(1875-09-13) The Houses Of The Undying
The Houses Of The Undying
Summary: Brennart, Elian, Gauvain, and Lillian explore a ruin in Aequor. All things great and terrible lie within.
Date: 2019-09-13
Related: None
NPCs: The Powerful Man
Players:
Brennart  Elian  Gauvain  Lillian  

PowerfulMan  

A Not So Much Ruin, Aequor
A ruin they said, broken down, they said. Not so much.
1875-09-13

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Gauvain looks at the building and frowns. The Vigil ahd told him to gather here and and go with a group of adventurers. As if a Duke of Galanthia would have reason to crawl through ancient ruins like some common peasant searching for riches. Still. He was a Kngiht Captain of the Vigil, secretly, like all members, but still a member. Which means he had a job to do. The rumors of Undead had alerted the Vigil's eyes and ears, and had sent for two of their only active Knights, Gauvain and Brennart, to head and investigate.

Under the disguise of simply being adventurous.

He tried not scoff. Adventure's Guild. He wasn't some young pup seeking renown or glory. He'd literally won wars. Sighing he looks to Brennart as he checks the straps on his shield. "You ready for whatever we face in there boy?" He snorts. "Cuzz I'm probably not, and you youngins need to make up for my Old age, which I'm sure the Hero of Rogers can handle eh?"

That might be the closest anybody will ever get to a compliment from the old Duke.

-

Elian gives the Duke, Duke's heir and Signora-Countess sideways glances as he finishes kitting himself up. Unusually he adds an open faced helm to his gear. "Just a suggestion." He says after a long moment. "Wear a helm. I cant count the number of headaches these places have caused."

-

Lillian waited not far from the entrance to the ruins, waiting for the rest of the merry band of adventurers to arrive. Most she recognized, a few she didn't. of those who did, she was rather certain most did not like her. But none of that showed on her face, as she stood waiting, dressed in the more subdued combination of her House's colours and the black and crimson of the Rikton City Reliants. A rare sight, in these latter days, but there you are. She bore her shield, her sword, and a dagger in what looked to be a new sheath. And her usual cache of healing supplies, of course.

Lillian offered only the barest words of greeting as the companions of the moment gathered. "I gave a remedy for that." She offered, at Elian's caution about the necessity of wearing one's helm. It even came with the edge of a smile.

-

Brenn had arrived with Gauvain and was looking around dressed in his armor head to toe but without his usual adornments with his surcoat. Even his shield is plain as he nods to Gauvain's question. "I'm here to do what needs to be done. I pray to the One that we're enough."

-

Nodding to those there the Duke shrugs his shoulder, his heavy plate clanking slightly with the motion. "Headaches. Stabbings. Just be on your guard and remember to swing hard at anything that comes for you. I'm sure they'll die a second time."

He then moves toward the structure frowning slightly. A ruin in Aequor that nobody had known about until now. It didn't make sense to him. Aequor and Galenthia were pretty well explored. Ruins were mostly Vir Sidus in nature from the old Empire. He pauses and frowns. "This architecture…. It doesn't look ancient, it just looks like a very run down small keep. I'd say Thirty Year War era."

And he should know. He sieged, conquered, destroyed and built plenty.

-

"I try not to worry about that to much." Elian didn't get the memo about needing to strip identifying marks from his gear and is thus garbed in blue and white, as typical, with his personal coat of arms adorning his belt. "They will send the scholars once we've cleaned it out." He stares over at the building with pursed lips now that its been pointed out however. "You're right. This doesn't look like the other ruins."

-

A breeze drifts over the smallish keep, and something like laughter drifting on it. Just out of hearing, yet recognizable.

-

"A second time?" There was a lilt of a question in the words, but Lillian shook her head as she moved to follow the adventurers in. She had not been at Rogers, but the stories Cervantes had brought back were enough. "Odd that they would call them ruins when they are clearly barely past their prime." But then, was this not all odd, including the laughter on the breeze that creased the skin between her brows.

-

"That's not ominous at all." Gauvian says and then gives Brennart a light shove toward the entrance. "You first. You're young, you might bounce off whatever hits you."

-

Brenn frowns a bit and nods as he looks around, "You're likely right." And then he's pushed towards the entrance and chuckles a bit as he shifts his shield some to check that it's properly secured to his arm before he draws his sword the black metal instantly identifiable for what it is before he pushes through the door and into the first room.

-

Elian is quiet as he moves to follow Brennart inside the not-at-all-spooky not-quite-ruins.

-

Inside Brennart sees row upon row of books. Many of which have fallen from their stacks to litter the tiled, if heavily dusty ground. A set of foot prints leads into this library, and a rustling can be heard. Before Brennart can identify the sound, Three figures burst through the book shelf on Brennart's left, simply shattering it and sending dusty old tombs flying and scattering to the sides. The figures appear to be bone and in medium armor, armed with shield and hand weapons. The eyes glow an eerie soft red, and the jaws clack as if screeching a battle cry. Two more rush at Elian, weapons at the ready.

Around Lillian and Gauvain five more figures burst from the ground, leaping free of the earth they land in crouches and stand up, armed the same way as those inside. They stand up and begin attacking the Duke and the Reliant.

Gauvain curses and calls out, "ONE'S FUCKING BALLSACK!" in surprise, Vendetta sliding from the sheath and to his arm, his sheld at the ready as he counter charges the three going for him. "Reliant, Take yours out quickly, we need to get inside to support the others!"

-

Elian has just enough time to let out a stunned "What." before the undead creatures are upon him. Luckily he's battle-experienced enough that the shock also results in him automatically drawing both sword and long knife and moving to defend. The first skeletal attack bounces off an instinctive parry of Elian's and then the fight is on in earnest. Elian's strikes are a little wild to start with as he tries to get over the fact that they have no flesh in the spaces he wants to stab them in but then he gets in a lucky strike on one of them that sends a chip of bone flying from the impact point. Aha! After that his entire style changes and he starts focusing on trying to chop the skeletons up rather than stab them. A couple of slashes later and he gains his first triumph as the first skeleton clatters in pieces to the ground.

-

Lillian straightened, the only sign of shock as she saw literal skeletons appear out of the stacks upon stacks of books. She pulled her shield in close, as two of the undead things sprang…well, more like rattled their way over in her direction, her blade flashing as she attempted to dismember them. That should be relatively easy, what with them having no skin, or muscle, or well anything. But they were surprisingly resilient, and continued to attack, despite her hacking off bones here and there.

