Shards of Twilight [Closed]

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce gave Paradox a curious look—evidently, he was confused as to exactly how the other man could manage to decipher a series of ancient runes who had been heavily weathered for years. They had made good time today in reaching the tower, although as they had drawn closer, he had begun to sense an inherent wrongness around them—the ground had seemed almost barren, and whatever life had managed to survive was deformed and tortured. Most importantly of all, the wind had seemed restless and agitated, which was never a good sign.

 

The dark-haired man sighed and patted his horse gently upon the neck, whispering words of encouragement into its ear. The poor creature was snorting and wary, dancing back and forth across the ground—at Cerce's touch, however, he relaxed slightly and began to move forward at a tentative pace. Paradox had already disembarked from his horse and was hurrying around, talking about a torch. Cerce sighed and caught the reins of the other man's steed; he slid off his own horse with a graceful movement, and then led both of them to the crimson-stained post, where he tied them firmly with several calming motions.

 

He began to fumble with the saddlebags, drawing out a slender black torch and the two sharp-edged stones they had used to light last night's fire. Scratching them together, he soon lit the torch, which seemed dim in cloudy light. He strode towards Paradox and handed him the lit torch, then turned to the ruined structure of the Tower, rising from the ground like an unsightly growth. He tightened his grip on his staff and tossed his head, green eyes flashing.

 

"Let's do this," he said, moving towards the gaping hole in the walls that indicated the Tower's entrance.

 

===

 

At that moment, Baltimer came striding around the corner of the tunnel, just in time to see Elisabeth fasten her teeth into Roland's neck and summon her demonic plants before dismissing them. Although he was slightly unnerved by such a frightening power, the heavyset soldier had seen far worse in his military career, so his tone was quite cool and unaffected.

 

"Fighting, children?" he asked of the two of them, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't waste my energy on petty demonstrations if I were you," he said to Elisabeth with a pointed glare. Baltimer chuckled in the back of his throat.

 

"You're going to need everything you've got just to make it through the Catacombs alive. Your grace period has elapsed—now that you've gathered your supplies, follow me."

 

Without waiting for their reply, the Captain of the Amethyst Guard turned and strode away down yet another side tunnel, one that seemed to slant even further downwards and was poorly lit.

[Tempest Dahlia]

Elisabeth looked at Roland and gave a tempting smile that said, I'll do it again, if l have to. You taste perfect...

She didn't say anything. ln fact, she seemed to pretend as if what just happened didn't happen at all. She turned and began her brisk walk after Baltimer into the tunnel, lifting her dress from the ground slightly to avoid it dragging on the slanted ground.

[Umbra]

(Assuming I'm still alive and capable of walking.)

 

Roland laid still on the ground, breathing heavily. Once again, he would have to rewrite his opinion about that woman. A formidable weapon... perfect. Should I have to pay for it in blood... so be it. Slowly, he climbed to his feet and thanked the Light that the whipping marks had healed up. Baltimer and Elizabeth were gone, but he knew where they were going. There was only one way, after all. The wound (bitemark demonspawn burn the witch kill it with fire) had stopped bleeding, miraculously, as he hurried after his acquaintances from the Amethyst Order. Time to capture a Senator.

[Tempest Dahlia]

Sorry... l had no other choice DX

 

Elisabeth continued her slope-walk down behind the Amethyst Order guard, careful to avoid small stones and other obstructive objects: the heels she wore were not exactly meant for terrains like this. On top of that, the very dim lighting further hindered her speed. I have to wear sneakers and pants from now on... she thought to herself. She, however, knew deep in her mind, that this was a false resolution.

She heard footsteps behind her that could only be Roland's.

[Vector Nightmare]

OoC: Otaku, even in the unlikely case that your character knew a language that hasn't been used for centuries, you had him decipher it from a stone slab with several pieces missing, most of it covered in moss that has been untouched for at least ten years - ten years of exposure in rain, snow, drought and all sorts of things that could make it unreadable. You need to tone your character down a bit. Your mastery over the arcane is very much overdoing it already without piling degrees of near omniscience to it.

 

---

 

Mission Post: Cerce & Paradox

 

Surprisingly enough, a torch was not necessary within the confines of the ground floor. Ample light was shed from the various holes and gaps in the walls - though such a light seemed dimmed within the musty interior, creating odd shadows that crawled along the edges.

 

However, if there was any supernatural activity going on in the tower, there were no signs of it here - only ruins and dust. A few gaping holes that were once doors lead into various chambers - but none of them seemed to hold anything of importance.

 

Current location: Ruined Tower, Ground Floor

 

Places of Interest:

 

-Ruined Chamber: It seems to have once been used as a storage room, but it is empty now.

