The ride to the village is quite the long one, but it was deemed safer than boat. People have various information in their hands, that which they went to discover before the event. The skies are quite overcast, however. As they approach the village, it begins to rain and flick across the travelers' faces.

The village is in the distance, not far away, no one is milling around and the evening is quite chilly within the cold of winter. The waves lap at the shore and the moon is barely visible through the clouds as it bathes a quiet, albeit eerie light, upon the place. Every member of the first ride can feel it in their bones. Something is off, something... Doesn't want them investigating. Something doesn't like them here. But it's just a feeling... Another contingent remains behind to ride, just in case, but they investigate other things for now.

1 Grayson Guardsmen, Peaches, a lovely white war filly with a peach saddle, Justice, an elegant hunting falcon, Stormy, a silvery gray hunting hound, Baby Badger arrive, following Reese.

1 Grayson Guardsmen have been dismissed.

Baby Badger have been dismissed.

Reese is with the party while perched on her war filly. She is adorned in a simple woolen tunic and leggings. She has a mace at one hip and her sword at her other hip. A falcon is perched on her shoulder and her hound is far from her horse.

Sparte has borrowed one of the Iron Guard mounts. One he has ridden on many times on, faithful and unflappable Betsy. She isn't quick, she isn't smart, she isn't going to freak out at the Stoat sitting in her hair. Everything Sparte could ask for in a mount. He rides along with a shield for a change, but not for defense. A mostly blank map is spread across the back of it, which he is trying to scribble in as they go. It... It isn't very good.

Missing people. A thing Edward has become more aware of in the past couple of weeks is what brought him to meet with the riders. He is polite but serious given the situation and he rides in quiet with the other riders, his mount staying near the Princess. Remaining alert along their flanks for things that might be signs of things to come. As they approach the village he narrows his eyes and he lines his lips as he makes a grunt, "Ill winds."

If Halsim rides in, he's doing some with someone else, because he's terrible at it. As they approach, though, he frowns. "Yeah... this has cult written all over it." Halsim brings up a notebook from his robe, "I talked to a merchant who has business ties to this village. They stopped coming out three weeks ago, roughly. Now, they're not even outside at all? Somethings very wrong." Halsim gives a look over from a distance. "This has all the hallmarks of being abandoned."

Sparte gets a rectangular steel-framed candle lantern from a canvas backpack with leather accent straps.

Reese gets wrought-iron lantern with yellow-tinted glass from a dark leather backpack adorned with small violet roses.

Even though it is shielded off, there is something that happens while Sparte and Reese ride with their lanterns. The flames within them flicker a moment, but Sparte's? It gives quite a flicker, flares up, and then with a puff of smoke that fills the lantern it blasts itself out, cracking the glass with the build-up of smoke.

Hadrian's gloved hands clutch the reigns of his own horse tightly as the group rides along. No expert in the saddle, he seems to have at least the most basic and rudimentary tutelage of mounted travel. While others sit in silence, Hadrian hums quietly to himself. It persists frequently, interrupted only by his quietly mumbled words, "..as a wagon goes by.." periodically. Then he's back to humming quietly to himself. The sound comes to an abrupt halt however when Halsim speaks and Hadrian's green-eyed attention is drawn. Some furs and the like cover him in hopes of warding off the cold, but his breath steams as he asks, "Cult? That can't be good at all. Shall we offer them surrender? The Inquisition no doubt prefers to question people while they're alive, yes?"

Reese looks over to Halsim, sucking in a soft breath as she hears his words. "Yeah, do we hop down form our horses and search the place?" She looks over to her lantern and then to Sparte's, seemingly concerned. "This is not good." The princess says.

"Before we go any further, let me scout ahead." Halsim gets off the horse, puts on his mask, and starts to check the village.

Someone wearing a featureless black mask that obscures one's visage checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 50 higher.

    As Halsim moves forward, the rest of the folk can choose to follow or remain behind. Either way the smoke lightens up in the closed off lantern and if Sparte opens it then it vents a bit. Just regular smoke. Either way, for now the rains dropping down seem eerie all around.

