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Raziel Nosgoth was a land mostly isolated from the Multiverse. While it merged in like every other world, the people here had no interest in the rest of the multiverse. Well, that is to say, the 'people' who were prominent did not. A single warp gate formed, and the spot of its creation was a great irony to Raziel.

On a flattened spike of rock that jutted from the earth itself, overlooking a great series of waterfalls that lead into a singular vortex. Strange, that said vortex also seemed to glow a pale green light during the night, but it was not radioactive. From here a bridge connected to other spikes in a sort of makeshift walkway.

What's more striking than anything is that there are no background noises besides the water. No birds, no insects, no plantlife that you can see. The ground looks lifeless, with a red tinge to it. Even the water looks sickly. You can't see any fish in those waters.

Looking out into the sky four buildings are noticeable, due to how high they reach into the sky. The first is a giant collum that touches the sky itself, looking like a great smoke stack. Nearish to it was a large circular temple, with each layer slightly shorter than the rest until a singular round building remained at the top.

The third was a large building, built with a gothic design. From here you could see various tattered flags, with unknown symbols attached to them. It was the closest of the four buildings by far. The final building sat on top of a mountain far beyond the others. From here seemingly the least impressive, but it lay beyond the giant smoke stack.

Raziel, manifest in the physical realm stood ready to greet you, looking out onto the swirling water below.

'The Abyss, forever my tomb and the womb of my rebirth. The Multiverse had a sense of humor to put the portal to this place here. To make sure I could never forget the betrayal I felt...not that I needed such reminders. I knew the bastard that sent me into that hell. Vengence was a long time coming, but I would make sure it came this time.'

Raziel would turn to greet those who came to aid him, though it was easy to see his eyes occasionally looking towards the water now and again. "Thanks for coming. It's a bit of a trek from here...we will need to go to the Sanctuary of the clans, and to the Pillars of Nosgoth where my maker build his throne. Ariel is there, and if she has news then I can imagine she has found where Kain is hiding or has remembered some detail that will help us find h-"
Raziel "Ah, champions of the Multiverse..." says a deep voice, "I must thank you for helping my Angel of Death with his mission to destroy Kain. While vengeance drives him, I would not demand that the same drive you as well," this voice causes Raziel to sigh a bit.

"Meet my 'maker'," Raziel says, motioning towards the water. If you look carefully enough, you can see an eye sitting at the very center of the vortex that sat below. Following it, you can see what looks like tentacles spreading out from it, seemingly wrapped around the landscape.

"I am the bringer of life, the devourer of death," it starts, "The Hub of the wheel of fate, to which all souls are drawn. You likely have questions, but I can clear some of them a bit. Kain is the former balance guardian of the pillars of Nosgoth. Over two thousand years ago, Kain was made the guardian of balance and was tasked to kill his fellow guardians. The pillars, an ancient structure that holds several important concepts that kept Nosgoth alive, had become corrupted."

"That corruption poisoned the land, driving both its guardians insane, as well as slowly killing the land. Kain was tasked to kill the guardians, to purge them of their corruption so that new guardians could be born. However..."

"In the end, he was the final sacrifice. Instead of that...he chose to damn the pillars, and doom Nosgoth to ruin. It was here when he build his parasitic empire on their remains and spread to conquer Nosgoth with his Vampiric forces. And this wasteland you see is the result. Nosgoth is nearly dead. The souls are imprisoned in the vampires that roam this land, so they can not be rewoven."

"And the result is life is slowly being extinguished. For this to stop, Kain must die. With this, the pillars can be restored, and the vampires can also be purged from the land and their souls released. Life will bloom again, though..."

"Time is not on our side. If you have questions, I will answer them, mortals. I will not keep you for long, for you have a ghost to meet. She will likely have insight into where to find the cancer of this land."

"I told you," Raziel states, "My 'lord' loves the sound of his own voice," Raziel says, slightly annoyed. "It'll be able to talk to us as we move. In order to get to Ariel, we need to cross the bridge here, and move towards the Sanctuary of the clans. We have to pass through...my former clan territories first," Raziel says with a touch of trepidation.
Remee Halcyon "Fascinating..." says Remee, peering into the water. "So everything's out of balance because of this Kain..." she says.

"... Standard vampires?" she asks, reaching up and fingering the bandolier she's wearing underneath her greatcoat. There's several stakes sewn into it, along with a variety of bullets, vials, and a rosary. Her hand visibly flinches back as she absent-mindedly touches one of the bullets, and for those watching closely there's a little wisp of smoke from her index finger as she lets her arm drop back to her side.

"To be honest, even if the world weren't in balance here, the opportunity to hunt these vampires isn't something I could pass up."
Timespace Riders      Two visitors appear, from nothing. Their arrival is heralded first by the swirling of sands over empty air along the red-tinged ground. Starting as a pinprick and billowing rapidly outward, a shroud of dark grey fabric rustles before taking a properly comprehensible shape--the retracting scarf of the somewhat unusual time traveler, Woz.

     His apocalyptic double-breasted coat looks appropriate for the lifeless landscape. The oversized, colorful pastel button-up and navy peacoat of his king, Sougo Tokiwa, do not.

     "Hi, Raziel! Of course you can count on us. I'm happy to help!" Sougo manages a warm smile for him, despite the grim appearance of his surroundings.

     Woz offers a catlike grin. One of his hands clutches a mysterious book to his side. The other is pressed to his chest, as he offers a formal bow. He, and his king, both step closer to peer over the edge at the watery vortex. "I assure you, esteemed Hub," says the retainer, "With the arrival of my Demon King, Time's fangs will lose some of their edge, and pierce the land of Nosgoth more slowly than they otherwise would."

     Sougo rubs an arm bashfully. "I'll do my best to make sure we get the most out of what we have, Lord Hub," he says softly.

     Turning to Raziel, Sougo nods. The Demon King and his retainer fall in, although Sougo can't help noticing the tone of Raziel's voice when he mentions passing through familiar turf. "Is everything okay, Raziel?" He says, as he begins to cross the bridge. "You sound like you're not looking forward to passing through those territories. Are they upset with you? Or..." He frowns. "Is there maybe a bad memory?" This question is asked a little lower.
Seras Victoria     As this is a meeting of champions interested in saving a world, Seras emerges from the warpgate bearing a grim expression that's ill-suited to the cute face it shows up on. She's dressed in her full Hellsing uniform with an additional patch on the shoulder bearing the insignia of the Commonwealth Paladins. A thick leather strap slung across her shoulders supports the massive gun dangling behind her.

    And upon emerging from the warp gate and getting a look at the dark, lifeless world. She very much is intent on asking, just WHAT HAPPENED, but the somber and oppressive atmosphere instead has her simply swallow hard and keep her eyes on Raziel. Listen to the tale. She nearly jumps at the second voice joining in, but instead crouches on the edge, peering down into the water very nervously.

    This story is a hell of a lot to take in. It's like something out of a movie or a book. Thankfully, Seras has been in the Multiverse and seen more and more things.

    "So... if I understand this, killing this Kain would fulfill the final sacrifice needs? And about these vampires. What must be done to slay them and free the imprisoned souls? Anything... special?"

    Crawling back and away from the scary potential plunge into a body of water, Seras stands back up, looking Raziel over carefully.

    "Angel of Death, he calls you. You certainly look the part." Her tone's warm but a bit nervous, given the situation.

    This whole situation doesn't sit well at all though. What kind of worldly order requires this kind of sacrifice, after all? She's going to need a lot of backup figuring out if that's really all as true as was stated.

