The Darkest Dungeon (The Weald)

[Deleted]

The Darkest Dungeon

---

Rules here
narutoforumrp.proboards.com/post/1098904/thread


In things to come, they'll say your name with reverence or regret,
Into the darkest dungeon, a challenger will be met.
To fall to hosts of evil? A bloodline be redeemed?
A world below lies waiting... a nightmare  undreamed.

The carriage creaked down crumbling cobbled stones, winding like a serpent across the countryside. Twilight had come and it had past. There were only the darkness and the jarring carriage ride down the meandering road. The road, long since past what many would consider "disrepair" showed signs of clear neglect born from a lack of use. The frigid air defined the atmosphere even among this swampy bog. The lengthy trip had already shown signs of conflict that the carriage driver seemed not to have minded. The swamp seemed especially still on a night like this, the carriage driver charged onwards undeterred. Hours would quickly blend into the fog and swamp until arriving at the mouth of a large forest. Even from the faint, oily light carried by the driver, it was clear the forest seemed different. The silhouette of large mushrooms stood out against the starlight, the oily flames causing shadows to dance against the branches of the long since barren tree branches. 

The silence was broken by a horse sighing heavily. Its ears perked up aware of the aura coming from the forest. The carriage driver stopped here as per their agreement. This was the end of the line, the adventurer(s) would need to walk forwards from here if they wanted to reach the hamlet of Willowmore. A few dozen acres were all that separated them from their destination... as long as they stuck to the road. The very air reeked of corruption, even the faint starlight revealed the clouds of spores from the fungal bloom.  The air was thick with them, the spores spreading the reach of this darkness. 

[💀]

HECATE  UCHIHA HAND OF JASHIN Jostled byt he carriage ride, Hecate sat comfortably in the middle middle most seat, picking at the blades of her scythes with a clawed finger. Wearing her Raven style gas-mask with no filter plugged in yet, she sat cross with legs crossed to minimize the amount of room she took up though she was already a tall and dainty pale flower. All she took with her today was her Mega-scythe crafted by her darling sister Loki, the gas mask, a single C filter in her pocket and the hunk of starmetal breastplate that lay as a thin layer beneath her satin top. Her cloak too reached down her body, black leggings, the cloak almost sheer it was so thin. A compass and around 30 meters of thin ninja wire strapped about her person like wound webbing. With a jarring stop they seemed directed to walk and Hecate was first to scrable to do so. This place had been screaming her name, the divine hand pointing her it's way like a hand on a compass. The scythe she carried followed after her dutifully with a mind of it's own, floating within reaching distance as she stalked down the road. Her eyes glowed green through the peepholes of her mask and lit the way for her. An assisted dark and low-light vision kept her on the path. She wasn't anti-conversation and was MORE than happy to converse once on foot an dnot in a stuffy carriage but the twitching flutter of her rather bony black wings and the way she seemed to almost glide without possibility even time she skipped might deter some of these spoil sport Negative Nancys. Conversation or solitude she half walked half floated the whole way to the manor and when she found it she stared with a giddy awe to her eyes. Her eyes were attentive and she clicked her C filter into place when she noted the spores floating int he air illuminated in the starlight. "I hear your call, Master. I will continue your work in your stead." Unless someone had something smart to say she just drifted towards the steps, ascended and went to knock on the door with heavy knuckles. "Open up, open up, Open u~p!" She called loudly from outside the door and rocked back on her heels with a giddy air. The filter may have stopped the spores in the air but it didn't stop the taste of chaos and mayhem. She licked her lips audibly from within the mask. Behind her a skeletal tail whipped and wagged profusely.

[Deleted]

The carriage door became ajar as the wooden door opened up. Wordlessly the carriage driver would wait for her to exit (along with any other arrivals) and if not stopped would quickly make its way back along the snaking trail. The dark horse's hooves and the wooden carriage wheels causing a thunderous noise across the fractured stone road. Our reaper pressed forwards into the forest towards the direction of Willowmore. Her mind on her God and the battles to come as she jovially bounded through the woods. 

