[Plot] [Open] Week 113: Vigils at Dawn

[K3]

The long night had come and gone, fires burnt out and the small-scale destruction of Terminus had been beaten back. Demons sent screaming back to Infernalis, their souls desirous of vengeance that could be sated again and again, until that ebon-forged gate would be destroyed. In the Emerald Jewel, the thick of the damage was being attended to. Never was the spirit of Araevis' people stronger than in the cusp of disaster. Neighbors and vendors came together, makeshift hospitals constructed on-site that the injured could be seen to as Arcanum priests ran hither and fro to heal the most grievously affected. Scores of men and women combed through the wreckage of razed buildings, pulling survivors from debris-caked cellars and ash-soaked panic rooms. The bustle of the market district was of a different kind, but the people were gripped of a familiar air: they were each tempered by the end of the world, and had been but spectators before; now, they would bite back against the unjust world. The brave and chivalrous, or stubborn and hard-hearted, who had been most active in the protection of the city each gathered of their own accord. The Conexus, overrun as it was with squelching further incursions into the city by daemon-kin, could take days – if not weeks – to rally a proper campaign against the source of this atrocity; and longer still to locate fully its epicenter. It was the purview of a particular devil - whom sought the Black Portal's ruin - that the portal was against the deeper reaches of his own ambitions. Ego, oddly charitable in his forthcoming ownership of those who had gathered outside and witnessed the destruction of Semper Mihi, had supplied a good deal of information towards the portal and its workings. Further, he had quelled immediately any notions of the four simple souls from attempting to quell the Janu without further numbers to aid them. The Conexus had aught to spare in resources for them to petition for, and bodies aplenty would be willing to seek their fight at the heart of the devilry worked against their city. First, though, Ego had sent them to collect those most suited from those few protectors in the twilight hours of the eclipse. Of course, when questioned as to whether he intended to bring them under his thrall, the unsettling creature had opted for a barbed-wire grin and casually evaded the notion. And so, two days later, three thrall: for Dominic had insisted there was 'business to attend to', trekked into the still-thriving Emerald Jewel, where heroes and ruffians alike had come under a singular banner of the first and greatest interest: self-preservation. [ 442 / 442 ]​

 

[Shadowwind]

Corvus’ mouth still tasted of sulfur and bile. There was still an imagined tightness in the hunter’s shoulders, even after two days of rest and healing. After they four of them had finished licking their wounds the realization of all that had happened set in. The days had been productive. The gunner, Dominic, had enough connections to help him find someone still willing to sell arms in the aftermath of the invasion. Even better still was that the individual carried a great bow to the hunter’s standards. The ranger slowly swayed side to side atop his vorax. The beast looked none the worse for wear aside from a fresh scar that cut over the creature’s right eye. Just another memento of the pair’s escapades. It had taken more than a couple hours to clean the creature from the various scrapes it had encountered. Corvus had also learned that fiend blood was surprisingly hard to remove from Catello’s hair. All the while the creature had eyed him with a deep worry. Days later his stomach still didn’t sit well from the binding the demon had performed. The others had seemed to recover admirably. Any concern he may have had was pushed down. There would be time for worry later. Word had been sent that out as soon as they were certain of their path, their new patron made sure that it was clear. They were to meet the rest of those who wished to set out for the demonic gate. As they walked into the Emerald Jewel, still buzzing in spite of the assault, the hunter remained quiet. He’d see which way the wind blew. [274]​

 

[Abbey Rose]

