Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 76, Status = Fine

Acquiring a kit containing a few basic medicinal supplies, such as a simple concoction to dull pain, disinfectant, bandages, and sutures would cost him 10 denarii, and once it was acquired they would be able to leave Tahryst. Argent Vale lay to the East and North, towards the Amazon, and by all accounts had been abandoned since the Invasion. It wasn't far, but it also wasn't close either, necessitating a prolonged journey. The first portion of the journey was at least known to them, following the same road they'd taken to reach the coastal city that they had only just arrived at, but after passing the long settled agrarian lands they would find themselves at a fork in the road.

Going East would take them through less heavily populated lands among the hilly country. Fields of grains, expansive orchards, and sprawling vineyards would give way to smaller farms growing more hardy crops. The people would naturally be more xenophobic, the rural lands of Badaria in the South long steeped in dislike for outsiders, and as a Crolian and an Anudorian they would likely be roughing it rather than enjoying the hospitality of barns and spare rooms and inns. The lands would grow more rugged as they neared the Amazon, but it would be relatively consistent throughout their journey. Going North, however, they would be going through the lands around Acheron before passing through a section of the Badarian heartland, which was a land entrenched in the war against the aliens as they tried to spread from the Necropolis, before a section of lands like those they'd pass through if taking the East road. Going North would be a bit faster, but also quite probably more dangerous in the middle, and the lands around Acheron were always an adventure of one sort or another.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Ruven considered their choices. "If one of our choices leads us near Acheron, we might be able to obtain aid through... One method or another." Ruven offered. Sex if nothing else, though perhaps someone would accept some denarii to be a bodyguard? "The path East is... Well, it'll be long and tough, with little to no hospitality. I'd rather extra faces around to help keep the light up and defend us, someone very travel savvy, able to track and get us food." he offered. "We could use someone used to this to help us out. Plus, if we get lost, I can't say how well I could find our way. We've just followed roads thus far. If something ever happens, I'd not know what to do."

 

[Lionfire]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Rubbing his chin a little bit as he looks between the two roads, Toel looks towards Ruven as the elf spoke. By the end, Toel has his arms crossed in front of him with a light hum... Though, soon enough he nods his head. "I see nothing wrong with that personally... As much as I would like avoiding the aliens, it would be best if we had at least some help than none at all, yeah?" After putting in his own two cents, he smiles towards Ruven in agreement. "If you think it is the best option, I have no reason to doubt. Lets get going." Hand returning to the strap of the bag of supplies, he turns his eyes towards the north with a smile now staying upon his lips, eager to continue onward.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 76, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception (Ruven) : 31, ???
Perception (Toel) : 23, ???

Resistance: ???

It was a four day journey to Acheron, one that would take them through a bit of farmland first followed by some heavy woodlands, the farms around Acheron, and then Acheron itself of course. It wasn't the roughest leg of their journey by any means, but it was a dangerous one nonetheless. The first day's journey North would take them through farmland where they mostly saw people at work gathering the harvest, though they would also pass by a few wagons full of goods heading to market in the city. Nobody bothered them, though they would pass by a few stands where farmers were selling their goods where they could get more supplies, many of the locals uncaring of who they sold their produce to.

The day passed without any major events, but as the sun began to set the pair would begin to hear a soft tune playing on the wind. As they drew nearer to a small bridge across a stream intercepting the cobblestone road that tune turned into a chant, a human voice recognizable amidst the haunting melody and joined by what sounded like a harp. A path led off to the right just before the bridge, and both men would feel drawn towards the song, but as the impulse hit so too would some internal warning, as if following the song posed some kind of danger. They could just as easily pass by the song and search for a place to camp, however.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

As he heard the song, suddenly Ruven's elven sense was tingling, and he didn't even know he had that. But rather than admire his psychic ability to identify danger, he looked to Toel "I'm going to be hard pressed into convincing you not to investigate that voice, won't I?" he inquired with a whisper. "... We're going to fuckin' die..." the elf said, his ears sagging a bit in worry.

 

[Lionfire]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Toel is drawn from his thoughts almost immediately as he starts to hear that tune in the air. While he dismissed it at first, as they got further along he could swear that he heard a voice in it... In fact, there is a voice to it as well. A string in his mind tugs him in the direction of it, almost veering off the path towards it until Ruven's words snap him out of Toel's distraction. Looking towards the elf, then looking over towards where the music is, a frown crosses his lips.

