one were to look closely, they would see the small yellow bird poking it's head out of the boy's coat pocket.

"This is stupid. I'm cold, you're cold, we should just go home."

"We can't, Lady Hildegarde told us to pick up the package. It's important, remember?"

Ignatius and Carolina usually got along, but when it came to the topic of Ignatius's boss, disagreements tended to happen.

"She wouldn't even tell you what was in it! She doesn't respect you. You need to listen to me, I know you're much better than whatever she has planned for you."

Ignatius rolled his eyes. The incessant nagging made his head hurt, so he was glad to find a distraction in the form of a small group of people standing maybe forty feet away. "Who do you think they are? Bandits?"

"Only one way to find out I suppose. Do that new knife trick, that will make you look cool."

Smiling, Iggy would rush over to the group of adventurers, butterfly knife in hand. When he reached where they were standing he put on his most serious facial expression and started twirling the knife in his hand. "Heh... What brings you lot to fell, hmm?"

Marakai Trin

The breeze shifted just slightly, and the seeking senses of Kulthanos caught a scent. His keen eyes narrowed, and he was oblivious of the goings on around him as his focus sharpened.

The thin lips on his face curled into a predatory sneer, as he took in the sight of the crumbling structures of the Fell. From one of them, he could smell the gore of a recent kill, smell the moist innards of rapidly cooling human bodies. And there was something.... Else.

"We are being stalked...." Came his voice, soft and heard only by Evelynn. His gaze flicked in her direction, and under his sleeves the flesh of his arms began to write and crawl, tendrils of a dark flesh-like substance pushing out of his skin. The bones of his hands seemed to simply soften and melt as his fingers joined together and lengthened, thinning and sharpening to form keen blades of an unknown material.

"Something watches from the ruins."

Magyar

So, Aohdei thought to himself, Not human then... Not necessarily prey. The lanky one had shifted in a way not natural. He may have been demonic himself. That could be problematic. Demons had a very aggressive social structure, and some were so predisposed to violence against others that even sight was enough to trigger a skirmish.

His powers were non-discriminate, but near-humans usually put up more of a fight. And even though he could conceivably wipe the floor with his opponents thanks to the stored power he contained, it would have been counter intuitive.

No. He would watch, and perhaps glean some information in doing so. He crouched in a deep squat, hands drifting across the shadowed stone of his tunnel. His eyes shone dimly in the shadows, and if any of their party had exceptional eyesight, they might catch the glow.

Medievarad

"Evelynn," she returned her name, before glancing at Kulthanos, nodding slowly. "I'll keep the blade at a ready," she whispered in retort with a soft sigh. "Though I'd hate to use it on something that is not worth our time," she replied with a nod. And, by any means, she'd hate to expend her magic for no reason.

"How're.. you doing energy wise, Kulthanos?" She inquired a frown. If needed, she'd siphon her own arcane energy to him. To make sure he'd be able to fight properly.

Marakai Trin

Kulthanos may not be a demon, but what he was made him the very epitome of the conceivable apex predator. Not human, nor beast, and not quite alive.

The scent of blood and stale smoke continued to come to him. When Evelynn spoke to him, his eyes barely flicked in her direction. "I've enough mass to survive for days without consuming anything... So long as I don't start losing body parts."

He  straightened, his gaze sweeping continually over their surroundings. "Be on watch. There is something dangerous here...on par with myself."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ignatius frowned. The woman and the skinny guy were both ignoring him! He crossed his arms and began to sulk. "It isn't working! Why won't they pay attention to me?

"Dunno. Maybe they couldn't hear you, try being louder next time."

When the skinny guy proclaimed there was something dangerous nearby, Ignatius cut in. Smirking, he struck what he believed to be a menacing pose. "Heheheh.. That would be me," he said. "Weaklings like yourself simply don't hold a torch to the legendary Ignatius Pratt."

"That was a good line, I'd be scared right now if I was in their shoes."

"Thanks! I thought it was pretty cool."


Marakai Trin

Kulthanos turned his head to level his intense blue eyed glare at the boy on the hill. His body turned along with his head to allow his bladed arms to come into view, black tendrils writhing over the shining surfaces.

"I think not, little boy." He lowered his arms, and the long blades nearly pierced the frozen earth. "Run along now, before I get hungry."

Magyar

Aohdei was normally sensible. He was after all, an intelligent person. This little child, however, was an opportunity far too good to pass up and Aohdei had a malicious sense of humour. He could also probably benefit a snack from it.

