RP:Perilous path to the truth
Blut wandered the frozen peaks of frostmaw as he wanded for what seemed like days. He had heard rumors of a temple which contained knowledge, knowledge that has hence forever been lost to the people of frostmaw. A forbidden area in which mearly entering can cause punishment from the law. This area intreged Blut as he wondered wearing thick fur under his leather armour and his cloak provideing extra warmph against the howling winds. Blut carried the essentials for his survival even cutting down tree branches for firewood. As the man approached the brokken walls he decided to stop here and set up camp for the night. Vapor escaped his mouth a reminder that it was far too cold to be wearing his steel mask as he set up a small fire. Useing a basic fireball spell to set the wood alight and to cook his provisions.
Hildegarde ’s kingdom was a dangerous land indeed. Not only due to its dragon queen or highly militarised culture, but because of the creatures that called it home and the very land itself. Although Blut had set up camp in the western reaches of Frostmaw, he was not alone. With fire comes smoke and with smoke comes attention. Exiled giants, Kuronii northmen and other kinds of vicious creatures that would wait to feast upon his flesh would lurk in wait as he began his perilous journey. For now, though, nothing had come to bother him. For now, all seemed to be quiet in the land of ice and snow save for the howling chilling wind.
Blut packed up his camp leaveing the camp alight as well as leaving some food to throw people off his trail. He knew there were predetors that would definently be attracted to the smoke but he didn't know about the types of people who lived in these conditions. Blut rubbed his body as the cold started seeping through his armour and fur this area seeming to be colder than the area before. The man shivered slightly as he speed up his breathing a wave of confusion spread over his body. The feeling of loss was lost on him forsakeing remorse a long time ago.
Hildegarde had defeated many rebellious frost giants, once under her predecessor Queen Satoshi and once as a contender for the throne itself. The giants who were not slain on the battlefield or the arena were cast out to these hellish and harsh wild lands. It was an environment that was rich in danger and poor in safety: not much grew in these lands and the creatures that roamed them were more likely to be the hunter than the hunted. As Blut presses deeper into these lands, he might hear – if his hearing is superior to that of an ordinary human being – the faint murmur of voices by his abandoned campfire. People had already caught up to investigate the site, intrigued by the intruder of their lands. Yet if Blut is listening to that and is being kept chilly by the increasingly brutal winds, perhaps he missed the tinkling sound of what might be a windchime and nefarious laughter on the wind. Something darker than an exiled giant was coming.
Blut wandered into this old village as the feeling of confusion washed over and the shivering stopped the man looked over the ravaged village. He wondered what caused this destruction as he looked at the spritis that wondered the area. Exposed to ghost before spirts shouldn't be a problem as they didn't have the power to cause actual harm no matter how angry. Well atleast in theory in the case he found something darker he carried his grim ward to protect him from dark magics and evil thralls. The man stopped as he looked around eyeing a bridge and eyeing the guardens. Seeing as the bridge was the only way to advance the man headed towards it.
Hildegarde was an advocate for the protection of these spirits, which is another reason as to why so few ventured out this far. The spirits were frightening and menacing, although not all meant harm. Some were simply frightening to look upon. As Blut approaches the bridge, he would notice that the storm has only grown in intensity; the wind is howling and battering against all in its way, the wind is sharp and cold, it almost feels like sharp needles of ice pricking the skin swiftly. The laughter on the wind grows louder and more intense, a brief icy figure flitting by in the wind. Was it really a figure though? Or just a figment of the imagination given the ferocity of the storm?
Blut noticed as the storm grow stronger and if only for a moment he noticed a icy figure within the wind. But Blut didn't have time to be worrying about that as he appraoched the bridge. His training with rorin and the mage guild allowed him to improve his mana constructs as claws developed at his feet made purely of mana. The claws gripped at the planks allowing him to walk steadily as long as one foot was on the plank he will be pretty stable. Blut drew his crossbow which crackled with holy energy as he looked around to be able to identify any kind of threat. He shouldn't have to hold the railings due to his mana claws on his feet.
The bridge rocked from side to side, the rope bridge being rather unsecure at the best of times and even more so in the event of a storm! Blut may notice a figure at the end of the bridge, seemingly cutting away at the rope that holds the bridge up. If he does not lose the claws and risk it to speedily cross the bridge, he may fall once the rope snaps.
Blut instantly dispelled his claws as he open fired at the creature trying to make it over as fast as he can only able to give of two more shots as one side of the bridge snapped and broke flipping the bridge. leaveing only one arm of the bridge holding it up. Blut grabbed the non broken left side with his right hand not wanting to lose his crossbow as he dangled oover the abyss. The man then slung his crossbow as he started to monkey bar his way over. The cold makeing his fingers numb as he slowly came over. But the figure was still there to cut the other side. Blut thought quickly as he drew his dagger and cut the bridge as it swung him over to the cliff edge. Blut swung his body so the bridge would spin and hide him behind it and the cliff. Takeing out his mana claws again this time createing some on his hands as well he dug into the cliff side hanging on for dear life and cloaking himself so even if the creature cut the bridge it would not be able to see him.
Given all the drama that had occurred, Blut might be relieved to see the creature had since abandoned the bridge; leaving only evil laughter in the wind once more.
