NM Part 11

As Alba chugs the Cure-all and it's affects start to remove the moogle curse the room falls quiet with the destruction of the spectre. The trapdoor leading to the storage cellar now opened and showing a dim light from within. Outside a rumble of thunder seems to herald the demise of the fiend, the sky darkening and taking on a reddish tint.

Ka'len takes a step back as he watches Alba's form shift. Suddenly a breath is released and the young man smiles a little bit before he glances towards the exit and shudders, "oh crap... I really hope that doesn't count for an early sunset.." Biting his lip he moves instead to the cellar though to peek within.

Sebastion had stood somewhat by the wayside while the fiend was destroyed, and spares a moment to pull his scarf down and breathe in some, letting out a sigh, the tension of the conflict winding down. He turns his head toward Alba, sparing no amusement or surprise toward the phenomena beyond lifted brows. As usual, his reactions are fairly subdued. He turns his gaze off toward Ka'Len, lazily, and follows him over to get a look into the cellar. "It's only going to get worse every time one of those things have been destroyed," he remarks, quietly, to no one in particular.

Marduke just watches the moogle start to revert to viera. Only offering a nod and stepping back to glance around the room again thoughtfully. A glance to Ka'Len, "With this place, who knows. Celler and we need to be quick to wrap this up I suspect." Pulling up the book and turning to heard towards the trap door clearly intent on climbing his way down if he can, "I am pretty sure we will find the boy down here, for what reasons though I don't know."

The moment she feels the Remedy start to work, Alba toddles behind a shelf to revert in peace. Emerging, once more comfortably in her own skin, Alba favors the rest of the party with a quelling glare, as if to say 'Not. One. Word.' Important business out of the way, she slinks toward the trapdoor, peering down. "If you do not know the why," she says, voice sharp, "then how can you be certain? If it is believed because the only mark of his taker is the bottle of chemical, the rag with which it was soaked, then this is a why, and is reasonable to be certain."

Remi lowers his hand again as combat comes to a close, and stares at whatever remains of the defeated spectre for a moment... Before shaking his head, and only briefly glancing at Alba. Not saying a word, as her look suggests. Listening to what's all being said then, he takes a breath, and shrugs a bit, before remarking, "... Only one way to find out." And approaching the open trapdoor...

As the group descends into the storage cellar they are assaulted by the stench of decay. Bins that once held preserved herbs and other reagents have long since rotted and spoiled, mushrooms of varying colors have sprouted amoung the baskets and boxes. At the far end of the room a makeshift alter has been assembled, a single candle burning though the wax that has built up on the table show that it's only 1 of many that have been lit here. Half encased in the waves of colored wax another of those metal wedges rests.

Ka'len hesitates and covers his nose before he shakes his head to Marduke, "I don't think the boy is here. The blacksmith was the one buying the sleeping potions, so we'll want to check there soon.." He starts to look around and then stops and approaches the altar quietly before he starts to reachfor the wedge and tries tugging it out of the wax.

"Not quiet Alba, we have our answer as to who, where, and what. The why this was done is yet to be found." Marduke then climbs down into the celler and takes a long moment to look around. His eyes moving to the alter last and letting out a long sigh. "He very well could have been Ka'Len. Look, a piece of the item we need to assemble." His breathing has slowed down perhaps to help avoid the stench but pushing himself to suffer through it he starts to approach the alter slowly, "This is probably the answer to the question, why. Dark things in this city when children get taken off the streets and sacrificed, madness this is. May even be a bone fragment around here to."

"Hn," Alba grunts, waiting for the landing to be cleared, then dropping down with a heavy thump, rather than use the latter. Too late, does she realize the only effect this action will have, is to stir the stench-thick air to new heights. Pressing the back of one arm to her nose, ears flat, she scoots off to one eyes, warily eyeing the metal wedge Ka'Len seems intent on freeing. Remi carefully climbs down to join the others, and is instantly hit with stinkyness, especially thanks to Alba. His nose wrinkling, he raises fingers to pinch it closed, while he peers around the cellar... Especially eyeing that candle flame, perhaps wondering how it still burns. As the wedge is retrieved though, he speaks up, "... So where do we go next, you think?"