Aohdei stood, just barely short enough to do so in the cramped tunnel entrance, and took a step forward. Midway through the step, he disappeared, leaving only an imprint of his silouhette in smoke. It was a silent and effective way to get around, shadow-jumping, though Aohdei could only use it when powered up. The only downside was that if anyone had been training their eyes on the cave, they would have seen the dark cloud dissipate from its mouth.

Aohdei reappeared mid stride directly behind Ignatius, clad in an inky cloud of darkness and reaching out for the boy. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and twisted him around to meet his eyes.

"I've never heard of you before," Aohdei growled, putting on his best menacing smile. As he spoke, some flecks of the recent kill spattered the boy's face and hair.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ignatius flinched when he felt the large hand pick him up, but soon relaxed. Looking at the man with a bored expression on his face. "Ehh... I'm just not feeling it with this guy."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, tentacle guy is cooler. He was all emotionally distant and stuff, this guy just seems kinda..."

"Over the top?"

"...Kinda? I mean, Griselda's scarier. Griselda has better breath too."

"Yeah, you would know all about what Griselda's breath smells like"

"Sh-shut up!"

Slipping out of his jacket, Ignatius fell to the ground. Carolina flew out of his pocket and onto his shoulder. Looking up at the man who had picked him up, Ignatius gave him the middle finger. "Fuck off, tryhard," he said, completely lacking any self awareness. "Me and the other guy were talking and you interrupted us." Walking over to the tentacle guy and his companion, he would attempt to strike up conversation. "So, what are you two doing all the way out here? This place isn't cool enough for people like us to visit without good reason."

Magyar

Aohdei raised an eyebrow at the boy. What a colossal cunt. People like him, he felt no remorse for killing. Aohdei licked his teeth subconsciously. The bird looked appetizing too. Light snack.

Cir materialized on his shoulder, as if in response to the thought. He wore the form of a small owl, a screech owl to be exact. Silent though he was, he studied the boy as well. Cir usually had a good reading for people, and he was wary in regards to the child. Perhaps he was picking something up that Aohdei could not. A genuine scowl wormed its way onto Aohdei's face, and the jacket he held began to burn and crisp under his fingers. He dropped the leather garment, sparing but a glance to make sure it had caught properly. If you were going to be a prick, you would get your consequences.

Medievarad

"Kulthanos, behave," was the only words the small woman had for her guardian. Rather indifferent to what was happening or transpiring. She was more interested in what Onilius seemed to be pursuing, or rather, tracking down.

It wasn't until Aohdei had a hold of Ignatius the clapping of a cloak resounded. And anyone that happened to be looking in her general direction would see the air distort as she just disappeared. Appearing between Ignatius and Aohdei. The fire immediately crackling to form as solid ice, around the flame. Those with near to any kind of magical affinity would sense just how much energy her first technique required.

As if she ripped through the veil of reality with nothing less than raw mana. A Draconia was always built for greatness.

Yet it wasn't extinguished, rather, the flames were held in some sort of crystalline stasis.

She sent a cold gaze at Aohdei. "You're outnumbered," she stated easily. Though it was nothing short of the truth. And if he was immortal? That was always an issue. But she'd focus at least half of her life force into sealing him in permanent ice.

Kulthanos would replenish it later nonetheless.

Magyar

"It wouldn't be the first time," Aohdei scoffed, "What exactly do you intend to do? Unless you protect the twerp I don't see this as your business. And just because your lapdog will fight for you doesn't mean they will."

Aohdei gestured at Onilius, and made a passing glance to Iggy. Then he returned his gaze to Evelynn, the scowl deepening. He didn't want to fight someone who could hold their own, or had a supernatural bodyguard. There was no point. Based on the fucked up chest the teen had on display, he probably didn't have a proper heart. This was a waste of time.

Marakai Trin

"Tracking," was all he said, his sole response to Ignatius's question. Then suddenly Evelynn was gone from his side - he watched as her energy flicked from one position to another, tracking her - and therefore his - life force from one plane to another and back again.

"....stay here," he said, glancing down at Ignatius for a moment before stepping to stand behind Evelynn. As he walked, his size seemed to increase while his flesh blackened and swarmed over his clothing.

The fleshy substance began to harden into a material not unlike stone, hard and rigid yet still malleable enough to accommodate humanlike movements. Within a moment where Kulthanos had stood was now a creature not unlike a golem, almost a foot taller and without the blades that had been present before.

In their place was now one massive sword, black and writhing in some places and shining like steel in others. The other arm  was replaced with a large tower shield, spiked and black.

The voice that issued from this monstrosity was echoing, deep, and gravelly. "She doesn't need them to fight for her...not when she has me."