-Ruined Chamber: A halfway-shattered round table of stone, framed by several chairs, indicates a meeting room of sorts.

-Ruined Chamber: You cannot decipher the purpose of this room, as it is filled with giant stones that have fallen from above. Through a hole, you can see the clear sky overhead.

 

Exits:

-Gate to outside: You came through here, it'd be pointless to go back...

-Upstairs: A ruined stone staircase leads upstairs, but there doesn't seem to be much of interest in the second floor either, as you can see through the holes in the ceiling.

-Downstairs: The stairs that lead to the basement are much longer, lost into some dark depths. The air is stale here, and you feel uneasy just by approaching. You should probably be careful...

 

---

 

OoC: The GM style is going to change from now on in closed / restricted areas to something like this, to make RPing smoother and easier for you guys. Just explore as you wish, until you get to a new area. Then I'll make a new GM post for that area etc.

 

=======

 

Mission Post: Ashley & Hyena

 

"Fight our way out? You think we haven't tried?" The guard looked at Ashley with obvious dismay. "The very day we realized the situation, we fled this place at once. But at the borders... there is an invisible boundary around this area, a few kilometers from the camp. You can get in alright... but once we tried to get out..." He shivered, evidently remembering the horrors of that time.

 

"...we lost most of our men there. Now it's only us, and we're fighting for our lives. A few more die by the day. Even with you here... the situation won't change."

 

"Don't lose hope!" Kael said imperatively. "Those two are Sentinels! They should be able to help somehow."

 

"Sentinels, eh?" The guard shook his head. "Maybe. I guess I'll tell you about what we are facing. You can then decide to try and flee or to stay and fight."

 

"At first they were human-like. At least in shape. Their skin was charred black, at some places even still aflame. They couldn't speak, or act coherently. They simply attacked, with great speed and strength. We cut them down, but wounds didn't stop them. If they touched you, your skin got scorched too, and in minutes you were like them. We fought them off by cutting off their limbs and impaling them with stakes or spears. After a few hours, they died."

 

"As if those weren't bad enough, though, soon there came the wolves. They were even more like carcasses than the men, scraps of flesh hinging from a bloody mass of innards that somehow held together. Those were fast, and deadly. But at least those killed you in more conventional ways. So we were able to hold them down."

 

"The third kind appeared just yesterday. They were humans, too. Once, they were. They retained most of their original appearance. But their eyes were stitched together, and they had claw-like fingers and toes, and razor-sharp nails. They jumped on you and didn't let go until they had torn you to shreds. And that happened incredibly quickly, trust me. Those were the hardest to kill, too, because no matter how we wounded them, they would still stand up and jump again, and they were far more agile than the ones before. The frightening part is... all of them were women. We think that the men are burned and turned into those flame-zombies, and the women are stitched together and turned into those mindless killers."

 

"And now something new has happened. We don't know what, but we can feel it. A focus - like something is guiding those creatures. They attack in more coordinated ways, in clever fashion, as if something is guiding them. And we do not want to find out what."

 

He shook his head again, obviously trying to shrug off the memories. "We'll die here, sooner or later. Oh, we have supplies - we recruited a lot of troops in the first few days and gathered provisions to feed them all for weeks, but most of them are dead now. But we won't last long."

 

=======

 

Victor looked around, appraising the new scenery. "This is quite impressive. Yes, truly wonderful." He said, while his greedy mind thought of how much money could be made by selling illusory weapons to people - and not being there when they came back to complain that their weapon had disappeared.

 

Victor blinked several times, concentrating on the original image of the smithy. Slowly, the garden started to lose coherence, as if it was an image painted on glass that was slowly breaking apart. Everything began looking unreal, as if liquefied. And after a few more moments, the room was restored to its original appearance.

 

"So even after you realize it's an illusion, it takes some time to see through it. Strong, very strong. I think I have a notion of how to start now."

 

"A good idea," he said, heading towards the nearest pile of iron, "is to make something that enhances the coherence of the illusion, making it harder to see through, and harder to break even if you realize what it is - so even if the target knows what he's seeing is unreal, it will take more time to restore his senses to original." Victor only hoped that was possible.

 

"Well, since this is my first time working on something like that, I'll have to craft something in my area of expertise." He surveyed the raw materials available. "Any particular preferences about weapons? I can make swords, spears, daggers, sickles... anything metal, I can work on. Truth is, it doesn't really matter, as you won't actually have to use the weapon, so it's more of a matter of style." Now more absent-minded, he continued, glancing around the smithy. "My power works best on subjects I have good understanding of, with objects I have good understanding of. The best way to understand an object is, of course, to create it, so I'm generally working with weapons. Since I don't have much experience with your power yet, it seems as good a place to start as any."

