Open Chronicles College of Elbion - Applicants Wanted!

[Kara Orin]

Once Terrance introduced himself and Eleanor Griffin, Kara slowly stood up.

“This one is Kara Orin,” she said to Phillipa Ebonheart, “New member of the College since a few months ago.”

In the last application cycle, Kara applied and entered the college after a standard series of trials and tests. She had yet no involvement in advanced magic, acquisitions, or the humanities. She primarily lived on campus and attended the basic courses - when she actually showed up, at least.

 

[GreekGod]

Marius watched as everything unfolded and answered the question of the student. "You're being questioned in regards to the assassination attempt, Miss Ebonheart does these sorts of things on the colleges behalf, I have crossed paths with her many times." Marius says with a chuckle. "It does not usually end well for the person against her, I should know." Marius says as he thinks to the time he attempted to outrun Phillipa's men, only to be caught when he got a cramp.

 

[Quoril]

After being ushered into the lecture hall, Quoril removed his backpack and sword and plopped himself down a few seats away from everybody else. He pushed his hood back over his head revealing his messy brown hair and long pointed ears. He got out his book on enchanting and started reading. He looked up briefly as the woman from the college walked in and introduced herself before going back to reading.

The elf looked up again a couple of minutes later when it was his turn to introduce himself. Standing he said, “I’m Quoril, Lady Ebonheart. An alchemist by trade though I spend most of my time wandering the world in search of arcane knowledge. Hence my current trip to Elbion.” Finishing his introduction, he sat back down and opened his book, pretending to read but quietly keeping tabs on what was going on in the room.

 

[Alexis Armon]

The handmaid gave the man permission to treat Alexis Armon. When the second healer entered through a secret passage the guard smoothly placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, but withheld himself from drawing it once he saw the elf, though both the guards and the handmaid glared when she immediately began a cheerful dialog in the presence of their wounded mistress. It may not have been meant disrespectfully, but they were offended that she would treat this situation so lightly.

The maid went on to answer their questions as they began treatment, answering truthfully that Lady Armon had never had any allergies or been poisoned in the past, though attempts have certainly been made and this was the first successful one. the handmaid did her best to be helpful but not in the way while simultaneously not leaving her mistresses side.

Alexis Was still unconscious. The poison was still in her system and her body was certainly having a chore of fighting it off. She developed a fever as her body struggled to expel the poison from her body and she became plagued with nightmares.

She saw a dark entity that was even darker than the night sky standing atop a roof, she stood facing it unable to move or cry out as it aimed with it's black crossbow and fired at her, Suddenly it wasn't a bolt that struck her but standing before her was the assassin with her blade drawn and sliding through her heart. But something was odd, In her vision the assassin had strings tied to every moving part of her body and the dark entity held the strings like a marionette, If she struggled hard enough she found she could sever the strings, but there were so many and in her dream she felt her life slipping away, time was running out and she couldn't cut all of the strings.

On the stone table her brow furrowed slightly as she dreamed and the healers worked over her.

 

[Elise Darkwater]

The handmaid gave the man permission to treat Alexis Armon. When the second healer entered through a secret passage the guard smoothly placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, but withheld himself from drawing it once he saw the elf, though both the guards and the handmaid glared when she immediately began a cheerful dialog in the presence of their wounded mistress. It may not have been meant disrespectfully, but they were offended that she would treat this situation so lightly.

The maid went on to answer their questions as they began treatment, answering truthfully that Lady Armon had never had any allergies or been poisoned in the past, though attempts have certainly been made and this was the first successful one. the handmaid did her best to be helpful but not in the way while simultaneously not leaving her mistresses side.

Alexis Was still unconscious. The poison was still in her system and her body was certainly having a chore of fighting it off. She developed a fever as her body struggled to expel the poison from her body and she became plagued with nightmares.

She saw a dark entity that was even darker than the night sky standing atop a roof, she stood facing it unable to move or cry out as it aimed with it's black crossbow and fired at her, Suddenly it wasn't a bolt that struck her but standing before her was the assassin with her blade drawn and sliding through her heart. But something was odd, In her vision the assassin had strings tied to every moving part of her body and the dark entity held the strings like a marionette, If she struggled hard enough she found she could sever the strings, but there were so many and in her dream she felt her life slipping away, time was running out and she couldn't cut all of the strings.

On the stone table her brow furrowed slightly as she dreamed and the healers worked over her.