    "Raziel, was it? I.. I'm Seras Victoria. A... monster hunter, by profession. I get the feeling this Nosgoth place might be full of strange magics I'm not going to know anything about." She's not at all afraid to express a bit of worry over that. Hopefully, Raziel will be able to cover such a deficiency...
Hellwarming Trio For once, the trek to a new place is rather uneventful for the three coming out to Nosgoth from their home in the Former Hell. Satori has already made sure her Utsuho and Rin had something hearty to eat before coming out here, so keeping the two of them under control is pretty easy even with all the new sights laid out before them.

"Kind of like home, ain't it?"
"It's quieter here. More... Dead and dull. Creepy."
"There's probably a good reason for it. Well... Not 'good', but something that would explain why it's like this."

Greeting Raziel with their own waves in return, Utsuho and Rin float upwards in sync when he mentions how far they'll need to go to reach their destination. Before they can see all the way over towards it, however, their attention and Satori's is grabbed by the voice coming from the water. Peering at the eye further below, Satori and Utsuho float down closer to get a better look while Rin just fidgets uncomfortably like she's debating whether to actually go down with them or not.

Thankfully, they come back up shortly afterwards once Raziel informs them that they can walk and talk.

"Why would Kain do something dumb like all that if he still has to live on Nosgoth? Doesn't this make things worse for him, too?"
"Maybe he was too afraid of dying, even if it'd screw everyone else over. He was supposed to be the last 'sacrifice', right? But... What's his end-game?"
"Your physical form is bound to the water, I assume? Your aid in a fight would be helpful, perhaps, but as it is... Is this Kain's doing as well, or an unrelated matter entirely?"
Trudy Grimm     The Doctor, as he is known, is a distressingly tall, gaunt figure wrapped in a long black coat; hands clad in white gloves, head and face concealed by a cloth wrap and the beaked mask and the wide-brimmed hat. One of the mask's lenses is cracked, both glowing from within with a faint green light. He smells every bit as much like Death as everything else in Nosgoth, his movements strangely stilted. Pieces of green crystal protrude here and there, through holes in his coat and from the rim of one of the lenses of his mask.

    He is easily twice the height of the woman he accompanies, the self-proclaimed witch Trudy Grimm, in her usual outfit of fur-lined jacket and boots. The Grimoire dangles by a strap from one arm while she makes a point to shield her eyes and scan over the surrounding lake and lakeside.

    The ghoul who greets her is an individual she had met before; Raziel, who had spoken at DRYCLEAN's summit on death and afterlives. She sizes him up with a cheery, "You're looking good today."

    The Hub of the Wheel begins speaking, bringing her pause. Her head tilts, taking in what the creature relays. It isn't long before she gestures to the Doctor at her side and crosses the bridge while the Hub continues their piece.

    When at last the Hub has concluded, she addresses Raziel rather than the God, "I suppose you have a reason for leaving a ghost to linger as you have. Is she a guide, then? Or some manner of guardian?"
Hiromi     "I am here."

    Hiromi arrives in the normal manner, leaping from within the warpgate to land on the stone, her feet denting her landing spot inward, yet without cracks spreading from the loud impact. She turns to face those others assembled, then steps right up to the edge to behold the Hub of the Wheel, her arms crossed under her chest.

    'That corruption poisoned the land, driving both its guardians insane...
    ...he chose to damn the pillars, and doom Nosgoth to ruin.'


    "Kain. Corrupted? Insane? Or... choose this path, the kingdom-maker?"
Metamorph One     "Okay what? Sanctuary of the Clans to the Pillars where Ariel made Nosgoth and Kain has a Throne? That's what you're hitting me with first thing out of the Warpgate?" "Haha, it is a little bit much, isn't it? Could you start slowly and go one item at a time?"

    Sans the Metamorph unit itself for lack of space on a big pointy rock, Dianna and Elara take in the sights around them, habitually turning in opposite ways, in wide-eyed-- "Hate this actually." "Yeah this . . . kind of sucks. Perfect for us, I guess?" "Fitting maybe. Hey, Raziel, explain--"

    There is narration. The two lean over to peek at the big terrifying eye simultaneously. Elara slowly recoils with a look of queasy revulsion. Dianna visibly weighs the urge to spit straight down just to see. What they decide on in the end is:

    "Thanks. That didn't help at all." "Um, maybe just tell us which spooky-looking place we're going to? I don't want to ask what 'concepts' are on top of pillars." "The words have that 'not a place of honour' vibe."
Raziel "I would be delighted to inform you, my eager hunter," The Elder God speaks to Remee. "Water is like the touch of acid to a vampire. Most that roam the earth these days are also weak to sunlight's touch...when it can be found," True to that, the air is /mostly/ choked with thick clouds, though occasionally sunbeams find their way through. "If you stake one, it will release their soul, allowing my good servant to devour it and send it back to the Hub," And he chuckles at her comment, "If only the Sarafan priests had you with them before they were destroyed."

Raziel smiles and offers a hand to both Sougo and Woz. "I'm glad for your assistance. It will likely be very necessary," Raziel continues. The Elder God makes a rumble, pleased with both of the boy's offers of aid. "Ah good, my servant is lucky to have allies such as yourselves. Kain is not an easy foe to best, cunning, long-lived, and powerful."

The Elder God pauses, considering Seras. "Yes, that is correct. The Pillars can not be repaired and their guardianship can not pass to new mortals until he is killed. As for the Vampires themselves...I have an inkling of what can be done, but it can not happen until Kain is dead. His death will severely weaken their bodies, making such efforts meaningless until his demise."

Raziel nods towards Seras, "Yes I recognize you from the radio. A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Victoria. And please, do not use that name. Raziel is fine." He waves at the Trio, as they wave to him. "Ms. Satori, I am glad for your presence in this situation. Your insight will be most welcome."

The Elder God speaks to Satori, "I am bound to the land. Directly acting in Nosgoth is difficult for me, so I must rely on servants to do so, like Raziel here. Both righteous, and motivated in purpose to kill Kain, he is a good servant," his baritone voice carries, making Raziel shake his head in annoyance.

"As for Kain's refusal, you should save those questions for Ariel herself," Raziel speaks, "She knew him well, and the reason she is still bound to the Pillars. She was the previous guardian, trapped and bound to the pillars for over two thousand years," he explains to Utsuho, Rin, and Rudy.

Raziel turns to regard Hiromi herself. "Archwolf, my humble thanks for your arrival and aid in this matter," Raziel turns somewhat more excited for this to be resolved. If /anyone/ could aid him, it would be her of all people. Though he hides his somewhat more optimistic tone, trying to keep hope at arms reach.

"No, he was spared corruption, the choice he made to damn this world and build his empire on its corpse was his own choice and selfish actions. Now the rot of this land is before you," The Elder God answers Hiromi, and for once not as verbose.

"I see you missed my memo, that Ariel has called to give me information. She is an ally, and that's about all I can say without bogging you down in details that you seem to be uninterested in," Raziel responds to Dianna and Elara. "She resides at the Pillars, or rather their remains, which is in the Sanctuary of the Clans. You can not see either from here, but we need to go west through my former territory.

"She has a lead on where my murderer is. Kain, the person spoken about by me, and I agree with you, extremely wordy benefactor. Unfortunately for us, he rather loves his own voice."
Raziel Raziel lowers his head slightly as he regards Sougo. "Kain killed me. He had me dragged here and thrown into that.." he points at the Abyss below them. "I was executed for surpassing him on a jealous whim. What do you think he did to my children?" Raziel says, continuing on.

