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Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 5 Magonsaete Route


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Naimanzuunnadintsetseg could only hope the witch's skills were the equal to her ego, provided she kept true to her promise of no more friendly fire. Just as the plainswoman was hoping that everything had been wrapped up, and they could leave this moldy grave of a cave, but Elder Dumah had one further surprise for the princess, if she wished to accept it. Which, of course she did.

Struggling not to sigh or roll her eyes, she settled for simply pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment, then lightly shaking her head. She had begun to walk slowly back to the tunnel, to lean up against a wall as they waited for the ritual to be done, when Sandy's cry of 'Craven snake' startled her into action. Naimanzuunnadintsetseg wheeled about on her heel, expecting some dark betrayal to be added to the Belialists already high list of offenses, but the following utterance of 'You bitch!' stayed her hand. The orange-haired menace was standing apart, not involved in this... vision sending, or whatever, and the oath was far from fitting for the skeletal husk who had his frail claw of a hand pointed in her direction. A steep frown on her lips, it seemed there was no other explanation than that the princess's words had been directed elsewhere entirely.

While she was still worried over the effects, Naimanzuunnadintsetseg had easily been beaten to the punch when it came to comforters, with her original retainers swiftly filling that role, leaving nothing for her to do but fight hard against the feeling that everything they'd done today had been a giant mistake. And sadly the witch's words rang true; provided the storm had not let up, there was no hope of safe travel yet this day. They were well and truly trapped here at the mercies and hospitalities of these cultists.

Sylvia made noise about wanting to wash, and they were warned against wandering the halls alone. Their newest 'ally' didn't seem eager to offer her services as a guide either, giving only the scantest directions. The princess and her entourage appeared to be headed off in a different direction, so Naimanzuunnadintsetseg took it upon herself to volunteer to keep the privateer company.

"Come, Sylvia, Uuliinyagaantsetseg. While their water source is probably not so poor as a muddy puddle, let us not get our hopes up for proper accommodations either." With that said, she began the long windy trek toward what she hoped was a well, which with any luck was not stale or musty.

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"Yeah, I'll catch up with you later, Cassandra." Sylvia noted to the Princess as she went off to explain to those closer to her more about what had transpired. In the meanwhile, it seemed that Dahlia and... big Dahlia, maybe she'd need to try a bit harder to learn those names at this point, were to accompany her to attempt to find the cultist's water source... unfortunate circumstances might happen if one wandered alone, might they? Well, misfortune was never the way to go if one could avoid it.

"Aye, let's try t'find it. Hopefully it's a good deal better than a puddle though, I'd hope if y'were gonna live in a cave system like this you'd at least find one with a halfway nice spring before settlin'." She uttered in reply to the tribal huntress, following her lead. This was still closer to her land than Sylvia's own, and she likely had some trick or another to help navigate in such an area. Waiting until they had traveled enough of a distance to hopefully not rile anyone too much, the privateer decided to air something that was on her mind.

"On another note. I'm hopin' y'don't feel too slighted from what I said there earlier. Just felt it best to play a cautious hand... better t'fold and take a rap on the knuckles than rock the boat when y'don't know what lies lurkin' under the sea, I reckon."

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"The Earl of Edion?" You can't be serious. Who could have thought that Wyke's chief arcane scribe was a Belialist. And a Belialist trying to claim the crown no less. Not that it was worth anything with the Deiran occupation in force. But still, he couldn't help but feel troubled by his lack of foresight. He too had seen a vision through Morgan's eyes, yet he hadn't been able to piece the deeper meaning together. But if Morgan was a Belialist, was he really supposed to believe one of those jesters Claire had been dealing with had been a Belialist too? The mere thought was ludicrous, but all the signs pointed towards it. He let out a tired sigh.

Just what was going on in the world? 

"That is worrisome news indeed, but we'll deal with them when the time comes. We still have a greater foe to dismantle," he said. To that end, it seemed Cass was done toeing around the subject. She wanted to learn dark magic, and she wanted it done quickly. Fine by me. To have a princess as a pupil wasn't too shabby for a boy born of rags. 

"Generally speaking, the catalyst for dark magic resides in one's affinity towards it. I see that Belial has taken quite the liking to you, so you shouldn't have any trouble in that regard. You'll soon find that dark magic comes more easily to you than other other form of magic you've used thus far," he said. "That being said, it still shares similar fundamentals with elemental magic so we'll have to work on that as well. But if you're willing to learn now, I see no reason to delay," he said. 


 

 

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Bedtime Story

"Perhaps you would prefer something with more pictures, my friend? The words don't seem to be to your liking." Raum suggested, having remained eerily silent for an unknown amount of time. He approached Astaroth, offering him a withered quill in one hand and a pitch black inkpot in the other. He gave another one of his twisted grins, his head tilting slightly to one side. "Go on, take them. Your hands won't drop off... your friend appears to have that trick covered very well, hasn't he?"

