Gobethio, the Unwavering City. The most reliable and safe way to enter from the outside is by airship, but by no means free from danger. The sky is an never-ending maelstrom of lightning and thunder, as the bolts strike the earth with unbridled fury. Yet somehow, this city is here. If Baltil was the pinnacle of the forge and mechanisms, Gobethio is the example of power harnessed and bent to the will of people. It's an entirely different world here. The buildings are similar to Adeluna, but everything moves on its own and is powered by the storms. And the most striking difference is how even the night is aglow. 

There's a gala being held tonight in one of the more affluent parts of the city. All the people from the upper crust are attendees and the theme is a masquerade ball. What's someone like me doing here, you ask? Well it's simple. Somebody has to make sure no one kicks the bucket from underhanded foul play. There are a lot of powerful families here, and just like everywhere else they'll use any means possible to get rid of those they don't like. I was hired as an escort for a man's daughter. She'll be making her first debut in the social circles of the city and it's my job to make sure she's alright. And thanks to the frivolities of the idle rich, I'll be able to blend in with everyone else without a hitch. Lots of the guests present are dressed as characters from fairy tales and plays, so I'll be going dressed the same way. Before I left with my employer's daughter in a carriage, he warned me of a rumor of an assassin who had been leaving their mark in the form of a red skull wherever they went. It was well-known among the guilds and businesses, and the locals nicknamed it the 'Mark of the Red Death'. There's a high possibility someone like that will show up uninvited to a party like this. Hopefully it never rears its head.

The clock chimed six as dusk was setting in. Shiloh had stepped out of the powered carriage with her employer's daughter–the young lady Marissa d'Carlo. The young miss was dressed in an opulent gown made of white silk and gossamer, with sequins of crystal and pearls sewn in. Her mask concealed the upper half of her face and was pale as moonstone. An ornate array of hairpins and jewels held a long headdress trailing down her back meant to simulate long flowing tresses. She was going as a princess, in all her finery. Shiloh was dressed much differently. Taller than Miss d'Carlo, she was dressed in a black tricorn hat with matching black gloves and cape. Her mask concealed her face entirely, however it fit comfortably enough and was designed so she could still talk, eat, and drink without having to remove it. It was stark white, and resembled an exaggeration of a male face. Beneath the costume lent to her for her work she wore her armor to further conceal her identity.

Miss d'Carlo wasn't aware of who her father had hired to act as her bodyguard, which was one of the terms Shiloh had insisted on before accepting the offer. Thus it was assumed she had a male escort and no one thought otherwise. Taking the young lady's hand she walked with Marissa up the steps to the glittering hall where the gala was being held. There were light fixtures hanging from the ceilings made of metal and pieces of crystal. They shimmered and sparkled as the lights powered by the region's never-ending storm lit them up like glowing clusters of grapes. The inside of the room was as bright as noon with all the lamps and fixtures. The smooth marble floors were occupied by guests, tables of the gala's spread, and servants tending to the party-goers' every whims. With everyone, even the servers in costume, it was like a tale taken straight out of a novel. The orchestra players created ambiance with their instruments.

He stood politely using his forefinger to tug at the suits tight fitting neckwear, glancing at his boss for the night, a well-dressed man with whiskers grey like the moon lacking hair on his skull. Count Leakthon as Vis remembered the conversation that was short a brief, Leakthon explaining he needed a few men to guard him against a mysterious man and how he was a travelling Merchant selling fine silks and had the money to pay for their services.

Leakthon was now talking allowing his golden monocle to jump about on his Vest coat when he bellowed his fake laugh Vis had grown accustomed to over the short period of the trip here, but attention was drawn away from the laugh as the doors opened again showing the Countess and her guest walk through the door into the quiet room filled with whispers and gossiping. Vis sighed into the air, this wasn't a place that a man like him shouldn't even see in his lifetime more set on earning a living through hunting creatures or a Sellsword. Alas, the Count moved through the crowd like a shark tasting blood in the water the guards followed on his heel towards the Lady Marissa as Leakthon beckoned loudly "Young Lady Marissa d'Carlo, It's such a pleasure to make your acceptance" allowing his frail body to bend over into a bow.

Vis was confused on why such royal act to the girl he hadn't even heard of the dress wearing girl or her friend and decided to keep busy with checking out the other guests for anything suspicious or people trying to hide from his obvious glares.