Reese looks over to Halsim, nodding in response to his words. "Absolutely." She says in his response to his words about going ahead.

Tiny Tim gives out a loud hiss, hopping off the horse and running off. She apparently needs to be someplace safer. Sparte pulls Betsy to a stop, blinking in surprise. "I, um, I didn't do that." Sparte pulls the lantern off his belt, looking it over carefully. He tries to open it and vent the smoke, but the glass just cracks more as he does. "I'm going to have to get this fixed in town." He sighs. "Biscuits. I've been keeping that flame going since Flammas."

The horse is nudged forward since others do not dismount. He keeps up with the group, giving a nod while he rides with them. He notes the guttering flames and he frowns before he says, "Cultists. I wonder if they are the ones we've been hearing about among the Shav in the Isles."

Reese looks over to Sparte and has an expression of somber concern. "That is eerie." She says softly and peeks over to his lantern. She doesn't draw closer to the village, but is seemingly waiting for Halsim to return with a report. Her slender form is held tautly and she appears ready for action. She then looks over to Edward, giving him a nod. "Maybe." She says, but sounds far from certain.

Eventually, a figure in a black robe and a black mask reappears in front of the group, seemingly out of nowhere. His voice is muffled by the mask, but vaguely recognizable as Halsim. "Nothing at all, and no struggle. I have theories, but with the chill in the air, this coming be a number of things." The hooded figure nods to the dock, "The rotting fish suggests abandonment in the middle of daily routine."

While Halsim moves forward to snoop about, Hadrian remains mounted atop his horse. Distant from the village perimeter, he returns to humming quietly though he comments around to those whom he may have forgotten to properly introduce himself to prior to the onset of the ride, "I may have forgotten to mention. I am Hadrian, Marquis of House Mazetti." That bit of business concluded, Hadrian returns to watching with narrowed eyes the village. He scans it over and over, considers it for a time, and then asks after a moment, "I wonder if what we're investigating has turned to a mass kidnapping. I do hope everything's all right."

While the people mill about and talk, the rain picks up to a small torrent that washes across the landscape. In the distance one or two flickering lights might be seen out in the plains off in the distance, away from the shore and village, a bit towards the west. But it's hard to pinpoint where exactly. The animals seem to all look a bit less than happy, but none run off with their owners atop them alas.

A subtle shudder runs down the length of Reese's spine as she hears Halsim's words. She gives him a nod and her expression stays somber. Reese then looks over to Hadrian, giving him her polite attention as his introduction is given. "I'm Princess Reese." She says, keeping her voice very soft. She sounds serious and not all that friendly, but it likely has more to do with the current crisis than Hadrian. "I guess it could be a mass kidnapping." She says with worry in her voice. She draws her cloak more tightly around herself as the rain picks up. "Well..should we go search the village and see if we can track the people?" She asks.

The Baron would have introduced himself but Edwad nods to the man, "Well met Marquis. Baron Stormbreak. Edward." in case the others were not all gathered by that point, "Mass kidnapping. If it was there would be tracks from wagons then. But given the rain and the roads that might be hard to track." he considers and then he says, "Or they could have been taken by boat." he motions, "Anyone seeing the lights?"

Sparte rehangs the no worthless lantern on his belt, and instead digs out another map he brought with him - not his failed cartography attempt. He uses the shield as a sort of rain cover, to protect the map as he looks at it. This one is older, and has something written on the back. "There was something about light... What was it... Until the last light falls out of the shrine, kept lit for an era." He turns the map to the other side. "The shrine is marked on here, but says to stay out of it."

The rain continues to fall all the same while Sparte reads from the map he has. The others can likely see that the map looks ancient, and it's good he covered it from the rain, because it looks like a small gust of wind could... And a piece of the map's edge flies off, he better discern that map's information fast. That's when there's a small sound and a shift from the waves...

Hadrian checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 12 lower.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 45 higher.

Someone wearing a featureless black mask that obscures one's visage checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 2 lower.

Reese checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 23 higher.

Edward checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 5 higher.