Another dry laugh escaped from Raum's mouth, the man still holding out the writing utensils. "I was hoping you would find that book, it's one of my favourites, it's a shame you can't enjoy it quite as much as I do." he continued, his eyes slowly fixing on the twisted volume. "I can only imagine the wonderful things you are able to read about."
 

Earl of Execution

"Earl Edion? But he always seemed so friendly... things are getting way too weird." Graham sighed, shaking his head. Who could he even trust anymore? Sebastian and Cass were looking out for him, but now they were surrounded by creepy cultists in the middle of bandit territory. He could only ponder as to what Owen would do in a mess like this, could he keep calm and composed? If Edion had joined Deira, then he didn't really have a place if Cass could save Wyke. "If he's causing all this trouble, it would better to get rid of him." he affirmed, clenching his fist as he decided to stop sitting on the fence. "Once Wyke has been saved, we need to make sure that anyone who helped Deira invade are gone."

"One would have to question how long her Majesty had partaken in such arrangements." Sebastian remarked, walking alongside his young master. "Your father's poor health had begun since the previous autumn, it is very likely that Earl Edion had started working his influence  early on. I highly suspect that the dungeon fire may have been his work or that of someone following his orders."

Both master and butler were silenced by Cass' desire to slay them both. Whilst it wasn't completely out of character, the act of killing one's own mother was still rather frightful. Graham nodded slowly, speaking before Sebastian could interject. "Just make sure it's what you want, Cass. Dark magic and murdering... I hope you're still you after all of this." 

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How long her mother had been a part of things... With how long the king had been sick, it wouldn't surprise Cass to learn that Edion had been working his way into Eowa's bed chambers. Ugh, the thought was disgusting, she didn't want to think about it anymore. Imagining her parents together was more than enough to weird her out, having the mental image of that slime Edion acting like he actually cared--

She found herself clenching her fists again, right around when Graham mentioned something important. 'I hope you're still you after all of this.' Cass had to pause, just for a moment. She turned and gave Graham the best smile she could manage. He was better, like this. As a friend. It gave her hope, and some form of comfort. That he cared so much, that someone from her old life still did, that was plenty. "I'll be fine, Graham. If there's anything I'm good at, it's still being here, despite the challenges. Look at everything I've already been through. What's one more hurdle? ... I'll at least talk to her, first. Edion deserves death... But, maybe he's using some spell to control her. Perhaps I'm expecting too much of the worst... I can only hope."

With some of Graham's worries addressed, and hopefully pushed away, Cass lead them proper into a living area of sorts... A makeshift bed in the corner, a small table. These were their sleeping arrangements, were they? They would do. Holding what Alain had mentioned in mind, she retrieved what was left of the tome Claire had given her, flipping through the pages and giving herself a moment. With a moment of staunch concentration, Cass managed to produce a proper ball of fire, nothing piddly like she'd lit the camp with, but the strain was evident on her face. "I've got to start somewhere, r-right? I can do this much... If that helps give you, an idea of where to take this... Then by all means, teach. I'll listen." She let it dissipate, with a hefty sigh. This was nothing like healing magic...

 

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In an ironic and roundabout way, Astaroth found Raum's presence comforting. "Thank you, I guess. Whether these things come to pass or not, it doesn't matter. I fear my truest desires will be in vain if my people aren't around to profit from them. Though, if Princess Cassandra is able to unite all of Magonsaete, then perhaps my desires will come to pass in their own way." Astaroth turned back to the book in question, taking the ink and quill from Raum's hand. Taking one sheet of parchment, he wrote down the first part of what he read. After he wrote down what he had read before he looked again into the pages of the book.

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Naimanzuunnadintsetseg nodded as Sylvia fell in behind her, and smiled a bit at the woman's optimizism. Yes, a cool crisp spring would certainly be refreshing, and if she'd been in charge of settling the cultist retreat would have been high priority. But then again, she wouldn't have fallen in wiht cultists to begin with, so there certainly was that. What drove these people, who cast away their health for 'knowledge' was clearly quite different than the needs and urges that governed the sane.

Their small party had quickly reach a fork in the tunnels, and it could've been unfortunate if they were to get lost immediately after starting their mission, in a group or no, but the witch had said 'go down to the caverns', and Naimanzuunnadintsetseg was able to discern that the floor did have a slight but noticable incline. The plainswoman was also eager to take the branch that didn't seem to carry the echo of chanting upon its air, though perhaps that was merely overactive imagination on her part. 

Once they had begun to continue downward, the slope slowly picking up, and ventured well enough out of earshot of any who had remained or taken a different path, the privateer had offered an apology of sorts. Welcome, but unexpected. Still...