"... I have a bad feeling about it." Toel admits with a soft tone, looking towards the music's direction momentarily before he grunts and shakes his head. "We should get moving and find a good place to camp... It makes me feel tense, but if we stay on and near the path, we should be fine, yeah?" He asks towards Ruven before he starts walking again.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 76, Status = Fine

Proceeding past the mysterious voice, they quickly made their way beyond its reach, and a few moments later they had only the sounds of their footsteps and the changing voices of the wilds around them, the creatures of the day giving their last cries while the denizens of night rose to answer. The land was well tamed, the wolves and bears all but wiped out long ago and the other beasts more often hunted for sport or treated as pests. They could easily find a spot to rest on the side of the road, many clearings where other travelers or caravans had made camp available for them to set up their resting place, but if they continued on a little longer they could easily try one of the farms to see if their denizens would offer a bed for the night instead. Ruven would have to deal with the oncoming dark somehow, but with the lightstone on hand and so much lantern oil he had many ways to stave off the dark, and the book was blessedly still.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

"Y-yes, good plan. I don't think your dream girl would give us a bad feeling." Ruven agreed.

After some travel away from the haunting voice, Ruven hoped that'd be the last of it. They had enough problems already with the oncoming darkness. Well, Ruven did anyway. Luckily Toel could be spared... One hoped anyway. The book proved faithful in it's evil. With night coming, Ruven figured that the book was biding it's time. Another sleepless night. Even while it was dusk, Ruven was taking out the lantern and keeping it lit. Purely out of fear unless Toel managed to win a battle of world that will be hard fought indeed. Ruven wished to risk nothing. Even the semi-dark shadows seemed threatening to him.

"I don't trust Badarian humans. Let's just camp out in the woods, Toel." Ruven declared, seeking to get the camp ready while keeping the light very close to him.

 

[Lionfire]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

A light sigh escapes Toel's lips as the voice fades as they get further away from it, reaching into his pocket to pull out the light stone. Holding it in his left hand and between his thumb and index finger, he spoke firmly, "Shield." Activating the lightstone as well, he raises it a bit to see how far it's light on it's own reaches. Though Ruven lighting the lantern does cause a bit of difficulty in that venture, he is not very bothered. Given that shadowy paper and the threatening words, if he had doubts about that book, they are pretty much gone now.

Ruven's suggestion does get the Anudorian to pause, though after a moment or so of thought, he shrugs. "Ah? Well, if you are sure." With a short nod, he helps Ruven get the camp set up, keeping the light stone raised, or at least in sight while they worked.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 76, Status = Fine

Finding a good place to rest, Toel and Ruven would be able to pick out a small clearing where they could set up camp. How they wanted to prepare their resting place would be up to them, but as the shadows lengthened Ruven would feel a soft vibration against his thigh, as if the book were awakening for the night.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

"Well, night is coming, so you know what that means..." Ruven said to Toel. "Does that lightstone have better longevity than this lantern? If we're going to be keeping something lit all night, it's best to use something that will last." Ruven declared, opting to turn off the lantern to let the lightstone shine. "It's usually pretty warm in Badaria, so we won't need a campfire. Let's stay a bit off of the road so as not to attract attention." Ruven declared, electing to erect a tent so as to prevent against surprise rain, which he'd climb into once finished, and plop down onto a sleeping bag.

 

[Lionfire]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

With the lightstone still held between two fingers, Toel nods his head as he holds it out to Ruven. "It should, though I don't think it's light reaches as far as the lantern." Helping the elf put together the tent, he puts the lightstone next to Ruven in the tent before he moves to get back outside. "Not entirely sleepy yet personally. Get some rest, I'll keep watch for a little while." Letting Ruven know his plans before he steps out, he takes the lantern with him. Ruven already knows the word to turn the lightstone on and off, so he should be safe with it.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 76, Status = Fine

The lightstone was indeed unable to provide as much of a glow as the lantern, but had the benefit of not requiring any refueling. With their tent set up, Ruven would be able to rest while Toel took first watch. The night was pleasantly uneventful, the book unable to do anything of consequence other than an occasional apparition with the lightstone keeping its evil power at bay, but when it was his turn to rest Toel was troubled by dreams... Strange dreams of the woman whom he sought, always just out of reach but beckoning him forward.

