Author: Moliira, Posted: Fri Jul 8, 2016 11:25 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

The idea of a hive made sense, and it correlated with what she remembered of her own people.  Especially given the fixation on arachnids.  "And it is quite likely we will find… cocoons.  Things in them.  We may have to do unpleasant things," Moliira said.  But that part she wasn't worried about.  There was something about the whole set up that she found bothersome, though the drow had a feeling that her questions would be answered soon enough.  And likely in a very unpleasant manner.  Her face twisted into a slight frown, there was something that felt very wrong here.  Even beyond the normal cultist activity.

Her companion only confirmed that thought.  She could see the look on his face, and Moliira could only guess at the reason.  "It will get worse… but I think we are getting close.  Here.  Breathe through this," she said, passing him a scarf.  It was woven of spiders' silk, and it would keep the air-bourne corruption from entering his body.  For her, a small air cantrip kept her own breathing safe.  It wasn't a lot, but sometimes the smallest of things could help.  "I will not kill you, unless I am left with no other options.  You have my word, Marth," she said, her voice low and calm.  She was beginning to get an idea to what might be going on.

And it was around one more bend that she got her answers, at least to the first question.  There were cocoons of spider silk everywhere, all moving a strange pulse.  All the webs ran along the ceiling of the cavern, connecting to a monstrous lump of silk in dangling in the center.  To her right, she could just make out the barely visible black-purple of a portal to the deep regions of the Hells.  It made her skin crawl.  But where were the cultists?  A spider-demon plucked one of the cocoons from the ceiling, sliced it open and pulled a human out.  Male or female, Moliira couldn't tell from her.  But the demon slit its throat and hurled it into the portal.  Then she understood.

"The demons are using the cultists to power their gate…  They underestimated the powers they summoned.  So now the cultists feed their gate.  We have to shut it down," she whispered, low and urgently. 

Author: Marth, Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 5:36 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth followed Moliira into the cave, finding himself impressed with her arsenal of handy tools. The serpent looked to him like some kind of familiar, but Marth had never encountered a speaking familiar before - at least no familiars speaking any human or humanoid tongue. He nodded as Moliira expressed her surprise at the lack of resistance. “Seems plausible. If they’re breeding something, it makes sense to have all the young and all the adults in one place, like a hive.”

Marth tried to hide it, but as the pair went deeper, and the taint became more pronounced, Marth grew ever more nervous and fidgety. He didn’t like the feel of this place - it made the cackling voice of Reaver sing in his mind. Demon hunter, down you go! Demon slayer, down below! To my foes and to my kin, you’ve no clue how deep SHIT you’re in! Marth tried to ignore the voice, but it became increasingly difficult as unholy magic grew denser. He tried to keep it in, tried to restrain himself, but the pressure of the darkness was smothering. Finally, he grabbed Moliira by the shoulder, his face deathly pale.

“Halzyne, I should tell you… Unholy magic… Doesn’t bring out the best in me,” he said, his face twitching with the effort of fighting his nausea and the voice echoing in his head. “I’ve honestly never experienced corruption this bad. If it gets much worse…” Marth let the implication hang in the air. It was plain that he was not feeling well - what was more, Marth was also afraid of what the corruption might unleash. Reaver had never well and truly taken over, but Marth was far from certain it would remain that way.

The full extent of his terror was not shown on his face, but his breathing was becoming more rapid. “I’ll continue, but you should keep your distance,” he said, his gaze a mix of anger, resolve, and fear. “Just… Try not to kill me. If I get aggressive, it will subside with a little time.” Of that, Marth was certain. Reaver’s presence grew stronger with time, like a kettle boiling over, but Marth knew that he would eventually regain control should the demon be allowed to blow off some steam. Three months dead and the creature still dominates my life, Marth thought bitterly. He then looked back at Moliira, awaiting for confirmation, but dreading rejection.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:47 AM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

He was a quick study, which was quite useful to Moliira.  Though she had somewhat forgotten that humans had a harder time tracking movement, she could see Marth perfectly well.  And she waited.  Shifting a branch so that he could see her location, she waited for him to attack first.  Moliira wanted the hound to be distracted, knowing that her speed would be greater.  And Marth did just as she hoped.  Sprinting from the shadows, the drow had her sword drawn before she reached it, slitting the beast's throat before it could stumble back into the cave.  With a quick reverse stroke, she beheaded the beast, and it crumbled to ash.  Even the eggs it carried popped, released a foul stench of sulfur.  "Well done.  One down, who knows how many to go.  So long as we are careful though, we should be able to handle it," she said in a low voice. 