It was as Raziel said, but somehow even worse. The group would traverse a passageway, which curves with rocky walls leading towards the west. The area they come to has brickwork laid out, opening out into a wider corridor and several shallow alcoves along the wall and wooden arches. Raziel leads them to a door to the north...and into a courtyard.

Here high brick battlement-styled walls surround the courtyard. Statues, banners, battlements, archways...all of them ruined. Destroyed. Several winged creatures, staked make a path towards the farther wall, and towards another entryway. Naught but skeletons remain impaled, but from how Raziel looks they could only be one thing.

His children.

Looking out farther, you can see more...and more. The entire area is littered with the staked remains of his kin. The area was, in a word, devastated completely. Raziel is silent, head lowered as he leads them. Those who can see his face can see the pain etched in on it.

"The Razielim, died to a man. My banners burned, and my fortifications were torn down. My progeny...destroyed. Everything I had built over a thousand years, is gone. All on a jealous whim. My clan never stood a chance, I was the most trusted of Kains Lieutenants. As such, I was the one in charge of his honor guard. My territories were laid out around the Sanctuary of the clans."

A great doorway stood to the far back, through the rows of impaled skeletons. Six symbols are painted on the doorway, with one being crudely crossed out. As if to make a point. The symbol, in part, matches the symbol on Raziel's shoulder.
Trudy Grimm     Trudy lets out a thoughtful noise as she follows behind the Reaver, arms folded loosely behind her back for most of the traversal though those empty halls. The sensation of death is both intense and all around, but it takes the courtyard's revelation for her to realize that it isn't because Nosgoth as a world is dying.

    The witch actually stops, skimming the courtyard of impaled and mounted bones, all on grotesque display. Her ever-present smile disappears to a look of shock. Extremely briefly, anger flashes across her face before the smile returns-- though considerably more apologetic.

    "If it pleases you, my friend here will lay them to rest. It seems wrong to leave them on display like this." She's not even interested in collecting the bones like usual. She seems to just want them buried properly.

    Behind her, the Doctor dips a hand into his jacket. In a single motion, he produces a long-handled spade, swings it around, and plants the somewhat rusted tip beside his feet. His other hand lifts, pulling down the brim of his hat slightly.

    "We needn't wait for him to do so, he'll rejoin me when he's done."
Seras Victoria     Seras takes stock of the other arrivals in turn. Unfortunately she's familiar with very few, and so everyone has to deal with her giving them a thorough glance-over.

    The answers provided though, trigger a wince. "That about covers everything I can think of for now..." She nods in acknowledgement to Raziel. "L-Likewise! I hope we can save this world of yours... it's in a real dismal mess."

    But as the group finally begins to move though and trudge through the ancestral lands, revealing just what has become of Raziel's legacy...

    Seras stops at the threshold of the courtyard, gulping as her gaze sweeps over the tattered, tortured skeletal remains and broken ruins. Her expression darkens instantly. Gloved hands tighten to fists.

    "A complete massacre.... over a whim? What awful madness POSSESSED this Kain?!" The young woman's words are full of hatred.

    After all, going after family following a grudge is something she's far, FAR too familiar with.
Remee Halcyon Remee takes notes. Literally, she pulls a tiny notepad out of her inner greatjacket pocket, clicks the attached pen, and starts writing.

"I wonder," she says idly, "How much it costs to hire one of those firefighting helicopters, the ones with the water tanks and the high pressure sprayers..."

She finishes taking notes, and the notepad in her hands is put away, to get replaced with a heavy crossbow, which she cranks and loads with one of her bandolier-held stakes. "Very good. I've got a few other things, but if you say stakes I have stakes to spare."

The rest of the explanation is interesting, and worth taking notes on, but... Remee's here mostly to hunt vampires, as she said.

Seras might feel Remee looking over at her, but she's definitively looking elsewhere should Seras actually check.
Timespace Riders      Sougo frowns, then reaches out and touches Raziel's shoulder. His hand rests upon an armored pauldron, but the intent is still readable nonetheless. "I'm so sorry," he says softly, pausing in his crossing to make eye contact. "It can't be easy, knowing you have to go through there, but I'll be with you every step of the way."

     Continuing on, through the rocky passage and the door beyond it, he and Woz both survey the reuined, once-embattled courtyard. At the sight of Raziel's epxression, Sougo's hand returns to the vampire's shoulder, not so much urging him on as conveying, with a silent stare and frown of concern, that it's alright to take a moment. "People can be really awful to each other," he finally says, after his eyes trace from the symbol crossed-out upon the door at the far end, to the matching symbol on Raziel's shoulder. "I won't ask you to stay here any longer than we need to. And if there's something you need to do, but can't, I'm happy to do it."

     Sougo chews nervously on his lower lip, contemplating something else to say. "It isn't all gone. He can't take away what these people were to each other, or to you." His hand drifts from Raziel's shoulder, and he nods to the door at the far end with the multiple seals. "Do we need to do anything special to open that door?"
Metamorph One     "So what's with you and your vampire race war thing anyways?" Dianna suddenly asks Remee, leaning obnoxiously close, and being tall enough that it feels genuinely invasive of her space. "You look like you came out here on safari. What's going on?" Elara breaks from quietly murmuring things like 'Sarafan priests' and 'the Hub', visibly scribbling away on her smartphone, to half-heartedly say "Oh leave her alone, Di. She probably has a reason."

    Dianna herself is distracted anyways, briefly, by the words 'righteous and motivated in purpose', turning her head to stare at Raziel, and then say "One of those is probably true. Sure." Elara pockets her phone. "I mean, his voice is pretty good? He sounds like he worked hard on it. If I was stuck in a lake, I'd want to talk as much as I could too." Then, she looks around, staring across the entire horizon for a second time, and adds, "Isn't there only one pillar?"

    The walk passes without significant event. The two talk to each other the entire time out of idle occupation, about little of note. The first staked skeleton is where Elara freezes, and then gingerly reaches out her hand, already flinching in trepidation. Dianna pushes her hand down with her palm, deflecting it away. "Don't. We just got here. Put a little trust in what has to say and keep it at arm's length. Okay?" "Okay." "You remember what I said?" "It doesn't need to be in me to see all the sides of it." "That's right."

    Raziel's explanation is absorbed on both parts with variable unease. Dianna loops her arm around Elara to keep her from wandering, and looks to the vampire, saying in forcefully even tones, "Didn't know you were some kind of noble. I guess even you have your problems. So do you mind if I ask how you became that guy's lieutenant anyways? Why he trusted you at all, if he's that bad. How did you get thousands of 'children' in his world?"

    Elara looks to Sougo, and sorrowfully shakes her head. "Maybe you shouldn't. You don't need to. What people used to mean can just hurt sometimes, you know. It's not always that they're gone. Some people feel what happened more than they just feel the hole where something used to be."
Hiromi     Hiromi is satisfied enough with the answers, as well as with the knowledge that she doesn't need to stay here to ask any further questions.

    'I don't want to ask what 'concepts' are on top of pillars.'

    "Understand by feeling. Breathing. Your sight-touch-sense-breath. Don't trust in words. Seek, find, then judge." If language was adequate, maybe Hiromi wouldn't have to hyphenate like that. She goes to give Elara a sniff, as if to demonstrate the reason for 'breath.' It's not like hers seems to run out.

    "No 'mech'?" Dianna, for the moment, is spared.

