Private The Liberation of Castle Naraz

Dashmiel

Dashmiel

Bearly In Charge
Administrator
Nexus GM
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The Village of Anlomar
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The village of Anlomar, in the valley of the same name, is where the human population that is beholden to Castle Naraz resides. It is a place of poverty and disease, located in a shallow valley surrounded by tall mountains. The amount of arable land is scarce, and poor stewardship has left it ill suited to properly meet the needs of the citizenry. What passes for still producing fields lie south of the village, in a patchwork of fallow sections interspersed with plots of hardy staples like beans or potatoes.

To the east and west can be found desolate wilderness in the form of a very anemic tudra, which eventually ends at the foothills of the stone giants keeping the impoverished people from any hope of exodus. What the wolves would leave behind, a sheer deficit of calorie would finish, leaving them no hope of escape.

A ways north of the village begins the cursed woods that separate Anlomar from Castle Naraz beyond. A tangled snarl of ancient growth where the vampires let their necromantic creations roam free.



A few days ago...

A desolate wind blew through the dusty fields outside of Castle Naraz, raising short lived devils in it's wake. It had been a particularly dry season, and the poor denizens of Anlomar were faced with yet another possibility of famine troubling their already delicately difficult existence. The pair of wretched figures were toiling in the fields, trying to coax the poor soil to give them a few more life sustaining tubers. With makeshift tools and sweat they did their best to eke out a meager existence.

They were working on tilling next to the long–dry riverbed, hoping that the soil adjacent to the dusty clatter of stones had some traces of the nutrients that once coursed through. One of the figures had a rather deep cough, great rattling things that often left behind bloodied lips. It's companion tried their best to politely feign disinterest as the continued working. No reason to accentuate the obvious; sooner rather than later only one would remain, while the other would falter and expire. Small comfort, for they both knew that shortly thereafter the hollow remains would arise again and set off for the accursed forest.

It was sometime just past midday, when it happened. One of the figures gathered what little energy they had left to forcefully jostle the other. In a lethargic exchange, they remarked at what their eyes were seeing. A continuous trickle of actual flowing water moistened the stones to their right. They spent a few minutes marveling—For there had been precious few rain this season, and none for a few days—before deciding that their fruitless labors could wait. Wearily and with only the dullest curiosity, they began to follow the water's origin, up to where an opening in the foothill's rocks awaited.

In through this small cave they ventured forth, the water's flow still leading the way. They reached a small aperture within the cave, just beneath chest height. Kneeling down for a closer look, their minds were forced to stagger at what they saw. Standing horizontally, they beheld sunlight refracted through draining water. Water that seemed to fall down sideways through the air towards them, only to then trickle down the cave's floor.

They wouldn't know what it was, but a doorway had opened to another world. They heard voices beyond. Healthy, robust, jovial voices. They summoned what little strength they had and began to shout.
 
Ragenard had found this place after hearing about it from one of his contacts in the Wayfarer's Guild who knew the werewolf would be interested in anything involving vampires. He'd like to say he was in it for the money, but there wasn't much chance of these poor waifs having any to pay him with. He could perhaps rationalize to himself that he was in it altruistically, but Ragenard wasn't one to lie to himself.

Ragenard didn't like blood suckers as a general rule. And ones that were doing the kind of shit these did? He'd take them out for the exercise and pay for the opportunity if required.

After a very weird descent—where he finally got to use his rope for something other than letting Broch tie up little girls—and a little bit of walking, he found himself in the village of Anlomar. As someone with a varied wealth of experience where poverty was concerned, Ragenard felt confident in his assessment: This place was a shithole.

It didn't take a lot of work to bluster and cuss his way to something resembling an authority figure in this place—in this case the village mayor, that is to say the only one that had more than one pair of shoes—and he got the whole sad and sordid tale. Wasn't that much different from any of the dozens of small Iverian hamlets he'd seen where the same story played out. Not that much different from the one that birthed his hatred of the things. Which of course made it the perfect outlet for some violent therapy.

"They live over yonder M'lord," said the Mayor.
"I'm not a lord, I told you that already," replied Ragenard.

"Sorry M'lord. But as I was saying, the way is just past the cursed woods," said the Mayor, pointing northwards with a trembling hand, "It's infested with other undead monstrosities under their thrall."

"How many are there?"
"Monstrosities M'lord? Countless ones," the Mayor said.

Ragenard suppressed a drawn out sigh, as he took a moment to once again inspect his environment. Bare mud road, baked hard by the sun. Old weathered stones poking out here and there haphazardly; ancient remnants of what used to be a wall. He'd noticed that in his walk-abouts around the village. Little signs that this place hadn't always been such a backwater.

"No, not monstrosities," barked Ragenard as he stared down at the man, "How many vampires? And how old do you think they are?"
"Aaaah. I b-believe there's about half a dozen perhaps? It's hard to be sure. Only the same four directly interact with us," stuttered the Mayor.

Ragenard was pensive for a moment, right hand idly tugging on his chin as he pondered. At least six. Necromancers too. It'd have to do. "Alright," he said, "consider yourself saved. We'll take care of it."
"But M'lord, there's only four of you angels here!"
"I told you, I'm not an angel," roared Ragenard, headache suddenly threatening to erupt, "We explained to you there's another world out there. We're just people. Now leave me be while I wait for the others."