The morning would come early, and when they awoke the two would find a most gruesome sight, a deer having been ripped to shreds just a short ways away from their camp, a murder of crows hovering over it and cawing as they descended in small groups to pick at the shredded flesh. There was no signs of what might have caused such brutality, the only pieces missing being small shreds of flesh taken by the carrion birds, and the marks didn't match those caused by any natural creature that either man had ever seen or heard of before.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Upon waking up and 'smelling' it first, Ruven nearly threw up when he saw it. "No, no! The book couldn't have caused this! Right!?" Ruven said in a distraught panic. "It's not possible, it never, ever before!" He said, and for that matter, Toel has been in darkness often enough without harm. But Ruven had no better explanation. They were the most likely culprit while also being the least logical. "T-Toel... I'm not sure if it's safe around me anymore... Or... I don't know what to think..."

 

[Lionfire]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Toel felt much of the same about the truly delightful early morning sight, his hand covering his mouth and nose in a poor attempt to deny the scent from getting in his nose. "Nothing natural could have caused this..." He is visibly bewildered. Wouldn't they have seen something, or at the least hear what had happened to this creature? Wiping his face to try to keep calm, he turns towards Ruven to stop staring at the mangled corpse of the animal. "The deer was in the dark, so... I do not think it is safe to be in the darkness at night without a light source anymore. For either of us."

Toel gets the tent gathered up before he turns his attention back to Ruven. "More encouragement to get going sooner than later." He lets out a sigh, trying to get a little bit of space between himself and the deer corpse. The iron scent in the air from the dead creature is nearly sickening...

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 76, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

Leaving the corpse of the deer behind, presumably after packing up their things, Toel and Ruven would be able to continue on their journey. The day's long walk took them past several more farms, a wagon trundling up behind them driven by a kindly thickset fellow with a massive spot on top of his head where his dark hair had deserted him who offered them a ride for part of the day, chatting at them while squinting ahead through a heavy brow. He left them to return to his farm at midday, but offered them a skin of wine for their company.

It wasn't until late that afternoon, when the sky was turning from blue to gold as the sun descended towards the horizon to the West, when they encountered something else of note. They were entering wilder country, hilly lands where it was too difficult to sew crops or build towns for settlement to be worthwhile, though they did pass the occasional hut that the empire had set up along the road for couriers to use, now looted of all the goods that had once been maintained for travelers. Few other than hermits and criminals lived in these parts, or so the man who had spoken to them had warned when they had told him their destination, and when a pair of men stepped out from one of the courier huts and grinned at them as they neared a bend in the road, the grins that the pair of men sent their way were likely not the sort to cause them any reassurance.

Both men were bald, their heads shaved rather than naturally if the black stubble on their skin was any indication, and were clad in old dark blue uniforms of the Badarian royal army, sans the caps and plus scarves that ran all the way around the lower halves of their faces, enough to make them hard to identify but not completely hide their expressions. The sabers and pistols hanging at their sides were the standard issue of officers, which Ruven at least knew from what he had heard from his own people about who to target among the ranks of their enemies to sew the most chaos, but they lacked any insignia designating rank and also had rifles slung over their shoulders.... Rifles that they promptly unlimbered and held aside, not pointing at the pair but still threatening in the way that the two men held them with such apparent ease.

"Ahhh, well 'ello there chums!" said one, the taller of the two, and the brawnier. "Fortuitous that we ran into you a'fore you went on by!" said the shorter, lankier one, his accent so thick that he struggled to pronounce his fast word. "This here is a toll road ya see," the bigger one said, "need to pay for upkeep an' all that. We'd hate to let it get any more dangerous than it is, right? Things are bad enough!" Taking a couple strides closer, the shorter one continued; "Yeah... So hows about you hand over ten coins apiece, an' we'll let you be on your merry way! Right as rain!"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

This was certainly bad. They'd need every penny they had to possibly hire a guide, and who's to say that these men weren't among those who would betray them regardless, or try to negotiate for a higher price? Badarians like these, wearing their scummy uniforms, were never to be trusted. They were bandits, nothing more. Ruven made a gesture, deciding that there was certainly one way to solve this... The Book.

