Masquerade Part 1: Evil Dead

[Oersted]

Battered, beaten and now frozen in place of all things, Lanos had had enough of this graveyard, these monsters, and the His damned rotten flesh and blood on his claws. "Just die already!" he shouted as he lunged at the monstrosity again. Perhaps Valha had worn off on him more than he had thought.

Lanos claws and hopes to crit C.F.

[Vestige]

"Hey, hey, if you want to fight so bad lets focus on that guy first," he said to Ophelia. Apparently the boss wanted him to finish the job, which was totally fine by Raith. He directed Ophelia towards the man in question, being especially careful to keep the zombie out of her line of sight. "So you're the one whose been screwing around here, eh? I'm sorry, but I rather the dead stay dead," he called out to the man. "Hopefully, no one brings you back to life. Would hate to kill you twice."

Ophelia circled the man but rather than menacingly bare her fangs, or let out a roar like she did earlier, she simply snorted and let out a grunt. This guy was in such a sorry state that he really wasn't worth her time. If Raith wanted to kill him, she wasn't going to object, but it would be his lance that would get bloodied, not her claws or fangs. At Raith's command, she took to the skies and dove down straight towards the robed man with Raith at the ready.

Raith moves to (6,11) and attacks Bison.

[Nanami Touko]

Despite nearing a second death, Creeping Feature weaved around Lanos' claws!

He swung again into Lanos!

94 - 15 - 10 = 69
Roll: 78,53
Miss!
 
90 - 16 = 74
Roll: 70,15
18 - 5 = 13 damage!
Lanos is frozen once more!

Raith speared Bison! The necromancer coughed up blood, before sliding off the man's lance, and slumping to his knees!

89 - 11 - 10 = 68
Roll: 39,27
12 - 5 = 7 damage!
Bison is killed!

"His will...will never...be...sto..." he managed to sputter out before he died.

"His will...?" Makin was confused, but didn't say anything else about it, shooting a grin at Raith. "Good job. Looks like you were all the right people for the job. Now, if only that other one would fall, already..."

[charlie_]

"This should about do it..." Angus muttered, firing what he hoped would be his last arrow of the day to put the abomination down.

Angus attacks Creeping Feature.

[Nanami Touko]

Creeping Feature took an arrow to the head, attempting to let out another moaning scream, but instead collapsing to the ground, finally having been ended!

97 - 15 - 10 = 72
Roll: 65,86
14 - 6 = 8 damage!
Creeping Feature is killed!
A Halberd pops out of the monster's body, and flies into Angus' hands!

The map is over!

Awards!

IC MVP: Lanos!

OoC MVP: Xinnidy!

Best at hitting: Kendeall!

Best level: Angus!

Edited December 26, 2013 by I have opinions

[Nanami Touko]

The fight over, Makin let herself rest on the door of the crypt the necromancer had been standing on. Despite the surprises along the way, the rookies had proved themselves, and defeated more than what she'd expected. It was a bit of a rush. She smiled, and remembered how it had been all those years ago fighting alongside Gerrod and his crew. It was a welcome feeling.

Her reminiscing was interrupted as the door behind her gave way, and both she and it collapsed onto the floor of the crypt. "Ow, what the--!" Inside, lining the room, were plenty of open and ruined caskets, coffins, and tombs. She pulled herself up, and gave them a quick look over. He must've brought the skeletons to life from here. Perhaps even that green one... Wait, what's this? Still sitting inside one of the tombs was a dusty tome, one that she picked up and looked over. "A Fire book, huh? Guess I can hold onto this. Don't think we have anyone that can use magic with us, anyway." There was another book there, one that she didn't actually know, but she decided to take it anyway. Any book from a tomb must be worth something.

"Alright, we're heading back to the inn. We'll stay there the night, and if you're still interested in hanging around, we've got a package to deliver to Ward. That means you're all welcome into the group, and I'm pretty impressed with the lot of you. Let's go moving."

The rest of you start to leave the cemetery, pretty proud of yourselves for doing so well. Makin, about to leave, takes another look at Bison, and notices something distressing. She scowls, rips a bit of the cloth off his robe, and follows after you all...

Makin has picked up a Fire tome, and a Secret Book!

----------

You all quickly made your way back to the inn, ready to talk, relax, and wait for the next day. The patrons that were at the inn earlier have all left, or retired to their rooms. Unlike before, the inn owner doesn't seem too bothered by having you all there. The gold from earlier seems to have assuaged his worries.

