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The Kidnapped Princess

Scene details

Setting: Word has it that one of Suryle's princesses has been kidnapped! ... Again. Actually this seems to be a common and re-occurring thing. Nevertheless, adventurers have been hired to deliver the ransom to the goblin tribe and retrieve the princess. Things however will not exactly go as planned when an Eidola attacks in the middle of the delivery.

Log

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

So haha, it would seem that one of the princesses of Suryle has been kidnapped by goblins. One of the princesses who is in line for the throne no less. That makes this a bit of a touchy situation. Especially when the squad of knights tasked with rescuing her are rendered unable to do so due to the increasing amount of unrest in the forest with monsters, creatures, brigands and other such gribblies that constantly plague wide expanses of forestland.

So the crown is forced to rely on adventurers to handle the job.

Though the job came with some strange stipulations, considering the single knight dispatched with the party is explaining things as best he can.

"Okay so, first things first: Do NOT engage in violence against the goblins. They're pretty numerous and likely to overwhelm you with sheer numbers and knowledge of the territory." He says sounding like he's clearly making up reasons why the group shouldn't just all out attack the kidnapping tribe. "Anyway, look, just deliver the ransom, get the princess back, deliver the ransom, get the princess back, deliver her to the castle and you'll get your reward." He says, halting at the edge of the woods, leaving the party with the ransom- a moderately heavy and very locked chest.

It's not long before a small squad of goblins in leathers and furs emerge from the trees, brandishing... Surprisingly well kept and polished weapons. Several move to inspect the chest while one, the leader, points into the treeline, speaking in a somewhat broken accent.

"You come. We take to princess, yes."

  • Character: Orilion
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Solemn and somewhat distant since the resolution of their crusade against the ice elementals, Orilion serves as experienced pathfinder on this expedition, combining his knowledge of monsters and terrain with the knight's homefield advantage to see them safely towards the Goblin territory. "I'll cover you; if things go sideways." It's his succinct contribution to the deceptively simple plan-- which will totally survive first contact with the enemy.

The ranger murmurs a few quiet words of power, a glittering dust of pulverized crystal glimmering along his hooded grey cloak as its form begins to shift with the surrounding colors, the ranger all but disappearing on silent footfalls into the surrounding foliage, flanking the convoy, and stalking the inevitable tribal hunters in turn.

Non-violently, of course.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faruja is doing his best to be polite to the poor knight currently yammering on about the requirements for the mission. Smiiile. He nods along with every point agreeably, and even offers a few heartfelt blessings to the knight as well as assurances that the Holy One shall guide them to victory, blah blah blah the group by now is probably starting to recognize the difference between Faruja abusing platitudes and actually blessing someone.

He is /definitely/ tossing out religious platitudes like grenades here.

Once the party and the gigantic f-off chest of ransom money is in place, doe she lean in to the party in a low voice.

"Is it merely templariate paranoia, or does something seem.../off/ about this whole business?" The beastkin quickly shuts up, then beams a winning smile to the gobling squad with their respectable weaponry. Cue respect points from the knight, who carefully keeps his own weapon held tip up and butt on the ground as walking-stick-with-hints-of-wariness. Hostage situations are hard, and he'd be a fool to understimate numerous, well armed goblins.

Orilion gets a nod though, seems he has the home field abantage in all this. Hmmmm.

Ivo's gaze has been roving with interest ever since the party arrived at Suryle. Even though there remains much of Granse still to explore, the Cosmopolitan's heart thrills at the adventure awaiting all throughout the world. The forest here smells different, its earth rich, somehow full to bursting. Lacking experience in the outdoors, the magitech engineer's intuition strains at the limit of his knowledge, his curiosity quickening at the thought of how a scholar might explain the differences between the nations' biomes.

Thus he is not too talkative on their journey into and through the Queenswood, except occasionally to ask a seemingly innocent question about the structure of Suryle or the Queenswood of their accompanying knight, who, proud of his homeland, is happy to answer. When they are finally left with the ransom and their rather well-organized golbin escort, the young man turns to look at Reize and steps closer. He quietly nods at Faruja's dubious remark, revealing that he is barely suppressing a smile.

"I'm afraid we'll just be going through the motions on this quest, chief," he says under his breath, glancing over at Orilion taking up a tactically advantageous position. "Not that we should be surprised that a lucrative princess rescue so close to a capitol was too good to be true. There's no way these goblins are true enemies of Suryle. We're entangled in some sort of eccentric royal's political machinations -- being used as outsiders to avoid raising suspicion, I expect."

He stretches, visibly unconcerned with the well-kept weaponry of their goblin guards, joining Faruja in smiling at the goblin faux-brigands.

"Well, easy money," he murmurs, "and effectively, a free vacation." He seems quite happy to be getting a glimpse at the way of life of a goblin tribe of the Queenswood. And as much as he enjoys learning new things, it's not as though he enjoys danger. It's nice that this jaunt promises to be safe.

Reize had considered sitting out of this trip and let Ivo and the others go ahead.

The young explorer was very uneasy about returning to the region of Verdios. In fact, when Ivo mentioned about the idea of taking a trip there, there was a very pointed, uncharacteristically rueful look on the boy's face. ...But that wouldn't be like him, would it?

Here he is.

Reize, in a way, is home. However, the saving grace is that he is also not home at the same time. Given that the small village is surrounded by dense forest, that brings the small comfort that they're nowhere near this village.

Small comfort.

Nevertheless, Reize was also surprised that they had a request available for him to officially take. However, there was something that rang back ot his mind, this is the kingdom of Suryle, where the famous knights of the lance, the Lance Division, reside.

However, the fact that he is near home leaves him tense to where he has been quiet the entire way. He looks at Faruja, nodding at his beastkin companion, "... But, if we don't have to fight, things will end well, right?"

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Argent tilts her head to one side as Faruja brings up the oddness of the situation, watching the goblins go about their business with regards to checking over the presumably treasure filled chest. For a while she's silent, listening to the others talk while she herself just stands there, still as can be. Watching. Eventually she speaks up. "It is unusual. The individual we are to retrieve has apparent significance. As such, it would be extremely difficult for these goblins to remove her from her home. Given the current difficulties in the area, I do not believe it would be typical for her to travel without supervision. As such, under normal circumstances, it would be extremely difficult to remove her." the homunculus says, flitting her gaze off into the treeline where the (presumably) lead goblin points.