Finally alone, Ragenard stood in the village square as he awaited his companions who had converged here from Nexus. His loud and frequent grousing around the place, combined with his stern looks, ensured he'd commando a decently sized bubble of space around the makeshift gathering place. A few ragged dozens—the ones who could still muster any hope and were already too crippled for work—stood around the square, waiting for these "saviors" to embark upon their liberation. Frankly, Ragenard just wanted to kick some vampiric ass.
 
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The Vitae family had called in a favor, and this time it was from a direct bloodline. Daniel's mother had heard of the plight of the world that had requested help from their connections at the Wayfarer's guild, someone had mentioned it to her during one of their lunches or some-other and the next thing Daniel knew he had a call from his mother explaining the whole situation to him and how they wanted to help. Keeping good connections with the guild was great for business, and his family enjoyed the benefits of close relations with those higher up in the guild - Helping them out in times of need like this were customary for them, but it had been a while since Daniel had been called to help outside his medical expertise at the Nexus.

They wanted him to go, as very few others were keen to enter a dubious portal to another realm without guaranteed success on returning with what they had heard about the threat on the other side. The only reason his family was so confident with requesting that help from Daniel was the assurance they had in his resilience, making him think longer on just how much they knew about what he had become after the experiment those years ago. Having some information about it kept away from him wouldn't be that surprising, he could see them thinking that it was in his best interest - All the same, he made a mental note to do some digging when he got back. 'So, it looks like I'll be jumping down a well.' Daniel thought to himself as he leaned over to peer at the water below.

"You think the water's cold?" Daniel jested, turning to his companion who had accompanied him on the trip to see him off. The escort merely shrugged, leaning over just as he did. "I'd be more concerned for what's on the other side." He repeated, tightening a length of rope as Daniel grabbed hold and eased himself into the well. "Fair enough, I'll be back when I can - Do make sure my mother knows that she owes me a favor when I'm done with this, and if I don't," Daniel paused for a moment to consider it. "Make it two favors. I'll be back eventually, but if it takes forever I'm calling in more." He said with a small laugh to himself, an attempt to ease his own concern as his escort helped him down the well and into the murky water.

'I knew it'd be cold.' He thought to himself as the portal enveloped him, and the next thing he knew he was floating vertically into what appeared to be a cave system. It took a few moments for Daniel to collect himself before he was greeted by a few strangers, eager to help him to his feet and essentially begging for him to follow as they led him towards their homes.

"So this is the world in need of our help." Daniel spoke to himself as he walked behind the two eager 20, maybe 30 somethings? They were both malnourished and covered in dust and grime, this world clearly resembled that of which his family spoke about in great history. The difference however would be the mystical aspects, necromancy and vampires were considered fables and myths in his family's home-world; but all of that didn't quite matter when they found themselves engrossed inside of the Nexus. His two escorted were going on and on about the horrors they had seen, how scared they were of the forests that had claimed all the dead from their town. "How long have you been suffering under these conditions?" Daniel asked after taking it all in, only to be greeted by gaunt faces. "All our lives, and those before us... For years." One answered, causing Daniel to stop moving for a moment as he took in their expressions.

These two were genuinely grateful for the help, a glimmer of hope in their eyes that Daniel could tell was uncommon in their world to have. What he was doing here would be of help to others, and that alone made him feel guilty for his misgivings about helping them earlier. The part of him that was excited to be a doctor to help others was the same part of him that would strive to help those in need, no matter the cost to himself; it was just constantly at odds with some lessons from his upbringing that taught him to prioritize the family over others.

After a bit of walking the escorts had led him to the town proper, and already there were a few stragglers looking around in awe as he drew near - but most had their eyes on another figure who stood tall. It was easy to pick him out among the others, everyone who lived here had the same grime and ghoulish features from years of living in such poor estates but his build alone spoke volumes of his strength and training. Something he found hard to believe would be common around these parts.

Daniel's escorts waved him off, thanking him profusely for choosing to help them, but soon wandered back off towards the way he had come from - either to help guide the next or continue some form of work he didn't know, but he still felt a bit sheepish with how genuine they were in their gratitude. Taking a moment to collect himself, Daniel pushed on towards the meeting place.

"Looks like I'm second." Daniel spoke aloud as he drew near to the stranger, he didn't know much about the man beside some basic information that his family had sought out from their connections in the guild. They didn't want to send Daniel off completely unprepared, and calling in their contacts for some cursory information had at least let Daniel know he didn't have to worry about his new companion's capabilities. "My name is Daniel Vitae, it's a pleasure to meet you in person." He continued as he drew close enough to shake the man's hand; his stature was much larger than his own but he offered it all the same, his eyes seeking out his as making a first impression was one of the main focuses of his family as they sought to represent themselves to the best of their abilities.
 
Ragenard had been right in some regard. Broch did find this place more favorable than the world oddity they had come from to enter this world. At least this is what he understood. The sight and scent of trees and small towns and streams, it brought him back to a simpler time. Even after arriving shortly after Ragenard, he couldn't help but wander a bit off the path, scouting around the town. He wasn't much of a people's person anyway, and his very bulk would have frightened off the poor mayor in all rights.

The third from the guild had arrived prior to Broch finishing off his third round about the village and he approached with some caution. He was used to people balking at the sight of the shear bulk of the old man. As Daniel made his introductions, Broch's voice boomed despite his best attempt to keep it quiet.