Makin stands at a table near the back, talking to someone in a purple hooded robe. Charlie is with them, nodding along with the conversation. Ingverd sits alone at another table, sharpening the sword he'd used against the zombies.

You all sit or stand and try to make conversation amongst one another. Getting to know who you're fighting beside is always a good idea.

Edited December 29, 2013 by I have opinions

[scorri]

As they arrived back at the inn, Kadin briefly considered fading back out, but decided instead to stay as he was. Considering a chair, he shook his head. Turning to Maija, he smiled. "That was some wonderful healing you did in that battle. And you say that you are a follower of Him?" Perhaps she is the one who will deliver my revenge.

[Xinnidy]

Returning to the inn at last, Maja sat herself comfortably on a chair, resting her staff on her lap. It didn't took long at all for conversation to start --by Kadin addressing her, no less. "Why, thanks! My parents wanted me to learn about healing magic from an early age, yes. They insisted it was one of the many blessings of Him, and that I'd gain much from it." She observed the ghost's projection for a moment. "Yes, I've been taught to serve Him from since I remember. ...I think I know less about my town than I know about Him... but I came of age, so I asked to see the world and all the things I know so little about. My father wasn't too fond of that, but he let me go in the end." She scratched her head for a moment, in thought. "I didn't just want to keep being pushed around and become a priestess or something before I knew it, and so soon." She wasn't too particularly attached or ashamed of her past, so sharing her story --even with a ghost-- wasn't bothering her at all.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Xinnidy

[Vestige]

After getting Ophelia to reluctantly agree to not fly off and terrorize the townspeople, Raith stepped into the inn, exhausted from the day's events. It's not like today had been a particularly tough job or anything, in fact, it was relatively easy. But still, getting back into things was a little tough, he had to admit. Hmm, let's see. The ghost and the woman are chatting at that table an-And I can't believe I just casually thought about a ghost having a conversation with someone. I swear, if that guy starts haunting me...

He grabbed a chair at a relatively empty table, and casually struck up a small little conversation. "Hey so, I noticed you fighting out there today. Nicely done--though I suppose that's expected considering you aren't exactly one of us rookies, eh?" he said to Ingverd.

[Nanami Touko]

"Hmm? Oh, hey!" he said, sitting up and putting his sword down, "you're the one that finished off the necromancer. Raith, right?" He grinned. "Nice kill. I know the boss let you have it, but it was still a good swing. Probably good to have you and your lizard around." He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "I don't think I'm a veteran or anything. I've just been doing this for a while. Not at long as Makin, but long enough. You'll all get there, I'm sure. Seems to be a lot of potential in most of you... Maybe not the cute one over there," he motioned at Maja, "but she's good at healing, so she has a place here."

He paused for a moment. "Ah, right." He sat back up, glancing over at Makin. "After she's done with our client, she said she wanted to talk to you. Hear more about you. She'll probably get to everyone eventually, but said she wanted to start with you. Must've been that comment you made before we left. Maybe she's even taken a liking to you!" He laughed. "Probably get attracted to your lizard before you."

[Xinnidy]

Maja sneezed.

"Whoops, sorry about that, Kadin... not that I think you could get sick... can you?" She covered her nose, couldn't be a cold now of all times, could it? Was it the zombie that punched her face?

[Vestige]

"Yep, that'd be me. But like you said, the boss kinda handed it to me, so it wasn't really a big deal. And I mean, even Ophelia didn't really seem to think much of the guy." Raith paused for a moment. "Right, the so called 'lizard' of mine, her name's Ophelia. She gauges her opponents strength pretty well. Though, her instinct needs a little fine tuning that's for sure..."

"When she starts to freak out and get all angry, that's when I know the opponent's gotta be tough. But she wasn't really all that interested in the necromancer guy so I can't get too prideful about it," he said with a laugh. He drew his seat up a little more and whispered into Ingverd's ear, "But hey, you think the boss and Ophelia might be able to talk to each other? You know...considering..." he said, pointing at Makin's scales. He was joking of course, but it was definitely an entertaining thought.

[Nanami Touko]

"Don't sell yourself short, still takes a lot of will to kill a man, even if he's an evil one." He seemed serious when he spoke, but he quickly put a grin back on to joke around with. "Ophelia, huh? Nice enough name, I suppose. Not that I understand it; I wasn't ever a man for pets. No matter on that." He almost fell out of his chair at Raith's next suggestion, openly letting his laugh out. "I suppose so, hahaha! Hey, Makin, think you could talk to Raith's lizard?" She glared at Ingverd with an unamused face, and waved him off. "Ahhhhahaha... Always business first with that one. You should get her to try, though. I'd get an even bigger laugh than this."