"Additionally, the quality of the workmanship and materials shown by the weaponry these individuals use is unusually high. In particular, they are of significantly higher quality than their clothing." she says, turning her gaze upon Reize. She doesn't blink for a few seconds before going on. "It is possible that their armaments are stolen, or possibly provided by a willing source. In either case, this raises their confidence greatly. I believe it would be advisable to prepare for conflict." A beat passes, and then. "For you to prepare for conflict. My abilities are not the most suited for direct combat."

The vampire in her things they should run away with a large chest of loot. The not-vampire in her thinks that the rest of the party would be sad if she suggested that.

Thusly, Ruidosa La Crima is here with her big book to her chest as she holds it there and wraps her arms around it, protecting it as she eyes the whole situation and she ''blinks'' at the whole affair as it's explained. And Goblins that... are wanting to talk and speak and-- she agrees with Ivo's assessment. This is all a big play affair, as she looks at Reize.

"This is... your home country. Isn't it?" she asks him curiously. She isn't on guard she's just following along and sometimes writing in her big book. Currently...

Her book says 'Today, I took part in a big fat farce to save face to save a princess.' she continues to follow along, quietly, part of the party dragging the chest along but keeping in back.

"Let's just get this over with." she whispers quietly over to Ivo.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Though Orilion takes to the shadows of the trees and stalks the hunting party, the goblins, for the most part, in spite of their possibly ill-gotten weapons... Do not seem all that hostile. They gabber amongst themselves in their native tongue, making various hand motions and laughing amongst some in-joke that the adventuring party doesn't seem to be in on. So, regardless of assessments of their weapons and possible capabilites or to prepare for conflict... The goblins don't seem to be the ones ready to start anything as they lead deeper into the woods.

It's a bit of a hike before the party reaches the goblin encampment. It's a wide clearing cut into a hidden section of the forest. There are a few sturdily erected wooden walls, cookpits with savory meat spinning on spits. ... Oddly, there are goblin children milling about and playing, giddy and excited. Not a usual sight for a tribe that's allowing adventurers into their territory.

"No funny thoughts." The hunter-lead says. "You give ransom. We give princess. Is good deal. Good deal." He says with an idle nod of his head, before motioning to the cage in the center of the encampment.

The girl in the frilly pink dress in the cage doesn't look too put out, a few of the children huddled by the bars, listening raptly as she seems to be speaking to them in their native tongue. And whatever she says seems to be earning her a lot of giggles and laughter.

At least before she spots the party being led in, and heaves a visible sigh, shooing the littler goblins off and looking...

Well. She doesn't look too happy about being rescued right now, for some reason. And considering how hastily erected the cage looks... This is probably all for show, for appearances anyway.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

There's little shock that the goblins are not treacherous-- while quiet, attentive to the tales of the land is an understatement, where the monster hunter is concerned. Such tribes, each with their own traditions, attitudes, dialects, and lore can be found in the wilds anywhere more malevolent creatures have not completely conquered the territory; or seen it cobbled over by man.

Their "trading partners" are scarcely the only threat in this dark expanse, however; far from the worst, even if the vast numbers thereof -did- seek to swarm the adventurers. The cities may be safe from monstrous invasion-- but they are quite outside that congregation, now.

So it is that Orilion stays secret, stays safe, skirting the course towards the village, and then surveying said scene itself from the treeline. There's a silent chuckle at the Princess' alleged plight, and then the ranger's attention shifts back to their perimeter, a circuit he slinks silently along, a flutter of shifting camouflage between the cover of tree trunk and lush brush.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 20. Total result is 20.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faruja openly scowls as political machinations were brought up, and the sheer good naturedness of Ivo, combined with Reize's own naieve outlook, has the rather more pessimistic beastkin giving one of those low growl-squeaks he gives when something is annoying him but he doesn't quite want to bring it up directly. Not that it's too hard to puzzle out, given his general distaste for nobility and their shenanigans.

"As long as /everyone/ ends up safe." Clearly the beastkin has 'completing the mission' as a distant third on his priority list. Luckily number one is 'ensure this doesn't end up in either royal or goblin genocide'.

Argent gets a nod. "Do not worry, my Lady, stay behind we of the more armored-and-pointy-stick variety, and you shall be quite fine!" He offers confidently, the rat at least believing he can keep everyone out of /too/ many puncture wounds. Well, the ones he can't heal up.

That might not be the case for Rui, yet he'll just have to let Reize deal with vampire healing. Sorry miss vampire!

Faruja offers the lead hunter-gobbo a small bow respectfully! They would never /dream/ of such. Mostly because Rui's keeping silent and Priel isn't here.

The beastkin lets Ivo take the lead on negotiations, trusting to the man's silvery-if-often-lecherous tongue. Instead his eyes take in the natives and the Princess. It almost feels cozy and peaceful here. The princess in particular must either be the sort to just roll with things, or perhaps it's a bit of stockholm syndrome.

"That is not the look of a terrified kidnapped girl." He vocalizes, intentionally making sure the goblins can hear it too, showing his hand a touch to hopefully ease the goblins' minds about their little party.

"Yes, of course," Ivo is saying pleasantly to the goblin leader, smiling warmly and standing besides the kind but stern Faruja as though to balance diplomacy with strength. "A peaceful exchange is in all our interests." He surveys the tribe with obvious unfeigned interest. "What a lovely community. Hello!" The young man waves at a curious goblin child, grinning, before his gaze shifts.

Naturally, it alights on what Ruidosa is writing.

"Quite so," he murmurs to her. "Don't worry. We'll have you back in Granse in time to have an evening date with our fearless leader." His grin has only widened, and he's very obviously looking over her shoulder onto what she's writing yet again.

He could at least pretend not to be doing that.

"Faruja is right, Argent," he adds, turning to the stoic homunculus. "Our brave knight here shall be the wall before you, and I shall watch your back." He pauses. "Not for any reasons having to do with your new and... improved adventuring outfit, of course." Are those shorts he picked out for her painted on?

Focus, Ivo. You did this to yourself. ...Nicely done, though.

He's at least not so distracted that he can't handle the initial exchange. "We'll place the chest here," he addresses the leader again, tone still pleasant, "and you can... um... unlock the cage at the same time, yes?" Is that cage even locked?