"I am Broch Asvaldr, last born and last survivor of the clan name." He offered before turning his attention to his hunting companion. "Oi, ya said thar'd be a third. Did their 'ead get stuck in that portal-watsit or sumthin'? I dun want to be stormin' a castle blind in the middle of the bloody night an 'ave to be babysittin' some wet nosed adventurer who's only call is to pop their glory-cherry so they can get laid." He grumbled, a low sounding rumble that reminded some of thunder clouds in the distance.
 
Ragenard had been aware of the scrawny kid approaching for a good half a minute now. But even as the kid got closer, he just couldn't exactly pinpoint what he'd been smelling, lurking just beneath the surface. It was a subtle sort of scent, not quite like a cancer, but in the ballpark. Whatever the hell it was, it was pervasive in the lad. He could smell the way it ebbed and flowed, pushing at some unseen boundary where it ended and the kid began. Or vice versa. Maybe it would pay to not underestimate the kid. Ragenard could commiserate and empathize in that similarity; he too knew what it was like to live with something constantly trying to define itself inside you.

"Vitae huh," he grunted, turning towards Daniel, "You must be the son of the family everyone's talking about lately." Ragenard took a moment to size up the kid before reaching to shake Daniel's hand. His hand hopelessly dwarfed the young man's own, and while Ragenard didn't deliberately set out to deliver a crushing grip, he certainly wasn't the kind of man known for a limp dick cold fish handshake. "Thought you were a doctor of some sort, you sure didn't come here prematurely?" he asked gruffly. "I'm here to kill monsters," he said as he looked Daniel straight in the eyes, taking his measure, "If you have any oaths preventing you from dealing death, best you stay—" Ragenard's expression simultaneously relaxed and tightened; he couldn't contain an eye-roll and a snort.

He'd expected it—one couldn't really avoid smelling Broch, and he'd known he was about—but the big bastard must have approached from downwind instinctually, and of course they didn't have charm school in the Iverian hinterlands. "Keep yer frilly 'anties from twistin'," exclaimed Ragenard in an exaggerated Iverian accent, "I told you there would be four of us. I'm doing a favor for an acquaintance in the Guild, and I have to at least be able to report we all set out alive," he added gruffly. He couldn't fault Broch however, he was itching to kick some ass.
 
The hair on Daniel's body raised as it instinctively felt itself being sized up, part of him feeling like he was more exposed now than earlier and for a moment he felt like his heartbeat had quickened as if detecting a threat. It died down quickly however as the man finished looking him over, and instead turned to face him directly. His size alone would led Daniel to look upwards when conversing with the man, and although he shared a rather human outside appearance he knew that there were plenty of those who did in the Nexus that were most definitely not "just human".

As the man repeated his family name Daniel nodded, part of him grateful that the name was known to the man - but if he was connected to the Wayfarer's guild, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise considering the support his family provided. His handshake easily made him feel a bit uneasy at the sheer difference, but it didn't stop Daniel from returning it formally. While smaller in physique his structure was hardy, the years spent fortifying his bone structure and muscle tissue hadn't been for nothing but he knew that he was dwarfed by this man's internal strength. He allowed the man to get what he needed to say out, and listened patiently but before he had the chance to finish another man had approached them - cutting him off mid sentences.

With a glance back towards the on-comer Daniel couldn't help but smile at the company. Another large man, battle-hardened by the looks of it joined the two of them and he couldn't help but feel a bit out of place. The man's voice itself sounded like roaring thunder, which felt just right with the physique that accompanied it - thankfully it seemed that the man had already heard his introduction. "A pleasure to meet you, Broch Asvaldr." He returned calmly, ensuring to emphasize the name as closely as he could to the man's own introduction. Last of his clan's name typically held a great honor, one his family respected well with their tradition with how much time and dedication they put into building their family name. Turning back to Ragenard, Daniel went on to respond to what he had heard prior.

"Still a doctor, but I've been branching out a bit lately. The family has been hoping to get me out of the Nexus to make further connections, I suspect they just want me to build recognition and get my face known if I'm to ever help lead our next generation." He went on, taking a moment to laugh to himself at the thought. "But I'm serious about the work, the people here seem in dire need - and while I take pride in helping those that are injured, I have no hesitation with harming those that threaten them. My family doesn't include the old 'Do no harm' oath that was common back on their home world."

With that Daniel took another cursory glance around, if they were waiting on the 4th to arrive he figured he'd get an idea of just how many people lived in the town still. He had mostly seen men toiling around and working, and with how gaunt their faces and physique were he could only imagine a couple dozen denizens still living here.
 
Broch grumbled something unintelligible under his breath in his irritation at the response of Ragenard. They didn't need four people for this, he thought. He turned towards the village and grumbled again, keeping his thoughts to himself. His grey hues hardly missed anything when it came to studying the area and the people around him. And although it didn't seem he was paying attention to the conversation, he was catching every bit of the details Daniel offered up about his family.

"A man of 'onor'. Bloody well ya don't 'old to those oaths entirely." He boomed softly, for Broch that is. "The world is an ugly place, yer bound to find the man you just patched up is willin' to get up and blow the ward up. Good on ye." He looked down at Daniel and how tiny the man was compared to the two of them. "But do ya know whach yor up against, boy? I mean none offense, mind ye. But I've seen my share of blood suckers and new adventurers an' I've a fair bit of experience to know who's gonna come out on top. No shame if ya have second thoughts." He said with unusual patience for him.