Cassius walked beside the two, shivering slightly despite the relatively warm day. The Emerald Jewel had been a home for him. It had been where he and his father had grown up, and where he had gotten an apartment after leaving for school. Even though it had been like this for a few days now, it still hit an uncomfortable pang in his heart to see the wreckage that had been his part of Terminus. It wasn’t all bad, at least. The mage mused as his hands adjusted the red scarf around his neck. I found mom’s old scarf, at least. His apartment had been almost completely demolished, which had been expected. It was closer to a shack on top of a building to a real home. However, from the wreckage, he had been able to salvage the old, yet somehow still pristine, piece of cloth. It was something that had been lost almost a year ago. His dad would probably say it was providence. Those kind of considerations would have to wait for another day, however. They had been… tasked with enlisting aid for what would most likely be a suicide mission. While he was none too pleased about the circumstances, their current boss did not leave them much in the way of choice. They had barely had time to restock and recuperate before being sent out on this scavenger hunt. “How are we supposed to go about this anyway?” Cassius turned his head to the ranger, keeping his voice low. “Hey, kids, wanna go destroy a portal and fight the archenemy of the entire laicar race? We’ll even let you sell your souls at the crossroads.” While his tone was forcefully light, it still oozed no small amount of sarcasm. “Isn’t Dom a mafia guy or some shit? Why can’t we just call up his goons?” 308/308

 

[MoonlitRain014]

In the midst of all of the destruction, Aeria hadn't cared. The city had been ravaged and attacked by demonkind, but Aeria didn't care. The very underpinnings of Terminus had been undermined and she'd stayed hidden and let the destruction rain down. Even when Semper Mihi had been razed, the spurii had done nothing at all. It was as though she'd divorced herself totally from the part of herself that had any human feeling at all, but now there was something moving inside of her. As she walked through the streets, saw the destruction and the devastation left in people's eyes, she couldn't remain neutral any longer. There seemed to be little organization and she certainly didn't know where to go in order to find Kincaid, Ignis or Deni. In fact, she couldn't even be sure they were alive.

She found herself in the middle of a place that had been called the Emerald Jewel. It had been violated by the evil creatures and there seemed to be a ragtag group of people gathered outside and they all seemed to be discussing some sort of mission. At this point, Aeria was willing to do just about anything. Her own estimation of herself wasn't terribly high and she felt as though a little risk was a small price to pay for her neglect of what was supposed to matter to her. Perhaps she'd never see any of the people for whom she cared again. They might all be lying dead under the rubble of a demon assault, but she could try to do something to help them now. It was likely not enough and too late, but it was the best she had to offer.

Stepping forward, her halberd in her hand, she spoke to the youth who seemed to be in control or at least the only one who was saying anything at all.

"Do you really think the mafia's going to be willing to deal with any sort of portal? I'm sure they'll just be looking for a way to profit from all of this destruction. It seems like these days, if we want to get anything done, we'll have to do it ourselves. I've discovered that sometimes selling your soul isn't the worst thing you can do either."

[381]

 

[Nargles]