"Did my actions there really seem so out of line? Your words were fair enough, and did not carry weight of judgement. Yet," she paused and tested her response out on her tongue, mouth moving soundlessly before finally continuing. "Submitting utterly to their slights without protest, nay, maybe seeming to even welcome the result... I cannot see how playing the craven cub, acknowledging an inferiority far from proven... That could never have been the right call. That simply invites the witch to push harder the next time she disagrees, to stretch her boundaries even further. After seeing the effect a 'rap on the knuckles' got her, if left unchallenged, it wouldn't have surprised me if next we were visited with a 'black eye', a 'broken arm', or a 'knife between the ribs'. Am I wrong? And Hiero's folly aside, casting one of our own to the wolves  quite sticks in the craw. He deserved discipline, yes, but our discipline, not theirs."

Naimanzuunnadintsetseg sighed, having unloaded her frustrations. Then, fancying she heard something, the plainswoman held up a hand to indicate a stop, as she listened closer. It sounded like intermittent droplets of water, falling and striking against a surface. "I think we are drawing close, perhaps around this next bend."

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"Mmm, that certainly be a way to look about it." Sylvia acknowledged, running the scenario back in her mind. While Gladiolus made points that both resonated, and ones that didn't... while allowing free reign had been a poor call, it had happened all too quickly to change much about it, and Sylvia had her own thoughts on the plainswoman's final point.

"While I agree that letting them run free without reproach was likely a poor decision, I don't know what else might have been done about it. I agree with the bitter taste in your mouth, yet I wonder how things might have turned out if more of us had done what you did. How many before a fight breaks out and we lose even more? I don't blame your reaction at all, o'course... I just wonder how things mighta gone down. I'll have to disagree with your final point though, but that's a more personal thing." The privateer began, pausing for a moment.

"When you've been slighted, some times lettin' the slightin' party dole out the retribution just won't do. The whole reason I'm out here doin' what I am is because Deira wouldn't acknowledge or punish their own greedy tendrils digging around in my home. Maybe it's petty or whatnot, but I can't trust people to properly punish their own for hurtin' me or mine. Do I think that she went well and overboard? Of course I do... but if I were in her position, I think I'd have done similar, if less severe... if someone is gonna walk inta my home, track their shit about, and try to strike my own, in my own home? I'd make sure they got theirs at my own hand, not trust someone else to do the deed in my stead. Maybe it just hits personal, though." Sylvia explained, shaking her head a bit until Lilac stopped them, noting the sounds of water.

With a moment's focus, Sylvia heard them as well, turning the indicated bend to come across their water source. The cavern was dark, and at least looking at the surface by torchlight, seemed shallow... stepping closer and leaning down, hovering their light over the surface, it became clear from the sudden disappearance of the cavern floor from above, it quickly dove into a deeper pool. If one couldn't swim well, such a rapid decline could have been their death. Taking in a whiff of the area, Sylvia balked somewhat at the acrid, metallic smell that filled her nostrils.

"If there be one thing I know, it's water. And somethin' about this water don't feel right. The cave floor seems to quickly incline beneath, if y'weren't ready and ain't so good at swimmin', ye'd drown. And I don't trust the smell of it... can't quite place it, but take a whiff. I don't think ye'll miss it. Sad as it is, I might be skippin' a bath for a tad longer."

"

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Alain nodded, pleasantly surprised with the progress Cass had been making despite everything that had been happening. "That's not bad at all. Dark magic feels a bit different compared to elemental magic, but it shares the same fundamentals at least," he said. "I''ll fill you in on some basic theory, and then we can work on that," he said, pointing to the page of Balor in Cass' hand. It was probably best to take things one step at a time. If there was anything that shouldn't be rushed, it was magic.   

"To begin, there are three known branches of magic: holy, cursed, and natural. Some people refer to it as light, dark, and anima but it's all the same really. The last one is the only one that is actively taught in scholastic institutions. Natural magic is colloquially referred to as elemental magic or anima magic, due to the process by which it operates. That being the imitation of the natural elements and their subsequent derived phenomena," he said, revealing something of a smile as the words of his old professors started coming back to him.

"Now, the act of casting magic is something of a two part process. The first part consists of channeling magical energy, or mana, through your body. Think of it like feeding fuel to a fire. Do note that the body can only handle so much mana at any given point. The fatigue you feel when casting magic is a direct result of this action. If you try to exceed your limit with bigger or more complex spells, you'll kill yourself," he admitted.

"You've had some experience using staves, so I suspect this wont be a problem but do keep it in mind."

"The second part is what I like to call property assignment. This is where elemental magic will vastly differ from curative magic. Normally, mana is indistinguishable from the air we breathe. In order to give mana its form, you must assign it with multiple properties so that it can assume physical form. Generally speaking, these properties must adhere to the natural equivalent. If you try to deviate from the natural order, you're going to have a bad time," he said.