Shiloh stepped forward as soon as the man with greying hair approached Lady d'Carlo. Marissa gave a press of her hand and motioned that it was alright. She gave a curtsy as her gown billowed like a silken cloud. "Good evening Count Leakthon, what a lovely night it is. The moons are almost shining through the storm clouds tonight. This person beside me is my new attendant hired by my father for the gala." Marissa gave a smile from beneath her half-mask. Shiloh was thankful that hers concealed her entire face. It allowed her to hide her gaze when observing this 'Count Leakthon' and his movements. If only Sir d'Carlo had given her more information on what she should be looking out for, that would've made her job much easier. She noticed one of the Count's men breaking off to go elsewhere. It was more like he was meandering about, looking and watching. His face was uncovered which made reading him simpler, and she couldn't sense anything wrong about him. Time to move on.

When the music paused and everyone in the hall became quiet, she noticed there was someone coming in. It was a man with a golden beaked half-mask with a variety of exotic bird's feathers adorning his right arm. "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for coming to tonight's masquerade. I, Marquis Lecarde, hope the servants have given you a proper welcome. Now, let us begin with the first dance." The man clapped his hands and the orchestra began with a lively number. The lights dimmed and the guests began to pair up to dance on the ballroom floor. When a few young men approached Marissa, they quickly backed out under the pressure of Shiloh's imposing presence. Marissa turned and motioned to her again, and she gave a nod before stepping aside. She still watched Lady d'Carlo like a hawk from her place by a pillar, and it was noticeable that anyone who took a turn dancing with the young woman began to stiffen after the first few minutes. It was like the aura of a gargoyle glowering down from above.

The first dance concluded and things had gone smoothly. She stayed at a distance from Marissa, taking her hint from last time. However as soon as a servant tried to offer her anything, Shiloh was right behind them and took it in the lady's stead. She had to play the part of an attendant after all. All this time she had not spoken a single word to keep up the ruse. As soon as whoever who had offered a drink to Marissa wasn't looking, Shiloh would swap it out for a different glass of the same thing. The hours passed on as she was essentially the girl's shadow. Focusing in the midst of so many voices and faces was straining her eyes and ears. Maybe Lord d'Carlo's suspicions were unfounded. She hadn't seen any suspicious activity so far…

Shiloh's 'attentiveness' to her charge as escort was not overlooked by the other guests. A few were whispering in their little groups, stealing glances at her every now and then. They must've thought they were out of range, but unfortunately for them she could hear every snippet of gossip and chatter from their mouths. This was going to be a long night. 

His fellow bodyguards glared at him as he wandered around glancing at food and the decorations, but never leaving line of sight of the old Count,he manoeuvred through the crowds taking in the masks and slowly passing the Lady and her attendant with a glance, a subtle look that he mastered while in the pits of the arena, even the quiet gossip was easily heard over the music played elegantly.

"This is simply a game" the Count said looking at Vis with a knowing look "One that Requires great fore thought and intelligence, From the looks of your tactics it seems your quite well versed in this" he let out a laugh Vis hadn't heard before a real one with his chest heaving in and out "Shame your upbringing was so sour, wasn't it", Vis stayed quiet keeping his eyes on the crowd, "The Attendant seems to swap all the food and drinks with new ones to protect the Lady, I suggest you keep to the items that aren't offered to you Count" Leakthon nodded with a smile "Ahh so the Guard speaks, you are always ever so quiet, for the Advice I will keep it in mind. But remember Viserys this is a party" he took a wine of a plate a sipped it proudly like a game of Russian roulette being played with his life and he was the winner this round.

Vis finding the Golden Beaked man a more interesting figure followed his movements making sure the Count was still in Vision, he leant on a pillar acting to be admiring the music while listening to Gossip about Mysterious Lecarde.

"Place the orchids over here. No to the left! Not that way, my left!" Cymbel bowed and began apologizing profusely as he moved the flower arrangement to where the austere-looking madam with a black domino mask was pointing. He was regretting every second of being here. The Amakusa Flower Shop had received a rather large order for exotic flowers, Blue Moon orchids and tiger lilies with yellow spider lilies. He was the newest employee there, and was sent to ensure the flowers made it to their intended destination without any damages. This was his first time seeing Gobethio, even though he had lived not too far away from it for the past few centuries. The constant storms made the Himinn Pass a treacherous place. 

The atmosphere for the gala was familiar to him, but what he definitely was not used to was the sharp orders from their buyer's staff. Finally placing the flowers exactly how the woman wanted it, he held his breath as she nodded in haughty approval and turned on her heel to leave. When she was out of sight he exhaled. That shrill tone of hers almost brought back unpleasant memories. Memories of things he had known for every day of his life. His job was now done, as he had delivered the floral arrangement as promised. The payment for them had been done beforehand, so there was nothing else for him to do here.

