Author Topic: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord  (Read 14570 times)

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #60 on: July 12, 2019, 01:50:18 PM »
Mist takes a step forward and stabs her index finger with her thumbnail and makes a simple heathen gesture, her tiny wound already closing from the energies granted to her by her pact. With careful control she consumes the speck of blood to empower twin curses on the guards by Zadkiel and Yuki, which threaten to weaken their energies.

She then chants a few words of a nearly-forgotten tongue and points, and from the space near the guards and the extremely brave (foolish) girl a strange dust swirls in the air, filling the area with a brief shimmer as if the stars had come to play, before landing on anything and everything in the area, being most particularly unpleasant on the eyes.

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« Last Edit: July 12, 2019, 01:52:53 PM by skydragonknight »
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #61 on: July 12, 2019, 02:02:11 PM »
The wounded guard in his death throe rage shrugs off the curse through sheer fanaticism and will power, but his comrade is less lucky.

The glittering dust not only makes the clothes of the three more fabulous-looking, but also clogs up their eyes. Sophia not only tears up, but also begins to sob as from one moment to the next her eyesight is taken.

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #62 on: July 14, 2019, 05:04:17 AM »
:"Hmm, they're going down a bit too fast, not really getting me in the mood. No sense in making Lobinha wet now, not when we would need to give her a hot bath afterwards. Now how did mortals say? Ah, yes. Finish them!"

Anoitecer casually muses as she flies a bit forward to keep up above Lobinha, shadows spreading from her wings while pointing her left index finger at the guard that looks most weakened. There's a loud sound kinda like thunder, and the air ripples as something bright and loud shoots out.

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #63 on: July 14, 2019, 07:57:36 AM »
The thunderous emanation hits the dirt, putting a new pot hole into the alley and tossing shingles, manure and earth through the air, but not doing one bit to defeat the guards.

Offline Archon

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #64 on: July 16, 2019, 07:11:50 AM »
Zadkiel continues to pull her punches, refusing to kill innocent (probably. Maybe) guards, even as they attack her.


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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #65 on: July 16, 2019, 03:01:00 PM »
One of the guard goes down under a heavy pommel strike by Zadkiel, losing consciousness as he sinks to the ground and his life blood keeps ebbing away.

Cursed, dumb and blind, the only remaining guard on the frontlines showers Zadkiel with a frantic flurry of slashes, but none of them comes even close to hitting home.

Still sobbing, Sophia stumbles away from the fight towards the other girls. A redheaded one hurries towards her and guides her to the other girls in the corner, who form a huddled cuddlepile in order to affirm each other in the face of the bloodshed.
Tanya takes the mace from now blind Sophia and takes a stand 5 feet ahead of the pile. Unlike Sophia, Tanya holds it competently, and now that she is no longer cowed by the nun, her poise has something naturally aristocratic and heroic. If nobility truly runs in the blood, she has it.

The guard who has stood back holds position, still holding his sword protectively in front of the girls. "By the love of all that is good and holy, why are you coming for such innocent maidens? Even if you are knavish enough to pluck young girls off the streets, can you spare enough mercy to at least leave virgins alone?"

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Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #66 on: July 19, 2019, 12:53:16 PM »
Lobinha turns to face the guard that spoke and slowly walks towards him.

: "Innocent? They were littering the street and houses. You're  guilty of that if nothing else. Not to mention wasting food. Even if rotten, there are plenty of more virtuous uses than what you're doing."

She pauses just outside the reach of the guard's sword, holding up her rod of remorse high, fire and lighting crackling over the painted wood that remains pristine.

: "Besides even whores have as much right as virgins. You are guilty of shaming honest workers providing a valuable service to society. But that's only the start of your sins, because Tanya here is being foced to take a career she didn't choose when she clearly has talent and will for something greater. Just look at that mace stance. Prime noble warrior material. Tanya has been wronged, and we're here to set her right. Tanya has been wronged, and we're here to find who and why. Let Tanya go, and we'll let you go. That is the good deed you can do right now."

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #67 on: July 19, 2019, 01:42:33 PM »
"Whores having as much rights as virgins!? Tanya's naive youthful wishes being more important than the course of action her betters have already determined for her!? That is heresy. Oh green-haired devil, why are you trying to lead my soul astray from the truths of the Church and into the fires down below, by pitting it against the future of these young maidens? If I cannot survive your assault, and neither cannot protect them from you turning them from virgins into the whores you consider as equally worthy, then so I shall die on my feet fighting to my last breath for their innocence and upholding my White Guard oath. BOG VULT!"

The last guard still standing up on the frontlines against Zadkiel and Yuki joins the cries of "BOG VULT!" as he slashes for Yuki, but his cries come coughing with fatigue, and he wildly misses.

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Offline Arccosecant

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #68 on: July 19, 2019, 02:41:47 PM »
Lost in the rhythm of battle, Maxim launches another volley at the guard standing at the back.

