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[sub][b]Present:[/b] Ashon’amar’loiyang [@Ti], Cal’tuuro’jaros [@Suicharte], Casii’fyret’alan [@Pirouette], 
Dorothea Hohnstein [@Jasbraq], Kaspar Elstrøm von Wentoft [@Wolfieh], Edyta Łaska [@Force and Fury], 
Ymiico’luun’yoru [@Salsa Verde], Taleja Drakenknecht, Lycans, Father Jacques Dubosque, Brother Baudile Dubosque, 
Viktor Strauss, Laura, Cristophe Wiliken, Margot, Denis, The Birds[/sub]

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There were a few absentees in this wicked, four-mooned night. Father Dubosque was nowhere to be seen, that was what many in the Church had noticed. But Laura had disappeared from the group just as Qasem had taken Dorothea and Viktor, the supposed hunter of beasts, had also vanished without a trace. They were both, in fact, not too far from the lodge at a vantage point atop a hill, bearing witness to the blood fest as the cabin broke down from the dark bolts and the wolf’s rampage.

[color=E06CD7]“Do you want me to shoot him now?”[/color] spoke Laura in Kerreman, her Koppelman readied and trained at the cabin. She wore a hood and cloak that went well with her petite and lithe figure. 

[color=36AE36]“Nein.”[/color] answered Viktor, knelt at the edge of the cliff with binoculars aimed toward Leluun in particular. [color=36AE36]“She is the true problem. If that Yasoi gets the crown, I’ll need to do something. We need to get rid of her regardless.”[/color] he sighed in exasperation. Laura moved to aim her sights on the other-Ismette.

Then, the girl blinked. [color=E06CD7]“S-she’s gone.”[/color] it was so quick. Vedil’s assault had proven fruitful, and the witch had been destroyed. [color=E06CD7]“I didn’t see it. What the hell are we dealing with here, Viktor?!”[/color] the young woman apprehensively inquired, only to meet complete nonchalance from the hunter. [color=36AE36]“Something we can’t let get taken or killed.”[/color] then remained the beast. [color=36AE36]“Kill the Darhannic before he causes harm to the host.”[/color] a hesitant Laura readied her gun again. [color=E06CD7]“And the Magusjaeger?”[/color] she asked, now composed and her breathing balanced for a coming shot. [color=36AE36]“I’ll handle it.”[/color]

Laura was ready to take her shot. A final, big inhale as Qasem stayed in place to offensively draw matter from the two. The perfect opportunity. It would have been, anyway, if the cross of her rifle wasn’t suddenly smashed into her chin and face. Again, Laura wasn’t able to react to the speed of the assailant. Her face was blooded and she fell on her back, now disarmed by the attacker. Viktor, on the other hand, had already drawn his knife and got to an appropriately defensive position without giving too much range for the attack to use that rifle on him.

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[color=36AE36]“Turin got what was coming to her for not killing you on the spot.”[/color] commented Viktor, immediately recognizing who had intercepted them. He chuckled, clearly itching for a fight, or just downright murder of what he hated the most in the world. [color=#6e9839]“You estimateless good charms.”[/color] while the words sounded like they made a joke, the tone was nothing but amused from the female. [color=#6e9839]“Margot must should burned the forest in your sleeping. Would havein saved many people.”[/color] she growled. Viktor scoffed. [color=36AE36]“Look who’s underestimating now.”[/color]

Just as they were about to clash, Laura tried to stand, only to be met with suction cups binding themselves to her joints and a land-squid coiling itself around her to keep the girl down. [color=E06CD7]“Ahhh! What is- ?!”[/color] her lips were shut, and her partner did not pay her any mind. His focus was solely on the Sanguinaire empowered by the night.

It was going to be a knife fight, the rogue and the hunter, to the death. Blades clanged and sparks illuminated the dark peak they were dancing upon. Margot had the speed and the nighttime strength could match Viktor’s muscular bulk. The blonde hunter compensated with experience, most notably against her kind. What he did best was use the environment and magusjaeger tactics to get the jump on her.

