The hum of charged lightning in the air slowly began to dissipate as Sophia unclenched her fists. "I still intend to avoid uneccessary bloodshed moving forward. Regardless of their allegiance, this fools sacrificed a life. This perversion sealed their fate. They are now out of our hands and will be judged by powers far beyond us."
Sophia reached up to wipe her eyes and fix her hair. It was true that she could have stopped and not killed them. Perhaps the slaying of the first man would have been enough to set the rest of the followers along the proper path. All of these things were hindsight however. There was no use in dwelling on it anymore. "What's done is done. If you are so well versed in Nocturne, I will follow your lead. It is clear that this is a backwards land of chaos." Sophia turned her nose for a brief moment in disgust. Many of the slums in Fraxen were a literal paradise when compared to what she had seen of Nocturne thus far. It was clear there was little order in the place. "You brought us here for a different reason. Might I suggest we move on before the sound of thunder draws a crowd to this place?"
Sophia | Warden | Vanguard
Aura of BraveryPassive Sophia is such a dominant figure on the battlefield, she radiates an Aura of Bravery, inspiring all allies around her. This does not give them any stat boost but instead makes them want to be as brave as Sophia. Enemies meanwhile will seem to want to run in fear. Sophia will appear to shine and her injuries will appear less noticeable, like attacks aren't phasing her.
• Order Before taken underneath the hands of the God of Order, the Wardens were known to be volatile and dangerous in nature. They had little to no control of their lightning, which was always exceptionally powerful. Now, with Raphael's influence on their mind and body, the Wardens are capable of controlling their lightning to the utmost, which makes them far deadlier foes. They can passively manipulate their lightning techniques; curve them, arc them, even totally reverse and change their trajectory.
• Warden: The lightning they wield is of holy nature, due to their lineage. It is of exceptional destructive ability; all lightning and bloodline skills they use are given a bonus in potency. This increases the damage, speed and size of all lightning abilities by 25%, though it does not increase the rank.
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:56 pm
Somnus Aeternam
""
It seemed she was finally beginning to understand. At least a little bit. "Yes, Nocturne is quite different from most other places in the world. It has never truly known the stability of a well functioning government. It has never had a solid chain of command save for tribal displays of strength to keep all others in order. Frankly, I don't believe they will ever have those things here. But it is still our responsibility to instill the best form of government we can." Taking the lead once again, Amias walked briskly up the twisting slope of the hill, ensuring that they were a good ways away from the would-be chapel before anyone took notice of the bodies. Sophia would notice their bodies being dumped off the side of the hill into the crevice below, should she look behind her to notice it. No alarms were rung, no sirens wailing. "In their eyes, it was likely a group suicide in Raphael's name. Death is so frequent here...even small children have become desensitized to what most would call utter horrors." It wouldn't be long before a small vigil took place at the cliff edge where the bodies were dumped, only a number of minutes before the citizens of the town carried on with their days.
"Yet, that resilience is what makes a powerful, successful nation. We may not be able to give these people a well-oiled, functioning government like Kevai or Aramil, but we can definitely ensure that whatever system they put into place is well protected by these diligent men and women around us." He stopped, turning to face Sophia once more. "THAT is precisely why we were sent here. Why you were called from your duties and I mine. To assist our comrade in his work, to ensure that Nocturne becomes the very best that it can be. And if we can steer our Mazdakist allies on the right path while we're here, then all the better." For now, he would stop, waiting to gauge her response before continuing.
In the meantime, a certain entity had received reports of his approach. The one she loathed so greatly since the very beginning of their existence. It seemed the last time wasn't quite enough.
"I hold no illusions that this place is like Kevai or Aramil. It is clear that you have a better plan in mind. The methods do not bother as I have said before. The only goal is that some form of order takes hold." Sophia continued to follow in close behind Amias. He seemed to have an idea of where to head to find their target. The whole time however, Sophia couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching them from every angle.
"Let's continue on. The sooner this is done with, the better."