Indeed, Ruven had reason enough to believe the book was capable of harming others... Because now that it was attached to him, opening it's pages allows him to unleash it's powers. "Right, as you say." Ruven said, looking to Toel with a very serious, and very frightened expression on his face. "I keep my coin inside my book. Hidden compartment against robbers, you see." he declared, just pulling out what they might think to be a simple book, not a blade or gun. Holding up the book and it's pages, Ruven's face paled.

He opened the book's pages, and the nightmare of the cottage in the snow returned. Darkness poured from the book, creating a thick fog of shadow that blinded the badarian men and shrouded Toel and Ruven in darkness. Quickly, the hairs on the back of his neck rising with fear, Ruven grabbed Toel's shirt and tugged. "Run...!" he whined, before Ruven fled. He didn't even wonder if the evils of the book would manifest and begin hunting for him, or Toel for that matter. Ruven only ran, eyes wide, able to see somehow through the fog, and all the unnatural and nightmarish haze that it was made of. He hoped this would distract the guards, and allow them to escape, lest he have to open the book again and unleash more terror.

(5 EP to create a patch of shadow to blind the two men and any others, before fleeing through the darkness under the cover of the black fog, hoping to escape off the road to make it harder for them to be followed.)

 

[Lionfire]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Toel was thankful to the man who offered them a ride, a smile on the Anudorian's face as he chatted with the man in return. The offer of wine was happily accepted as well, Toel thanking the man for his kindness.

Though later on, the warnings they were given about criminals and the such did turn out to come rather true. With his hand resting protectively on his pack of supplies' strap, he kept his eyes upon the suspicious two as the duo asked them for, what a surprise, Denarii. Before he can open his mouth, his attention is redirected by Ruven's look over towards him. He momentarily seems perplexed, though as Ruven pulls out the book, the Anudorian visibly tenses as the book is raised!

Next, came darkness. Toel raises his arm as the other moves towards his Claymore, as if try to protect himself from the sudden wall of darkness around him. Luckily, he is snapped out of his confusion as his clothing is tugged at, he heard muttering a swear before he goes to run with the fleeing elf. The less time spent in that darkness, the much, much better!

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Spoiler

Toel: HP = 51, PP = 42, EP = 39, Status = Fine

Ruven Zelphar: HP = 34, PP = 36, EP = 71/76, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: ???

"Ahahaha, a clever man! That's good! There's robbers on these here roads! Likely ne'erdowells coming out of Acheron if you ask me!" said the short man, while the larger one looked at Ruven suspiciously. His eyes narrowed, he opened his mouth to speak just before the world around all of them suddenly turned black. Even as horrific a thing as it was, the book ever hungered for his energies, the dark object greedily gobbling up the portion of his spirit that he offered and returning with an outpouring of its own power to help them escape. Toel would hear the two men shouting, while Ruven also saw them stumbling about and waving their guns about, as if looking for a target.

The pair managed to run through without being shot, thankfully, but when they broke through the other end of the shadow there were people coming out of the woods, two men with machetes and a man with a long stick, all more sparsely clad in simple brown clothes meant to help them blend in, and all wearing black masks that covered their entire heads. The other two were still in the shadow cloud, and these three were surprised as Toel and Ruven burst out of the sudden darkness, giving the two an opportunity to try and deal with them somehow.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Kindred in Madness (Lionfire and MAF)

Ruvan gasped as more men appeared. Naturally one to avoid bloodshed, Ruven merely only needed to summon a distraction. He hated relying on the book, but such was the tiny blessing to pair with the curse. Out from the book, Ruven summoned forth one of the creatures from his nightmares. A large, formless creature with tentacles for limbs. They'd lunge, grab, and squeeze, but thankfully seemed to lack the capacity to kill anyone. That, and the bandits would probably kill it before it could hurt anyone regardless. Once the men were occupied with that, Ruven would flee further, urging Toel along. They just needed to escape.

(Shadow Made Manifest: 2 + (X=9) + 1(Tentacles) = 12)
(Ruven tries to make the Japanese Shadow Porn monster just scare and restrain the men, hopefully attracting all the attention and absorbing any bullets that come their way with it's 90 body health.)