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Post by opius on May 4, 2023 20:02:25 GMT -5
Silence. In the relative sense, there was silence. The quiet shifting of viscous asphalt, the knocking of settling stones, and the shambling of feet were silent things when compared to the storm of crackling violet energy that had been gathered here only moments before. No longer were there sparks of that malevolent hue threatening to flash into full blown lightning strikes, or winds bellowing with force enough to knock a person down. The inky darkness that had blotted out the dim silver shine of the moon and stars had dissipated. Even the dead had begun meandering elsewhere, away from radiant souls and burning spirits.
The King of Feathers, now reduced to a pile of sticky, tar-caked bones, hungered no more. The pile was still, dis-animated. Whatever had been occupying the vessel was now long gone.
The worst, it seemed, was over. The groaning drones of undead masses, having only moments ago been rallied into a violent army bent on killing the living, grew distant as the once-army now wandered slowly and silently away, dispersing. A cool breeze passed through the ruins where the party now gathered themselves. The night sky provided a dim illumination such that even those not gifted with the dark vision of of their neighbor races could still maneuver and collect their bearings.
It was a fine time to take a breather and a head count. Before, of course, figuring out where and when to rest.
"Anyone no longer living, please call out." Called a hoarse Jeane, who stood upon the pile of broken spire Incognitus had helped level earlier. Following a brief pause, she looked about. "Wounded, then." She dismounted the pile, hand on her side as she caught her own breath, and moved about the party to administer aid to the wounded.
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Verdi would find themself on their rear, having been knocked momentarily back from the eruption of silvery divine energy released when Alina felled the king. Their bow rested nearby, still faintly shimmering in the moonlight. A minute or so had passed as the light faded, the dead moved on, and the rush of panic and feral intensity ebbed away. As whatever magic had been fueling Verdi's mad and reckless dash into the fray dissipated, so too did the shadowy augmentation-though his form remained haggard and rough around the edges from the telltale signs of trauma and exhaustion. In place of that energy and determination, a headache now throbbed between his ears.
((Verdi, you take a point of Exhaustion. For the time being, treat that as a -1 penalty to any d20 roll made until you take a full rest.))
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Vanya would find herself on the high ground, still prone from having hidden herself away from the onslaught of undead. Why the creatures had attacked her so tenaciously was unknown to the woman. But being pursued and running was nothing new. From her vantage point, as the party caught their breath, she had a view of their entirety.
From nearby a pair of lambent yellow eyes peered at her from the darkness. Stratus watched her with some intensity, but seemed to glance away as soon as she took notice of him. It seemed a living Vanya was less interesting than a dying one. Or, perhaps, he cared. With cats, especially black cats, it was hard to tell.
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Post by CautionCat on May 5, 2023 10:53:28 GMT -5
Verdi shook their head, paused, and raised a hand to find the headache brewing in their skull, rubbing a temple. What was that? Kelevera told them to take a hold of that feeling, something he never felt so intensely before... He would have to ask her when they meet again.
Vanya was on the top of the rocks, and Verdi would climb to his feet, and start moving towards it. "Vanya? Vanya are you alright?"
They passed Wisp, who was busy comforting Jackson? Or was is Fredrick. Verdi couldn't remember which was which, but something had happened to control the undead. It was unsettling.
He would start to climb the rocky slope, finding his footing not as nimble as it should have been.
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Post by Ancelas on May 5, 2023 14:17:07 GMT -5
Vanya eyed the zombie near her, but as it turned to shamble off, she heaved a sigh of relief. Her dress was torn and frayed, she was muddy and wet, and overall looked a state - not to mention what she felt like. She had weathered that monstrosity's necrotic power, and had nearly been washed away by it, only to rally and steal back some force of life for herself.
There was a lesson there, somewhere.
Moving to peek out from behind the rock, she heard Jeane call out and managed a faint smile. She pulled herself to her feet with a wince and gazed down into the bowl where the fight had occurred. All of her friends seemed -
Verdi?
Her jaw dropped at seeing the tiefling and hearing him call her name. Ignoring the state of the world around her, she rushed forward and leapt off of the small cliff, vanishing in a twist of shadow only to reappear in front of Verdi, descending into him with arms outspread in an embrace.
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Post by CautionCat on May 5, 2023 14:21:43 GMT -5
Verdi raised his brows in surprise as Vanya vaulted, then vanished, and appeared in front of them. He stumbled backwards just as she reached to grab them in an embrace, and he hugged back. Tightly.
