RO > call me out; a forever open RP post, version 2

[midvalley]

NEW OPEN RP POST

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[wizardcop]

I'm all right.

[ Still sore, still stiff, and altogether anxious, but he's had worse and he's definitely got other concerns right now. ]

Do you know where to go from here?

[lasaghilan]

Unfortunately, the spirit had little in the way of concrete information. As helpful as they can be, spirits tend to be confused by our world, how immutable it is.

Also, they're quite poor with directions.

[wizardcop]

I suppose a vague location is better than none at all.

Let's see if we can find any leads. [ ever the cop, Jacob ]

[lasaghilan]

[ He nods. ] From our visits here, we know there are Venatori encampments scattered throughout the area. They may have taken up residence in some of the abandoned villas to the south.

[wizardcop]

[ so like that one multiplayer map ]

That seems like a good place to start, at least. And if we run across any of their fellows on the way, they might be persuaded to tell us for sure.

[lasaghilan]

[ He nods, nudging his horse in the proper direction. ]

We can sure of one thing, at least -- they will have kept your friend alive, if they think him capable of the same level of destruction as Charlie.

[wizardcop]

It's a small consolation.

[ He directs his horse to follow along ] By destruction, I assume you mean Charlie's Last Resort.

[lasaghilan]

I believe that's what he named it, yes. I never witnessed it personally, but I heard reports.

[wizardcop]

I've only seen it once, myself. It's... something.

[ It's extremely terrifying, is what it is ]

[lasaghilan]

Uncommon in your world, then. That is some comfort, at least. It had been turned on a number of Inquisition forces before Charlie was recovered.

[wizardcop]

So I heard. [ Jacob's mouth draws into a thin line. Charlie might not have been himself when it happened, but he still feels responsible. ]

From the way I understand it, Charlie drafted that spell himself. There's not another like it in existence.

[lasaghilan]

The Venatori will be disappointed by that bit of news. All the more reason to find your friend before they discover this truth.

Should the worst come to pass, does he have any abilities of which I should be made aware?

[wizardcop]

You mean like Charlie's Last Resort? No, nothing like that- I don't think the kid has an offensive spell in his arsenal. Andrew is training to become a Spiritualist. It's essentially the opposite of a Necromancer- they commune with the dead and strive to put restless spirits at ease.

Apparently that works somewhat differently here, but he might well attract the attention of your version of spirits as well.

[lasaghilan]

It seems he already has; your magic has no connection with the Fade, yet he happened to gain the assistance of a spirit of Compassion. Perhaps they are holding him in a place where the Veil is thin, and such thoughts are transferred easily. I have yet to receive any further messages from any other spirits, though perhaps that is only a matter of time.

[wizardcop]

Talking to spirits is one of Andrew's strong suits. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[lasaghilan]

How fortunate for all of us that his magic seems to translate so well to this world.

[ The journey south is uneventful, for a time; the woods are thick and lush, with little in the way of roads. There are pathways worn into the dirt from years of travel, though they extend only so far; the rest of their trip is spent by carefully picking out paths safe for their mounts.

Luckily, they do not encounter any bears.

Still, the peace is short-lived, and Solas pulls against the reins of his horse, silently signalling for the detective to do the same. Ahead of them, still ignorant of the mage and the wizard, is an encampment of men in ornate robes of black and gold and complicated-looking armor. Other men wear little in the way of protection, though they still strike formidable figures -- Solas expects these are slaves, forced into the service of their lords to fight.

He dismounts silently, pulling his staff from its harness at his back. He whispers to the detective, ]

One of these men may know something about your friend, I assume. How persuasive do you think you can be?

[wizardcop]

By that, do you mean diplomacy or brute force?

[lasaghilan]

The latter. And when one of the men has been properly secured for questioning, the former.

[wizardcop]

In that case, I think I can be decently persuasive.

[lasaghilan]

Alright.

[ And aside from that brilliant pep talk, Solas doesn't bother with preamble. He casts a barrier that envelop the both of them, which instantly draws the attention of the Venatori mages. As theyre scrambling to organize themselves for a fight, unsheathing swords and bringing out old, worn tomes and staves, Solas manages to take several of them out of play, freezing them in place or warping the Veil and wielding it like a physical force. ]

The mages will likely rank highest. We would do well to keep at least one alive, Detective.