And then the waves lash up, not a true tidal wave, but enough that it slams over and draws a bunch of waves into the feet and legs of those that are riding and their horses. Hadrian and Halsim don't do so well with it, and they are knocked to the ground. Mud splatters onto their garments, and then the waters recede for the time being. The others manage to hold their ground. It seems they will have to travel wherever Sparte had mentioned more than like.

Reese manages to stay on her horse and keep herself from falling into the muck as the waves lash up. She looks toward her hound, checking to see if the canine is okay. She then looks over to Hadrian and Halsim who have fallen, trying to gage if they are okay as well.

As the rain begins to fall in sheets, so too does Hadrian's own mood. Where moments ago he was filled with almost too-cheerful mirth, the rain only seems to dampen his own mood as a frown slides across his sharp features and a steamy sigh escapes his mouth, "Alright then...", Hadrian's gloved hand lifts to point in the direction of the faint lights as he answers Edward, "I...I think I see it too. Let's..." Then he's abruptly cut off by a wave that decides to be an asshole. He's thrown from his horse and splatters into the mud, frozen or otherwise. There he lays for a moment before he quietly growls to the dark skies above, "...real cute." He begins to sit upright again as he works to wipe himself off before, from the ground, he continues speaking to Edward as though nothing untoward had occurred, "...go look into that matter. I'm far more adept at talking to people. So let's go find someone that wants to tell their tale." Then he begins to work his way to his feet once again, while a hand drops back to rub at his backside with a wince.

When the wave washes up Edward grips the reigns of his horse and dances it like Aiden showed him to do when something would frighten or cause it to bolt. When the water receeds he looks at Halsim and he gives a nod, "Agreed. Someone might have seen something or that could even be the kidnappers." he looks up at the sky and then he moves over to take the reigns of Halsim's horse so he can hold it steady in case he chooses to get back on his horse. He looks around as he does to make sure the others are okay as well.

With little fanfare, Halsim is unceremoniously dumped face first to the ground, mud splattering onto his robe. With a groan, he starts to head up, grabbing a pair of gloves to wipe himself down. "Yeah, somethings pissed off." The others get a look, "I'll take a look at the shrine." With that, Halsim starts over, checking the Shrine building for windows.

Edward checked stamina + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Hadrian checked stamina + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 3 lower.

Reese checked stamina + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 2 higher.

Sparte flips the map again, pulling it closer to behind his shield. He and Betsy are hanging tight. Tom? Tom is probably halfway to Arx by now, she doesn't have patience for this mess. "Uhhh this map says something really bad will happen if whatever is in that shrine wakes up. Has something to do with the light." He turns his horse with his knees, getting her to start meandering after the others going west while he tries to get the old map back into safety. "Miserable weather, like the water is trying to eat the village."

Sparte checked stamina + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 7 higher.

Someone wearing a featureless black mask that obscures one's visage checked stamina + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 15 lower.

As the folk approach the shrine, the doors seem to be closed at the front, and there are no windows to look in alas. Sparte and Reese notice nothing amiss, unbothered, but the other three, as they approach, well. They won't be feeling too good. Whatever's behind those doors isn't going to be a walk in the park, for sure. From the crevice of the front door however, there is the slightest amount of light, something is lit within the shrine and is not yet out.

Hadrian works himself to his feet once again, dismisses the mud and grime that now coats much of his attire. It is what it is. He slips a foot into a stirrup and climbs into the saddle with a grunt. Once he's situated in the saddle again, he shifts and wiggles about for a moment. Each shift comes with a wince and he quietly mutters to his horse, "Don't let that happen again, yeah?" He smirks for a moment, but the statement made by Sparte draws Hadrian's eyebrows up, "Something bad...to do with the light? So, since they're lit at the moment, it's safe to assume that if they go *out*, something unfortunate's going to take place. Right?" Hadrian urges his horse into motion with a squeeze of his thighs and calves, which sends the stallion stepping forward. The farther the horse travels in the western direction, the more Hadrian takes deep gulps of air. Slowly he begins to shake his head as a hand lifts to rub at his mouth, then clasp over his mouth. Though Sparte's comment about the water and the village draws a glance from Hadrian and a question spoken around the hand cupped over his mouth, "Do you think it has anything to do with what happened in the Bay of Arx?"

