The sounds that had plagued the outside world behind the door that sealed the new captives in were not present for one reason or another. As Maria led the fresh group up towards the surface of this world, the presences that was felt all around seemed to draw back. Perhaps it was fear invoked by the monsters, fear of a seasoned Hunter who sought to destroy them.

Regardless of what it was, the group of people were undisturbed for the rest of their journey to the top. The mad, raving would-be Hunter was already lost to the darkness below and if one turned back, they would see the twitching form of Bishop be dragged away by…something. But that wasn’t their problem anymore. At last Maria brought them to what appeared to resemble a small church clearing, seats and pews scattered and pointed towards a single alter at the front. 

A single man stood at its apex for the Temple had but one priest of sorts. The man this place called Rotting Bone. A clunky mess wrapped in a tattered cloak and other meshes of clothing, yet they always seemed to blend in perfect ripples with each motion of his ancient body. A cane was held in his wrinkling hand while a hood covered most of his visage from the world.

[color=ed1c24]“Welcome younglings to Iredele,”[/color] he greeted, glancing at Maria. [color=ed1c24]“So she’s brought in some new blood….ah, forgive an old man and his ramblings. Kneel and give praise to the Church of Absolute for He gives us prayers in the night. You’ve wandered into the World of Wasted Dreams and into Iredele. No, no, no, there’s no use in thinking that you’ll escape. Thinking like that gets men killed. No…no…..”[/color]

The man shuffled off, only to return with an assortment of garbs and weapons. He motioned for the group of unfortunate souls to take them freely and he chuckled at how lost they really were. The world had certainly moved on, now had it?

[color=ed1c24]“No use, no use I say! All that’s left is to hunt the monsters that pollute this town as Maria has said. You don’t get a choice I’m afraid. You either become a Hunter for me and search for your own answers, or you blend in and forget whatever you knew about from before. That’s not my problem. All that is my concern is your donations to the Temple. Now go on then. Run along and become good little Hunters for me…the sooner you kill the beasts, the more people will be running back to my business. Go on then. Out with you. Oh, and if you run into my granddaughter, tell her she’s wasting her time as always.”[/color]

Now it was the time to explore the confines of Iredele and search for answers. For a new generation of Hunters was upon the World of Wasted Dreams. And the monsters were waiting in the shadows. As the Hunters went off doing their own things, Rotting Bone chuckled to himself as he headed towards the basement of the Temple.

[color=ed1c24]"Afterlife...does she really expect them to believe that?"[/color]
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[center][@KoL], [@harinezumikouken], [@Savo], [@BlueAjah], [@Lucius Cypher], [@Spriggs27], [@Lugubrious], [@ClocktowerEchos], [@Zeroth][/center]