Her passive observation would (auto-success) make her hear the ambush a split second before it was sprung. Knowing the attack was coming before it was sprung could be relieving to Hecate. Perhaps it was the fact that the road was turning directly into the clearing, a sudden scent picked up by the Jashinist or perhaps some combination of her shaper than human senses would tip her off. Either way, when the crossbow bolts were released the champion would not be caught flatfooted. Firing in low light, three bandits crouched and concealed along the woodline opened fire. The moment the bolts were in the air, Hecate would quickly be able to clearly see all of them. One shooter, 50 meters to her 3'oclock firing from behind a tree, another 60 meters to her 1'oclock and the last shooter 80 meters away in the prone. The arrows while malicious in their intent seemed simple in construction. Simple steel bolts with no magical properties, these bandits were used to preying on lone adventurers.

The three bolts would all fly through the darkness and between the woods with uncanny accuracy. Expert shots all three of the rounds were on a trajectory path to hit and would each arrive between a 2-3 second window. 

[Renyer]

Seraph sat not so far away from the woman on the carriage. He had 15 bo shurikens and 15 hira shurikens in his jacket and in his hand he had he held his night vision googles which he decided to hold for the meantime, in his other jacket pocket, 5 explosive tags and 5 force tags laid with his anti flash lenses and googles,and finally in his pouch just 20 smoke pellets and 5 northern winds were sitting. Seraph had his Gas-mask on with a Rebreather and his Grapnel gun his trouser pockets, but he wouldn't forget to bring his compass and flashlight in his last pouch.

Sabo tucked his night vision googles in his back trouser pocket as he awaited the door to open so he would leave the carriage, the young red haired man jumped of and would enter the room with the other woman, he didn't notice the bolts quickly like the other one, but since he was standing behind her he hoped that she would take care of it quickly. Seraph wore all black today and all that was coloured in black was his jacket, trousers gloves, his shirt and shoes.

[💀]

HECATE  UCHIHA HAND OF JASHIN The walk through the woods should have been uneventful but Hecate should have known better. Cowards with paper shields always hung about the darkness where they could truly be themselves and show their true faces. Hey eyes adjusted too easily to the dark these days and when she found she wasn't alone there in the woods she caught the flicker of movement, the taut stretch of twine string, an ambush in the dark. Joined by another who stood behind her Hecate smiled behind the mask and plucked her scythe out of the air. Her soul went out when she sensed the ambush and when the bolts fired she was long gone with the company behind her now left to contend with it. The bolts flew true alright, clean and crisp but Hecate was standing between the first two shooters with her blade raised. Twirling like a ballerina her the wound wires she carried struck out in either direction with 5 meters of wiggle room to spare should they attempt any last minute running. Wires sawed through bark and flora with ease, five wires ripping 250 AP out of the surrounding area in a blink. She gave the attack every opportunity to make red mist out of the first two before locking her gaze down the 25 meter gap to the third man, lifted off the ground and took flight at him full speed. The scythe spun in front of her like a helicopter blade and her only objective was to sever his wrists at the tendons and remove them from his body. She slashed till she could see blood and wasn't happy till his hands were off his body. Death wasn't ready to claim this first individual. "I never did like bows and arrows.. The cuts were meant to be clean so she could properly tend him.

[Madame Loki]

Two figures appeared 3 meters above Hecate's location. One was a dark haired women, with the Sharigan in her eyes. She was seemingly dressed in rags. Loki was not dress as flamboyant as she usually tended to be. There was no need for it, having a low profile was always best when she was out in the world. However on her left arm was Her Witch wood Shoulder piece, and while it formed into a elegant green dress, she had used her glamour skills to make it appear as the rags that she was now in. She did the same with the two witch wood armbands as well, and each of them she had Energy gems embedded(Sound, Cold). Over her right wrist were 4 deep pocketed half pouches put together to form a bracelet. Inside of the first of those Deep Pockets, were 10 Skadi's Cry grenades. In the 2nd was 20 Weeping Witch Grenades. Third possessed 100 Diamonds, 100 Emeralds, 100 Sapphires, 100 Topaz gems. And the 4th held several spell tags, 1 Status, 3 Water Shadow Clones, and 2 Evulsion Spell tags.