[encapturer]

Ashley listened carefully, taking in all the horrible information. Indeed, things looked bleak, but she wasn't going to cave in that easily. "Alright, So we have weapons to fight with, but the enemy is near infinite..." She walked to a nearby pile of weapons and drew a spear out that was sticking out. The larger iron spearhead made it a bit heavier than her old spear, but it will do.

 

"If they indeed are coming from humans and animals," Ashley paused, grabbed the spear from the middle and pointed it towards the nearby village. "They are probably coming from there." She rested the spear at her side, pointing upward. "Were you able to check it out yet?" She hoped things would be simple : find whoever was controlling these creatures and kill them.

 

With my luck, it'll be one of the soldiers...

[Otaku-sama]

OoC: Explain how my character is omniscient? Plus, Paradox didn't really fully decipher the text, just barely enough for him to know that it isn't a "Do not Enter" sign but a description.

 

IC: Paradox surveyed the dim interior of the ruins. Clouds of dust floated around where his feet touched the ground and hung in ther air. The orb with the torch floated autonomously in front of Paradox, apparently looking for signs of danger. Paradox took a walk around the hallway with a stance that showed that he was not concerned about what could be lurking in the ruins.

 

As he walked down, he came across a ruined doorway that lead to a meeting room of sorts. Paradox walked in and walked around the stone table. The damage to it was significant, but it was still in one piece. Paradox brushed off a little dust of a part of the table to reveal its once smooth marble surface. Paradox stood in front of the table for a minute or so, trying to think of what kind of meetings took place here. Did the seats hold generals, priests or townsmen? After a bit of this Paradox left the room rather unsatisfied of what he found.

[Saiba Aisu]

Mission Post: Roland & Elisabeth

 

"This tunnel is quite old," Baltimer said, leading them further underground, the passageway growing steadily darker and more oppressive, despite the flickering shadows cast by the mounted braziers. The air seemed to press in on them, and the echo of their footsteps seemed unnaturally loud. "It goes even deeper under the earth than the Amethyst Order's Headquarters—some say that these catacombs were here more than a hundred years before New Antioch was constructed. This means that parts of the Catacombs have not been tended to in quite some time, as you can imagine."

 

The heavyset Captain of the Guard turned slightly and smiled grimly at the two recruits. "Some of the older structures could collapse, and it's quite easy to get lost. Therefore, I would strongly suggest that you don't stray off the main path unless it's absolutely necessary." They took one more sharp, angular turn before reaching a large, thick door, reinforced with several metal clasps and sturdy iron bars.

 

"This door is only to be raised when you're either entering or leaving the Catacombs," Baltimer said to them. "When not in use, it must remained close—otherwise, the Amethyst Order's Headquarters could soon fall prey to the strange creatures that lurk in these tunnels. I have one of the three keys that will open it—one of the others is in Lady Cyndane's possession, while the final one is to be found on the other side of the Catacombs, where you'll be exiting. That key is the one you'll be using when you return down this same path with Togira Ken in tow. Once it's locked, there's no turning back."

 

Baltimer turned and handed Roland one of the several flaming torches mounted upon the walls. "In theory," he said, "the Catacombs should have their own braziers which you will be able to light if you can find them. However, it wouldn't be wise to depend on this alone, so you'll want to hold on to this torch." The Captain of the Guard gave Roland an appraising glance. "I understand that you're able to manifest small spheres of light," he said. "Such an ability could be highly useful. I repeat—the Catacombs are virtually unlit, meaning that even if you do have the map, you won't make it through without light."

 

Having said so, Baltimer reached within his pocket and drew out a glimmering, silvery key, which he slid into the door with an ominous click. Pushing the door open, he turned to the two and flashed them another grim smile. An ominous vista appeared before them—a gaping black hole in the wall, leading into a dark and high-ceilinged room, with several crumbling stone tombs barely visible, arranged at regular intervals near the walls. The air was cold and damp, and the steady drip of water could be heard. Two large sidetunnels were visible, while several smaller ones also branched off into the shadows. "Welcome to the Catacombs," he said.

 

Current Location: Catacombs, Eastern Entrance

 

[spoiler=Places of Interest]

 

Places of Interest:

 

• Burial Chamber of Kings: The entry point where you'll be starting your mission, this room connects with the doorway into the Amethyst Order's Quarters. It is roughly hexagonal in shape and contains twelve tombs lined at regular intervals, displaying a carved stone likeness of some long-dead noble. In between the room, two main Transit Tunnels branch off into the darkness.

 

• Transit Tunnel C - D: The main tunnel you should be following along your journey through the Catacombs, it is the passageway that is in the best shape when compared to the others. It connects the Eastern End of the Catacombs (the Amethyst Quarters) with the Western End, which opens up on the banks of the Anora River. It is lined by crumbling tombs and odd drawings upon the walls.