[SCENE] A lone tree stands in a small graveyard behind the sherrif's office, old and bare of leaves it's thick branchs draped in frayed ropes and old nooses stained in blood. Around it small wooden grave markers with faded lettering form a makeshift boot hill for the fallen criminals of the town. As the thunder rumbles through the sky a single bolt of crimson lightning lashes down to strike the gnarled tree and course down it's length into the ground. The bark warping and twisting into a mishapen face as the ropes plunge into the ground and come up each carrying the skeletal remains of a previous victim that brandish rusting swords and daggers as thier mouths gape in silent screams. With another crash of thunder the tree's roots tear themselves free of the parched earth and the abomination shambles out into the city. [SCENE]

The search of the cellar reveals nothing more than the alter and it's prize, after a few moments the metal wedge is pulled free, though the partial engraving gives no more indication of it's purpose than the first did.

Ka'len looks it over and then he gags a few times as the stench gets to him. The man coughs and waves a hand infront of hisface as he pushes himself back to the stairs and up so he can take a deep breath. He looks At the artifact and then shakes his head. "Let's check the time, then the blacksmith if ther's time?"

Sebastion doesn't bother going down into the cellar, really. He's got no intent to follow them all down into a dark hole, and he expects they'll have to come back out the way the way they went in. Meanwhile he takes a look at all of the broken glass in the room upstairs, and carefully brushes some of it aside with his boot. Crunch, crunch, clatter. He's very suspicious of his surroundings. And he looks dimly confused. "Hmmmph..."

Marduke gives one last glance around the celler and nods at that, "Black smith sounds like a solid plan." Glancing to the book as he flips through the pages, "This story isn't done yet it seems." Moving towards the ladder and giving out a cought, the smell getting to him. "The sooner the better."

Alba waits by the side of the ladder, her free hand waving Remi and Ka'Len up ahead of her. As penance for making the stench worse, it seems, the huntress intends to be the last out... just in case anything foul and ambulatory crawls out of the morass.

Remi nods some at that, and then quickly turns to climb back out, taking a few deep breaths of 'fresh' air once he reaches topside again... And peeking curiously at Sebastion a moment as the man messes around with the glass. Though he stays silent, and then just waits for everyone to get back up, wanting to get out of here.

The time still seems close to mid-day, though with the increasingly overcast conditions it's getting harder to tell. With time still on thier side the group moves on to the blacksmith's shop only a short walk away. The shop itself is open air, a large forge sits still and quiet, no embers or spark. The bellows in tatters and the tools laying unused. The anvil split as though strunck with great force. A table under a thatch canopy roof holds several half-finished pieces holding down scattered papers denoting who they are for when finished. Beyond the forge a small house no bigger than a single room sits with it's door closed firmly.

Ka'len looks around the forge upon their arrival. The young man checks through the papers briefly but then he frowns and considers before looking towards the door and pondering alloud, "likely back there. He couldn't have kept a boy in here after all."

Sebastion keeps his scarf pulled down the entire way to the blacksmith's shop, but it doesn't seem to help anyone know what his mood is. He's usually got a dull, or dour, look on his face. When they arrive at the shop, he starts searching around, pausing briefly to examine the cracked anvil, showing a great deal of surprise at the sight of such a dense object having been split, more emotion than he usually displays. "Ominous," he murmurs.

Marduke walks along keeping up a brisk pace, clearly nervous about the difficulty it is in telling the time of day. Glancing up as the approach the smithery he frowns a bit, "Agreed Sebastions, very ominous. This place feels worse and worse, and from what Bob said before, each step it will get more powerful." Then glances down to look at the smithery and hmms a moment. Moving about to take a look, "Yea kinda hard to hide a child here. Yet there may be a clue around here somehwere."

"Papers, papers, papers," Alba mutters, moving to examine each of the half-finished pieces, and read the orders beneath. "If what Bob says is true, Shaman," she says, glancing up at Marduke, "then we will wish to hurry. If before Time was not our ally, soon it shall be enemy of its own right."

Remi follows everyone towards the blacksmith, quietly peering up at the strange sky as they travel, though upon arrival at their destination, focusing on smithy instead. Letting his gaze go around, and studying some of the scattered tools and the like... Before nodding at Sebastion's assessment, seemingly agreeing. And then doing the same with Alba's, looking a bit nervous.