-

Brenn doesn't hesitate these are the things that he's here to destroy and wades into the fray without a second thought. Despite the skeletons having shields and attempting to block Reckoning with them he destroys a couple of the shields and the skeletons behind the shields that are broken fall from the damage. Leaving him with just one facing him, "You should have stead dead you abomination."

-

The Betrayer is a knight despite his age, and as enemies present themselves the Sidhe Steel wielding Vigilant slashes driving one of the undead back. He parries the return stroke with his shield and then slashes again with Vendetta going thorugh weapon, shield, and body in one stroke. Then he crouches and turns, raising his shield slightly and takes the impact of an overhand chop to his own shield. He grits his teeth.

-

Lillian swung her blade, stabbing the point down into the floor, leaving the weapon quivering, but stuck fast, as she curved the shield around her to protect herself, drawing her dagger before she pressed forward to close the distance the now reduced reach of her blade created. The bare light gleamed on the lightsilver as she charged into the skeletons, the dagger doing what her sword could not and reducing the two to so much component parts. As soon as she was clear, she reclaimed her sword, resheathing it and keeping the dagger, as she turned to see what enemy remained.

-

Elian continues to hack away at his own remaining skeleton. Chips of bone fly but enough of the creatures integrity remains that Elian is forced to grit his teeth and keep fighting.

-

Gauvain pushes back against the undead when it rains blows down on his shield, the heater taking the shots with a steady THOOM THOOM THOOM before he slashes Vendetta at the thing's ankles. The skeleton falls, flailing, and Gauvain slams the Heater down on the things head, crushing the skull. He turns in time to parry the second Skeleton's attack, Vendetta slicing clean through the weapon before he performs a mulinet, Vendetta coming around his shoulders to slash into the things shoulder. There are sparks as Gauvain cuts through the shoulder armor and comes out the abdomen area, the Skeleton crumbling as the red glow fades from it's eyes.

-

Brenn brings his sword down on top of the skeleton killing it instantly before he looks around a bit at all the re-dead undead and sighs a bit, "I'll be back in a little bit everybody hold tight here." He walks back out and heads to his horse to return after a bit to hand Lillian and Elian a proper lightsilver weapon for the duration of the ruins, "These are on loan but they'll help you kill these undead. I'll need them back after it's said and done."

-

Despite the fact that she was ankle-deep in old, manky books, and recently undead bones, Lillian actually managed a laugh, as Brennart ducked out and then returned with the sword. "Thank you, Brennart. I'm sure Cervantes might have provided me with one…but I asked for the armor first." They were well off, but with a war on, not that well off, "I will return it." The dagger she resheathed, before she set the swordbelt around her hips and drew the weapon.

-

Elian finishes the last one of his opponents off as Brennart is leaving and he turns to watch the Knight leave with a mild expression of surprise. That expression shifts to pure suspicion as a lightsilver sword is presented to him. "You just happen to have spare lightsilver swords with you?"

-

Gauvain looks to Brennart and raises an eyebrow. He's not sure he'd give an Aequoran an expensive weapon from the Armor, and after the West War, he's not sure he'd arm a Reliant either. He says nothing however. Simply nodding once and moving into the Library, he take a moment to stomp on a skull, his boots crushing the thing to fragments.

Just to be Sure.

He moves toward the next door. "House Tarris is always prepared Aequoran." He says in response to Elian. "One knows what a civilized person will fucking find lurking in the dirt and shadows these days. A bloody Goblin, a vitching Sorcerer gone mad, or apparently the bloody flaming dead rising and trying to fucking kill you." He shakes his head. "I miss the times when it was just people trying to kill each other with the odd rabid bear."

-

Lillian watched the party coming back together, though there was something remaining of the humour in her voice when she spoke, before turning to follow Gauvain, "Brennart Tarris is one of the greatest tourney knights in the West. I do believe he has won half the lightsilver weapons in the West. "

-

Brenn shrugs a bit, "What she said. That's it exactly…" There's no hidden cache of lightsilver weapons around here or anything… He looks around a bit as they move on and glances over at Gauvain, "I figured it'd be helpful if they could properly help out.."

-

Gauvain grunts. He's not really the the loaning type, or really the helping type. Especially to people who have been enemies.

-

Despite the suspicious look on Elian's face he still spares the time to give Brennart a formal sounding thank you. "I know who he is." Elian says a touch petulantly to Lillian. "Just like I know who HE is." This clearly meant to indicate Gauvain. "Even without introductions." Clearly the dislike is somewhat mutual. He raises the lightsilver sword a little as he steps carefully over the rubble. "Would someone like to explain why this sword is better than mine?"

-

Lillian, as the men were talking, and as Gauvain stepped to the door, stepped ahead of him to inspect the doorway and arch, inching it open as she looked inside, helmeted head tipping back just a bit as she studied the ceiling. Ryaltan ruins will do that to you. "Stay where you are." She looked to make certain that they were where she left them, before she slammed her shoulder into the door jam, the vibration sending a cascade of rocks down to precisely where she would have been if she had stepped in to begin with. "It should be safe to pass through now." At least safe from further ceiling collapses. "Everyone knows who he is." Beat, "It is lightsilver. My husband's greatsword is lightsilver. When he fought the undead in Galenthia, he said it did great damage to them. That was why I switched to my dagger."

-

"It's light silver Aequor." Apparently Gauvain has decided Elian's name is his kingdom name. "Do you not read your stories? Lightsilver was created by the heroes in the Age of Heroes to battle the Sidhe and all their ilk. This means things like the Un One's Damned Dead are affected by it. So a weapon made form Sidhe Steel or Lightsilver hurts the creatures of the Abyss."

He narrows his eyes at the area Lillian cleared and then moves into the room. He nods to her as he passes a silent thank you. "The Viscount is not a bad warrior. His only flaw is he's a damn Arkanin." He looks over the room, scanning for threats. "I think this room is clear. Just the little surprise somebody left for us the Reliant found."

-

"Just think. It could be so much worse, Your Grace. I could have married Xavier." Like water off of a duck's back. She might have only been an Arkanin for a year now, but she well knew the hatred that existed between the Arkanin Brigadier and the Tarris one. With the others moving ahead into the room, she continued through as well.

-

This leads to an inevitable question of "There are undead in Galenthia?" from Elian before he sweeps his eyes onto Gauvain. He doesn't seem all that pleased by the Duke's words but what can you really say back without causing fights? Instead he just gives a small sigh and says "I suppose its my turn." And heads for the next door. He's done this before so he's watching for traps too.