"In the case of a fire spell, you must assign it shape, size, and heat--just to name a few thing. Usually this step is tied together with the incantations in a tome. Most of the low-ranking tomes are standardized in terms of their incantations--meaning a tome from Wyke will read much in the same way a tome from Whitwar will. The incantations act as a guideline for what you need to do, and how much mana you need to do it. It's all about being efficient," he said. 

"I think that's everything I need you to know," he said, pulling out Balor. "Any questions so far?"

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Velvet Embrace

Graham wasn't particularly happy watching Cass embrace the embodiment of evil, but this Malaphar seemed even worse than Belial. If she could cast magic, surely that would help even the odds? Alain's explanation was totally lost on him, he couldn't even understand all the words the diplomat was saying. Magic was something clearly beyond him, he never was much of an academic. He scratched his head, making an attempt to at least keep up with the conversation. Sebastian, however, was keeping up with the pace of it all, as well as formulating a few queries of his own.

"Quite the tutorial, Sir Duhamel, but I must ask... if natural magic draws power from both the user and the natural order, where does that leave one trying to cast in the name of Belial." Sebastian asked, intrigued by the impromptu lesson being giving. "Another interesting concept is the form that you must assign such a spell, I'd imagine it would take quite the imagination."


Written Fate

Raum let out a dry laugh, a single tone that could have been mistaken as a cough as much as it could be considered a laugh. "What if she decides that you are but another obstacle to remove? To cast away once you have outlived your usefulness." Raum suggested jovially, raising a finger at his morbid idea. Peering over Astaroth's shoulder, Raum's enjoyment only continued as he read Astaroth's notes. "So exciting... I wonder when these will come to fruition. Challenging fate is difficult when you submit yourself to a deity, wouldn't it be heresy to go against the scripted events to come?"

The book's grim messages remained unchanged, the statements repeated over and over across every page. The words glared back at him, refusing their reader to challenge them. 
 

Black Pool

Uuliinyagaantsetseg followed her chief obediently, joining both her and Sylvia to the cult's water source. She remained quiet as the two discussed with events with Hiero and his hand, listening out for their destination. "The answer is not a simple one. It is as the young armoured had said, if we are in their domain, then it becomes difficult to ignore their own rules... but if they are those I cannot agree with, it becomes a situation I do not know how to answer." she added, pausing as they reached the pool. 

"I feel an unsettling presence, the waters do not flow freely..." she muttered, stepping away from the edge of the pool. "Mother Nature does not grace this place, do these people sustain themselves on such an unsettling source?"

Edited by Shin
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Alain's explanation of magic fit in with most of what she'd been taught by the maids in the castle, in regards to staffs. Mana was channeled, through yourself, your device, and applied to the wound. Except in this case, it was channeling the mana into something physical, tangible, able to be felt and to hurt. Fire... Cass understood fire. Too well. Were she any weaker, the thought of casting what had hurt her so badly would scare her into shaking. Luckily, she was holding together, burying what pain she could, much as a part of her knew it would come to bite her later. For now, she could cast, so imagining the burning sensation, and using it to create fire, that was all within her doing.

Sebastian stole her only question before she could get it out. "Yes, quite... What am I supposed to imagine for such a spell? I've seen you cast them, I know what they do, but to conjure something like that... Where do I draw from?" Hopefully he could offer her some direction to work in towards making it work. Anima magic was powerful, but this... This was beyond the veil of power.

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Naimanzuunnadintsetseg couldn't but sigh. Sylvia had very good points as well. If the witch had called her on her challenge, had taken another shot with her foul magicks to see if they would fly faster than her arrow, then further chaos would have ensued and many lives may have been lost. Were consequences the only thing that made an action right though? How could she express her misgivings. The mariner had already basically answered the nomad's other, unspoken question: 'If a situation similar had come up between your crew, and another as you were sailing the seas, how would you have handled it?" Thankfully, this saved her the humiliation of being unable to remember the correct word for the larger waterborne vessels Sylvia had traveled on. Naimanzuunnadintsetseg would have hated to refer to them as 'big canoes', despite knowing full well that was the wrong terminology.

"I... see," she answered hesitantly. "There will be times when what one side feels is justice, the other does not. If they assumed we would not act, and felt that they must, I suppose..." It still didn't feel right, but if the tables were turned... Only when the flash of pain of her nails digging into her palms altered her did Naimanzuunnadintsetseg realize she was clenching her fists white-knuckle tight.

But, now there was the matter of the water to attend to, and the weighty philosophical quandaries could be tossed aside, to be revisited perhaps when the pain was less fresh, and everyone had had more time to heal. The dark depths gave off a sour, almost coppery smell, and did not look entirely wholesome. Fit to drink? Not without boiling away whatever filth lurked within. Fit to bathe in? Same answer. But, perhaps fit to wash the mud from her boots.