Her trigger boots, which house Moderate Fire, and Lightning Energy Gem, and held the Toccatta and Nocturne guns from the Love is Blue Set. Using her mastery of Glamour, she gave the boots a form, that looked muuch more mundane than they truly were but a far more unsuspecting form. Appearing as nothing more than tattered boots. There was a Witch Watch draped around her neck, it was held on by a Goddess Cognition Chain. The Watch itself held the gems of Goddess' Wisdom, The Skull of the Might, Tear of Raijin. 

The Sun's renewal ritual, was place around her belly button. Up the left side of her body there was also the a Soul Guard Seal, and on over her right breast was the Simbul's Conversion Seal, all disguised as Tattoos, if they could be seen through her clothing. Crown of Magic appeared on her head, it had been transformed into a hood that flowed into her clothing as she used her Wicked Weaves to lock it down. The crown housed a retractable visor that functions as sniper goggles that held, Anti-Flash Lenses, Zooming Vision(x100 zoom), Canny Descrier, X-Ray Vision, Condition Viewing Vision, Camera Vision x1, and Thermal Vision x1. She was sitting on her Mystletainn staff, that floated in the air with her, and hanging from her side was her LeFaye Book of Shadows. It was spelled with a Chakra Lock Seal, so that only those in Loki's family could open the spell book. Even if one could open the spell book, it is dangerous to use the spells within if one could not speak the multitude of languages that Loki herself could, or knew of the books contents beforehand.

The other figure was in a hand stand on the end of Loki's Staff. He was younger appearing to be her sibling, when in reality, he was her son. He stood, well hand stood at about 5'10 in height. The younger male, was also in rather casual clothing. This was Jormungandr, and his red sharigan eyes flashed in his eyes as well, though they were just the result of his transformation jutsu. He held the same ritual seals on his body, aside from the Black sun seal, and he also had a Witch watch in his pocket, it held, Goddess' Wisdom, Gem of Prescience, Tear of Raijin, Spellbinders Gem, Matter Gem, Doolittle Gem. He had a Goddess's cognition Chain, on his neck that held an extra Spellbinders Gem. He had two Earrings, with where Energy gems(Acid, Sound). ON his wrist was a bracelet, that held the Fire and Cold Energy gems. And on his belt was the Lightning Energy gem.

Hidden on his person was his Paradise Lost Dagger Set. All 9 dagger hidden away, neatly on his person. Sleeping within Loki clothing was the Pipe Fox Nex. As usual she brought nothing with her, but a hangover, and sass attitude. Thought there was seldom any need for her to do anything but heal, and even that was more often than not handled by Loki. As the three of them appeared Jormungandr looked over at Hecate curiously, "Hey Auntie... what you doing?" He asked.

"Yes, Love do tell. We are dreadfully bored today, and the boys' father is busy with his...ergh, job." Jormungandr nodded his head in agreement. It was a rare event for them them to have nothing to do to keep themselves busy. But knowing Hecate, was always neck deep in something, Loki figured she could pop in on her. It had been some time since the two of them had a little outing of their own. Besides, Jormungandr had not really had the chance to meet his dear aunt. It was critical to a child's development to interact with family, especially one as.............. unique as this one.

"Oh Looks like you're fighting... you seem to have this covered. We'll just watch till your done." Loki continued to sit on the floating Staff and floated back as the group faded into the shadows. As they began to fade Jormungandr lifted one of his hands off the staff to wave at Hecate. There was no need for them to get involved, Hecate could handle these bandits on her own.

[Renyer]

Seraph would not look so happy when he saw that the woman had vanished leaving the him to take care of the bolts "Pfft" Seraph said quietly as he stared at the bolts that were now coming his way and would then make his shadow tendrils wrap around him, if nothing abnormal would happen and he successfully blocked the bolts that were shot at him he would release the shadow tendrils that were wrapped around him.

