RP:Sinister Twists

Part of the Souls Out of Time Arc

Location: Beneath the great plains of Venturil

Synopsis: Kybella, Constance, Markus and the gang gather for their ritual. Months of planning had gone into this and now is when their motives are revealed. In some small way…. (Kybella, Constance and Markus NPC'ED by Eirik)

Kybella could taste the trappings of old age within her body. Feel death knocking upon her rickety bones; barely held together by loose liver spotted flesh. She had been a beauty once upon a time, but that was forever ago. Now, age has set in, weathering and greying her appearance. The mirror before her is nothing but a foul reminder, plaguing her thoughts. Twisting her mind into what was. It wasn't enough to cast the illusion of beauty. Though it fooled everyone, it did not trick her. She saw beyond it; slapped in the face every time she looked upon her own features. She's nothing but a dried up old hag. A powerful hag, but an ugly old crone to say the least. She needed to finish her preparations. The entire coven had watched her struggle for months and now, the time is nigh. The ingredients were gathered, including a child with phenomenal untapped power. Kybella enjoyed this thought. "Constance, has she been prepared?" A dry voice cracks out like an erupting volcano and shattering the reigning silence of their underground lair.

Constance was in the process of finishing the bloodied, candle-lit mural on the ground. Painting such ancient symbols upon old stone when that voice hissed hat her. "Yes," she hesitates for a moment. She knew all too well the backlash of their leader Kybella. "Yes, she's been prepared." What Constance meant, is that the child had already undergone the transmutation ritual. Drank of that foul-smelling potion and waited to be dragged, unwillingly to this chamber. "Markus has her currently. I do believe he plans to bring her here shortly." The hand that had been painting stops, all finished she thinks. "I'll begin prepping the herbs." Constance the apprentice, formally bows to Kybella before leaving to obtain the last of their ingredients. It would be a long night.

Kybella twists an unnatural laughter from her dried and cracked lips. Its sinister, expecting her plans to come to fruition. Nothing had stumbled upon them. No one had discovered their dark and twisted plot. They stood without any enemy, yet the whole world had become theirs in secret. She knew her master expected great things. Whether she was a pawn or not, she had planned terrible things. This, would be the first of many. "Run along child," and don't disappoint. Olive colored eyes scrutinize Constance's work. Her mural. "Damned girl," the crone hisses. She groans whilst climbing to her feet, "is she trying to kill me?" Weathered hands begin to complete what her apprentice had forgotten. "I shall rend the flesh from her bones later." For now, she has an issue to deal with, and that was fixing the mess left for her.

Some Time Later

Markus traverses through the room carrying a leash of iron chains. He is a proud man, flaunting the fact that he had found the most promising child for Kybella. The child in question was a girl of nobility, whose parents were foolish enough to travel through Venturil; no doubt on their way to Chartsend. The chain itself, is yanked, pulling the blond haired blue-eyed girl into view. She was sobbing. Calling for her parents. Pleading for someone to help her. All that stood before her were stoic. Silent. Unflinching and bereft of any emotion which might pull on their heartstrings. There isn't a savior among them. "Silence, foolish girl!" Markus screamed at her. Those pleads for mercy go unanswered and Markus drags her to the center of the room. Those chains are now anchored to the floor and the child finds herself in the very epicenter of a bloodied mural. The warlock takes a moment to grin at his own workings, amused of what was to come before his gaze sweeps to Kybella. "Mistress Kybella, she is ready." His words just above the level of a whisper as he bows and backs out of the circle.

Constance might have been the only one to attempt at saving the girl, but she knew better. She'd likely end up taking her place. Forget that. She had to keep her own hide alive. There is far too much to learn. Far too much that she needed to figure out how to combat. She had made it this far undetected. Eyes shift to the mural on the ground, realizing that someone had fixed her mistakes. She panicked. Lords someone figured it out! She haphazardly flicks her eyes from one face to another worried that someone might have discovered her. But all looked calm. Perhaps the mistress had excused her intentional foiling as a mess up of an apprentice?

Kybella stood before the group, dressed and painted for the ritual which would take place. "I know that we have been waiting a long time for this." The faces among the coven nod in unison, eager to see what is to happen. "We've broken our backs for months. Crying out to the gods for answers to our magical questions." Olive eyes scan each face. "We have successfully remained hidden from the outside world and every one of us has paid our dues." Old rickety feet begin to shuffle while she cautiously leans upon an old staff of knotty wood. "And today marks the day where our efforts are finally realized." She nods to Markus but continues her walk around the coven.