Once the Marquis is back on his horse Edward will nod to Sparte, "That might be then. Time to go...," since Halsim scouted the village and found nothing he will look to see if the others are moving as he turns his horse to the west to guide it in that direction. Chasing lights and shrines. As they get closer to the shrine Edward will make a face and then clears his throat a few times and spit away from the horse (and anyone else). "Glad I have not eaten." he looks a little paler for it. To Hadrian he glances to him, "No. This is different." and then to the doors where the light spills out as they approach.

"UGh." Halsim gives from atop his horse, behind... someone. "Yeah, cult. One thing to note; these people haven't really left the village in decades... no one has come or gone for years. I just thought it might be a generational thing... but the villagers themselves could be long term cultists."

Reese continues closer and she seems to be feeling just fine. Her cheeks are still pink and everything, despite such she is certainly spooked and there is a subtle tension to her shoulders. "I can take point if you all want." She says. "I am not very good at talking stuff out with people, but I can take a lot of blows." She then turns to Halsim. "Oh, no good at all." She murmurs. She goes to take point unless anyone protests or stops her.

Sparte is busy getting the maps out of the weather, and muttering to himself about how he knew some symbol or other wasn't a hill.

The light dims from the crevice of the door, still closed, as the riders approach. Whatever is happening, is about to be finished it seems! This can't be good, as Sparte has read what the map has said. A few moans can be heard from the fields... But nothing's there when folk look. There is a feeling, like someone touching the members of the party on the shoulder, just to turn around, and in the distance, hear a laugh. As the light dims, this becomes more fervent, frequent, but there's nothing there no matter how much they look...

"Well, if you're up for a fight? Then be prepared for one if this doesn't work out. No sense kicking the door down, when you can just knock. Any objections?" Hadrian seems prepared for objections however, as he doesn't begin to stir within his saddle in order to dismount. Instead the sharp featured man remains firmly rooted to his saddle, awaiting for some direction from the more experienced and martially adept members of the coterie.

Reese wields Devotion, a silvery pink alaricite short sword.

Once in front of the shrine building, Edward dismounts as he looks at Halsim, "That's good to know." he checks the draw on his sword and dagger on the back of his belt and then he motions to the Princess as she goes to take point, "I'm behind you." and he notes the others before he looks out into the fields with that unsettled feeling, "I think we might have just walked into the middle of a trap."

"I think we can knock and will kick down the door if they don't answer?" Reese says and climbs from her filly. She gives the horse a few soothing words. She the gasps and spins around as if looking for something. "Oh, really?" She says and raises her sword. She seems to be talking to someone or something.

Tiny Tom have been dismissed.

"I'm no good in a fight, but I am very good at scouting." Halsim states from the back of the horse. "Trap, definitely. Or just around people who love to toy with their supposed victims." Halsim states as he gets down from his horse. Then, he suddenly snaps his head in one direction, and... stares.

Sparte makes a mawp sound, tapping the side of his helmet. "Did someone say something about Pools in Taverns?" He makes a second mawp sound as he climbs down from Betsy, pulling an apple from his bag and feeding it to the horse. "The good news is that if this is a trap, whoever is springing it on us is probably here too. Pretty sure you can't set a trap up like this and just 'hope' you get the timing right."

Someone wearing a featureless black mask that obscures one's visage checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Hadrian's hand lowers to the rapier at his side and he swiftly brings it into his hand. Hurriedly his heel presses into the heel of his horse in order to bring the back end of his horse swinging out to the left. Weapon in hand, Hadrian frantically searches for something behind himself before he calls out, "Definitely a trap. Also?", Hadrian remarks with a comment toward the empty space behind where his horse had been, "I think we're being intentionally stalled." That proclamation made, Hadrian swiftly descends from his saddle and marches toward the shrine with long-legged steps. He slips his rapier back to his side and upon approaching the shrine's doors, he knocks two sharp knocks on the shrine's door before he announces in a suddenly cheerful and inviting voice, "I'd like to speak with whomever still remains inside. It's raining and altogether not very pleasant out here.