Catching her off-guard, Viktor nearly stabbed her in the chest, with only an inefficient cross-armed block from below being improvised by Margot. [color=36AE36]“You should have stayed in that cave.”[/color] sweat drops fell upon the pale girl’s face as he exerted himself fully to try and snuff her. [color=#6e9839]“Monster! Margot will never forgive what you did.”[/color] her anger fueled her, and with a burst of energy, she pushed back, causing Viktor to stumble backward and struggle to get his footing. [color=#6e9839]“What you trickered us to do! All these people …”[/color]  a brief look was directed toward Mandelein, where the flames of destruction illuminated the horizon. 

When she turned to face her opponent, a large gash had formed across her face. It began to heal as it formed, but the pain was impossible to ignore, just as the massive man an inch away from her nose was. She wanted to draw and form a spell that could dwarf any of his abilities, and yet he was always too close and intercepted any attempt to cast anything intricate. Additionally, her strength could only match his. [color=36AE36]“If it wasn’t them, it’d be just somewhere else!”[/color] exclaimed Viktor as he finished his assault with a brutal punch to the gut, causing an air bubble to form in her stomach via his deep kinetic skills, with the subsequent popping causing big internal damage. [color=36AE36]“There was no stopping this, kid. Just as there’s no stopping them.”[/color]

A battered Margot struggled to get on her feet. When she looked up, a handgun barrel was to her face. [color=36AE36]“Now return to dirt, carcass.”[/color] but just as his finger pulled on the trigger, the bits of energy she had managed to store and failed to cast all went into a very focused explosion of heat inside the barrel. An internal arcane smell that caused the powder to prematurely explode, making the whole thing burst. [color=36AE36]“UGH! You little shit!”[/color] growled Viktor in pain, his hand and forearm burned and filled with shrapnel. They began to heal rather quickly too.

Margot, seizing her chance, whistled for Schleim to free its prisoner and hop onto her back. [color=#6e9839]“Margot will meeting you again, hunter.”[/color] standing at the edge of the cliff, she glared at the man with raw hatred. [color=#6e9839]“Will drink you, and destroy you.”[/color] she then hopped into the dense darkness of the forest despite the efforts of both Mandelein renegades. By the time they were in position, they could not get a clear shot and she had since escaped their range.

[color=36AE36]“You were made helpless by a Stumpfkrake.”[/color] he remarked whilst peering at a dishevelled Laura. [color=E06CD7]“I-I was stuck. I didn’t expect it to be so quick.”[/color] a little panicked, she clenched the gun in her hands and raised it slightly. [color=36AE36]“You will be expected to redeem yourself. And soon.”[/color] he said threateningly before raising his binoculars once more to see Manfred vanishing and Dory rising with the crown once again on her head. Viktor grinned.

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Dorothea Hohnstein von Albesatz-Danzau was alone in the middle of the forest with the only nearby shelter recently brought to nothing by the recent battle. There laid the corpse of Qasem Laghmanin, her would-be killer had it not been for Manfred, her lover who had abandoned this world. And finally, there was a singular, red feather set conveniently before Dory’s footwear, the last trace of Leluun in this world. It was dark and quiet, no wildblood was nearby and the only lightsource was the Feskan’s own creation.

But after a half-minute, a once concealed presence made itself visible, standing over the corpse of the once-ally. It was Viktor, and Laura followed soon after. [color=36AE36]“I see you did not need any help with this or that witch.”[/color] he remarked, posture straightened and muscular arms crossed. [color=36AE36]“And you’ve accepted your destiny.”[/color] a conspicuous glance was shot at the crown. [color=36AE36]“A relief!”[/color] he merrily clapped his hands, smiling bright at the newly made avatar.

