Summoned!

[Pervy]

"I.. slept, yes. Dreamt of Were-bats. Anyway.. Nothing about the weather hrmnn.. guess I'll ask about"

"Interesting.. so ex-rulers, tradesmen, and the underworld and I get to pick..." She tipped her chin. Well, the ex-rulers sounded like the biggest challenge, plus if anyone might harbour secret dislike for this strange lord this land had found..

Either way, she had to get a better picture of things. By the sound of it, she could take a peek at the Bloodhawk manor and the church on her way to the Murray's so she'd do that, wandering the streets and just keeping her eyes open to get a feel for the city on her way to Murray mannor.. she didn't have exactly a plan, but she was good at improvising!.. and kind of curious what mindless people ment... like.. drunk teenager mindless?

 

[Aenon]

Following the instructions was easy...after all the main road that went through the city, ended up at the docks.

The city itself looked like a normal city, with people doing what their daily jobs and what one would expect them to do. However, it felt like a dead, silent city. There was little to no chatting on the streets, and some people had dazed gazes, moving around like soulless clockworks.

The central square was way less crowded than what one would expect from a city of this size. There was a platform with some stocks, but there was no criminal on them. On one side of the square, an imposing manor, with the blood hawk coat of arms clearly visible on the two crimson banners at each side of the gate. The manor was even surrounded by a large garden...but even this couldn't make it look less cold.

On the corner of the city square, an old temple dedicated to some kind of sun god, if one had to guess from the carvings on the now broken door. It seemed that no one cared about this temple any longer, it had been clearly abandoned for a long time.

Down the road, Cyra would find the Murray's manor, opposite to a smaller square, filled with market stalls. There were people here buying and selling stuff. However, a closer look would reveal that there was no haggling, joking around, or anything of the sorts. After all, how could one haggle, when the Murrays had a strict monopoly on most things one could buy here?

The manor itself was less majestic than the Bloodhawk manor, and at the side there was an old warehouse spoiling the sceneray even further - something no ordinary noble would ever accept. Still, at least it didn't look so dead.

 

[Pervy]

It reminded her of a little town on a sunday, or perhaps some sad holiday.. and some of the folks were a little.. eery. She really had to find out more about what was going on. Starting at the top. well near-top, before risking getting involved with more nude dancing criminals.. hush imaginary Love on shoulder!

She didn't like the Bloodhawk mannor. It kind of reminded her of her home.

The abandoned temple made her raise her brow. Then again, the sun itself had felt.. weary. Perhaps she should check this out later.. she was not big on -organized- religion, but something about it felt.. just bad, to her. Desecrated temples were rarely a good sign.
The Murray house also seemed.. well, not entirely inviting, leaving Cyra with half a mind to grab one of the random distant looking folks to question them.. except she doubted she'd get good answers. Perhaps she -should- try the underworld leader first?

Also, she noticed, shouldn't her apperance attract a curious glance or three? It was like those people were intentionally avoiding getting any serious attention.. oh well.

Perhaps a chat would clear things up. She approached the Murray manor, knocking on the main gate, before giving her best winning smile.
"Hello there. I'd like to make an appointment with the Lord - or Lady, in charge at a time convenient."
She declared.

 

[Aenon]

Cyra's plans to question one of the soulless-looking folk seemed fated to happen, as it was just exactly a person like that who opened the door. And a most creepy of them at that. The butler with the void look in his eyes was even sporting a kind smile...as fake as smiles could go.

"Greetings, my Lady. I will need a name, and the purpose of the visit. Our lord is not available right now, but I will inform him posthaste." he offered, as if reading a script. He then stood still, waiting for the reply.

However before Cyra got a chance to reply, a voice was heard from behind.

"It is ok Joshua, I will talk with her." the man said with a sigh. "I am Lan Murray, and I am afraid that if you wish to speak to my father, you will have to wait for a long, long time."

"It is rare to see unfamiliar faces around here. Pretty ones even more...perhaps I could be of assistance, miss....?" he asked, offering his hand.

 

[Pervy]

"Alright.. oh?" Cyra raised a brow. "Right!"
She smiled, taking the hand for a good shaking, glancing over to the butler. "Everything alright with him, he seems a little out of it."
She mused. She doubted she'd get a straight forward answer, but a partial answer was good too. The nobleman had a sort of dangerous charm to him, the kind that made you worry if he was about to pounce and ravage you and..