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #69 on: July 19, 2019, 03:01:58 PM »
Briefly after having re-affirmed his oath to defend the girls to his last breath, the guard in the back is forced to stand true to it. He deflects the first soul arrow with his sword, but the next two take him down.

"I am sorry", he whispers to the huddled pile of girls with his last breath, "that I couldn't do more for you."

With that, he exhales the last bit of his life under Maxim's last soul arrow, and expires. The sobbing and cries of the girls intensify as their eyes switch back and forth between their protector and the green-haired girl who exclaimed that being whores would be as good for them as being virgins. The only one of them keeping her composure is Tanya, still holding aloft her mace.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2019, 03:15:16 PM by Skyrock »

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #70 on: July 19, 2019, 04:30:47 PM »
"... we're not here to hurt you girls," Yuki says, looking askew at the lecture before cocking her fist and doing her best to brain the remaining guard, "The nun's behaviour and the fanaticism is just... how shall I put it... deplorable and obstinate."

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #71 on: July 19, 2019, 04:41:21 PM »
The final guard drops down dead. Only one is left to slowly bleed out unconsciously.

The girls cry and sob even other as in their minds they are the mercy of random brigands just itching to hand them over to the next brothel for a few gold pieces. Only Tanya keeps her cool, still itching for someone to step within range of her mace.

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Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #72 on: July 19, 2019, 05:00:31 PM »
Mist steps forward, with no weapon in hand. She makes a polite bow. "Lady Tanya, we apologize for frightening you. Those men wished to harm you. Even the nun believed you were damned, but we believe you're a good girl. That's why we have been recruited by higher powers to aid you. And I suggest you let us explain to you and your mother our plan to restore the dignity of both you and your beloved mother."

By the time she had said the magic word, a cute little misshapen kitty had made it's way right beside Tanya, making her a bit uncomfortable...

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« Last Edit: July 19, 2019, 05:08:15 PM by skydragonknight »
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #73 on: July 19, 2019, 05:15:29 PM »
Tanya lowers her mace.

"Very well. Just guarantee me that you will let these other orphan girls leave unmolested. They have never done anything that would justify them being forced into the fate of my mother, if any girl ever has done such a thing that would justify it. They deserve to at least be able to try for their own path of happiness, rather than to be sold against their will for the benefit of someone else."

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #74 on: July 19, 2019, 05:18:12 PM »
"Why would we be selling anyone...? This can't be the only time that some overzealous White Guard have wandered into this part of town and met some... accident."

Offline Archon

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #75 on: July 19, 2019, 11:49:06 PM »
Zadkiel assumes her true, angelic form.

2.1:"Do Not Fear. We will see you *all* safe from harm, and from this fallen place. Learn this lesson well - faith cannot protect those who would use it to destroy others without cause.

(I will back this up with a diplomacy roll to convince people of my true holyness or w/e, if so needed)

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #76 on: July 20, 2019, 07:55:00 AM »
The girls are awed at witnessing a true angel and calm down, although they still stay huddled together and eye their environment fearfully. Old Chancel is not a safe place for them to hang out or travel through without their protectors.

Tanya turns around and knocks at the door of No. 37. "Mom, it's me, Tanya!" A pretty white-haired woman in her 30s dressed in a night gown opens the door, and the two celebrate their reunion with a long, tearful hug.

"Mom, these strangers say that what you said about my father is true! Ever since they separated us and that anonymous benefactor paid to have me enrolled for the nun career, everyone kept telling me that those were just lies and I should forget about it. I stopped believing in what you had told me, but there was something so, hm, so re-affirming in the words of that raven girl."

Zilla looks over the group of strangers, gives the angel an especially wide-eyed look, then lets her eye wander to the white-robed girls.

"It is probably for their best if you send them off before the Red Guard arrives to investigate the ruckus. This will not end well for them, and some things we need to discuss are not for their ears."

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #77 on: July 20, 2019, 01:09:55 PM »
"Perhaps the angel would be the best escort away from this area?" Yuki suggests, eyeing the still-breathing nun. It would be easier to dispose of the bodies without a holy do-gooder hanging around.

Offline Archon

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #78 on: July 21, 2019, 02:03:15 AM »

2:2"Indeed. Do not let the situation ... get out of hand. I will be most displeased if I return to ... any trouble"

Zadkiel will pick up the (at least two? That's how many I did non-lethal to, I think) still-living bodies off the ground, and direct the girls to take her to their home.

2:3"Do not fear. I will protect you in the absence of your guards"

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #79 on: July 22, 2019, 03:42:48 AM »
: "Wait just a moment please. Before you take them away, need to take their goods for inspection. We should recover as much evidence possible."

Lobinha will make a quick search of the guards for any valuables. Including stripping them of their armor and weapons.

:"Yes, 'recover evidence'. Now be good girls and go with mister angel here, ok? Unless you feel like being a nun isn't the life for you, in which case feel free to hang around, hohoho."