He kneeled once more and searched the pouches that remained tied to Qasem’s belt. Due to the morphology of the lycanthrope, legwear had a tendency to survive the transformations. Out came the metallic vial that looked identical to what Kaspar had found before, and was one of three in the container from the boat. [color=36AE36]“Stolen goods recovered.”[/color] he said, which prompted a nod from Laura. [color=36AE36]“You will need to explain this to your friends. It is a bit strange that a single wolf took down two of you, don’t you think?”[/color] he looked to Dory as he pocketed the peculiar object and then approached her.

[color=36AE36]“Keep it simple. The more you try to detail, the more it will sound like you’re trying to convince. Only guilty people do that.”[/color] he was a few feet away from her now, hands on his sides. [color=36AE36]“Repeat after me. Manfred was grievously wounded putting down Qasem. Your friend Ismette argued to spare your friend, and it spiralled into an argument, where she got stabbed by Manfred by accident.”[/color] as he spoke, Laura seemed to be prepare Qasem’s large body for something as she stretched the legs and arms to have the whole thing on display. [color=36AE36]“Manfred, as he was about to die, finished off Qasem and succumbed to his wounds. All to protect you. Understood?”[/color] he raised a brow as he made deep eye-contact with Dory. 

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The group of students, including Denis and Brother Baudile, had just barely escaped what was certain death. Cristophe and Laska ensured their exit was covered by an explosion and the vines that served as support for the bypass made to the old tunnel did not crumble down and bury those lagging behind. There was an initial rush among the group - a desire to cover about a kilometre of distance at a brisk pace before the monk spoke up. [color=#6EF2F3]“I think -”[/color] he huffed, clearly exerted from the previous ordeal. [color=#6EF2F3]“we’re good, for now. We need to think of our next move, sim?”[/color]

Cristophe was quick to interject. [color=96374E]“Nicht für lange. (Not for long.)”[/color] he kept his words brief, and then shifted to a very limited Avincian. [color=96374E]“Them up. Fell.”[/color] he pointed upwards, and of course with simple drawing one could sense the masses scrambling and ‘following’ their energy signatures, albeit they seemed to lack precision. [color=96374E]“We go. Yeah?”[/color]

The tired clergyman shook her head and gestured rapidly. [color=#6EF2F3]“If we don’t think of what we do, they’ll catch us and surround us the moment we come out.”[/color] and just as he said that, some of the earthen walls began to crack, causing falls of dust to occur semi-frequently. [color=#6EF2F3]“If they don’t dig in here first. We need to find somewhere safe for the night.”[/color] he argued, looking at the group.

[colour=006633]“And the day,”[/colour] Taleja mused, her expression obscured by the mask. [colour=006633]“Even though they are not visible, the moons are still above us during the day. It is the alignment, not their light, that determines the strength of mana-types. A less poetic outcome than the myth of howling under a night of full moons.”[/colour] She commented, her tone dry and matter of fact. [colour=#B8041A]“When will they revert, then?”[/colour] asked Kaspar, making efficient use of his time to heal the wounded, although he could only do so much when bodies were worn down to such a point. [colour=006633]“Revert? Optimistic. However, they should become more manageable by tomorrow evening,”[/colour] she stated, her voice steady and composed.

A collective rise in heart rates, including even Taleja’s, could be felt by those morbidly curious enough to sense. This was terrible news.

[colour=0B4E57]“Die Abwasserkanäle führen zum Fluss. Mit etwas Glück könnten wir vielleicht ein Boot finden … (The sewers lead to the river. With luck, maybe we could find a boat …)”[/colour] suggested Denis, who was promptly translated by one of the competent linguists. [color=#6EF2F3]“Too dangerous. You saw how quickly they closed in on you. I fear the worst for those that didn’t make it to the Church.”[/color] Baudile formed the sign of the Pentad before brushing his greasy hair back. [colour=0B4E57]“Ich weiß, wo ein kleines Boot zu finden ist. Ich kann auch Hilfe finden. Ich werde meinen Geruch und meine Anwesenheit verbergen und sogar alleine gehen. Weniger Aufmerksamkeit. (I know where a small boat can be found. I can find help too. I’ll hide my scent and presence, and even go alone. Less attention.)”[/colour] the group has since reached a branching path, all of which leading to different sewer passages, with one being a direct line to the castle, while a more convoluted path led to the river. A loud clanging noise was heard in the direction of the latter.