Ka'len shakes his head, coming acrossed nothing that catches his eye, and he heads towards the back door. The young man makes sure the metal piece he picked up is secure and then he starts to the door and tests to see if it's locked before attempting to open it. "I meant the anvil, it looks like a behemoth headbutted it," Sebastion replies to Marduke off-handedly. He continues poking around looking for clues, but pretty soon he turns toward the little house, which is where Ka'Len is going. He checks out at the sky, frowning lightly.

Marduke is to busy making his way over towards the billows and kneeling down. Tracing his hand over the dirt he frowns, "We are wrong, there is a place to hide something. The dirt here, has been shapped by movement of the billows. Something may be hiding below. Sebastions, Alba, can you help me move this im not that strong."

"Faugh," comes the disgusted snort from the Viera, as a half-complete knife is plucked from a pile, held to the graying light and turned. "It is to wonder, if the lawman of this town was the only one who did not fall to madness and murder." The blade is bounced, experimentally, and she nods. "Hn. Too light, for the cutting of meat from the heavy bones of cattle, sheep. Smaller creatures, however..." Arching an eyebrow, she slides the order form from beneath the pile, rattling it once. "Soon we shall wish to see this butcher. Perhaps he will yet have a blade to raise to us." The bellows, and the pile of dirt beneath, given a cursory glance. Then, Alba looks to Sebastian, raising a rail-thin forearm. "Heavy work for the strong, mn?"

Remi follows after Ka'len for a moment, incase he has to pick another lock or the like... But soon pauses as Marduke seems to find something of interest, turning to watch him and tilting his head a bit, "What do you think it is?" He asks, even as he glances at Sebastion and Alba, briefly watching the Viera play with the knife, and then waiting to see what is revealed.

As Ka'len makes his way to the house the combined strength of Alba, Sebastion and Marduke cause the platform that houses the bellows to shift and groan before being upended completely and breaking into so much dry lumber. Where the platform was reveals a rough-hewn stairway leading down under the forge into the gloom.

Ka'len pauses and looks back over his shoulders, his brows lifting before he mutters, "damn, missed that.." He walks back towards the group and peers down into the stairway before frowning a little bit, "going to need a light."

Sebastion coughs a couple times, the dust thrown up by their efforts of heaving up the platform forcing him to pull the scarf back up over his face. He squints down into the stairway, only briefly glancing to Ka'Len and then to the rest of the party, waiting for someone able to provide a light source by the anticipatory look to his eyes.

Marduke coughs as they get the billows aside and steps back to recover his breath. Glancing at what has been revealed he just shakes his head slowly and nods, "A light it is, check inside the house for torches or lanterns, more the better." Muttering a few words under his breath as he channels some magical energy to form a flame above his hand. "It is something at least."

"It is enough," Alba says, slipping past Marduke to descend down the stairs. In one hand, the gleaming mythril dagger; in the other, a charm made of a silkworm coccoon, hung with beads and braids and clasped between two fingers. Eyes and ears dart all around, as she moves to the edge of Marduke's firelight circle, waiting for yet another specter to reveal himself for the flaying.

Remi watches as the stairwell is revealed by those combined efforts, and then leans forward a bit to peek down it... Nodding in agreement about needing a light, and then quickly looking around for maybe an old lantern, or something easily fashioned into a makeshift torch, "... Actually kinda curious what's down there, even though I doubt it's anything good..." He quietly remarks, and glances over as people start going down the stairs.

The stairway is narrow, forcing the group to go down single-file. With alba in the lead, Marduke behind her, then if they choose to Sebastion, remi and Ka'len. The passage widens only slightly at the bottom by the light from Marduke fire glints off flat surfaces along the walls.. the sides of coffins. Hand crafted from tin the walls are lined with metal coffins each only about four feet long. Names are inscribed into the sides.. likely the occupant. There are at least a dozen of these caskets but there's little time to count them as a tremor rattles the narrow passage sending trickles of dust downwards from the ceiling. A loud crash is heard on the surface and a voice bellowing out "No! They are mine! They will always be mine! You cannot have them!"

Ka'len brings up the rear of the group and he stops at the base of the stairs, his eyes moving among the coffins before he whispers, "by the..." He shakes his head, blanchinga little, before the crash from above causes him to spin around and his eyes widen more. The young man races up the stairs without another word, his hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade, ready to draw it when he clears the stairs.

"...hrrrrn..." Sebastion is, apparently, very displeased by the idea of a claustrophobic environment. When they travel down, he begins to get more and more tense. When the coffins are spotted, it seems to grant him only a momentary reprieve from his stress. Ka'Len would see it more than anyone else. When the voice sounds out, he startles, only to turn and start following Ka'Len, ready to do pretty much the same thing: get his sword out and prepare for the stabbings.

