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Post by Gwendolyn on Mar 22, 2023 17:13:14 GMT -5
Archduke Francois Fernando rolled down the street in a heavily guarded carriage. His recent endeavour to petition the crown for more funds to his fief had been unsuccessful. Quite frustrating indeed. His regal attire went well with his sour demeanor and twisty black moustache. Alongside him rode two armed guards, and one Duros Knight. This accompaniment was necessary considering the worryingly low security rating that Sol City had received lately. Gwendolyn waited on a stony overpass. The Marrowvines had sent her here to “Take Care” of the Archduke, hopefully destabilizing the region even further. Their machinations were a mystery to the woman in shining armour however, as much as they had tried to explain it she simply didn’t care that much. Despite her heavy armor, the crowd around her seemed to care little about her presence. Even despite the fact that she seemed to eagerly await the approaching twin horse-drawn carriage. It was a relatively narrow street, with a forty foot tunnel directly under her that the Carriage would be passing through. If she did it quickly enough, nobody on the street above would be any the wiser. Right now she was even under false papers, those of Lady Gwintillae, so even if the dots were connected on her customs paperwork, she’d still be able to slip out under the scrying ball. Quest Name: Assassination Participants: Requires exactly two people (you and one other, if the other participant does not qualify, they will not gain the reward) Location: Anywhere (Can be repeated for a different region) Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post Reward: -15 Security for selected Region (Extra -5 if not your home region) Description: While targeting a regions infrastructure and demoralizing its people are great ways to bring a region to its knees, nothing works better than removing an important member of that region, be it a noble, a member of royalty, a politician or just a normal citizen that keeps the region moving. Your job is to eliminate an member of a specific region with some political importance, ultimately lowering its ability to function and progress. How, where and when you do this is totally up to you, as long as a high ranking official is removed and dealt with. (Note: important NPCs such as those found in the Notable NPC guide cannot be used for this quest.)
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Mar 22, 2023 20:36:31 GMT -5
Gwendolyn was not the only one who had been hired by the Marrowvines to take care of this Archduke. Apparently whatever he’d done to earn their ire was enough to make them consider hiring another blade to make sure that the death stuck. In addition to the armored woman currently loitering on the street, keeping an eye on the carriage drawing ever-closer, they had also hired the Specter. A bit of extra insurance, as it were.
Cyran currently stood on the other side of the street, though anyone in the crowd who might have known him wouldn’t have been able to recognize him. He’d shifted his appearance until he resembled an unassuming old elven woman - even if people had been paying attention to him, they would not be able to recall anything accurate about his features.[1] A little further down, Oriole and Andromeda lie in wait, ready to cause a distraction and draw away the guards if necessary. He’d warned his apprentices of the risk, but both of them were more than willing to step up and do their part if needed.
Sol City was in the midst of a storm right now - their actions here had the chance to tip the scales in the midst of the capitol’s turbulent environment.
His hand drifted towards the dagger tucked under his cloak, ready to move at a moment’s notice. They had to do something to get rid of these guards first. Then he or Gwendolyn could move in and secure the kill. 1. One With the Cosmos (Astral Soul I)
Bringing Minions Oriole Andromeda
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Post by Gwendolyn on Mar 23, 2023 16:34:26 GMT -5
The wagon approached the first target, the bridge on the other side of the gap from her own bridge. Looking around, it seemed like noone was paying attention, aside from a small child looking at some doves and an old elven lady across the way who seemed lost in thought. Weighing the risks of discovery, Gwendolyn elected to move forward with the plan , who would believe a child and some demented old elf anyway. Placing a hand on the stone railing seperating her from the alleyway below, she heaved herself over and dropped to the cobblestone path in front of the wagon. Tapping her Mystwud Emblem (1), it emanated a fearful magic that brought the horses to a standstill. “What the devils is going on here?” The Archduke states, confusion in the forefront before fear. He couldn’t even quite see the woman stood in front of the carriage before him. The Guard who held the reins himself hesitated to pull his sword as Enlightened Redolence, her censer maul, materialized in mid-air out of the smoke emitted by her hip censer. “S-Stop” the driver managed to get out before three balls of blue light formed at the head of the maul (2), glowing brightly before shooting towards the carriage. Two struck the driver, sending him falling off to the side. The third aimed straight for the dukes head was stopped by a gleaming shield, intricately carved and floating by itself. “Remove Condition” The paladin said assuredly, standing and manifesting a Halberd in the air behind himself. His shield floated to orbit the Archduke. “Stand and deliver, Ruffian”
The vein on her forehead throbbed, he was gonna get it now. She was no Ruffian. 1 Looming fear 2 Magic Missile Paladin Spellblade 4 Remove Condition
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Mar 26, 2023 12:38:32 GMT -5
The time for subtlety had flown out the window, Cyran figured. Miss Gwendolyn didn’t seem much the type for sneaking around - based on her armor and weapons, she seemed like the type to face challenges head-on. But he didn’t expect her to charge in weapons blazing, going straight for the driver without concern for the paladin. The armored man would prove to be a challenge, forming a shield in front of their target and a polearm in his hands.