It isn't that Reize is unfocused per se, but his mind has drifted in his own thoughts of uneasiness that has hung over him since his arrival to the country. Is he here? Maybe. Maybe not. The boy's eyes furrow as he looks to the side. Ordinarily, Ivo's comment about 'dating' and the likes would stir a reaction from the boy. However, he's just... strangely focused on something else.

Hearing Ruidosa asking him about his home country briefly snaps him out of it, "Huh...? Oh, yeah.. this is where I'm from." From the tone, it doesn't sound like he's exactly pleased.

... He is really looking forward to leaving soon.

He does take the time to gaze in awe at the sight of the goblin encampment, staring towards the cookpits, the goblin children playing around, and everyone living their lives. It seems rather peaceful.

As they arrive to the center, he looks over towards the to-be-rescued princess. Apparently, she does not look too happy. Even Reize has to give an eye at the cage, giving a discerning eye at its structure. There is a squint, before he leans over towards both Faruja and their group so they can hear it within the earshot.

"...That cage's like it's for show. It looks like it could collapse if someone threw a stone at one of its bridges." He falls quiet once more after placing his discerning eye. Is it that he's from Verdios that makes him more perceptive today? Maybe. Maybe it's that he wants to finish this mission so they can /leave/ from Verdios as fast as possible.

Ruidosa doesn't know Goblin, so she isn't able to translate. but she ignores languages she can't understand, and just relies on body language instead. As far as she can see it's a rigmarole. This is a regular occurance, there's a whole method for it and when they get to the village she can see there's this easily broken cage that she's sure the woman inside could escape if she moved even an inch in it because it'd maybe fall apart from the vibrations.

"Oh no, how horrible- you have the gold now...release her now..uh...?" she asks in sarcastic stoicism. She thinks she's playing along with the rigmarole.

She takes note of Reize's apparently unpleased tone about being here!

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

For her part, Argent seems completely unsurprised by the cozy surroundings. That said, she would in all probability seem just as nonchalant about her surroundings if a dragon were to suddenly swoop in from the sky, roaring and burning as it pleased. She's just that kind of person.

"Ah. Then I will rely on both of you to intercept should I be attacked." she says, nodding between Faruja and Ivo, eyes lingering on the rat for just a few seconds before looking away. In other words, she's perfectly happy letting them play the role of meatshield. They can always be patched back up again afterwards! Probably.

And then she just...walks off straight towards the quote-unquote cage, completely ignoring the lack of permission to move. The gold is here, the princess is here, so the deal is done. All that's left is to actually drag her back! "Ah. I believe that you are the individual we have been tasked with retrieving." she says, looking the girl up and down before just staring her right in the eyes. "Please do not resist."

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

That sure is not the look of a terrified kidnapped girl. And Faruja's voicing of such a statement earns something of a snicker from the hunting crew, which disperses to tend to various needs and duties around the encampment, leaving the group with one of the tribe's elders apparently, a gnarled old goblin leaning heavily on a walking stick, who nods approvingly.

"Yes, yes, leave chest. We unlock the cage now." He says, chuckling amusedly.

It's ALL just rigmarole, yes.

And then Argent heads right up to the cage.

"That's right." The blonde inside the bars says a little glumly. "Princess Anna Primrose of Suryle." That's her introduction, and she doesn't exactly sound all that happy. "I'm not going to resist."

Siiiigh.

So with the chest assumedly set down, a goblin hunter 'unlocks' the cage, allowing the girl to step out, rubbing at her elbow awkwardly.

"So... Back to the castle, yes?"

It's as she asks this, though, that something feels... Off. Wrong. An almost ethereal sense of something coming that sets the goblins on edge. Hackles visibly rise and the hunters all start to gather, weapons brandished as they chatter and babble amongst each other, the children and elder are quickly led away.

It doesn't seem like anything the group did is what set them off though.

Even the princess seems weirded out.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Three projected hoots break the treeline; a signal from the party's hidden compatriot. Something is coming. The sentiment is echoed perhaps even more acutely by the clear alarm of the hunting village. Sometimes, it's terrible to turn out correct in one's paranoia; usually, really.

Orilion's lithely muscled, concealed form vaults swiftly up into the boughs as he signals, a shrug of his shoulders releasing an intricately carved recurve bow into his hands; notably, if one could witness it at least, no arrow is immediately selected. Instead, the ranger's steely eyes close, his breath even and deep as he reaches out, opening his senses to the subtle-- and less subtle-- flows of unbalanced aether in the surrounds.

When those blue orbs open anew, it's with a stern furrow to the dark-haired slayer's stoic features, intent; even concerned. A finely feathered darkwood shaft bearing a silvery, rune-etched head with a cross-bladed point is then drawn from the quiver at his side, and the deep breath Orilion draws now has little to do with attunement; and everything to do with cooling his nerves.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Twitch. Faruja resists the urge to hammer the man's ribs in front of the goblin party. The glare that the paladin favors Ivo with when remarking about Argent's new shorts is scathing! But not too scathing, he was probably doing the dance of 'looking but not looking and swatting himself when temptation arose'. Really the woman is just unusual, but he can't /quite/ put his tail on why.

Oh well, not like he can say anything about being odd, physically.

Reize gets a low, agreeing little sound and a nod. A moment later, he whispers back. "A sham, this entire affair. Keep on your toes, Squire. Spare a glance to the woods' perimeter as well. Has the makings of an ambush if you ask me. Better paranoid than an arrow in the side." Mutters the templar to his younger friend-cum-almost-relation, before suddenly the homunculus lady is wandering over to just get the damn princess. Twitch number two. He can feel his blood pressure rising!

"She...is merely ensuring the health of the captive. Not that we doubt your voracity, you seem to deal fairly enough!" Smiiiile. Don't start a fight don't start a fight. He edges a bit towards Argent, just in case her bold move proves a bridge too far for the goblins.

There really isn't any sense of satisfaction Faruja can find on being so darn /right/ about this whole thing. For one, it screamed BS from the start. Two, there are now not only a princess' life on the line, but frankly that /feeling/ has every zealous bone in his body looking for the superantural. Goblin and non-goblin alike are in danger.

"Well met, Princess Primrose, though obviously we wish circumstances were more agreeable." Frown. Eye one frilly princess, then goblin tribe, and then he lowers his voice. With everything going 'spooks', he positions himself rather blatantly in a defensive manner, ensuring he can quickly move to protect either princess or homunculus at a mere hop!