Marduke just turns more and more pale as the coffins are found and then counted a whisper offered, "no..." Then startles and jumps as he hears the booming voice above the and rattling ground. Nearly losing his make shift magical light. Turning he doesn't rush up, letting the others go first of course preparing to take up the rear.

"Children," Alba confirms, ears laying back at the sight of the dozens of metal coffins. "Perhaps after the butcher has done his work, the bones, given to the smith--" Then the rumble sets in, she the Viera's head snaps up. "....But it is a question that may wait." Edging around Marduke, she throws the summoner a questioning glance, as if to ask 'Do you *really* want to turn your back to this place?' Lifting a shoulder, as if to dismiss her own question, she heads up the staircase behind the others, to see what new danger threatens.

Remi followed after the others last, and is halfway down the stairs, trying to get a peek of whatever is down there that everyone is talking about, when his ears and head go up at that loud crash instead... The Bard going a bit wide-eyed at the voice that follows, before he presses himself against the wall as the group's warriors suddenly come sprinting back up, right past him. The rabbit only hesitating a moment afterwards, before he follows everyone back up.

An entire side of the house has been smashed out from the inside, a hulking form sheathed in the red energies of a Spectre stands in a rubble, a massive hammer gripped in one hand, the other hand replaced with a pair of massive steel tongs. It's chest bare and draped in chains, the 'skin' ripples and pulses.. handprints pushing out from the inside as though somthing.. or somthings were trying to escape. The Smith advances as Ka'len and Sebastion emerge from the stairs, the tongs grasping Ka'len by the waist and hurling him against the broken anvil before it swings the hammer down towards Sebastion.

Ka'len lets out a short cry when he hits the anvil and then his body slumps over, the blow knocking him senseless... though like the trained warrior he is he never lets go of the blade he carries.

Sebastion draws his weapon as he emerges from the steps, but notices that the smith had managed to completely knock Ka'Len out. His eyes widen, and he tries to dodge out of the way of the hammer with a sidestep, because he really has no way to block something that could probably break his arms or shatter his sword. The big guy probably split that anvil, and he knows he's not as thick as an anvil!

Marduke isn't going to be hanging down there for long. Moving his way up behind the rest to get to the top, only to pause for a moment looking at what they are fighting. "Ugh." Jumping back and getting some distance from the creature only then to notice Ka'Len on the ground. Frowning a bit, "This is bad."

The moment the hammer impacts the ground, Alba is out of the stairwell and in motion; leaping toward the abomination, she touches down on the head of the hammer for an instant, then launches off. Her blade glitters in the murky half-light, as it flashes toward the inside of the lumbering hulk's forearm, and the vital tendons just beneath the skin.

Remi comes up the stairs just in time to see an unconcious Ka'Len, and a large, hammer wielding man about to smash Sebastion into the dirt... But really, the Bard doesn't have much time to take any of this in too much, fight or flight response kicking in after that initial startled moment, and perhaps luckily for the others, the rabbit-boy choosing the first option. His hand snapping up, palm outwards, as he hurls a fireball towards the spectre's barrel chest.

The hammer misses Sebastion by inchs, letting him feel the breeze followed by the shockwave as it impacts the ground leaving cracks in the stone. Alba's slash strikes true but the blade skips off the surface of the brute's arm leaving a shallow cut at best. The fireball hits dead center into it's chest causing it to take a step back as the flame lash up into it's face. Bob careens around the forge and barely avoids a swipe of the metal tong hand. "Use magic! The more the merrier! Light him up!"

"I don't HAVE magic!!" Sebastion calls out over at Bob with no shortage of frustration and raw fury in his voice. He tries to move around the tremendous grotesque phantom, and gives a two-handed swing to try and damage one of its legs, but that's about all he can hope for, he quickly prepares his stance to retreat away from the big creature, fully aware of how badly it could hurt him if it got ahold of him.

Marduke plants his staff into the ground and nods considering the creature before them for a moment. "Hmm by the cooling hand of the frozen realms, i call forth Blizzard!" Holding up his hand and channeling the energies and then directing the icy spell towards the creature. "Magic it is then!" He offers with a determined look on his face, "If only I could summon Sharina...she can cast."