"Everyone, stop. Now." Halsim freezes in place.

"Are we?" Reese says to Hadrian. She seems to take his words serious and goes to knock on the door. Halsim's words give her pause though and she stops.

"We're surrounded by invisible entities, going into what's probably a cult of some kind." Halsim punches the air again. "Something is *here*, you can feel it."

Reese looks over to Halsim. She keeps her silver blade drawn and swings at the air in front of her. She has no idea where exactly these entities are and it likely is a blind strike, but she still tries. "Could still be stalling us." She says, seeming to have really latched to that suggestion from Hadrian. "I think I should kick in this door."

The door has been knocked on, even as Halsim asks them all to stop. The light dims even further inside, while whatever is around them, seems to become even more pressing. Then the last light seems to start fading from behind the door. In a moment, it will be out. The clouds pass the moonlight in full and an eerie light bathes the shrine from it above in the skies. From beneath the shrine door it can finally be seen though in the lantern light. Blood is seeping out now, and into the ground.

Edward wields Stormbreaker.

Hadrian wields Marrowstrike, the imperial rubicund rapier.

"Very well. I tried the peaceful way. Kick down the door if you so choose. Let's hope that it's not a shrine dedicated to the Pantheon. They do abhor violence in their shrines." That statement made, Hadrian steps back and out of the way in order to allow those better situated to knocking doors down, the room to do so. He does at least draw his rapier from his side once again as he steps aside. He returns to his quiet humming while he waits, as though trying to throw off anyone lurking about. He looks to the right, but casually jabs his rapier to the left - all in the interest of catching some unseen entity off-guard.

Drawing his sword Edward growls and he starts towards the shrine door, perhaps having heard something too given the sudden change in his demeanor from guard to hostile. When Halsim says to stop though he stops dead and he glances to Halsim, "Be sure. That delays us too..,"

Sparte wields Knothole Stave.

Reese checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 23 higher.

"They're going to keep following us, probably. I don't know enough about ghosts to know if they can really do anything to us or not." Halsim punches the air again. "Gone. They're moving all about and being distracting." Halsim looks to the door, "I'll keep an eye out."

Reese looks over to Hadrian. "Alright." She says in his direction. She does seem a bit concerned about breaking down the door, but she tries to anyways, striking out at such.

Merek GM Roll checked strength(6) at difficulty 25, rolling 33 higher.

The door seems pretty sturdy, even with alaracite being used.

Reese is unable to bring down the door, but she does try. "Sparte..you are stronger.." She says to the Iron Guard.

And with that done, Edward will just reach out and turn the handle to see if the door swings open..

What's that? Invisible enemies, closing in on the group? Sparte takes his long staff off his back, tilting it so he can kiss the dragonweep stone on it before he turns to look at the darkness. "So I can't see you guys, but I wanted to say hello! My name is Sparte and I'm going to be keeping you from harassing these nice people. And horses." He looks over to Betsy. "Don't worry, I wouldn't forget about you." He looks back to the empty space he is addressing. "Also having pools in taverns is weird. You guys are weird. Maybe you shouldn't have joined the invisible family business or whatever, you probably had a crazy grandpa or something." So spoken he twirls the staff and starts to go through some practice formations. Big sweeping strikes as he goes back and forth, seemingly at random. Probably very at random.

    Edward is fortunate, it is unlocked. As the door creaks open there is a moment where the stench of blood hits all. And then within comes the display. A man in a robe that seems patchworked together stands there, blonde from the hair he has. He turns to look at the group, one lantern remaining lit beside him. Unfortunately he's been given too much time. Just as they see it, hanging from rafters the villagers, and others, the Torean professor over there nailed to a wall, a freshly sacrificed woman on an altar, blood mottling the ground, an entire massacre. And then the man lets out a small laugh and the last lantern is knocked to the ground, "The last light..." He tells them.