Cyran was going to have to intervene.
From behind the paladin, his shadow began to shift and take form, before separating from him entirely. A large, bat-like creature that more resembled a being of pure darkness than any living creature.[1] The elemental burst forth in the air - if the crowd was confused by the cart suddenly rolling to a stop, then the appearance of a construct of pure darkness was enough to send them into pandemonium. The paladin’s attention was temporarily drawn away from the armored woman, glancing up at the winged creature in the sky that opened its mouth and shot a bolt of pure dark energy at him. He dodged, rolling right into the path of a dagger that seemed to manifest itself from down the street, courtesy of Andromeda.[2]
The dagger seemed to bounce off of him, missing its mark where it was meant to strike vulnerable flesh, but it was obvious that the paladin would have to pay attention to more than just the opponent in front of him.
Meanwhile, the old elven woman sipped at her tea, keeping her eye on the Archduke. 1. Summon: Dark Elemental 2. Andromeda: Throwing Dagger (Ice, Holy)
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Post by Gwendolyn on Mar 29, 2023 4:58:40 GMT -5
A Dark creature from the shadows come to assist her? Or steal her kill… Either way, it was a bad look to fight on the same side as monsters. On top of that, the icy dagger that landed near her after bouncing off the paladin told her that there was definitely competition in the area. What kind of game were the Marrowvines playing here… Didn’t trust her to finish the job? Gwendolyn couldn’t see where the dagger had come from other than down the street, so she’d deal with the source later if necessary. The important thing was the darkness monster wasn’t after her, so the mission was still on. The paladin shifted his grip around his gleaming polearm, swinging it around by the end of it’s shaft. One solid overhead swing that seemed like it was going for the beast above struck it’s true target at the other end of it’s arc(Titanic Reach(Fire Damage)). Gwendolyn took the brunt of the slice with her armour, nicking her in the cheek and slashing straight through her armour like butter. The metal sizzled and melted slightly as she undid the quick-release straps to drop it to the floor. Heat damage? What the hell kind of protection was this Duke running around with? This guy was almost on the same scale as some adventurers she had crossed. Rolling backwards, she reached a hand into her potion pouch around the waist. She pulled a light blue poison out and popped the cork, pouring it out onto another weapon she had manifested (Frostfire Extract(Tree(Always there))). It was less a weapon, and more like a small evergreen she had found somewhere, but it worked just the same. Once the needles were thoroughly coated, the tree floated about ten feet into the air, about level with the street aboves gasping crowd. Thousands of needles burst forth through the carriage, most of them being caught before reaching the duke. The important ones however, struck the Paladin and his two guardsmen. Frostfire Extract: Applying the poison to a weapon gives its strikes a unique effect reflecting its name. For 2 posts after application, wounds inflicted by the poisoned weapon produce a moderately painful, localized burning sensation that slowly removes body heat from the victim. If these wounds are left untreated or unhealed, the poison will eventually induce severe hypothermia. Anyone afflicted by this poison can not cast spells that use or deal fire damage. Can only be applied once per topic.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Mar 30, 2023 19:53:14 GMT -5
The paladin and Miss Gwendolyn started exchanging blow after blow, the armored man managing to get a slice through her protection with a flaming strike from his polearm. Gwendolyn retaliated with… an entire tree, apparently, that hovered in the air before shooting a blast of poison-coated needles at the paladin and the other guards. The two guards flinched as the poison began to set in their bloodstream, burning their arms where they’d taken the brunt of the damage - the paladin, on the other hand, twirled his polearm in both hands before striking the ground in front of him with a burst of light and a booming voice that called out, “Purify poison.”[1]
