Utterly Mad

Timeline: Six and a half months into the cataclysm, a day before the death of Hunter Roxanne Blackmore.

People involved: Helen, Darius, Toshiro, Alexandra.

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"It is your right as Thane to know the nature of tomorrow's hunt. The enemy of old, the brethren-led-astray, one of their scouts and a sorcerer. No evidence of recent contact with the rest of their order, they are confirmed to be in possession of at least one artifact of grave historical importance to them.."

Within an abandoned cabin, a few miles from a city now inhabited by undead, a small flame of human life still lingered. Within the old building, a dozen and a half people reveled, enjoying food and strong drink laid out on a grand dining table, playing music that made the whole structure resonate with songs in Latin. The scene within was a rather peculiar group of men and women, many adorned with an eclectic mix of formal attire and medieval armor, some wearing cloaks covered in countless metal scales. Several wore masks of iron or bronze, decorated with other metals to mimic hair, though copper-on-iron was the most common form. For those that weren't wearing theirs, there were just as many masks laid in a neat row along a line of shelves.

In another room a young woman with light brown hair, wearing a bronze mask with silver decoration, conversed with a middle-aged man whose mask he kept laid on a nearby counter. His was unique among the collection of masks, deliberately styled after the somen a modern-day samurai might wear instead of the impassive visage of a Roman cavalry mask all the others resembled. "Defender Torshiro? I have the reports here." the woman said, handing him a set of maps and notes. "Just Brother Toshiro will suffice, Sister Alexandra. I've cast aside my old title years ago." he said softly, examining the notes. "Excellent. In one fell swoop, both our missions can be accomplished. I shall tell the others the news immediately."

Toshiro smiled a bit, stepping out into the main room to address the others, Alexandra close behind. "Tonight has been more fruitful than I'd ever hoped for. At last we have a lead on a dangerous enemy, and a party of our brethren joins us for this hunt." he said. Thus far he had only told Helen the true nature of the arcanists they were after, only the Founders and their children still knew about Shadows of Arcana. "Their own mission is now aligned with ours. They had been tracking down a cache of potentially dangerous artifacts hidden by a rogue arcanist we captured last month. It just so happens that the two we are after recently stumbled upon this cache. As both missions will now be accomplished in one action, we at last have a full hunting party."

Alexandra then spoke up "A full party, six each for assault element and support element. I will lead the support element. While Brother Toshiro will be a part of the assault element, he has requested another lead it. Thus, Thane Helen shall serve that role." With this, the others went back to their celebration, while a red-headed young woman led a darker-haired man to one of the nearby hallways. He had a youthful appearance and she seemed to act like an older sister as they conversed, but in truth he was about 4 years younger than her, and in the back of their minds they both struggled with conflicting emotions they had little experience with.

"Brother Darius. No, Acolyte Darius as of today. May you carry that title as proudly as your father did." the woman said, only for Darius to shake his head. "I still fear I won't live up to that, but. But, well. T-thank you Helen. You still carry the title of Thane far better than I can ever hope to carry mine." he said, Helen responding by setting a hand on his shoulder.

"You will live up to your father's memory, just as I have my father and mother. I swear it to Odin the All-Father and the God in Three Persons both." she answered, only to pull him into a hug. "Drink well, eat well, and sleep well. Tomorrow, you will fight by my side, prove you have earned your sword and title." she added, the thought lingering in his mind. The first actual sortie he's participated in.

Helen's thoughts were more conflicted. She had feelings of some sort for the Acolyte, and no idea about how to act on them. She decided they would talk about things after the mission, then she might have more courage to act on those feelings. At the same time, Brother Toshiro's words earlier had her worried. Brethren led astray. They would be a more dangerous, unpredictable foe than any blood mage. But must it come to this, when their divide was fading from the living memory of her order?

They must be brought to justice, made to understand why The Cleansing Flame acts the way it does, before they cause any further harm to the world and humanity itself...