 

• Transit Tunnel C - ?: Another of the four main tunnels that connects the underground ruins of New Antioch. This tunnel branches off the Burial Chamber of Kings to the right. It is known to be infested by strange and dangerous beasts—where it leads to is unknown.

 

• Transit Tunnel C - ?: Another of the four main tunnels that connects the underground ruins of New Antioch. This tunnel branches off the Burial Chamber of Kings to the left. It is known to be infested by strange and dangerous beasts—where it leads to is unknown.

 

• Side Tunnels: Six mysterious sidetunnels that line the Burial Chamber of Kings, they are most likely passages that lead to personal residences. They are much narrower than any of the three Transit Tunnels and do not have any illumination whatsoever. Apart from being in the worst states of disrepair, these passageways are frequented most often by the strange creatures that haunt the Catacombs. Where they lead to is unknown; if you value your lives, you won't venture down these.

 

Exits:

 

• Eastern Gate: The point from which you entered. Now that you've entered the Catacombs, Baltimer will be locking it shut behind you, which isn't very helpful.

 

• Transit Tunnel C - D: This tunnel will lead you to the banks of the Anora River, your target. To avoid getting lost, refer to your map often.

 

 

 

==

 

OoC: The GM style is going to change from now on in closed or restricted areas to this, in order to make RPing smoother and easier. Explore as you like within reason until you arrive at a new area. At that point, I'll make a new GM post for that area.

[Tempest Dahlia]

"Alright, Roland." Elisabeth sighed heavily, turning to the man she had bitten earlier and speaking to him the first time since the incident. "The way l see it, my powers will bring down the entire Catacombs if l use them to a strong degree. We're going to have to depend on you to survive." She looked at his expression: did he hate her for what she did?

"Look, i'm sorry, but you did ask to see my powers... What was l supposed to do?" She said with slight contempt.

[The Warden]

Deus raised an awkward eyebrow. 'Truth be told I have no weapon 'preferences'. As a holy man for many years, I lived in non-violence, that was how many priests lived. Though, if given the choice, a dagger is most suited in this case, as I know how to wield those in any case. Many people wouldn't think about getting stabbed by a priest' he remarked cooly as the garden faded for him. 'But, such large scale illusion like the garden is taxing on me mentally and physically, so I think I will have a seat' Deus added in his newly tired tone, seeking providence in the ismple wooden chair. 'Of course, since it requires so much will and power, it is harder to break the larger illusions, in truth, they make excellent set-ups for torture or interrogation' he remarked with a grin.

[Saiba Aisu]

Baltimer gave Elisabeth a skeptical look. "I wouldn't take that mentality if I were you," he said. "You'll both need to depend on your abilities to make it through the Catacombs alive. Powerful as your demonic plants may be, I doubt that they would be able to topple an underground complex that spans miles and has survived for more than a century."

 

The Captain of the Guard shrugged slightly, as if in apology. "Then again," he amended, "this is your mission and it's entirely up to you two the manner in which you will proceed with it. I was only offering a suggestion, that's all." Then, checking to make sure that Roland's torch was indeed lit and casting flickering light upon the damp stone floor, he strode through the door.

 

"Good luck to both of you," he said, smiling grimly. "The Amethyst Order is depending on your success. Stay strong and depend on one another and don't stray from the path—that's the best advice I can offer."

 

There was a slight pause, and then the door slammed shut, leaving Roland and Elisabeth alone in the unfriendly darkness, except for the flickering light of the torch. From the other side of the door, a sharp click could be heard as Baltimer firmly locked the door behind himself.

 

===

 

Cerce entered the ruins more cautiously than Paradox, his catlike green eyes tense and flashing. There is something very wrong about this place, he thought to himself, eying both the upper and lower staircases. The other man was poking about searching for clues, but the dissatisfied expression on his face told Cerce that he hadn't found anything.

 

"Paradox?" Cerce asked, his voice oddly muffled in the shadowy interior of the Tower. "I don't think we're going to find much here," he said. "It's clear that no one's been in those rooms for a very long time—besides, even if someone is using this Tower as a base of operations, they wouldn't work from the ground floor, which is open to attack." The dark-haired man took a wistful look upwards, determinedly avoiding the staircase leading to the floor below.

 

"I think we should try exploring the upper floor," Cerce told Paradox firmly. "It's easily the most defensible spot in the Tower, and allows you to see any approaching enemies for miles." He began to move towards the staircase and climb, a deep feeling of unease settling upon him as his eyes caught the invisible and sinister movement of the air within the tower.