     Trudy greets Hiromi. They had met, just the once, that time when a group of Paladins had gone to see her, there atop an empty battlefield. "'Doctor.' Blood-handler, gut-weaver, yes? Why clean? Smells of death." She recalls the self-proclaimed 'common witch.' A moniker as trustworthy as 'ordinary magician,' but Hiromi isn't one to call her on it.

    Satori and her pets have run into Hiromi quite a few times, at this point. The hot springs was the most recent, following the war Hiromi had instigated on a nearby island. Fortunately, though she menaces with her very presence, and there is every sense that a wolf could snap up a bird or a cat, she isn't actually doing so. Satori can easily determine that she isn't especially hungry, and the visions of her pets meeting a sudden and gruesome end is just one of those 'stray, idle thought' sort of things that occurs whenever either Rin or Utsuho make sudden movements.

    Remee greets her, and Hiromi goes straight to asking if she's beaten her family yet. It had been their last topic of conversation, after all. "Will you lead them?" She's still curious to see how that turns out. The only alternative, in her mind, is Remee's own defeat, but this isn't the time for that kind of lesson.

    The group is led to the remains of Raziel's progeny. "'Massacre.'" Hiromi gives that word some consideration. "How does one avoid vengeance? Destroy your enemy utterly. Leave nothing." That Raziel lived was not, of course, part of Kain's plan. "Or, trust in sense. In fear. In authority. Only the brave must die."

    She watches Raziel's own reaction, and asks, "Did you love them? Raise them? Did they grow?"
Hellwarming Trio "That sounds pretty miserable. If you can't drink anything and you can't go outside without worrying about stuff melting you... Hm."
"It's not like we'd wanna drink lava or jump in it, either. Theirs is just way more everywhere."
"It's amazing that Kain would have wanted it to stay this way for so long. Let's hope Ariel can shed some more light on his motives, then."

With their questions about Kain's motives placed on the backburner for the time being, the trio continue floating along, still considering the Elder God's words about the limits of his assistance. Along the way, they also greet the rest of the group with a mixture of polite nods, relaxed waves, and floating around a bit to get a better look at all the unfamiliar faces.

"Vampire race war...? Oh. Context. Yeah, that makes sense."
"You actually got all that?"
"She got half. You need to keep up better."

Hiromi's presence in particular has Rin on edge, but Utsuho and Satori both seem fairly comfortable around her. Satori gets to a cheat with her mind-reading, of course, and having some comfort in the fact that the Archwolf hasn't struck her as the particularly duplicitous type before. Utsuho, meanwhile, even lingers around her, sizing her up like she often does and already contemplating ways to make a contest out of something later.

Raziel's general irritation with said god doesn't go ignored, of course, but the trio settles for trying not to look too amused whenever he expresses some of that through his body language. They sober up fairly quickly as they come across Raziel's former territory. More importantly, the sight of his former clan. The gruesome sight seems to hit Satori a fair bit harder than Utsuho and Rin, although they all seem generally uncomfortable at seeing the extent of Kain's actions in regards to Raziel personally.

"The girls can help with bringing them down, if nothing else. If they've were killed so long ago, then..." Satori turns to Utsuho and Rin, nodding once as a signal of her intent. They actually catch on, too, as they get started on taking the skeletal remains down to aid the Doctor in his task. They'll catch up with the group and Satori sooner or later!

"You mentioned this Ariel having a lead on Kain. Is he in hiding, then?"
Remee Halcyon > "So what's with you and your vampire race war thing anyways?"
> "You look like you came out here on safari. What's going on?"

Remee looks vaguely guilty. "Ah ha ha, well, ah, I actually haven't had a chance to hunt actual vampires before? There was that one guy who was really fond of impaling, but that turned out to be just a human... So it's sort of a checklist thing, you know? Someone actually asked if I was a 'vampire hunter' a couple weeks back, and I haven't actually hunted any vampires? So when I saw this mission come up, I thought, maybe I'll actually get to fix that? Obviously saving the world is the more important thing but I'm allowed to be a little excited, right?" Remee has managed to make every statement she's made sound like a question.

"And this is how much stuff I usually carry?" Remee pats her shoulder-slung tote bag. It clinks in a manner that indicates there's a lot of things packed in there tightly. "It's not usually a lot of trouble carrying it, and you never know what all you might actually need, right?"

> "Will you lead them?"

"I'm... going to try to. If they won't listen, then I'll make them listen, and if I can't make them listen... then I'll make sure they don't cause any other trouble," says Remee, resolutely, and sounding more confident than she feels.
Raziel Raziel pauses when Trudy makes her offer. He smiles at her, a genuine and sad expression this moment. "I appreciate it, Lady Grimm. Though I fear your servant will be at work for a while...I had not the time the first time I was here to do it, nor do I have time now...but I meant to come back once things with Kain were settled...assuming.."

Raziel pauses, "Nevermind, it is fine," he says, with a sad tone. He considers the indignation in Seras' voice and speaks softly. "If my own death and betrayal were not enough, then I hope it gives you some measure as to why I will kill him. This demands nothing less than retribution."

Raziel looks towards Sougo when his shoulder is touched. "I appreciate your concern and so would they.." he motions towards the bodies that lay there. "And yes, I would like to leave this place as soon as we can. The doors beyond here are rusted shut. Before I could not open them on my own, but with the help here we should be able to break through them, and find our way to the courtyard of the sanctuary."

One of Raziel's clawed hands touches Sougo's while on his shoulder. "I'll be alright. We have much to do before I can properly mourn," though he does turn his head to Elara's comment. "She is right. This is a wound that will never heal. I would only return here to lay them to rest and leave. This can never again be a home. So it will serve as a grave and memoria."

Raziel answers Dianna next, "I was, in a sense. I was raised, as the first of Kain's sons during his war on the world. I was born to help him conquer and rule it. What I was before...I don't know. I know I was dead before, but my life before that of a lieutenant is gone."

"It wasn't that bad, before. Kain isn't a kind person, but he was honest and direct. He ruled with fairness according to the laws he set down. Which is why his...actions were such a betrayal. You see, Vampires evolve over time. We are not born with the traits I have. Many are much more human," That much is true, many of the vampires here have normal feet and hand bones.

"I embraced them, bypassing the dark gift as does any other vampire. Humans who prove themselves. Though the other clans had different methods of recruitment."

"Yes. I did...I still do. They grew. I guided them. I was proud of them all..." his voice nears breaking. Silently, he presses onto the door, waiting for others to help open the rusted shut gate. With effort it will open, leading into another courtyard. From here they'll see the entryway farther down the courtyard.

All of this weighs on Raziel, having been gone from Nosgoth for so long. "Yes, I was tasked with finding my brothers first, the ones who brought me to my execution on Kain's orders. They did not even argue with it, instead simply followed his orders without question. Fear or loyalty, I am not sure which motivated which more," he continues focusing on something he can be angry at.

"Hiding..? I don't know, actually. After our first encounter, he disappeared, and I have been tearing up the lands to find him, but could not. That is why and when I left Nosgoth for the Multiverse. Perhaps he was waiting for the next move, or biding his time, but for what...I do not know."

Though those who can read minds can see Raziel and Kain's first 'encounter' after Raziel was reborn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LulD2kar9I. Odd that Raziel is not that wraith anymore. Though he did mention something about Xion.
Trudy Grimm     > "Though I fear your servant will be at work for a while..."

    Trudy does not object. Instead, she glances over her shoulder to the Doctor and offers him a curt nod. His response is to lift the shovel and place it over his shoulder, turning stiffly and ambling off into the courtyard.

    He'll be busy for a while. If his manner of dress is any indication of what sort of Doctor he is, though, he is most certainly accustomed to the burial of large numbers of deceased.