Studying the cave for a moment, she closed her eyes.  A creature born of the winds curled around her wrist, a serpent with opaque eyes.  It looked to her and nodded.  "I go ahead.  I see for you.  I show you the way!" it whispered to them both, and headed into the mouth of the cave.  Moliira followed, trusting that Marth would come as well.  She moved carefully, noticing the webs that seemed to be all around the ceiling.  They were not particularly thick here… but they seemed to grow the further down they went.  But there was still something that bothered her.  "I would have thought that we would have encountered something by now.  But I cannot even sense a sentry," she whispered to Marth, sounding puzzled.  It was a strange state of mind for the drow.

But the faint stench of taint was growing too.  It was something she remembered well from her days in the Depths.  "We should be careful, I can sense the demons' strength growing.  Perhaps they are all gathered below?" she suggested.  Perhaps they thought themselves secure in their isolated cave, away from civilization.  And for the most part, they were right.  It was only a fluke that Moliira had found the island's taint in the first place.

Author: Marth, Posted: Mon Jun 6, 2016 11:13 AM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth kept observing as Moliira advanced, not taking his eyes off the beast before the elf was right next to him. As she tapped him, he saw the blade, and her gestures. He nodded at each gesture, before gesturing back to double-check. I attack from the beast's right. You circle around to intercept escape. Got it. He wasn't as good at stealth as the elf by any means - he was human, and a mage at that - but by keeping his distance and moving slowly, he managed to avoid detection until he was in position. The hound seemed busy eating - it would seem it would be hunting for more after it was done, as it hadn't re-entered the cave yet - so Marth took some time to check after the elf.

Small problem. Marth couldn't see her. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised - she was drow, and a skilled hunter - but without sight lines to his ally, Marth hesitated to launch his attack. What if she isn't there yet? Marth got a little nervous, and suddenly the sounds of the forest amplified around him. The chirping of birds seemed sharper, more hostile, closer. The wind rustling the leaves sounded like stalking predators. Marth soon found himself anxious, almost overcome by stress, holding still only thanks to his training. A sound to his left startled him, and he made a sound. The hellhound suddenly looked up, intrigued by the noise. For a horrifying second, Marth froze in panic.

Then, a movement. A dark form in the foilage behind the beast and a flash of metal. Seeing his companion, Marth's mind snapped back into focus. Ambient noises faded to their natural states, and Marth's intellect once again won out over his troubled subconcious. He made a growling noise to keep the hellhound looking in his general direction, so Moliira could move to an even more advantageous position. When he saw that the beast had no chance at getting back into its cave alive, Marth rose up from the greenery, and aimed the butt of his spear at the hellhound. Startled, the beast couldn't cry out before the bolt of electricity struck, and it siezed up from the shock. Marth bounded out of the trees with the Guardian Dragon Lance shining brilliantly with holy light, but could not reach the hellhound in time. While its movements were sluggish, Marth couldn't hope to reach it before it managed to stumble back into the cave, where its cries could be amplified and heard by the other inhabitants.

Then again, thanks to Moliira, he didn't really have to.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Jun 2, 2016 5:06 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

She only nodded, understanding the gestures.  Even in the Umbral Depths, hand gestures were a very useful means of communicating.  Not to mention that some gestures were universal.  Casting a glance behind them to ensure that nothing was following, Moliira carefully made her own way down.  She kept her eyes close to the hellhound's location, wondering why it had emerged from the cave.  It didn't seem to be moving very much, only to turn its head this way or that when the noise of a large creature disturbed the jungle. 

It was only when the hound moved like lightning to pounce on a passing snake did Moliira understand.  It had come out here to hunt.  That only made sense, it would know it needed to sustain its own body in order to nourish the eggs that it carried.  That showed the creatures were either intelligent enough to understand what they were being used for… or they had been trained.  Either prospect was rather terrifying.  And Moliira knew that they would have to both kill the hound, as well as the eggs.  Being bitten by a daemon-blooded spider was not on her agenda for the day.