Reese has the grace to blush when Edward opens the door. The blush then fades and she looks very pale for some reason or another, she glances around her s if looking for something unseen. "Oh....maybe the voice was..ri.." She starts to say and then stops herself. The more aware would realize her charging at the door and the ghost's words somehow got connected in her head. She doesn't have too much time to reflect on her door charge and ghostly whisper though. Upon seeing the room, she gasps with horror. Now her cheeks are very pale.

Reese checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 11 lower.

Edward checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 55, rolling 29 lower.

It would have looked great. It would have been fantastic. The Baron might have hoped to use the blood to slide across the room after a few short lengths of running and save that latern. Instead two steps in on the run and his feet slip out. He does get his slide though. Across the room where he slams into a body with a squelching sound.

For his part, Halsim doesn't say a word as he watches the blood and bodies. Indeed, the mask doesn't even allow his facial expression to show. Instead, he starts to move into the Cathedral stealthily... trying to get a better idea of what's going on.

Sparte hoos! Haas! Hoo-haas! He is missing all the interesting bits the people are learning about that are actually looking in the temple, still hopping around in the mud and waggling his stick in the air like the idiot he probably is. He'll most likely keep doing that until someone yells at him to be more useful.

Reese looks pale, very pale. Her breathing is elevated, coming quick and panicked. It seems that she cannot handle seeing this. She should be able to, being a warrior, but she cannot. Maybe it is all the helpless victims? Maybe it is supernatural dread? Maybe it is the ghosts. Who knows. She leans slides to the floor, looking like she will faint at any moment.

Peaches, a lovely white war filly with a peach saddle have been dismissed.

Justice, an elegant hunting falcon have been dismissed.

Stormy, a silvery gray hunting hound have been dismissed.

"Master Sparte?", Hadrian speaks up finally in order to get the attention of the staff wielding Iron Guardsman, "I think all of that, at least for the moment, was an attempt to stall us. If you'll direct your attention inside, you'll note that things are likely about to become very unfriendly." Hadrian, with his rapier in hand, remains in place at the side of the door. He seems to be ready to ambush anything that may come through that doorway as his rapier remains up and level, prepared to pierce anyone or anything attempting to flee. He calls out to Spare however, directing his question to the no doubt more martially experienced, "Would it be wiser for us to retreat into the open? That way should the need be there, we can surround...whatever is to come? Rather than attempt to smack it about in a confined space?" The question asked though draws his attention back to his surroundings.

Sparte checked perception + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 11 lower.

Hadrian checked perception + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 7 higher.

The cultist takes a moment to step on the flame which is out now, and then he smiles. "The villagers were really kind, they let us in, fed us, and in return... We used them to make sure our Master and the land was watching as we took out every light. Do you know how long the villages kept it lit?" he asks. Mister exposition watches the folk around. He makes a motion towards Reese briefly, "Ah, you even brought a Princess!" He smiles, and then looks to Edward, in his hand a ritual dagger made with onyx stone, "Now now, don't disturb the dead, there's already enough of them around." He cackles, and then opens up his arms, "Welcome, to a new era! The lands awaken, and we can't have you all meddling..." He motions to the door.

Outside a man in a robe appears, the same patchwork, his face badly scarred followed by two cultists in the dark. However Hadrian spots him, and is just in time to warn Sparte perhaps that those three are approaching. The man with the scarred face notices he is seen and grins crookedly, missing teeth, his face as patchworked as the robe.

Back inside the man takes a moment to throw his onyx dagger towards Edward...

Merek GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + small wpns(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher.

Edward checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Edward takes moderate damage.

Someone wearing a featureless black mask that obscures one's visage checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 20, rolling 21 higher.

Well nothing like being knifed as you're getting on your feet. Edward grunts as the blade sinks in and he grips his side, the fingers around the blade and he lifts his sword up. He narrows his eyes and he says, "You should not have disarmed yourself." he gives his sword a roll with his wrist and he goes to approach the cultist to engage.

Creep creepity creep. Nothing to see here, move along. Not a soul can see the entirely black clad Inquisitor as he works his way over to the supposed leader, stealthy as a cat. Halsim does spare a glance to the blood and gore... but only a split second as he heads over.