    She raises her hands, then, clapping them together. The Grimoire bobs on its strap from the action, straining at its buckles but remaining mercifully closed, "Now then. Let us meet with this Ariel that you mentioned. It would be rude to keep her waiting any longer, no?"

    > "Blood-handler, gut-weaver, yes? Why clean? Smells of death."

    The witch closes her eyes, gesturing to the Doctor as he strolls away with his digging tool, "Just because he's dead doesn't mean he's ignorant about germs, gosh." An eye opens towards the Archwolf, "You recall the Samurai who was with me when we first met, who was also Living-Impaired, no? These are my cute friends, the deceased who have chosen to serve me." A hand raises, twirling her fingers and wrist, "And it is a choice they make. I do not force them to do so. It's a rule I follow."
Metamorph One     "We didn't leave it far. Why? Want a ride?" Dianna replies to Hiromi, apparently believing herself to be one of thosepeople who can just talk to her in simple terms. "Kinda wish I was inside already. This air is making my throat and mouth feel dry as hell. But it's not a bad thing to suffer those small pains and inconveniences, instead of always reaching for the off-switch right away." Elara smiles nervously and leans subtly back at Hiromi's personal space invasion. She smells like woman and lavender candles and jelly sweets and fresh laundry and Dianna. "I guess that would be the ideal, right? The most useful thing you can do with words is misrepresent. And when it comes to complicated ideas . . ."

    Else-conversation: "You're serious? You're out here 'hunting' vampires for the fun of it? Am I crazy, or aren't we talking about people?" "I can-" "Don't. And seriously. If you're here to kill and not help, I'll pay you to fuck off." "Di . . ." "We're literally in a graveyard. Have some fucking respect." "Please. It's not a big deal. She hasn't done anything wrong yet. Just let her play around for now, okay?"

    Dianna chews on Raziel's words with conflicted distaste. A deep grimace and a look of exhausted sympathy struggle back and forth for dominance in her expression. "So you were basically born into it? And you got to be his enforcer up until he had a moment and you learned that 'maturity' just means 'learning to identify narcissists' huh? I don't know how to feel about that." Elara wiggles to face Raziel in Dianna's arms, and gives him a sad, apologetic smile. "But he's still an awful person, right? He hurt a lot of people, not just you. He mostly hurt the people around you, even. I really don't mind helping you. Just . . . I hope this can be time to think about it all. It works best if you contemplate deeper than just who hurt you."
Remee Halcyon > "You're serious? You're out here 'hunting' vampires for the fun of it? Am I crazy, or aren't we talking about people?"

"I mean, 'are they people' is complicated, right? From what we're being told, they're literally dead people being trapped between life and death."

>"And seriously. If you're here to kill and not help, I'll pay you to fuck off."

Remee starts to reply.

She stops.

She looks around. Paladins, Concord, Paladins, Paladins, Paladins, Concord, Concord, Concord, Paladins, god thing in the water...

"If you all really don't want me here, sure. How much you got?"
Timespace Riders      "Yeah," says Sougo to Elara, with a certain emotional fatigue present in his voice. "I hadn't thought of it from that angle, but that's true, too. One day, I'd like to make a place where people don't treat each other this way."

     Woz appears to be trying his best to distance himself from the matter of the conversation--though whether that's from discomfort over the subject or simply with the vulnerability being shown is hard to say. "In any case," he says with a small frown, at the first available opportunity, "Let us be gone from here." A sweeping gesture is made with his free hand, towards the doors rusted shut, his head slowly turned towards them.

    In his hand there is suddenly a glossy, futuristic-looking belt with a viewscreen and buttons. It announces itself as the BEYONDRIVER!-- then fastens around his waist. A sleek, futuristic pocketwatch in his hand slots into a hatch on the right side.

                                    Action!                                      

                            Projecting! Future Time!                            

     The digital screen on his belt displays an image of an armored figure, moments before it is projected onto his body by the laser grid behind him.

                           Hearty! Destructive! Bold!                          
                            Futurering Kikai! KIKAI!                            

    Woz is now encased in armor--colorful, futuristic neons with a silver bodysuit and a thick golden cuirass. Square shoulderpads with wrench motifs complement two golden wrench 'antennae' over the faceplate of his otherwise smartwatch themed armor. Striding up to the door, he spreads his arms wide. Two mechanical manipulator arms sprout from ports in his back, bracing him against the ground.

     Another four sprout from similar ports, adding his strength to the effort of opening the door.

     "Remee," says Sougo gently. "I think you're focusing on the wrong part..."
Seras Victoria     Hearing someone talking about 'are vampires people' sends a chill up Seras's spine. She glances over at Remee, giving her a hard, cautious look.

    "Monsters are monsters." Seras declares. "And fighting them is hell. If you think it's FUN going after monsters, something is WRONG with you. You're either bloody stupid and likely to get killed, or so strong someone else might well call you one." She is NOT AT ALL pleased with anyone making light of the situation, it seems.

    Only her Master can get away with that.

    "I don't want to have to pull you out of a mess if something tears you in half." She continues, voice beginning to quiver a bit.
Hellwarming Trio "Even if revenge wasn't your goal, this business with Kain does sound like an open and shut case. If this world is going to survive, he will need to die. It's..." Satori taps a finger on her chin, and the eye over her heart blinks once before she comes to a conclusion. "It almost feels too straightforward. Knowing Kain's motives might introduce some new wrinkles, then."

She might almost sound like she's hoping that's the case. "Although if he is as direct as you say, then... Perhaps abandoning his own guidelines for the sake of survival really might be just that." As she speculates, she joins in on aiding with the door, although... Well. Satori's not really known for her strength, so the best she can do is push from higher up the door so as to not get in the way of those pushing from below.

When Raziel comments on the theory about Kain being in hiding, meanwhile, Satori does indeed peer into his mind again when she starts to see bits and pieces of his and Kain's first encounter. "Everything seems to point towards some kind of... Fear, perhaps. Or preparation, but for what? Ariel may know more." The difference in Raziel's appearance isn't lost on her, of course, and that connection to Xion keeps weighing on her mind.

"You seem less rough now than before. Was it just allies you found when you left Nosgoth, or... Something else?" She might be getting the wrong idea entirely.

The friction between Dianna and Remee, meanwhile, gets a lightly annoyed sigh from Satori. "There's no need for that. If Kain's reach is enough to hold most of this world hostage, I'd rather have more people between myself and any of his minions than fewer."

"Besides. I'm not paying you."

---

MEANWHILE

"You think he can hear us?"
"He's got ears, right?"
"I didn't look too close before. Uh. Hey! Doc! Can you hear us?"

Utsuho and Rin are hard at work getting those remains down, still aiding the Doctor in his task. They probably won't stay around forever, but at least it might cut down on some of the busywork considerably by the time they do.
Hiromi     Hiromi appears to accept Remee's answer without further comment, though the uncertain tones preceding her have her snort.

    Trudy's doctor, likewise, receives no further comment, though Trudy does. "Spirits lingering is the mistaken step. Not brought to proper rest. Not sent forth to waters and heavens, not sinking beneath flesh and depths. Here where they answer calls." It may not be entirely obvious that she's providing the necromancer an excuse.

    The bones themselves don't concern her. She already knows enough about both their former owners and their killer. Any sign of sympathy for the slaughter is instead saved for Raziel, himself.

    'I was proud of them all...'

    The responding 'hrmn' is ambiguous, but Hiromi's nod is clear in acknowledgment. Two tests, neither stated explicitly, have been passed.