"Forgive the rudeness my dear, but what game is afoot here?" Surely the princess should have /some/ idea of what backstabbery is being performed. And possibly what to expect. The beastkin's lance is already starting to glow with holy light, and he raises his lance into the air. A light Blessing settles on the party and a few nearby goblin warriors, making it a little easier to hit anything generally evil-aligned.

Normally, Ivo would try to stop Argent from blundering her way right through the middle of negotations. Considering the nature of these 'negotiations,' however, the Cosmopolitan just spreads his hands with a lopsided smile as Faruja politely covers for her behavior.

"Hm?"

Until, at least, he notices the goblins beginning to busy themselves with visible concern. Unattuned to the rhythms of the forest, Ivo blinks in confusion, aware only of how the people around him seem to be reacting.

"Is there... a problem?"

It doesn't seem like their exchange has gone awry, but otherwise, he can't think of a reason for why everyone would be acting so strangely. In befuddlement, he reaches for the hilt of his sword, only to hesitate and half-withdraw it, not wanting to risk further alarming the goblins. But it seems they aren't paying any attention to him either way.

"Reize...?"

He looks to the boy, the party's self-appointed strategist evidently at a total loss, then to Faruja on his guard besides the princess. Ivo feels a pang of frustration at his own uselessness, thinking it should have occurred to him to question Anna first under the circumstances. Before he can say anything more, though, hearing the three hoots, he looks toward the trees, seeking Orilion's council -- only to realize that he has no idea where Orilion is hiding at this point, so wouldn't know where to look for signals. Unfortunately, their resident ranger is a little *too* good at his job for Ivo's lackluster senses.

"I'm starting to think," he murmurs, as Aijanu's blessing settles (perhaps reluctantly) upon him, "this *won't* be a vacation."

Oh, word?

Everything seemed simple, right? Reize gives a glance at the turn of events. He runs a hand along the back of his neck, "All's well ends well. Let's repor----..." There is a strange faint glow emanating from Reize's gem, flaring with life as the strange aether fills the air.

"Huh...?" That aetheral presence has made the pendant react, which is enough for Reize to look towards the group. The last time the pendant made a glow like this, it is usually in presence of something with abnormal amount of aether in the air.

Very abnormal.

It isn't just the pendant and the reaction from the goblins, but the three projected hoots from their well-hidden allies get their attention. It is likely that no one else but Reize has the insight as to the cause of the commotion.

"Everyone."

Reize's voice sounds quite chilled, right to the point where his breath could emit fog for how chilly he's feeling from it. His hands draw both boomerangs into view, twirling the weapons in his grasp as he takes a more aggressive stance.

"There's Eidola present..." How many? Reize doesn't know. One? More? He just remembers it reacted strongly when they had one present. He frowns, "...Prepare for the entire surrounding to appear weird, Rui."

All is well. The princess is saved and soon they'll be gone and they can continue on to explore this brave new world... well. Uh. Brave New World to ''her''. This is her first time so far away from home that she can't easily return, and it may just be another forest but it's a different forest! Still, she's getting ready to go when....

Oh.. oh dear, something seems wrong and she seems to be put on edge. She looks around a moment, up, down, all around, as she opens her book and it seems to flip to a certain page by itself. She looks to Reize. "I'm ready..." she says. "Mom trained me well for things like this." she insists as she looks back over to Ivo a moment, before looking at the others, as she ''tenses'' as holy magic settles around her, crackling like water hitting a campfire. "A--ah---~" she shakes off the sensation, as she frowns a little heavily.

"Uncomfortable." she insists, as she holds a hand up, getting ready to 'cast'.

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Argent's silvery haired head turns this way and that as she peers off, trying to pinpoint the source of the unusual feeling she's having. Given her odd biology and reliance on the stuff to work it she's sensitive to sudden changes in the aether, but the sensation is far from precise. Wordlessly she draws something from a sheathe at her waist. A dagger of some kind made of an odd, shimmering sort of metal. It looks far too ornamental to be of any real use for stabbing anything. Perhaps it has some other use?

"As we are currently unaware of the precise location of the potential threat, I believe it would be prudent to adopt a defensive formation in order to observe all possible routes of ingress." she says. Maybe she's been reading some manuals on warfare, because it really does sound like she's quoting something. "Additionally, it may be beneficial for our target to assist in communication with her captors, in order to facilitate us to work together." Pale eyes blink slowly as she looks over the assembled goblins. "Ah. Yes, please request any information they may have regarding potential dangers." she then adds, glancing towards the 'target'.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

At least the goblins aren't attacking the party despite how utterly -wrong- everything feels. But Reize has the right of it. Somewhere. Nearby. There is an Eidola.

"What? There's- there's no game." Anna replies to Faruja, brow knotting. "They're just as confused as the rest of us."

No vacation indeed as that wrongness only grows. That prickling feeling of skin getting goosebumps and little thrills that run up the spine grow pervasive as the princess looks on edge. Orilion, taking to the trees, will be the first to see the rustle of motion... From almost every direction around the encampment.

NO VACATION INDEED.

"R-right." The princess does seem to agree with Argent though, turning towards the warrior goblins and speaking to them in their guttural native tongue, causing the warriors and hunters to brace and take up defensive positions, waiting... Watching. Rui may feel uncomfortable in part thanks to Faruja's holy magics but... It only gets worse, and the beastkin is not to blame for it.

Then comes the sickening wave of indescribable otherness. An inexorable feeling of wretched and eldritch pressure overcomes the entire encampment, a haze of grey-green forming at the corners of the vision, seemingly draining the color from the world.

And from the trees emerges a hulking humanoid figure- a massive suit of dark armor lumbering towards the center of the camp, a monstrous mockery of a knight in shining armor, flanked by more, but smaller suits of footsoldier armor, hoods drawn up and helmets casting faceless shadows where heads would normally be.

In an instant everything is chaos as the goblins leap into surprisingly organized defensive motion, but their weapons and skills, honed as they may be, are no match for the wrongness of the Eidola, and Anna is quick to cover her mouth with her hands, eyes wide as she watches the Eidola begin to cut and gut the hunters down as quickly as they approach.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

It's true, Orilion is hard to spot. This is bad for Ivo in concocting a plan or receiving intel, but good in that when shit quickly hits the fan before any such might be arguably useful, the ranger is also hidden conveniently on the attackers' flank-- and with the high ground. A flex of muscle, a flutter of motion, and the boughs of the forest seem to release a silvery streak that serves as brief announcement of the hunter's position.