-

Brenn shrugs some, "I would have to say yes…" He points back towards where they fought the skeletons, "I mean… You just fought some. But I'm sure there's some up north in Aequor as well. They like dreary places."

-

BOOM! The heavy retort of a musket firing blasts through the semi-quiet just after the doors opened. Elian's quick enough to dive back out of the way of that lethal ball but not to avoid the shards of shrapnel and stone that shred the space after its impact. He stands very still in the doorway for a moment. His hand lifted to a now bleeding part of his forehead and then, with a little grumble of a growl, steps inside properly. "Nothing interesting."

-

"We're in Aequor." Gauvain says rolling his eyes and looking at Brennart. "You can tell form the dust. It's so bloody old they refuse to change." At the gun shot, Gauvian sprints in the room, shield at the ready and sword held to the side for a charge. He straightens and sighs. "Well. A Musket." Gauvain says moving to the weapon. "I guess we can officially tick off the Not a Ruin list."

-

Lillian ducked to the side out of the way of anything that might fly out, as soon as she heard the musket fire. When only that came, and Gauvain charged into the room, she walked up beside Elian, "Let me see that. I can stop the bleeding at least so it doesn't blind you at the wrong moment."

-

Elian eyes the gun for a bit, seriously considering taking it with him, but finally decides that filling his pockets in front of THE duke Tarris would just be to much. Instead he turns and goes down on one knee so that Lillian can patch up his booboo.

-

"Thank you," Lillian offered to Elian, as she momentarily set aside her sword and shield, retrieving her supplies and cleaning away the blood. The ointment she applied to the scrapes stung a bit, but numbed the skin and brought the wholesome scent of herbs to the air, before she bandaged Elian's injury. "All is well." Once he was back on her feet, she retrieved weapon and shield.

-

Brenn shrugs a bit, "Pardon me. Yes Rogers had undead at it so that would be Galenthia. I got turned around on my way here." Then the musket goes off and he flinches a bit, "That could have hurt pretty badly if they had aimed a bit better." He waits for the patching up to get done before he steps forward to lead them into the next room."

-

Gauvain tosses the Musket in Elian's direction. He looked pauper Knightish enough he might need a Musket. Or at least the crowns form selling one. "Here. Incase our Employers don't pay us well enough." Then he moves to the door and begins to open it, when the door explodes in splinters. A Skeleton in heavy armor stands there with a shield and a longsword. He opens it's jaws as if it's roaring and then stomps into the room to attack Gauvain. Rushing behind it come four more of the skeletons armed like the first ten. One each attacks Elian and Lillian, while two rush Brennart.

-

Gauvain lifts the shield as the splinters go flying at him. The door's debris slams into the knight's shield and then he moves to engage. Vendetta slashing, the black steel cutting at the creature. The monster parries and counters, the two exchanging blows that are parried with swords and shields. He grits his teeth, before slashing again, this time Vendetta catching an exposed side and shredding the armor there.

-

Lillian had only just gotten herself back together, when Gauvain stepped to the door and suddenly, they were all being showered with splinters and peppered with more undead. Only one charged at her, but surprisingly, she could hear every click of its bones on the stone as she raised her sword, managing to hack off one of its arms. Alas, it did not much slow down the thing and it simply swung at her with the remaining arm and the teeth it tried to take a piece of her with.

-

Elian goes back up to his feet as Lillian moves off. "Thank you." He follows the group out then. "I hadn't heard about that." he starts to say but then Gauvain is throwing a musket at him and he's forced to give Gauvain a more contemplative look instead. "Ah. Thank you." There's enough of a hesitation about the thank you that his feelings on it are likely conflicted. Still. It seems the surliness has gone for now at least.

It takes him a few moments to work out what to do with the weapon before he finally manages to hook it over his back and discover the new fight. This time when the skeleton comes at it Elian is not particularly surprised, nor does he waste time attempting to poke it full of holes, instead he just cleaves the weapon through the bone of its thigh and then cuts the skull almost in half with the back swing. "This." he comments as he steps over to assist someone else. "IS a nice sword."

-

Brenn just walks into the room and straight at the skeletons engaging two of them with clean slices with his sword before he destroys one of them and then pushes his shield into the second one that only got some damage from his sidhe steel sword.

-

Elian moves in to support Lillian but his efforts aren't really required. He gives her a nod as the creature clatters to the ground and turns to assess whats left.

-

Lillian was not one to deny anyone assisting her, not with these undead monstrosities attacking them, and she offered a word of thanks to Elian as they finished the skeleton that was still attacking her. "On the Duke!" She moved in that direction, clearly intending to assist him in taking on the wide-mouthed thing fighting Gauvain.

-

Despite the good first push and exchange of blows when the undead blew through the door, Gauvain is forced to take a step back. His blade slashes and the attack is parried, the creature then backhands the elder Knight with his shield, slamming it into Gauvain's shield, which slams into him. He oofs and spits to the side, a trickle of blood running down from the now split lip. He narrows his eyes.

-

Brenn continues fighting for a half second before he just slices through the skeleton cutting it down to proper puppy bone nibbling size. Then he looks around a bit and stalks over towards the skeletons on Gauvian, "Looks like you're getting rusty."

-

The Skeleton's jaw opens wide as if it's roaring and slashes at Brennart as the swordsman closes in. Then it has to turtle behind the shield and take several hits from the sidhe steel weapon. Chips of the shield are sliced off, but it manages to hold. Then it has to parry both Elian and Lillian as they come in. The creature using both blade and shield to intercept the incoming attacks. Finally Gauvain leaps at it when he sees an opening. severing the thing's spine, which more or less cuts it in half. It calls forward and crumbles, the lights fading from the eyes of the skull. He raises an eyebrow to Brennart. "That's not rust. That's just … " He pauses. "Shut up pup."

Clearly at one point he had something for that.

-

Lillian did not end the thing, of course, but at least she along with the other managed to keep it so occupied that Gauvain could find his opening. As the last of the undead fell, her eyes went to Gauvain's face. he was bleeding as well. "if we can take a moment, I will see to you as well. I would rather treat a bit at a time, than end up elbows deep in your entrails."

-

"It's usually me elbow deep in … " He clears his throat. "Of course Viscountess." he won't use that silly Rikton title.

-

Elian takes the opportunity to look around the room they are in, lifting an occasional item before either dropping it or letting it fall to the floor in disinterest. Its soon clear he's not actually trying to fill his pockets as a trinket that might have made a bit of money gets put back on its shelf. "Did you hear laughing before we came in here?"