Yet the impatience picked back up when he turned his attention back to Ragenard. "And I'm about this close to twistin' yer panties, boy. I could just use yer 'ead as a batterin' ram and storm the damned castle with young Daniel 'ere. At least 'e 'as a better lookin' mug than yers, and most likely a 'ead on 'is shoulders more useful than a sack of taters with a dick."
 
If you’re going to do this, Aimée then you need to ensure you can take care of yourself. You can’t always be protected and if you don’t start stepping up, he’ll always refer to you as a pup.

Aimée stood staring down at the well, her fingers tapping the edge of it in idle thought. Truth be told, she never expected Ragenard to invite her on such a potentially dangerous adventure, but the pup knew it would be the perfect time to show him that she could hold her own and be one of the pack. Well, the pack wasn’t in this strange world, but it still fit, she surmised. Wrapping the rope around her that she had managed to borrow, the thief climbed over the rim of the portal and carefully climbed down. She packed light, only carrying a backpack that had medicine for her headaches as well as some protein bars. There were also a few bottles of booze as an emergency stash, though she honestly didn’t see herself drinking much. If anything, she would probably just give it to the others. Most importantly, however, the pack also held her ammunition for the pair of Scorpion guns she hanging against her sides after she used a combination of an old shoulder harness and a pair of nylon cases. Double sheathes that run the length of her lower legs house a pair of daggers. Lastly, a long sheathe runs the length of her back and connects into the shoulder harness in order to hold a sword. That unfortunately made it quite difficult to scale down the well, but it wasn’t undoable.

“Well, that wasn’t as hard as I thought.” Dropping to her feet, she glanced around and tugged the hood of her jacket back up over her head. As always, still not used to the scars given to her by a bitch Scion, Aimée made sure that her black hair covered the right side of her face so that only one blue eye was peeking out. Stepping forward, came across two children playing and knelt down beside them, asking them if they could take her to the Mayor, figuring that was the meeting point. The two kids nodded with a giggle and each took one of her hands and slowly led her to the village of Anlomar. Stopping shy of the town square, it was clear that the occupants frightened the pair and without another word, they took off running, heading back to where they had been playing.

Shit, you’re the last one here… Inwardly groaning, Aimée stepped over to where Ragenard was gathered with two other, one of which appearing quite irked over something and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was her fault he was so peeved.

“Sorry, sorry. I had a bit of an umm… problem, acquiring my items.” Aimée spoke up confidently before turning to the two strangers, barely waiting a beat before continuing, “Aimée Chevrier at your service.”
 
Ragenard nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Daniel's rationale and ignored Broch's unintelligible grumbling—an advantage he had over this version of Broch; Ragenard was far more practiced at dealing with Broch's mannerisms from his frame of reference than vice versa—Daniel's reasoning was a good stance he thought. It would still remain to be seen if the lad could actually pull his weight, but at least his heart was in the right place. Better poised than his and Broch's he suspected. He let Daniel have his glance around, and counted seconds in his head. Three...two...one...here came Broch's rebuttal.

"Yeah, I might even let you," retorted Ragenard offhandedly, "If I actually fell unconscious I'd be spared your whining, and I know you miss Iveria but I'm sure we can find you some potatoes and mountain ram dicks somewhere," he added casually. Meanwhile, he scented the air. She should be here by now where was...ah, there she was. Ragenard turned in time to see Aimée approaching.

He gave the pup a careful look-over, his old pack leader instincts jumping to the forefront. Took careful note of her equipment, watched how she walked, using his other senses to study her bearing. All of it annoyingly instinctual, a mantle he never wanted but seemed he hadn't been able to put aside yet. "Nice guns," he said to her in greeting. Ragenard turned back towards Daniel, "There's 63 souls crammed in this shanty of a village, three of their working age men will die of cancer tonight if my nose is right," he said pointedly. Ragenard wanted the lad well stoked, wanted him telling himself oaths to do harm.

"The leeches we're hunting, their necromancy seeps into the ground. These people are practically eating poison," he explained. "Haven't introduced myself yet, I'm Ragenard Guiscard. Looks like we're all here," Ragenard raised his hands and ran them hip to shoulder across the top of the black sleeveless tank top he was wearing. After a slight shimmering in the air, his baldric with all of his weaponry became visible. "Are we all set?" he asked the group as he bent to grab the pack by his feet. "It's six miles to the forest from here, I won't be stopping for a break."
 
As Broch related with the potential threat of a former patient turned threat, Daniel smiled softly. It was a possibility for sure, thankfully one that Daniel had never encountered on his own before but the perspective was useful. His family was so focused on earning the favor of those they helped and establishing connections, with the majority at the top dealing with any potential threats and concerns that may come from associating with the wrong group. "I got a bit of information from the debrief, and while I may not be as strong as the two of you." Daniel went on, glancing again between the two and smirking at the sheer difference in size. "I can handle myself, besides if the true threat here is the Vampire's that inhabit the castle I'd be interested in getting involved with them personally. I don't think any of us here, or willing to take on this mission in general, would be considered normal but I appreciate your concern. I'll make sure I won't be another casualty." He responded with confidence ill-found for one his stature, he wasn't the tallest but coming in just below 6' he wasn't exactly short. That is, if people weren't comparing him to these two.