With the effects of her poison shrugged off but his armor dented from the tree’s pine needles, the paladin resumed his assault on Miss Gwendolyn. Overhead, the elemental swooped down, casting a shadow over the carriage. With a screech, the creature fired a blast of pure dark energy at the paladin, who merely raised a hand and created a wall of light to block the blow from hitting him that the elemental ran into, sunlight and shade clashing like a burst from a bomb, before both disappeared.[2]
A frown tugged at Cyran’s lips, where he was still watching the battle from afar, when his construct disappeared. He was going to have to step in himself and help Lady Gwendolyn, though he’d hoped not to step in personally. But that paladin was proving to be a problem.
Still in his disguise, the old crone of an elven woman pulled a dagger seemingly from nowhere, stepping into the shade of a nearby awning and manifesting in the paladin’s shadow behind him. Before he could react, the dagger nicked his throat- the paladin’s reaction time was fast enough that he managed to whirl around and whack Cyran to the ground with the polearm before he could do lethal damage, but Spell Slicer’s enchantment had already set in.[3,4,5] 1. Purify Poison (Paladin) 2. Wall of Light (Paladin) 3. Summon: Possession 4. Shadow Walk 5. Magic Blocker enchantment
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 3, 2023 19:29:35 GMT -5
What in the hells…? Gwendolyn took advantage of the lack of attention to roll to the side of the alley and crack a vial of salts. (Eagle eye potion). As she inhaled, the effects took place and she saw the most confusing thing in the world. The old lady with a dagger? A small drop of blood dripping from the paladins neck… No way. Just how many assassins wanted this Archduke dead? At least the creature was gone for now, but apparently that was the least of her worries. Her weapons dissipated from their previous positions to reappear in a close orbit around her. Weaving her arms to pull at the strings of magic that commanded them, both the tree and the maul set into motion. The tree turned on its side, and advanced at the paladin with rapid pace. The maul floated silently, before fading into a mist. The duke whimpered as the floating shield of the paladin moved to intercept the tree, as the halberd swept down with a horrific chop to slice it in two. In the meantime, unbeknownst to those in the carriage, Enlightened Redolence reappeared about thirty feet in the sky above them. A movement to cut the string holding it aloft by Gwendolyn and it dropped like the semi-solid hunk of burning steel it was. (momentous cleave). The impact was monumental, cracking the carriage in twain and causing the paladin to cry out in agony. When the dust settled, it was revealed that he had in fact saved the dukes life, by sacrificing his right arm in the process. The weapon lay smoldering on the ground nearby, as the Paladin clutched his crumpled arm in pain. The duke cowered beneath him, unknowingly awaiting his execution.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Apr 3, 2023 21:13:49 GMT -5
Though she lacked subtlety, it was obvious that Miss Gwen was a capable fighter. She wove with the threads of magic controlling her weapons like a skilled seamstress - Cyran probably hadn’t even needed to truly intervene. But his enchantment seemed to keep the paladin’s annoying magic at bay. Enough so that he could only control his sword and shield to prevent Gwen from reaching the archduke. Knight and paladin clashed while Cyran took a step back, attempting to find a good opening -
Before he could step back into the fray, though, the weapon that Gwendolyn sent into the sky dropped, the force of gravity bringing it down like a falling star right onto the side of the carriage…
And that was the moment that everything went to hell.