She cleared her throat.
"I'm Cyra Darkbane, I'm here to kick out Garus because he seems like a bit of a dick, want to see?"
She hesitated, then, adding. "Let's cut past the 'that's impossible you are but one charming and pretty woman!' and go straight to the part where you tell me about your father and why you secretly want to support me, over some tea?"
This was, of course, just a guess from Cyra. The nobleman might well be in league with the lord of the land.. the mindless butler already had her suspicious to a point.

But that'd just mean she could start causing trouble right here.
Not waiting for an invitation she stepped right in, wiggling herself past the two men and stretching a little and looking about.
"So, Sir Murray, city seems easy enough to keep tabs on, what do you do to pass the time? Don't say boring trade-deals all day!"

 

[Aenon]

The nobleman looked curiously when Cyra did the handshake instead of allowing for the usual hand-kissing, but he didn't let any discomfort show.

"Indeed, sadly no one is spared from that disease. Some tea sounds nice." he nodded following inside

As Cyra entered the manor, she would find herself in a square hall room, with two doorways opposed to each other, one to the left and one to the right, and a large archway leading deeper in the mansion in a rotunda room with a majestic staircase leading on the upper floor.

"The sitting room is on the left." he coughed.

~~~
Soon, Cyra had been served a cup of hot tea by Joshua, as Lan resumed the conversation.

"While cutting past things sometimes is fine, I prefer to talk things through. So I take it you are an adventurer, who somehow reached our city?" he mused, looking at how Cyra would drink her tea. He himself used a very 'by the book' approach, demonstrating the way a noble should drink tea properly.

"It is as you said. You are one charming and pretty woman, but Lord Garus is impossible to fight." he sighed.

"You don't know the horror of his powers. His unbeatable warriors are only the things that everyone knows. However, even if you went past them, the gargoyles that guard his castle would get you. And after them, who knows what else...until to finally meet someone who can just make a castle appear out of thin air. The best we can do, is play along with him and do the best we can in this little sandbox." he explained.

"I still remember when we first tried resisting. He lauged it off, and even told us we can try as many times as we want...but there would be a price to pay every time. My father was the price to pay last time. It would be a pity for you to have a similar fate..."

 

[Pervy]

"Yeah must be troubling to deal with that disease with no intact temple in sight..."
She prompted, innocently, swerving to the left, drawing her large sword to lean it against a wall demonstratively, before throwing herself into a chair, sniffing on her tea. Wait was he watching how she drank her tea to get a read on her?

Oohohohoho... She shifted her hand, picking up the teacup with delicate eligance that only higher breeding could instill, her movements having an almost inhuman, perfectioned grace to them, without a single wasted motion..
then she kipped the teacup up and drank it all down in one go, her body pleasantly resistant to the tea still being a little hot. "Hothothot.

Yeah I know this isn't a problem I can swing my sword at until it goes away, but a lil' swinging would definitly be involved still.

First of.. I am someone that can make a castle disappear out of thin air."
She shook her head.

"Hmn. I think I need to try fighting one of those impossible to defeat knights.. or alternatively, find what empowers them. But first things first, I should meet with your dad."
She nodded.

"So what else did he do when his castle arrived over night? Or shortly before.. You see, M'lord, whatever changed right as he arrived, that might be related to why he's not afraid of any resistance..

As for who I am.. Do you know the game 'two truths and a lie?' I'll say two true things and one lie, you gotta guess the lie. For example.. My hair is white, I love pretzels, I'm actually a guy in makeup.

More tea before visiting your dad? Great!

So.. let's see. I escaped straight from hell itself, first layer to be precise, to help you out despite not knowing who any of you are.
I'm deadly afraid of clowns after a demon disguised as one and I've tracked the demon down to these lands.
I'm technically a human but I was created with the intent of creating the perfect breed of warrior and general for conquest, wasn't into it, so I started doing the opposite."

Deception - because why not - 11!

 

[Aenon]

"My father is...not in a condition to talk. He has something similar to Joshua, only a bit different. He is in some kind of coma, and it is unwise to try and wake him." he explained.

He stood still for a moment, contemplating Cyra's words. Finally, he sighed.

"I guess you have uncommon origins, and maybe surprising abilities. Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to even come here." he took a sip with a thoughtful look before continuing.

"Very well. I will tell you what I can.What happened back then...nothing really. Nothing that could have 'invited' Lord Garus, that is. It was just an other day, at least to my knowledge." he recalled, rubbing his glabella. "It wasn't a sudden appearance. First the forest had started becoming more dangerous and surrounding us. The castle was the final stroke."

"Right afterwards, the local church declared that we had been trapped by some evil magic, and that we should kill the lord of the castle. Those who could fight went to fight...and returned...changed. The effect on the leaders, including my father was obvious. The others seemed normal at the start, but after time they....Joshua was one of them."

"What exactly happened in that fight I do not know. However....that night the black knights appeared for the first time."