"Hahahaha...hah..ahhh.."
A laugh rang out as the strings seemed to melt and wrap around her body and throat like living snakes.
"ahhh..."
The entity caught his breath as he dropped from the rooftop. Her surroundings faded and blurred into darkness all around her until only her, the assassin, and the entity stood. It had a slim form shrouded in the very darkness that surrounded her. Only a slight, reddish glowing outline gave the entity's form away.
"I'm sorry..I really am, but this poisons not going to kill you...Good help seems to be hard to find."
It looked at the assassin who stared down at her boots quietly.
"But your close enough to my realm for us to talk..so i thought we could even if only briefly..."
He said warmly as he stepped closer. Each step seemed to drop the temperature another ten degrees as he grew closer.

He was an inch from her face now. His eyes seemd to be made of flowing blood, as they bore into her own.
"Your presence here in these lands is unwelcome, and I will not have another house of powerful magic form that will oppose me in my resurrection. Your choice is simple. Swear your houses allegiance to me and you will be blessed. Leave and you will not be harmed. but decide to stay and oppose me....I will come for you."
His voice had been warm and conversational but as he delivered the last line it dropped to a low growl as the vines of darkness tightened slightly her ribs began to pop like bubbles as they began to break along with her spine which was already making wet crunching sounds. The pain was all to real even if what was happening wasn't.

"Now swear allegiance to me."
The entity said as it snapped its fingers and the darkness around her moved like water twisting her into a bowing position on her hands and knees before the entity's feet. It crouched down to be on levels with her face.
"Now would be best please..I havent got all day. I may live forever but that does not mean Im not busy." It said jokingly as it reached out with a clawed hand seemingly made of darkness and wiped away a small bit of blood forming from the side of Alexis's mouth.
"There is no one of your house here to see you bowing before another. Do not let pride cloud your thoughts child, and time is short soon you will be away from here." He said softly as he waited for her response. Already a light was starting to form around them slowly and the grip of the darkness was beginning to weaken little by little.



.........................................................

At Lady Ebonhearts query Terrance stood up and gave a curt bow according to etiquette "My name is Terrance Griffin, Madam Professor, and this is my sister Lady Eleanor Griffin. I imagine we got off on the wrong foot and I would like to extend my apologies for any slight I may have visited upon both you or the school. I will do everything I can to assist in the investigation so the good Lady may be avenged."

Eleanor sat, still wringing her hands, her full skirt bunched up under the desk, rusting every time she shifted positions. She glanced up from the table as Terrance introduced her and she gave a small bow of acknowledgment to the professor but her mind was still on the strang aura she had sensed on the weapon. It left a sick pit in her stomach. She had never felt anything like it. She wished her old tutor Madam Vakery were here to help her. If anyone knew what that kind of an aura meant it would be her. But she had left and her family had refused to tell her where she had gone.

"Are you curious child?"
A whisper seemed to tickle her ear as it passed almost in an instant. A small wisp of that same energy she had seen seemed to wrap around her finger like a snake made of smoke. It slipped up her arm as Eleanor felt it slide over her heart before a chill seemed to run up her spine as a black rune burned into the back of her neck, and the smoke disappeared into her chest like it had never existed worming under her skin leaving nothing.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor jumped out of her set with a gasp. She clutched at her heart as her breathing quickened and she backed into her brother.

"El!" Terance started surprised. She spun around to face him still clutching her chest eyes wide, "El?" His eyes going from annoyance to concern in an instant, "What's wrong?" he said taking her by the shoulders.

Eleanor's breathing slowed a little as her brother's touch grounded her. Her chest still ached dully, a kind of numbness. "There's something evil... and powerful, very powerful."

"What are you talking about?" Terance asked.

Eleanor pulled away but her legs felt week her knees seemed about to buckle from the shock. She felt the need to sit down but she didn't want to sit back in the same spot she had just been. She took one step and then just gave up, sinking down into a billowing pile of skirts as she sat on the floor staring at a single point in front of her.

"Eleanor!" Terance started, kneeling down next to her.

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

With introductions out of the way, Phillipa focused her attention on her next question before seeing Eleanor suddenly jump. A questioning rise of her brow was all the more she managed as the woman stood and then quickly slumped in a spot only a few steps from where she had been sitting.

A curious look to Marius was spared before mulling on her options. She wondered briefly if something hadn't managed to sneak into the college with them, waving the thought away as she looked over the woman.