"If they are, Uuliinyagaantsetseg, that may explain why they all seem to have at least one foot in the grave," she dryly addressed her subordinate. "Taint can be purified, but it seems unlikely they would bother with the effort. And I agree with you both, this trip will not quench our thirst nor refresh our bodies. It would feel a shame, though, to leave utterly defeated, with nothing having been gained for our time or efforts." Crouching down by the water's edge, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, and prepared to probe the surface of the water with it. "Let us at least test how bad things are, and if there might be some way to salvage the situation." If the arrow survived contact, the toe of her boot would follow.

Edited by Balcerzak
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It had seemed to Astaroth that the book no longer spoke to him than the brief prophecy it read. "Perhaps another book, then. If knowledge is power, than perhaps I am still weak. At the very least, I could share this with the others, and have them learn their destinies if they so wish. As for me, I doubt I could save my people even if I left now, if the prophecy were true. However, just as Naiman and Uuliin yet live, so to do I, and also Barry and Paul. Anyway, maybe I will find a text that won't try to tempt me. Or I might not, if this library only panders to only the most devout of Belial's followers." He leaves the book there, and goes back to the shelf of books. 

Right then, he remembered that Barry and Paul were still at the entrance. "Raum, if we are to stay, then those three who are at the entrance need come forth with us to dine and to sleep. I fear what is to occur if they decide to stay there without the rest of us to help. Would you bring me back to them so we can bring them forth into the center of this place?" Astaroth looked firmly at the shriveled man in front of him, hoping that he would help his hapless retainers find their way through the maze of caves.

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Alain let out a muted chuckle. He hadn't been expecting Sebastian to pitch in with such sincere curiosity. It was a welcome change from the pointed accusations he'd since been receiving from Astaroth and Naiman, that much he had to admit.

"An excellent set of questions. As one might expect from the astute steward. Unfortunately, I can only answer with conjecture and my best guesses. There isn't much literature on the subject written by sane scholars. Or scholars at all, really." He frowned. "Honestly, it's a shame Kelbara didn't join us. I would have loved to hear her opinions on the matter--but I digress." He shook his head apologetically. 

"As I mentioned earlier, the catalyst for dark magic stems from one's connection to Belial. The higher one's attunement to that force, the easier it becomes to cast dark magic. Granted, I wouldn't say it's a qualification--you're still using mana as the primary sustaining force after all. But if you were to read the incantations found in most dark magic tomes, there are a lot of references made to Belial by name. I'd almost go so far as to say that the lines are structured more as invocations instead," he explained.

"The two are similar in so far as every invocation is an incantation, but not every incantation is an invocation. Generally you only see the latter with cursed and holy magic for obvious reasons. This is the reason that natural magic is the defacto branch of magic when it comes to scholarly pursuits. It doesn't rely on any outside forces which makes the magic more systematic and quantifiable."

"Here, let me show you what I mean," he added, bringing their attention to his own shadow. Without warning he threw his hand up into the air and a fiendish arm lurched up out of the ground to meet it, stopping just before reaching his neck. There it remained frozen, save for the wisps of magical energy burning off of its surface. The spell was almost identical to the one he'd cast earlier, save for the speed with which it manifested itself and the quantity of apparitions present. 

"Something I've noticed is that manifestations of dark magic have a proclivity to display some sort of sentience. At its most basic level, I would liken the behavior to that of a plant that extends itself towards sources of light. A subtle effect that is only noticeable after an extended period of time. On the other end you get things like this," he said, lightly brushing the shadowy apparition with the tips of his finger. With the same abruptness with which it appeared, the hand recoiled from his touch and fell to the floor. There it began to aimlessly claw at the earth. Like a blind man looking for a lost coin. 

"See how it animates itself? Fairly unsettling wouldn't you say?" he asked with a laugh.

"You might be inclined to believe that I'm the reason for this behavior but I assure you that is not the case. I suspect the reason for this is primarily due to the invocations made to Belial. Because Belial acts as an intermediary, some of his aspects manifest themselves and get reflected in the magic itself. What this means for casting is that it is more important is this case to impose your will upon the magic such that it supersedes these aspects of Belial."

"I told you before that Belial requires sacrifice, yes? Well without exerting proper control, you'll quickly find that your own magic finds you yourself as a suitable sacrifice and will drag you to whereabouts unknown. You can only imagine the amount of mages who suffered an ill-begotten fate for the magic to end up categorized as "cursed" and abandoned shortly thereafter." He grimaced.  

"In your case Cassandra, for now, I would focus on simplistic applications. Like the spell you saw Kelbara use earlier. To that end, Balor will work the same way a fire spell might but in this case you don't have to worry so about about adhering to strict properties. Just know that the form you allow the magic to take dictates the degree of influence Belial will have."

 

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Everything was driving its way right over her head. Alain's explanations were quite in depth, but they were definitely more than complicated... She let him continue, trying to store questions until the end, but a few of them were lost as his own magic 'attacked' him. She jumped up, hand on her sword, though, he seemed in control over this spectral appendage. It was a bit terrifying, to see something tangible and almost sentient, as he'd said, coming from a tome. What magic was this Belial capable of, if this was the basics? Was this even the basics? She didn't know, and was almost too scared to find out.