"Oh, I am so happy you are okay... I... I had a vision, it scared me. Fyodor told me to find you."
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Post by Ancelas on May 5, 2023 14:56:10 GMT -5
Vanya wrapped her arms around Verdi as she was pulled in close, and soaked in the faint warmth he radiated. It was comforting. "A vision... I was knew Fyodor was a good boy. We must be sure to thank him. But... weren't you and your companions at the zigurrat? Isn't that miles away?"
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Post by CautionCat on May 5, 2023 16:25:00 GMT -5
"Yes. It is." Verdi didn't want to let Vanya go, feeling his eyes grow wet. "Biff and I have been moving to get here as quickly as possible. It was dark when we left. I know we needed to get things done, but... after seeing the vision, and Fyodor telling me to go, I... I had to leave as soon as I could."
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Post by Ancelas on May 5, 2023 21:48:41 GMT -5
Vanya nodded. "A vision like that is a powerful one," Vanya agreed. Taking a deep breath, she drew back, but kept her arms around him, smiling. He looked as rough and dirty as she felt. "I'm glad you made it. I'm glad you were here. I know the King of Feathers hurt you, and I'm glad you got to be part of its end."
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Post by CautionCat on May 5, 2023 21:53:19 GMT -5
"I wonder what turned it." Verdi frowned, and furrowed his brows, looking down to Vanya. "Something would have taken him down, none of this feels right. But... Whatever threat he turned into, has been eliminated."
They sighed, and hugged Vanya again, drawing her close and just enjoying being with her. They weren't really... dating for very long, but that attraction had been there for some months. How long was it there for Vanya?
"I'll be sure to take a tooth or two as a trophy."
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Post by Ancelas on May 6, 2023 17:23:35 GMT -5
"You've earned it," Vanya said, squeezing him as he pulled her in for a hug. She pulled back a moment later, grinning at him, and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. And not on his cheek.
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Post by CautionCat on May 6, 2023 17:40:52 GMT -5
It was mischievous, and not expected, but Verdi didn't realize how much they needed that to settle their mind. He needed to still process what was going on, and thusly became frozen for a moment.
When she would pull away, however long that was, he closed the gap again, holding the kiss for longer. Parting only inches away from her face, he kissed her cheek, then nestled his face into the crook of her neck and shoulder, buried in her hair.
He let out a shivered sigh, and squeezed her again. Fyodor's voice lingering in his mind once more.
"I'm sorry. I'm... a bit of a mess." They mumbled into her hair. She smelled nice, like lilies. It reminded him of a warm spring day on Aegise. Oh bother, now I'm homesick.
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Post by Ancelas on May 7, 2023 19:02:30 GMT -5
Verdi's enthusiasm was a surprise - but a welcomed one. When he leaned forward, she held, parting only a moment later, feeling flushed.
"Ah... yes... well... me too." She laughed a little and looked down, pulling away a little so she could look down at herself, one hand moving to his. "The King managed to strike me with some strange ability..."
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Post by CautionCat on May 7, 2023 19:45:13 GMT -5
"Strange ability?" Verdi raised their brows, and leaned back, giving Vanya some room to breath. "I feel like I came at the tail end of the fight, so I didn't quite get... to know what this creature did."
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Post by Ancelas on May 8, 2023 7:51:34 GMT -5
"Yes," Vanya said, looking down at her dirty, tattered dress with a frown. "I really do need a new change of clothes... I almost lost consciousness, I think - it felt as though the life had been drained from my body."
She looked back up at Verdi with a tired smile. "I'm okay, though. I was able to draw strength form other sources. Oh... that reminds me, I should check on Jack and Fred." She frowned as she turned to look for her skeletons. "Something was disrupting the link between us... turning them against me. I don't think they wanted to, though..."
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Post by CautionCat on May 8, 2023 17:09:46 GMT -5
"Oh... that must have been a great power... it seems all the undead are... leaving." Verdi glanced around, and moved to Vanya's side.
"I wonder if destroying these sources of power, will make undead more passive..."
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Post by Ancelas on May 8, 2023 17:23:31 GMT -5
"Leaving?" Vanya said, and her search for Fred and Jack became a little more fantic. "Uh oh. Um... we need to find them quickly, then!"
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