With no one else around, he decided to take a look at the festivities. With a blink of an eye, his features and clothing had changed to resemble an average party-goer. This new false appearance bore a mask that covered the entire face resembling a visage made of plaster with a faux silver colombina mask created with paint. A dark violet embroidered coat with gilded threading and gloves completed the illusion. His silver hair became a dark black, and he slipped into the crowd without anyone noticing. It truly was an extravagant affair. Crystal chandeliers, fixtures made of colored glass, and exotic delicacies. He kept to himself however, and used the same magic that crafted his disguise to lower the other attendee's awareness of his presence.

The gossip about the gala's enigmatic host was plentiful. "My word, this is quite a ball isn't it? I'd say it rivals the Moonlight Concert of Duke Barclay from last Venti." "Oh indeed! The chandeliers are a lovely touch, I wonder how much he paid to have it made? The Marquis Lecarde has always been a rather private man as of late." The rumors fluttered and slithered like birds and snakes through the air, and bits of information circulated. The hospitable Marquis was a man of wealth, but he had worked to build his fortune rather than being born into it. He ran a successful venture in trading and transportation across the continents. Karith and Baltil were his major places where he drew income. Aside from that not much about his personal life was mentioned. He was not married, he had no children. He patronized the arts and public works. The typical philanthropist who had tired of wanton revelry and debauchery. His staff were paid well, and he was generous.

To Shiloh, these were just the voices of flies buzzing in her ears. Utterly useless to her. While Lady Marissa began speaking with an older friend of hers who had made her debut last year, it was the perfect time to check their surroundings. So far she had found nothing, but it was highly likely that whoever was planning the foul deed was being careful. It was then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. A guest she hadn't seen before entered the room. No one else noticed, but she knew the mask wasn't the same as any she had seen earlier today. The people here were petty, thus it was unforgivable if two people wore the same thing to such an event. However this made identification a breeze. The man took a glass of champagne but didn't drink, and wasn't eating anything. A likely suspect, but no evidence for now.

There was no way she would make any progress like this. She had to use her last resort. Beneath her ivory mask she closed her eyes, and opened her aura sight. The room became an empty space with various life signatures. To narrow down her focus, she looked for any that were negative or held clear ill-intent. There were a few slights from the servants bustling to and fro. Discontent from being treated like dogs by the guests probably. But then she felt it. That cold blackness from a corner of the ballroom. It was near the table of mixed wine. Opening her eyes she located the source–a man in a horned goat mask. He was easy to miss, and if she had used only her five senses she would have missed him entirely. He looked like he was scooping a ladle of punch, but she noticed something slip out of his sleeve into the bowl. Powder.

With Lady Marissa currently preoccupied, she began striding towards the goat-horned man. He must have seen her, for his next movement all but confirmed her guess. Once she was within a meter from him, he turned and 'accidentally' splashed his drink into her face before making haste to leave. Her mask protected her eyes, but the minor delay was enough for him to get a head start on escaping. Like a wolf after a deer taking flight, she broke into a run chasing after him. The hunt was on. 

He spent a few minutes taking note to the gossip and talking to the other guards about any suspicious behaviour going through a list of tasks he must partake before repeating them, before looking at the banquet table noticing the strange horned masked man make his way to the punch, wondering how he avoided detection from him so long Vis started to walk towards the man.

Viserys saw the Horned mask man throw the drink and was already shouting behind him "Count make sure no guests drink that punch, Now!" Leakthon didn't have time to argue the sudden shout from his guard as Vis pumped a simple spell of strength he learnt from a Veteran Gladiator into his Legs allowing him to push through the crowd at high speeds accidentally nudging the new guest making eye contact with him as he passed before pushing on round the corner after the Assassin.

A few shouts of displeasure from other guests as Vis caught sight of the Horned mask, what he wasn't expecting was the Attendant taking chase to the target, why was he chasing the criminal he had done the job of protecting Count so why did he want to protect some Rich folk that didn't even give him time of day. "It's over, Criminal!" he shouted drawing his Falchion out and pumping more of his limited energy into his legs. He didn't care about the fact they were rich he cared about the fact someone would just kill Innocent people for no reason what so ever.