Hadrian checked charm + manipulation at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Hadrian steps from the side of the doorway with the appearance of three new faces to the gathering. He fixes each of them with a bright smile and his hands casually slip around the small of his back. The fencer's sword casually tucked away behind the frame of his body, his free hand extends up and forward as he gestures vaguely into the air, "Ah, gentlemen, so fortuitous that you've chosen to arrive now! It would seem that your leader? Has recently completed the ritual that you all sought to bring about," Hadrian explains before his hand gestures from them to the doorway, "The way that I see it? It means that this is your opportunity to really make certain that you, who have no doubt put the most effort and work into this whole ordeal, should be the ones to receive your Master first. Now if it were *me* in your able-bodied boots? I'd march into that shrine right this instant and put your boss to the sword. That way you force your own promotion *and* make sure that it's you who will be present to serve your Master as his best and brightest and not *that* lump of manure." Hadrian's hand curls into a light fist as he pumps that fist for emphasis at the mention of 'best and brightest'.

Sparte's eyes light up as Hadrian points out the approaching trio. "Thanks, targets I can see are easier." He gives a little wave to the cultists, dispelling any illusions he doesn't see them. "Hello there! I'm Sparte, and you appear to be cultists." He points the staff at them. "You've probably got dark magics and whatnot. I've got a stick. So what I'm saying is, this is your only chance to surrender." He glances over to Hadrian, then back to the cultists, then back to Hadrian. "I'm sorry, were we doing the fake cultists thing? Nobody told me we were doing the fake cultists thing."

Merek GM Roll checked strength(5) + brawling(6) at difficulty 15, rolling 56 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 46 higher.

Sparte takes moderate damage.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.

Merek GM Roll checked dex(5) + dodge(4) at difficulty 15, rolling 62 higher.

Merek GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + brawling(1) at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Edward checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

The man Edward is fighting lifts up his fists and rolls his shoulders, as he tosses a punch, unaware of Halsim. It misses, then he lets out a grunt, "Seems he's distracted, oh well... Soon you won't have any friends left outside," he tells them, "My life is a small price to pay to see our mission done." Then he engages with Edward in full, leaving him open to the two in the shrine...

Outside as Hadrian speaks, the scarred burned man looks at him and then lets out a chuckle which turns into raucous laughter, then he looks to the two cultists with him, "You two... Head back out," he motions them vaguely. There's a nod as they do and leave the bulking man to face Sparte who interposes between him and the Duke, just as he rolls back his fist. When it comes at him, there is something that in his wilding dreams he would not expect a /man/ capable of doing. The blow causes a crack in the steel armor with the gauntlet the man is wearing, and even shatters a bone or two as it meets the Iron Guardsmen when he interposes himself. The strike back at him is met with a simple quick maneuver that is exceedingly fast, as though reading each movement. He then takes up the Guardsman by the neck, and looks to Hadrian, "Seems he wanted to go first... You see, /I/ am their leader."

The haphazard swing from the cultist has Edward just lean back out of the way and then he responds with a pommel punch from the heavy steel guard of his sword. The large curved handguard good for knocking aside blows to protect the hands and breaking someone's nose.

Sparte checked willpower at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Edward checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Merek GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + dodge(2) at difficulty 15, rolling 33 higher.

Someone wearing a featureless black mask that obscures one's visage checked dexterity + alchemy at difficulty 15, rolling 80 higher.

A hand is slipped into a hidden pocket on his robe, and out comes a vialed substance. Very well reinforced, it would take some truly ridiculous blows to break any of them... or a well placed throw. Edward can probably see a glint of glass as Halsim overhands a vial from the shadows at the two of them and the gas suddenly envelops him and his assailant. Halsim? He keeps hidden, a grenadier in the dark.

Hadrian checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

"Oh, well, would you be willing to consider killing yourself then?" Hadrian asks the question with a cheerful and frankly hopeful smile. The Marquis steps forward and aside as his rapier slips from behind his back. The piercing point of the blade stabs outward, aimed for the throat of the burned and scarred cultist in an effort to catch him during his startling revelation, while his hand is full with Sparte. That, unfortunately, was a bad decision. When his wrist is grabbed within the other fist of the scarred man, Hadrian growls and grunts as he tries to pull away.