-

Brenn glances over at Gauvain and raises an eyebrow, "Who would have thought." Then he looks around some as the rest of the skeletons are down, "So we think this is a fortress in use now right?"

-

"Shepherd's daughters?" Was Lillian's sweetly innocuous offering to Gauvain's stilted comment. Despite the soft amusement in her words, Lillian's hands were gentle and competent, cleaning and numbing the injury, before she applied what little bandaging was necessary. "I did hear something that sounded like laughter, yes."

-

Elian picks up a small box during his trip through the abandoned bedroom. "Huh." He says under his breath. "Mind if I keep this?"

-

"You did." Gauvain says after he hisses a second at the tender mercies of Lillian. He's about to say more when he's interupted.

A door opens with nobody behind it and there is a stairway. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. The whole Spooky thing. Friday the 13th! You people probably don't get it. Do come up. We have SO much to talk about!"

Gauvain looks to Lillian then Brennart and then deadpans to Elian. "Keep it Aequor. I'm sure you'll need it to replace your pants after whatever we find up there." He then nods and rolls his shoulders. "Let's see what they hell just invited us to fucking dinner."

-

Brenn sighs and nods looking at the door and the stairs, "I don't see why we shouldn't What's the worst that can happen we end up dying?"

-

"I don't think even your pants are worth this much Your Grace." Elian pockets the coins and then moves to follow into the next space should happen. "Did one of you do something to inspire vengeance." he looks at Gauvain and adds a "recently."

-

Lillian stepped back, taking a moment to arrange her things, just in time to see the door open and hear the voice calling them up. Her expression darkened, but she only gripped her sword, Brennart's swor—the sword more tightly, before she nodded. "We die and come back as the same sort of things we have been killing." Just like a Reliant to lighten the mood. "If that happens to me, make sure you kill me well the second time."

-

Gauvain says deadpan, "I have a lot of enemies. Pick one. Or twenty."

-

Coming up the stairs the group enters what has clearly been made into a throne room. The walls are lines with skeletons in armor, their heads hung low and no glow in their eyes. There are easily fifty of the monsters in there. Standing beside what is clearly a throne made of large bones, are Six Skeletons with Glowing eyes in the lighter armor and shields that the parts has mostly fought. Standing before the Throne is one in heavy armor. But on the Throne it is a man. Flesh and blood.

He wears red robes and has a cylinder object, red with white swirls on it. He lifts it to his lips and takes an audible slurp. "Ah. Welcome the mighty heroes. I am so pleased you could make it." He sips again. "I can not WAIT to have that regularly. So many guests. I will have two tomorrow, I'm just glad it worked out I can visit with you four this wondrous day!" He laughs. "Please. Make yourselves at home. I hope you didn't mind my little traps. I get … Bored. It gets boring after all these years." He rolls his head, the face still hidden by the red hood of his robes. "Lord Marshal. Such an honor. I'm a big fan of wars, and you are just … Marvelous in that regard. Better than me at your age that's for certain!"

Gauvain steps at the top of the stairs. His eyes scanning the room. He narrows his eyes as he's addressed. "You have me at a … "

"Disadvantage!" The man says pointing a finger that holds that strange cylinder at the Elder Knight. "I do. I usually do. mathis was masterful. Baron Brennart Tarris. I know all about you as well. The only mortal to face Teleko by himself and walk away in one piece. Such a feat. I bet they will sing stories of you for …." He stops and chuckles. "Well. They would. Except I'm ending the world. So…. I guess until it ends!" He laughs and smiles to Lillian. "Ah. The lovely Reliant Lilian Bordeaux. Also an honor. You stayed loyal to the Church DESPITE what they did to your Order. You should HEAR what they say about you, your own Order and healers too." He tsks. "Such words. But unfounded, a woman of such civility as yourself doesn't deserve those words."

He then moves his gaze to Elian. "I have no idea who you are." He grins, the teeth flashing despite the darkness of his hood. "But I'm sure you are JUST as interesting!"

-

"More so if you ask me." Elian says to the man, looking unperturbed by the entire scene. But then its not really -that- weird compared to everything else that came up to this point. And there is a certain benefit in ignorance. "But I think I'll pass on giving you a name. Unless, perhaps, you want to trade me yours in turn."

-

"Oh. I have many." The man says and tilts his head. "But. Let's use the one your little corner fo the world has given me. I am the Powerful Man." He chuckles. "So dramatic. I almost rather like it."

-

Lillian took the stairs easily enough, even in her armor, coming out onto the landing and into the throne room, her eyes making a circuit of the room, mentally tallying off the sheer number of skeletons waiting, both animated and not so, before they finally settled on the man clearly at the center of the goings on here, or so he seemed inclined to lead them to believe. "Words are wind, or so they say. They do not bother me." She gave no response to his talk of ending the world. Men with such ambitions always said such things in the hopes of instilling fear.

-

Brenn looks around and just sighs a bit, "I didn't do it for the songs. In fact I didn't expect to survive when I realized who I was fighting." He looks at the skeletons and then back at the man in red, "So the Powerful Man? That sounds… Well that sounds just dandy. I'm so glad we came here for tea." He glances back down the stairs, "Your traps? I thought they were well play things. Target dummies?"

-

"Quite a nickname" Elian asks. "You must have quite the ego to call yourself that with a straight face." He glances to the other knights, checking what they are doing whilst he holds at least some of the powerful mans attention. "But that wasn't the deal. A name, not an alias."

-

The man chuckles slightly and leans back in the Throne and sips form that can again. He lets go of it and it … disappears. Doesn't fade, or drop into anything it just is gone. He steeples his fingers. "I do find myself not only impressed at your handling of those … Target dummies as you so elegantly call them, but … " Then Elian makes his accusation. He turns to Elian and laughs.

"Now that is INTRIGUING. You want my actual name? Normally people just don't care. Such fun. Let's give it to you and you can decide what to do with it." He leans forward and chuckles. "The one I was born with? Before I was a Soldier? Before I was a Scholar? yes. I think that's what he wants." He nods once and looks to the group. "Michael. I was named Michael at the time of my birth some … I think roughly ten thousand of your years ago. Which, are jsut as long as my years mind you. God. So long. Ten thousand years yes. And Michael. Mother named me Michael after six months. They wanted to make sure I'd live you see." He smiles at the group.

He laughs and shakes his head. "Ten thousand years later. Still here. I lived!" He laughs again.

-

Gauvain just blinks and says to the group. "This man is fucking insane."