[scorri]

"Ah, thankfully one of the blessings of being in the state I am is not having to worry about such thing. And do not worry. There are many ways to serve him. One does not have to be a priestess to devote their life to Him. And you are young still. Plenty of time to figure out what His will for you is." Kadin smiled at Majia. "I am glad that you were the one assigned to be my keeper as it where. I feel that we will be able to do much together."

[Vestige]

"Aha, yes, well, I'm not entirely new to the whole thing. Giving life, and taking it away, I guess I've got some experience with both of those..." Pet huh? If she heard you say that, she'd probably claw you to death. And then claw me too...Raith shuddered for a moment. The thought was rather unsettling.

"Hahaha, yeah, I guess I'll put it on my to-do list," he said. "Say, how long have you guys known each other anyway? You, the boss, and that healer guy."

Edited December 27, 2013 by Vestige

[Xinnidy]

"Haha, yeah, you're right. I should just think about what I've set out to do. I'm here to learn of the world!" Maja got excited at the thought. There was so much to do, so much to see! "You seem like you've experienced a lot, do you remember of your past life?..." She stopped for a moment, wondering if trying to recall such memories would bother him. "...Oh! But I bet you've experienced much as a ghost too! ...can you see the world from high in the sky? Oh, can you, like, take over people's bodies or something? I think I heard about that..." The possibilities and questions were so many, one would hope Kadin was patient enough.

[scorri]

"As I briefly mentioned before, my memories are... shattered I suppose is the best way to describe them. I recall flashes of things... The color of someone's eyes, a childhood toy, and above all the desire for revenge. For my death... perhaps for my murder. It's not clear to me. I hope that as I travel I will remember more. Things come back, you see. When I first was a ghost... things were a mess." He frowned. "All I could think about was revenge. But that's worn off some. I've started to recall more. As for the other things, I can fly some, yes but not as high as that. I don't believe I can possess people but I haven't exactly tried. There has been no need for me to do so when I can materialize like this. And yes, I've experienced quite a bit as a ghost. Or... it seems that way. I don't actually know how long I've been dead. Time means less when you're like me."

[Nanami Touko]

"Ahhhh? Not new to it, huh? That's promising. You'll be taking a lot more lives if you stick with us..." His smile remained, but his tone was grim. Ingverd seemed to enjoy this sort of thing. "How long have I known Makin? Seven years. I joined shortly before the death of our last boss. I hadn't gotten to talk to anyone but her before he died, so when the group scattered, I went with her and Charlie. Oh, that's right. Our last boss, he was killed." Ingverd leaned over the table. "Don't know who did it, but it was pretty brutal. The guy stole Charlie, and Gerrod went after him, of course--oh, Gerrod was the name of our boss. Makin chased after him; only found Charlie, and the boss dead. None of us know who did it!"

He sat back into his chair and closed his eyes. "Not that I care anymore. It was seven years ago, and we've all moved on. Anyway! That's that. Grim story out of the way sooner than later. And that's how long I've known her, and Charlie. How long've you known your dragon? You seem pretty young. Don't those things take a while to train?"

[Xinnidy]

"Ah, I see, I see. I think I get it. Maybe the memories will slowly come to you now that you have a purpose around us! At least, it seems like it." She leaned over the table her chair was next to. "I think I see... when you're wandering around aimlessly, time might go very fast, and you keep forgetting what day of the week it is! I see..." Maja pondered a bit about the matter, feeling smarter with her realization. "There's a limit to how high you can fly, huh? Yeah, I guess that makes sense if you're still in here... since you didn't go past, all that." She stopped to think if her words made sense, then shrugged. "And I see, no possessing. That's alright! You can still do very impressive things, like that lance you used. Being able to contact and hit living bodies musn't be an easy feat!"

[Oersted]

​"Finally got that wretched stuff off..." Lanos mumbled as he entered the inn, after everyone else, and sat himself down at an empty table. He'd have sat near Raith -the man's dragon made him curious- had he not expected Valha to find him and demand to know how it had gone. To his surprise she didn't appear after a few minutes though he didn't really let it bother him; there were many occasions where, when Valha went to do something simple it became something that a bard may have hastily spun when he ran out of genuine tales.