He held back a laugh as Broch compared his company with Ragenard, lest he insult one or the other with his reactions - He still wished to be polite and while he was starting to get the relationship between the two could be jovial despite the insults he was always careful not to get on anyone's bad side. Why burn any bridges you may need later? No sooner had he thought this Ragenard's eyes shifted behind both of them as if his attention was caught elsewhere, Daniel followed it and was greeted by the sight of their 4th companion as she introduced herself. "Daniel Vitae, pleasure to meet you." He responded with a curt nod and a smile, his stature facing her just enough so the family insignia was on display and prominent for anyone gazing his direction. A small feat of demeanor that was developed young for their family, and a difficult habit to break if he ever had the notion.

His eyes looked over her prepared weapons and bag, grateful that he wasn't the only one that had brought one lest they needed supplies. Even if his was mostly filled with medical supplies and tools, the culmination of the bags they all brought should be sufficient for their party. At least he hoped, it didn't look like the village would provide much resources or rations to assist them. As if to help that point, Ragenard let him in on the number's in town and the unfortunate circumstance of a few of it's inhabitants. His perception was uncanny, but welcome in this situation as it also showed that he had prepared before-hand by checking the town. With the castle nearby, it wouldn't be too unlikely to have some of the creatures spy nearby. "Enough to feel good about saving, it's a shame I won't be able to help with the cancer or illnesses but when we clear out the castle.. We may be able to provide some resources to the village here, get them going on the right track and be a decent connection for the Nexus as they explore the world further." Daniel went on, his mind already plotting connections and ways to get it all started. With a slight shake of his head he cleared it however to focus more on the situation, Ragenard helping by drawing attention to their party's readiness. A hand gesture revealing all of the tools Ragenard had with him, a wide assortment of weapons to accompany his own pack. So it wasn't just his physique he was bringing to deal with them. "All set, ready to get moving." Daniel responded as he adjusted the bag to sit comfortably around his shoulder and let one of his free hands rest atop the blade at his hip. Following along as they all prepared to move out.
 
Finally. Broch thought as the final member of their merry band arrived. Better fashionably late than nev-

He looked the wee lass over quite heavily before turning to Ragenard to give him a long, suffering look. This was going to be a long night. "You sure like 'em young, Ragenard." He grumbled. "An' scrawny." He snorted. No matter. These two knew what they were getting into it, and if he could make sure they came out alive, so be it. If not, he wouldn't lose sleep over it. The afterlife came for all things eventually, whether they wanted to go or not.

"I got all I need, pup. You an' yers keep to ya fancy boom sticks. Personally, don't trust 'em." He shifted his shoulders, small pops sounding from his neck and shoulders. "Let's go."
 
Of course, by acquiring, Aimée meant stealing, but that was neither here nor there. Nodding at Ragenard’s greeting, she had noticed his brief appraisal but said nothing about it. After all, she had gotten used to it back when he was the leader. Had she really expected anything different despite being in a completely different world? No, not really. Shifting her gaze around to the remaining two, her head just nodded at Daniel as he introduced himself, having no idea who the Vitae was, but he seemed proud, especially since he was ensuring that she saw the insignia of his family. Mentally shrugging and ignoring how little the two of them looked compared to Ragenard and Broch, the dark-haired female rubbed her nose a little. Speaking of Broch… when was the last time he bathed? Her visible eye rolled at Broch’s comment, not bothered by being called young or scrawny since that was what others had thought of her for her entire life.

“At least I know how to practice proper hygiene. I may be young and appear scrawny, but I know how to take care of myself.” Adjusting the pack on her shoulders, Aimée snorted and kept her shoulders straight and back, showing confidence that a few months ago, she didn’t have. The young female was sick and tired of people walking all over her, and after what her father did, she started to seriously take a look at herself, refusing to become like him. Once she was no longer nursing her withdrawals, she began taking shooting lessons as well as working with a trainer on the proper use of the sword and daggers. She was no longer willing to be a victim, and the scar across her face was a daily reminder of just how weak she used to be.

“I’m good to go,” Aimée spoke up once Ragenard explained what they were going against and how little the village had in regards to people. If they could save the remaining villagers, then the three that died from cancer would not die in vain. This would be the first time she walked for six miles, but something told her that while she, Ragenard, and Broch could shift, Daniel could not. There was no way she was letting him ride on her back, so she kept her mouth shut.
 
After a bit more bickering and blustering—mostly Broch's and Ragenard's—the group of expectant vampire hunters set out from the village of Anlomar. It was a relatively fast, if not short trek. Ragenard started out at the lead, setting the steady pace he expected them to keep. He didn't go as fast as he could have, wanting to make sure everyone was kept fresh enough for the events to come. As they ran, he periodically made sure to fall back to where each of the other's were, wordlessly checking on them. More of those pesky pack instincts he hadn't have a chance to ween himself off yet. With all four of them being more than their human seeming facade suggested, they made excellent time over the rugged terrain.

As they swiftly ate up the distance, Ragenard maintained his awareness of the lay in the land, and carefully observed their environment. It was a bleak showing, what this world had to offer.

It wasn't that the land was barren, per se. It was how it was clearly unnaturally so. Whatever precious few tufts of grass they encountered were browning and shriveled; the trees twisted and decaying. At one point they crossed a wide riverbed, many times the width of one of the avenues in Wayfarer's point. Only a small of band of brackish water ran down it's middle, and it barely came up to Ragenard's calves.