-

Lillian blinks, as she sees the metal tube blink out of existence. "A saint's name. A shame what you did with it." Lillian had not moved from where she stopped, her sword still hard in her hand, her shield at the ready. "Insane, perhaps. But also, seemingly able to raise the dead. That makes him doubly dangerous." She said all of that softly, as though she did not doubt the man, if such he was, could hear her from where he sat, "And now we know why you are here. Why are we here. For this is surely some sort of twisted summons, I suspect?"

-

Elian mostly just seems a little baffled at all that. Ten thousand years? Calling someone Michael to make sure he lives? But, even though he often makes the conscious decision not to follow it, he's had al'Callenta etiquette beaten into him his whole life so when the Powerful man says he's called Michael he doesn't even stop to think about it before he honors the deal. "I see. Michael. My name is Elian."

-

The Powerful Man, or Michael, points a finger to Lillian. "You were indeed summoned. It's really easy to bribe just about anybody from the Guilds in Four Corners. Whisper a few words to the right ears, and the Vigil sends whom I need as well. Having to bring extras to hide their precious secrets." He shakes his head. "The Vigil. Absolutely silly that Order."

He takes a deep breath. "I want the Lord Marshal's, and the Baron's Sidhe Steel blades. It's really simple. Put them on the ground and leave and I'll see you wonderful people are happily left alone and compensated." He leans forward. "Your individual Houses wouldn't have to worry about anything until the World Ends. But those swords …. Well. I have Five of them, and one of your Swords is Probably Starfell." He waits to see if they even recognize the name.

After watching them for a second. "Anyway. I need all seven to prevent you barbarians from stopping the Old Thing from destroying Tirth, and specifically, that life stealing Bitch Creation. Because she has to die before this is all done." He smiles slightly, "So. What do you say? Give me the blades, and you live until the end of the World, or die screaming as my Undead Skeletons rip you apart. Choice is yours. I'm just going to drink another Coke while you decide." He holds out his hand and one of those cylinders appears, he reaches over and pulls a tab. There is PUFF of air and he sips from the can again.

-

Brenn shrugs a bit as … Michael talks about the Target Dummies, "I'd hazard a guess that I've shocked many folks when they've actually faced me in battle. That is before they died." He eyes the man, "But you're something else aren't you? Do you bleed? Can you bleed?" He looks around some as he makes his desire for their blades known, "You want my sword?" Starfell doesn't ring a bell to him so he just shakes his head before he looks at Gauvain, "I don't know about the Lord Marshal here but that's a hard no from me."

-

Elian doesn't seem to know what any of this is about. Much as everyone probably expected. His gaze slides across to first Gauvain's blade and then Brennarts before going back to consider the small group of skeletons instead. Calculating. Thinking.

-

"Probably? That is an interesting choice of words. As the Powerful Man, should you not be powerful enough to know which are the blades you seek? And why call these two here? Are you not powerful enough to have taken them from them when they slept? Or slain them and taken them from their bodies?" Lillian's voice was soft and pleasant, as though she were speaking of the weather and nothing so dire as the end of the world and sidhe steel swords as a vehicle to end creation.

-

Gauvain nods to Brennart and then says, "I'm going to agree with my Daughter's Husband. You get neither sword … Michael." He looks around the room and then nods to Lillian gripping Vendetta tight.

-

"Do I not know which is one of the SEVEN Missing Holy Swords? The things I've been trying to find since those idiots lost them so I can USE THEM TO GO HOME?" He shouts. Then clears his throat. "No. No I do not. SHE made sure I don't remember what they look like. Look. It's nothing personal. Just give me the blades, I'll end the world, go home and you can live happily in respective afterlives. I hear they're quite lovely." He holds up a finger. "As long as you don't go to the Abyss. Or the Halls of Winter, or …. Just as long as you're not a bad person."

-

Gauvain frowns. "The answer is still no."

-

"So, you plan then, is simply to collect every sidhe steel blade you can find until you think you have them all? That seems like a very terrible plan. But it still does not explain why you did not take them? Can you not? Unless they are given of their owner's free will?" Lillian continued that softly worded conversation, "Who is She, Michael? For it seems as though this is all terrible personal, especially since all of this, by your own words is about nothing more or less than what you want. Your desire, your wish to return home. That you would destroy all the world, if only to get what you want. And where is that? Home."

-

Speaking slowly in the wake of Lillian's questions Elian adds his own. "Let me get this straight. There are supposedly seven sidhe swords which can somehow take you 'home' yet these swords are also required to defeat the Old Thing - which just happens to plan on destroying Tirth."

-

Brenn shakes his head, "Still no deal." He looks around the skeletons and sighs a bit, "I'm a bit fond of Tirth. You? Not so crazy about."

-

The man looks to Lillian and there might be a twitch. "She. Her. It. THAT BITCH." He spits and takes a deep drink form that cylinder. He takes a deep breath, and shouts, "ALL OF HER. SHE'S EVERYWHERE! She's asleep though and has been since your kind stopped…" He laughs and points a finger to Lillian, shaking it to her as he laughs. "Oh. You. You almost got me. Almost got me to reveal things. That's …. Just not right." He chuckles and gestures with his hand to Elian, "Yes. The Old Thing destroys Tirth, and once it's destroyed, in those fires I can go home. I just have to make sure none of you can stop it." He holds out a hand. "So. Swords. Now."

The last three words are not spoken in that jovial laughing voice he's used. It gets lower and serious. "Or. I kill you all."

-

Lillian dipped her head, a smile curling her lips, as though he had paid her a compliment, "Such as the gifts of the Reliants. It is said that we make some of the best confessors." She did not press him for more though, she did continue, "I wonder what it was that you did that rendered onto you so great a punishment as to live for so many centuries with no hope of peace or respite from pain." of the swords, she said nothing. They were not hers to give.

-

Elian says "The problem is Michael. We die either way. If you take the swords now, we die. If you take the swords later, we die. So why would we turn down the only chance we have to live?" he looks at the two Tarris' "I'm on your side Tarris."

-

Brenn looks to Elian then to Lillian then back to Gauvain, "I agree with the Aequorian. We're dead either way. The swords are not yours." He grips Reckoning a bit tighter as he looks at the powerful man, "You can take it from my cold dead hands."

-

"Well." The Man on the throne says. "I guess, I will have to let you all … Die." He sighs and shrugs a shoulder, "At least make the show good!" He gestures with the Cylinder and the skeletons walk forward. "I mean. The other method was going to be so much quicker. You'd be able to say good bye to your loved ones. But. Se la vee eh?" Twenty of those Skeletons along the walls lift their heads, eyes now glowing and advancing on the group.

