They quickly woke up carrying out various preparations, Alice was thinking about perhaps getting another item enchanted with ruinous defence. As she didn't like facing the possession magic. She would soon gain another chunk of magical resistance so perhaps it was a little pointless. What were the chances she would face another sorcerer with the same ability, or a similar trap?
Vivian knew about sorcery now, applying holy water to one’s self would hurt but it would stop a possession. She guessed that this was the way Martin felt when he didn't know a rouges ability's, when the brotherhood of the black hand had gotten the best of him. Vivian had been a bit more generous with David's allowance of coin to gamble away the previous night, it actually made him feel a bit better though he still lost.
Martin patched his equipment; he did feel vindicated in his faith and his companions. Despite the sorcerer’s supreme skill, a balanced party had overcome it fairly easily. They had caused the sorcerer to flee as his possession had failed, Ghost was a formidable addition to the team, perhaps they might look at recruiting a rouge or assassin working with the group on a long-term basis.
Ghost arrived as they were having breakfast, she grabbed a bowl and sat down. David looked up at her, “I suppose you need to eat about as much as we do”. “Power has its price, and its privileges I need to eat more to fuel my abilities, just like every other adventure”. Martin finished a bowl, “so we expect about 8 sorcerers left. They might have a few stragglers, apprentices on the weak side kicking around at main base right”.
“The local circle of sorcerers has been active for over a hundred years, there has to be one or two apprentices at the very least. They can't rely on recruiting fully trained sorcerers from other groups”. “We have not seen anything like a main base yet, there is probably a place quite far out. Where they hang their robes, somewhere out of the way of the usual beaten track”.
Alice looked thoughtful, “probably a site with strong warding spells …alters soaked with the blood of centuries of sacrifice they would have a lot of power …and knowledge saved up”. David wondered, “I presume that that power could be directed at us, can it be disrupted”? Martin was confident, “holy blessings would unravel it octium would do a marvellous job”. Vivian shrugged, “I don't have that many octium arrows”. David held his sword up, “this blade is mithril not octium”. Martin was dismissive, “it might take us a few tries to crack their defences like the lich's fortress”.
Vivian was morbidly curious, “how powerful do the rank and file demons get”? Alice had read up on it, “if you had a really high-level sorcerer …put a lot of mana into it and they possessed a powerful body, then it’s possible for a demon to reach level 100”. Vivian pressed on, “can they get any higher”? “I don't think so …that applies only to demonic overlords”. “Any idea how one of them becomes an overlord”? “If there is …the demons guard it closely”.
Ghost was starting to realise if she stayed around, she might end up with four exalted masters in the group. Martin was already on her level and the rest were not far behind. Their equipment was not up to standard. But then an exalted master had to collect quite a few bounties to afford equipment worthy of their rank. She was lucky that she could get a loan from the trade commissioner three years ago, to equip herself fully. She only now had a little left to pay back.
She started to think about her companions, four exalted masters would be able to fill contracts very fast. They had already chewed through most of the local powers in a short time. The lich with her skeletal dragon the vampire prince and his dam huge army. There was always something else hidden out there on the next hill or mountain over. But the four of them could bring in a contract in record time.
They could stack up the cash and acquire equipment equal to their rank, custom made blessed or enchanted depending on their flavour. She kept an ear to the ground; they had a large amount of material commissioned and they were already hunting artefacts looking for training. The four of them working together accelerated the process.
She could see it in their eyes a lust for battle. How Alice like to throw an acid strike and show how her magic was superior. Vivian's cold calculating shots mechanical lethal. David's drive for profit and glory, a bit of battle hunger and Martins foaming zealotry to rid the world of everything the church considered to be against their beliefs. The triune could be described like this, people working together through necessity. Only strong enough when they were together.
She knew that they were agents of the bishop of Good-ford. They were effective agents, but they could be far more. They would outgrow there patron sooner or later. The bishop would lend them to others who needed help, as the bishop didn't have the sort of work that needed. This was such a situation, a team like this needed full time work. People of their level were recruited by the truly powerful. The bishop would find an offer on his desk that he could not refuse. The king the high guild master would raise them up to emissary, one of the truly powerful. The patriarch used inquisitors and witch finders, but he might sponsor the four masters.
They might be split up between the three real powers, but they were unlikely to take such an offer from what she had seen. They had started out as practically nobody's and together they had grown stronger and learned harsh lessons.