[colour=Cyan]“I’m going to be real with you people.”[/colour] Cal began, the most inwardly frightened of the bunch, but outwardly had managed to keep his composure. [colour=Cyan]“I am not going back out there. We need to lay low. Surely we can hide somewhere.”[/colour] Laska shot him a glare, but Baudile spoke up with an idea. [color=#6EF2F3]“The Castle.”[/color] he said to get the group’s attention. [color=#6EF2F3]“The walls were designed to keep such beasts, likely even stronger, in. Logically, they could also keep them out, yes?”[/color] a longshot, but he had his reasons to visit this final landmark. Laska knew this. [colour=6ecff6]“A handful, perhaps, Brother. But an army?”[/colour] she challenged him with a rhetorical question. [colour=6ecff6]“Are your hopes to find Father Dubosque, your own Brother?”[/colour] she did not hide the slightly accusatory nature of her question, but at the same time her tone held no real threat. [color=#6EF2F3]“He’s alive.”[/color] Baudile said firmly. [color=#6EF2F3]“I don’t know where. But he is. Whether he’s at the castle or not, it doesn’t matter. I want to live this dreadful day, and this seems like our best chance.”[/color]

There wasn’t much discussion to be made, as talking slowed them down, and in turn they began to hear more clanging and banging. Something was coming from the sewers. [colour=006633]“We should leave. The Castle will at least hold. Then we can go underground to retreat.”[/colour] they made a run for it, but just barely a few seconds in, seismic activity induced by [i]something[/i] caused dirt and rocks to fall. The tunnels were old, there was no way they were that sturdy. Ultimately, it did not cause much trouble, but Denis shouted a few words along the lines of ‘I will find you!’ and ‘Just go, I know what I’m doing!’ before he ran to the opposite direction of the castle tunnel, right where the sounds were coming. One less to the team.

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A good ten minute push through the uncertain tunnels eventually led to the end. A metal grid prevented their ascension to the surface - nothing blood magic couldn’t remedy. They would emerge in the courtyard, long since vacant of leisurely strollers and gossiping gawkers. But despite its lack of use in over a century, the flowers were maintained, hedges trimmed and the benches cleaned. There were also torches and lanterns that illuminated every part, much like the many lights visible within the castle that stood mighty before them. Had it not been for Laska’s and Dory’s investigation, they could easily deduce this was very much inhabited.

It was eerily quiet, still, with only their own bodily sounds and the flickering of the torches to be heard. Even the wind was muted due to the massive walls that circled the whole property. If they reached out with their senses, they would only sense minute traces of life, but nothing akin to a Wildblood, and all of it outside the walls. The gates were closed and reinforced, but the large entrance doors to the Castle itself were wide open, as if someone had forgotten to close them, or guests were expected.

But before any could enter, the group was interrupted by a voice - one very familiar to some.

[color=BD316F]”Squaaaawwwwk! Alive! Alive! They are alive!”[/color] said one red bird, its presence suddenly detectable, along with another.

[color=BD316F]”EEEEK! They should be dead! Deady-dead! Not precious enough to not-dead.”[/color] talked the other bird, sitting over one of the few trees planted in the courtyard. Both took a branch. 

[color=BD316F]”Wait. Precious? I can see it! Smell it!”[/color] the demonic-looking one began to bob its head and [i]stared[/i] right at Sister Laska. [color=BD316F]”Show it, yes! Shoooowwww it!”[/color]

[color=BD316F]”We will reward with special precious! Oh yes! Choice of precious!”[/color]

Once presented with the offering, they would present their own offer.