-

Gauvain is about to suggest running, when the door slams shut behind him and a curtian fo flame blasts into existence. He grips Vendetta and says, "Brennart. You're the best Swordsman here. Kill that fucker. We'll keep the others off you."

-

The man on the Throne laughs. "Oh. Yes. DO kill me. I'm curious if you can."

-

Now that the talking was done, well, it was time to do what she had been born to do. Or at the least to do what she had sworn to do on the day that she had recieved her spurs. As the skeletons came to life, Lillian finally moved from the spot where she had seem to be rooted, raising her sword and moving to engage a cluster of skeletons that were intent on swarming them. She broke into the heart of them, thrusting and parrying, though she did not immediately destroy any of them.

-

The Skeletons step off the wall and then rush at the party, One group holding back creating a tunnel clear for Elian to charge at them and be of no help to the rest of the group for a bit. Gauvain and Lillian are charged by two groups each their weapons slashing and stabbing and chopping a the two Knights. Gauvain goes totally defensive, his blade slashing left and right to parry while he puts his shield in between attacks. He lets out a growl before he shouts, "FOR THE GRIFFON! FOR THE QUEEN! FOR TIRTH!"

-

The Man on the Throne stands, that Cylinder disappearing again. He throws back his hood, a man with blonde hair and a goatee and glasses that are small and squarish stand there, one foot on the Dias and he laughs. A maniacal cackle that travels over the the throne room. He holds out his hands and then reaches behind him to draw two Sidhe steel blades. One a longsword and one a gladius. "YES! LET US FIGHT!!!" He throws back his head and just cackles. "It's better this way. You'll feel like you tried when the Angels come for you. You'll feel like there is HOPE!" He laughs more.

-

Brenn just looks at the 'Powerful Man' and points Reckoning at him, "I'm coming for you Michael." Then he stalks towards the man and as he spots a group of skeletons that are partially in his way and would be overwhelming the others shortly he just walks through them… The whistle of Reckoning can be heard over the clatter of the bones as he just continues his forward movement towards Michael what was left of his group just… Bones and armor scraps.

-

Elian hunts for a good spot to attack from. An opportunity that the skeletons offer him which he takes. Of course he takes it. He doesn't even seem to notice that he's been drawn off far enough away from the Tarris' that he's no longer able to support them. Or maybe thats the point. The fighting around him almost immediately gets fiercer than he can easily handle and the attacks start to make their way through the guard presented by sword and dagger. He takes a cut, then a second, but looks as if he has plenty of fight left yet.

-

Lillian could do no more to help the men she had come with, she was too busy trying to weaken the skeletons attacking her. But the off side of that, was that they were attempting exactly the same thing, and she got a slash across her face for her troubles, a line of blood opening up along her cheekbone, as one of the skeleton's finger bones managed to slip past her helm and nearly, bot not quite, tear it from her head. She jammed it back on, and continued the fight.

-

Elian is struggling to make enough space to be able to hurt the skeletons in this massive brawl. For a while he seems to be doing alright but the tide soon turns against him again.

-

Brenn continues stalking forward. Reckoning whistles through as it cleaves through the shield of a champion skeleton and then dropping the beast his movement towards Michael barely slowing down as he slices through two more enemies, "I'm tired of you ancient things thinking you can just toy with us. It's time to find out if you can bleed. Because if you bleed you can die."

-

Something clearly seemed to have lit a fire under the normally quite gentle Reliant. Memories of days of war, perhaps. or perhaps she had simply had enough of these undead monstrosities. Lillian was not a small woman, and she put her height and weight to her advantage as she shield charged the group attacking her, knocking two of them back and managing to slice her way through three as she fought to free herself to assist the others.

-

Gauvain manages to parry several attacks, gritting his teeth the entire time, and swinging for all he's worth while manuevering that shield where he can. He finally manages to find an opening and smashes on of the things to the ground with his shield, quickly stomping on it's neck and crushing vertabrae, Then he slashes as a second one leaps at him and cuts it in half, before spinning in place and bringing his blade through a glowing eye on the skull, shattering it.

-

The Man on the throne starts to sing as Brennart comes closer and closer. He's grinning like an idiot, those Sidhe Steel baldes held loosely but with confidence in his grip before the suddenly erupt. One of them contains a swirling bit of lightning and emits a cold aura, blue and dripping frost, the Gladius just suddenly burns with swirling fire laced somehow with swirling rocks.

THE SONG HE IS SINGING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgnClrx8N2k

-

Lillian finally, finally, manages to kill the last two of the group that initially challenged her. But in so doing, she left herself open to the next shambling hordes that descended on her. Those claws chipped and tore at her plate armor, managing to dig in at shoulder and hip before she could try to dance back and away from them.

-

Elian finally gets an opportunity and springs into fiercer action. Two of the skeletons fall before his attacking spree is put to a stop when a skeleton's sword clangs off the backplate of his lorrica. He stumbles, struggling for balance for a moment, and then turns to face the one that so nearly hurt him.

-

Brennart meets with Michael and Sidhe Steel against Sidhe Steel sparks fly as the masters of their art engage with each other. And then Brenn lowers his shield just enough that Michael slips in and strikes him… Just a graze but it seems to be a lot worse than usual… Even with the injury Brenn doesn't slow down pushing into Michael as they fight to a stand still neither able to get an upper hand anymore.

-

The Powerful Man just continues to sing while he exchanges blows with Brennart, a genuine smile on that goatee'd face. With each parry of Sidhe Steel on Sidhe Steel sparks fly. From Brennart's blade with each parry of blade blue sparks fly, siling through the air. From the Powerful Man red sparks fly, vibrant almost like fiery bits of blood. The weapons shriek with each parry and impact like metal twisting with each parry and stroke that is intercepted by another Sidhe Steel Blade.

-

Gauvain slashes into his grouping of undead, his blade simply rending them defunct, he's about to clear the first group when the second slams into him. He lifts one with his shield flipping the thing over the Knight into the curtain of fire where it is incinerated. He then lays into the group, killing two with a single sweep of Vendetta, then kicking another to the ground where he kneels quickly and slams the rim of his shield into the things chest, shattering ribs and the spin. He turns and parries a stroke at him and narrows his eyes.

-

Lillian continued to push into her group, sacrificing some of her own safety in order to try to find an opening with the group she was fighting. She took another strike, a broadside to her head, before she put down three of the skeletons she had on her. Only two left, now. Well, there was still a whole room of them.