    'Why? Want a ride?'

    "Your armor is for showing your strength, yes? I wish for this, to see. To feel. Reach, power, ferocity, hardness and flow."

    Another leaning-in breath in Elara's direction. "Strength and closeness, yes?"

    'The most useful thing you can do with words is misrepresent.'

    A pleased tone, tinted with a mysterious aggression, "You listen well." Or maybe that's just 'intensity.'

    Looking at Woz as he transforms, but speaking vaguely in Dianna's direction, Hiromi says, "Some humans wear armor to hide their selves. To cover their truth. Others, reveal themselves by their shells." The 'isn't that interesting?' is implied.

    Should Woz prove to be capable of moving the doors on his own, Hiromi will leave it to him, even if the effort is exhausting. She moves to provide the aid of her own immeasurable strength only if he's unable, or if it looks as if he'll give up. She wouldn't want to rob him of the opportunity to try his hardest.

    Between Remee and Dianna, Hiromi says, without apparent, great concern, "Sometimes, two things must be torn apart, to reach their correct places. Twisted together, needing being split. Sometimes, one of those things is buried inside a heart." She idly examines long, black claws, that weren't there a moment ago. "It must be dug out. Yet, not all hearts are strong enough, to survive. Only some are."
Raziel Raziel does not turn away from Dianna or her words.  "You are correct.  I assure you, I thought about it a great deal in my time burning in that lake behind us.  I am reminded of my mistakes in trusting that degenerate even now."

Raziel's tone isn't a happy one, and both are filled with sorrow and anger at the same time.  "We're about to meet someone else he's hurt.  I assure you, we both have nothing but contempt for that creature," Though he softens slightly to Elara, "Your concern is...appreciated.  It's not just me, anymore.  If Nosgoth is to be reborn, he must die."

Raziel himself seems to be ignoring the various comments and insensitive words from Remee.  He also ignores the words aimed at her.  Though it does not seem to help his mood much, and he seems more focused to try and ignore it, lest he lose his patience.  He has a goal in front of him.

"I can not begin to think of any other motivation than jealousy.  I was the only one to come out of the state of change with wings.  I had surpassed his evolution," Raziel says, still embittered.  "I...did sense some sense of satisfaction in his tone, but I am not sure at what.  There is no way he could have foreseen my return, or the blade shattering on me."


Though when she asks about his current form.  "That...body I once inhabited was my corpse.  It was the result of my years burning in the lake of the dead.  Xion freed me from that body, and my soul was free to resume its previous shape," he smiles somewhat at that.  "That is a debt I doubt I can ever repay to her."

Hiromi's words about a heart do not go unheard, but not answered.  To be fair, he is not sure if he's grown...or is just so fueled by anger and hate for what had happened to him that he's just pushed through it.  

Woz adds his strength to the effort of pushing the door open.  It strains and struggles.  Satori adds in her own efforts, approaching the door with a different effort.  Raziel aids in the effort, and together they are able to finally cause something to snap.  There is a loud creek as the door itself seems to have been dislodged from its anchoring, and falls backward.  Dust and dirt are kicked up, but another courtyard is revealed.

Raziel leads the way, stairs connect to the courtyard and travel up and over.  Until a throneroom is reached.  In the center of this throneroom are nine pillars.  Each one has a strange arcane marking on them, that doesn't quite translate into language.  More a symbol of what each pillar represents, than a language itself.  

Each pillar is tilted oddly, the top of it shattered as if detonated a long time ago.  They also all appear to be made of a strange black marble, but there is something off-putting about it.  They feel /wrong/ somehow, corrupt.  Cracks can be seen in their form.

The center pillar is where a throne is created, made of stone but not the same as the pillars themselves.  What looks like fingers are wrapped around the throne itself, as if a closed fist is grabbing the throne itself.  

Between these pillars, a ghostly figure comes in and out of reality, seemingly hovering.  She looks fair, with long flowing blonde hair and a white dress that seems to cover her legs, though the legs themselves seem to have faded out.  

"Ariel?" Raziel calls to her, and she turns.  When she does so, half of her fair face is gone, skull and an empty socket peer out at you.  She speaks, soft and resonant, "Raziel, and...allies?  I am Ariel, bound to these pillars, unable to pass on as long as they remain corrupted."

"I sense you have questions."
Timespace Riders     "How very astute, Archwolf," says Woz in response to Hiromi's observation, adding in a theatrical flick of his wrist and a slight inclination of his head. His tone is neutral, and with his face hidden by that helmet, it's hard to guess at his intent. That is, without peering into his mind, anyway. "By nature of having made such an observation, one implies knowledge of either possibility, when it comes to the observed party. Which possibility do you believe applies to me, I wonder?~"

    The door falls. In the rush of silence following its impact with the ground, both the retainer and his king step over it and through the passageway, following behind Raziel. Sougo frowns, at the sight of the corrupted pillars, shying away from them and physically drawing into himself, as if huddling from the cold. The arrival of Ariel is welcome reprieve from the indistinct sense of wrongness given off by the pillars.

     "Hi, Ariel. I'm Sougo Tokiwa, and this is my retainer, Woz. We're with Raziel, and we'd really like to save Nosgoth. These pillars... they're like reflections of the world outside, aren't they?" he asks. "It's... a little uncomfortable to be around them."

     His hands slide down into his pockets, and he stares a hole into the ground. "Kain's responsible for a lot, and he has to die so that the world doesn't die instead. It would help if we... knew more about him. Does he... think he can save Nosgoth somehow, despite everything? Is he angry with the world or the Hub? Or... did he want to be king so badly that he doesn't care what happens?"
Remee Halcyon > "I don't want to have to pull you out of a mess if something tears you in half."

"Yeah, I'd be more worried about yourself," says Remee to Seras, without looking at her.

> "Remee, I think you're focusing on the wrong part..."

Remee relents a bit. "... Yeah, probably."

"It's just, there's poor suffering worlds everywhere, is it so wrong to get a little excited about something I've been wanting?"

She rubs her face. "I'll take this more seriously."

She follows the group, taking up the rear spot. "Yeah," she adds, when Sougo asks his question. "I can understand, kinda, not wanting to be a sacrifice, but this all seems a step too far if he's just upset about having to die?"
Trudy Grimm     The Doctor will be busy for a while. Trudy simply leaves him behind, true to her word. The sound of a shovel carving into the earth fades slowly into the distance the further the group travels behind the great doors-- until it vanishes entirely.

    Trudy is rather quiet and thoughtful for most of this trip, listening to Raziel's responses to the questions and observations posed by others in the group. Only now and then does she let out a 'hmm', noting things internally from time to time.

    Reaching the Pillars and the Throne, she trots forward a few paces past where Raziel has stopped himself to get a closer look at the scenery. The wrongness of the cracked pillars, the ostentatious throne itself, each nets a close examination, one by one.

    She twirls in place when Ariel's presence is called out. The witch pinches the hems of her skirt and courtsies right away, "Oh, hello! Trudy Grimm, a humble witch, at your service."

    "I would like an audience with mister Kain, actually," she dovetails this into Sougo's questions about the vampire lord's motivations, "It might be better to hear it directly from him, no? Would you happen to know where he spends his time, these days?"
Seras Victoria     Be more worried about herself? Seras's expression darkens and hardens a bit. "Right then." Time to move on. And move on she does, traipsing along with the others and into the big new chamber...