[color=BD316F]”One precious to choose. Yes! One.”[/color]

[color=BD316F]”Of three. Three precious. Very important. Choose wisely.”[/color]

[color=BD316F]”What waits for you is certain death. More death than the town. Oh yes. Very death!”[/color] they foretold. They had not been wrong so far. A small warning, a freebie for their precious-holders.

The demonic bird nibbles under its wing to groom itself before announcing the prizes. [color=BD316F]”First precious, restoring you lot! No more hurt. No more sweat. All good!”[/color] the normal one bobbed its head excitedly. [color=BD316F]”Second precious, BOON! Nice boon. Boon of the smart bird! Oh yes, need to be smart in this cruuuuuuel world!”[/color] the way they squawked and chirped almost seemed like they were laughing. [color=BD316F]”Third precious is raaaaaare precious! Trinket! Mighty, legendary, worthless? Only your character can tell what! For a few keys, maybe it is worth it?”[/color]

What did they choose?

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Shortly after their trade, it began to rain. Hard.

Seeking shelter was wise, and the Castle waited for them with open doors. The foyer was as large as one would expect, with multiple halls connected to it, a large wall with the portrait of the last lord of Mandelein, Graf Anselm of House Kapperstel, beamed down at the guests in its well-maintained state, with the symbol of the Pentad hung above the portrait. Not a speck of dust could be found, even on the barely used wooden rails of the twin set of stairs by each side of the massive painting.

The lanterns were all on, but there was no staff. One could explore, and find little more than what Sister Laska or Dorothea had found on their first trip here. It was quiet, just like the outside, and by all accounts, safe. If it weren’t for the sudden tenth presence a few would have immediately sensed. It wasn’t making itself discreet, and if anything it flexed enough energy to stand out. Like a hiker purposely making noise in a predator’s territory to prevent any surprises.

The doors were opened if they weren’t shut already, and then the presence shut them behind him. [color=#E1F36E]“Oraff smiles upon you all on this cold night.”[/color] announced the familiar voice of Father Jacques Dubosque. With use of blood and binding magic, he conjured a beam of wood to lock up the door. Nothing they couldn’t easily break. It just seemed to be a precaution. [color=#E1F36E]“I am sorry for this … Torturous treatment you’ve all endured. It would not have been this way, had I had a true say in it.”[/color] he turned to face those in the foyer standing taller than most humans and nearly matching the male Yasoi.

[color=#E1F36E]“As you may have deduced, we all are cursed.”[/color] he began to walk in a steady gait toward the portrait of the lord. An unperturbed stride with clear purpose, once he got at arms reach of the painting, he reached out, but only to tug on the hourglass shape above it, so he could hold it. [color=#E1F36E]“We always were. Since you’ve arrived, since these bandits took us hostage, since the very first Graf, even.”[/color] he lamented, his eyes admiring the carpentry that went on this representation of the five. [color=#E1F36E]“Cursed and forgotten. But not lost.”[/color] parts of the wooden symbol began to thin and eventually break down from aggressive drawing. [color=#E1F36E]“Even at its worst, I will not just let these people - my people - be used for the machinations of megalomaniacs or the systems they maintain.”[/color] he turned to face them again, his green eyes trained on Laska in particular. 

[color=#E1F36E]“No. The hungry eyes that leer this town from the outside are not welcome. This curse will stay within. Its existence will be kept a secret.”[/color] syphoning energy from the brewing storm outside and the many trees outside the property, Dubosque was drawing, but not very fast. Actually, it was noticeably slow.

[color=#E1F36E]“For this reason, I cannot let you leave Mandelein.”[/color]

Baudile Dubosque spoke from the stairs, having just arrived but heard just enough. [color=#6EF2F3]“Jacques …!”[/color] he said, prompting his older brother to peer at his direction. [color=#E1F36E]“I told you to leave, Baudile. You … Never listen.”[/color] the priest reached for the inside of his coat and revealed a small vial containing a transparent fluid. [color=#E1F36E]“I’m sorry.”[/color][/color]