Outside the Emerald Jewel, a disheveled figure waited in stoic contemplation for another of the newly-bound to arrive. The smell of acrid soot still wafted on the wind, a reminder of the events that had taken place in the Ruby Jewel only a scant few days before. Ocher oculi peered out from beneath a sodden hood, scanning the shifting crowd for any signs of the machinae’s contact. The mercenary for hire, Artanis Vi Renebolt, was familiar with the Martinov crime family; having taken on various unscrupulous contracts for them in the past. Enforcer, body guard, hitman; he’d run the gamut, and in turn had come to know a little about the seedy organization’s inner workings. Sellswords like himself were rarely made use of by the family; and almost exclusively contracted to take care of “problems” the family would rather not bloody their hands sorting out. The current contract, though, Artanis could only speculate as to its content. It was unusual, to say the least, that someone such as himself received a communique from someone as lauded as the prodigal son of the Martinov family, Dominic. Even more unusual was the effort that went into finding the machinae and delivering him here; the sellsword was rarely forthcoming about his whereabouts, and so to locate and accost the Demvir would have been quite the venture for the young Mafioso. Artanis had no qualms about agreeing to meet the man. In his time working as a mercenary he’d learned not to so boldly rebuke contracts from people such as the Martinov family, and moreover, that dealing with them almost always provided him with significant financial boons. It was, in a manner of speaking, an offer he couldn’t refuse. Crossing his arms sluggishly across his chest, accompanied by an unhealthy sound of grinding metal ringing through his chassis, the ancient machinae finally caught sight of his benefactor. “You’re late.” He rumbled in his usual, tinny baritone, his words accompanied by a discordant click of gears from behind his steely visage. “Time is money, Martinov.” “I will make sure to account for it in your commission at the end then,” Dominic replied simply as he approached the growing group. A mix of Cassius’ triage and a few days of rest had brought him back to fully working condition. He was dressed in a pair of dark brown leather pants and a buttoned up black biker jacket. This time he had the Carnifex to begin with, holstered at his waist with his other handgun and combat knife. While Cassius’ presence negligible to say the least, it was rather difficult to miss a vorax in the middle of Terminus. The hitman and the mercenary approached the two, standing just behind them. “I’m interested in profits, but this would only have been a profitable venture if I was given warning ahead of time,” interjected the mafia man. “I have a few contractual obligations to take care of first.” He gestured towards Artanis, “While I don’t have the nearly endless supply of goons that you think I have, if Artanis’ reputation is to believed, it’s at least equivalent.” While he had never personally dealt with the machina before, the mercenary’s work was well known within the family. Regardless of his exorbitant fee, it was a near guarantee that it would be well worth the price in the end. However, manpower alone was not the only reason Dominic had hired the automata. While at the time he had little choice than to accept Ego’s contract, the hitman wasn’t willing to simply play into the demon’s machinations. Artanis was not part of the thrall and therefore could act as insurance against Ego. His hand curled into a tense fist instinctively just thinking about the situation he was in: played by the whims of a demon. Living beings like himself and Kincaid always seemed more susceptible to the psychological effects Ego could control, while on the other hand demvir always seemed as if they were above it all. Furthermore, as much as he abhorred to admit it, he wasn’t sure he would be able survive if he had to shoulder the brunt of the fighting alone again. The mafioso impatiently scanned the edges of the crowd. “Where’s the demon and Kincaid?” he asked Cassius and Corvus. Sev: [343/343] Hiren: [370/370]

 

[OssumBunz]

It was hard to believe the events that had unfolded in the past twenty four hours, yet all of it was true, just not graspable to all at this time. An entire district which had been home too so many and a source of livelihood for countless others had been eviscerated by melevalentness. Dust had not yet settled, but still the extent to the damage was clear and vivid.

Flaxen colored eyes, artifical with their subtle glow, whirred and clicked as they narrowed on the scene in front of them. The machinae had seen a great deal in her long lived life, but it had been a good century or so since she had witnessed something that looked so hauntingly like a war zone. Isn't that not what this was however? A war being fought by not just the races this time, but by something darker?

A chilled breeze wisped by Seneca di Contritio, ruffling and tugging lightly at the indigo cloak draped around her figure. A shiver travelled through her chasis like a jolt of electricity. No, this was not what the demvir had thought she would find by tagging along with her companion of late as he felt out another one of his jobs. Seneca glanced back towards the entrance of the famed Emerald Jewel, Artanis had found his man and had only just begun to converse with him it appeared.

She had only known him a short while, but this situation really gave light to the sort of man his legend had built upon. He looking unfazed from this distance, only interested in the coin he could possibly gain by taking part in whatever reasons had called him here.

While Seneca was fully capable of performing duties and sealing a deal herself, there was no way she could sit still and ignore all around her like a dog eyeing a treat. A sigh of sorts escaped from behind her face plate as she turned her attention from the sellsword, “Artanis, you fool” she muttered in a tinny voice that almost bordered on endearment.