Sophia | Warden | Vanguard
Aura of BraveryPassive Sophia is such a dominant figure on the battlefield, she radiates an Aura of Bravery, inspiring all allies around her. This does not give them any stat boost but instead makes them want to be as brave as Sophia. Enemies meanwhile will seem to want to run in fear. Sophia will appear to shine and her injuries will appear less noticeable, like attacks aren't phasing her.
• Order Before taken underneath the hands of the God of Order, the Wardens were known to be volatile and dangerous in nature. They had little to no control of their lightning, which was always exceptionally powerful. Now, with Raphael's influence on their mind and body, the Wardens are capable of controlling their lightning to the utmost, which makes them far deadlier foes. They can passively manipulate their lightning techniques; curve them, arc them, even totally reverse and change their trajectory.
• Warden: The lightning they wield is of holy nature, due to their lineage. It is of exceptional destructive ability; all lightning and bloodline skills they use are given a bonus in potency. This increases the damage, speed and size of all lightning abilities by 25%, though it does not increase the rank.
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:54 pm
Somnus Aeternam
""
Her impulse was correct. Dozens of eyes, from all angles obscure and blatant, were on them. By now, the townsfolk had put two and two together about just how those Mazdakists had died, and those with the motivation left to care about monitoring outsiders had taken it upon themselves to make it so. Among them, it seemed there were a few that vaguely recognized Amias from his last time here on business; he and Lilith had mercilessly slaughtered a large gathering of Vangelists on this very hill. The reason why this city was now built on this twisting slope was that very same battle. "You're correct. I do have a plan. But it's not one that will be done quickly, and certainly not one I want to discuss here in any further detail. Not until we've finished up." Mid speaking, Amias would come to a stop again. By now, they had almost reached the top of the spiral; even a casual walk for creatures of their ilk outpaced a human's by several degrees. "It seems we've arrived."
At the end of this path was a large building, reminiscent of a chapel. Before he could say anything else, the doors began to slowly open outward, revealing a pale-skinned woman in the doorway. She wore black robes and bore a fascinatingly designed pendant on her chest. For what was a pretty stereotypical entrance for an antagonist, her disposition was...quite unlike. "Long time no see, Amala." Amias was suave, however. He could tell by observing her with the Sight that she had barely progressed. How she managed to maintain control of this town was beyond him, but they were past the pretenses that he and Lilith once needed to subscribe to in order to draw her out.
"You just can't leave us be, can you?" Her voice was incredibly dry, pained. As though she had just continued to wither away since last they'd spoken. Such was the life of a Pagan who didn't adapt to changing times. "This is my territory, I've told you this before. You know that once I convert this town into loyal followers, my power will grow. I will use that power to take over Nocturne anew and take my place as a true god. You will not stand in my way." Her words were bold, certainly; Pagans did not have the Sight or any other means of energy detection, so she was not able to detect his energy when it was being kept in check. For now, he would allow the facade to continue, only looking to Sophia to gauge her reaction.
The feeling of being watched only continued to grow in Sophia's mind. It felt as if a crowd was following them from the shadows. It was clear the pair of them stood out and weren't welcome. "I can understand not wanting to discuss it here. It seems that we should carry out our business here. I am quite sure we are being followed." Sophia was so busy looking over her shoulder, she almost bumped into Amias when he abrutply stopped near the top of spiral.
Sophia watched from just behind Amias as a strange pale woman exited the remains of a chapel. Judging from Amias' reaction, it seemed that they prey had come to them. Itts speech seemed strained and raspy. Whatever power this creature had seemed to be reserved to keep it alive. Still behind Amias, Sophia listened as Amala spoke of taking over Nocturne and ascending to godhood. With Amala still a distance away, Sophia kept her voice hushed and spoke into Amias' ear. "You are likely well aware of what I think of this false god already but I believe I shall follow your lead."
Sophia | Warden | Vanguard
Aura of BraveryPassive Sophia is such a dominant figure on the battlefield, she radiates an Aura of Bravery, inspiring all allies around her. This does not give them any stat boost but instead makes them want to be as brave as Sophia. Enemies meanwhile will seem to want to run in fear. Sophia will appear to shine and her injuries will appear less noticeable, like attacks aren't phasing her.
