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Johannes de Witte

"With sword in hand I shall cleanse the world of impurity. I am the White Sword, I am the Black Shield. I am the Black Cross! And in Their names, I shall smite thee!"

0 · 681 views · located in Continent of Drevair

a character in “Gods of Drevair”, as played by Binsetsu

Description

Image
Name: Johannes de Witte

Age: 31

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Relationship Preference(optional): Too chaste to consider one.

Description: Johannes is a tall man, standing at nearly 6 feet and 6 inches, broad-shouldered and clad in some of the greatest and finest armour that the smiths of the Triumvirate Faith can make. In a few words Johannes would best be described as an imposing figure. His armour makes an already large physique seem even larger and the symbolism of his faith that adorns it is often enough to strike fear in the hearts of the unbelievers. Over his armour he wears a simple frock displaying the black cross of his order and beneath he wears a simple combination of chainmail and boiled leather in order to protect himself from whatever weaponry might pass through his armour. Beneath his helmet he is known to be a fairly average looking man, with bushy eyebrows, a broad jaw and a somewhat large nose, said to betray his lowborn origins. He seems to holds some aversion to shaving his facial hair, as he keeps his beard bushy and wild, yet the hair on top of his head is always kept cleanly cut and is shorter than the hair on his face.

Abilities: Expert Swordfighter I As a member of the Black Cross order of the Triumvirate Faith, Johannes is required by scripture to be a capable fighter. Johannes adheres to these scriptures by being one of the finest swordsmen of the Faith.
Masterfully Crafted Equipment I Johannesā€™ armour and weaponry is crafted by the greatest armour smiths known to the Triumvirate Faith, who are known to employ ancient, mystical and religious rituals to strengthen the equipment of the Faithā€™s finest.
Iron Wall I Not only equipped with some of the finest armour the Triumvirate Faithā€™s smiths can produce, Johannes is also an expert is using it, knowing exactly which parts are thickest and can take certain blows.
Strong I As one might expect of a man of his size Johannes is strong, very strong in fact. Although short of being superhuman in strength, his strength is still a force to be reckoned with.
Favour of the Triumvirate I As a member of the Black Cross order, Johannes has access to the power only gifted to the most faithful. He uses this power to make us of a limited form "divine" magic, usually in the form of divine shields and healing. Despite this, he is not a particularly talented magic-user, especially when compared to the Fae or the Elves.

Weaknesses: Slow I Even without his heavy armour, Johannes can only be described as slow and lacking in agility. As such, he prefers to remain standing and wait for an opportunity to strike as opposed to move around a lot during combat.
Stamina I Although not necessarily possessing a poor physical condition, his heavy equipment makes every move a struggle and as such Johannes tires quickly when forced to move around a lot.
Xenophobic I Johannes is highly xenophobic. Although normal for members of the Triumvirate Faith, it can be debilitating should Johannes be forced to work with non-humans. Or humans of a different religion. Or humans of a different sect of the Triumvirate faith.
Zealous I Johannes believes with all his heart in the superiority of the Triumvirate Faith and denounces all who would follow a different religion or indeed, call themselves gods. His faith is such that Johannes is quick to underestimate those who do not follow the same faith as him.
Uncreative I Johannes has been drilled and trained according to the holy scriptures pertaining to war of the Triumvirate Faith. Although they can be applied to nearly anything known by the Triumvirate Faith, there are no sections detailing how to deal with the unknown, leaving Johannes with little to fall back on and likely to resort to tried and true tactics, which can be predictable.

Personality: Honourable, loyal, righteous, insanely zealous. Johannes is all of these things and more. As he is part of the Black Cross Order, a prestigious group of knights, he is expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct and living. And he does so with zealous fervour. His loyalty to the faith is uncompromising and he despises everything that would even suggest it might be wrong. He is chaste as it is demanded by the scriptures and adheres to the code of honour, both in combat and in everyday life. He lives his life to defend the weak and those who cannot defend themselves, provided they follow the Faith.

History/Bio: Once a simple commoner with a big dream, Johannes lived the majority of his life on a small farm. He had a different name back then, Johannes Bergen. He was a boy that dreamed of the big city, that dreamed of defending the innocent. Following his dreams, he travelled to the city and enlisted with the Faith Militant. Although this is often where such stories end, as the constant warmongering of the faith had cost more than few young men in a similar position to Johannes their lives, Johannesā€™ story continues. Part of a unprecedented four wars since he enlisted, Johannes managed through survive through all of them by a combination of luck and skill. He slowly climbed the ranks, first becoming part of the Faith Militantā€™s White Sword order, before eventually being promoted to the Black Cross order, the highest military position of the Triumvirate Faith. He discarded his commoner last name and took on a new one, de Witte, meaning the White, a last name commonly adopted by those who believed in purity first and foremost.

Even more zealous and loyal to the Triumvirate Faith than ever before, Johannes was quick to volunteer when foul heretics claimed gods had arisen to punish all living things. Knowing these gods to be but mere imposters, foul demons send to subvert the Faith, he stalks the lands with sword in one hand and the favour of the Triumvirate in the other, religious fervour burning and eager to sink his sword in the flesh of false gods.

So begins...

Johannes de Witte's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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A loud and deep groan escaped from Johannesā€™ throat as the cutthroat was now ready to cut the throat of some elf, which would get Athos shot through the head, good riddance really. For a moment he considered waiting around to see it happen, but no. Johannes had had enough. He had expected this man might be of help, he had thought that perhaps the succubus and the other elf had information. But this was getting him nowhere. With an exasperated sigh he sheathed his sword and moved back towards the burned village.

He had let himself get side-tracked, which was disgraceful in its own way. He was a knight of the Black Cross order, not some bush knight eager for adventure. Truly, if someone where ever to chronicle the great tale of how Johannes slayed the evil red headed man, he hoped this part would be let out. Perhaps he should simply tell no one it had ever happened. He was here on a holy quest and it wouldnā€™t do to dawdle further. He stretched his back slightly, looked around for a few moments to find the route he had taken before entering.

He spared the gathered people a final glance. The succubus, he now realized, he mightā€™ve treated to harshly. Indeed, even calling her a succubus now was rude of him, but she was suspicious and associating with the likes of Athos had made him more cranky than usual. The elves were as he had expected, idiotic and backwards, they deserved the company of Athos and werenā€™t worth exerting himself over. The dwarf was inconsequential, as was befitting his race. Johannes nodded once to himself, he had made the right decision to leave the band of misfits here before they further stained his honour.

ā€œI am not regretful to announce we shall part ways here. Clearly I overestimated the use you all mightā€™ve posed for my holy quest. The red haired man is even now turning the innocent to ash and, though the idea is tempting, I have no time to stain my blade with your blood. I wish you allā€¦ I shall just say I pray for your souls.ā€

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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The assassin growled as the barrel of the pistol was leveled at his head. He hadn't expected a gun. Guns were a rarity in the world, few had the mechanical intellect required to operate them or the monetary wealth to afford them. Given that this dwarf had crafted his own construct it wasn't hard to assume he could have some form of firearm. Athos should have suspected that. He should have forseen the possibility and been able to avoid this. As it was he was forced to silently curse himself for his stupidity and set his mind to the task of avoiding a hole in the head.

Athos went over the dwarf's words in his head, inspecting them for weaknesses in seconds. It didn't take long to find a few chinks in the verbal armor.

"You say you're not looking for a fight yet you greet with arrows and threats. Strange don't you think?"

Athos said aloud to the dwarf with the pistol, all the while keeping up the pressure on the elf in his grasp. His tone darkened before he spoke again. The dwarf seemed to be a kind soul, one who earnestly didn't want harm to come to the girl or the elf who Athos had restrained. Kindness, was a weakness.

"Oh and don't threaten, you're not in the position to do so. You may turn my head into a canoe but not before I spill this ones blood all over the ash, give him a grin I don't think he'll soon be rid of."