[345/345]

 

[Apeiron]

“Oh, you know,” came a overly-jovial voice, “around.” Kincaid then stepped out from behind Catello, as if stepping out of thin air, smiling his thief’s smile at the slowly expanding gaggle. The thief cut a handsome figure, with his brown hair swept back so the most prominent feature were his dull grass-green eyes, and the easy smile that rested on his lips. He wore tailored traveling clothes (expensive for someone who just lost all his worldly possessions two nights ago) with the only accessories being a satchel slung over one shoulder, a plain duelist’s vest over the plain white collared shirt that he wore, and his cutlass that was sheathed at his hip. He also seemed... stiff. Less relaxed. As if someone had shoved a straight board down his back. When he spoke, the jovial tone was still there, dripping from his words, but there was an unmistakable refinement to his accent -- less lazy Aridusian from the night before, and more proper Secarean, “Had my own business matters to attend to..., ah! I see one of my associates arrived.” The thief nodded to the spurii, acknowledging that she was there because of him, before turning to scan the crowd. “I don’t suppose any of you have seen a swooning velen with a smug enlil attached to his arm, have you?” [220]

 

[Valero]

"Hey, that's only my name on weekends," Deni remarked as he passed around a nearby corner. His aftershave became a prominent scent before he even managed to join the rest of the ragtag group of survivors. He hadn't had much time to gather himself, but he had fixed up all of the aspects of himself that he thought important. The burns on his leg had been completely healed, only leaving a small patchy area on the back of his shin where his skin had been thoroughly singed.

The velen observed the others that were present. Demvir, laicar, spurii... regardless of their nature, they all looked tough. To survive the previous onslaught and still gather to form a resistance, he supposed that they had to be.

In truth, Deni wanted to be as far away from Terminus as he could be at that moment, to leave the heroes to be heroes while he sips cocktails in Prenditus. Of course, there was no guarantee that those evil bastards weren't parading around all the tropical areas of Araevis as well. That wasn't the only reason he stayed, however.

The pelagic rogue straightened his black trenchcoat and then stopped next to his laicar ally. Three noticeable scratch marks still revealed some of the pale skin on his back where one of his wounds used to be. Even though a slight wrinkle under his eyes showed that he was tired, he seemed energetic. They weren't going to catch him off guard again. This time he was raring for a fight.

"Iggy will be here soon, she's just making sure her gear's in order."

[268]

 

[Dysney]

A cloaked figure appeared shortly after Deni trailed by a bigatium drone. The person came to a stop near the roguish velen.

“Looks like we're having another go with hellspawn with a new crowd this time--” she examined the crowed from beneath the thick, fur rim of the cloak’s hood, “well partly new. Some you look a little familiar.” The voice was jovial albeit still raspy.

Cora chirped.

The cloaked figure, presumably “Iggy”, nodded in response.

Beneath her cloak, Ignis was mostly healed but her feathers hadn't started to regrow yet, leaving odd patches of bare skin. Bandages that had been slathered with healing salves on one side protected the tender skin. A mons infans clung to her shoulder like a bushy pauldron, peering out at everyone from the safety of the rather durable cloak the engineer had procured. The cloak was composed of a double layer of fabric; the outer layer was a durable, treated fabric that was somewhat flame retardant while the inner layer was soft and smooth with plenty of pockets. A few of these pockets contained various tools, rolls of bandages, ammo, a few bottles of salve, and terra regia just in case.

She turned to survey the destruction, a claw tipped hand brushing against one of the pistols concealed in her garb. This time, Ignis felt prepared to answer the call to fight monsters and demons. She could feel her vigor thrumming beneath her skin, having just barely replenished her energy in time for the upcoming skirmish. The enlil’s heart fluttered uncomfortably and her chest ached. The slightest tremble of her hands within the sleeves of her cloak was hard to notice unless it was looked for. Whether Ignis shook because she was unsettled or due to excitement, however, was undetermined.