Cymbel was busy watching the other guests when a man without a mask bumped into him and passed by. Not thinking much of it, he saw a goat-like mask on the floor. Picking up he inspected it. Odd, did someone lose their mask? He was still confused as to what was going on and was about to ask when another person, this one in a full-face mask and black clothes was approaching him. It seemed they were following the first man, so they probably knew what was going on. "Excuse me, but pray tell–is something the matter-" It was then that said person rammed into him dead on, and grasped him around the waist. Panic immediately set in as he began to get an inkling as to what was happening. "Wait–let me explain! It's not what it looks like! This is all just a great misunderstandi–"

In the next second the world was flipped upside down as he was thrown and was promptly knocked unconscious when his head hit the floor. His glamour spell failed in an instant, and the person dropped him when the magic dissipated. Grabbing the mask from him, the figure in the black tricorn hat began running at full speed in the direction Viserys had gone. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but he regained consciousness when the guests were starting to become anxious. It was then he heard that an attempted murder had taken place, and two people had chased after a suspicious man. Suddenly everything made sense, and he shivered at the thought of almost being mistaken for the culprit. He had to leave this place posthaste.

Just her luck, the guests made it hard for her to follow closely and the masked man disappeared around the bend of a corridor past the pillars. It was then she saw the odd guest she had noticed earlier, with the goat mask in his hands. She went in for the kill. As she charged he began pleading but there was no stopping her as she took hold of him and proceeded to suplex the man. As soon as he was out cold, his appearance reverted into a person dressed in Ataiyan garb and she realized her mistake. That rotten scoundrel had ditched his disguise in an attempt to throw her off. But he had made a mistake–now there were less people in her way so he wouldn't be able to keep running forever. Gritting her teeth in anger she drew her sword and began dashing full-speed after Viserys. 

"Mark my words, as soon as I get you I'll make you regret waking up this morning." She hissed between her teeth. Viserys had a head start on her, and he could see the culprit ducking left and right. He made a sharp turn and when Viserys followed he would see the man's coat on the ground. He was shedding his disguise he had used to infiltrate the event like a bird molting its feathers.

Shiloh took to the rooftops and began going after the assassin tracking him down by his aura. Just when the figure thought he had lost Viserys, he caught sight of her clambering down the roof tiles and bolted again. He was in a new outfit, this one with a dark grey cloak and leather armor with a hood pulled up. As they ran through the gardens around the estate the powered lights shone on him, revealing a red skull-shaped mask on his reflection in the water. The mark of the Red Death. Whether this person was a hired sword merely imitating the rumors or the very one himself didn't matter. She wasn't going to let him get away again. Seeing that she wasn't relenting, the masked man began throwing spells as he fled. Explosions of fire and lightning echoed in the quiet evening air as the cat was chasing the rat. Passing by a statue he blew up the base, sending it toppling down. The pathway to the other part of the gardens was now blocked off, and there was no way she could move it. To deter her even more, the shrubbery around the fallen statue caught ablaze and began to burn brightly.

"Why you little–" Shiloh seethed, looking around for any way around the obstacle. It was then she caught sight of the lamp posts. This gave her an idea…

The next moments she was scaling up the light post, and with a grappling hook she flung herself using momentum over the wall. The time it had taken her to do so would be enough for Viserys to catch up with her and see her sail over the stonework.  

Cedric carefully looked around, carefully studying each guest. He was to pull this plan off or not be seen ever again. He was dressed sharply, his beaked mask cut in half to blend in with the other guests, his concealed blade in his sleeve, he started walking towards the table food, the gala was bound to get messy, and he was there to make sure no one starts tearing each other's faces off. Then, some unmasked person started chasing off for someone, he walked toward to where the man was going. He carefully glided along the crowd, gone.

He saw a woman chasing a man in a red mask! He dashed toward them, chasing after the people, he dashed toward a bush in the garden, he quickly stood up and threw a fireball, to be stopped by a falling statue, the fireball, upon contact with the statue, exploded and made way. He dashed toward the man and did the same thing, he shot off lightning crystals in the man's path and he dropped a pillar, he passed a woman in armor and he stopped dead in his tracks, his veins started glowing.

The man quickly sent another explosion toward Cedric and he was sent toppling. He stood up, but the explosion made him weak, but he still needed to fight, he teleported right next to the man and attempted stab him in the back. The man stopped Cedric's hand and he sent him toward the pillar, Cedric sent an explosion in front of the man, sending him toward the electric crystals, the man was stopped in the pillar. Cedric walked toward the woman. "What happened?" he asked, "I'll let you decide what happens to him, but I'll watch you closely. I gotta go tell everyone that everything is fine." Cedric walked toward the event and he shouted "Okay, everything is FINE! Carry on with the party!"