A single look at the assassin, garbed in black with blade in hand and anyone could see he was telling the truth. He meant to kill that elf should the dwarf seek to end him. It would be his final act on this earth if the dwarf forced his hand. A part of Athos almost wished the tinkerer would shoot, shoot and send him to his beloved.

"You may be willing to kill me dwarf but are you willing to cause the death of this elf as well? All for what exactly? Hmm? A misunderstanding? A case of misjudgment?"

Athos words were intellignet yet cold, like the unfeeling numbers of a death toll.

"Me, I'll kill this man. I'll kill him and should I live, sleep welll tonight. What about you master dwarf? Are you willing to take two lives for no good reason?"

The question posed, Athos awaited the dwarfs response all the while not noticing the paladin taking his leave.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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#, as written by Siryn
Bergstadt


A snort of laughter cut into the air as Drevair released two people on the edge of the ruined town. They weren't all that far away from the group that stood bickering with one another. Shra tilted his head off to the side, grinning wildly at them. Mireene watched each of them with a curious look on her face.

"Are these the ones that Kharun spoke of?" Shra asked, his voice wavering between full on hysterical laughter and curiosity. Mireene looked up to him and shrugged lightly, her hand still in his.

"I was... expecting more," she commented softly.

Her brother released her hand and drew his swords, his body shook from his laughter as he eyed them all, "It's a pity they're fighting amongst themselves. Perhaps we should let them kill each other instead!"

Mireene smiled lightly as she withdrew her flute. Shra ignited his blades as he turned his gaze to see one of them starting to leave the group.

"Heat it up, sister," he commanded and then left her side to confront the one leaving. He leveled his blade at the fully armored man, reaching him in a matter of seconds, "Where do you think you're going? Leaving the party so soon?" Shra laughed, swiped his other sword through the air and ignited the entire edge of the town, essentially giving the group no where to go, unless they wished to try to run from him. Shra silently hoped that they would, a chase was always invigorating.

"I'm sorry," her sweet voice called out then she put the flute to her lips.

Mireene's flute started playing, the sweet sound filling the air and with it, the heat grew. Taking from the fires and also the already hot day, she twisted it around in her magic and made the area a sweltering, melting pot. Shra swung once at the large, armored man and then darted away from him. His laughter followed his movement. The god darted right into the midst of the larger group and lashed out at each of them.

Then his eyes settled on the woman. The fire curling along his blades grew larger and he lunged at her, marking her as his first target to kill.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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"I ain't seekin' t'take ANY lives! M'just tryin' t'scare some SENSE into ya! Most people en't fool enough t'keep on doin' whatever 'tis they're doin' when sumun's got a boomstick poin'ed at em'! I'll lower me gun when y'take the knife away from me friend's thro-"

At that moment, Kalson was interrupted by a sudden commotion as a man with red hair and swords aflame swooped in and began attacking the other group. The Woman and the pale Elf managed to dodge away, and the Knight had turned around and was moving to engage the red-haired man. Kalson stared dumbly for a few moments, before becoming imbued with a fury the likes of which he hadn't known since the day he defied his father and set out into the unknown. He commanded Dyntan to charge the red haired man, and Dyntan set off with considerable speed from something so heavily armored, while Kalson stowed his Pistol and retrieved a few other items from his pack that he'd later regret using. He retrieved a Syringe full of a potent substance he was bringing to a local Pugilist as a favor. But that didn't matter now, as the Pugilist was a charred corpse, strung up by his own innared to a lamppost. He injected himself with the syringe and felt his rage amplify tenfold, allowing him to shrug off the pain caused by his admittedly out-of-shape body very suddenly and violently erupting in dense musculature. Before he was completely consumed with rage, he shrugged off his shirt and overcoat, and retrieved a Hull Opener, a large cutting tool meant to dismantle enormous metal constructions. By this time, Dyntan had begun engaging Shra, and the knight was not far behind. With a howl of anger, he charged at Shra, closing the distance much quicker than his dwarven legs should allow, and began to madly hack and swing at the Red Haired Man.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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#, as written by Sench
Kain was already regretting his chosen course of action. Of course, he was regretting his earlier carelessness - when he ignored the two people, assuming they were bandits and of absolutely no interest to him - even more. He should have been the one to confront them, to hold the meeting on his own terms. Instead he allowed himself to be consumed by emotions, mostly frustration, and chose inaction. This was far from the first time he made this mistake, supposedly saving time on a pointless action only to end up in worse circumstances because of it. When was he going to finally learn?

What he said was partially true. The heated words about the Triumvirate and elvenkind were what any sufficiently brave elf would say. That is, provided his people didn't do a face-heel turn sometime during the two or so centuries he avoided all contact with them. Dwellers of the woods, elves did value any life more than humans, especially the brainwashed servants of three 'true' gods. But they valued it differently from said humans, as well, possibly appearing strange or even cruel at times. Nevertheless, they never got to the point of waging 'holy' wars against others.

Except none of that really mattered to Kain, it hadn't for a long time. Unfortunately, he would now have to pretend it did, since he pretended to be a normal elf. Which was, once again, the fault of his carelessness. The knight caught him by surprise, in a way, and he hadn't had the time to think of anything better. Of course, he instantly found another fault with this excuse: he didn't actually have to answer quickly. It was him who rushed with a response where it might have been better to stall for time and devise a different plan. He made some mistakes, but nothing would change from regretting it now. He could always reconsider his decision, but revealing anything about his true self at this point would lead to the worst possible outcome.

"Truly you are a man of virtue, sir knight." Kain smirked. He didn't actually need the knight unharmed to have him 'share' his knowledge. "You threaten to kill an unarmed woman for dressing athwart to your convictions, yet you make merry with an assassin. Who, apparently, talks people to death." He had almost forgotten how annoying mortals could be, with all their self-importance and petty troubles. While he lacked information, the group beside him was completely ignorant of the importance of what happened in Bergstadt. To them, it was just a slaughter of innocents, but he had seen it was much more than that.

The blond considered himself to be a very patient individual. He had to be, or he would have grown tired of life long ago. The question whether he was actually alive or not didn't matter at the time; he moved of his own will and was capable of rational thought, and if that didn't mean he was alive, then nothing would. Of course, he had quite a few interesting things to occupy himself with. He learned everything he could get his hands on. History, languages, other sciences. He lacked the aptitude to succeed in some of them, but he made sure to record everything in his head. What interested him the most were ancient and forbidden magicks. Unfortunately, those were not many.

Even with free access to limitless information, he would have given up on life if he had no patience. He would have fallen into an eternal slumber somewhere he wouldn't be disturbed. But he did no such thing; he tolerated people, the world and his own shortcomings, persevering in his goal. He considered himself very patient, and level-headed. Not fearing death, he was automatically freed of many instincts and emotions that polluted the minds of mortals. Having nobody but himself to care for, he couldn't be pressured. He was not born with a lot of talent, but no mortal could compare to him simply due to his massive experience and knowledge. But even being superior, he could be overwhelmed with sheer numbers. What allowed him to prevail so far were clear judgment and patience.

Then another elf appeared, interfering with arrogance and ignorance that rivaled that of the knight. His boastful gesture was cut short by the assassin, and for a moment Kain thought he would have loved to see the throat of his former kinsman sliced open. But a dwarf interfered, the assassin growled back, someone else started lurking nearby and the walking tin can spouted off some more self-righteous nonsense. The elf considered himself a very patient person, but even he had his limits.

"Enough!" He said, his voice booming and reverberating around the area akin to thunder. "Do you mortals ever cease your senseless bickering?! Here you are, each seeing yourself as this world's future savior, but all of you are completely ignorant of what's really going on here!" He looked around at every other person present. What possible reason could they have to visit this cursed place if not to seek the truth? The alternative was to plunder, but even a blind man could see there was nothing left.