 

Just as he'd thought, there was definitely something wrong with the air inside the ruins—it was being sucked steadily downwards, into the inky darkness of the Tower's depths.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox followed Cerce up the stairs, passing by the entrance to a staircase leading down. Paradox stopped at the threshold to the stairway. The orb holding the torch shone some light down the staircase, but somehow proved ineffective at revealing anything. Paradox also felt an uneasy feeling as he stared into the blackness. The entrance was like the gaping mouth of a monster, sucking the unfortunate into its greedy jaws. Paradox then left it to follow Cerce.

 

"Cerce, if we do not find anything on the upper level, we will have to enter the basement, you know," Paradox remarked of Cerce's deliberate avoidance of the entrance.

[Umbra]

Roland looked at the closed door, then at the torch, and then at Elizabeth.

"I don't think we need this."

He put the torch down on the cold stone floor, and instead summoned an orb of orange light in his left hand. It lit the tunnel as well as the torch had, if not better.

"I can control this light better than that of the torch. Let's go, we don't have any time to waste."

He took a few steps down the tunnel, clutching at the light.

[Naimo]

Hyena did not go for any kind of weapon; instead, her claws were gleaming even more under the sunlight. She sat very still, listening in on the conversation; as she had nothing to offer, she would say nothing. She glanced at the direction Ashley was pointing at, and began sniffing the ground again. Yes, it definately reeked of demons ... that unforgettable alien smell, mixing in with the moist scent of the earth.

[Saiba Aisu]

OoC: Since Dahlia is temporarily indisposed, I'll be controlling Elisabeth until he returns. This is done with his/her permission.

 

===

 

Elisabeth smiled and shrugged slightly, her black dress rustling. "If you say so, big boy," she purred, leaving the torch on the ground and following after him, high heels clacking on the stone floor noisily. "I just hope you can keep that night-light on for as long as necessary."

 

She pulled out the parchment that served as a map of the Catacombs, tracing their indicated route with a manicured nail and biting her lip slightly as she read it in the purple light. "According to this map," she said, "we'll continue forward past the next two sidetunnels, then take a right. Doesn't look too complicated."

 

A slight smile appeared on her perfect features as she surveyed the intricate and confusing mass of tunnels and passageways the map displayed. It looked like Baltimer had known what he was talking about—getting lost in here could be very costly indeed. With this in mind, Elisabeth shuddered theatrically.

 

"Ooh," she said, "it's so cold in this dripping, dark dump." She drew uncomfortably close to Roland, only too well aware of the effect her actions would have on the man.

[Vector Nightmare]

OoC: Otaku, this is a text RP. If the GM states that something is unreadable, then that something is unreadable. If I intended it to be readable, I'd have stated so. In this particular case I do not mind, but in other cases you may seriously hamper the plot by making things up like that.

 

---

 

Mission Post: Cerce & Paradox

 

The wind howled as the two men climbed up, whirling through the gaps in the walls and the ceiling like the wail of a banshee. However, other than that, complete silence accompanied the pair in their exploration. The first floor had less room to move around than the ground floor. Pieces of the corridor were missing, isolating parts of the tower. Walls, halfway torn down already, indicated separate chambers, but most of the place was an indistinguishable mass of debris. However, something felt wrong. Out-of-place. And after a careful observation, the flaw becomes obvious: a piece of the floor is floating in mid-air, unattached to any side of the wall! At first glance, it is nothing but an empty slab of stone suspended by some unknown force. But if one looked more carefully, he could see slight distortions as the light passed above it, shadows that shouldn't be there, places that the light should reach that were dark. Perhaps it merited investigation - but how to get there, when the closest place to jump from was several feet away?

 

Current location: Ruined Tower, First Floor

 

Places of Interest:

 

-Floating Stone: A piece of the floor that is suspended in mid-air. It's probably too far to jump, and a fall sounds painful. Maybe if you had a rope, you could try something using the rocks that are protruding from the edges.

-Ruined Library: A chamber close to the staircase you just climbed undeniably used to serve as a library once, with all the bookshelves and bookcases aligned to the floors. However, the few manuscripts that remain are in shreds, unreadable. Scorch marks on them indicate that this place has suffered a fire. But still, maybe it is worth a shot?

-Ruined Chamber: You cannot decipher the purpose of this room. A hole in the middle of the floor offers a view downstairs. Upon closer observation, the hole seems remarkably well-defined, artificial. Looking up, there is a similar-sized hole overhead. You also observe that it is located very close to where the center of the tower should be. There is no such hole in the ground floor. One can wonder if there was a purpose in it.

-Ruined Laboratory: The remnants of an ancient laboratory. The walls and floor bear dried stains from unknown liquids, and shards of glass litter the floor. There is a table, some shattered vials still on it, on one side. There is one, mostly intact, that is still halfway full with some strange red liquid.