[wizardcop]

Very well.

[ Neither of them are one for pep talks, it seems. The jet black smoke that is Fedora uncurls from Jacob’s form, streaming towards one such mage at frightening speed. By the time it plows into the man, it’s taken the solid form of the wolf, teeth bared and eyes blazing- a far cry from his demeanor the previous night. The Summon breaks through the mage’s barrier easily, and Jacob tosses a Destruction spell his way- the man’s head snaps back and he does not rise. He’s alive, but Jacob doesn’t envy him the headache he’ll have later.

Then Fedora’s off again, slipping seamlessly from wolf to smoke and back again as he weaves through the chaos and dodges incoming attacks, pouncing on unsuspecting enemies and letting his powerful jaws do the rest of the work. Jacob dips into the more brutal aspects of his arsenal, keeping to Destruction magic, and the Venatori agents find themselves thrown around, bones breaking and flesh tearing thanks to some invisible force. The detective does not, however, need to go for his gun. He’s keeping that in reserve in case magic somehow isn’t enough. ]

[lasaghilan]

[ Solas keeps an eye on the detective and his Summon, renewing their barriers as needed to guard them from the archers loosing arrows in their direction. The projectiles bounce harmlessly off their shields, and Solas takes time to pick them off, ice and lightning and fire dancing on his fingertips, blasting from his staff with precise swings.

It's like a dance, really, wielding and warping the Veil as if it were an extension of himself. He was much stronger than this, at one time, though his abilities are hardly anything to scoff at now. Between the combined efforts of the three of them, they've cut a swath through the Venatori encampment, leaving a few mages desperately casting to ward them off.

They need only to wait them out, and Solas sends a few lazy spells their way -- if only to keep up appearances that their attack is still on. When he senses their spells flagging -- indicative of a poor connection to the Fade, as he suspected -- he takes initiative. With carefully aimed blasts, he knocks the staves and tomes from their hands. He slams his staff's blade into the ground, and ice races like lightning toward the cultists, binding their feet and crawling up their bodies until they're bound by ice to their elbows.

Satisfied, he nods to Jacob, then to the three mages he's trapped; he keeps his staff poised, feeding the ice his magic to keep their captors bound. ]

In case you need to make an example. [ He says it by way of explanation for capturing three rather than one. ]

[wizardcop]

[ Fedora pads over to stand next to Jacob, and the wizard doesn’t miss the way their captives eye the wolf in equal parts fear and curiosity. Fedora bares his teeth silently, blood staining his muzzle. ]

I’ll cut to the chase, then.

Your compatriots have taken a friend of mine, and I’d like him back.

[ As he speaks, he begins casting, the white light of his magic illuminating his face. At least one of the mages lets recognition flit across his face before schooling his expression. ] How is it you put it? His magic doesn’t draw from the Fade. I’m sure at least one of you knows something.

[ The spells dissipate and the ground around Jacob becomes thick with black smoke, which takes the shape of four more wolves, similar in size and look to Fedora. More Illusion, but it’s good. The wolves move individually, and behave like the real thing. ] If not, well... my companions are quite hungry. I hope you don’t mind.

[lasaghilan]

[ As the wolves stalk forward, one of the mages visibly recoils, though he's halted by the ice binding him to the ground. He eyes the wolves with apparent fear, and Solas watches him closely, counting down in his head until the man breaks.

And break he does after the span of at least ten heartbeats, with a startled cry when one of the mirages stares up at him, baring its teeth. ]

We have overtaken a villa fifty miles south. He's being held there! They have begun preparations for the ritual to alter his mind -- if you want him unharmed, you must leave now.

[wizardcop]

Thank you. [ Jacob waves his hand, and the Illusions break apart like mist. ] Solas?

[ It’s less a question, and more a go ahead for the mage to do with the three of them what he pleases. Fedora returns to his smoke form and vanishes while Jacob treks back to where they left the horses. ]