"The creatures responsible for this are completely alien to what we know." He continued in a loud but no longer magically enhanced voice. "Their origin is a mystery, but they defy everything you recognize as natural. Even the laws of magic bend to their will." He made a tiny pause, watching how everyone reacted to his words. "You act so arrogantly when you might not even be capable of understanding just what you are dealing with. You, unthinking zealot, what will you do when a ravine suddenly opens up beneath your feet? And what good will your sniveling do, assassin, when the very air in your lungs turns to flame?" He had intended to point out a glaring fault in Valeria, as well, but so far, she was actually acting rather humbly.

"None of you could hope to slay any of these creatures even if you were to sacrifice yourselves in the process. What if you had to face three at once?" Kain was nearing the end of his speech. He had actually calmed down on the inside soon after he started berating this group, but he was only now lowering his voice to normal. "I loathe to admit it, but even I could only face one of them. Frankly, as it is now, our world is doomed." He decided it was time for a little honesty and despair.

"But it is not exceptional agility, strength or savagery that allowed sentient life to survive and multiply for centuries. Our greatest asset is our ability to adapt. Right now, adapting would be uniting against a common threat that appears set on eradicating all life." Kain said that sentence in a completely calm voice. They needed harsh words and despair to shake them free of their foolishness, and now they needed hope and inspiration in order to do the right thing. "I do not believe us meeting here - all of us - is a mere coincidence. We have all been guided here together, at the same time. Call it divine providence, fate or whatever you want; it matters not. We are all very different, but all of us are rather exceptional." He gave them a few moments to let all that sink in, smiling on the inside. All the talent in the world had nothing on his experience.

"What say you? Will you unite your strength, despite your differences, in hopes of saving all life? Or will you drown in arrogance and die in vain?" Those words, the choice, the final ultimatum was the perfect finishing touch to his previous words. He had gotten their attention, crushed their hopes and lifted their spirits. His words would leave them in a state of confusion, where they wouldn't be able to methodically analyze them all. At that point, were they to be presented with some form of choice, with no hints at a third option, they would be inclined to make it. Kain didn't take any of these people for saints - except maybe Valeria in her childish innocence - but it appeared all of them were driven by good intentions, if misguided. The assassin was the exception, but even he couldn't ignore a threat to his own life.

Almost as soon as he was done talking, the elf's senses alerted him to two new presences in the area. Their appearance was absolutely without warning, much worse than the assassin's. The cloaked man could obscure his position somehow, moving erratically from spot to spot, but his presence was constant. These two simply materialized in that very spot. Ordinary magic was out of the question: even a weak teleportation spell could be felt rather far from the destination, at least by a mage as proficient as himself.

"Make your decisions quickly." He said. "They're here." He saw clearly the red-haired man with twin blades going for the knight first. He didn't look that frightening to a normal person, being neither very tall nor outstandingly muscular. But what Kain felt would throw anyone who still feared death in a stupor. The man's power was enormous, violent, destructive... magnificent. If only he could consume his life, to take this power for himself... then even calling himself a god wouldn't be too arrogant. What if he could consume three of them? Or all of them, if there are more? Three times this much power, coupled with his vast knowledge and experience, and all of Drevair could become his toy to do with as he pleased.

But of course, if he hoped to make this power his own, he could not act carelessly. He needed to watch these beings carefully, learn their abilities, behavior and the best way to dispose of them. And he would certainly need to make use of his potential allies, at least to distract the other creature, if nothing more. His speech earlier may have shaken them up, but it wouldn't earn him their trust. There was only one way to do so, unfortunately, even if it held certain danger. Under different circumstances, he wouldn't permit himself such actions, but in this case, he felt the risk was justified.

As the 'man of crimson' dashed for Valeria, Kain could see him rather clearly. This was no god, only a man imbued with unique power. He was still largely a mystery, but his face betrayed very ordinary, if rather perverse, emotions. And if he was no god, then he could be killed. That was all he needed to know, really. The fake god's main abilities appeared rather straightforward as well; control over fire and martial prowess. He needed no genius strategy to be defeated. The blond stepped forth, conjuring a stream of water to knock back the assailant. Before he could continue, however, the dwarf interfered. It was just as well; the other 'god' appeared more troublesome anyhow.

A magic of different kind caused heat to rise in the area. Kain wouldn't be bothered just as long as it wasn't enough to set him on fire, but he didn't want to reveal his hand just yet. That and he needed to consider the well-being of his 'friends' - it would be pointless to let them die so soon. However, devising a counter-spell for this rather unusual magic would take time he didn't have; someone had to buy some.

"Elf, shoot the other one!" He shouted to the archer, who, during his long introduction, forgot to mention his name. His 'order' would obviously be heard by the red-haired being, and that meant one of four things. He might rush back to protect his comrade; this was unlikely. He might attempt to remove the threat; this was most likely. He might grow angry at the 'leader' and assault Kain himself; this was also likely. Or he could ignore that completely and attack them seemingly at random as before. The blond was prepared to act in the case of the more likely options, while the first was preferable since it would remove the immediate threat for a short time. The last possibility was a bit problematic, but he hoped the people chosen by their respective societies for this mission would be capable enough to not die right away.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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The Knight, somewhat made her angry. It is very rare to see herself angry, but this man...He was an exception. He had taken a step forward and yelled, ā€œAccusations! How dare ye! What am I supposed to think, with you dressed as a harlot gallivanting around in the ruins of a town with some wispy Elf! No decent woman would do such a thing! This is all your fault for being so suspicious!ā€ His words were harsh, and cruel. She could tell he wanted to spit on her and her religion, but Sia teaches us to be forgiving towards the weak. She did not blame him for his religion, because it is what he truly believes. If he thought that she was a harlot, then that is his choice to think of such things. She wanted to scream at him, saying that he doesn't know who she is, she wanted to burn his helm into a crumbling mess over his skull. But she didn't, because she knew that would be wrong, she would of gone against Sia's teachings, but also she wouldn't forgive herself for harming someone that did nothing to her. She stood there, silent and with her gaze at the ground. She could still feel the knights eyes, staring down at her in shame.

ā€œWhat of this Halfer and his tree-hugger friend? Truly an unholy union if ever there was one. Donā€™t tell me they are the pair who did this?ā€ He had continued, his voice somewhat calmer of how he spoke to her. The assassin answered with a chuckle, probably at the rage of the knight? This made Valeria smile, she lifted her head up and regained herself. "Ah... quaint but no, big man. No I think our late arrivals are others such as ourselves." The assassin had said, eyeing Valeria with those golden eyes again, it may seem stupid but she had gotten used to the man's gaze. Until he spoke again, "Or perhaps traveling rapists come to plunder any bountiful young maidens they may happen across. And you certainly are bountiful aren't you?..." This made her red at her cheeks, just the thought...NO! Stop it Valeria! You musn't think of such things! she had thought to herself. The man had seemed to take joy in telling her such things, this made him more annoying than the knight. So she decided to ignore his honeyed words.

"Gentlemen, you are currently in the aim of one of the greatest archers that graced the earthly plains of Dreivar! This bow I clasp in my very hands is enchanted, and therefore no mere wooden lump for a simple huntsman, and it is not the only thing that is enchanted! I recommend you all step back from the gorgeous young lady who's beauty would make the Triumvirate tosser here reconsider his religious views, before you all suddenly highly resemble a hedgehog." There standing just a distance away was an elf, wielding a bow which was taller than the elf himself and he was ready to shoot. She was flustered, being called 'gorgeous' and 'beautiful' was flattering, but was just something about him that didn't seem right. Something that made her want to run away from the sight of him. In a flash the assassin appeared behind the bowman and held a dagger to his throat saying something which Valeria didn't quite hear. And then a dwarf appeared, he seemed quite clad gizmo's and small trinkets wielding some sort of...weapon? He aimed the device of some sorts to the assassin's head, things were getting quite dangerous and fragile.