The beast was close enough to the cave entrance that Moliira knew that would have to eliminate the creature quickly.  Otherwise it was likely that it would alert whatever was still hiding within that cave.  Carefully drawing one of her blades, it glinted a soft blue from the shadows.  She tapped Marth on the shoulder, and gestured for her to make an attack from the right.  She then indicated that she would circle around behind the hellhound, and cut off its route back into the cave.  The sword should be indication enough that she intended to get up close and personal with the beast.

Author: Marth, Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 10:28 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth ate a ration which could only be described as a sandwhich, kept preserved by frost salts. He ate with his left hand while practising his chartography with his right, preferring to note the terrain rather than traffic - he left that to the more sharp-sensed drow. For some time, nothing happened, until the elf stirred and brought the hellhound to marth's attention.

Marth squinted in the direction of the hellhound - it was a little far off for him to see with his human eyes, but he didn't doubt the drow elf's eyesight nor knowledge. Marth looked at her and nodded, affirming he was on board with the theory. He made a bold assumption that the woman was familiar with nonverbal military communication - the type often adopted by wandering hunters. He pointed at his eyes and then at the hellhound, asking that Moliira kept an eye on it. He pocketed his map, and began making his way down, stopping only to catch Moliira's attention when he'd advanced far enough. He signalled her to follow once he stopped, having advanced to a position of clean sight lines from which he could cover Moliira. Clearly, the battle-mage was familiar with guerilla tactics.

A single hellhound may prove to be no threat, but there may be more. Either way, it's a good opportunity to establish rapport and develop a mutual understanding of teamwork. This and other strategic thoughts went through Marth's mind as he moved. He wanted to get closer before making the kill - proximity meant accuracy, and he didn't want the hound to get away nor lie in the open for too long. If what Moliira had said was true, someone was systematically spreading daemonic corruption, possibly building an army. The island was nearly impossible to tame, but with demons, it would be possible to carve out a small kingdom - a kingdom which could, in the worst case scenario, act as a springboard for a daemonic assault on the entire continent. This terrible realisation left Marth terrified, and he resolved then and there to purge the corruption from the land, even if it meant burning down the entire forest.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:11 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

She nodded, he did have a point.  The idea of surveying the area was quite a good one as well.  "Agreed.  This is a safe place too, we are high enough that we can observe, and there is little that can sneak up on us," she said with a grin, tapping her ears.  It was very difficult to sneak up on an elf, let alone a drow.  Add in her lycanthropic blood, and trying to sneak up on Moliira was nigh impossible.  But Marth didn't need to know about all of that, not yet anyway.  Crouching low to the ground, the drow pulled out a compressed bar of dried fruit and venison from her pack, and chewed on it while she watched the area. 

At first, it seemed that nothing was going on, and Moliira wondered if she had been mistaken.  Her abilities were stunted this far from home, but she didn't think her tracking skills were that bad.  Then something crept out of the cave, and it made the drow freeze.  She knew exactly what was in that cave.  "Marth," she said in a low whisper, pointing to the entrance.  It was another hell hound, but there was something different about this one.  There seemed to be eggs all over its body, looking like strange tumors.  It was something she had seen before, and it did not bode well.  "Something is using that hound as an incubator.  For spiders' eggs.  I've seen it before, my own people do it to raise daemon-blooded spiders," she explained quickly.  That meant one of two things in her mind.  Either there were drow in those caverns, or someone had taught the cultists that particular ritual.  Either one was not good.

Author: Marth, Posted: Sat Apr 2, 2016 12:52 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth followed the stranger up to the ridge, mostly in silence. He didn't seem too fond of the idea of relying on his newfound ally's exit route or supplies, but he didn't complain - at least not audibly. When they got to the top of the ridge, his partner pointed to a cave in the side of the mountain. "The overall likelihood that we can find our quarry there is low, but it certainly seems like the kind of location we're looking for." He took a step onto the ridge, standing on the edge, and crouched. He pointed along a rather distinct treeline near the base of the cave. "Our safest option would be to survey the area surrounding the cave entrance to look for signs of heavy foot traffic. If we see evidence of human presence, we investigate further. If not… I'd rather not tangle with the local wildlife if it can be avoided."