 

Exits:

-Downstairs: The stairs you climbed to get here. There is no other exit except jumping from the open spaces in the walls. Which would be a bad idea.

 

---

 

OoC: If you want to take your time here, each of the rooms holds a secret that may help you in your upcoming quest - but some secrets are better left untouched... RP normally as before, and if you stumble across something of interest, I will post.

 

======

 

Mission Post: Ashley & Hyena

 

"Check it out?" The guard shook his head. "Girl, they got us pinned here. We've survived this long because we can defend this place somewhat." He pointed at the various makeshift fortifications lying around the camp. "Had you been unlucky enough to find yourselves traveling within their territory at night, you'd be corpses or worse by now."

 

"Look, you don't have to take my word for it." He shrugged, pointing towards the setting. "Soon, you'll see for yourselves. Trust me, it's worse than I described." And then, as if to emphasize on his words -

 

The screams began.

 

---

 

OoC: Soon, night falls, and the horrors begin. You may RP in the camp freely for now, but on my next post I'll probably kick things off.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox marvelled at the the first thing he saw on the second floor. A piece of the floor was being held in place in midair. Paradox immediately rushed as close as he could to the floating rock.

 

"Interesting. A rock being suspended in the air. It seemed to be a part of the original floor. I wonder if the tower was built by the ancients? The secrets of the ancients..." Paradox mused to himself. Knowing he could not get closer, Paradox observed the rest of the floor. A ruined laboratory caught his eye. He scurried to it and began to investigate. There were various dried liquids. Paradox took some of the various substances inbetween his fingers and sniffed them. As he did this, he came across a vial of red liquid. Paradox took a whiff.

 

"...Tangy...I'll keep that..." Paradox muttered to himself as he put the cork back into the vial and tucked it in his robes. He left the laboratory to see the floating stone again.

 

"Cerce? Do you feel any wind energy flowing into this rock? It is possible that this rock could be a nexus of wind energy that lets it hover in the air."

[Saiba Aisu]

"Mm?" Cerce said absentmindedly in reply, his green gaze swiveling across the room he was exploring. The high ceilings and soot-covered bookcases clearly marked the area as a library of some sort, but it was evident that it had not been used for some time. As he leaned forward and picked at a scrap of singed parchment, a terrible feeling of regret filled Cerce—to think that someone would have purposefully burnt a collection of books!

 

Then again, he amended, it could have been a strike of lightning, or something similar... He cast a brief look at the large holes dotting the ceiling, and a wry half-smile tugged at his lips. There are certainly enough openings for lightning.

 

At the other man's question, he strode outside of the Ruined Library and focused his gaze upon the odd, floating piece of stone—as always, he traced the invisible movements of the air around them. "I don't think there's a nexus of Air there, Paradox," he said at last, frowning slightly. Unlike the Library which had felt unusually familiar and comfortable—Cerce had a love of books—the floating chunk of stone induced in him once more that strange feeling of unease, as if they were being watched.

 

"That doesn't mean that some other force couldn't be holding it up, though," he continued. "If you want to go look at it more closely, I certainly don't mind—I could easily conjure solid steps of Air that would let you cross the gap safely." The dark-haired man folded his arms and hefted his staff playfully.

 

"So?" he asked Paradox, his catlike gaze amused. "Think you're up to walking on an invisible staircase? I'd like to keep exploring the Library in the meantime, if you don't mind, so let's make this quick..."

[encapturer]

"They seem to have everything covered," Ashley said in light of the new information. It would soon be nightfall, anyway. Why do they not swarm this place, and take us all out? Ashley thought. Her train of thought was stopped by sudden screams off in the distance.

 

Ashley glanced in the direction the noise came. There were other yells and cries coming from other directions, but that one scream was the loudest. The spear in her hand disintegrated into black particles and was absorbed by her sheathed dagger, so she didn't have to carry it all over the place. Besides, there were more weapons here than soldiers. Living soldiers, at least.

 

First thing, examine to fortifications. Ashley wandered the camp looking at the structures. They were well-used alright, though some of them needed some repair, otherwise they would fall apart during the next attack. Fortunately, there was some extra rope lying around that she could use to strengthen them. As she walked over towards the center of the camp where the extra supplies were, Ashley spotted Hyena.

 

Wonder if she figured out anything... Ashley thought to herself. She recalled that Hyena took a different path to the camp, so maybe she learned something. Ashley walked over to Hyena, waving at her to get her attention. "So... what do you think about this demon situation?" she asked, looking directly at Hyena. While Ashley was paying attention, she did seem a little distracted when she asked, since she was trying to figure out the ways they could go on the offensive, though it seemed unlikely that anything she learned from her time as village warrior would be of any help.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox thought about walking on Cerce's air stairs. Could he trust him to hold him up over a chasm that if he dropped down, he might die? Paradox thought for a few more seconds, then decided.