Then, the knight started to walk away, saying something before he took a step away, ā€œI am not regretful to announce we shall part ways here. Clearly I overestimated the use you all mightā€™ve posed for my holy quest. The red haired man is even now turning the innocent to ash and, though the idea is tempting, I have no time to stain my blade with your blood. I wish you allā€¦ I shall just say I pray for your souls.ā€ Then he started to walk towards the edge of the forest, a lost soul searching for help. Her impression of knights are no longer kept to them being strong, 'defenders of the weak' or chivalrous but sad...

A flaming sword struck at the armour of the knight, he jolted back taken by surprise. Valeria wanted to go and help the knight, but something haunted her from moving. Crimson... she had thought, it was the same man that killed the girl in her vision. But why come back? Then the forest started to light up in flames, and Valeria heard a chilling song in her ears. It was starting to get hot, to hot for her liking. Then the crimson man swiftly made his way into the centre of the group, Valeria quickly regained herself and jumped backwards, barely missing the slashing blade. Red eyes suddenly fixated onto her, she was out into the open, with no one to help her, frozen she stood there as the man came dashing towards her, the look of insanity spread across his face. He was close, then a figure came in front of her, it was the dwarf, but he seemed different, he had abnormal muscles for a dwarf seemed to be full of rage as he began to charge at the man. Valeria was filled with adrenaline and began to run towards the knight, she didn't know why. Maybe she still had feelings for knights, or maybe she just felt safe?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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Fear would have been the appropriate response. Fear and terror, either which would have made sense. To stand before such beings, such forces of nature as this any mortal creature, elf, dwarf, man or otherwise should fall to their knees in terror or flee in panic. Yet as Athos stood taken aback at the sight, releasing the elf in his grip as he did so, he witnessed bravery, strength, strategic thinking born of circumstance, even self sacrifice. The dwarf who risked his own body by injecting himself with a syringe that twisted and contorted his body into some sort of hulking brute form. The woman who rushed to the knights side after he abandoned her and everyone else only moments prior. The noble elf who berated the group with an impassioned speech before barking out sound orders like a battlefield general.

The fear that the assassin should have felt was absent, in it's place was something he had not felt in a very, very long time, hope. These few assembled could do this. They could best these false gods, these men and women who thought themselves divine. Initially that was where Athos drew his courage and self reliance from for this task. The idea of killing a god may seem daunting until you realize there is no such thing as gods. No, this is a truth Athos had known for years and years, fitting he had been hired for this task.

As the primary focus seemed to be on the more dangerous of the two, the fire wielder, Athos turned his attention to the music player. The innocent looking girl peacefully playing her death song on her flute as her ally brought fire and steel to bear. That song, the tune seemed to fill ones minds and fill it with dread. Inaction was easy when panic set in, yet to look upon the Crimson Man he seemed full of vigor and vitality. Perhaps it didn't affect him or worse, did the opposite and made him stronger, in which case...

Athos vanished from sight, stepping into the world of the unseen as only he could. The no where man began to move, silently teleporting across the battlefield somewhat erratically to ensure that by chance if these powerful magic users could somehow keep track of him they would not be able to focus on him for long. The assassin moved like a vengeful spirit, a ghost come for blood. Closer now he came, so near the white haired music player he could almost smell her sweet scent. The tiny woman, petite in stature seemed so innocent, so harmless to be contributing to the utter desolation around her. To see her standing in her pristine white dress in the charred ruins of the burnt city playing her sad song was almost beautiful.

Blade poised ready to strike, death loomed over the musician. The golden eyes of the killer fixed on her as her own eyes were closed and almost serene as she played away on her flute. The unseen hand reached out menacingly, fingers almost twitching with killer intent. The other hand gripped a razor sharp dagger, pulled back ready to burrow into it's victim like the fangs of a serpent. He would let her see him before it was done, he would let her see what death looked like. The hand reached its target and grabbed hold and as his fingers wrapped around the flute he allowed his cloak of invisibilty to melt away revealing for her the horrible truth of her circumstance.

Standing before her, shrouded in black with eyes of gold stood the killer of men, the assassin Athos Lorio. His left hand gripping the flute in the young woman's hands ceasing her playing. His other held his dagger poised to plunge it into her skull.

"Your song of death is beautiful, let me play you mine..."

With that he thrust forward.

The setting changes from Bergstadt to Continent of Drevair

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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As Karvilus had a knife against his throat with near to nil chance of escaping the assassin's grasp, the elf mercenary decided he should probably do as the masked man said, and lowered his bow, though not without holding his arrow backwards, pointing at the man's nether regions. If he was going to be killed, it would at least bring a smile to his face the fact he would leave the earthly plain by impaling the assassin's manhood with an arrow in hand. Before he could think of a way to bluff himself out of the situation, Kalson was aiming a pistol at the assassin's head, his construct guardian not far behind, to which he grinned in relief. which melted somewhat as he and the assassin began arguing, the man who had a knife against his throat pointing out the dwarf's 'flaws', to which the elf sighed before adding; "Just shoot this son of a b**ch tiny! I'll make it out of this alright, trust me, been in worse scrapes before and came out on top, just one of my multitude of examples of brilliance I suppose."

Before he could add anything to his comment however he met with the puzzling sight of the Triumivirate knight storming off, complaining he was sick of the present company, causing the nobleman, who upon closer inspection was a fellow elf, went into a furious rant against them all, berating them of their arrogance and foolish behaviour. He explained to them all that those behind the destruction of Kartolheim and Bergstadt were not of anything that was known, and everyone would need to cooperate to stand against this menace, to which Karv partly agreed, and then noted; "Wait, so you lot aren't hassling the poor lass who is a picture of perfect beauty here?"
His words fell on deaf ears as the sudden appearance of the two gods occurred right before their eyes, one with red hair and twin blades as described by the survivor, who just unleashed a fiery fury around the area, accompanied by a beautiful petite woman who played a flute, which oddly also made the heat much more unbearable.

Much to Karv's relief, the assassin decided to let go of him, causing him to be baffled for a few moments, especially at the sudden chaotic events, especially bewildered by the dwarfs sudden change, before quickly grabbing his bow and drawing it with three arrows at the same time, and rushing to atop a pile of debris which gave him somewhat a better vantage point and took aim at the red haired man. He then suddenly heard the firm order of the blonde elf, to which Karv hesitated for a few moments, frowning at the musical beauty, before giving himself a slap in the face and grumbling to himself; "You're a bloody mercenary for Yggdrasil's sake, now act like it! Pity I have to shoot at someone as lovely looking a sher but hey, she's a psychopath 'god'."
He then swerved and fired his three arrows at Mireene with a flinch, unaware at the appearance of Athos behind his target before deciding to bellow down at his new companions; "Just so you sorry bunch know, I am a former healer! I know how to treat a wound or two, anything serious needs fixing give a holler!"
Karv decided he best of let them know about it as soon as possible, a battle against gods was no place for lack of information.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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This was impossible. Johannes stood as the heat suddenly surrounded him, wide eyed and confused. He had not yet dared look around be he could hear the chaos caused by the flames. He did not dare look. It was as if he had spoken of the foul dark one and it had appeared, as it so often did in the holy scriptures. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword and squeezed, but he could not bring himself to draw it. He was frozen, all he could do was slowly turn around and face the great evil from the inferno.

But what he saw was no such thing. What he saw was chaos, fire and anger, desperation and most of all, battle. Johannes knew battle and it knew him. The confusion faded from his mind and years of hard training and experience in war settled in its place. He could see clearly now. The elf, arrogantly shouting orders, but they were clearly accurate and well thought trough. Music suddenly reached his ears then, a beautiful song. For a moment, Johannes feared it, but that was soon replaced with a calm he had never felt. Someone was playing the song of war and death and Johannes knew it note for note.

The dwarf charged forward, suddenly much larger than Johannes remembered. Did his clan possess the secrets of the berserker rage? Johannes wondered, but found the dwarf did not draw his eyes. It was the woman and she was rushing towards him. Did she panic and simply run in a random direction? It did not seem like it to Johannes. He couldn't figure it out. All he knew was that he had a chance to redeem his earlier shameful and rash actions.