~~~

"Young Master...your farther needs some rest...he will be better by tomorrow..." Joshua tried to persuade the young man. The old servant had a broken nose and few bruises from the earlier battle, but his eyes still had a soul in them.

The young man left his father's hand, softly letting it on the bed.

"Josh, you would never lie to me...what exactly happened? Why you are all hurt, but only the best warriors are....like this?" she asked with a grave tone not really fitting his age.

"Young Master...I don't know. We fought...those living statues, they were...unbeatable. I don't know what happened afterwards...I fell unconscious during the battle. When I woke up later...it was like this..." he said with great shame.

"Uh. Lets hope he will get better." he sighed, looking at his father who was shifting in his bed.

At that time, a chubby stable boy bursted into the room, out of breath. He had gone earlier, on Lan's request, to ask when the priest could visit them.

"Lan! Something is happening!" he shouted anxiously.

~~~

There was a chill in the air. Only the sound of the horseshoes could be heard, as a dozen of black knights strolled down the main road slowly.

Just by looking at them, one would get a feeling of dread. Most scurried away immediately - only the braver ones tried to take few extra peeks from their hiding positions.

Scary sounds were heard from the side of the church. Shouts, things breaking, cries, curses. Finally, silence.

The bodies of the priests were dragged and piled in the main square.

The head knight, shouted with an otherworldly voice.

"Lord Garus is your new lord. You can choose to obey him, or to fight him. My Lord will not hurt those who obey him. But he is welcoming you to try and challenge him. However, there will be a reckoning." the knight announced, before turning to leave.

"S-stand right there!" a group of youngsters who had taken up their arms, led by a woman in armor blocked their way. The young man from earlier was in the group too, holding a longsword and a shield.


~~~

"We hadn't planned to fight them. Actually we hadn't planned anything. We just came over to see what was going on, and found the others there. As sons of nobles, we all had weapons with us, and against a common enemy, we teamed up." he sighed "I thought we would get killed for sure, that night. They had something that made you shake in your boots even by looking at them. If she wasn't there, we would have run away. The mayor that is." he sighed again.

"After they...toyed with us, they grabbed her and left, laughing at our foolishness for opposing them." he continued with an annoyed face "Poor Emma. But at least we learned that day that weapons can't hurt them. Even if you go through their armor, it simply does nothing. Too bad...their fighting skills otherwise, were only average." he sighed once final time.

"Well, in any case. At least, he kept his word. If you don't fight back, the monster won't come for you. I...are you still sure you want to provoke him?" he asked.

 

[Pervy]

"Alright, someone really needs to tell me more about these.. conditions. Why not just kill what troubles... you.."
She hesitated.. soulless folks and presumably unstoppable knights? She wondered if there was a connection...

"Hmn, the old fisherman told about the forest as well, I wonder if it's causal or coincidential. Either way, perhaps Garus didn't appear as sudden as he'd have you all believe.. anyone around today that'd know the forest well? Long shot, propably.."
More theories of course, but you had to start somewhere!

"Aha.. that night the knights appeared huh." She smirked. she'd been suspicious of this one, but that pretty much confirmed it.. that was a problem though. That ment she couldn't kill the knights.. well, if she was genuinly evil..
"You're so lucky I'm not my older sister or brother by the way.. they'd know how to get rid of the knights.."
She mumbled.

"I don't want to provoke him, I want to kick his ass. But I'll have to first learn more about his powers and ugh.. I hate having to be all plotting rather than just doing my thing, I'll have to fight him without fighting the knights."
Cyra folded her hands.

