The armor knelt down next to its arm, the smokey mist that comprised his true body snaked out to the gauntlet, raising it into the socket. "I thank thee, Verris. We shall see if my sword or our opponent is sated in this fine battle!" The knight closed in to the stairs, arms at the ready in proper stance for the vampire's next move.

 He seemed completely unsurprised at the Countess' revival, despite declaring her dead moments ago.

Feliph was kind of lost at this point, so for the moment she figured the best thing to do was kneel down and tend to Sankt. Hopefully some of her spells would help him out of his apparent unconsciousness. "I think some of you have learned more about this place and its people than we did," she said softly. "But we're here to help." The "we" in this case encompassed herself and Hamilton, who was sniffing the air curiously with all the new arrivals suddenly crammed into one space. He knew better than to leave Feliph's side and sniff at the oddly scentless man, though.

As she started in with her diagnostic spells, the angry woman caught her magical eye, and she gave her a more searching look. "You seem... poisoned, I think something is affecting you mentally," she said, sounding concerned. "Maybe I can help, could I perhaps give you an examination as well?" Somehow she doubted she would get an affirmative answer to that, though.

Kerath stepped between the newcomer and Feliph to protect her while attending Sank. He had his two swords ready for use if necessary. Kerath not have many weapons against vampires, except for his strength, which did not help much right now. Kerath not practiced magic and his weapons were not forged with silver. He thought that the best strategy was to protect Felip and Sank and if necessary behead the vampire head with a sword.

"Tora, use your fire on the bloody vampire."

Kerath roared while contracting all the muscles of his body in defense. His fangs gleamed in the darkness and his eyes were injected with adrenaline.

The flames on her claws goes out as she says "I think you have some misunderstandings Kerath. I have no interest in fighting her when that horribly vile creature lives. If he has some reason to want her dead it's enough of a reason to make sure she doesn't."

Tora takes a step towards the countess. "I do not wish you any harm lady. The healer is an enemy of mine as well. He's poisoned us and your friends and is trying to get us to kill each other. Don't let him manipulate you."

"H-huh?" the glow in her eyes dulled slightly as she broke her stare form the bats, briefly looking around at the others in the room. "I... I won't let you trick me. My amulet says there were invaders... and I remember fighting... something? I remember fire, and so many eyes...Urgh, my stomach hurts, so thirsty..."She stopped on the stairs, level to Zigor's helm, then leapt forward over the armor, landing knelt on one knee by Feliph, Sankt, and the Bats. Touching each of the furry creatures for just a moment, she sighed in relief. The vampire closed her eyes, breathing heavilly as though to calm herself from the temptation. "If I agree to a ceasefire, then can I have some blood? Just a tiny bit?" Her head turned towards Eve's scent instinctively, then snapped back. "It r-really doesn't matter whose..." An audible grinding noise came from her mouth, even her own servants wouldn't be safe for much longer if her hunger increased.

The Kerath Taliss's muscles tensed and he took a position battle, he was ready to wield his swords with intent to kill.

Another roar came from his throat.

"Vampire, if you take another step towards me, I swear for the memory of my wife that these will be your last memories!"

"Tora, I do not know if the poison has clouded my logic, or my aversion to vampires, or the fact that this damn monk has no odor, but I do not trust in any of them."

" If they want to preserve their lives, stay away from my blades."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Tue 16 June 2015.

Eve moved further behind Tora and Kerath. Something about the idea of being some ones meal didn't settle right. She didn't trust the monk, monks where too strict and yet untrustworthy. She clung to the rock wall she was leaning on, hands digging in deeply to the harsh rocks.

Lan'elli made no response to the goings-on around him, save to shuffle slightly and turn the point of his arrow to follow the vampire's movement.  He watched carefully, half-wishing that he could just let fly the arrow and be done with it, but he knew better.  Unsure as to his understanding of the matter, Lan remained silent and watched intently.

"Don't do this! You must see that the beast is only asking for your aid because it is weakened. My spiders have been removing warm-blooded creatures from this forest for years just to get her down to this level. At her best and most cunning, you would stand no chance!" His eyes were desperate while he said this, but suddenly he smirked.

"Please forgive me if we meet again, my new friends, but I shall prove her nature. Lady Branwen, you would like nothing more than to drink there people dry, right? You want to feel the warmth on your tongue, you smell it in the air with every breath, you hear the beats of every heart in the room, thump...thump...thump..." He taunted the vampire, and she in turn covered her ears with her hands, and stopped her breathing. Her stomach growled, and so did she, a low animalistic growl that would probably send most wolves in the forest running. "I've sealed every door and window; make your choice."

"Silence," Came the growl of the cat, though it may as well have been a Tiger for the ferocity that simple word had contained. "You're playing with lives, and I will not tolerate one commanding my destiny, especially one such as you." Her eyes had narrowed to slits as she stared at the Brother, a side of Tath very few would ever see - Possibly because she was so happy-go-lucky that so few had sought to tell her what to do, preferring instead to look in askance and in jest. In one swift motion, she drew her dagger before setting about loosening a sleeve. "Pray that we don't meet again, Brother, or else I'll slit your throat myself. But speak anymore, and you'll find yourself a Black Mark."