[296]

Stats & Items

Ingenarius -Skilled
Fundibuli -Skilled
Pythonis -Skilled
Pistoli -Adept
Pugilis -Adept
Aquila -Adept
Occultus -Adept

1 Mundane Armor (the cloak)
2 Guns
1 Salve (dahilitium)
1 Salve (bigatium)

 

[Abbey Rose]

“It’s not exactly the best climate for someone like him.” Cassius replied to the mafioso, eyeing the newcomers but trying his best not to respond to them directly. “Even the strongest summoners are keeping their demons out of sight.” It was a good idea, for the most part. People were very mistrusting of demons at the moment. Not without cause, of course. “Are these all friends of yours, Fortis?” The mage finally turned his eye to the others. They seemed a motley crew at best, though he could not say much better about the company he had found himself attached to. “If they’re as good at killing as you are at backflipping, we might not even need anyone else.” The lightness of his tone was dropped, and slight resentment was put into it’s place. The last few days had not been the best, and it was affecting him more than he would like. “I suppose we should find some place quiet to discuss how exactly we plan on killing ourselves.” He looked to Dominic for confirmation. The gangster was better for this kind of stuff. Cassius had never quite been comfortable in the spotlight, especially when a weird spurri was giving him the kind of stare a zombie might. Crossbreeds were few and far between, and they made him a little uncomfortable. He kept his mouth shut on that front. It would not do to piss off another person who knew how to use a weapon, especially one so big. 250/558

 

[The Liar]

No orders had compelled Speedy to the Emerald Jewel that day. A year of being hauled and ordered had been enough for the demvir to decide that it, too, could have things it wanted to accomplish. The danger to Terminus itself presented by the hordes of demons wasn’t Speedy’s only concern.

It had only taken a flippant remark from the maker of the eight-legged bronze drone that skittered in the demvir’s footsteps to call Speedy to action. Ultimately, Speedy was determined to prove it was better than those that been giving it orders for the past year. Showing up at all made the demvir feel that much closer to overcoming them and their motives.

The sound of conversation was enough evidence that Speedy had come to the right place. Prior to setting out, its plating had been polished and sealed to cover any gaps. Its revolver sat in a holster on the right side of a leather belt secured on its waist, accompanied by a few pouches. The newest addition to its armament, a sawed-off shotgun whose previous owner had no need of it, was in a holster strapped to its right leg.

Along with Aja, whose weapon remained retracted, Speedy happened upon the small crowd thinking it was well-armed. There seemed, however, to be quite a few people gathered and some of them were particularly intimidating. On the pace of their conversation alone Speedy was prepared to assume they were all acquaintances.

Gradually, heat built up in the back of its cranium until it had come toward the edge of those gathered. Though a few of them wore grim expressions, and one was apparently keen on suicide, it could conceive of no way to greet them that would match the mood.

“Hello!” Speedy cheerfully greeted the others with a friendly wave.

[302/302]
​

 

[Shadowthread]

The athlete eyed the crowd as he arrived shortly after his buddy and barely recognized anyone other than the velen he had followed. Dante's outfit of a grey trenchcoat with a black tanktop underneath seemed to fit the crowd well, apparently there had been a bulk sale on trenchcoats. A biagtium claymore strapped in a dark leather scabbard was slung over his right shoulder. Having realized his weak points the athlete had picked up some extra equipment to hopefully carry him through this ordeal. He wished that he had had more time to prepare, he carried the most important equipment on him.

The athlete had fixed his arms with a combination of his magic and rest, even if at times the kinner wished to have spent more time on studying the schools of magic he was familiar in. His right arm still felt a bit sore and stiff from the hastily repair of the fractures by Castus spells.

”Aren't you an awfully cheerful fellow?” the athlete remarked towards the machine who had just arrived. Taking a closer look at the gathered crowd, many of them seemed to be not that well armed outside of the newest demvir, atleast visibly, as their clothing had been chosen with the possibility of concealing weapons. And since the crowd contained some wanted criminals, the athlete had to proceed carefully as to not agitate anyone too badly as he had a tendency to do.