When she reached him he spoke to her, calmly, yet firmly. ā€œStand behind me and no harm shall befall you.ā€ He had no time to check whether she followed his directions, the crimson demon was not the kind of opponent that warranted taking your eyes off him. Johannes nodded quietly to himself, before drawing his sword and holding it straight up in front of him, the tip reaching for the heavens and the blade vertically in front of his face. Johannes lowered his head slightly and he could feel the favour of the Triumvirate.

ā€œWith sword in hand, I shall cleanse the world of impurity.ā€ Johannes said, his voice calm and of normal strength, even as a faint glow settled on his sword.
ā€œI am the white sword that cuts away at the darkness.ā€ He continued, his voice growing in strength, even as his sword began to glow a pure white.
ā€œI am the black shield, which guards the innocent.ā€ His voice slowly began to take on booming qualities, slowly spreading across the battlefield, even as his shield began to glow, the divine aura spreading beyond the size of the triangular heater shield.
ā€œI am the black cross under which the faithful rest! I am Johannes de Witte and in Their names, I shall smite thee!ā€ His final prayer, his final battlecry carried it with it all the strength that hid within Johannes. Even as his armour began to glow like his sword and shield, all now filled with divine magic. Johannes stood there for a moment, before glancing back at the woman.

ā€œMy name is Johannes and you will be safe behind me.ā€ He said, adding an unseen smile from behind his helmet. He didn't know if this woman could protect herself. But if she couldn't, the best way to protect the weak was to slay the wicked. With that in mind Johannes charged, his massive body faster than one might expect, like a charging bull he raced for the crimson demon as both the elf and the dwarf engaged him.

When he came within range he lifted his glowing white sword, its divine magic whistling as he swung it through the air and brought it down upon the crimson demon, for once taking care not to cut down the dwarf along with him.

The setting changes from Continent of Drevair to Bergstadt

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain
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Valeria had reached the knight, and thankfully he was unharmed by the man in crimsons blow. Valeria sighed in relief, she was relieved to see the knight safe. But she does not know why, caused by some unknown feeling in the bottom of her heart? The knight looked at her and said firmly, ā€œStand behind me and no harm shall befall you.ā€ She did as he asked quickly and stood behind him, she was suddenly calm hearing his voice. She stood just a few steps behind the knight, trying to pull her ears away from that terrible music, but still she kept her gaze on the knight. He pulled out his gleaming sword, and started to chant something religious. After the first verse his sword started to glow, then the shield and then his armour. He was like a divine light shining through an eternal darkness, he seemed like he was given power by some divine force.

He turned briefly only to say, ā€œMy name is Johannes and you will be safe behind me.ā€ She could feel a tone of bravery on his voice, and then he began to charge off towards the crimson demon. Johannes... That is the name of the knight, it turns out that he is like the knights in the story books. Strong, Brave and Defenders of the weak...

She watched helplessly as Johannes was battle locked with the crimson man, she felt like she could do anything, if she would conjure up her magic it may hit one of her comrades. Comrades... thinking of it in that way feels strange, but it would of happened in the end, these people have come here to achieve a shared goal, to find out what is going on, to stop the flowing of the blood of innocents. She wanted to keep herself safe, but she wanted to keep run. Her comrades are going up against the thing that did this... She couldn't bring herself to look at his face, this will truly be something that will haunt her for the rest of her life, the face that inflicted so much horror and death into the minds of the people who called this city home...

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder Character Portrait: Kain Character Portrait: Shra
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There was no thought, only rage.
There was no aim, only rage.
There was no goal, no objective, no end to be reached, only rage.

Some part of Kalson suspected that this unholy anger was more than just his own natural rage, or even fully the work of the alchemical serum he so foolishly and impulsively took into himself. For a split second, even as he was swinging madly at the red haired man with his vicious power tool, scoring glancing blows against the fiend while suffering occasional burns, he noticed that even while he'd shed most of his bags and removed his shirt and overcoat, the bag into which he'd absentmindedly stuffed his dead uncle's hand and pistol was still very securely tied around his waist. That wasn't where he'd put the bag, but he didn't ponder this any longer. The mere reminder of his uncle spurned him to strike at the red haired man with greater fury. By this point, he wasn't very conscious of where his blade was swinging so long as it went somewhere in the direction of the red haired man. He didn't even notice the gaping slash across Dyntan's chest plating, jagged edges the telltale signs of a Gerrigadrian Hull Opener. But...

There was no concern, only rage.

The setting changes from Bergstadt to Continent of Drevair

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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#, as written by Siryn
Shra


"Elf, shoot the other one!"

Shra glanced over at the one who issued the order. A loud sound interfered with his thoughts and as he was about to swing and cut through the woman, a short man with a wicked looking weapon attacked him. Shra glowered at the dwarf who was swinging the grinding weapon at him. Using both blades, he managed to get the weapon away from doing any serious damage. Even so, the blade cut against his side as he shifted it. This infuriated him. The flames around the blades burst, extending outwards as he shoved at the dwarf to knock him over.

The dwarf had been insane, attacking him in such a fashion. The small cut along his side burned slightly and gave him cause to be more than just a little angry. The insolent little thing had cut him. Then to add to it, the knight had returned to the battled and swung his brightened sword, slashing heavily. Shra twisted, slamming his weapon into the sword to knock it off to the side. He moved quickly, nearly a blur for his rage fueled him. He made to slam the other sword through the damned humans armor and cut him down in one single blow.

As he came close, shoving the sword at the knight there was a startling shout from behind him. Shra immediately disengaged from that fight and put enough space between himself and the others to assist his sister. Whirling around, he slashed the blades through the air, working his fire to cut off whoever it was that was attacking his sister. His fire would not hurt her, but anyone near her would certainly be burned. A wall of flame came up between Mireene and her attackers, protecting her and cutting them off from hurting her further.

"Mireene," he called knowing that she would know what he wanted then. The music that had been playing that turned the area into an inferno had stopped. However, once he'd freed her from those that attacked her, the music from her flute played once again. The tune was much different and his power grew immensely. He stood for a moment, drinking in her fueling magic and then faced the two who had attacked her. They were going to pay for that. Shra shifted his body just enough and then burst forward at them, dust and dirt kicking up as he moved via his own magic.

As he got closer, he swung at both of them, aiming for the hooded and cloaked mans' head and aiming for the woman's abdomen as he went. The fires leaped forward, licking outwards at them in a hungry attempt to burn them to nothing but ash.

Mireene


A barrage of arrows assaulted her, but Mireene's eyes watched them come at her and she nimbly dodged each of them, continuing to play her flute as she did so.

"Your song of death is beautiful, let me play you mine..."

Her heart jumped as a hand clenched her flute and brought it down from her lips. The heat in the area faded away, aside from the already burning flames. Her rustic gaze widened slightly as the man appeared in front of her out of no where. It reminded her a lot of Kharun, except he always faded in and out of black darkness. His knife came at her, shoved right at her face. She twisted away, dodging as best she could from the sudden attack.

Even so, the weapon cut across her high cheek bone and she gave a shout, one of anger and surprise. Then from the side someone else jumped into the fight with her. They leapt down at her, swinging their blade. Mireene's hand tightened around her flute and she swiftly dodged out of the way, the weapon cutting her dress only as she moved. Shra must have heard her shout for a moment after she was wreathed in fire. Part of her hoped that the one who'd cut her face would be burned to nothing as she wrenched her flute free and replaced it to her lips.

Hearing her brothers call, she began to play again, fueling his strength. After several moments of playing to increase his magic and abilities, she added to the song and used the heat of the fires around her to begin heating the area once again. The mixture of notes played softly from her flute, echoing out towards the very edges of the destroyed town.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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Barley with enough time to avoid the searing heat that surrounded the Crimson Man Athos fought to stay alive. As the blades of roaring flame came for him they scorched only air. The blades came for his head but in the last moment Athos vanished, reappearing a few paces away. Falling to his knee the super heated air had filled his lungs just before he vanished and he was still choking on the almost volcanic air in his lungs. Sweat beaded down his face as his eyes seemed to lose focus. His mind was struggling with the event as his body fought for cool air to return to him. Athos was replaying the last few seconds, which could have easily been his last few seconds, over again in his head as he quietly muttered to himself.