• Order Before taken underneath the hands of the God of Order, the Wardens were known to be volatile and dangerous in nature. They had little to no control of their lightning, which was always exceptionally powerful. Now, with Raphael's influence on their mind and body, the Wardens are capable of controlling their lightning to the utmost, which makes them far deadlier foes. They can passively manipulate their lightning techniques; curve them, arc them, even totally reverse and change their trajectory.
• Warden: The lightning they wield is of holy nature, due to their lineage. It is of exceptional destructive ability; all lightning and bloodline skills they use are given a bonus in potency. This increases the damage, speed and size of all lightning abilities by 25%, though it does not increase the rank.
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:58 pm
Somnus Aeternam
""
"I think not." The words from his mouth serving as a response to both women. Amias turned to Sophia with a grin. "I've had my chance at destroying her once before and didn't take the proper countermeasures to ensure she stayed that way. This time, I believe I'll defer to you. With the same sort of vigor from before, please." He was asking her to do what little combat would be needed with this shell of a creature. The demon turned to Amala once more and spoke plainly. "When she's done destroying you, I'll make sure it's for good this time, as I should have done before. Please cooperate and stay dead this time." A cheeky grin following those comments were enough to send the Pagan over the edge. She extended her palms, and ripples of energy seemed to form around Amias in great mass. At a moment's notice, the space around him would seem to crush inward with frightening force before a great explosion, the concussive force of which would likely shift Sophia a number of feet away. That...or were her feet moved on their own?
As the smoke cleared, Amias spoke with the same, candid tone as before. "Whenever you're ready, Sophia; I've already determined that this will be a non-factor." By now, the townsfolk were already gathering around to observe the spectacle. "To those of you watching," Now that the smoke had cleared, an unscathed Amias turned to address the bystanders, "Please understand that this is what happens when you refuse to do what's best for the people. She has robbed you of your livelihoods for too long, and I'm happy to welcome you back into the fold of what will become the REAL Nocturne."
It seemed that Amias still had no intentions of getting his own hands dirty. It seemed to Sophia that he was hiding something for some reason. Hiding his real power. There was something off about Amias that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Instead, it seemed that he planned to use Sophia as a tool to bludgeon the pagan for him. It seemed that she would have to question him later.
Out of instinct, Sophia raised her arms to defend herself as the air began to swirl around Amias next to her. Sophia jumped to the side as the explosion and force enveloped Amias. As the smoke cleared, nothing appeared to have changed. It was as if the attack had never happened or had failed to break whatever invisible defense surrounded Amias. With Amias fine, it appeared to Sophia that it was time to act.
Even before the smoke had fully cleared around Amias, the sky would already seem to be rumbling and the air would feel with the distinct crackle of lightning. As she had already done before, Sophia's arm would begin to arc stray bolts of lightning. This would continue to grow until her entire arm appeared to be enveloped by the energy. Despite being a great distance away, Sophia would begin to pull her arm back, as if getting ready to throw a punch, which is exactly what happened. Sophia lunged forward, punching the air, immediately releasing all the energy in her arm in a massive bolt that launched itself directly at Amala.
■‘ﾟ𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘一Amias ■‘ﾟ𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐃一Mildly Annoyed ■‘ﾟ𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍一Geterra Town ■‘ﾟ𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒一Attacking
Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 2:30 pm
Somnus Aeternam
""
Amala, clearly distressed when she saw her attacks resolve to no avail, was slow to react to the arc of lightning coming at her. A shoddy barrier appeared in front of her, but it was ill-suited to counteract the concentrated energy. As such, it tore through the barrier and her shoulder subsequently, revealing a light blue energy underneath the skin. And thus was her only remaining strength revealed. "You can see now the energy that sustains her. The last time she and I did battle, I was not thorough in making sure this energy was completely thinned from the area. As such, she was able to resurrect into this weakened state." Her defiance, though quite weak, was pitiable; had she any sense at all, she would have ran for her life as soon as her attack failed to damage him. Though she wouldn't have gotten far anyway.