"I mean, I might be able to resist what they do. But not risking it. So what's out in the forest?"
She then hesitated, looking at the young man and sighing.
"Advanced necromantic magic. Garus, I theorize, somehow bound the souls of your fighters to these dark armors... that's why their skill seems about average to you and also why the strongest fighters were the most affected.. they are more useful.

Think about it, why kill the priests calling for blood but not the fighters that came for him? Because the priests had something that was a danger to him.. I hope, and because the fighters were useful."
She found a thin smile cross upon her lips.. why was it all so easy, to get into the mindset of a tyrant? Even in hell, yes, she had not had all of her memories, but the idea of selling out Love for power had been so tempting, natural.. almost as if it was in her blood...
But her fate was hers to decide. And she'd kick that evil Lord's butt.

She hoped her theories were right however. She was both a warrior and a divine magic user, she'd rather not see that serve an evil cause.. or end up like the Butler.. No matter how much subservient desires she felt in secret, there was a limit to everything.

 

[Aenon]

"None that I know of. But I guess there should still be an old hunter or two still around." he suggested "I have heard that it is easier to get lost in the forest. In addition to that, we have heard stories of strange monsters, shadows roaming about. Stories from the few who had went out and managed to return, back then. Asking around in a tavern will probably get you better stories..." he mused, offering to refill Cyra's tea.

"Hmmm...you think the soul of my father is bound to those knights? I hate that line of thought. But what about the others then? Joshua wasn't like that back then...he turned this way during those years. Same with other folks all over the city. And even some of those who didn't join the expedition back then."

"It is like some sort of...disease. Of course it isn't, but..." he sighed "...so what do you want to do now? I can't think of an appropriate course of action myself..."

 

[Pervy]

"Not just your father, all the warirors.. Others that were not part of the expedition got affected too? Hrmnn..
I still think it has something to do with soul-manipulation, but for now, I at least got a better understanding of what I face. It might be that I could hurt one of those knights, not going to risk it without need.

I first plan to examine the temple, briefly, although I don't have high hopes. Then, I'll go look around for the oldest hunter I can find that's still talkative. Right now, I basically don't know enough to take action."
She nodded, having another sip of tea, but already getting up after another long moment.

"If I grow frustrated, I'll head to the castle, check things out myself, that is more dangerous of course, but I'm pretty tenacious."
She grinned.

"But yeah. Thanks for your time, I'll investigate further."
She nodded, tipping an imaginary hat, and getting up, unless the noble wanted to keep her, strolling back towards the abandoned temple. This was her best starting point, looking at the contradiction of Garus telling everyone to come and challenge him.. but only after making sure the priests all couldn't.
She doubted she'd stumble upon a miracle around here, but perhaps a trail. Also while at it..
"Detect Magic."
She focused herself. She'd left out the potential of questioning the underground and the werebat, so that were four potential places to look at first.

(Peeping around the abandoned temple with a detect magic and.. just in general for a while, with a total of 23 perception Cyra's gonna find anything others missed over the years.. if there's anything to find in the first place!)

 

[Aenon]

The nobleman kindly showed Cyra out, and soon she found herself before the doors of the abandoned temple. She did notice a passerby woman taking a look of contempt as she walked inside, probably assuming the worst, but nobody really stopped her.

The old church gave an eery feeling. There light of the sun still went through the stained glass window that depicted a silver haired angel, shining over the altar and the broken benches....however the coldness of the sun could still be felt, even in this once holy place. There was a brown-ish stain of blood on the altar, and signs of battle were evident all around, even with some scorch marks in some places. Divine fire? If anything, the priests hadn't gone out without a fight.

The rest of the temple included a cobweb-filled lower room with small rooms for the priests, a kitchen, storage room, and few rooms one couldn't figure what they were supposed to be.

(Not giant spider infestation cobweb-filled, but still!)

Anything of value had been thoroughly looted during those years of abandonment. Only the really worthless stuff had been left around, and the things that couldn't be carried out.

Someone probably used the place as a temporary hideout at some point, even going as far as to light a small fire in the middle of the basement hall. It seemed that they had used an old priest's journal to feed the fire. The few surviving pages were written in some weird language...it looked a lot like Celestial. Maybe they held some clue?