"Something evil, and powerful." Phillipa smirked. Sounded like something that her department would love to get a hold of and lock away for research purposes. Whether it was person or item, The R and D folk in the other parts of the campus would surely love to have a round with this great and powerful thing as well. They were always looking for new things to muck about with. Her eyes fixed on the woman, curiosity piqued as she leaned forward a bit.

"And you know this how?" She asked quietly.

---

The two worked diligently. Theria administering several anti toxins that she believed may have helped at the very least since the symptoms seemed terribly common and yet still did not abate with her efforts. Devon made quick work of the bolt and wound, his hands deftly closing the gap in flesh after a bit of prodding with some instruments to remove any cloth that was tied up in the wound. When he finished sealing it, the only sign that she had been wounded was the small hole in her clothing, the blood that stained it, and a small, almost pure white dot where an entry wound should have been.

Devon was sweating quite a bit, and Theria seemed to be at her wits end trying to make head or tails of the poison. The man announced he had finished his work to which he was rewarded with a small kick to the shin from Theria.

"You don't have to gloat. You try pinpointing symptoms when a wide variety of both rudimentary and lab made toxins hold similar attributes and effects." She hissed as she rummaged through a few drawers below the woman. Devon fetched a small rag and dipped it in a pitcher of clean water that was on hand before wiping her brow.

"The difference here is that you know them by taste while the rest of us now them by name, you nutter." Devon scolded back as she made a mock face of insult.

"And how are we to understand the full extent of toxins if no one can study the effects they have on the body thoroughly? I never saw you volunteer for toxin studies. Besides, most all of them are terrifically harmless in small doses." The elf fired back. Devon rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You are going to flop over like one of your frogs someday from all those tests." Devon teased her, garnering a stern glare.

 

[Kara Orin]

Kara watched everyone introduce themselves. Little change in expression.

Then, Eleanor Griffin jumped up and gasped. Kara turned her head to Eleanor after a second delay once Terrance spoke.

Tap tap tap

Kara began to rattle her fingers on the tabletop as if fidgeting. She turned her head toward a window.

 

[Alexis Armon]

In her vision Alexis gagged as the threads attacked her, her own body was unable to respond. Then the entity began speaking to her. She could sense its malicious intent, but also its sincerity, there was no doubt in her mind that this creature wasn't bluffing especially given her current situation.

As he held her with the shadows on her knees and demanded she swear allegiance to him she suddenly realized that this was no longer just a dream but an actual visit by an evil spirit into her subconscious, probably due to her close shave with death. She felt her spiritual body being crushed by the threads and her body contort and crack at his manipulations.

"I will not have another house of powerful magic form that will oppose me in my resurrection."

She froze on that line of his dialog. Since she was forced to be face to face with his featureless form and blood red eyes, she had no choice but to smile directly at him

"I don't know your name, fallen one... But you have made three errors... House Armon used to be mighty in the ways of magic, but that is not so in this new land and we are like newborn children without a drop of skill in how to use these new rivers, so our threat to you is negligible.

Secondly... If you had left me alone, we would have never discovered your existence, but now that we know of you and when my brothers hear of what you're attempting to do to me, they will stop at nothing to see you destroyed.

And lastly... It is not my word that sways the allegiance of House Armon one way or another, but the words of all our people."

She turned her head and looked at the assassin standing submissively to the side, she was unsure if that assassin was there in spirit as well, or simply a conjured trick in her head, but she spoke to her anyways.

"When you tire of a god that would have you die for him, come and ask me about the one who died for you."

Then she spoke a single name, one that burned even her own spiritual body by just its mention. The mention of that name expelled the darkness with a holy light that did actual damage to the dark entity, a holy light that outshone even the greatest displays of normal holy magic.
As her spirit was burned by the light it also restored her and she slowly began to regain consciousness on the table.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

The handmaid Rhali was concerned about the distress on Alexis Armon's face, maybe this poison was actually something to be worried about? Did somebody already know what they were? Who they were? Did their enemies follow them from their homeland?

Alexis snapped her eyes open and at first her eyes reflected deep spiritual pain and her body jerked, but it was quickly replaced with a look of serenity and calm and Alexis let out a sigh. She blinked in the dim light as her eyes adjusted and she cautiously looked around.

Rhali let out a sigh as well with relief when she saw her awaken and she gave both the guards an assuring nod.