About two miles out from the forest, the ground began to sharply slope upwards, affording Ragenard greater visibility of the land they left behind. A landscape of brown and greys, with a few lusterless bands of green assailed his eyes. It was then that he noticed them. East to west, in a great haphazard semi-circle: more "villages". Squalid and wan things barely worth calling shanties. Out of several of these, he saw a slow shuffling procession of half-dead waifs marching out towards the forest that presumably laid ahead. At least he thought they were half-dead, but after what the mayor had told him, he wondered.

They continued their brisk jog for another mile and a half, the ground sloping ever steeper, until they were running uphill at a considerable grade. Then, suddenly, the ground leveled off and they were hit with a shock of green.

Their run terminated at a cliff's edge. A very steep and deep cliff's edge, unnaturally forming a deep bowl-like depression or perhaps a crater with them standing in it's edge. Within, lushness. A thriving, booming, flourishing robust temperate rain-forest. It was so startling an array of green hues, that Ragenard wondered if all the dull color of this world wasn't causing his eyes to play tricks on him.

He called the group to a halt and told them to take a moment to recover and eat something as he found a nearby flat boulder. He opened a compartment on his pack and laid out some protein bars, beef jerky, and a few gallons of water for the group. After making sure everyone was settling, he walked off towards the cliff's edge, absentmindedly chewing on a protein bar. Daylight was quickly fading, the light giving off a magical golden hue that accentuated the life thriving beneath them. It was a large circle, neatly laid out unlike any forest Ragenard had seen before. But when he tried to look towards the center, he found that his eyes couldn't quite adjust. As if a curtain of no-visibility hung in the air in that direction. Curious, he drew Fragarach from it's scabbard. He stood with the blade point down, eyes closed, and concentrated. After a few moments the westerly breeze shifted directions, became a southerly one instead, bringing with it the scents of the forest.

Acrid rot, astringent decay, humid moldering, and dessicated remains in equal measure. It looked beautiful, but what Ragenard smelled was death. He replaced the sword back in it's scabbard, and turned towards his companions.

"Well, it smells like a particularly shitty graveyard, and there's a weird ass bubble of wrong in the middle," Ragenard said as he gestured towards the forest's epicenter, "I reckon we're in the right place." Ragenard scooted closer to the edge, his booted feet absently kicking some loose scree down into the void. "Looks like a sheer 300 feet drop, that'd be a doable but painful as fuck drop for me," he said. "How much rope did you all bring?"
 
As the group ran Daniel couldn't help but marvel at the stamina and speed of his companions, two were clearly inhuman but he couldn't quite pinpoint what they were. His family's information didn't get him anything clear besides the message that they weren't human, but the specifics weren't common knowledge among the others so he was left at that. Their pace was strong, and Daniel had to strain to keep up with them - but he didn't feel exhausted as the miles passed. His lungs worked effortlessly to filter oxygen in and out, his feet didn't hurt from the run which he found strange. This was the furthest and most serious run he had done since the experiment, there was never a need for him to run like this back on the Nexus and he hadn't quite tested the boundaries of his new body.

Pushing the thought aside he focused more on his surroundings, a part of him was still concerned about anything that may approach them on their route to the castle. Thankfully his companions were capable, and he doubted that any creature could catch the three of them unaware so his focus went towards their environment. The tufts of grass were just a few steps away from being dust, and as the slow murmur of a river filled his ears he stared on in disbelief at the sight of the water. This land was cursed for certain, it's barren nature making him feel worse for the fate of the denizens of the town that they left. Would the land recover with the vampires gone? Probably not all at once, and there may be permanent scars, but he wondered just how much these creatures afflicted the terrain here.

As the terrain shifted to an uphill climb Daniel started to feel his body react, part of him was growing hungry and it made itself evident to Daniel as his hairs stood on end and he felt his mouth start to salivate. He knew he still had some time before he would have to eat, but the longer he waited the more that feeling would overtake him. The hunger distracted him to the point that he almost didn't notice the end of the cliff, but Ragenard's voice drew his attention back to the world around him as his eyes started to take in the onset of green in front of them. "Well, that's a new sight." Daniel muttered to himself, peering over the cliff side as he considered the fall. As Ragenard started to set some food and water down he was still considering a few options of getting down safely, he peered towards the sides of the cliff but there was no easy way down into the lush forest that he could see.

While considering his options he smelt the jerky that had been pulled out from the bag. He had a few nutrition bars of his own, and two large bottles filled with a rather green substance in his bag. They would provide all of the nutrients he needed, didn't taste all that great but it covered what he needed - but not what he wanted. He licked his lips and found himself wandering over, retrieving a large piece of jerky before tearing into it. His mind was focused on this task first, but as he started getting through half of it he felt his senses clear up. "50 feet." Daniel responded, his brain processing what Ragenard had just said. He would survive the fall? Daniel glanced over in his direction, sure the man was strong, but to survive that kind of fall would be even more severe. He was certain that he'd die at such a height, but a worry in the back of his mind told him that wasn't just it. He was declared dead long before the experiment actually succeeded and brought him back, so dying from a fall... May just be temporary to him.