 

[Pervy]

"Can't a lady pray in peace? I only touched the altar-boys once!"
She couldn't help but quip on the onlooker.. right, so she couldn't look around in here forever without drawing attention. The temple design was interesting.. a guardian angel. Well, if she was still around, she was severely slacking on her job!

She looked around in the temple, narrowing her eyes.. so simply posessing divine magic wasn't enough to stop this either, it seemed. Her exploration of the cellar.. fingers crossed for secret hidden holy weapons..
Was equally unsucessful, with her using Watcher to get through the cobwebs, until the sword sent a slight mental chiding her way.

All she found.. was a few half-burnt pages.. She collected them, determined that this was better than nothing, expecting it to be a track of the holy water stocks or whatever and putting them away for now.. well, all things considered, she needed to look for a hunter for the forest and at this underworld-cage and perhaps a celestial-translator there next.. oh and her noble-son friend could likely organize a translator as well, thinking about it...

Sorting her task in her head, she left the temple again, moving towards the edge of the forest, indubitably where she'd found the hunter-huts, resolving to visit the underworld last, just to make sure everyone was awake.
For now, she'd look for a trustworthy-ish looking hunter,.. as well as take a glance at that ominous forest herself.

 

[Aenon]

There were no hunter hutts at the edges of Orden...if there had once been, now they were nowhere to be found.Maybe the hunters lived like normal people in the city...or maybe their houses had been swallowed by the forest too.

Indeed, there was a clear line from where the city ended, and where the forest started. As if someone had defined a line, a line that humans shouldn't be allowed to cross.

However, Cyra would listen to sounds of a group of people in the area. A closer investigation, would reveal a group of half a dozen woodcutters.

"Work faster, kid, we gotta be done before nightfall!" the older man scolded a slacking younger man.

"Hey, who's there?" an other lumberjack, who had been on the lookout shouted towards Cyra, with the immediate reaction from the others - they stiffened up, as if preparing to fight or run away...

 

[Pervy]

She watched the forest edge cautiously. Usually she liked nature, but this had a touch of the not-natural. Almost as if designed that way..

"Good afternoon!" Was it afternoon already? The sun was really crappy about reading the time.. "Don't mind me, I'm mostly harmless.. I'm coming from the Murray's, checking on a few things."

Technically not incorrect. "So let me guess, the forest turns from bad to worse at nightfall.. anyone crazy enough to still live out here at all?"
She chuckled, before getting to the meat of her question, watching the senior woodworker.
"Anyway. I'm looking for someone that knows about the history of this forest. Namely, when it turned the way it's now. Was it all of the forest, or did the south or west end turn bad first? Just wondering."
She gave a charming smile.

Part of her suspected that trying to leave through the forest was a futile idea. But perhaps it was so impassable and dangerous to hide something else. It was worth checking out, at the very least.

 

[Aenon]

"Hmmm....could be true." the head lumberjack pondered still weary of Cyra.
"Turns worse at nightfall yes. No light to see around and all. Only a fool would live here, right." he nodded.

"The forest was just a forest, you kno'. Now, south west and whatever I don't know..." he started saying, only to be interrupted by an other lumberjack "Those damned sons of a bitches at the mines did something, I bet on it. They dug out a lost evil or some shit." he said spitting down with contempt.

"Shut your trap when I'm talkin'!" the first man shouted back at him.

"Listen lass, be it south west or whatever I know not...but we be kind of busy here, and we don't want the shadows take us. We gather round at the 'Old Tavern' after work, if you wanna talk to those idiots. As for the miners, those poor idiots have a safe job, but the curse got all of them...so I won't hear a word for them, 'm I clear?" he said to the younger lumberjack.

 

[Pervy]

"Interesting, interesting. little point talking to the miners, but that the curse got all of them whilest affecting people in the town selectively is suspicious.." She mused. A mine. That was new. Perhaps that was were the werebat curse came from? For now she'd gathered some information, and although a part of her wanted to push the lumberjacks, she just nodded, memorizing the apperance of the younger lumberjack, before returning to the Murray house, knocking, nodding to the butler.