[240/240]

 

[Mystydjinn]

"I vote for jumping, who's first? I mean I'm a little old school, so I prefer the cliffs; but I'm sure any one of these buildings will do." Aelflead mumbled in response to the scholar's reply. Her face was haggard, like most surviving citizens of Terminus, but considering the demon invasion, family problems, and an mildly overwhelming sense of doom, she was doing pretty well.


At the very least though her wanted posters would be inaccurate. Since encounter with the dragon's fire the thick hair she usually kept braided had been shorn short enough by the flames to reveal the rings of fuchsia and violet cartilage around her head. One unexpected run in with her stylist later and she had a spiky ponytail held back by a length of aruitium chain, and her cartilage had become bangs. The lack of weight from a twenty-five centimeter braid on her head was nice, sporting a braid thick as her wrist was hard on the neck, but without the feeling of hair on the back of her neck made her feel exposed and a little off balance. Though besides fatigue, she looked about as relaxed ready as the rest of the group.

Her right arm was resting on the broadsword scabbard on her hip, and the other was lying on her hip under her cloak, within reaching distance of her knife. Her mind was playing images of Gwendolyn stuck under rubble, and various other unfortunate ends that could come to the immature enlil velen crossbreed in the hellish city alone, and put her on edge with worry. The annoying realization she'd had when she recognized faces that she'd be with at least two of the conspirators from the heist of the Arx for the third major event in two years didn't help that, but her worry took precedence. Besides, the idea of demons spreading past Terminus into the rest of Areavis was not a good business prospect for anyone, least her and her own.

She couldn't help feeling small in terms of the scope of what they were about to attempt though, she was only thinking of victory in the way one might consider winning the lottery, and was more focused on trying to survive the coming fight.

[356] Stats in sig

 

[K3]

The bustle of the Emerald Jewel seemed well-equipped to guise the growing crowd of adventurers. The eclectic group seemed to bring only a nominal amount of eyes to them, but even a single extra pair was too many. With a little convincing and a nominal amount of threats of physical harm, Dominic and Kincaid cajoled the motley crowd into a nearby inn – presently offering free rooms to those displaced by the events of the previous night – and into a conference room on its ground floor. The chattering and banter continued amongst each other – introductions flying fast and furious before they managed to squeeze all twelve of themselves into the cramped conference room. When they arrived, though, a slow hush seemed to settle. The air inside was eerily still, and overly warm for being morning. The source was made immediately evident, lounging on what appeared to be a stolen padded chair from one of the inn's rooms. The devil, Ego, sat lazily, one of his hooved legs crossed over the other, and his four arms occupied with various objects. One held a wide-brimmed brass goblet, full of an unknown liquid that the devil sipped from at his leisure. Two leafed through a book currently sat in his lap, though its contents couldn't be seen terribly well. The final one appeared to be free, clenched into a lazy fist as the devil rested his cheek against it, perching the long appendage against the armrest of the chair. It was as the final member of the crowd – a rather vibrant demvir, entirely too upbeat for the fellows he'd sidled up to – entered the room that a placid grin stretched across the devil's face. Whether by design, or some unfortunate circumstance, some breeze seized the door and shut it behind Speedy. "Well now," Ego spoke, and the stinging aroma of smoke began to spread about the room, "you four simply don't waste any time, do you? And such numbers, too!" Laughing to himself, he discarded the book onto a small sitting-table in front of him and smoothed the now-free hand through his balding black hair and patting down the filthy black suit he wore. His wide, blank-eyes rolled over the gathered mortals, stopping briefly at the trio of demvir in their number. Ego paused a moment, before jabbing a finger at Cassius. In the hush of the room, Ego could acutely hear the attempts to quietly draw weapons. His grin twitched up just a smidge at the corners, and the devil wagged the offending finger playfully. "Now, now, my fellows. Perhaps good Cassius can enlighten you to my presence here. And while we're at it, my good friends, take care to introduce yourselves; I hope you've learnt the important of such things from a couple nights ago." [ 463 / 905 ]​