The runic etchings on the arrowhead burn a bluish white as the arrow flexes in flight, its path a momentary conduit of colour back to nature; a microcosm of /rightness/ cutting into the very heart of the darkness arrayed against them. Purifying light bursts from the point of contact, the wound left as much metaphysical as penetrating flesh; if indeed there is even any flesh to poke.

Armor and shadow dissipate and creatures fall sundered, momentarily relieving the pressure on the Goblins' harried line. A second silvery bolt crosses a horizontal path, announcing Orilion's drop to the ground, and sprinting pace along the side of the conflict; this, too, aligns to cut their numbers, to free up the focus of more allied defenders.

"Dark magic!" The hunter announces, with more purpose than the broad generality. "Attuned to forces of shadow and destruction!" Hence the brilliant impact of purification sigils and mystical luminescence, for anyone confused at home.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faru has gone rather silent as danger is abound, the rat grim and serious faced. The fact that Reize is announcing an /Eidola/, possibly more than one at that, has the zealot increasingly on edge and well he's glowing enough to basically be a fairly hefty torch of holy power here.

Oh, and really Argent is doing a great job of tossing out ideas. A swift nod. "Lady Argent has the right of things! One cannot say what form an Eidola may take, only that they are powerful, honorless bastards! Dig one's claws in, everyone." Advises the rodent, sharp eyes glancing about. He doesn't dare Jump, as that would leave him out of covering position.

Faruja manages to hold his lunch from the sheer amount of evil and /wrong/ that seethes from the warped hulking knight that appears. It sets his entire being on edge, to be confronted by this thing. It isn't even like the more gruesome undead he's challenged in his often harrowing career as a Templar. Something about this beast is inherently wrong in the pattern of what should be, and he's not even bothering to hide the reflexive prayers. Sorry Rui, but this situation calls for it!

Damnit. The goblins are being cut down, and Faruja nods to the others. "Come on, this shall be a slaughter if we do not do something!" He starts to advance, slowly, realizing by how fast those goblins are being slaughtered that they won't matter in the end. "Tell them to pull back, please! United front everyone!" Spying the more likely to be walking wounded, he quickly casts a mass healing spell. It taxes his mana as a paladin to reach for such a powerful curative, and he's sweating this early, but he can't just let the goblins die!

"Come here you giant unholy wretch, try someone closer to one's own height!" Taunt. Does the thing even understand Common? Hopefully he can present a target instead!

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"...ah. There are a large number. Additionally, that large one is..." Argent says, staring the largest of the animated armours, a tiny, almost imperceptible frown appearing on her usually impassive features. "...incorrect." she admits as her hand finds its way to Anna's shoulder, the athame in her other hand held up in a way that screams that she really doesn't know much about how to use it. Her grip is sloppy, she's holding it at juuuust the wrong spot on the hilt...and besides that, it's not really meant for slashing and stabbing in the heat of battle anyway.

"As these do not appear to be biological in nature, the offense I had developed will be ineffective. As such, it would be advisable for us to retreat to safer positioning." she says, pulling on Anna's shoulder. "...ah. Additionally, please retrieve as many wounded as possible. I require close contact in order to repair them." she says to the group as a whole, pointing out to some of the goblins who -may- be still alive. And then she's pulling Anna away, trying to guide the girl closer to the centre of the group. You know, so that there's more meat between them and the Eidola.

Ivo is caught flat-footed. But his paralysis is not enduring because he is still confused or bewildered as to what is happening. On the contrary--

"How... horrible..."

Visibly shaken as he sees brave goblins felled as they seek to protect their young, the Cosmopolitan shudders as the dreamlike village they have only just visited begins to contort into a nightmare. At first he cannot tell if the washed-out appearance of his surroundings is due to his own panicking state. But Reize's warning finally snaps him out of it.

"Eidola...!"

That's right: they have encountered this phenomenon before on their previous adventures, one that Ivo had only read of until their venture toward the Gate of Creation. This is the eidola's signature distortion effect, a taste of the profane chaos of the Primordial Wars in which these devils were born.

After Orilion's first bolt strikes true, Ivo, finally thinking quickly, reaches into his cloak and withdraws his magitech amplifying device, newly recharged with elemental dust from their adventure into Zerhem's aqueduct.

"Now--!"

At the very moment Orilion's second silvery bolt descends upon a crowd of the eidola's minions, Ivo activates the amplifier, supercharging the domain aspect of that shadow-banishing energy and increasing its range and effect. Not bad for an on-the-spot dual tech.

There it is. The wretched eldritch presence that would influence how the world around them is shaped. He can see the discoloring and that haze of gray-green forming in their vision.

This is an all too familiar feeling to the boy.

His eyes widen in horror as he watches the goblins get cut down by the eldritch horror. He starts to rush in towards the group of knights, leaping forward with a flip and a cutting kick to slam down their way, knocking them down.

"Let's try to protect the goblins!" He hisses, swinging his boomerangs around to smack a few down his way.

Ruidosa finds this feeling strange. It's part dark but part wrong and it starts affecting the environment, drawing color out of the world. She frowns, and twitches a little as the creature shows itself, some sort of gigantic humanoid 'knight?', but there's also smaller versions of it flanking it and soon they're driving into the goblins and she frowns hard.

So much 'purification' being thrown around is putting her on edge, but she's doing her best to fight her flighty instincts to get away and hide. She raises her hand as she looks down at her book and concentrates through the various energies she's presented with. She'd be sweating if undead could sweat maybe...

"C-cadena de Tinieblas...!" she calls out as she draws in energy and fires off a bolt of darkness that strikes one enemy... then arcs off into another... and another, and another- moving to a few more before it dissipates.

"R..right." she calls out.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

In an instant everything is chaos and bloodshed. The idyllic goblin village is besieged in bloody battle. To their credit, the warriors and hunters fight bravely to protect their young and their elders. But they stand no chance against the ethereal otherness of these dark Eidola.