"Hello! Can you ask your boss to help me find someone to translate this? I'll snoop around a little more and be back later, thanks!"
She enthused, handing the remainder of the celestial notebook to the butler, and continuing on. The mine.. The Murray-lord hadn't mentioned it, but perhaps only because he hadn't thought it relevant.
"I need to figure out how this affliction spreads.. it's not an illness, else it'd have taken more.. it might be a curse, but if so, how is it inflicted.."
She mumbled, before pondering... an underground house of questionable repute, or the slightly less morally questionable underground mines..

Well, she could question the lumberjacks about mines later.. right? Or the .. Cage, that was what it was called, yes? It should be opening around this time. Shouldn't be hard to find... but even then, what would she even ask? Hey, what happened ten years ago? oh you were doing all the drugs? Hrmn..
"No, screw it, other idea."
She decided, moving back towards the forest. Time to investigate beyond humanity. She'd find herself a harmless enough forest critter to question with her speak with animals.. and if she found nothing at all, or couldn't even talk to them through her ancient divine magic, that gave her some more information.. and raised a few more concerning questions.

Plus, this dividing line of village to forest, it just demanded to be stepped over, to a mind like hers!

 

[Aenon]

...And like that, Cyra found herself deep in the forest, looking for some kind of animal to question.

The rustling of the leafs and hew own footsteps interrupted the silence of the forest, but even those sounded muffled, as if they came from under a blanket. The afternoon sun just barely pierced the forest canopy, leaving large patches of shadows all around. Nothing too dark her fiendish eyes couldn't see through, however.

There should be animals...somewhere in the forest. Probably-maybe. Sadly, she couldn't quite figure where they were hiding? And maybe she was a bit lost too...wait, was there something moving in the shadows? Nah, probably just her idea.

However, there was someone who had a different opinion.

'There are some shadowy creatures hiding in those shadows over there' the All-Seeing-Eye noted with a disinterested note 'Here, take a peek!'

From the sword's point of view, there seemed to be half a dozen of those creatures stalking Cyra. However they didn't seem to attack her, as if they were waiting her to show an opening.

They were definitely some kind of shadows, similar to the one she had fought in that cave...but obviously not exactly the same.


[If you go to attack them, three of them have initiative of 12 and the other three 3 ]

 

[Pervy]

Seriously, all she needed was a squirrel. Idea some birds to tell her if there were any non-forest things out there.. structures, aside from the mine, hidden. Or had the forest grown with Garus will alone? That didn't seem to fit.

There were no animals in this forest, the sword showed her... just.. shadows. Well, so much for that. This wasn't a natural forest, and the beasts, if those even were beasts, were cursed.. shadow.. things..
Cyra sighed, and spun around.

"Begone, shadows. Even if the sun may be weak, the moonlight still shines upon.... "
She narrowed her eyes.. it seemed to have little effect. Whatever this was, the light was on the backfoot, not the darkness.. Not a step up from hell, certainly. (12 intimidate, figure this wont bring her far!)

(Initiative: 19!)

"Very well then, shadows, let me remind you of your place."
She rushed fowards, her blade cutting into the first shadow.. as she hesitated, and smirked.. "Oh I know.. you can take a woodsmans axe, tear them apart nonetheless.. but there is something you creatures fear. Lunar Resonance!"
She declared, her sword bursting into white light that spread out from the cut, wracking through the creature, as Cyra readied another strike, more focused, if a little slower, cutting at the same, or if that had been enough to.. dissuade it, the next shadow. Whatever these things were, the paladin had little qualms about cutting the dark-stalkers down. "Your evil is not uncontested!"
(25 to hit, 9 slashing damage, but also 8 radiant damage on top!)
(Second attack: 18 to hit, 15 slashing damage to da face!)

 

[Aenon]

The first shadowy creature silently dispersed intto nothingness from the divine, while the second almost followed it's example, but still holding on the last moment.

The shadowy creatured didn't seem to hesitate, and certainly didn't bother to reply. Probably they didn't have the ability to do so in the first place. They charged surrounding Cyra, trying to claw her with their shadowy hands!

Three of the creatures in their frenzy missed, but two still managed to hit her. Their incorporeal hands passed through her body, leaving her cold...and on top of that, she felt a bit dizzy...a bit sleepy, even...it seemed she would have to hurry to dispose the creatures...even if taking a nap first sounded...no, it was a bad idea, she was fighting them now!

(Cyra took 22 necrotic damage, and temporarily loses 4 wisdom!)