Alexis gently turned onto her back and looked at the healers standing over her and her handmaid behind them. She blinked for a moment in confusion but decided to let the healers make their diagnosis. Her fever had broken and she felt perfectly fine without any trace of the poison left in her body, but she decided to let the healers make that call and maybe glean some answers to the questions that now flooded her mind in this new area.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor took a deep shaky breath, her hand still placed on her chest. She could still feel the beating of her heart, even though for some reason she felt like it shouldn't be beating. She looked up at Ebonheart.

"In the market," She said slowly trying to pull her thoughts together through the fog in her mind. "You know how some people can sense the auras that people give off. Well, objects pick up residues of this aura from everyone that touches it. I sensed a very strong evil aura coming off the bolt. Just now-" She paused and took another deep breath "Just now there was a voice and that same aura. It touched my hand, ran up my arm and into my heart. And-" She trailed off gently touching the back of her neck which still felt raw.

Terance followed her movement and noticed something on the back of her neck. He moved her hair aside revealing the rune. His face hardened "This is not normal," He looked up at the rest of the assemblage almost accusingly "My sister needs help, I demand you do something."

"No, Terance, I'm fine." She said a bit horsly "I just need some water."

"You're not fine. You have a strange rune on the back of your neck and something evil just spoke to you." He stated his brow furrowing with concern.

 

[Quoril]

Quoril looked up from his book when Eleanor leaped out of her chair clutching her chest, and collapsed on the floor. That was it. He couldn't pretend to be aloof anymore. The events unfolding in the room were much too interesting to ignore.

When she had caught her breath, she began telling of a “powerful and evil” aura accompanied by a voice. This combination tickled a memory in the back of Quoril’s mind, although he couldn’t quite place where he had heard of this before. Then it hit him. He had never learned her name but there was a young woman he had briefly run across on a past adventure and he had gotten the same sort of evil aura feeling from her. The elf wondered if the crossbow assassin, the evil voice, and this unnamed girl had anything in common.

Quoril was wrenched out of his musings by the sound of Terrance’s voice addressing those gathered in the room. "My sister needs help, I demand you do something."

“I don't think I’ll be of much help,” Quoril responded scratching the back of his head. “This sort of thing is way out of my league.” As he said this an idea struck him, and he went back to his backpack and retrieved the Omnibus of Infernal Magicks he had bought at a seaport town recently. He returned to the group and started flipping through the pages looking for anything that could shed the tiniest bit of light on what had happened to Eleanor.

 

[GreekGod]

Marius had entered the room and watched Eleanor's incident. He rushed forward and looked at the back of her neck. He gasped with concern. "I recognize that symbol, I read briefly about it. It's an ancient religion, I can't quite remember the name of it but it's an evil and dark one." Marius says with a furrowed brow. "It's more like a cult. I'd heard rumors that they had the ability to poses people but I assumed they were simply that. Rumors." He nods at Quoril flipping through a book "If you find anything let me know. I should know a lot about this religion but it's faded from my memory, I haven't read about it in a very long time. Not many scholars have the nerve to write about it, for fear of being possessed."

He turns away and faces his apprentice who followed him into the room. "Fetch her some water, when she is calmed down perhaps the lady may tell us what the evil said to her?" Marius says with a sidelong glance at Eleanor. Serbert leaves and a few moments later returns with a cup of water and hands it to Eleanor. Marius opens his bag and takes out a notebook, ready to write down anything she says about the evil.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor's brow furrowed at the mention of possession. She let Terance help her up and sit down in a different chair and took to water from Serbert. "Thank you," She said taking a long drink to calm her nerves. looking up she realized that everyone was still staring at her. "I guess I should explain. He... it... it was unclear, didn't say much. Just asked me if I was curious. I was thinking about the aura I had felt on the weapon. That was when I heard the voice and felt that same aura move up my arm and into my chest. There was a pain in the back of my neck... like a burning, and then it was all gone," She touched the back of her neck again. She didn't like the idea of being possessed by something, and the idea of being marked and unable to remove it unsettled her even more. She rummaged through her limited knowledge of magic. How would one go about removing an unwanted mark? She remembered what madame Valkery had said. How would you do it without magic, then brake it down into its smallest parts and replicate that using magic. Like a recipe.

"What does the rune look like?" She asked looking up and Terance and Marius. "is it like a tattoo, a scar, a burn?"