Blut managed to climb back to the top of the cliff after waiting a bit. He reached into his bag and bit into a xalious root. Plants supposed to restore mana and Bluts had enough experiance with the thing to know it to be true. The man looked around confused by what that thing was what is trying to kill him. He looked around greatful this was just a open space nowhere to be ambused from nowhere to be attacked from. But just to be safe he let his mana spill from his body encaseing everything it touched acting like a 10 meter radar in the event something trys to kill him.
Blut continued to wander the fatugue of such a long journey as he walked slower drinking out of his skin useing fire magic to keep it from freezeing. The man walked around awed by the various voices but wasn't too different from the village of souls he passed by.
A radar built from mana wouldn’t do much good. The path here is blocked, save for that small gap. Crawling through that after that attempted murder must be a tense experience, there’s nothing to say they wouldn’t attempt to strike again. But fortunately for Blut no such attempt comes and he cannot maintain that radar forever; nor can he keep on eating those roots and not come to harm forever. The whispers that soon gather into a resounding scream must surely register on that magical radar, like a constant and overwhelming ping (imagine the scene from Aliens) to suggest such a wave of enemies that it is impossible to survive…! But nothing comes. Wave after wave, nothing comes, until finally under another scream – this one imbued with laughter – the figure emerges. It looks as though it is made entirely of ice, almost like a satyr in appearance. Anyone might mistake it for a demon, but this was an Ice Devil. The crossbow bolts that Blut had fired at it earlier remain embedded in its body, appearing frosted over as if the sheer cold of its icy body had already frozen the bolts on impact. Razor sharp talons reach for Blut.
Blut looks around as he detects multiple signitures before feeling the overwelming presence and the shadow of the devil as the man instinctively roled forward narrowly missing the demon. The man stopped spilling mana as he spat out the root looking at the devil quickly deciding if he wanted to fight or run. He noticed the bolts within it's body realiseing that this was what cut the bridge. He had no choice but to fight as Blut drew both his crossbows one holy and one unholy both crackled with their respectice power. Blut aimed the holy one straight at the creatures head along with 2 illusionary shots aimed for the creatures chest and leg. He aimed the unholy one straight for the cratures leg with two ilusionary shots aiming for it's head and chest. The crossbows let lose a bot filled with their respective power giveing the impression that Blut fired crimson and blue lightning from these bows. Blut slings his unholy crossbow back into it's holster as he draws his holy dagger and reloading the holy crossbow.
The Ice Devil takes the shot to head, chest and leg respectively. The creature chitters and moves its head in a jerky motion as it offers Blut a rather toothy grin, saliva dripping from its sharp and pointed teeth. The creature takes another step closer to Blut, slow in its approach and seemingly unafraid or unharmed by him. It oozes what can only be described as liquid frost. As Blut prepares his holy dagger and somehow reloads his crossbow at the same time, it would become clear that the Ice Devil is not alone as a wicked *crack* resounds throughout the air: the razor-lined ice whip streaking towards his arm as another Ice Devil appears and wields the whip like a cruel taskmaster. Ice Devils do not hunt alone. A third Devil cackles like a hyena as it seemingly disappears only to reappear besides Blut, swinging vicious icy claws horizontally in a bid to open Blut’s gut.
Blut's eyes dart to the whip that wrapped around his arm cutting off blood to it. Bluts reaction time and speed were far beyond a normal humans as he slashed at the whip with the holy dagger. Enchanted by a paladin if it is unholy by nature it would be naturaly weak to this weapon capable of spliting rock at midday. Bluts eyes widdened as he noticed the 3rd devil realiseing how close it is to him as he dashed closer to the whip user to cause the whip to slacken if it wasn't cut by the dagger. However the devil caught his arm as the claws tour through his leather armour and fur as black dust started to fade from the wound. But his muscles were torn to bits forceing him to drop his dagger. Blut used a windspell to create a snow veil that covered his body as he created 3 illusionary clones to run in different directions as a test to see if the devils would follow them. The clones had no physical substance they didn't even leave footprints into the snow but they did look real enough. Even mimicing the mans injury.
Blut ran and ran as far as his legs would carry him his body was enwined with mana threads that tore away at his body leaveing terrible wounds under his armour but allowed him to run without limits. As he watched the demons chase him with no remorse. Createing weak illusionary clones to keep them guessing constantly switching between them. The devils attacks went straight through the clones even as he rolled and jumped when they got lucky and found him. The man saw the temple he could taste his salvation as he rushed up the stairs in a single hallway probably too narrow for the devils to follow as he tried to open the library doors as he struggled and strained as they opened slowly before rushing inside to close the doors or have the devils crash into it and force it shut.
The Devils howl with laughter as the three clones run in every which way, the Devils splitting up to pursue each one that leaves no tracks. They are fast, but they hunt for sport and thus intentionally lag behind every so often as if to inspire hope in their prey. As Blut uses the diversion to make for the temple, he will soon here more laughter on the wind. Either more Ice Devils have found his trail and are looking to pursue him or the original three and figured out his ruse and are now in hot pursuit! The laughter grows ever closer until he reaches the steps of the temple… they will not pursue him there.