Faruja speaks the truth; it will be a slaughter if nothing is done, and as Orilion and Ivo tear into the smaller armors, the large one seems heedless of the losses, swinging a gigantic claymore in a vicious arc intending to cut Faruja down for daring to taunt it as it continues to lumber into the camp, using its sheer weight and momentum to carry it forward.

And amid all this, Anna Primrose, princess of the Suryle kingdom watches on in horror. Seeing goblin after goblin cut down, felled by the cold and uncaring weapons of these nameless, faceless, malevolent beings. She follows Argent as though in a shellshocked fugue as she looks on at the horror.

That was Gretch who just got pulverized. He taught her how to follow footprints in the woods.

Fleck is next to die. He taught her how to howl like the wolves do at night.

Gribla lays in a pool of her own blood just a few feet away. She helped Anna learn how to clean meat from the hunt and cook it.

She watches on wide-eyed as her tribe is slaughtered before her.

Reize intervenes, a small squad of warriors backing away from the fray as the youth sunders more of the lesser Eidola with his mighty boomerangs, Ruidosa's magic arcing from one to the next, causing the lesser Eidola to collapse and evaporate into black mist.

There are considerably less goblins than the village had to begin with now. And the massive armored form is lumbering towards the hut that the children and elders had been led into.

Seeing it happen before her eyes... It's all too much.

The sheer injustice of her cherished tribe being decimated like this... It's... It's more than the Suryle princess can handle. She can't just stand in the middle of the adventurers doing nothing.

In the chaos, a sharp woodcutters axe tumbles to the girl's feet- as though providence itself had seen fit to smile upon her.

That axe is going to become a headsman's axe in a second, as she picks it up with numb, trembling, fingers.

And then, a roaring, primordial cry of rage and despair floods the encampment. The birds go silent. Insects stop chittering. The local wildlife just ceases to make any noise.

As Princess Anna Primrose pushes past Argent and raises her axe high. She rushes, snarling at the Eidola, green eyes turning a bloodshot red as a haze of scarlet overtakes her vision.

Flailing and swinging that axe with wild aplomb, she's suddenly in the very thrust of the battle, cutting down lesser armored Eidola left and right on a crash course right for the biggest one, screeching her fury for all the forest to hear.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

A bolt of silver becomes a blaze of purifying light, crackling from one dark Eidola to the next in a chain of disintegrating armor and dissipating dark power, their sundering sending semi-visible shockwaves outwards as the aether concentrations erupt.

A slender, curved blade single-edged like a razor all but leaps from scabbard into Orilion's practiced grasp, a whirlwind of steel cleaving stragglers as he closes with a line of goblin spears around the shattered flank, making fair effort towards a half-encirclement of the armored ravagers still engaged. His own onslaught is paused for the instants it takes the ranger to drop to one knee and snap his cowled gaze towards the lumbering titan.

The otherworldly mountain strikes at Faruja, and Orilion strikes at it in that conveniently displaced focus. The arrow loosed this time glimmers dully in flight, an ember of dim, dark bluish light. It erupts with proximity, rather than contact, showering the behemoth in that same dimly glimmering glow, now in the countless particulate of fine, crystalline powder.

The ritually-enchanted aether crystal that forges the base of said artificial snowstorm would notably amplify further magical effects applied by party-members with such aptitudes; one step on what the slayer suspects is a bit of a journey required to counter and exterminate -that- particular fiend.

"Strike it /together/!" The ranger intones with urgency.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faruja lets out a cry of pain as that massive claymore sweeps towards him, the ratkin proving /just/ a touch too slow thanks to being in full-on triage mode. He leaps backwards at the last second, spell ruined and catching the unholy claymore across the chest, slicing through his armor like butter. There's a spurt of blood and the beastkin bleeds heavily, but through gritted teeth he ignores the rather intense pain. It's unearthly, even the thing's strikes seem to sap mortal vitality!

He can't spare the time to heal it, though, and with Anna clearly intending on a do-or-die charge, the paladin raises his lance high into the air! With a brief glance to Rui in apology, he's an utter seething mass of holy power as he leaps into the air.

"Devil that cuts down the innocent! Slayer of brave defenders whose worth is far beyond your wretched existance! Feel the wrath of the Holy Son made manifest!" Howls the Templar, aiming to come crashing /down/ as the Princess completes her berzerk charge!

"I'd like to," Ivo calls to Orilion, "but--"

He's watching the princess with saucer-wide eyes.

"Her Highness is a little difficult to coordinate with!"

He's not sure he's ever seen such ferocity, even from Faruja at his most zealous. Ivo visibly flinches as the aforementioned beastkin is cruelly struck by their massive and terrifying foe. No matter the challenge, he absolutely must do something.

"Well struck, Reize, Rui!" he calls as he draws his sword Hauteclare, noting the two younger adventurers dispensing with the lesser eidola and allowing the party to focus their attentions on the obvious leader and endeavor to protect the most vulnerable of the goblins. "Now then--" His first instinct is to try to strike at the joints with his flying sword, but he can hardly follow Anna's axe in its speed and power, and he wouldn't be confident in landing a critical strike against such an enigmatic foe even under the best and most controlled of circumstances. But Orilion's aether-amplifying technique gives him an idea.

Gritting his teeth, all playfulness banished from his grim expression, Ivo ejects Hauteclare's blade such that it simply falls point-first to the dirt and sticks there. The lightning pulse at its hilt, usually used to control the blade from afar, instead charges up excessively and, in contrast to his standard keep-away fighting style, the Cosmopolitan rushes in bravely alongside his friends.

"Castigate, Hauteclare!"

With an equally rare special attack accompanying battle cry, Ivo thrusts out his electrified hilt, its lightning surging forward like a magical taser, greatly empowered by Orilion's elemental enhancement. Even if their foe is not especially vulnerable to lightning, Ivo's goal is both to accompany Faruja's holy assault and to affix the monstrosity in place with a veritable cage of lightning, making it additionally vulnerable to the princess's axe and ideally halting its advance.

Focus his effort? That may be a good idea. Reize grunts, glaring at the lowly armored eidola. Then, he looks over towards the larger one of the group, staring in horror. He gazes at the other goblins that fell to the eidola. "..." They were too late in stopping too many from getting decimated.

What is more concerning are the little goblins that are about to get slaughtered by the group of the knights. That combined force may have to wait on his contribution. That is where Reize is starting to channel his aether around him as he charges straight ahead at the group. Fueled by the aether surrounding him, Reize hisses out as he calls out. Boomerangs slide back to his side.