 

"I guess I'll try my luck with walking on air. Go make me those stairs if you please," Paradox said, taking deep breaths. He approached the edge of the floor, trying not to look down. As much as he tried, he eventually looked down. He was struck with a bout of vertigo, getting a little nauseous. Paradox's crave for knowledge of that floating rock overcame his vertigo. He steeled his courage and stood up a bit straighter and looked ahead, waiting for Cerce's signal.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce's amused expression widened; evidently, Paradox didn't place too much confidence in something he wouldn't be able to see. "Alright, then," he said, raising his arms, staff at the ready. He closed his eyes briefly and made a swiping motion with his arm, as if sculpting something invisible, feeling a slight drain in his strength as the action took its toll. To Cerce's green eyes, a glowing bridge of solid Air appeared, spanning directly from the other man to the strangely floating statue.

 

"Just walk straight ahead until you reach it, Paradox," Cerce said in a soothing tone, turning back to the library again with interest. "I could always make another solid block of Air to catch you if you fall, but the landing would be painful. I'd like to avoid breaking any of your bones if necessary, alright?"

[Naimo]

Hyena did not answer Ashley straight away; instead she had her nose stuck to the floor. She didn't bother grabbing a weapon; her claws gleamed even more under the sunlight, ready to beam critically at its next victim. It was only when Hyena lifted her face off the floor did she answer. "The ground reeks of demons, and the filthy smell of humans." Clearly, she had nothing terribly useful to offer. A pregnant pause followed. "Probably blood."

[Vector Nightmare]

Mission Post: Cerce & Paradox

 

As Paradox stepped closer to the floating slab, he would quickly realize there was something strange about it. It seemed as if the air from which Cerce had created the steps was trembling, struggling to go towards the center of that suspended platform. If either man felt that, he would, perhaps, realize the cause. Such things had come to existence along with the Ethereal Twilight. A Twilight Vortex, was a name some gave them. Anything and everything that shared the same source of energy would be pulled towards its center. The fact was that this one was extremely weakened, barely containing enough energy to maintain the miracle of suspension by virtue of the power that was stored above. A Twilight Vortex at full power would forcibly pull the two Sentinels themselves from a great distance to it along with anything else with a hint of Twilight's energy.

 

This provided a reasonable explanation on how exactly the tower was brought to ruin - if the tower had been constructed, enhanced, or reconstructed by magic, and then a Twilight Vortex was somehow born in its midst, then the whole structure would end up... like this one. But then again, this raised more questions. How was this Twilight Vortex born? And what exactly lay on the surface of that stone?

 

The answer to the second question was quickly answered, as the scenery... shimmered. As if it was a canvas, the air shattered, collapsing in invisible shards around them, revealing a new sight. Five golden pillars positioned isometrically around the center of the stone, each with a glowing silver orb encased on top. And in the center, a small white altar, upon which a single golden goblet lay. The goblet was empty, and though the source of the Twilight Vortex was right overhead, nothing would appear to stop the man from taking the item.

 

But just as Paradox was closing in on the floating stone, a groaning noise was heard behind Cerce. One of the bookshelves he had touched opened unto itself, revealing a hidden space within. The magical seal placed upon it had been strong, once, but now it had weakened so much that just the touch of a Sentinel had unlocked the secret vault. Unfortunately, even though the thing was made of stone, the flames had not spared the books stored within, which were definitely manuscripts of great value and importance, but were now scorched to dust. However, one item stood out. It was a large green gemstone, an emerald about the size of a man's fist, glowing brightly despite the amount of dust gathered throughout the years. Shreds of leather indicated that the gem had been removed from something - but that something was long gone from here.

 

Current location: Ruined Tower, First Floor

 

Places of Interest:

 

-Floating Stone: A piece of the floor that is suspended in mid-air. The pull from its surface suggests a Twilight Vortex. As you approach, an invisibility charm is lifted, and five obelisks are revealed symmetrically placed around it, and an altar with a golden goblet on top.

-Ruined Library: A chamber close to the staircase you just climbed undeniably used to serve as a library once, with all the bookshelves and bookcases aligned to the floors. However, the few manuscripts that remain are in shreds, unreadable. Scorch marks on them indicate that this place has suffered a fire. Touching a bookcase near the far wall has revealed a hidden vault, in which a gemstone can be found.