"So essentially, this fight is already over. You just need to eliminate her energy to the point where recovery is impossible. So with that...make it count this time, yeah?" A quick, unforgiving display of force. That was exactly what Amias was looking for in this situation. Against those ill-driven cultists before, words would have been the answer. But when it comes to the territory's chieftains? Violence or submission were the only answers available. Amala's stance was well known, and this wouldn't be the latter.
Once more it seemed that Amias was content to keep his hands clean. There was something off about him but if he too was marked than there must have been something that Raphael had deemed important about him. Sophia smirked at him as he told her to make this one count, as if there were many opponents that could withstand her previous attack. "Fine then. If she survives this, than she is your problem."
Sophia stepped past Amias, slowly walking towards Amala. Once more, the air began to crackle and surge around her, racing down both arms and across her body. Before long, massive bolts began to discharge into the air around Sophia. If Amala had barely been able to block the first attack, it was likely this attack would have no problem passing through whatever barrier she tried to conjure with the last of her strength. Instead of focusing all of her energy into a single blast, Sophia began to concentrate all of her power into both hands, pointing them directly at Amala.
In the blink of an eye, two bolts would fire themselves through the air. The first bolt would follow the same path as the previous bolt, aimed directly at Amala's chest. The second bolt would follow a more indirect path, flying forward for a brief instant before shooting straight up into the sky. The second bolt would twist and turn for a moment in the air before shooting straight down at Amala from above. Even if Amala tried to dodge the attacks, it was a simple matter for Sophia to redirect the attacks again. She would either need to counter them, or die.
■‘ﾟ𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘一Amias ■‘ﾟ𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐃一Mildly Annoyed ■‘ﾟ𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍一Geterra Town ■‘ﾟ𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒一Attacking
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:23 am
Somnus Aeternam
""
This would be well more than enough to do the trick. She had so little power left that she could barely stand, let alone maintain her form. It was little surprise to see both bolts rip through her unabated, her energy beginning to leak into the air. Yet so little remained that it was fragments, shards of power that attempted to flee to any safe haven available. This was the same method she'd used to escape Amias and Lilith last time, but there would be no second chances. A dome of saturated energy was waiting for what left of her, and so as her remains seeped into the sky, so too would they be expunged. A few brief moments passed, and Amala was no more.
"I'd say that did the trick. Only one thing remains here, and we can move on to the next territory." Amias turned to the crowd of onlookers that had gathered behind them, and spoke with authority. "Citizens of Gettera, the woman that stood before you was nothing more than a pale reflection of an era past. She refused to grow, to become a leader worthy of anyone's patronage. So now, you've been freed from her rusty chains." A brief pause for the folks listening to absorb this, "But do not fear. For the Nocturne that comes will not have a king or a queen. Our comrade, Charlie, is working even now to create a Nocturne that represents the best interests of all its citizens, not just the strongest or those of noble blood. For he too has come from nothing, and strives to create something for everyone." There were some rallying cries from the crowd, but naturally the majority stood skeptical; this wasn't the first time they'd been fed this story, which was why they lived on the outskirts of Nocturne and not in the main city.
"I know words enough will not be enough to convince you, but in time I pray you'll see the results. When that time comes, look to Nocturne, to Luimira." When this short dialogue was complete, Amias looked to Sophia before taking to the skies, leaving the citizens to ponder what had been said.
Sophia watched and simply listened as Amias addressed the crowd that had gathered around them. She was done trying to carry out her own plan. In the mean time, she would simply tag along and see what Amias and Charlie had in store. If it was her job to bludgeon down Pagans and other dissenters, then so be it. Even before Amias had finished speaking, Sophia began to float away into the sky, not wishing to linger in such a place for longer than she needed.
■‘ﾟ𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘一Amias ■‘ﾟ𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐃一Curious; Cautious ■‘ﾟ𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍一Geterra Town ■‘ﾟ𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒一Waiting