"Impossible... it's impossible, no one could have avoided that, no one..."

He was in shock. Complete and utter, terrifying shock at the what had just transpired. He had her, he had the woman dead to rights yet somehow she evaded his killing blow. How many times had he slain others in a similar fashion? How many lives had he taken with that same tactic? At that range no one should have been able to dodge that strike yet she had done so. Athos stared out into the dirt as time seemed to stand still for his mind to comprehend the impossible thing that had just transpired. He remembered lunging forward, blade poised to burrow itself in the pretty young womans face. He remembered the surprise in her eyes as she flicked them open. He remembered the rush of wind as his blade missed it's mark. The quiet, the crushing silence before she brought the flute to her lips once more. Then came the heat and the fury, fueled by concern and her other worldly music.

Athos slowly rose his gaze to the fire wielder with wide eyes of disbelief, the blades had swung wide sending torrents of flame arcing out from the epicenter to engulf anything nearby in flame. Such raw, unadulterated power the likes of which he had never witnessed. What could he do against such unbridled strength. What chance could he stand when he couldn't even land a single blow?!

His fist clenched around the dagger still in his hand and it was then he noticed the blood. Still dripping from the tip of his blade the crimson substance ran along the edge of the blade to the point before forming tiny droplets on the tip. A wicked, dark smile etched its way onto the assassin's face as his golden eyes refocused and looked up. The blood of a god stained his blade, a miraculous thing if these things were in fact gods at all. He could cut them, they could bleed after all, they were fallible and he just proved that to himself. They could die and they would, with luck they would go painfully.

Athos slowly rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on the Crimson Man. Ready to finish what he started with the girl he would first need to get some space from the warrior. He'd need to wound him or at least busy him fighting away from the girl so he could hack her damned arms off so she couldn't raise that flute again. Menacingly Athos' hand reached to his back and drew his sword, a rare thing for him to do for there were few that would live long enough that he'd actually have to engage but this was a special circumstance.

The assassin launched his hellish assault. Vanishing from sight only to reappear at the Crimson Man's side Athos slashed viscously before dissappearing in the next instant and reappearing on a different side of him to slash again and a again. Fighting beside this mysterious armored woman the assassin moved with such speed and erratic teleportations his movements could barley be tracked with the naked eye.

It appeared the blood of two gods would stain the assassin's blade this day.

The setting changes from Continent of Drevair to Bergstadt

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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Rage was a funny thing. Anyone who fancied themselves a skilled warrior found it easy to belittle it, to damn it as the actions of the foolish or careless. To see it as only a savage, wild, haze that blinded the warrior in combat yet this was only to see its faults. Rage, as all things, had its strengths. Rage made you fearless, it made you strong and unflinching. Rage turned a ordinary man into a beast that consumed all in its path. To stand before rage was terrifying and chaotic, fear crept into the hearts of those standing against rage.

Such strength rage provided that as his fiery transformation took hold the swirling blades of hell fire, slashing wildly in all directions ended Athos' lightning fast attacks. In the brief moment when he appeared beside the fire bearer one of the blades struck the assassin. The fire seemed to erupt on impact sending Athos flying backwards, to tumble through the ash of Bergstadt, his armor hissing from the heat. Fortunately for the assassin while the blow was savage it did not strike anything vital. The red hot blade of the Crimson Man, wreathed in flame, sliced cleanly through the assassin's black armor leaving a nasty gash along his chest. While a shallow wound the skin and flesh sizzled with heat. Athos gritted his teeth in pain as his body exploded with the pain that accompanied the wound.

That strength born of rage, while powerful, did blind one. It blinded the Crimson Man to two things. It blinded him to the separation he was putting between himself and his kin. Even as a third "god" appeared calling for an end to the duel the rage in the Crimson Man's heart muted the words and they went unheeded. The second thing it blinded him to was something much more subtle. It blinded him to the body language of the assassin as he rose from the dirt where he fell.

The Crimson Man coated his body in flame, like armor born of fire it covered his body from head to toe. The man on fire stepped forward, igniting the very earth with each step. Wicked glee poured fourth from the maw of the fire deity.

"Come here, little human, lets see you fight me now."

The words were dripping with malicious intent, as if some great predator was speaking to its wounded prey. Yet the predator seemed to not notice that the prey was not running any longer. His evasion had ceased, his erratic blinking had come to an end after the viscous blow. He stood staring down the fire god with eerie calm as his own blood dripped down his dark visage. Beneath that black mask of his Athos Lorio smiled. The grin rivaled the fire gods malice in full.

"As you wish."

Was all he said before he too coated his body in a protective aura of his own. Where the Crimson Man allowed his body to be consumed by flame the assassin's body was consumed by nothingness. His body vanished from the world of the visible and walked now among the unseen. Unlike before he did not reappear elsewhere but remained hidden. The Crimson Man for all his power and rage could burn cities to the ground, scorch the earth with a touch, hack young women in two but could not fight what he could not see.

The blade cut through the air, tip aimed for the base of the fire gods spine. The volcanic heat would no doubt melt the blade once it hits its mark but it mattered not. Once lodge firmly in the back of the Crimson Man's neck it would have served its purpose. Athos put all his strength and silent speed into the unseen thrust as he stood behind the man on fire, ready to kill a god.

The setting changes from Bergstadt to Continent of Drevair

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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Karvilus looked in bafflement as Mireene managed to dodge every single arrow he fired at her, and in greater befuddlement as he saw that not only the assassin, but also a grey skinned woman attacked the flute playing goddess, to which this all caused the elf to simply cry out; "What the flying f**k?", though his expression softened when Mireene gave him a compliment, though admittedly a rather confusing one.

Karv buckled back at the sudden increase of heat and flame, finding the rubble he stood upon had set alight once more due to stray fire. He dived off his vantage point landing on his feet with a thud and forcing himself into a forward role minimize impact, cursing as his arrows fell from his quiver, to which he clambered to reclaim. Once his arrows returned to his quiver, he watched then ongoing battle between his 'companions' and the gods, mesmerized at their staggering skill and ability in battle and quietly whispering to himself; "Looks like this job is going to be the death of me."
He pried his bow for another shot, aiming at Shra, but cursed under his breath when the monstrous swordsman was barely visible blur on the battlefield, and turned his attention at Mireene again firing an arrow only for it to be knocked asunder by a tossed boulder, which Karv reacted with a quick; "Now that is just bulls**t!"
His anger was quickly replaced yet again with surprise as a newcomer casually sliced the boulder in half with his sword! The elf stood stunned for a few moments before speaking out-loud, more to himself than anyone; "Ahhhh what the hell, let's see if the worlds best archer can kill a man with a over-sized butter knife.", and began rapidly firing arrow after arrow towards Layien's direction, applying his abnormal speed into practice has his hands became a flurry. "That stroppy red git of a swordsman and the enticingly beautiful musician there aren't the only one with speed better than the average warrior!" Karv called out with a mischievous grin, giving a wink towards Valeria and Annikar.

The setting changes from Continent of Drevair to Bergstadt

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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#, as written by Siryn
Layien


He shifted slightly, catching sight of the oncoming projectiles that were aimed at him. He waited for the arrows to get just close enough and then moved his weapon. The blade lifted, fell and moved from side to side. Only the flat of the weapon was used, redirecting the arrows as they came at him in a rush. Layien had to give the one who shot at him some respect. There were very few who were gifted with such speed.

The sound of steel arrow heads hitting his blade was almost a constant as he stood there, protecting Mireene who had raised her flute once more to fuel both men then.

"That stroppy red git of a swordsman and the enticingly beautiful musician there aren't the only one with speed better than the average warrior!"