 

[Kara Orin]

Kara turned to the commotion as soon as she heard Terrance mention the presence of a rune. Her tapping ceased. She heard Terrance’s request for help. Unlike Quoril, Kara answered with silence. Her eyes drifted to the surface of the table she sat at. She drew her fingers across its surface.

After listening to Eleanor describe her experience, Kara stood up and approached Phillipa Ebonheart with caution.

“If this student may speak,” Kara began as she continued her illeism, “This one fears she has no means to help and would be a distraction. Does the Lady require her presence?”

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

Phillipa watched the scene play out. When she had her explanation as to how the girl knew, she was content to let others speak. When Kara approached, expressing their limited ability to further aid and the requirement of her presence, Phillipa pondered openly for a moment.

"Considering you have been with the school for a little while now, it won't be hard to find you once more. You may take your leave. I would suggest staying within the college though. The common folk are likely to be riled up and wanting answers that we do not have for them." Phillipa informed her, head tilting a little as the annoying thought of explaining things came to mind.

Just as she had told Marius, it was usually her lot to remedy or even assist in fixing whatever had mucked up the smooth operation of the college. The position she held in her department gave her a lot of freedom, but it also came with the responsibility of representing the college with everything she did. Not something that was terribly difficult for the college professor.

---

The woman's eyes snapped open, making Devon jump a bit as Theria rose slowly from rummaging in the drawers. They shared a look, and after a little back and forth between the two healers along with the patient. They gave the all clear for Alexis Armon to stand. The stipulation of needing to take her time an be easy about heavy activity was put forward since it was possible that the poison was still in her system.

Devon gave the elf a glance before shaking his head.

"There is nothing left in the wound, and I doubt the poison will have to many lingering effects." Devon gave the woman a grim smile. Even with their help, it seemed that it had come down to the woman's own will to live outdoing the poison rather than their combined work. With a brief nod to her guards, the two explained they would be heading out to report to Lady Ebonheart about their patient.

"Still though, details about this poison would make it all the better." Theria frowned a bit as the two walked.

"Lady Ebonheart would probably like to know details about it." Devon teased her.

"I didn't get a sample before you cleaned the bolt."

"Don't blame me for being late."

"I had to make sure my latest study material was put away. It's an odorless powder, with no residual taste and dissolves in liquid almost instantly. I was not about to have my frogs waste the only vial I have been able to purchase in some time."

"Is it that hard to come by?"

"Oh quite."

Theria stopped before the door to the room, giving Devon a small glance. The halfhearted smile the only reassurance she would receive.

 

[Quoril]

“I’ve found something!” Quoril announced, finding a picture of the mark in his book. He then began reading aloud:


“The Mark of Bastellen:

Bastellen Is the deity of bloodshed, bargains, and transference. He ferries souls to the afterlife and in return they must serve him for a short time as payment. The cult of Bastellen was started ages upon ages ago by mages seeking the afterlife. Many began to delve into dark places to find answers and Bastellen was waiting. Hungering for power as a minor deity he began preying on their desperation and blind emotion. He made a bargain with those who sought him out. Answers, power, gold, and the chance to see the ones they lost again. All they had to do was make a bargain. Soon his influence grew as he began demanding souls. Souls not culled from the void - innocent souls bonded to him through rituals he could control for all eternity.”


Turning to Eleanor he said, “That’s all the book has to say about the mark. There’s nothing about how to remove it or reverse the effects. It appears you were chosen by Bastellen for some reason. Maybe you're an “innocent soul” that he wants to use for something. Returning his focus to the group he continued “I bet if we found the person who fired the bolt, we might be able to get them to tell us more about the mark.”

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor pursed her lips, her concern growing. Yet externally she seemed calmer than she had been since it happened. "That does not sound good."

"Not good? Your soul could be stolen by some evil deity and all you can say is not good." Terance scoffed. He turned on the rest of the room and looked at all of them accusingly "And all of you, sitting around and doing nothing while my sister could lose her soul or get possessed at any moment. Isn't this the great collage of Elbion where all of the most powerful mages dwell and none of you can do anything to get rid of a little black mark. If you lot can't fix her then I will take her to someone who can! In fact, I will pay whoever can remove the mark 1000 docatto."