"We could probably get down by tying ropes to each other, and relaying down. Does anyone have something we can dig into the cliff side to secure us?" Daniel asked plainly, he had no experience free-climbing anything but the concept wasn't too unfamiliar. An old video he had seen had shown him that professionals used some kind of metal pick to drive into the stone - but he wasn't quite familiar with how stable it was, or how it was made. Daniel finished the piece of jerky as he mused, pulling out one of his bottles from his bag and taking a good swig of it; ignoring the taste as he reached for another piece of jerky. His craving for meat intensified the hungrier he got, and he had broken it down to an instinctual recognition of what really classified as food to a base predator - even if his brain told him the protein bars provided may be a better choice.
 
Not unlike the others of his party, Broch made it there, albeit a tad slower than the fluffier companions of the group, and looked ready to do it again once he stopped the edge if he needed to. His steel hues stared at the vast green before them, and he squinted just as Ragenard focused. His nose flared at the stench of death and decay that was not seen upon the surface of the lush green before them. "I think I've seen sumthin' or another like this before.." He muttered, rubbing his beard hair.

"Ach, but they're there, for certain.. The whole valley stinks." He spat on the ground at his disgust. He turned to the smaller two of the group and eyed them. "Aye.. I've got some left o'er from earlier. But no 300 ft of it. If I needs be, I can make the jump but I'd no be 'appy 'bout it. Doubt wee lass there like it much either. Got nothin' but me ax to dig into the cliff side, though an' I ain't leavin' me darlin' up 'ere as a climbin' post." He looked over at Daniel and sized him up. He had to admit he had been impressed that a human of his size was able to keep up such a distance and at such a pace they took. Perhaps there was more than met the eye with this one. "I can free climb down with someone attached to me, I reckon. They could try climbin' themselves and if they slip, well.. I can 'old me own." He suggested as he grabbed hold of some of the jerky to chew on. He didn't need to eat, but it was nice to do so while he thought.

"I'm a bit concerned at what may be down there, though.. From wot I saw on the way 'ere.." He stroked his beard again, eyes narrowing as he shifted his gaze back down the cliff.
 
Happy when the group started, Aimée tightened her pack to keep it from bouncing around and started at a comfortable pace. Her stamina was better than it had been in months, and she tilted her head up just a little, letting the wind rush against her face. Dropping the hood momentarily to allow the air to blow her strands around, the young female felt like she was finally back in nature, albeit a pathetic nature. Realizing it was dumb to run with her head up towards the sky, Aimée slowly dropped her gaze back down and took a careful look at what they were going to be saving.

“Yeesh…” Muttering to herself, Aimée shook her head and pulled the hood back up. What felt like a short period later, though it wasn’t, she was amazed at just how barren the land was and how much damage the bloodsuckers had done to things. Running backward so that she could look at the horizon they had come from; she grunted as the landscape was suddenly sloping into an annoying hill. Turning herself back around, the lithe werewolf nearly ran into Ragenard as well as Daniel until she noticed that they had stopped. Skittering off to the side, Aimée let out a low whistle at how green things were compared to everywhere else.

“The hell…?” Staring off the cliff, the raven-haired female just shook her head before moving over to the grub that Ragenard had thoughtfully put out. Snatching some beef jerky and a protein bar, she quickly tugged the hood back up, adjusting her hair to cover her scarring again. Grumbling, Aimée first ate the protein bar before nomming on the beef jerky. She shimmied over to the water and guzzled some of it with a long yawn. Putting the container back down with another yawn, she moved over to the cliff and looked down at the distance with a cringe when Ragenard asked how much rope they brought.

“Err… I left my rope hanging from the well.” Aimée admitted with a slight shrug, trying desperately to ignore the smell that had wafted up. Her gaze shifted over towards Daniel, and she blinked when he mentioned relaying down by using rope. “Err… umm…” Her nose wrinkled up just a little, and she kept mum, knowing for sure she wasn’t about to try and jump the distance.

“I can probably climb down on my own…” Aimée spoke up, her gaze shifting over towards Broch at his suggestion. “Probably could use my knives to shove into the cliffside or something. I agree with Broch, though… I’m also concerned about what’s down there waiting on us. If we can smell them, can they smell us?”
 
Ragenard pondered the situation for a moment, trying to calculate what they could do with the supply of rope at hand. "I'll go first," he said. "My sword can slice clean into the rock. I'll carve some hand holds and anchor points every twenty feet or so for the rope we do—," Ragenard ceased his explaining of the plan, abruptly stopping mid-sentence as his features soured with a drastic frown. The stench of rotting decay was quickly increasing in force, enough that it wouldn't take werewolf senses to notice it. To Ragenard's particularly keen sense of smell, it was like the sound of a train about derail itself on his head.

He still stood close by the edge, with his back to the void while he addressed the others. Had he been looking down, he'd have noticed the slithering things coming straight up the cliff walls with alarming alacrity.

In a preternatural burst of speed, Ragenard drew his sword with his right hand, one of his hand cannons with his left, and turned back towards the cliff.

Just in time to get punted thirty feet straight up into the air, as a massive sinuous shape followed along his trajectory.

The others wouldn't have more than a moment to spare for thoughts of Ragenard however, as they had their own concerns to deal with. Up above the edge came what could perhaps be called snakes, but only if you were very roughly describing their overall shape. Three of them rose from the edge, close to each other, with the central one having continued it's rise to deal with Ragenard above.