With that, she turned to the countess, the ferocity draining from her voice yet no less stern. "Keep yourself calm, my lady." In one swift motion, her bare forearm could be seen, Tath moving forward, stepping past the bats as she drew the dagger to her wrist, not cutting yet - She was interested in the Countess' reaction to her request before blood was spilled. "I'll give you what you need if you'll help us escape. Your bats were very kind - I'd like to think they try to emulate you, their Lady. Will you help us?"
This message was last edited by the player at 07:20, Sun 21 June 2015.

Lan's almond-shaped eyes narrowed.  Nearly amused at how badly this "Brother" wanted the Countess dead, he went rigid when Tath growled.  The sound made him shiver, but he kept his arrow trained on the vampiress's forehead.  He would let the rest of the group do as they wished, but he was more than ready to send his arrow through the woman's skull if she struck.  He wondered why the catfolk even bothered bartering with the Countess - she was certainly a more infamous thief than Lan, as well as an assassin!  This was an unexpected reaction from someone of her reputation, and it made Lan think twice as to his opinion of Tath.  Though Lan would have shot down the vampire and been done with it before a second thought, he second-guessed himself now.  The sudden moral quandary made his stomach turn: he didn't like it.  He'd rather keep things quick, simple, and easy.  But... he thought with a self-rebuking grimace, if we just killed her, hearing what we've heard and seeing what we've seen, we'd only hate ourselves later.  He loathed that knowledge, but he knew it was true.

"Everyone, please, don't escalate things with that woman. She's been poisoned," Feliph said, her voice low but urgent. "I'm going to try to heal her, but it might knock me out." She looked down at Hamilton. "Hammy, if these guys here," she gestured to her immediate vicinity, excluding the two strangers, "have to carry me out or anything, it's okay." Hamilton gave a low, rumbling bark in response, understanding at least that he was in on some kind of plan, though whether he actually understood what it was remained to be seen.

She set her staff down on the floor, then walked empty-handed to the apparent countess and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Okay, just try and remain calm," she said softly as she began her magic, though she was pretty freaked out herself. This was way beyond the usual types of adventures she got up to.

The sudden outburst from Tath managed to read past Branwen's attempts to ignore Arach, and uncovered her ears. She eyed the Catfolk's wrist desperately, and nodded. The monk too was silenced by the threat.

So entranced was she that she didn't notice Feliph until she grabbed hold of her. She tensed slightly, looking towards the mage. As the magic coursed through her, she could only think of the pulse on the wrists on her shoulders, the beat of the young woman's heart. Her hand moved upwards,barely resisting drawing Feliph into a bite. Her fangs clenched, and still she did not breathe; one sniff and the hunger would overcome her.

Finally the speel was done; her eyes widened like she had just awoke. Her hand unfurled from itspoised grasp and she reached upwards, patting the back of Feliph's head gently. "Thank you..." She whispered, with a voice filled with emotion, like she was about to cry.

She looked up at the others, and down towards the bats and Sankt, purposefully ignoring the illusion of Arach. "I will help your group as you all have helped me, I swear it my name and my existence. This castle has many ways out besides the doors. In this room alone, a second staircase lies beneath the steps, with a passage leading to the nearest town." She touched the jewel on her necklace, and with a glow, the stairway split, revealing another passage. "Go or stay as you wish now, and take all you need with you. I, my subjects, and my county shall always welcome you." She let go of the mage and smiled weakly.

The Kerath swords touched the ground. His feline face showed a little more confidence in Countess Branwen. Many were the feelings that invaded him, but the shame was not one of them. There can be no shame in protecting life with honor, His own life, the lives of his comrades.

Kerath looked directly to Taht... admiration, respect, courage. Taht was a feline, a good one.

Eve sighed as she relaxed a bit more. She looked at Feliph. The girl was brave to heal the countess. Everything about this place had been chaos. She looked at Lan, wondering what the half elf would do, his expression seemed to change with each new development of the scene around them. Eve leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling then the bats who had brought them this far. "Will they be alright?" She asked, truly concerned about the creatures. They had been the only reason she had not tossed the burning blanket on the countess what seemed like hours ago. She did not want to harm her for their sake.

Lan relaxed, nearly fumbling over his bow for his emotions.  He felt small suddenly as a realization hit him: she was no beast, as the Monk had insinuated.  She was the victim of her own condition, the prey to which she was also predator.

She was fighting it, she didn't love what she was.  The half-elf cleared his throat as he replaced his arrow, returning Eve's curious gaze.  He silently echoed her question, looking at the Countess with eyes that were no longer aiming down the shaft of a deadly arrow, but seeing past the vampire's strange eyes and into a hurt soul.  Inspired by the bravery of the young newcomer and touched by the vampire's show of emotion, the half-elf chanced another glance at Tath, the catfolk.  Certainly, this would be an interesting adventure from here on out, for truly these companions of his were turning out to be nothing like Lan's first impressions of them.