Alain let the conjuration collapse, though the way it wriggled about afterwards was still off putting. Studying Anima and only Anima is seeming rather appealing right now... But I can't deny the power and sway something as terrifying as this could hold over people that are ignorant of it. What would a layman do if a hand of dark, sprawling energy made its way to his leg, stomach, arm, throat? Anywhere it could grab, it's magic. Taking hold of a person with magic is frightening... Cass had gotten scared just now. A small smile curled up on her lips, shaking her head just a bit.

"My apologies, Alain. I wasn't quite expecting... This. I'll try to temper my reactions better, if this is to be the standard for this magic. To sum things up simply, Anima magic is me imagining mana as a natural form, like fire, wind, electricity... And this is based entirely on my connection to Belial, where I am invoking something in relation to him, rather than imagining and conjuring a spell. Is that about right? Please do correct me if I've confused parts of it." That's what it sounded like, at the least. Summoning an aspect of Belial's power... Rather than chanting up a part of nature. The Gods were definitely real, weren't they? All that did for Cass was solidify her dislike of Engel. Useless phantom.

"As for unsettling... Yes, definitely. But as I said before, we can use that to our advantage. A line of formless hands grasping at unintelligent masses... The terror is almost palpable, and it's just an example. We can definitely win. There's no doubt, with something like this on our side. I... Will likely leave the big productions to you and Kelbara, though. Pardon my cowardice, as excited as I am, it's definitely a terrifying concept." Much as she wished to summon her own limbs for the purpose of terrifying those in her way, the mention of losing herself to the magic because of a lack of confidence was overwhelming at this junction. She was definitely needed here. If she were removed, through a mistake in any context, things would fall apart. Maybe... Alain might be able to wrangle the situation back together were she to fall, but the idea wasn't one she wished to test.

"I think I'll do that, until I have a feel for the magic. It seemed quite effective in administering amputation. I wonder how difficult it is to cut through armor... Better to use fire for someone like that, though. Metal heats up quite effectively." Cass wondered for a moment if anyone had truly felt the burn of fire like she had and lived to think on it. My fire magic will be quite powerful, won't it? We'll have to see how well mana works with my mind.

"Thank you, Alain. This is definitely a good place to start... If you wish to stay while I practice, then I'll have you, but if you've things to attend to, I won't keep you." Cass gave him a sincere smile. She'd been so upset when he followed them, but now, she'd never want him gone. Having such a reliable friend around was inspiring, with things so grim.

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Deeper Waters

Uuliinyagaantsetseg looked rather unsettled by the lake, her chief's desire to test its nature putting more doubt into her mind about the Belialists. Her eyes focused on the arrow's tip, her mind anticipating a terrible fate to it. "Chief, please... allow me to peform such a dangerous test, what if there were to..." she began, stretching her arm out as her chief threw caution to the wind. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach, no good could come from such a bold act.

The tip of the arrow dipped below the surface, the projectile's shaft remaining intact for the time being. Seconds passed without anything happening. However, there was a subtle swirling motion from within the pool, a pattern too sporadic to simply be the flow of water. Something brushed against the arrows tip, the water rippling around it - there was definitely something living below its surface.
 

Fine Dining

"Weakness isn't always a bad thing, my friend... everyone is vulnerable in one regard or another." Raum replied, watching as Astaroth browsed the shelves. The remaining volumes were as perhaps expected, dark scriptures all surrounding the topic of Belial. "You may struggle reading some of Lord Belial's teachings. Unless you have pledged your soul to him, the words will appear as nothing but strange symbols and markings. Perhaps it is for the best, you may not like what you would see. If you are done browsing, we can certainly find your allies... although I can imagine all writing may be difficult for them to comprehend."

Teacher Preacher

Graham watched in horror as Alain demonstrated his manipulation of the shadow, the man playing with the darkness as if it were a ball of clay. Alain wasn't an ordinary wizard, he was frighteningly adept with his powers. "If the magic is sentient, doesn't that mean it might not listen to the person who casts it?" Graham asked, trying to determine if Cass' desires to wield it would backfire on her. He let out a sigh of relief as Cass promised to take it slowly, the last thing he wanted to see was her being claimed by a swirling pool of evil and dragged to the underworld.

"Not quite, Master Graham. Rather than a disobedience, it would likely present as unwieldy... unless the Princess were to attempt something particularly adept." Sebastian suggested, watching Alain's display intently. "It appears that teaching should also be added to your list of talents, Sir Duhamel. Perhaps it was another ability granted to you by Belial?"