Seraph noticed some other people in the area, it seemed to be a boy and a woman, the young red haired man would shrug and the turn his attention back to the woman who left to go fight the bandits, Seraph would make that assumption after he saw her bring out her scythe.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shadow Envelop
Rank: C Rank
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Shadows begin to wrap around the Nara Clan member defending him from physical attacks. (Weapons/Taijutsu/and Physical manifestation jutsu)
Special: "Hanseals"
Drawback: Only able to block C rank Jutsu and lower. Taijutsu master could break with 2 punches easily. Cannot combine with Kagemane.
Description: His Shadow begins to form tendrils and wrap around him and defend him as if it was armor. Forms a sphere around him that cannot be seen through. Cannot use Kagemane while using this at the same time.
Limit: Nara Clan Member, Shadow Sewing, Shadow Imitation Technique "C"

[Deleted]

"Frozen by confusion! Stress begins to creep in." A loud voice would say from the background. The voice seemed to come from everywhere by now discernable direction. The boy Seraph would attempt to move, somehow imagining a future that would not occur. His mind and body seemed to be operating on different parameters. The stress was already starting. 

Seraph! You are gaining stress for posting outside of the posting order. Posting orders are established during combat. You will now be given a stress die. At 100 points of stress, something cool will happen!

+1d12 stress. vRiwaRnR1-12/100

---

"Frozen by confusion!" would still be heard across the forest by the other two champions. The reaper was quick to jump and move. Appearing between the first two she mowed them down with a decided advantage. With one swing of her scythe, stone, wood, soil, and sinew were severed.  Each of the five wires leaving massive scars into the environment. Both the witch and the reaper were the perceptive enough to notice,  The soil that was kicked up had something different to it than normal soil. It seemed thicker, almost as if it was soft chitin. The first two bandits lay dead instantly and the third was no match for the speed of the response produced. The moment he recognized his wrists were severed and the pain set in he quickly passed out in shock. He was bleeding out, and quickly. 

Before the man's hands hit the floor, the soft thud of three crossbow bolts would hit trees in the woods harmlessly. 

1-100

[💀]

HECATE  UCHIHA HAND OF JASHIN Hecate's eyes flew to the soil that went but the wet slap of lifeless fingers hitting against meaty palms was all she wanted to hear. The poor soul passed out but she didn't pay it any mind. Without a moment of hesitation she planted the heel of her foot on his chin to shove his mouth open, dug the blade in his mouth and ripped his lower jaw off with a giggle that belonged to a Girl getting her first badge of her first kiss. Not maiming a man into oblivion. "La-la, lala, Hmn hmn hmn~" She hummed aloud as she mutilated him, slamming her scythe into his chest, twisting, feeling around to wedge that thick piece of violent metal between ribs and tearing them free. It tore holes in his flesh but she just hopped and skipped back and forth over the body, treating pooling blood like messy hopscotch squares. On eager toes she fluttered over her victim, batting his head back and forth over a broken neck she happily stopped both her feel in like a child splashing in a rain puddle. She ran red. Red with gore. The mask hid her features but her slumped shoulders and the slack way she just stared up at the starry sky told it all. She was very satisfied with her work. Looking over to the other fellow who had joined her she took a step out of the meat puddle but paused in place. "OH!" The man before her was dead to rights but she wanted to watch his soul pass on. That wispy energy bound for an afterlife with Jashin where he could be in his embrace forever. When she spotted it crawling out of the meatsuit on the ground, getting up like a man late for work and read to get out of the door and placed her hands on her knees and shouted at him. "HEY!!!" Her command over the afterlife was not to be refuted. She knew the teachings of Jashin and this had to happen to everyone. They ALL had to be released from their suffering. Licking blood off her lips she bent slightly at the waist and ripped her mask up, her back to the others but the spirit there in front of her. Drenched in that poor man's once precious life essence she bit her lip and gave him a satisfied look with smoldering eyes. A look of a very pleased woman. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Her brow bobbed with a curious insistence and- terrible as it was, yes or no simply, the ghost was deathbound to answer anyways. However she snapped the mask back in place and turned her back on him immediately just so his last words on this plane of suffering would go unheard by everyone. Wasted. Just like his whole existence. "Well it looks like you made it out in one piece!" She called out as she took flight and went to check on the red-headed boy. Praise be if he took a wound and needed a mercy killing. Luckily for everyone they had an angel on the battlefield~ _____ Spirit Sight Rank: "B" Skill: Supplementary Effect: User watches as the souls of others pass to the other side. Special: --- Drawback: --- Description: User can see and speak with the spirits of the recently deceased. User can issue a short yes/no question to a person who has died within 1 round and they must answer the user honestly if they know the answer. Limit: Must be a Soulcaster.