With nothing much better to do, and his body still somewhat sore from the abuse he received from the undead, Lanos leaned back in his chair and did his best to not make it obvious he was trying to listen in on the conversations between the other mercs.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Oersted

[scorri]

"I can only hope... It's hard to get revenge if I don't know why I want to get it, as it turns out. Though... I must say, I do fear what will happen when I finally achieve that. If what I suspect is true, that will be the end of me and..." He froze for a few seconds and then shook his head. "The lance... yes. It's something I figured out after some trial and error, I must admit. Even though most things cannot hurt me, it is still useful to have some way of defending myself. Hopefully I will be of more use in the future than I was in this battle."

[Vestige]

After hearing Ingverd's words, Raith couldn't really formulate a response. "O-oh. I see...that is rather unfortunate," he managed to say. After some thinking though, "Gerrod huh? Seems like a very honorable guy, going after his subordinates like that. I can respect a man like that..."

A short pause. "Anyway, yeah, I might be younger but--Eh? Wait. What? Young? Ahaha, perhaps I'm mistaken but, you don't seem all that much older than I am!" he said. "Well, I mean, it doesn't really matter haha. Anyhow...Yeah so I met Ophelia about, oh I don't know, four years ago I'd say? It's been a hell of a ride since then, no pun intended. It definitely takes a couple years, no doubt about that. But Ophelia's a little smaller than average, so to me, she's a lot less daunting and easier to manage," he said.

"I'm not dragon riding master or anything but I've seen what she's capable of--I'd trust her with my life. That's why...I don't really think of her as a pet. She's more of a companion, if anything." Maybe even a guardian. Somewhere in his mind, he could hear Ophelia snorting at that last thought.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Vestige

[Nanami Touko]

"From what I knew of him, he really was. Can't really formulate too much of an opinion; I only knew him for a few months." Ingverd tried to think back on the guy, and supposed he could've been that sort of person. Ah well. "Sorry, I meant young for a dragon owner. Most I've met were much, much older. Guess you got lucky meeting yours, ah? How did you meet your companion, then? Must've been something if you can already ride her so well after four years." I'm always up for a good tale. If they're willing to share...

[charlie_]

Angus hadn't been too shaken by the monsters they'd been fighting earlier. He's mostly kept to the back like a good archer should and the enemies had been so thick that half of them spent the whole battle trying to hit... Kadin, was it? He was used to shooting animals, and this wasn't much different. The large one WAS a bit strange though, he had to admit. Maybe there was another necromancer somewhere nearby or something? The infighting had just made it easier for them though, and it hadn't stopped Angus from shooting it in the head.

He looked at the axe he'd gotten from it's body, inspecting it. It seemed to be in remarkably good shape, although he had to wonder how the creature got the thing. Others must have come before them to try and deal with them, he supposed. Hopefully he dropped it when he ran away, poor sod. It wasn't any good in his hands, either way, and looked around for the axeman from the battle. He seemed a bit arrogant before the fight, it wasn't unjustified, he held his own in the last fight, for the most part.

He walked over to Kendeall and started to talk "Pretty easy fight, huh? I guess they were just a bunch of zombies, but still." he then pulled out the axe, and held it out for him to take. "I found this thing on one of them, I figured you would be better at using it than me."

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall turned his head towards the archer standing near him, and noticed the axe in his hand. Standing up, he took it in his hands and gave it a couple of quick practice swings, making sure he knew how it felt. The main thing he noticed was that the axe was much longer than a normal axe; rather, it was more akin to a lance with an axehead at the end. "Thanks mate, I can definitely put this to use. I remember that this thing's more useful for dealing with riders or horsemen, like centaurs..." Kendeall trailed off, still trying to grasp the gravity of the situation that he'd put himself into. There were zombies - actual zombies - standing against them. It really hit home that their enemies in that last battle were little more than corpses of innocent people brought back to life by a disgusting, malicious man. And even on his own side, he fought alongside ghosts, harpies and nagas; creatures which he'd only heard of vaguely in stories.

He snarled as he sat down in his seat and took another drink of the ale he'd ordered earlier. "That battle... though that necromancer was flesh and bone much as we are... he was not human, nor any other race out there. That was a vile monster the likes of which should not exist in this world." Swishing around his drink, he thought about just what he'd gotten himself into with this group, what with fighting zombies and all. But at least he didn't regret anything about taking this job now. "What about you? For a human like myself, you seemed awfully calm out there fighting with and against all sorts of strange things. Is this not your first time dealing with these kinds of things?"