 

[MoonlitRain014]

There was something strangely banal about this demon. He sat there, lounging calmly, like any ordinary human being but there was a certain evil radiating from him that unsettled Aeria. She shifted her halberd from hand to hand, but she didn't see much point in considering some kind of drastic action. It was likely that this creature could summon powers that would render even the most talented fighter incapacitated, so she just regarded him as evenly as possible. It wasn't all that calm, but she was not going to show fear. Ego could probably sense it but at least she felt brave in her own shoes. Even though the devil might see through it, she decided to use the name that she'd invented to disguise her identity. She didn't want some members of this crowd to know who she was.

Her voice came from the cowl of her hood and she tried to keep some iron in her tone as she spoke.
"I am called Irina Featherbright. It's...I won't say nice...but it is rather interesting to make the acquaintance of a demon. I wouldn't mind hearing from Cassius either. Our presence in your proximity makes me wonder what he's doing bringing us here."

She swept her gaze across to the youth. She was not impressed with the fact that he'd brought them face to face with a devilish being. Under the circumstances, she wasn't sure that this was the best choice but she was sticking around anyways to hear what Cassius had to say for himself.

[639]

Stats

Vigor: 8633
Latens: 2650

School of Ingenarius -Skilled
School of Fundibuli - Adept
School of Contigeri - Adept
School of Occultus - Adept

 

[Abbey Rose]

Why I’m bringing us here? Cassius scowled at the woman. I literally have no idea who any of you are. He let it go. It would not do to make enemies with more people than necessary, especially given the matter at hand, and especially with Ego there. The uncomfortable feeling these spurii gave him was nothing compared to what that demon did. He looked at Ego, addressing the fiend directly. “I… uh, think that Dominic or Fortis would be a bit more suited to exp-” The devil’s smile widened a smidgen as he arched an eyebrow at the mage’s protest. It dared him to continue and see what happened. Cassius swallowed. He knew what would happen. It would not be pretty. “Well then,” he continued after a cough, “to keep it simple, My name is Cassius, novice mage and student here in the city. Call me Cass if you like, I guess? I am here against my will, but that, unfortunately, doesn’t matter right now. Ego is…” He paused for a moment. You did not just say that a demon owned your immortal soul, even in impolite company like this. “ ...an employer of sorts. In exchange for our, um… cooperation, he’s agreed to give us information on the demon’s staging area as well as how they are staying on Mortalis for so long unaided.” “There are a few problems, however. Right, guys?” He turned towards his other three companions, his eyes slightly pleading for respite. 245/803

 

[Apeiron]

Kincaid leaned over to Aeria, whispering cautiously, “Don’t ever consider that devil a friend unless you want to end up like me.” He smiled his thief’s smile at the spurii and winked. When prompted by Cassius, Kincaid shot a half glance to Dominic before stepping forward to say, “Problem number one: it’s gloriously suicidal.” A subdued smile from the thief graced the gathered crowd. Until he remembered that he hadn’t introduced himself. “Ah! My apologies. My name is Duilius Fortis. Former Conexus Lieutenant and current head of the Retrieval and Transportation branch of the Societas.” He gave a polite half-bow. “I’m here because of business, and hopefully those of you who’ve gathered see just how much we all gain by joining forces.” With a gesture, he indicated to the other members of his guild, saying, “Some of you have already heard my little spiel on this whole thing, so I won’t bore the rest of you... however.” With a sweeping gesture, the thief brought everyone’s attention to Ego. “Our employer isn’t happy with the current state of affairs, and I think we’re all in some sort of agreement that neither are we. He has so far supplied us with a reason behind the sudden appearance of unleashed--” he paused to look at Cassius, waiting to be corrected on the term. The student just gave him a lazy half-shrug and nod. “--unleashed demons.” Kincaid refused to believe that something as mythical as the Janu could be behind the portals. So he skipped over that part. Instead, he explained, “Someone has opened a portal to the Infernalis, and is keeping it open. Both of these things are not easily done, require a good amount of resources… and no small amount of manpower.” [510]