Edited by Shin
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With Crocus beginning to test the waters... quite literally, their earlier discussion had mostly fallen by the wayside... they had seem to have come to the conclusion that it was unfortunate, but given the situation they could have hoped for little better... at least, if she did not agree with that so much as Sylvia did, the plains woman had not argued further. All attention had certainly gone to the arrow that she had stuck in the water, when things started to move in a way that was surely not natural. Something was living in the water, something sinister. Taking the initiative on the matter and grabbing Lilac by the shoulder, perhaps a tad more brusquely than she had intended, she pulled at the Magonsaetan chief, hoping to make some distance from the water.

"Whatever that be, I don't want to mess about with it any further. I'd call this a well and done attempt, at this point." Sylvia noted, pulling her revolver with her free hand in caution.

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"Of course," said Astaroth. "I myself understand that Barry and Paul can barely discern right from left without being nearby to one another. I am done with this place, although I will keep Belial's 'cautionary words' in my thoughts for a while, I'm sure. Now, we still have to retrieve the three of them still there, and hope they don't mind the sleeping arrangements. " Astaroth got up, rolled up the parchment that contained the "prophecy", and moved to the door. "Will you take me to them, now?" He opens the door and exits into the hall where the other rooms were,  and he heard voices coming from another nearby room, muffled. Perhaps I should have been in there, but I am sure to know a large part of what is being said right now. Astaroth now turned to go back into the hall, awaiting Raum to take him back to the entrance, where his associates, and Aurelio, were sure to be.

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"I understand." He nodded, feeling somewhat sympathetic towards both her bewilderment, and her apprehension. "But yes, that about sums it up I'd say. Good to see you've been paying attention," he said with a smile. He hadn't been expecting to have a pupil so soon after graduating, yet here he was--teaching the Princess of Wyke about the dangers of dark magic. At least she was taking his caution to heart. 

"Just know that there's a difference between thinking you know something, and actually knowing it. The true test is in your application, not your understanding. Unfortunately, that's a hill you'll have to climb alone," he admitted. He couldn't cast her spells for her, after all. But with what she'd been taught already, along with his guidance--he was sure she'd come into form rather quickly. Even Sebastian seemed to agree on that front. 

"Your praise is well received Sebastian, but I'll have you know that none of my talents are gifts from Belial--or anyone else for that matter. I'll tell you one thing, Belial wasn't there whispering in my ear during my nights of studying, and he definitely wasn't with me during my examinations. Even Engel can attest to that," he said, letting out a quiet snort.

"But in any case, I suppose I shall be taking my leave now. Much as I appreciate the extended invitation, I have some business to attend to. Time permitting, we can continue your lessons tomorrow afternoon. I ought to check if the rest of our friends are still alive as well. Never know what these crazy cultists are capable of after all," he said, holding back a hearty laugh as he bid Cassandra and co. a final wave before disappearing into the darkness.  

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Upon seeing the ripples in the water, and feeling some thing brush against the arrow, the vibrations speeding along up its shaft, Naimanzuunnadintsetseg had begun to rock forward onto the balls of her feet, preparing to leap backwards. But Sylvia had also been paying close attention, and helped matters along with a powerful tug to her shoulder. The arrow itself was readily abandoned, a flick of the wrist giving it further distance out over the surface of the pond, to complement their retreat up the shore.

"You are right, both of you. I did not want to believe it possible, but should have paid the fleeting suspicion more credence, given the company. This seems more a home for somebody's dark pet, than any proper source of sustenance. Forgive me for worrying you, Uuliinyagaantsetseg, Sylvia."

 

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Dank Dinner

Time passed, possibly to the evening, it was difficult to tell whilst underground, especially with a storm brewing outside. The Belial's dining hall was little more than a wooden table inside a hollowed out cavern - a recurring theme within the settlement. The number of cultists present was relatively low, there were perhaps a dozen or so robed individuals, Kelbara and Raum included. The table was laid with crude clay bowls, sporting something that resembled either a casserole or an incredibly thick broth. The group had been left an entire end of the table for themselves, the cultists appeared rather set on sitting with their own kind. All of Cass' group were accounted for, except for Hiero. After his escapades with Duman, he'd slinked away, keeping to himself. 

"Maybe he doesn't really want to sit with people who... uh... cut his hand off?" Graham suggested, keeping his voice down as soon as he noticed Kelbara's satisfied smirk. "I hope he's not causing any more trouble, I don't want to think what they might punish him with next."

Aurelio yawned, disinterested in the talk of their foolish ally. "Serves him right for being a mooncalf, if you're going to be an idiot about things, you need to be able to back it up with something. These dress-wearing loons might look like a bunch of pansies, but I'm not gonna go around trying to start a fight if I don't need to."

"Aptly put, you certainly demonstrate your principles well." Sebastian remarked, looking down at his bowl. "As pleasant as it is to receive a meal I have not prepared, I may have to insist that I partipate in the process if we are to dine here further." 