He only prayed he did not fall short when it came his time to step up.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:11, Mon 22 June 2015.

Tora looks at the newly opened stairs and back to Brother Arach. "It seems that your plans are a complete failure 'brother'. It's been a while since I've been on a hunt, and I think it's past time that you where the hunted. You'd better have a lot on minions handy if you want to make this challenging. If not, I may have to play with my food."

She looks around to the rest of the group. "I'm going to explore a bit." She then heads to the stairs and heads down.

As if waking from a dream, the half-elf blinked when Tora left.  He looked to the others and cleared his throat, "She shouldn't go alone," he mumbled as he tightened his grip on his bow and followed behind, keeping his right hand on his dagger.  "Some of us ought to tend to those who need it and others should look around and gather some supplies.  I have a feeling we'll need them."  He spoke to no one in particular, and in a soft tone.  Without waiting for a response, as if leaning on a newfound trust in his companions, the half-elf made his way down the stairs.

Upon finding Tora, the half-elf knew she was already aware of his presence.  he also knew that Tora was one of the few in the group who could have known, as the half-elf had naturally taken to the shadows.  He padded his way past her silently in the passageway, casting her a glance and nodding meaningfully.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:27, Tue 23 June 2015.

Kerath Taliss followed the semi-elf down the stairs. His night vision could be a great skill for this time. With stealthy steps, his strong legs seem to float on the stone floor.He took a deep breath, looking for some stranger smell in the new room.

There was a thought that bothered him. The monk, the monk had no damn smell. He never found something so peculiar in all his years and adventures. Everything has its essence, grass, wood, stones, fire, spray, bats ... everyone and everything ... except the damn monk. But what if the monk dominates some magic or some spells, and it turns out that the monk is an illusion, a mirage to confuse us. In that case, an illusion can not inflict physical damage and if he appears Kerath was prepared to use his swords.

The passage was unsurprisingly disused; no lights to be seen, but a few lanterns decorated the walls and the grounds in places. The few remnants of the past littering the tight dusky corridors suggested that this passage was once a mine of some sort. Besides the stray tools parts buried by time, there were even wooden cart rails leading off to a forked passage to the south, though the cart itself was nowhere in immediate sight. The support structures seem sturdy, and the air is dry enough to suggest the mine held good against the weathers of time.

The fruit bat and its cohorts finally awaken, as does Sankt. "Wha, wher are... Oh! You! You're Countess! You're okay, we were so worried..." The citrus named bat squeaked out happily, as did the others, they, in some dialect that bats (or at least the local bats) spoke.

The countess smiled at them "Rest for now, help our new friends if they need help finding anything, then get some more sleep." She stood up and bowed to the group of bandits once more "Thank you all again, I'm sorry for  anything that happened while I was... out of control. I'm afraid I don't really remember all that much, it's all kind of blurry. It's all been like a dream; scenes, smells, urges..." She glanced at Tath's wrist longingly, almost recalling something. "Er, excuse me. I have neglected my duties; I should see this fire is put out, then find the other bats and make sure they can get in." She touched the necklace she wore, concentrating. It appeared to monitor and control the castle somehow.

The countess, walked up the sides of the stairs that remained, up onto the walkway above the room near the waning fire that Eve has set earlier.

Tath watched as Feliph took care of the Countess, a small smile appearing on her face as she sheathed her dagger. Pulling her sleeve back in place, she took a deep breath, stretching as a tremor made it's way from her toes up to her head. Taking a deep breath, she sauntered over to Feliph, winking. What happened to the Tath that was so murderous just a moment before? Perhaps she'd gotten her way, and there was no need to be so gloomy.

Or, perhaps, she'd defied someone who had stacked the deck against them and was now choosing not to let him control her actions any more than he had already attempted to. She seemed pretty satisfied with the turn of events, regardless.

"Well, now, that's an interesting turn for the better." Tath chirped, before gesturing towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Eve finally forced herself to stand completely on her own. The wall had been stable enough, but they had come to the point when they needed to move on. She watched the countess leave them. She looked at Tath, and nodded carefully.

Tora sniffs the air and stares into the darkness. "Nothing has been down here for ages. I doubt our 'friendly healer' knew about these passages. When I track down Brother Arach, he's going to have a long time to regret his actions."

Feliph was left bone weary by the depth of the magical powers she'd had to call upon. She was able to hang on to her consciousness, but she unthinkingly leaned her head toward the countess when she patted the back of it, like the wandering mage planned on falling forward and letting the vampire catch her.

After a little while she managed to pull herself together a little mentally, at least enough to speak, but by then the countess had already walked away. She looked to Tath instead and managed to shake her head weakly. "I don't think I'm up for a trip. Can we spend the night here after all? Unless you'd rather go on after that man without me... I'm still confused about what went on here, I was going to ask that woman."