Marth stood up again, reaching into his supplies and pulling out a pre-packed meal. He sat closer to safety, yet still within visual range of the cave entrance, and pulled out the map as well. "Let's wait here for a few moments. We can eat, I can draw up some details on the map, and we can keep an eye on the cave for traffic, all at the same time." The way in which he spoke brooked no argument - he was hungry, and the vantage point was more than suitable for chartography.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 4:31 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

That was good, she wouldn't have to keep too close of an eye on Marth.  He at least had a fair idea of what to expect.  "I think you're correct.  Perhaps… hm.  I would guess the summoners did not know what they were getting into.  It is likely they're dead, or enslaved.  So that would mean there is an open, unregulated portal to the netherrealms. And that is something that will only get worse left alone," she said, her eyes narrowing.  She had noticed the changes to Marth's veins, but had sensed nothing that would harm her.  It was a question to be asked later. 

Looking towards the interior of the island, the drow nodded.  It was a good plan.  "You're correct there too.  Lets see…" she said, crouching by the map for a moment.  It was clear he had done this sort of thing before, given the amount of planning.  "I wouldn't worry about staying here, I have means of getting us somewhere safe once the threat is dealt with.  And I have supplies enough for a few days.  Lets head for the ridge there," she said, tapping it on the map first.  She then pointed at it, an outcropping of gray stone perhaps a mile away.  The hike to the ridge wasn't too bad, but Moliira led the way and she chose the best path.  She had been hunting for a long time, and in many different places, so she moved quickly through the jungle.

Once they stood on the ridge, Moliira brought out the compass again.  It pointed further into the island, though she couldn't see anything immediately.  Her eyes narrowed, and she considered what that might mean.  "Perhaps they are caves?  That would be an idea place to summon demons, especially since the cultists would be protected from the predators,  Thoughts?" she asked, wondering what his view on the situation would be.  There were rumors of other things living in those caves, and Moliira hoped it was something she could handle in her weakened state.

Author: Marth, Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 11:12 AM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth finally looked to his side, seeing the flanking hellhound brought down with a single shot - more or less as anticipated. His glowing veins pulsed with deep purple and flashes of bright green, before settling to its normal bright blue hue after a few seconds. Finally, the magical energy receded entirely, and Marth once more looked like a robed mercenary. He nudged a dead hellhound with his foot, frowning.

"If I may, I have some… experience with demons. If the demons are here, that means one out of two things. Either it's a scounting party, or they've gone feral. Considering the fact that they rather attacked than marking our location, the latter seems to be a bit more likely."

He turned to Moliira, before having another quick look around the island. "If what I've heard is correct, this island is a rather hostile environment. While addressing the camp is certainly a priority, we might be better off gathering some intel first." He pulled up a piece of parchment, and began drawing. After a few seconds, he'd made a crude map of the island as well as adding details about their immediate area.

"I want us to go to high ground before advancing on the camp - both to get the lay of the land, and to get a chance to survey just how intense and destructive this incursion is." While talking, Marth pointed to a hill not too far away which would provide a decent field of vision. He turned back to Moliira. "And if we need to clear out any summoned demons before the portal can be closed… We might want to learn how best to salvage provisions. I doubt we'll be able to leave the island right away, so I'd rather prepare myself as well as I can before I take a potential summoner's ring head on." He looked at Moliira, military experience and authority burning in his eyes - of course oblivious to Moliira's true identity.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 9:47 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

The shift in the man's face was curious, there seemed to be something else at play.  But there was almost no time to analyze him.  In these lands, Moliira was weakened, and she had to be a bit more aware of her surroundings.  "War isn't always a choice.  But you can at least somewhat control its outcome," she told him.  He seemed more adept with melee weapons, which suited her just fine.  The drow's skills with a bow would compliment Marth's spear quite well.  She waited a few long moments first, wanting to get a better idea of her companion's abilities.

And she found herself impressed.  The small fireballs made quite the impact, and she kept a line of sight on all the hellhounds.  She let her companion take the first shots, waiting for more to come bursting from the woods.  But they didn't come just yet.  her eyes turned to the demon that was flanking Marth, and it made the mistake of turning its back on her for too long.  Another arrow slammed into the base of its skull, snuffling out the flame instantly.  The hounds dealt with for now, she cast her eyes inland.  She could smell the corruption on the winds, telling her there was more work to be done. 