Markus only eyes the mistress and continues to listen in silence. He knew of Kybella's plans. He also had been informed of Constance. This whole thing was a trap laid out for her as well. Their mistress needed a sacrifice. One of magic and of course, Kybella had no intention of sacrificing herself. No, Constance was constantly allowed to attempt to foil their plans because she was needed. She was put up with for the good of the coven. Now he wondered if this would truly work.

Constance watched the Mistress carefully. She too waited for the speech to end, for the ritual to begin. But until the moment she was called on, she remains silent and obedient. No use in risking everything.

Kybella continued to march around the Coven. "We, the watchers, have finally shifted our mission. Our passed down traditions are finally at an end. We are tired of the world. Of the erroneous deeds of those who control things. We are tired of how the Larketians are treated. Disgusted by the balance of power within the mages guild. How uncorrupted the Necromancers guild really is. How a silver rules the subjects of Frostmaw." She pauses to catch her breath. "Vailkrin schemes and squabbles for power, fighting amongst themselves. Cenril is filled with drugs. And do you know what I say? Gnats; Each one of them." Oh yes, she loathed the things magic had turned into. "None fear it's power. None wield its power like the days of old. And I fear none of us can either." Finally, she had struck a chord with those gathered, and murmurs erupt around the room. "However," She lofts a single bony digit into the air. "We can if we work together." A toothy grin besmirches her weathered visage. She meant to do damage. To rip apart everything she could. Oh, how pleased master would be. These fools knew nothing. Not one and she would use them all to their very own detriment. They had gathered behind her for their own purposes. To bring down the elite of the world. For some semblance of salvation. What they didn't understand is that she would rip their world apart, brick by bloodied brick and urinate on the ashes of everything they loved.

Markus stood there in silence waiting for Kybellas instructions. He smiled as she spoke about their version of taint. Of how things in the world are being ran. About how those in power did not truly understand what evil is. He relished in the fact that he would join them all in this excursion. How he and Kybella worked hand in hand and how they both, would use the Cult of Watchers to their own benefit. Master would indeed be pleased.

Constance grew nervous as Kybella spoke of things to come. Just what exactly did she have planned? What did she mean by her claims? Everything worded was a mystery to this woman. She knew the group had something disturbing planned, but what?

Finally, Kybella reaches the height of her meandering and comes to a sudden stop behind Constance. "Let us begin," she arrogantly states. Those with power in attendance begin to chant the words which had been passed on to them. Soon the very air in the room thickens with arcane workings. Of savage intent. The taste of dark magic lingered and thundered overhead. "Come Constance," It's time.

Markus grinned devilishly, and began to perform the ritual in unison with the others. Finally, it was time. Constance turns to face the Mistress. "Yes Kybella," her emerald orbs flick to the ground while she steps in to follow her master.

Kybella does not hesitate to turn traitorous in the room. In but a heartbeat of time, right hand twists through the air, snatching the very magic which had been weaved. Its power cracking in the palm of her hand, and places it directly on the chest of Constance. She was their sacrifice. "Constance," Her face beamed with savage fury. "It's time." She cackled whilst the ritual turned. "I offer this child to you, Master." The room darkens and dims, "Watch this proceeding I beg of thee!"

Markus does not stop.

Constance has no time to react! What's happening! She panics! Hands reach to stop her master, but it's far too late! Constance, now falls to the floor, naught but a limp and lifeless body.

Kybella disperses the black art sorceries, and moves towards the child in the center of the room. Her own face turns crimson as those coven members continue to fill the room with sinister workings. She begins to utter the old words, those passed on from the watchers before her. At the crescendo of Diabolism, all stops. Purple lighting arcs through the room from the child to Kybella. The wails of death suddenly reverberate from one wall to another, and the old hag croaks; falling to the floor like Constance before her. The room falls silent, while they watch the Iron chains melt from the child. Did it work? After minutes of painful silence, the childs eyes shift open; they are crimson. An oddity of nature appears, and two voices are heard simultaneously laughing from the childs agape mouth. "It worked!" She bellows, and Mistress Kybella could feel the youth of her new vessel. "It worked!" she bellows once more….