-

Now that Elian's made a dent in his group of foes (somewhat literally in one case) he's starting to find space to flow out of the way of blows and things are starting to turn in his favor. Then, all at once, he's winning and skeletons are steadily falling dead to bet kicked out from underfoot by the spurred al'Callenta. Finally clearing that first group with a slash through the column of its neck Elian stops, breathing hard, and considers what to do with his temporary breathing space.

-

Brenn's barely able to keep Michael off of him now the blue sparks flying off Reckoning as he tries his hardest to keep those evil blades off him… But he takes another hit… And then goes to block with his shield and the shield just turns to shards but he manages to keep his arm… "Damn you're actually really good."

-

The Betrayer grits his teeth and shatters the last skeleton with a sweep of Vendetta the blade simply cutting through the creature and starts to run at Brennart, but finds one of the warriors in front of him. He grits his teeth and slashes at the thing and the tow begin a rapid series of strikes and counter strikes. How the dead move this fast is beyond him. But he just needs to make it through to his son.

For his Daughter. Certainly not because he likes the former Sokar. That little shit.

-

"I ought to be! 10,000 years gives somebody a lot of time to practice the little things!" Michael says as he circles Brennart. "You should try my baking." He laughs and comes in on the young knight once more, those blades trailing wisps of power in it's wake. "You should really just give up. You don't need to die! You have time to make memories with that pretty red head of yours. Don't waste them dying here like a peasant in the dirt."

-

Lillian had only two. 2! And still, they fought. They were not the great champion that waited, but they were clearly made of sterner stuff than the half a dozen and more she had already put down. Still, she did not give quarter, though her soft voice murmured a prayer as she fought. Asking for strength and the hope to see the end of these creatures.

-

Gauvain grits his teeth. He's been outnumbered, but it was with armies. He had hundreds, if not thousands of men at his side. Here there is just Three Knights, which is pretty impressive but they were getting pressed hard. Gauvain slams his blade into the Skeleton. The thing stumbled but as Gauvain went to deleiver the re-death blow it parried with it's shield. "One damn you just DIE." He says through those gritted teeth as he pushes on the shield, sidhe steel biting deep into the thing.

-

Brenn growls at Michael, "You leave her out of this." Reckoning comes flying through with all the strength and skill that Brenn can muster as it cuts through Michael's defenses… "Lets see if you can bleed old man. For being alive so long I shouldn't be able to even keep up right?"

-

Elian's moment of respite is short lived as another five skeletons move in to take the place of the ones he just dispatched. He grimaces as they move in but soldiers on, working to find weaknesses and do damage. Alas its really turning into a bad day. He sidesteps one attack only for a sword to punch all the way through the meat of his thigh. He's been relatively quiet up until now but that makes him shout in pain as he violently shoves the attacking skeleton away and tries to make space for his continued defense.

-

Brennart suddenly bulled into the Powerful Man. His blade flashing like the skilled warrior he knew Brennart to be. He stumbled back as the blade slashed at him, his robes were sliced to ribbons and the Powerful man fell back, stumbling over the dais to his impromptu throne. He landed on his back with an OOF of expelled breath. He puts a hand to his chest where there is actual blood. Red blood there. He smiles up at Brennart. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" Is all he says as suddenly that blood flows backwards and into him, the wound beginning to seal. He stands up and rolls his shoulders. "Wow. Pain. Fuck. I hadn't felt that in AGES. Nicely done."

Suddenly he's moving. Brennart is held by the throat and dragged along the ground, his armor screeching on the stone tiles before he's tossed against the wall to hit it HARD and fall to the ground. He then finds the Powerful man gripping his hair and saying. "Give. Me. Your. Fucking. SWORD. Mortal."

-

Despite the wound that's causing enough blood to pour down his leg that it will probably kill him given enough time untreated, or perhaps because of it, Elian somehow finds the strength and talent to hold off the five undead creatures that are trying to poke him full of holes. He gets a focused look on his face. The sort that shows every last smattering of his attention is on the fight immediately around him.

-

Brenn growls at the man and forces his head to shake before he tries to take Reckoning and jam it into Michael's chest, "Only way you're getting my sword is if it's through your dead black heart." Of course this didn't go well for Brenn at all but he tried.

-

Lillian, seeing the battle between Brennart and Michael, she would /not// call him the Powerful Man, seemed to invigorate her and she cut down the remaining two skeletons in her path as she turned to attempt to charge towards the Tarris Baron's position. She almost made it, when another skeleton leapt out at her, "He can't take it from you, Brennart!" It only made sense. He could have wretched it away elsewise.

-

Gauvain narrows his eyes. This was getting bad. So he put his shoulder into hsi shield and bulled past the skeleton, the creature swiping at him, but impacting an armored pouldron and shield. It leaves one hell of a scuff on the armor. As he approaches the wall he screams a wordless battle cry and sheers Vendetta through the stone. He drops his sheild and uses both hands to carve a man sized opening. "RUN! THROUGH THE DAMN HOLE AND JUMP!" He then kicks the stone there and it falls revealing the outside world.

-

The Powerful Man smirks. "I told you I was a soldier yes?" Then he slaps Brennart's blade aside with the flat of his hand on the flat of the blade and then round houses Brennart back into the wall. He bends over and casually picks up his blades which immediately erupt with power again. "As long as you give it to me, I don't give a fuck you arrogan - " Then he whips his head to Gauvain his eyes going wide. "NO! STOP THEM!" He calls. The last thirty or so Skeletons snap their heads up and begin to push off the walls.

-

Lillian's eyes widened as she saw the hole appear in the wall, and Gauvain jump through. There was only one skeleton between her and freedom, but she would not leave the others behind. "Brennart, Go! It's you he wants!" She ran, trying to clear the distance between where she was standing and the wall, and ever the Reliant, she tried to choose a path that would put her between Brennart and Michael, so that at least, if it came to it, she could buy Brennart the time he needed to make his escape. Though, if they were very lucky, they would both get out at the same time.

-

Elian doesn't need asking twice. He knows he's not going to survive much more of this. Then again. He's not entirely sure he'll survive getting to the escape route either. But one can but try right? He doesn't go immediately. Trying to judge a gap where he might actually make it. Spotting a likely one he takes a deep breath and then tries to duck through. It goes better than he expected but not as well as he'd hoped and he feels the tearing burn of a sword as it cleaves deep into his shoulder. He spins to face his opponent, bringing up a sword just in time, and starts backing up towards Gauvain. Blades spread to defend the retreat.