The blow from the man isn't what Sparte expected, not at all. The guardsman lets out a gasp of pain as the blow strikes, but keeps his wits about him. His still working hand goes up to the wrist that is holding him by the neck, staff falling helplessly to the ground below. Sparte faces the cultist with a grin through the pain. "You..." He forces out a difficult sound, struggling through the pain from the strike he is still feeling. "Should've surrendered."

The cultist along with Edward is knocked clean out inside of the shrine. However the whole place now feels so... Different. The spilled blood, the stench of human decay, and whatever this rite was done for. There's something old and powerful around, and it has nothing to do with the cultists themselves. They simply came to see a freedom here.

The man who then catches Hadrian's attempt to stab him, looks at him and then squeezes his wrist hard enough to start a crackling sound. That can't be fun. He then looks back to Sparte, "... Child, you are courageous and brave, but you have no /power/. All the might of your blades are useless, pathetic..." Then riding from the plains, in another direction, are cultists on steeds. The second contingent that came with the team and did their own investigations? Their heads have been mounted onto pikes a few cultists are carrying. And others then have bows which are lifted up. Could this be the end for our heroes? Will the fable found here be lost like so many others? Will no one be able to warn the others of the darkness?

Then it happens, the man looks between the two, then the fallen Reese, "... Ah, good. Good... Tell that pathetic Princess when she awakens that soon her line shall be slaughtered. We have what we came for, from the professor. This will be a boon to us, and soon..." He looks to Hadrian, he twists the man's wrist firmly, to attempt and cause a small break, then he backs up, letting go of Sparte, as he moves back to the awaiting cultists, not enough for our group to take on, even with Halsim and folk on their side... For now. "Farewell, we shall not kill you today, tell the men of Velenosa and Grayson that these lands our now ours." Well, it's not much land at all, very little in fact, but it seems they think the shrine is theres. And they start to leave.

Merek GM Roll checked strength(5) + brawling(6) at difficulty 15, rolling 41 higher.

Hadrian checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Sparte drops Knothole Stave.

Sparte wields a massive rubicund claymore with garnet inset guard.

Hadrian takes serious damage.

Well Edward was ready to just gut the man when there is a crack. And a hiss. And then a burbled, "What?" before his eyes roll up into his head and he falls to the floor. His sword clatters down next to him and he lays still. Unconscious. Because friendly fire isn't.

The crackling in Hadrian's wrist draws a shout of pure agony from him as the rapier hangs from limp fingers. Then he's released from the grip and the scarred man begins to step away to rejoin his cultists pals. Hadrian shrinks back and his rapier is shuffled off to his other hand, while the Marquis quickly recedes from the man in the patchwork robes. He pauses at least long enough to try to convince Sparte to follow in Hadrian's back away toward the shrine entrance, "Choke point, doorway. Let's go, Fatchforth. We can't handle him... I'm not strong enough." Hadrian admits this with a low, frustrated growl before he eases his way back toward the shrine's entrance.

Sparte lands on his feet, drawing the claymore from his back with his good hand as he does so. His other arm is still limp at his side. He takes a defensive stance next to Hadrian, watching the cultists warrily as he backs up with the other man. "Why is it they always know more about what is going on than we do?" He calls after the lead cultist. "Since I figure we're being spared to send your message, what do we call you? Or do I just say random guy good at punching?"

The man turns around and looks at those folk gathered about, and decides to give them one piece of information before he leaves with his cultists, "Once, I was a man called... Fen, but then, I became so much more. When you become more, when you are ready, when more lights have fallen, then too might you learn what I once was and am now." A monster, to be sure, or just a quite powerful man. But who can tell at this point... He then leaps onto a saddleback and rides with his cultists.

"Because these people have been spared from the destruction of their knowledge, because they've allied with the dark powers, and we oppose them." Halsim states from the shadows. "Can't very well control the Compact if you lose your magic and your influence, can you?" Halsim isn't moving. Nope.