    After taking in the sight of the corrupted pillars, the strange throne... and shivering a bit at the sight of Ariel's bound spirit... she remarks over towards Sougo, "Anyone would flinch if suddenly asked to sacrifice themselves for the whole world after going around brutally killing what I'm guessing were very powerful people." Seras remarks shakily, as if this might at all explain a bit of how Kain might have felt at this moment. She of course, can only make a few guesses. "And from there... feeling betrayed? Lost? Aimless? I don't know. I get the feeling there's more to it than that. He turned against allies. Going by what Raziel says, it almost sounds like he was POSSESSED by something. Or HE felt... betrayed. I don't know... but there's got to be more to it than just... wanting to rule over dying ruins forever."

    She steps forward, smiling a bit at Ariel, but it's an uneasy, nervous smile. "I hear you've been stuck here for a very long time. It sounds like a dreadful fate, and we'll help however we can." She sends a very meaningful look Trudy's way. TRUDY DOES GHOST STUFF after all.

    "The more details we can get about what happened the better. "What would make a person described as honest and fair let a world rot like this, leave you trapped here, and stab a close ally in the back? It feels like something terrible happened to cause it."
Hiromi     Hiromi considers the appearance of Futurering Kikai, before answering Woz. "Your shells change. Your colored patterns. The shapes of your claws. Are they all you? Some are this way, showing only pieces, hiding others. Or, are they things you wish to be? Things you wish to be seen? Others are this way, too. Some true selves are weak, but false forms are always weaker. If I pressed down on your shell, I'd see which you wore." Her looming presence is momentarily overwhelming, but the sense of it passes without her having apparently moved.

    To Ariel, she says, "I am Hiromi," a statement that carries the full weight of her usual introductions, removing the need for lengthy epithets. "Your world, these pillars, corrupted. What you know, of this, speak."
Hellwarming Trio "Jealousy... Yes, that would be a likely reason, too. A foul one, but something I've seen before."  Satori comments with just a hint of increasing annoyance in her tone, perhaps too subtle for her to really notice it herself even if it's far easier to detect from the slight scowl on her face.

Hearing about some good coming out of Raziel's coming out of Nosgoth, though, does ease her expression at least somewhat. "Xion again? Hm. I'll have to thank her properly sometime, then. Those two seem rather fond of her, and she does sound like the generous sort. It's good to know that you were able to regain some semblance of your former self, though, as we might need that for the battles to come."

After getting those doors open (and studying Woz far too closely when he transforms), Satori touches back down to walk alongside the group rather than just floating above them. Her gaze keeps flitting about at the considerably less depressing courtyard and castle grounds, and she lingers on the pillars in the throneroom especially long.

When the ghostly Ariel appears, however, Satori refocuses and curtseys lightly to her. "Thank you for having us, Lady Ariel. I am Satori, the master of the Palace of the Earth Spirits." Leaving Sougo to explain the general reasons for everyone being here, she focuses instead on asking her own questions.

"What do you know of Kain's motives? We had heard he was an honest and fair ruler, but his betrayal of Raziel sounded like anything but. Was there something going on between them beyond jealousy? Or something that would have warranted such a huge change?"
Raziel Ariel turns to face Sougo first, moving closer and listening to his questions.  When he mentions the uncomfortableness of the Pillars, she sighs.  "They were once pure, uncorrupted...I was the balance guardian," she says, motioning towards the central pillar, the one the throne is now wrapped around.  She too regards Hiromi, nodding as to answer both of their requests.

"The pillars were not corrupted initially by Kain, but he was corrupted by their corruption.." she says, hovering back.  "You see, I was murdered.  I do not know by whom, but...my beloved, the guardian of mind, Nupraptor found my body...he..."

"I assume he knew that my murder was carried out by someone in the circle.  Grief-stricken and plagued by thoughts of betrayal...he spun out into the madness.  That madness infected the circle, corrupting them...and the pillars turned as you see now."

"What shattered them, was Kain's refusal.  He was brought back by another guardian and originally came to me to find a cure for Vampirism.  The only cure for it was death. If Kain were to die, at that time then the next Balance Guardian born would be corrupted like their pillar.  The other guardians had to be slain first and then Kain could pass."

"When the final sacrifice came...he refused it.  The ramifications of his decision shattered the pillars then, forever trapping me.  His...desire to live outweighed his desire to be freed from vampirism.  He forsook it all, damned this world..." she sounds angry, bitter even.  Then mournful, "The corruption, I fear, ran its course."

Though it was Ariel's turn to ask a question, "Hub..?  I am afraid I do not know of a Hub."

Trudy gets her attention when she says she wants an 'audience' with Kain.  "Ah right..." she says, smiling as if she has gotten the joke.  "Yes, I called Raziel to me because I felt something change in Nosgoth recently.  An old ruin, one that once belonged to Mobeus, the Time Guardian, has been activated.  You will need to pass through the cathedral to the north of here and through an abandoned mausoleum.  From there you can access the caves of the Time Streamer...and there I am sure Kain will be."

"I am sure of this," as if sensing the next question, "Because only two people left in this world would know.  Myself, and Kain.  As for what happened between Raziel and Kain, I know not.  I saw the day when he tore his wings off, but not what happened to him after.  I know not the motivation, other than what Raziel himself has indicated."
Hiromi     "Betrayal, suspicion, madness. A broken pack led to a broken world." Hiromi says, satisfied with this framing of the answer. "Your killer, already punished?" That part is less clear. If Nupraptor was right, then Kain killed whoever it was. If he was wrong, then they got away with it.

    Hiromi's head tilts, one ear flattening a moment, as she thinks. "If pillars corrupted after, then, murder carried without corruption, yet leading to...?" Something about that ordering of events seems suspicious. It would make more sense if the killer was elsewhere.

    Well, that's a mystery for later.
Hellwarming Trio Ariel explains things from the top, and Satori's expression shifts steadily into a more contemplative one. She holds back on commenting until after Ariel's explained all that she knows, although there's surprisingly little sympathy in her expression. Instead, Satori looks focused more than anything else, as though she's trying to figure something out.

"So this all stems from your murder, then. One death, leading to another's madness, leading to the corruption of the pillars, and then Kain's own corruption that led to this world becoming as broken as it is." Shaking her head, Satori opts to dig deeper into the mystery whiel nodding in affirmation of the conclusion Hiromi's already drawing. " Knowing this much narrows things down a little, but we still need to identify someone that would have something to gain from all of this. Do you know if anyone might have had a particular grudge against the Pillars?"

It's too early for her to throw suspicion on Nupraptor, but the desire to ask more about him is strong. Instead, Satori pivots a little. "Someone else that might have had access to where you were murdered, for example. Anyone with a grudge against one of the Pillars, perhaps, or even against you or Nupraptor?"

Curiously, Ariel doesn't know this Hub, and Satori looks over at Raziel at that. "When was it that you started to hear this Hub speaking to you?" Another name comes up that Ariel is familiar with: Mobeus. "Was that one of the pillars? And this cave... Do you have any guesses as to why Kain might be there of all places?"
Trudy Grimm     Trudith Josephine Grimm (not an actual name) hums in thought, tapping her lips as she listens to Ariel's response. So the vampire king may in fact be with this Moebius fellow; or perhaps just crashing at his house. She nods twice, mentally noting it down, "Very well. Through the cathedral and mausoleum!"

    She tugs on the strap that her tome hangs by, pulling it up into her hand. The buckle unfastens and he Grimoire flips open.

    "I'd like to attempt something, though. It's rather awful to see you tied to such a place against your will." The rune of Earth, Jera, is drawn from the tome's pages and then, with her fingers hooked as claws, twisted into combination with the rune of Gifts, Gebo. A Gift of Righteous Action.