"Terance," Eleanor said softly getting to her feet and placing a hand on his arm "Calm down, be patient." She then turned to Quoril, "That might not be necessary. Though, I do hope they get caught. We might be able to figure out how to remove this without them. If we can figure out how the mark works. Is it runinc in nature? What powers it? Is it even still magically charged? If we can reverse engineer it then we may be able to figure out how to remove it, or at least deactivate it."

 

[Kara Orin]

“Many thanks,” Kara replied to Phillipa Ebonheart, “This student will return to her dorm for the day.”

Kara walked back to the table to pick up her basket of dirt-covered fruit. She heard Quoril read the passage about the Mark of Bestellen aloud. She seemed intent on walking out the door without another word. However,

“I will pay whoever can remove the mark 1000 docatto,” Terrance declared.

Just before the door to exit the hall, Kara stopped.

A thousand docatto. Worth about ten of the finest dresses money could buy. It would secure a lifetime (for a human) of board and tutorage at the college. Kara’s younger brother could attend the college even if he did not have scholarship-level talent. She would also be able to afford a wider variety of magical artifacts and materials. She might have been able to buy any single book in the Gilded Feather.

With a sharp step, Kara turned around.

“This one may be able to remove the mark,” she told Terrance, “Yet, it carries risk of harming the Lady.”

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Terance scowled at Kara and straightened, moving slightly to place himself between her and his sister. "The reward comes with the implication that she is unharmed."

Eleanor gently placed her hand on his shoulder, "She might be right. We don't know what this is. Removing it could be painful," She paused as this thought sunk in "It might even have some sort of a kill switch built-in if one tries to remove it. Though at this point this is all just speculation. We need to know more about what it is and how it works before we do anything. What did you have in mind?" She asked looking at Kara.

 

[Kara Orin]

Kara listened to Terrance and Eleanor Griffin with no change in expression. She only moved once Eleanor asked her question.

“The ritual this student knows requires Lady Griffin’s blood,” Kara answered – revealing Terrance’s demand of keeping Eleanor completely unharmed would be impossible.

“With it, a rune will be applied on top of the mark,” Kara continued as she drew in the air with a finger. It would not be the first time the group saw someone write a rune with blood...

“The Lady will recite a chant,” Kara told them, “Then, all magic affecting the Lady will… dissolve away.”

A pause. Then as if to preempt an obvious question, Kara said, “This one read about this cult and counters to them in a book in the Gilded Feather…”

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

Phillipa listened to the exchange, and made no move to intercept the effort. The notion of money being involved did not entice the professor to action, even if it was a handsome sum. On the other hand, it was with great pleasure that she watched Kara offer to remove the rune, and that feeling became something more akin to pride when the woman explained that she had perused the selection in the Gilded Feather and found a nugget of information that was luckily useful in this situation.

Even only being a few months into the college's enrollment, Kara had earned some merit from Phillipa. Even if the woman would never actually tell her so.

"Would you like a private room away from-" Phillipa began before the doors opened and in came Theria and Devon. Her gaze drifted to them, and the small tilt of her head sent a silent question their way. Theria scratched her head a moment as Devon examined the scene before him.

"You always do enjoy an audience, eh Phillipa?" Devon sighed as the two stood close to her and spoke quietly. Phillipa waved at Kara to continue as she dove into a hushed conversation with the two new arrivals. Annoyance crossed the professors face before worry replaced it, then confusion, and at last coming to rest on thoughtful wonder.

"Did you see any runes about her body by chance?" Phillipa asked them suddenly.

 

[Elise Darkwater]

"The lady wakes and her choice has been made..." The voice of her master whispered in her ear. Elise was perched a rooftop tossing a knife playfully catching it by the handle deftly .
"Annnnddd..." Elise asked before catching the knife blade first in her mouth as a grin began to spread across once beautiful face. "Kill Lady Armon and any in her company. There is a girl there I want her as well. She bares my mark. Take her...." Her master spat angrily. Someone must have put him in a mood..Elise mused. She pulled herself up her leather body suit had no sleeves to compliment the warmer weather of Elbion and left her tattoos glistening in the night as she stretched, and checked her gear. Short crossbow, check, Smoke, poison, sleep bolts, check, 4 inch hunting knives, check. Blowgun...check. She eyed her new toy as affectionately as a mother to her newborn. Sleep and poison darts, check. With her mental list complete she she walked to the edge of the roof.
"Ebonheart is going to be an issue. Damn mage hunter took down a few rouge mages from my gang back in the day, and they were no slouches. She might even know me by this." She said to herself glancing at her right arm. A tapestry of skulls that went down and around her entire arm while on top slept a panther. Every skull was a kill.
Ahh the skull panthers...Simpler, bloodier times.... She stood with her arms outstretched at the ledge of the roof before falling forward and plummeting to the streets below as a black tentacle whipped from her gauntlet and propelled her up and on to another roof as she landed on it with a roll and used the momentum to launch to the next one.