"There has to be an origin point somewhere deeper into the island.  A portal, born of blood sacrifice likely.  My kin are… adept at such things," she said, giving Marth some information that might be of use.  The drow were somewhat known to summon demons, but most outsiders had no idea just how deeply her kin were involved in horrific rites.  Raising the compass again, she let the instrument gain its reading.  It took a few moments, but the pin indicated the same direction as before.  "Come, lets find this camp.  I know a ritual that will cleanse the area.  But we will have to kill any of the summoned creatures before it can be performed," the drow said, setting off into the interior of the island.

Author: Marth, Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 6:58 AM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth watched as the woman displayed her compass, intrigued. He knew such artefacts could be found, but they were very rare, which led him to believe this woman was indeed a potentially invaluable ally. His admiration was cut short, however, by a snarl coming from his right. He whipped around and readied his spear instantly, just in time to see a thundering arrow slam into the demon's head and bring it down. A brief expression of panic crept along his face, before his eyes turned to the woods and his face began portraying something else entirely: Hatred.

"I take back what I said. War is perfectly fine by me." He dashed, putting himself between the drow woman and the woods. Tactical education and experience raced through his mind, as well as his memories of duelling practise back in Wyllmochvar. She relies on a bow. Put yourself between her and the location with the poorest visibility, so she can use her weapon to optimal effect. Prepare suppression abilities to limit enemy movement and visibility, and trust your ally to find optimal firing positions and keep an eye on your flanks. Marth readied his spear, ready to keep at bay whatever fell things the woods would present. Tiny fireballs began appearing around him - the size of golfballs, nothing more - hovering in the air and ready to launch. Marth took a deep breath. "I've decided to trust you, Halzyne, for you seem to have the skillset of a dedicated demon hunter. That means our interests align."

Before the drow could respond, however, three more of the fiends bounded out of the woods. Marth let his fireballs fly, a flurry of light, heat, and minor impact, which stopped one and slowed the others down considerably. One of the horrors began running in a zigzag, approaching Marth, while the other tried to circle around him and attack him from the side. Marth gave his undivided attention to the one approaching from the front. He rubbed a section of the spear and lunged. The blade shone with light, stabbing the semi-confused demon in the belly, killing it instantaneously. With a twirl, Marth took a step backwards, his spear crackling, and sent a bolt of lightning into the third demon, not killing it, but damaging it considerably. He ignored the flanking demon entirely, trusting in his newfound companion to deal with it, as well as deliver the finishing blow to the one he just zapped.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 6:17 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

(I am SO sorry for how late this is, had a lot on my plate lately.)

Her head tilted when the man called himself a battle-mage, those had always been interesting sorts in her experience.  And useful, if they had complete control of their abilities.  But they were also dangerous beings, and Moliira had known them to be easily seduced by promises of power.  It would be interesting to see just what this one was like.  "Good.  It is easier to hunt them with two, another set of eyes is always useful," she said.  Halting her approach when Marth held up a hand, she didn't mind his reaction.  Her head tilted to one side at the reaction, there was something about it that made her lupine senses tingle. 

From a pocket, she pulled out a compass, and showed it to Marth from a distance.  "I use this to track down demonic corruption.  It uses soil from the Hells themselves, and finds it on this plane.  And I have never failed on a hunt," she said, pride showing in her voice.  That much at least was completely true.  There was a moment of complete calm between the pair, then a snarl broke loose from the forest in the distance.  Without hesitation, the drow whipped out the bow from her back, drew, aimed and loosed an arrow.  It crackled with lightning as it slammed into the daemonic hound that charged from the protection of the woods, and the hound let out a yelp before collapsing to the ground.  The arrow was protruding from its eye socket.

"More are coming.  I hope you're ready," the drow said, a grin crossing her face.  There was a joy to the hunt, especially when its purpose would bring balance back to the world.  There were more howls coming from further inland, it was clear that whatever was going on had been happening for a time.  And the Huntress had every intention of burning out every last inch of the corruption from this place.

Author: Marth, Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 7:58 AM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

No sooner than his prayer had been completed, Marth heard a female voice. Drow, by the pitch and resonance - and looking up, Marth quickly saw that his guess was correct. She seemed forthcoming and friendly enough. Her Wyllmochvarian was good - she was clearly no stranger to the tongue - yet there was a slight hint of accent. Marth perked an eyebrow. You'd need sharp eyes and a good memory to recognize the robes and weapon of a Wyllmochvarian battlemage. That was promising. Marth rose, giving a silent thank you to whichever god had heard his prayer.