"Pick on someone your own size!"

The boy slides underneath the group to launch a large group, about five of those floating armor, off the ground. Reize pushes a hand to hang himself upside down and his legs spread as he becomes a whirlwind of doom to take out the surrounding knights.

That spares the kids..

What surprises him even more is a primordial cry of rage that shatters the cycle of nature. "...Uh...?"

That is bears witness to the girl's cry of rage and witness her cutting everything down her path. His eyes widen while jaw is slacked.

Ruidosa watches as he attack causes some to dissolve into black mist. She concentrates on the smaller targets as her eyes go wide. W...why is this thing slaying Goblins? Is it just an easy target this village? Is it some kind of wraith attacking from the grave? She doesn't know what an Eidola is, she can only make guesses based on their look of 'strange otherwordly feeling knights'. Still---

There's so much purifying energy being thrown about she has to take steps backwards----

Into one of the creatures as she eeks and calls out "Falcata!" and slashes forward with a momentary flash of some orante shadowy blade that forms and dissipates after the slice. She does this a few more times.

Then she eyes the princess slicing through the group as she blinks and pauses a moment. Because it's not everyday you see a princess march through a group of monsters with an axe?

She blinks a little bit as she sort of waves an arm and slashes one more of the creatures that tries to lunge at her.

She's finer over here, away from the bigger creature where everyone's unloading happy magic. That makes her itch and uncomfortable.

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"...she is refusing to do as I ask." Argent says to empty air as she simply watches Anna streak past, doing nothing at all to actually stop the girl from slamming axe-first into her enemies. What is it that she could actually do to stop her at this point?

Oh well. It'll probably turn out for the best. Vengeful, heroic rages usually tend to go that way.

Rather than worry about someone that seems to be quite capable of carving her way through the masses, the homunculus decides her efforts are better focused elswhere. But what exactly can she do? She planned against enemies that might be affected by some horrible poison, but it's rather doubtful that these things would even remotely care. All she'd be doing is poisoning her allies, the only ones who'd be affected by anything she could possible do. ...ah.

"Please breathe deeply. The unpleasant sensation will only last a short time." she announces to the group at large before she exhales, an odd chemical scent filling the nostrils of anyone that manages to breath it in. Suddenly they all feel so ALERT, energy flooding through their veins. It feels great! Amazing! It's a performance enhancer for sure!

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faru rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 5. Total result is 5.

You roll 1d20.

Roll(s): 16. Total result is 16.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 16. Total result is 16.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

'Strike it together' Orilion says as his magics bathe the behemoth in that mystical, attack-amplifying blizzard.

All Anna hears is 'strike it' as she bull-rushes the beast.

Reize becomes a whirlwind of death, juggling Eidola into the air and kick-battering the monsters aside like ragdolls. He is rewarded roughly 6,000 yen and a platto di bronzo for his efforts.

Other Eidola start to rush Rui- only to be cleaved down in her path, while Ivo encages the massive Eidola, arresting its forward momentum so that Faruja's lance can strike true! A gout of black mist erupts from the great armor and---

And the princess impacts it with the force of a truck and all the rage of a typhoon. She hacks away into its armored bulk, wild and heedless of the danger to herself. Until it flicks a wrist and bats her aside.

There's a dull CRACK as the Suryle princess slams into a tree and collapses to her knees, one arm hanging limp at her side, the other using the axe to hold herself up.

A small voice in her head tells her that her shoulder is dislocated. A larger, angrier voice tells her that she does not CARE her shoulder is dislocated.

Before she catches scent of the chemicals on Argent's breath.

With a growl, Anna Primrose GETS UP, angrier than she had been a second ago.

Another wide swing of that great sword and the Eidola backs up a pace- the smaller armors thinned in number, the large one aborts its course for the tent and begins trudging towards the edges of the encampment.

It's moving to get away.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faru is a bit too distracted to really pay much attention to a certain homunculus and her chemicals. No, he's fully peering at the eldritch horror, at Anna's strike, and the general surroundings. Thus as that scent fully seeps into his senses. Blink. His heart starts to hammer, his skin beneath his fur turns red, and the ratkin begins to actively /drool/.

Drool that is looking suspiciously like froth. All of his fur begins to stand on end, and if anyone's staring they /swear/ his muscles bulge and probably gains a half a foot in height as he lets out a squeak that is...well it's a roar. An animalistic, almost ogre-like roar. All of that holy energy is taking on a worryingly /red/ tinge. Then the goodly knight is screaming something angrily, words running together in a single long mass, and oh boy is he spitting red-flecked froth onto the evil eldritch thing.

Luckily his attacks seem to still be holy aspected, and his skill doesn't seem to have dulled, the rodent whipping that lance in pierces, long double-handed slashes, and sheer slamming the butt of that lance into armor!

"SKULLSFORTHESKULLTHRONE!"

Comes Faru, directly trying to jam his lance further inside of the escaping Eidola's wound! Too bad the combination of Anna's renewed charge and the thing's mere movements being enough to kick away the rat. He lands in a heap, still screaming as he takes another stimulant breath. Problem is? He can't really get up as he's damn close to OD'ing on that stuff.

It looks like Argent might need to study ratkin and their tolerances to stuff like stimulants. And she's got the last remaining one here! He manages one last lance-toss, hard enough to shatter the finely crafted metal weapon from sheer frothing zealous-rabies insanity!

  • Character: Orilion
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

A hit, a most palpable hit! Unfortunately, the titanic Eidola answers in kind, though even with the pressure on the party... the goblins have definitely suffered the worst of it.

Its immense strides lending impressive landspeed, Orilion's dead sprint can only keep pace so long-- but with a burst of speed, energy, focus, it's long enough to angle the slayer in, an alchemical charge held in one hand. Forward momentum joins weight to accelerate the throw, and the charge arcs through the air separating him from the behemoth, the components within the metal portion of the charge mingling with those within the glass.

It glows angrily, darkly, if indeed the absence of light could glow; a swirl of void-charged energy exploding-- nay, imploding-- in a sudden localized surge. The crystalline aether lingering in the air snaps towards the behemoth as if magnetized, superheated, branding and bonding a sparking bluish glow into the dark armored monster. It does little to slow the beast-- trapping such a creature was not on today's agenda, after all, and they're ill prepared for such.