To this, Layien raised an eyebrow as he continued to defend, never moving far and only moving his sword to deflect the attack, "Seems he likes you, Mireene. Pity we have to kill them."

"I don't like him," she responded shortly, taking the flute from her lips for that mere moment and then playing on again. Layien's lips pulled into a smirk at her response. His magic swirled around him, growing tired of the constant barrage of arrows. The air shifted and he flicked the fingers of his free hand opened over the edge of his blade. A burst of wind expelled from him, going through the arrows and straight for the archer who was attacking him.

Shra


He'd lost track of the man, a most annoying thing. However, he didn't really care because no matter what, his body was a burning inferno and the fool would be stupid to think of getting close to him without getting burned. As he stood there, the shadows from the fires all around began to grow quickly and in a near instant everything around Shra was pitch black. He felt rather than saw Kharun right behind him. The man's back just barely brushed his own. Right after Kharun appeared, cold steel cut along the back of his neck.

Startled, Shra shifted, moving off to the side even as the blade was moved. The wound was deep, but not life threatening. Even so, just the thought that the man had nearly killed him was enough to enrage him.

Kharun squeezed tightly around the wrist of the assassin who'd almost made his mark. His lips were pulled into a smile as he gripped the other tightly, having shifted the direction of the attack just in time. His darkness lingered there around them for a long while.

"Cannot attack what you cannot see," Kharun said slowly, "Seems you and I share the same thoughts."

Kharun pulled the assassin closer, just long enough to ask him, "But do your abilities rival mine? We shall see, Athos."

Releasing him, Kharun stepped back and the darkness disappeared along with him and the other three Gods. Once again it was like they'd never been there.

The setting changes from Bergstadt to Continent of Drevair

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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#, as written by Sench
Had Kain been a mortal, he would have followed the other elf's example and cursed out loud. But for the archer, the situation was highly stressful. He was placed in highly uncomfortable conditions and threatened by the gods' magic. Every failure to deal a blow to his enemies was a chance of survival he let slip through his fingers. The blond's existence was also threatened, but not quite so immediately, nor did the other spells his opponents used bring him harm. He had no reason to lose his calm just yet.

He wasn't happy that he was denied the chance at incapacitating and potentially killing one of these gods, and the fact he couldn't even measure the limits of the wall of flame was rather irritating. It felt a bit like nothing was going his way. But on the other hand, he was given the opportunity to learn something new. Two other gods appeared, and were actually foolish enough to make a display of their abilities. While their numbers were a cause for concern, the information he obtained was invaluable.

A part of Kain felt pretty useless, as he had done absolutely nothing of significance in the battle, but perhaps that was for the best. He never meant to sacrifice himself for this cause. The only reason he decided to protect the people of Drevair was because they were the prey he needed to continue his existence. His goal was to ensure his own survival, not save others. The less note the gods took of him, the better. It would only play into his hands if they thought him weak. He would use his 'friends' to weaken them and then deal the decisive blow himself.

For the moment, he considered analyzing the battle his top priority. And the first thing he noticed was that none of the 'heroes' were dead or even seriously hurt. Were they a match for the 'gods', after all? He discarded the idea in an instant: they had trouble dealing with two, and by the end, there were four. No, the fact of the matter was that they simply didn't consider the group a threat. At the very least, their leader - and it was obvious from the few words he heard that they actually did have a hierarchy of sorts - did not.

Kain smirked to himself; these beings who possessed godlike powers were not gods in the slightest. Their words and actions were as simple as those of young - and not particularly intelligent, to put it bluntly - mortals. Similarly, they felt pain; the 'flute girl' cried out when she was cut. Even better, while it wasn't easy to get past their defenses, they could be killed just as easily as any mortal. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the 'flame shield', or for the dark god to stop the assassin's attack.

"Is everyone alright?" He called out some seconds after the gods had disappeared, when it appeared like they weren't going to come right back. Taking a glance at his 'friends', he decided the group would need some time to recover before they could properly discuss the short battle. It was understandable after going head to head with such a powerful foe. He was also a little shaken, even though he knew what to expect after seeing the state of Kartolheim. These mortals were already commendable for not pissing themselves, never mind everything else.

***

It took hours before the group was finally ready to make progress. The dwarf collapsed after the battle, writhing in pain, and had to be carried. Some others were wounded, and the ruins of Bergstadt were no place to provide treatment of any kind. They needed to go someplace else, and the closest moderately fitting location was the tavern he stopped at earlier. Not many places would be willing to accomodate so many strange guests, but his attire wasn't the only thing that likened the elf to a noble. The innkeeper went wide-eyed at the sight of Triumvirate gold coins and was all smiles throughout the following evening. After everyone was more or less taken care of, the blond decided it was time to talk.

"Before we go on to other matters, how about we all introduce ourselves properly?" Kain started speaking after everyone who was willing to listen gathered. "My name is Kain. I am an able user of many kinds of weapons and magic. Unfortunately, while I'm good at many things, I don't think I possess any exceptional skills." He said; he wasn't about to reveal the whole truth about himself.

"I apologize for misleading you earlier. Despite my appearance, I am not an elf, and I merely acted in a way I deemed appropriate for the situation. Who I am is... not important." He shrugged. "However, you have my word that I wish to save every life these self-proclaimed gods intend on taking." He let everyone who would say their piece. It would be good for the group to know each other's names and abilities; their ability to work together needed improvement. Once the introductions were over, he would go on to the really important part.

"Now, I'd like everyone to share their observations of our encounter. Again, I'll go first." He cleared his throat a bit before continuing. "First of all, keep in mind these are mostly my assumptions. While I wouldn't bring them up unless I was fairly certain, I cannot guarantee they are true." He glanced around the group. "What we do know for a fact are three things: the 'gods' possess intelligence and emotions similar to our own, they feel pain and, most importantly, they can be killed." He raised his hand and bent his fingers one by one as he spoke, lowering his hand again a second later.

"First, all of the gods seem to have the ability to teleport, covering large distances in an instant and, somehow, without alerting all nearby mages to their arrival. Finding a way to neutralize this ability is the number one priority; if we can't, we will never be able to rest easy or keep them from escaping. Second, while the gods are powerful, all of them seem to possess a limited number of abilities that they are completely reliant on. You may have noticed that the one with the flute never stopped attempting to play it, even when threatened at point blank range. Pretty much the same goes for the man with two swords. That's it for general observations." He made a pause, but soon continued. There was no telling how much time they actually had to prepare.

"As for some specific things, I'll start with the red-haired male. He is obviously proficient with his weapons and able to manipulate fire. My impression of him is: arrogant, quick to anger, vengeful, possibly sadistic. This could be used against him. He is very straightforward and shouldn't be difficult to deal with, as long as we can put out his fire. Which brings me to the white-haired woman. Judging by the fact she couldn't fight back in melee and was later protected, she is probably incapable of direct combat. This means she plays a supportive role. At first she caused fires to pop up in the area, her partner was a wielder of flame, and her later magic didn't have any obvious effects. Considering this, it's possible she is able to borrow the power of other gods, using it differently, and it would only be logical to assume she can also add her own power to theirs."

"Concerning the other two, information is more scarce. The one wielding a sword appears to have power over the air, and is likely an able swordsman, if the red god is any indication. The blindfolded one remains a mystery. He does not appear to have a weapon, and the best description for his magic I could come up with is that of 'darkness'. Additionally, either one of the four - most likely not the fire or flute ones - or a fifth god is a user of earth magic." He made another pause. "If you're going to face any of them, keep in mind two things. One, even if my assumption about their limited abilities is correct, we can't know for sure if they showed us everything they're capable of. Two, their magic will not necessarily work the way you'd expect, as normal rules do not seem to apply to them. That's all I have at the moment."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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Bergstadt, Hours earlier

Karvilus, cocky grin diminished with each arrow that was deflected by Layien, a sight which dumbstruck the elf, never having seen such skill of the sword before, which admittedly gave him unease. As he continued his barrage of arrows at the 'god' his unease feeling was suddenly replaced with a a sudden strike of being insulted as Mireene casually knocked aside his sweet nothings about her to which he replied mockingly; "Alas, it was not to be nonetheless, fair maiden of musical prowess! For in case you hadn't realised, you and your friends are deeply in the s**t for the massacre of these villages!", but his grin disappeared altogether as saw the very arrows flying true towards Laiyen being sliced in thin air while the sword had not even glanced them. This made Karv pause for a few moments, lowering his bow as he squinted at Laiyen in confusion, before his eyes widened, his mouth forming into an 'O' as he was struck off his feet from the sudden attack of a scything wind, cutting his leather armour as if it was merely parchment, caught off-guard at the air based attack.