[Madame Loki]

Loki rolled her eyes as she heard the voices echoing from the shadows of the area, as she rolled her eyes Jormungandr looked at her, curiously, "What's the matter Mother?" Loki looked over at Jormungandr, and smiled at the boy, "It's nothing... just seems like your aunt got herself into something... mildly annoying. At the very least, it should be interesting for awhile." Loki said as they would leave the shadows and float over towards Hecate. Jormungandr was now sitting on Loki's staff's edge, Indian style. He looked over at Hecate's handy work and then looked over at his Aunt herself, "Auntie that's a bit... excessive isn't it?" Loki giggled a bit, as she listened to Jormungandr scold his Aunt. 

"No that's just Hecate." Jormungandr shrugged his shoulders, "Just seems like she kills because she enjoys it, and worshiping Jashin is just a convenient excuse to satisfy her natural impulses for murder." Jomungandr said really just thinking out loud. Loki looked at her son and smirked, "Or maybe she is just naturally inclined to the life of a Jashin worshiper?" Jormungandr placed his hand on his chin as he thought this over for a bit, "I suppose that's true too. Hmmm, guess its one of those, do what you love type of situations. Auntie must be in constant bliss then, serving Jashin. I can appreciate that." Jormungandr said with a smile on his face. Loki's face was much more focused than amused at the moment. As she looked down at the ground for a moment.

Chitin-like substance, voices echoing through the land. This place... this area... was alive, in a way Loki wasn't quite sure of yet. Loki sitting on her staff looked at Hecate, ignoring the Red Head child, "What exactly are you doing here, dear sister? Did you hear of something interesting to kill?"

[Renyer]

Seraph held his head and then fell to the ground, the young red haired man began to laugh quietly for no reason for some reason he couldn't even move his body properly he was frozen somehow and he liked it "Thank goodness nothing is attacking me" Seraph kept himself on the floor, but he turned his head slightly to look at the woman whom was fighting the bandits.

Sometime later they died inevitably, Seraph didn't understand why she was still going on, but he found it funny that the bandits where being ripped from limb to limb "This woman is crazy" Seraph said with a smile before turning his head slightly again and then he began to hear the conversation of the younger boy and the other woman "I hope I'm not in this state for long" Seraph said with a frown.

[Deleted]

Words wound their ways through twisting tangled boughs and branches. The party patiently prattled on amidst the gore-filled woods. The spores found purchase on the hot blood, spilling, from the carcasses around them. Spores, snow settled on the dead as the boy gawked and laughed at their misfortune. Comedy found amongst madness suggested sadistic undertones. He seemed to separate himself from the group, preferring not to speak to them. 

The night was young and blood already soaked the winding path to the hamlet. The party had a clear direction to travel through, yet sometimes the best roads were those off the beaten trail. 

The bandit's spirit seemed lost for a moment. His mouth not moving but his voice heard aloud. "This can't be right, she said we would all live forever....

the rest would be left unsaid

[💀]

HECATE  UCHIHA HAND OF JASHIN The other boy didn't seem interested in talking and the ghost behind her seemed intent on wailing his pathetic prattle loud enough to be heard. So used to being ignored in life probably. His words did make her ever swivel in her skull though. Live forever? The ultimate sin. "Jormungandr, right?" She shot up at the boy on the end of Loki's stick (heh) passively licking blood off her fingers as she lifted her scythe, appraised the staff, shrugged and concluded it could have to do for now. "It's good to see you again, squirt." Hefting the large weapon in both hands she dug that blade into the soft meat of her guy and tore a gaping wound across her middle. Blood poured but she was already humming, drawing a large circle and meditating, drawing the symbol of Jashin within it and kneeling in it's middle and commencing her ritualistic butchering of herself. Blood continued to puddle and pool as she offered up the sacrificial pain to Jashin and shuddered at the sensation of that cold metal sliding across her skin. "Honestly, love, I go where His hand guides me. I heard some voice talking earlier but I ignored it. Where ever people live then it is my duty to follow and remove them for their fleshy anchor by opening red mouths in their flesh." The way the bulk of her blade dipped into her body and a bulge formed in her back, Hecate simply laid upon her back within the circle and prayed to Jashin with a smile that was... far too content for the situation. "bring your kid to work day?" She asked up from the circle, peeking up with one open eye motioning towards Jormungandr."