 

[Shadowwind]

The vorax let out a yawn, shaking away the lethargy that was creeping in from all the rambling. The hunter atop the beast rolled his eyes at the explaination. “Ultimately,” Corvus began, “a bunch of assholes are ripping apart the plane. While that stupid portal is still around, correct me if I’m wrong Cass,” the laicar said eyeing the student, “the demons ain’t gonna die. We can ‘kill’ them sure. But it’s only a matter of time before they muster back in Infernalis and wander back out of the stupid portal. “We’re gonna be the ones who’ll get rid of the boogeymen holding the portal open. With the door shut, it’ll be a matter of killing and binding whatever is left on this side and everything should be back to normal.” For all the tough talk, the leather-clad young hunter suddenly seemed to realize the attention directed at him. Redness managed to creep its way into his cheeks. The hunter quickly ran a hand through his auburn hair as though to distract himself before he continued. “Name’s Corvus, the fat guy's Catello,” the more he tried to hide it the more he could tell his accent was thick from the southern continent. Why did they have to talk in front of crowds? The vorax let out a huff which brought the hunter to his senses. When he spoke next his voice was rushed, “It’s a pretty straight forward job. Might not be easy but there’s not a ton of stupid technical crap for most of us. Walk in, make some idiots bleed or die, close the portal that’s spewing demons into the world like it's the end times, come home and get a hero’s reception. “Simple really.” There was an earnestness in the hunter's voice that make the declaration all the more insane. [303/577]​

 

[Dysney]

Ignis bit her lip, as she watched the proceedings from beneath her hood. Who on earth would open a portal to infernalis? How would they go about closing such a gap between dimensions? Concern over the demons’ ability to return time and time again and excitement over getting a closer look at a work of powerful magic --and if she was lucky, engineering-- warred with each other. The engineer’s thoughts turned to other possible consequences of this operation at Corvus’ words. A hero’s welcome? Perhaps if she helped with this, the Conexus would be willing to drop their bounty on her. The thought of being free of the price on her head was exhilarating.

“It seems as if some of us are getting in the habit of taking on suicidal quests,” the enlil remarked aloud in a voice a bit lower and rougher than her usual tone. Though her throat was no longer quite as raw as it had been a couple of days ago, it still ached.

“Best to get to it; it wouldn’t do to get a reputation for keeping our employers waiting. If we’re slow about it, that Vis-damned dragon will come back.” Her eyes flickered to Ego. Why would a demon want to shut the portal that got him here? Why had Societas been called to help? Excitement aside, Ignis felt something was amiss.

[228/524]

 

[Nargles]

Dominic’s brow furrowed in annoyance as the others attempted to explain the plan. Between Cassius’ complete lack of authority, Corvus’ oversimplification, and Kincaid’s penchant for unnecessary dramatization, he felt as if the longer they talked, the more incomprehensible the actual task would be. In a far more serious tone than his compatriots, Dominic began to address the crowd. “As Kincaid has mentioned, this task will take many resources and require far more manpower than we currently have. While the four of us have no other choice than to call this demon our... employer... the rest of you have no ties to him. You are all here either on your own volition or to out of an agreement with another in the crowd. Remember that.” The mobster paused for a moment before continuing on. “You might believe that this a noble cause and no doubt the idea of embarking on a quest to close a portal to hell will provide its own share of glory.” He shot a quick glance towards Kincaid before resuming. “I want to stress that this mission has very little room for error or hesitation. While the fights in Terminus were already dangerous, I can only guarantee that it will only become more difficult.” His tone became somewhat louder to accentuate his final points. “My name is Dominic Martinov. To call this mission suicidal is an understatement. Unlike the demons, we don’t have the luxury of returning after being killed.”