"I hate bloody wind magic.", the elf grumbled as he hastily clambered back upon his feet, before immediately sprinting for a better vantage point, atop yet another smouldering pile of rubble. He took the moment to peer round the current ensuing battle, deciding promptly that things weren't exactly favourable to him or the fellow combatants against the gods, but he'd be damned before he let a pair of scantily clad woman met her fate with death and not in his own arms gushing words of affection at him. Besides, i'd seem a bit of heartless move to abandon the decent seeming dwarf he met earlier, though the rest he admittedly had little qualms over their death. He planned on firing arrows in Valeria's defence before he saw that the 'gods' had vanished from sight, causing the mercenary to scratch his scalp in greater befuddlement. He had been through a rather puzzling day. He then noticed out of the corner of his eye there was someone gravely injured, to which he diverted his attention. It was Athos collapsed on the floor with severe wounds. Karv grinned to himself at the sight, chuckling out loud; "Ha, serves the sneaky son of a whore right! Save me the trouble of dealing with the poor wretch myself after this whole gods business!"
His smirk weakened as he kept staring, remembering that the assassin was actually pretty effective when he was combating Shra, to which he sighed to himself in frustration before complaining under his breath; "Why the f**k am I the only healer here?", as he leapt from his vantage point and sprinted towards Athos.

The Present
Now inside the inn along with the others that combated against the powerful beings behind the attack on Bergstadt, Karvilus Leafgrinder, downed his ale as he leaned back in his chair, his expression weary from the recent events, and listened to Kain's Introduction. Oddly, the name seemed familiar to Karv, perhaps he heard of an elven nobleman of the name before? The mercenary shrugged it off as mere case of deja vu, and placed his mug ungracefully atop the table.
"Though I doubt a marksman of my outstanding talent needs an introduction, I will humour our overly dressed friend here. I am Karvilus Leafgrinder, archer for hire who's aim has never faltered, and arrows have always struck true. Well until the run in with those monsters calling themselves gods that is.", the elf introduced himself, his eyes glowering for a few moments as he remembered the 'gods' before continuing.
"I am also a gift to women everywhere, though only awarded to the rare and beautiful few, hopefully with present company included.", to which as he directed his gaze to Valeria with a confident wink, adding a smile before turning his attention to Athos.
"Oh, and I also am able to use healing magic and herbology. Old profession of mine that I found rather dreary and dull. Though you, assassin, definitely owe your life to my emergency treatment. Despite my medical wonders, you will need proper treatment later, emergency treatment isn't exactly proper treatment to wounds after all. You're welcome, you little grim turd."

Karvilus then pestered the innkeeper for more ale, and wondered over to where Valeria was as he obtained it, listening to what Kain had to say about the gods. His interest was obviously lacking however, as he pondered on how to start at gaining the priestess' affection.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta Character Portrait: Karvilus 'Karv' Leafgrinder
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he red haired demon had gotten away from himā€¦ this day. Not that Johannes felt particularly pained because of it. The sudden appearance of two of his demonic kin on the battlefield had shocked Johannes slightly. To think the high priests of the Triumvirate were not only wrong about there being but one of them, they were wrong to the extent that they didnā€™t even notice the existence of three others, if not more. With a sigh Johannes released the power that enchanted his armour, the light slowly fading into nothingness and his weaponry slowly returning to their normal state. He then pulled of his helmet and ran a hand through his short hair. When Kain called for a meeting somewhere else, Johannes followed solemnly, saying little and only tending to his horse.

Johannes disliked inns, peddlers of debauchery and filth, hiding holes of the downtrodden and the unfaithful. There was no bliss to be found in drink, no matter how much of it you drank down. With a grunt Johannes sat down on a stool, which creaked under his weight. He conspicuously picked a spot further away from the elves and the dwarf, clearly not interested in fraternizing with them overmuch. His cold demeanour continued all the way even when Kain called for introductions and Johannes followed suit.

ā€œMy name is Johannes de Witte, knight of the Black Cross order of the Triumvirate Faith.ā€ Curt and short, Johannes felt no need to add anything about what he could do. If they hadnā€™t realized that during the battle then there was no point trying to explain it to them.

ā€œAs for the figures we foughtā€¦ Iā€™d have to agree with Kainā€™s assessments. They clearly possess some form of magic not known to us and we shouldnā€™t make too many assumptionsā€¦ however. The red haired one clearly relies on his speed and his fire. As Kain said, taking away his fire would weaken him considerably, but if we can take away his speed we can accomplish much the same. Iā€™ve fought men like him before, men with great skill, speed and arrogance.ā€

ā€œThey rely of a constant barrage of attacks, using their superior speed to constantly pressure the opponent. If we can stop his constant stream of attacks, his own arrogance should quickly turn on him and before long his rage will make sure he errs, which is when we should strike.ā€

ā€œAs for the flute playerā€¦ sheā€™s quick and agile clearly, but I doubt she can fight. Next time we see her we should just pressure her with constant attacks and watch how she falls.ā€

Johannes nodded once to himself, somewhat pleased with his assessments, even if they did match Kainā€™s quite well. He left out any comments on the other two, Johannes had only seen the one from a distance and barely noticed the other one. He wouldnā€™t waste anyoneā€™s time with guesses. For a moment he wondered when he had made the decision to team up with these strangers, but now that he said it out loud, it felt like the right thing to do. Perhaps it WAS the will of the triumvirate that brought them all together.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Annikar Greyhelm Character Portrait: Johannes de Witte Character Portrait: Kalson Threisker Dorn Character Portrait: Athos Lorio Character Portrait: Valeria Marietta
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Athos had to grit his teeth in frustration as the elf spoke. His overly opinionated words were enough to draw blood from stone but the bit about saving Athos' life was almost torture. The assassin had a mind to bury his dagger in the one eyed archer's throat and finish what he'd started in Bergstadt. Yet he breathed out a sigh of pure hatred and managed to exert self control and spare the elf's life. So sullenly he remained silent, the brooding assassin eying those around him with a cold gaze. He listened to the pomp and fare of those around him. The immortal man, the elven archer, the paladin. All liars and hypocrites, fools and cowards. It was almost enough to nauseate him then and there. They spoke and went over their speculations about their foes. For that's all it was, speculation. There were no facts to be found here. No truths, only what these here gathered believed to be true.

Athos shook his head slowly before getting to his feet, though not without a small tremor of pain from his freshly bandaged wounds. The eyes of those gathered turned to him ready for his own introduction.

"My name is Athos..."

He said darkly as his eyes flicked to each member of the group before he turned around.

"And I have work to do."

His final words as he walked out of the inn. Still clutching his ribs the assassin gingerly and with labored steps made his way out of the inn. He would not travel with the group. He had no place there. Among knights and nobles, wizards and geniuses. No his was the solitary road, his was a road of pain and loneliness as always. A part of him, deep down wanted to stay yet it was quickly locked away deep within his psyche. He would travel alone, it was better that way. Better for him and better for them. Let them sit and talk. Let them muse over their own strengths and feed into their own egos as he set to the task. These so called gods will die all the while a voice echoed within the assassin's mind. The voice born of shadow and untold strength.

"...do your abilities rival mine? We shall see, Athos."