    The Grimoire closes, its buckle re-fastening on its own while the witch holds the rune aloft over her free hand, "I offer you a gift of freedom. To break the curse of chains that binds you here. Then you may continue haunt this place if you wish-- or pass on at your leisure."
Timespace Riders      "My, would you?" asks Woz, dodging the question with one of his own. "Then, Archwolf," he continues, with a regal bow at the waist, hand-over-heart, "...you may press at your convenience--after our work in Nosgoth is done, of course." Rising from his bow, he opens the gate on the belt and removes the Kikai watch from its port, doing away with the shell. Woz smiles coyly at her. "After all, it was said before that words may mislead, was it not?"

     "I understand," says Sougo to Seras. "And that's especially true when the person in question is someone who already gave up a lot for the world. But," he says with a frown, "I can't forgive someone on behalf of the people they've hurt, even if I understand why they did what they did." There's a glance towards Raziel as he said this, and a nervous rock back and forth on his heels.

     "Kain is... it sounds like he was unlucky enough to be important to the world, and that can be really unfair even when it isn't, um... in a metaphysical sense. Even so, 'fairness' doesn't mean holding everything you feel you're owed so tightly that it crumbles to dust. It doesn't mean taking away other people's chances for a good life. No matter what, Nosgoth and the people in it deserve to have a future." The revelation that Ariel hasn't heard of the Hub of the Wheel draws a concerned look from Sougo, enough to override his general apprehension at being near the corrupted pillars.

     "The hub of the wheel of fate," he apprehensively explains. "The reason Raziel came back to life. I thought the pillars were kind of like... spokes." He pauses thoughtfully, then shifts, subtly. Blink and you miss it--but there's a jittery skip in his presence, as if he'd briefly been gone and back.
Raziel "Yes, my killer is long dead...the same one who created Kain originally.  Mortanius the Necromancer, guardian of the pillar of death.  But...the details as to why are.." she pauses as if lost in the fog of her own memories.  "I am sorry, the ages have made such memories hard to recollect," She says, apologetically.  "Though yes...the murder happened before the corruption."

Ariel is asked who might have a grudge against the pillars.  She pauses, thinking about something.  "Yes, there is one race that would have a grudge against the pillars...the unspoken.  Demons from beyond, as they are known...but.."

"As Kain tells it, the demonic incursion was defeated before the dawn of the Empire.  I do not know more than that," Raziel says, "He did not like to talk about it.  Something...painful I think happened.  Even to me, his right hand, he said little.  I was the only one he did not get angry about asking, and I soon learned to let it drop."

Raziel shakes his head to Satori, "Only when I was resurrected.  I doubt he speaks to many people...I mean.." he shrugs as if to indicate his size, and looks.  "Weaving life and eating death must be a full-time job...or he does reveal himself to mortals often."

"Yes, the Pillar of time," Ariel answers about Mobeus.  "As for why he is there...likely messing with his time streaming device.  As for what purpose...and why now of all times, I know not," This answer seems to have Raziel thinking.  "Why there of all places..?  Is he attempting to call me there..?"

Ariel does not seem to understand.  It was...as if he were asking her if someone was mad about the concept of death itself, or reincarnation.  "No, the pillars are not entwined with life and death specifically, but the laws and nature of Nosgoth itself...to which those two are but a part."

Trudy's glyphs glow, and her magics fight against /something else/.  For a brief moment, she can feel it, the full weight and might of the pillars.  The binding on Ariel isn't a simple magical spell, but a ritual so complex and intricate that it seemed woven into the very earth itself.  It stretches far below her, and high into the sky.  Far enough to be endless.  It's almost like the Pillars were a linchpin of a sort.  

She also feels something ELSE...on another side.  A raging fury, burning against what feels like a cage.  The pillars are, apparently, also a lock.  However, the moment she felt this, the spell was over.  Ariel, was no longer bound.  

However, she could not pass.  "Thank you, I will enjoy my freedom, such as it is...but..." she speaks, "I can not pass on until Kain is dead."  With that she fades away, seemingly to test her newfound freedom.
Seras Victoria     "A demonic incursion?" Seras echoes, mulling that over. That seems like an important clue. It might have something to do with Kain's behavior, too. A note to be filed away for later, no doubt.

    To Raziel, she says, "I bet they'd just ask him a lot of stupid things if he did. He's like... some sort of god? That makes you a big celebrity." Yes. Certainly. The reason the great big green voice doesn't hang with people is to not be asked stupid things!

    Lastly though her attention's focused on Trudy's efforts. Seras... gapes a bit at realizing that Trudy's magic did work. Ariel... is free.

    They have at least done something GOOD, so far! That's worth smiling aboujt. And so she does. Even if it's only a slight, fragile one.
Trudy Grimm     There's a resistance she wasn't expecting. Trudy leans into it, casting the runes out into a cicle of sickly green, interlaced lines covered in Gebu and Jera. Wunjo worms its way through the weave until, at last, threads relent.

    She pinches something unseen and draws it out, unravelling the curse as a long thread of crimson light. There's a crack as the spell's influence breaks, as would a chain under too much stress. It is undone. Casually, the witch winds the 'thread' around her fingers, then drops the resulting 'yarn ball' of malicious energies into her shadow where it disappears completely.

    "Every curse, no matter how intricately woven... is still a weave." Closing her eyes, she smiles a broad, sincere smile to Ariel, "One need only pluck at the right threads and eventually it unravels. It's something I'm quite good at, you see."

    Dipping forward, she sweeps a hand back in a bow that Woz might even consider a good attempt (with practice), "Consider this a reward to you for such helpful information, miss Ariel. Though you yet linger, at least you linger by choice now."

    Her posture straightens, hands clapping together once, "Now we plan our next steps..!"

    She has no doubt whatsoever that whatever that source of rage may be will seek her out sooner or later. That's a problem for Tomorrow Trudy.
Timespace Riders      "It's alright, Ariel," Sougo gently comforts. "Time has more trouble getting away from me than from most people. We'll take care of things, don't worry."

     As she leaves, Sougo steps away from the pillars, to stand next to Woz. Both of them seem to draw comfort from the presence of the other, even without an overt acknowledgement thereof. "Mortanius... I don't know if he knew Ariel was watching, or maybe he found out later on, but she saw him turn into something like the unspoken. He'd been acting strangely up to that point, too," Sougo adds. "If I had to guess, based on what Ariel told us before," he concludes, "I'd say that the unspoken--those demons she mentioned--somehow got to Mortanius, and used him to go after Ariel knowing she and Nupraptor's relationship was a weak link."

     Sougo can't stop a quiet, anxious look given Woz's way. The retainer is given over to a pensive frown, eyes down.
Hellwarming Trio More details come forth to fill in the gaps in Satori's knowledge while opening even more up. "Perhaps, then, the Unspoken had some kind of deal with this Mortanius. It's still too early to say if Mortanius knew what killing you would lead to, but it's possible they laid the seeds just to..."

Satori stops herself, finally realizing she might be getting too into the mystery of the murder rather than focusing on the task at hand. Clearing her throat, she turns to Raziel when he gives her something about the Hub's first contact with him. "I wouldn't know about weaving life, but handling the dead certainly is. If such matters are anything like they are at home, handling all of that would easily be several full time jobs."

Their next destination is clear enough, at least, especially with Ariel giving them some insight as to what to expect from Kain. "I assume we'll have to be careful not to break it, then. I'll explain that to my pets once they arrive. And unless his mind is protected from others reaching in, I'll take care of revealing whatever's in his head."