"Marth Coralax, battle-mage. I'm more interested in the source of the demonic incursion than fighting a war, but yes, I am here to do what I can to see it end." Even though his gut told him this woman was no particular threat - not because she wasn't skilled, for she clearly was, but she seemed freindly - his scarred mind was on high alert, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. In order to keep a measure of control of his own situation, Marth held out a hand in a 'stop' fashion. "Let's not get too close right off the bat. I found the place by way of rumour and scrying. How did you get here?" His veins turned a bright shade of blue and began to glow with the tension, a display of magical prowess. Marth didn't think much of it - the place was uncivilized and riddled with dangers, and so his precaution was a sensible one. That, and Marth cound't shake a sinking feeling that there was something else, something inplacable, about the woman in front of him. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what.

Author: Moliira, Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 10:43 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

She could smell the demons' taint before even setting foot on the shore of the isle.  That was bad, a sign that the invasion was likely entrenched somewhere.  It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to open a portal to other realms, unless there was already a tear in that place.  But the drow thought that scenario unlikely, many rifts had been closed.  Perhaps a cult?  It was more likely, mortals so often went delving into powers beyond their ken for short term gains.  And the world as a whole tended to suffer as a result.

Glancing around, Moliira had observed the mortal, though she had used magic to remain hidden.  Even though her own divine talents were muted here, there were still quite a few things at her disposal.  A small grin tugged at her lips when she heard the whispered prayer, at least the boy knew when he was in over his head.  Adjusting the cowl of her cloak so her eyes were better shaded, Moliira headed towards the man.  It was as good of a time as any to introduce herself.

Calling out in the tongue of Wyllmochvar on a whim, there was an odd cant to her words, but she did not hide the fact that she was drow.  "Friend!  Are you here to pursue the demons as well?  I think the gods themselves have forsaken this isle," she said.  The drow showed her hands, a widely accepted sign of peaceful intentions.  There were a small number of fine scars, showing that Moliira was no stranger to a good fight.  "My name is Halzyne, and I hunt demons.  You?" she asked.  Moliira had found herself much more accepted when she simply got down to business.  Far less questions that way, too.

Author: Marth, Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 3:13 PM, Post Subject: An unnatural development

Marth Coralax stood on the shore of Bakulaw Isle, eyeing his surroundings. The spice traders who had taken him to the area had refused to get closer than two nautical miles of the island - he'd been rowing a small boat to shore. The scenery was beautiful. The edges of a forest were halfway through consuming an old ruined settlement - half sitting on barren soil, with nothing but the odd bird's nest to mark nature's impending domination, but the other half was completely overgrown with vegetation, a sea of greens, reds, blues, purples, and yellows, vines crawling up every wall, moss covering every floor, and branches through every window. The critters were also beautiful. Exotic birds with brightly coloured beaks, small cats, graceful and with stunning colours and patterns. In the middle of the ruins there was a boar as tall as a man, eyeing Marth for a second before dashing off. It was stunningly beautiful. Too bad the corpses ruined it all.

On the shoreline itself, there were a number of corpses. Mostly human and canine. The dogs were huge, easily the size of a direwolf, though more in the shape of a schafer than anything else. The humans were dressed like barbarians, but the garments were well-made with delicate hands and exotic materials. They were armed with spears and shields adorned with long feathers. And their guts were invariably ripped out, by a hound from the looks of it. But the muzzles of the dogs were all clean. Those men who had made it into the water were bloated, having been washed in with the tide after their drowning, at least three days past. There was one corpse which stood out among them all. Not from its injuries, but its shape. Six legs, a head that was only a mouth and ears, pitch blank, patchy fur, and claws like talons. The flame of its tail was still burning, proving that the hellhound could rise again at any moment. Marth took a quick step over and pierced its black heart, located between where the stomach and bladder would have been on an ordinary dog, with his long-bladed spear. There wasn't even a twitch. The hound simply died, its flame guttering out in the wind and vanishing in a tiny wisp of green smoke.

So the stories were true. Something demonic had appeared on the island. Marth, with the mental scars of Reaver still fresh in his mind, swallowed and had a look around. How do you expect to handle this on your own, Marth? Rubbing his forehead, he grimaced. He wasn't a religious man, but he found himself on his knees, praying. he had no idea as to whom he was praying, but he did. Gods, if you're out there… Help.