But the first rule of any successful, challenging hunt is assuring methodologies to track one's quarry; particularly when the devil in question is so capable of devouring no shortage of prey, itself. A careful scan surveys for-- and perhaps dispatches-- any stragglers... and examines the damage inflicted to ally, goblin and adventurer alike, with a profound frown.

"Creatures of pure chaos, destruction, shadow..." the ranger muses darkly. "Their power has only amplified lately; as if the land itself were thrown out of balance, spiralling from the tumult of slow stagnation to another age of darkness..."

Ivo is staring blankly at the now two berserkers in their party going to town on the giant eidola. His heart is pounding, his fading adrenaline leaving him somewhat numb and increasingly aware of the tragic devastation around him. Rather than being thrilled by the heightened power of his allies, he merely looks sickened by what their enemies have wrought despite their own heroic efforts.

"Ugh... smells like school."

It's an odd comment that no one is likely to catch as Argent's generous contribution wafts over him. Under other circumstances, Ivo would casually explain the general reliance of graduates of the Cosmopolitan academy on stimulants to complete their exceptionally demanding studies, especially those members of the aristocracy who are admitted by virtue of their rank, not their talents. As for whether Ivo himself relied on them, he wouldn't straightforwardly say.

But he doesn't seem to be covering his nose or mouth.

"Hm?"

His gaze is torn away from the frenzied melee at Orilion's comment. Even in his rather deadened state, Ivo feels deeply unsettled. His intuition screams at him to reflect carefully on the ranger's seemingly abstract observation. Slowly, he grows paler than ever before, even after all this horror.

"The power of shadow... recently amplified...?"

Could their sealing of the Gate of Creation have shifted the aetheric balance of the entire planet? Could this have intensified the power of Destruction that so clearly drives this demon? Could they have strengthened it? Could they--"

"Reize."

--have awoken it?

"Anna Primrose..."

To Reize, Ivo may look more deeply shaken than ever before.

"...we owe her whatever she wishes."

Even if only very indirectly, through a domino effect that they could have never anticipated, even if they never had any other reasonable choice, somehow, the fates have decreed that the party is, in their own way, responsible for what has happened here today.

Ruidosa is cutting down monsters as she realizes the numbers are thinning out.... what happens when there's none left?...oh... oh the big one is starting to withdraw. Looking down at her book, she calls out "Presagio...!" and throws a big ball of shadowy energy as it explodes into a burst of shadow energy, leaving a lingering effect that continue to damages those in the blast zone, as she looks over to the others....

She doesn't breathe. She doesn't know how to. So the best she can do is just... not get affected really by the strange chemical. Which probably...wouldn't help her magics any anyways.... since she isn't a physical fighter.

She's concentrating on just taking out the small fry for now as Orillion muses about a new dark age. A dark age sounds 'pretty neat' to her-- but she's also a vampire so she keeps it to herself for now until she can cast the thought off later when she realizes that isn't good for ''everyone'' here.

After his brief stint as the whirlwind of death, he recovers enough to get himself back onto his feet. His eyes drift towards Ruidosa, "Rui! How are you holding up?!" He runs over her way, now rejoining by her side.

As for the sight of the princess, his eyes drift back to the group taking on the large knight. That massive eidola is now their target that they can focus on. In an earshot, he hears 'please breathe deeply' and 'unpleasant sensation'.

....Oh no, we're not doing that.

Reize immediately lifts his scarf over his face to cover his mouth, managing to not inhale the chemicals that are exhaled from the homunculus. He is uncertain what that would do----

--- Witnessing Anna's enhanced rage gives Reize an idea of what it would have done and he is now grateful that he managed to protect his nostrils from taking it in. ...And then Faruja's enhance rage to match his zeal follow suit. Reize is staring, particularly stunned. Sweat running down his face at the two berserkers.



Perhaps instinctively, Reize moves over to Ruidosa, grabbing for her hand protectively as he inwardly hopes that Faruja can distinguish friend from foe in his state.

He looks between Orilion and Ivo, frowning at the two. He gives a silent nod towards his older friend.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Lost in a red haze of fury and combat stimulants, the Suryle princess SLAMS herself against the tree once again, shoulder first. Her arm is suddenly no longer dislocated and she rushes the retreating Eidola, her own voice rising with Faruja's in equal if not more excessive fury.

"MY TRIBE...! I'LL KILL YOU!" She bellows, voice growing shrill and hoarse.

"/RIP/. /AND/. /TEAR/...!"

Black mist radiates from the grand Eidola as she batters into it, as Faruja hurls his lance to impale it, Orilion's alchemical concoction imploding before erupting to slam the great dullahan with titanic force. The last of the smaller armors are handily dealt with, Ruidosa's spell washes over the giant Eidola in dark energies as it staggers into the trees... And disappears into the forest.

"NO!" Anna shrieks. "COME BACK. I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" Demanded in her own frothing fury as she hoists her axe overhead and stamps a foot in impotent blazing wrath.

Before her bloodshot eyes slowly return to their originl shade of green, the red haze slowly peels back from her vision, and she turns to survey the damage.

The children and elders have been spared by the party's collective work. But many of her beloved hunting party are gone. Many of her friends among the warriors are gone. And an exhausted princess collapses to her knees, breathing heavily as tears well in her eyes.

  • Character: Faru
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Faru thankfully is pretty darn out of it, the ratkin on the ground and utterly /twitching/ as that stuff slowly works its' way out of him. He loses the extra height and muscle, the poor rodent looking almost deflated after way too much on the stim game. His red eyes have veins pumping, and he's breathing heavily.

Someone's going to have to carry him for a bit, he's not looking so hot!

Ruidosa starts revel in the destruction, "Ahahaha---FOOLS, YOU DARE FACE ME, DUCHESS OF HOUSE LA-----" and then Reize suddenly joins her side, and holds her hand and--and--- she suddenly just ''blushes'' why is he doing that!? It also totally kills the vibe she was growing immediately, so maybe that's a good thing in this case?

And also, Faruja is in on the warpath due to that chemical earlier and she blinks. "O..Ohhh----" she blushes, at the hand holding.

She just, looks away with a ''huff''- as she stops fighting since it seems things are done... and then the princess is sobbbing and she frowns a little... they weren't able to stop the creature in time it seems... at least, not quickly enough. Oh dear...