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Astaroth did not hunger for what was in front of him. Having eaten earlier in the day meant that he did not have to eat now. Often, hunts took all day, with less than what was his breakfast being what he ate in one day. He felt pity towards the faceless individuals in robes besides Raum and Kelbara. Not wanting to be rude, he sat there, waiting for anything to happen besides the nothingness that gripped them. Finally, he spoke, much to his own chagrin. "I don't want to know what is in this... food, if you could even call it that. After Naiman's colorful description of the water, I wouldn't dare think that this is edible. Per our noble princess, I would ask to be excused, but knowing their general attitude towards me, I think it best for me to leave, either way. " Getting out from the table, he looked at Barry and Paul, who were sitting next to him at the table. "I will wait for the two of you to finish eating, if you even want to eat at all. If you aren't hungry, I can take you both with me to the sleeping quarters." He stood in the corner of the room, waiting for Barry and Paul either to begin eating, or to join him.

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"Try not to be too picky or you'll end up looking like Elder Dumah. All the bones and none of the wisdom," Alain called out--not exactly keen on ushering Astaroth back to the table but still amused enough to offer the chieftain some parting words. Though he was looking less like a chieftain and more like a petulant child, sulking in the corner as he was. And I'm sure he wonders what he ever did to earn Cassandra's ire. 

Alain shook his head and sighed. 

"It can't be that bad, right? I don't know about this water situation, but if Kelbara and Raum are still alive..." He shrugged his shoulders and took a bite for the team, giving himself a moment to thoroughly chew and make his initial assessment. Bad indeed... It had certainly been a few years since he'd had anything so poorly made. But his memories of those long agonizing night spent sleeping on an empty stomach were not easily forgotten either. He wasn't going to betray himself by turning his nose up at something he once would have savored. 

"Well... it's edible. I think. Though I suppose it couldn't hurt to add a touch of Sebastian's flair to the dish next time," he said, giving the steward a knowing look. "Or a couple touches even," he added with a laugh, taking another bite. Food was food after all. Though at least he could look forward to the next meal being just a little bit better.  

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What was his issue? Cass watched Astaroth leave the table with mild contempt, wondering if something had happened to him in the caves. Yes, the food didn't look much like food at all, but it was all they had, wasn't it? Until they could get moving again, score some game out in the wilds, this would have to do. Cass stared at the slop, about to try and brave the first bite, but Alain beat her to it. He didn't seem pleased... But the lack of gagging and expelling the material told her that it was something manageable, at least... Hopefully.

"It's better than nothing... Though, I do agree that it would do to have Sebastian supervising the ordeal, if we're to remain here for long." Now or never... "If Alain can manage..." Cass brought the spoon to her mouth, taking it in with a single gulp... Regretting her decision. The taste was... Incredibly unique, in a word, and the texture was... Bad. Nothing else but bad could describe it. She felt her gag reflex kick in near immediately, but clenching her fist, she forced the stuff down. She set the spoon down and leaned back a bit, trying to smile, knowing that would be impossible to entirely play off. "Well... My, palette might be too refined for this. My fault, really... Should have tried to expand horizons when I was younger... Ahaha..." There was little likelihood that she would be finishing this dish. Whatever else was planned for tonight's dinner, hopefully it was superior to... This.

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"Better than nothing, you say. If we are here for longer than this night, I would hope the cook would let Sebastian help. As it stands right now, after all that has transpired, I do not think I could stomach food, anyway. My interlude in the library was very amusing to Raum, but the one book I could read essentially told me everything I knew was wrong, and that my people would be dead in due time." Astaroth was glad to get that out of his system. "I know that we had nothing before this, but coming here made our prospects even more grim. You, Alain, Graham, and Sebastian came here of your own free will. Myself, Barry, Paul, Naiman, Uuliin, and Sylvia in some respects, did not. The stakes are also even higher, as this Malaphar figure has ravaged these people effortlessly. A group that actively practices mass necromancy was nearly wiped from the Earth by the same wizard that massacred Naiman and Uuliin's tribe, and who may be slaughtering my own tribe as we speak!"

Astaroth slinked down where he was standing. He wanted to cry, but no tears came. "What am I doing here? I was just doing a good thing, saving a group of travellers on the road to the only city for hundreds of miles. Now I am expecting the full might of the South to bear down on us while I am unsure if I can have my people help us, or if I can even go back to them. For a long time, both I and my father conspired to keep the South divided, but if our machinations failed, they will come for my people, and also for me. I'm in a dank cave, surrounded by people who I should hate and should hate me. Said people are being sought by a crazed, reality-warping archwizard who we have no chance against. Why would I hunger when I have had so much on my mind and too much time to think?" Finally, he felt a tear fall from each eye, probably the first time in so long that he ever shed any. His father's death didn't phase him, so why did this? Was it the uncertainty that moved him? Or just the homesickness? He didn't know, and he probably didn't want to.

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