Soon she arrived at the college. Guards weren't abundant but that just meant she didnt see them. The college was rumored to have quite a few secrets and how it was guarded exactly seemed to be one of them. As she slipped past the gate and soon she was windin her way to the medical wing. Ducking past guards and professor like a wisp of smoke from shadow to shadow. Her feet stepped lightly and her form seemed to meld with the darkness of any shadows provided. She passed a class room.
“The Lady will recite a chant,Then, all magic affecting the Lady will… dissolve away.”
"The one we want is there! inside." Elise paused as the sound of footsteps forced her to ignore both the voice in the class room and the voice of her master as her mind raced and her gauntlets seemingly on their own shot ropes of energy straight up and pulled her to the ceiling in a smooth motion leaving her upside down and crouched in the shadows of the ceiling. Two professor walked under her and into the class room. More people...Great.
"Master. This is going to be risky. I think Ill only have a chance at one objective."
"I see.." the master pondered for a moment.
"Recover the girl. The Lady will be weak at least for a time yet you can make another attempt when time is right. The girl will be priority."
"Yes master."
She nodded and prepared to drop.
"Ebonheart.." The whispers told her.
her stomach shrank as she doubled checked her kit. loading a sleep dart into her blowgun and a poison bolt into her short crossbow. The whispers never lied. She knew who was on the other side of the door.
"Ok..Maximum effort.." Elise sighed as she dropped to the ground and in on fluid motion shot out ropes of energy that latched to either side of the door and with a quick pull wrenched it off its hinges. She entered to see a room of quite a few more than four inside. Everything happened in the span of a few moments even as they played out in her head much slower. The mark called to her as her eyes rested on a girl. The blow gun was out and fired in a breath as the dart found her neck, and a rope of energy from her left hand shot out and wrapped around her waste before yanking her into Elise's grasp.

The next face she focused on was the face of Phillippa. Snobby as usual so bored with being so beautiful and perfect. Just like Elise before the scars.. Ugh. It made her sick.
"Knock, knock loves! Wont be more than a moment!" She said with a playful glee as she suddenly whipped her right arm, which still had a rope of dark energy latched to the heavy door and launched it at Phillipa. Her right arm was like a vice around Eleanor's waist as she pulled her back to the door way. Her left held the short cross bow aloft ready to fire should anyone get any ideas
"Dont follow me Ebonheart or that old face you have wont have a chance to age anymore than it already has!" She snickered as she backed out of the door towards a larger window in the hallway. She pressed her back to it.
"Scared of heights love?" she asked Eleanor, and evil grin spreading under he mask as she happily saw the young one was still awake enough to answer. She liked fear. Her crossbow never leaving the door as her dark energy seemed to leak from her gauntlets and small pack where her book was kept, and attach to the glass as small cracks began to spread up it weakening it to paper.

 

[Alexis Armon]

After her handmaid had made certain Alexis could walk just fine they decided to leave the chamber and follow the two healers to speak with Phillipa Ebonheart as they originally intended to do. They took their time though, taking in the layout of the collage and memorizing the halls they walk through and all the connecting rooms.

Alexis felt just fine, in fact she felt better than she did before. There are very few times when defeating darkness has such great rewards, especially for her and her kind. The holy light that filled her spirit and cast out the dark god nearly destroyed her dark soul as well, but the owner of that light had other plans for her.
Now she felt rejuvenated, much more than if she had just had a good meal.

The group was just about to round the last corner in the hall when they heard a crash and a loud commotion. The two guards drew their swords and rushed around the corner to see the assassin carrying off one of the new students. The assassin stopped at a window and they could already see what she was about to attempt.