-Ruined Chamber: You cannot decipher the purpose of this room. A hole in the middle of the floor offers a view downstairs. Upon closer observation, the hole seems remarkably well-defined, artificial. Looking up, there is a similar-sized hole overhead. You also observe that it is located very close to where the center of the tower should be. There is no such hole in the ground floor. One can wonder if there was a purpose in it.

-Ruined Laboratory: The remnants of an ancient laboratory. The walls and floor bear dried stains from unknown liquids, and shards of glass litter the floor. There is a table, some shattered vials still on it, on one side. There is one, mostly intact, that is still halfway full with some strange red liquid, but Paradox took it.

 

Exits:

-Downstairs: The stairs you climbed to get here. There is no other exit except jumping from the open spaces in the walls. Which would be a bad idea.

 

======

 

Mission Post: Ashley & Hyena

 

"They are coming."

 

As if those three words were a signal, the camp which thus far looked almost asleep got into a flurry of motion. Soldiers and civilians alike moving about, carrying what looked like large stones and huge wooden bolts, those evidently higher in the chain of command barking orders and giving directions. The guard that had been talking to the small group left hurriedly to help. Once the field of vision was clear, it became apparent why Avalon's soldiers had chosen this place, and why they had survived this long.

 

Siege engines, ballistae and catapults, were positioned symmetrically around the camp, set up to defend against attacks from all possible directions. Piles of boulders lay next to the catapults, and massive shaped bolts formed arrays beside the ballistic engines, with plenty of oil buckets to drench and set them ablaze.

 

"If you're here to help," another soldier that approached them said, not wasting any words "man one of those." He pointed to the nearest catapult. "We don't have enough people to keep them all up, not after last night..." He shook his head and left in just as much of a hurry as he had come.

 

"The situation looks pretty terrible." Kael sighed, letting his gaze wander over the soldiers. "We'd best go with their defense plan for now, until we can learn more. You two, keep your eyes open." He told the girls. "You might be able to catch something useful." The two escorts then left to help with the defenses.

 

And then they arrived.

 

They were many, and they were hideous. Hordes of zombie-like creatures with charred skin, still alight with black flames in places. Their eye sockets were empty. The setting sun on their backs, they marched, slowly but steadily, towards the camp. They shrieked with cries of agony, hands stretched in front, as if seeking the aid of some invisible benefactor. They were accompanied by wolves - no, actually, there were more than wolves - hyena's, jackals, or even large dogs, but all looked pretty much the same, with their skin stripped off, their insides a mass of organs and blood.

 

"Fire!"

 

Immediately, the first volley of bolts and stones was hurled against the attackers, smashing the first wave to pieces. But they did surprisingly little damage to those they failed to kill - the injured simply rose and continued their march at the same speed.

 

"Don't let them get close!" A guard close to Ashley and Hyena yelled. "Put them down!" A second volley, and a third. More and more fell. But now they were close, and the sun had set, letting darkness overwhelm the camp, which was only lit by the torches and lanterns set up randomly around the area.

 

"God help us..." One of the younger soldiers whimpered as he stared with fright into the shadows. "We're all doomed..."

[encapturer]

Ashley nodded, and manned the nearest catapult. The first time she fired she fumbled around a bit, though the second and third shots went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, it wasn't as effective as they would have hoped. What kind of force is driving these things? Ashley wondered, as she loaded the fourth shot.

 

By this point, the monstrosities were close enough for Ashley to get a good look at them. Indeed, they seemed to be once living creatures that have been manipulated into these... things. Ashley untied her scarf and changed it into her sword, since it seemed like they will have to engage them up close after all.

 

After firing the fourth shot from the catapult, she surveyed the battlefield, looking for something along the lines of a weak point. Watching the 'demons' move, Ashley surmised that trenches would have been able to slow them considerably. Of course, that information won't help now, she continued watching while preparing to strike down those who got close. In Ashley's mind right now, either the swarm of creatures are fended off, the source of these things is destroyed, or the soldiers in the camp escape. There are no other scenarios.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce frowned as his control of the solid bridge of Air wavered—it was as he'd thought, there was something definitely unnatural about the Ruined Tower. He drew more deeply upon his strength, willing the bridge to remain in existence. Behind him, the bookcase which had so mysteriously opened gaped wide, leading into a small vault-like space occupied by a glowing, dusty green gem. The dark-haired man ached to go and take the emerald—it seemed to be calling to him, somehow—but he forced himself to focus on the bridge and the contents of the stone slab which had appeared as Paradox had drawn near.

 

"Paradox?" Cerce called, his voice slightly strained with the effort of maintaining the invisible floor beneath the other man's feet. "If you're going to approach the altar, hurry and do it quickly: holding this bridge is tiring me out!" He half-turned and eyed the emerald behind him, his expression full of uncontrollable curiosity.