[Madame Loki]

Loki had long sense cursed her eyes with soul sight, and the same was true for Jormungandr, they both witnessed the spirits apprehension to journey on to it's ultimate reward in death. Loki looked at the spirit and then chuckled, "And you were fool enough to believe her. All things come to an end eventually. Even the Gods themselves will one day fade from existence, along with the rest of time and space. When you come to realize this... life becomes far more freeing, and interesting." Loki said with a smile. No one was truly immortal, everything had it's rules, even the Gods. She didn't say this for the dead fool, she said this more for Jormungandr. Who heard what his mother was saying, but was far more interested in his Aunt's odd ritual.

Loki floated over Hecate as she rested on the ground, and Jormungandr folded his arms, as Hecate commented on him like he wasn't there. "Watching you kill poor souls, is hardly work love. Besides the boy is old enough to work, strong enough at least. What better learning, than on the job experience?" Loki said as she giggled, a bit. Jormungandr looked at Hecate and smirked, "Mom, says you tend to get into a lot of trouble unnecessarily, and since she can't always watch your back, she's going to have me do it when she can't. So i'm going to be like your social worker, Old Lady." Jormungandr said with a smile, as her continued to sit on Loki's staff.

Loki looked around the area, there was much going on here, that interested her, however, it didn't interest her enough to do any real investigation. She really didn't care too much, but Hecate seemed to. So it wouldn't hurt to stick around while she wandered aimlessly, through whatever this was. It was certainly a good way to pass the time. "So, what are you going to do after your blood nap?" Loki asked as her legs swung back and forth off the side of her staff.

[Renyer]

If the frozen state had worn off, Seraph would stand up and then look around, he then began to think of what to do next "What are they doing?" Seraph asked very quietly as he realized that they were just aimlessly talking to each other, they all looked very well acquainted Seraph thought to himself as he sat back on the ground and then crossed his legs.

Seraph began to stretch his arms left and right like it was an exercising routine, but the young red haired man was just bored so he calmed down a little and awaited for something to pop out of nowhere. (Observation 125)

[Master Game]

[Enter]



The dim moonlight provided little respite against the furiously encroaching darkness that entangled the woodlands on all sides. A shadowy figure, short and nimble lagged behind the group some metres away. The figure's face, even if one could see it clearly in the swarm of eerie blackness that surrounded the area, was hidden by a mask. The shinobi behind that mask knew exactly what brought him on this journey. The air was ripe with the stench of unwavering doom and demise, the forest floor was crawling with it. Shoko was not unnerved at all by the darkness, but by partially by the uncertainty that followed.

The masked figure was clad in a jet-black poncho that was a cloak of displacement, accompanied by his cloak of lightning in the form of a large scarf wrapped around his shoulders and lower facial area. Nailed unto that scarf was a shiny head-protector representing Sunagakure. The boy's skin was a nice shade of chocolate, a heavy contrast to the blonde, spiky hair that adorned his head. A magnificent scarlet and gold sheath hung by the boy's waist, serving as a scabbard for his most prized and favourite weapon; the Kyuushi. His feet were nestled in a pair of thick combat-boots that were covertly Boots of Speed. Inside the boy's cloak, four half-pouches were sewn into it; each half a slot of explosive tags(One full slot of explosive fire tags and one full slot of force tags). By the boy's belt he had three quick-loaders, one full of a slot of smoke pellets, another a slot of northern wind and the final one contained about five zipties. Hanging over his poncho was a Patrol Pack; holding about 20 kunai, 4 multi-tool, 6 Shock-cloaked spider scrolls and a full slot of Slime Star, Dragon Wind and Devil Smoke grenades. It also contained a Healer's gem, a pack-spider scroll, a gem of Jutsu Reflection, 15 Telekinesis gems, 15 troll stone, 15 chakra gems, 50 Spirit amber and finally 10 military ration pills.