The result of her attack leaves Alba wrinkling her nose as she touches ground... but her lack of decent magic does nothing to curb her bloodlust. Skittering around to the creature's back, she makes a leap to the chains festooning its chest, her silkworm charm beginning to glow with a faint purple light. Lazy tendrils of magic reach out to either side of the creature, the temporal magics pulling at limb and mind, seeking to slow the monster's actions enough that they can be better managed.

Remi didn't really need Bob's advice, as magic is about the only thing he can use in this case, and mostly one spell at that. The Bard once more snapping out his hand, as he hurls yet another orb of swirling flame towards the spectre, trying not to hit any of his allies, but simply take down the undead blacksmith.

The combination of the blizzard and slow magics begins to take thier toll as the behemoth's movements become sluggish. Sebastion's blade strikes true and hard leaving another shallow gash along one leg. The fireball strikes home once more, leaving another blackened mark along it's chest as it bellows and spins sweeping the hammer towards Alba in a deadly arc.

Seeing as he's not being targetted directly, Sebastion continues his 'tiny dog' tactic of chopping at the creature's leg in the vague hope that he can provide enough of an impediment to it to be of some use, since he doesn't have any arcane way to deal with it.

Marduke is already chanting another spell with a nod over to Remi. This time lightning arcing up his hands as he takes more careful aim, "Remi, same spot again where you have been hitting the fireballs. See is we can blast a hole in it. Going to throw my spell after your fireball to try to hit it at the same time." Holding the lightning arcing around his hand and getting ready to strike.

Her spell set, Alba hauls up on the chains, dragging herself up the creature's back. "The children seek to escape him!" her voice rises from behind the monster. "WARRIOR, FREE THE--" and then there's a wet *smack,* as the creature's hammer bats the Viera off its back. Stunned, Alba rolls, limply, some feet away, struggling to get back up but not quite recovered enough yet.

Remi quickly nods at the Summoner without looking at him, keeping his focus on the monstrous blacksmith, ready to move if the 'man' decides to come his way... And after a brief glow around his hand, he once more snaps it out, sending another fireball flying towards that barrel chest. Only to yell right afterwards, "Alba!" as he watches the Viera get viciously hammer time'd.

The twin spells impact the spectre in the chest at the same time with a resounding *crack!*. The beast roars and stumbles back as cracks begin to form in it's skin, spiderwebbing outwards from the impact point. With Alba currently not a threat it turns it's attention to the next closest target and lashs out at Sebastion with it's tong-hand seeking to grab him.

The tongs meet with air, or at least don't manage to get a proper purchase on Sebastion, his body jerking aside so that it crashes off of his armor. He jerks his weapon up violently to hack at the arm that has those tongs in retaliation, and also to prevent it from actually managing to grab him.

Marduke nods slowly at that, 'Again remi, its work. Were going to break it open and save those childrens souls." HOlding up another lightning bolt spell around his hand as he focuses and readies, "Alba... err crap." Winces as he looks to Sebastions, "Try to keep it off balance."

Already pushing herself off the ground, Alba begins to glow faintly, a spiderweb of this white threads of magic skimming over the brouse at her side, the cracked and likely broken ribs underneath mending with each ragged breath. Her dagger glows with scarlet power as she fixes her eyes on the monster, its edge pressed against her belly, a thin, red line cut into her flesh. Her magic reaches out towards the great thing, its purpose to cut vastly more deeply into it in mimicry of the wound the Viera gives herself, pulling its strength to replenish her own. (casting Drain)

Remi only really has one offensive spell for ready use, and as such the Bard keeps spamming those fireballs... Hurling those flaming orbs towards the undead blacksmith's chest whenever he spots an opening to, adding his magic to Marduke's in the hope of cracking the spectre right open, and freeing the souls trapped within. Meanwhile glad that Alba is seemingly recovering herself.

The second combined spell crashes into the brute once again, fortified by the draining magics of Alba's assault. The Smith drops his hammer and clutchs at his chest as the cracks widen and bulge outwards before with a bellowing scream it's chest cavity ruptures and at least a dozen balls of blue light fly free into the sky to slowly dissapate. The beast slumps forward, oozing foul ichors as it's body begins to dissolve. "No... the were mine.. they were...." it collapses to the ground, the red glow fading to reveal a blackened Skeleton, then even that crumbles to dust.

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