In a blink the guard who had chased her last time drew his dagger and threw it with deadly accuracy, but not well enough to score a direct hit, grazing the assassins shoulder but thankfully avoiding the hostage. The blade stuck into the glass of the window without breaking it, but not helping it keep its integrity.
Alexis thought quickly and did the only thing she knew how to do, operating on instinct she attempted to cast a spell, remembering too late that her magic no longer worked the same way before the spell terminated and sent an explosive blast of air in every direction, knocking them all to the floor and sending the assassin and her hostage through what remained of the window. completely drained from the use of magic, she collapsed to the floor.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor listened to Kara's proposal "Do you still have the book?" She asked but before Kara could respond there was a crash as the door was ripped off its hinges. Eleanor was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread as the presence of that black aura filled the room. She let out a gasp as the dart pierced her neck. Everything seemed to slow. She could hear Terance and others shouting but it sounded distant. Then she felt the air beneath her feet and the air escapes her lungs as she was yanked off her feet and flung across the room. Her hair fell half out of its ponytail and loose across her face. She was just lucid enough to have the sense to pull the dart out of her neck but by that point, the damage had already been done.

She was dragged out of the room her mind racing in slow motion trying to think of something. Her body felt too weak to struggle, her limbs thick and heavy. Even her breathing came slow and labored despite her panicked mind. They came to a window and she vaguely heard her aslant ask her if she was afraid of heights. "Hights" She muttered. She needed to stay conscious. She needed to get the toxin out of her system. Everything else around her faded to black as her focus narrowed to the throbbing pain in her neck. She remembered something Madam Valkery had said about how everything had its own essence, its own vibration. If one could just hone in on the individual essence then one could duplicate it, manipulate it, or even change it. She began to focus on the poison that was coursing through her veins. At first, there was nothing, but then, through the silence, she began to feel as second pulsing, contrary to her heart as it spread through her body. Latching on to it she began to focus her energy into it, manipulating it till the pulsing matched that of her own heartbeat. She felt the blackness fade and her head clear.

Before she had a chance to get her bearings there was a blast of heat and force, the shattering of glass and then they were flying through the air. Eleanor let out a scream as her eyes locked onto the sky and towers of the college above them as they quickly grew smaller.

 

[Phillipa Ebonheart]

Phillipa was nodding as her question was answered when the door came off it's hinges. Her mind shifted to alert and fighting as someone appeared, the soft sound of something flying through the air drawing her gaze from the two professors as Eleanor was pulled from the group. The heavy door came her way, and energy surged as it was batted aside, it's momentum redirected as it arced over and away from everyone assembled. Devon had dove behind her while Theira has simply fell prone to avoid it. Neither of them had accompanied Phillipa on her journeys, and neither were prepared for the commotion that filled the room.

Her brow was furrowed as the assassin called her by name. Head tilted a bit as she watched them back away toward a window, the professors hand snapping harshly once more as she spoke. The marks on Kara Orin, Quoril, and Terrance fell away with a faint shimmer.

"Catch a tiger." She frowned while she spoke, the same mark from before appearing on Eleanor's cheek this time, slightly burning as it appeared. Focusing on numerous targets was much harder than a single one. The area with which she could follow the one nearly encompassing Elbion itself. The effort it took towards the outskirts of the city however were a bit more troublesome.

She stood and very nearly made it a full step before a knife came flying into view. Shortly after that a blast of energy was behind it and had pushed the pair out of the window.

An irritated huff came from Phillipa, her attention falling back to those in the room.

"Stay, follow. Up to you lot. I won't promise your safety should you come along." Phillipa informed them with a frown. The idea of chasing an assassin through the streets was not a terrically pleasant one. To many people that could get in the way. Or be harmed. However, even just finding one of their hideouts would be well worth the effort.

Phillipa was to the window before anyone could follow, the soft clack of her boots resounding in the hallway as she quickly moved away. There was certainty that she recognized that tattoo, from where though was the detail that escaped her. She walked behind the front desk and found the three pouches and cloak she had left there. Having not believed she would need them today, the ball bearings and other small items would now be helpful against other projectiles. The cloak was donned and covered the pouches while she made for the door, a sharp look to the one unfortunate enough to be behind the desk.

"The College has been breached. All departments are to be put on lockdown until security ensures nounwelcome guests remain." Phillipa informed the person behind the desk, who promptly sent a messenger along to each department and began the lockdown process. Quick steps led her outside as she began to round the building, magical energy beginning to whirl around her as she prepared to dart after the would be assassin. Her mind focused on the beacon of her magic she had placed on Eleanor, and with the spot pinpointed, the rapid magic propelled jumps Phillipa made cleared half blocks towards her target. A dagger was pulled into her left hand while her right prepared a few of the bearings when she closed in on the pair.