The shinobi marched onward slowly. A single, durable piece of Mithril breastplate was positioned on his chest, behind his cloak. Light Mithril armour also shrouded all six of his arms that were of product of his Arachnid Appendages Jutsu. Shoko was perhaps the most wary of the spores that littered the woodland, taking good care not to get too close if possible. Having fallen asleep on the carriage, it was only natural that all others had already gone on ahead. They were still within sight however, and Shoko didn't wish to lag behind any further. Through his Vanguard of the Wolf mask, the shinobi would activate night-vision viewing on the lenses so as to get a better analysis of his surroundings as he moved along the forest trail towards Willowmore.

[Deleted]

"They come here in ones and twos, their goals as divergent as the branches of these very trees. But their destination would always be the same." A strange voice would say again. Heard by all. 

Shoko pressing forwards would travel past the group on the road standing over the dead and talking. If neither party hindered the other they would pass without mention. Silence left behind in darkness kept company by swarming spore clouds and corpses. If he continued to travel he would come up after 2 hours of walking across the gravel road to the base of a small pathway leading out of the woods. From here the hamlet could be seen through the winter mists and fog. Decrepit and rundown buildings dotted the scenery. All of them with no visible signs of life or recent human habitation. The road would continue down into a dim orange light in the center of the valley. What appeared to be a great bonfire was lit in the center of the town. To his left would be a large freshwater lake that seemed to have an outlet Into the ocean. 

[💀]

HECATE  UCHIHA HAND OF JASHIN Hecate was between bouts of meditation and conversation when she rolled onto her knees and got out of th edirt, massive scythe there to be removed from her abdomen and carried, blood and all. Her eyes cut as Jormungandr and she jabbed her thumb his way with a sneer at Loki. "Hey! Teach your brat some manners, will ya? He's on a fast track to a firm spanking- I don't care HOW old he gets a beating is a life long lesson." She only said it HALF jokingly because he could get that work if he really wanted it. "Well it's over now, there's too much commotion going on and I honestly need to make sure no one gets off the premises alive." Passed by Shoko outright she fluttered her eyes several times and jerked her thumb his way. "Like that guy. I let him live once and the ungrateful bastard walks right by me without a word. THIS is why it doesn't pay to be kind- it gets you nowhere in this world but walked on." Engaging her wings she drifted up and shot towards Shoko. Not to tackle him but to fly past him. Fuck if he was going to go ahead and kill all the people before she got a chance to!

[Deleted]

Richard once again found himself wondering; how in the hell did he end up here? Where even was here?

Granted, there were some obvious answers, being "by carriage" and "a town", or the outskirts of one anyway, but that answered very little else. His luck, whether good or bad remaining to be seen, had struck again, throwing him accidentally into another random scenario. It was probably bad. The atmosphere around here was wierd. Eerie even. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He adjusted his hat, which was buckled by his Sunagakure headband, tipping it mysteriously over his eyes. May as well play into the mood no? One hand clutched his wooden crook, using it like hiking stick as he walked, the other rested easily but warily on the hilt of his rapier. His pack sat lightly at the small of his back as he walked deeper into town, carrying only a pressure bandage, a couple of zipties, a compass, a multitool, a field cauterizer, a flashlight, a rebreather, a bit of flint, and a pair of binoculars. Basic survival stuff really. Well, it also held his money pouch, fat with over 200,000 ryo worth of coins and bills. Just in case he needed to buy something from anyone he met in his travels.

Well, he was here now. May as well look into things. Having just been dropped off, he becan following the path toward civilization proper.

[Madame Loki]

"Hecate I'd suggest you not run off so fast. Places like this tend to have tra-.... she's already gone." Loki said, shaking her head. The girl was immortal and assumed that meant nothing could stop her, but there were plenty of things out there, that could at the very least slow her down, at most trap her forever. Loki then grimaced when she heard the voice echo through the forest once again, "Either, speak plainly and in person, or don't speak to me at all." Loki said to the voice, whatever and wherever it was coming from. "We don't play games with lesser beings." Jormungandr added on as she continued to sit on the staff that his mother was controlling.

"Well... let's go catch up to your aunt before she gets herself in some trouble... more trouble."