The Shroud

[Game Master]

That forcibly imposed amglam structure of bone and hide maintained its eerie presence in lull before battle. They heard shouts. They felt the impacts and wearing as vampires and their thralls walked through the gap of the imotile legion. They suffered under the crashing waves of Wamphyri emotions soaked at telepathic calls. And yet, only knew two powers which truly caused the remnants of people to quake and wail in silence…

And went those vampirized Scrappers of brutish step and of methodical crafting skill: each malnourished body hugged opposing sides of tunnel wall in their advance. Fierce slugs of irradiated metal. Trained footsteps with stances at the ready. Eyes kept alert in the dimly lit environment soon bloomed with a brilliant white light!

Everything happened too fast. The two powers challenging one another for influence over the latest agents of change.

To the Commandant and her men, the notion of ‘divine intervention’ might be an annoying gnat at her mind’s ear. For whatever these mighty beams touched, the ground stayed still. For everyone else that accompanied the relic search. Well, they’d be the ones to tell it best. For those two vampirized thralls were burnt to a crisp by a heavily concentrated glow!

Eltra and Wade, Jinx and Laur, floral and fauna persons alike descended beneath the cold stone floor. The sensation of earth amiss, for the metamorphic material felt like nothing. Just a substance in itself. The true sensation would be the overwhelming presence from all around their bodies; carefully keeping track and binding their movements as they flowed through this unnatural current - apart from an individual. One that broke free from the vile jetstream and washed ‘ashore’ in a most unexpected location…

/My dearest saviors of the world above. My heart weighed in deepest regret as could not protect all of you quickly enough./

Wispy be the call, and still sorrowful intent in those words carried along in the stranger’s voice. Female, certainly so. Drenched in grief by her quieting cries as she relayed soundless speech to Suvanka alone. /The foul devil of the well waters below has taken your friends. My weakening light managed to spare you from his clutches… Let me help you./

((The party has been split!

Suvanka, Medici, Voltaire (awaiting progress; summary to be added here when done)

Jinx, ??? (awaiting progress; summary to be added here when done)

Eltra, Laur, Wade (awaiting progress; summary to be added here when done)

Current Game Plan: separate adventures that aimed to rejoin before the final event takes place))

[Game Master]

((Resuming these Hard Times for these characters onto the forums once more.))

Blessed from Below

Voltaire, Medici and Suvanka made their way through the caves. On doing so, they've met up with Giulia. In the complex, a being known as Zalmon has been creating horrific amalgamations of the former populace. An entire city, devoid of life. Suvanka has promised to fight alongside Giulia, with her two loyal cohorts happily agreeing.

To defend her new comrade, she's had to use one of the Godbuster rounds in an act of desperation. Just as well, Medici was field-testing brews of Perkacola, specialized bacteria made into beverages that grant the drinker various perks. They've each been given Stamin-Up and Death Perception.

Zeal of Zalmon

Whisked off to the very heart of Zalmanse, the trio (Eltra, Laur, and Wade) found themselves staring up in front of one the Wamphyri of the underground. A giant of a former man cloaked under matted furs: hardly much of his own face left uncovered, baring his crimson eyes. Lord Zalmon the Sickening. Appointed himself sometime ago to his own throne, a robber baron to all the vampires serving beneath him in likeness of Gilded Age slums.

... (Un)fortunately, they happened not to be the source of his ire. Zalmon had been thoroughly vexed by an elusive witch who also inhabited his very prison. To the contrary, the vampire offered a deal to them: avoid crossing the Lord in his war, and he would allow them to grab whatever treasures they sought below.

Though, being Wamphyri, one must be wary of any deals or words spoken by them… Especially when they discovered the monstrosities waiting in the Caldera Mines of Zalmon.

Grim Revelations

Unlike the rest of the group, a lone Jinx found herself stranded in the middle of the whole mess. Not fortunate to be protected by the shining lights, nor held forever to parts unknown in the deeper rock. Could be in part of her consecrated connection to the Mad God? A brief, yet sufficient, aura of insanity rattled the woman free from Zalmon’s clutches… And straight to the hands of the REC themselves.

Nau the Sea Witch, Lady Azaria of Wamphyri corruption, the tenacious Mutant known as Harpy, and some blue haired human by name of Reseda. Not the full lot of those claiming to the Real Evil Council, though any at all were a worrisome thought.

By some reasonings, she merely was coreherced to tag along with their group for the time being. Stationed at careful watch in the trek, with Azaria at the ‘helm.’ Something of which proved quite valuable. As none of the thralls encountered dared to risk their necks in provoking a fight with them… In fact, they entertained a loner to accompany them onwards.

[Game Master]

Lord Zalmon found wanting over the deficit of his intelligence. No, not the vampire himself; who firmly regarded Wamphyri to be the superior creature, with his own person reigning over all! Why would an authoritarian ruler think otherwise?

“… Thirteen… Thirteen pieces which might defy my will…”

He could not let these gnawing notions fester forever. Always cautious. Always conniving. Always on guard… Zalmon gritted teeth far worn and weathered. The agony to be stripped of one of the core abilities designated to Wamphyri, restricting his range of moves to carry out his ultimate goal. Absolute Longevity. True immortality.

“There’s those three… Pawns, perhaps? Giulia unfortunately fits to be a Queen among them,” he continued to mutter to his lonesome. Suvanka's blasted projectiles deemed too dangerous with their capability to riddled a body in lead. Or to ignite a whole room up in flame.

Fevered, two crimson orbs bored heavily with animosity at their cores, stealthily tracking the four pieces moving to the last level he held sway. A giant wooden board situated in front of him, with the objects moving in rough accordance to the real life equivalents. These four stood out among others tokens for chess for arriving soon after another group. “A pity they haven’t shot their eyes our,” Zalmon lamented, taking account of the final players. Opposing sides, though having undertaken different paths, their fates crossed at this… Impasse? He found it unlikely everyone of them would come to peaceful agreement.

“A Rook. A Knight. And a Bishop… Versus another Rook. With four personal Pawns at the Lady’s side, and a captured Pawn eagerly guarded?”

Being wary in scouting out the numbered ranks of the murky caldera, said trio mistakenly missed the six-then four figure sets approaching them. Too busy with examining how specialized beasts and thralls laborious worked at chipping away at the earth. Using rails, cracked stairs, or gliding up steep sides. In case of changing matters where the need to fight them arises... They -Eltra, Laur, and Wade-were given a degree of protection in their trek through Zalmon’s Mines… Not a boon he gifted to the likes of Azaria, Nau, Harpy, Reseda. The vampire certainly would go out, somewhat, to appease the persons three by extending a similar grace to the young woman. Jinx.

Unlikely could be said for the same with the weaponized humans. Perhaps, the ever so kind Wamphyri Lord, would spare their lot if they denounced his most aggravating bane: ‘Giulia Sabella’ … Only if they knew..

… Only if they knew, what Lord Zalmon knew: that all vampires are liars and cons at their cold hearts.