-

As the hordes come in, Gauvain narrows his eyes. He watches as Lillian and Elian jump through and spies Brennart move and then stop at the hole. He looks to the Kngiht and puts a hand on the man's shoulder. "Tell Bethany and Corwin I love them very much. Also, I want you to know, you will make a wonderful Duke. Only ride Tarris horses though." He smiles and then, "SIR BRENNART, WHAT THE FUCK AR EYOU WAITING FOR? THROUGH THAT ONE DAMNED HOLE NOW KNIGHT!" He nods once the younger man jsut sumps through and then looks to Vendetta. Then to the man stalking toward him and his horde of undead.

-

Brenn sighs as he snatches up a shield backing up towards the hole along the way blocking off as many of the incoming skeletons until he's to the hole and as soon as he gets to the hole he looks at the horde then at Gauvain and shakes his head, "You get your ass through it too old man. We're going to need your leadership with this coming fight." But then he sheathes Reckoning and jumps through the hole himself.

-

Once she saw that Brennart had escaped and Elian was on his way, Lillian picked up speed, heading towards where Gauvain was standing. "Go, we're right behind you!" She would go, she had to, but it was not in her to be willing to leave anyone behind, it just wasn't.

-

Elian gives Gauvain a single serious look once he reaches the gap and the Duke is giving his orders. Sensing that the mans about to do something that can very well mean the difference between them all getting out or not he offers a nod of respect and then goes through. Everything's just fine until his wounded leg decides it isn't going to put up with that sort of treatment. Not the most dignified of landings. He's honestly tempted to just lie here for a minute or twenty but then one of the others lands nearby and he starts to painfully pull himself back up onto his feet.

-

The Powerful Man runs a hand through his hair. "KILL THEM." He says in a dark tone. Power coalescing around him in black waves and start white lightning. The stones begin to rumble and a wind roars. Fire dances in his eyes. "KILL THEM BEFORE THEY ESCAPE YOU UNDEAD IDIOTS." Though he's not shouting, the power behind his words, infused in his voice sounds like shouting. The Undead begin to run at the trio still at the hole.

Gauvian growls, "GO! DAMNIT! GO!" He Stares at Lillian, "Don't give me church bullshit, I outrank you socially and cannonically. I am a Knight Captain of the Vigil. As a Duke of Galenthia speaking to a Viscountess, as a Knight Captain of the Church's Military Order of the Vigil, and frankly as the Lord Fucking Marshal of your House's Armies, Get your tight not bad looking ass through the fucking hole. NOW."

-

Lillian spared Gauvain only a brief second as she moved past him, "It's the shape of the armor, I swear." Because if it was the last thing she could do for him, let it be something that might bring him a moment of laughter in the darkness. She went. As soon as she landed, she was fighting to get to her feet. She had not missed how terrible injured Elian was.

-

Sighing Gauvain tossed Vendetta out the hole and drew the Gladius at his side. "You didn't want us to leave. I'm guessing you, or your undead lackey's can't leave. Which means, as long as I hold this spot, you can't do shit to them you fucking pathetic son of a vitch." He narrowed his eyes and smiles slightly. "They're liekly picking up Vendetta and running for the hills. If I know Brenanrt, he'll hide both blades and you'll never find either one until this Old thing shows up, and then he and Behtany will shove which ever fucking one of them is Starfell right down that fucker's throat."

-

The Powerful man stops, all that power swirling and slamming into him. He pushes up the glasses on his face. "Well. Fuck. Nice move for a forty something. I'd expect something like this from that Darius reincarnation, or even that Duke Sokar guy, but from the Betrayer? Shiiiiiiiit. Well played little Vigil." He smiles. "But you're not going to die. I'm jsut going to make you suffer until the world ends."

-

Vendetta hits the ground point first and sinks nearly to the cross guard in the soft earth. From above where the hole is there is the sound of Gauvian screaming in absolute agony before it's cut off …..

-

Elian moves to pick up Vendetta, assuming that neither Lillian or Brennart will easily leave since they seem that sort. "I can get soldiers from the nearest Garrison. Its the quickest way."

-

Brenn looks up at the hole as Lillian comes through it and then… Vendetta.. And then Elian starts to move to pick up Vendetta, "You won't need that blade to gather soldiers. Leave it or leave the arm that touches it." Brenn strides towards the blade and reaches down to take the Tarris House blade into his hand then looks to Lillian, "See to the horses. We need to make distance from here. I…" He pauses for a moment as he tries to regain his composure, "I'll have to explain this to Beth. Damn you old man."

-

Lillian had also stepped towards Elian, though for a very different reason than Brennart. She made no play for the blade, leaving it for Brennart to deal with. She glanced up towards the hole, and the absence of sound, "Killing the Duke would be too easy. We will come back." Still, Brennart had given her an order, and she nodded, "Yes, Your Grace." Not Brennart now.

-

Elian gives Brennart a tired look when he receives threats. "You think, after all that, I'd want to keep your cursed sword?" Still. He stops moving towards it and just starts to limp off towards the horses instead. His posture showing all the hallmarks of being offended.

-

Brennart just shrugs as he draws out Vendetta from the ground and then glancing at the hilt. "We'll be back but there's nothing we can do with so few." He looks around some, "And we're in Aequor it's not like we can bring forth our Armies to rescue him." He heads towards the horses securing Vendetta into one of the empty scabbards from the lightsilver blades from earlier, "Keep the swords. They'll come in handy in the coming days."

-

Lillian held the horses so that Brennart could situate himself, "I will, until the work is done. And then I will return it to you." She looked to Elian, "We need to ride and I need to see to your injuries." She could not risk waiting to treat him, but they could not risk the undead coming out of the ruins.

-

Lillian says, "And if this Michael is as powerful as he claims, and if he means the death of the world, then this is more than a Galenthian problem. We will find a way to return."

-
Elian starts pulling himself up into his saddle. "I'll be fine for a bit." Although that is probably not all that long if the effort it takes him just to get into that saddle and the hunched posture he adopts once up there are anything to go by. "But its more important we get the swords to safety first."

-

At some point none of them are looking at it. But when they look back the Keep is simply gone. All that is there in the field of grass that isn't even tramped down is a simply Tarris made Gladius sticking out of the dirt, the edges notched as if used in heavy combat, and dripping with very red blood on the edges…..

-

Brenn looks back and blinks, "Fucking magic." He wheels his horse around and starts to ride off towards Galenthia and Tarris lands.

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