The other two briefly paused for a second to assess the other hunters. Their length couldn't be determined—they stretched off over the cliff's edge—but they were perhaps six feet tall measured from where they touched the ground to the crown of their heads, and about four feet wide in the body with unnaturally wider jaws lined with jagged teeth. Their "skin" was a collection of rotting flesh and stringy sinew, and they were hooded with broad flaring patches of dusty leather around their heads, giving them a vague cobra-like appearance. But only if you'd ever only seen an artist's second hand rendition of a cobra. These weren't snakes.

A close look would reveal that they were composed of a collection of bones borrowed from an untold number of species. Connected to the sinews and forming the teeth were several mammalian bones, clearly harvested from things as big as a bear to the tiny bones of rats. Human remains prominently featured of course. Particularly in the ring of skulls that formed the empty eye sockets on the snake simulacra. Where eyes would have gone, an unnatural green flame burned.

With a guttural roar sounding nothing at all like a snake's hiss and the clatter of grinding bones, they rushed forth.

One aimed itself directly at Daniel, clearly going for an attempt at a quick snack. The other curved sideways along the ground to bring the top of it's head in a whipping motion at Broch while a section of it's body rushed to bodyslam Aimee.
 
Daniel watched on as his companions all rested, getting some food and drink for themselves as they all contemplated how they should handle scaling the cliff downwards. Between all of them there would be enough rope to manage a few relays, and with Broch and Aimee able to free climb down they would most likely be able to scale down with some relative safety. Hearing Ragenard explain how he could start making cuts into the stone to allow for them to scale down effectively he nodded along, figuring out the space that they would need and how many notches they would have to make on their way down. While tedious, they could manage it.

He was about to open his mouth to acknowledge it, when the acrid stench of rot assailed his nose and filled his mouth so he quickly shut it. A look of concern washed over his face as he rushed to his feet, stuffing the drink into his bag. Part of him felt threatened - it felt seen, and his body didn't like being looked at as prey. The breach from the cliff side drew his attention, with his eyes trailing Ragenard as he was launched for a moment before settling back on the two snakes whose attention was on them. With one of their eyes facing him directly he glared back at it, his hand falling to his blade, pulling it out of his scabbard a bit he ran his left wrist along his blade with a wince as he felt the blade cut through; his blood spilling over the blade as he pulled it out completely - no sooner than he had it was rushing to meet him.

The stench was awful, but the rotten flesh and sinew that seemed to make up the beast was definitely still usable. Daniel made an effort to approach the snake as it dashed towards him, he didn't feel leaping to the side would be helpful with it's width and maneuverability so going under was his best bet. Daniel dived beneath the snake as it rushed him, it wasn't very graceful but it was enough to keep him from being torn in half - instead he was able to shove his blade into the fleshy bit of the snake. He exerted as much strength as he could into it, digging the blade deep and aiming it towards it's end so he could push against it and try to limit it's maneuverability. His wrist had already healed from his self-inflicted wound, but the blood was still there; a bit on his arm, but most now embedded into the beast as it started to spread into the flesh that connected the bones. It ate voraciously, spreading through the rotten meat without any hesitation; the blood didn't discriminate as it multiplied, bit by bit becoming a bloody mess that consumed anything organic in it's path. He could only hope that his companions were faring well on their own.
 
Glad that Ragenard was willing to make handholds for them, Aimée knew he would be able to easily do it with his spiffy sword. Musing just a little, the dark-haired female scrunched her nose up, grimacing at the stink that seemed to be intensifying. It was nauseating and she was incredibly happy she hadn’t eaten a whole lot. They needed to get moving sooner than later and she adjusted the pack on her back again, reaching down to pull both of her daggers out of their holders.

“Well, I guess we should…” Her words died in her throat when Ragenard was suddenly pole-vaulted into the air just seconds after he had pulled out his sword and one of his hand cannons. “Well, fuck! What the hell is that?!” Aimée shouted as she pointed towards the spaghetti shaped creature that was most definitely not a gardener snake or anything that was snake-like, though it was pretty disgusting like a snake.

Snapping her gaze towards the two other forms that showed their ugly bodies, the lithe female momentarily stared in shock. They looked like a monster that would have been created in a mad scientist’s laboratory and for the first time, Aimée was unable to formulate a single thought. By the time the second of the third was rushing towards Daniel after releasing a sound that was not anything she had heard before, Aimée was snapping into action. She knew that keeping away from the jagged teeth of its unnaturally largemouth was smart and honestly, she didn’t want any of its disgusting body touching her. Tensing up as the final icky thing decided to attack her and Broch, Aimée crouched down to the ground, leaping up high as the center of the snake-beast aimed at her. She was planning on landing on the middle of the creature and ram her daggers into it, refusing to let anything get in the way of them saving the village.
 
Seconds. That's all the warning Broch from the smell that came wafting up ahead of the danger that punted Ragenard up into the air, and the old badger didn't waste them. He immediately grabbed for his great war axe and brought it forward. There wasn't much he could do for the pup, he'd have to manage on his own this time as two more heads came with lightning speed towards the remaining members of the group.

Daniel would fair on his own. It was time to see what the scrawny lad was made of. As the head whipped his direction, he'd fully swing his war axe in the attempts to fully cleave the head in two. Shouldn't be that hard considering the thing was made up of tinier bones. It was killing the thing for good that concerned Broch.
 
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