Cyran’s vision, thankfully, wasn’t impeded by the sudden onslaught of dust and rubble from the impact - he coughed, holding his breath as he sprinted for the wreckage of the carriage.[1] If there was any opportune moment to carry out the assassination… it was now.
Only, the paladin was there to stop him before he could get close.
One-armed but still alive, though missing an arm - one he’d sacrificed to protect his leader’s life. That was true dedication. It was a shame that he had chosen to put his faith in the wrong man. ”Stop… in the name of the law.” He panted, chest heaving from the strain that the battle and his injuries had taken on him.
Cyran stared at him, unimpressed.
“Is this truly the hill you want to die on? Look around you… the capitol is in shambles. Sol City is hanging on by a thread. If I were you, I would step aside and surrender him.”
Cyran gestured towards the horrified noble, trembling under the armored paladin.
But the guard remained unyielding. He merely held out his remaining hand, summoning his weapon into his open palm. “I will die for the crown.”
“So be it, then.” If that was what he wished, then Cyran would just have to make that a reality. He only hoped Gwen would take advantage of his distraction and took out the archduke - that was the main priority. 1. All Eye
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Post by Gwendolyn on Apr 5, 2023 5:50:08 GMT -5
The mystery assassin was monologuing… the duke and paladin both had eyes on their would-be arbiter. Now was the time to strike, honour be damned. She held her hands out as the three glowing orbs grew to sit at the top of her fingers. Her eyes set on the duke, he wasn’t even paying attention. It would be so easy. And it was! Gwendolyn loosed the magic missiles into the hands of fate, their trajectory true. The paladin reached out to block the shots at the last second, his crushed arm ineffective as they flew past and struck the Archduke. Two penetrated his ornamental chest armour, one struck directly in the temple. Instant death. She only hoped that the other assassin would not take the loss of their mark out on herself. The look of abject horror on the Paladins face was evident. Disappointment, fear, rage, all broiled into a feeling of absolute defeat. Gwendolyn cautiously approached the scene, partially to confirm the kill for herself, partially to see what the defender would do next. Both her weapons were down for the count, it would be a loosing battle if it came down to hand to hand. She nods to the old elven woman “There, it’s over… Do you yield?”
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Apr 5, 2023 6:59:22 GMT -5
Before either the paladin or Cyran could make the first move, Miss Gwen struck first - the magical projectiles battered him in the chest before striking him clean through the temple. A surprisingly neat kill after all the mess that had been made of the attempt.
Well, he supposed it wasn’t Miss Gwen’s fault. Not when considering the man in front of him, who had protected his charge with an unyielding fervor, superhuman strength, and powerful magic. He’d been the true hurdle that complicated things. But now he stood, gazing upon his failed lord, the realization finally sinking in that he had failed in his task.
The hit on the Archduke Francois Fernando had been carried out.
Not by Cyran, this time - he’d merely been the one to watch and step in when necessary. But everything had turned out… mostly fine, he supposed. The city was a wreck around them, riddled with debris, scorch marks from stray spells, and pine needles from the battle. Cleaning up this mess would take a long time. Cleaning up the mess left in the wake of the Archduke’s assassination… would take even longer.
None of that was Cyran’s problem, though. He took a step closer to the defeated paladin, who made no move to stop his approach. He couldn’t help but feel bad for the man, on some level. The actions of the collective should not be blamed on the individuals. But given that he had chosen to pledge his support to the crown, Cyran couldn’t really muster up too much sympathy for the man.
Easier to put him out of his misery now, before he had to report his failings to his superiors and live with this burden on his shoulders.
He made no move to fight back even as Cyran finished the job and slit his throat with Cold Steel.
The mission accomplished, he turned back to Miss Gwen with a nod. “Good job.” The praise from a competitor might have seemed strange to the headstrong young woman, but Cyran was just here to make sure the job got done, not compete with her. “… Though you might want to get out of here before more guards show up.”
The sound of distant hooves growing steadily closer was his cue to leave. Cyran stepped into the safety of a nearby shadow, disappearing from sight entirely now that he was no longer needed.[1] 1. Dark Form
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