Another thought popped into ghost’s head, the four masters made a lot of waves. The reward on their heads was apparently over 4000 silver and only growing. According to contacts in the criminal world. If they had not already then very soon, they would piss off one of the truly terrible monsters and when that happened they would have a target on their back so large that they could not hide. She swallowed remembering Thomas Drem, he had faked his own death and hidden in the cathedral crypt for years to avoid a Master vampire.
The four masters were far less subtle, for a moment ghost felt a very large target on her own back, from even associating with them. She had nearly 1300 silver placed on hear head by the thief’s guild, and she had been active for three years. The four masters might have been noteworthy for less than two months and already there was a huge reward on them, it was something to ponder.
The meal was finished they gathered up their weapons. Ghost had to hand it to them they kept their equipment close by. They wore most of their armour, they were properly paranoid for their kind of work. Ghost herself rotated where she slept form one night to the next and never truly left her equipment behind, even if sometimes she had formal-wear over the top.
They came to the main gate and a coach that had been selected. There was usually a mercenary riding with the coach driver for protection, the usual form of guard had been replaced with a veteran crusader with a very sturdy crossbow. He had some ability's that would make him better at fighting a sorcerer or demon, he was still there primarily to protect the coach so that they would have a ride to get back to the city.
There was a little cold rain as they progressed along the trail. The sorcerers base had been estimated. Its approximate location forms the fragment of the map. They had gotten a good-sized map and pencilled in the likely locations, there was a cave a minor nobles abandoned estate and a hamlet that had become fallow years ago. The first area they investigated was the noble’s estate it had been striped. Raised of every stone for building materials even the foundations dug away. It had been done a long time ago. Perhaps part of it had been used to construct one of the vampire lairs, it would have the appropriate thematic sense that the prince had employed in his dwellings.
The hamlet of four houses was still standing, the fields overgrown with tree's there was still a small garden that had been tended to, sorcerers still needed to eat after all. There were stacks of firewood a few hives and hutches with rabbits, small but established signs of civilization. Of course, Alice could sense a much greater build-up of magical energy. There were four alters like the one that they had seen in the forest camp, each one could probably be used as an escape.
Ghost disappeared for several minutes then reappeared. “I did a quick scout this place had four of those alters. But it also has six of those spider stalker demons patrolling, whatever the demon equivalent of a rogue is”. Vivian's voice was low, “what are their numbers”? “I didn't see any sorcerers, but they must be inside, outside I saw nine more hell hounds and eight more of those demonic soldiers”. “What about any of the winged demonic spell casters”? “There were two others in a hut perhaps the ones that you are thinking of”.
Martin took a quick glance into the distance, “how do we go about this”? Vivian scraped out a diagram on the cold earth, “we have the opportunity to plan”. “David you don't have a good way to destroy one of those alters, your acting as bait drawing the demons on guard duty away. The rest of us approach from each side we cut off the means of escape. I can put a few octium arrows into the alter and destroy it. Alice can bombard hers with spells. Ghost has her own octium and Martin can purify it until the thing falls apart”. Martin pointed out one warning, “the demons hear might well be possessing people, keep an eye out they will be a lot tougher”.
David didn't exactly feel enamoured about this plan, but he was the most heavily armoured and several of the enchanted items he had would boost his abilities. The others would be in position he walked forwards. The demon solders and several hell hounds stood up a demon with no armour picked up a wood cutters axe. David waited one heartbeat two heart beats. He noticed the demons were more solid as Martin had warned, they were definitely possessing the living their bodies were quite a bit stronger than conjured ones.
He started to retreat slowly mocking the demons unwilling to walk into whatever sorcerer’s trap was laid out. Six of the hell hounds and four of the demon soldiers peeled off and went after him. The rest were certainly prepared to back their compatriots up. David was aware of the demon stalker approaching him from behind his polished shield showed a glimmer of something getting closer and closer. He twisted round and struck removing two of the beast’s limbs, one fell to the ground and evaporated into a black stain, the second fell to the ground shifted and became human another possessed soul.
The rest of the group struck Vivian fired off four octium arrows into the alter closest to her, the magic collapsed as the physical structure collapsed. Martin charged out of cover his martyrs sacrifice blessing active empowering him to close the distance. His holy symbol touched the alter “purify, purify...purify”, the alter exploded into a hail of smoking stone and wood. Alice had several defensive spells she struck with fire bite magic. The alter failed to catch light so she switched to kinetic strikes and acid strike spells, physically breaking and melting the alter away until it collapsed. Ghost appeared over the alter a stab and a twist from her octium dagger and the alter collapsed.
They were confident any sorcerers about would not be able to escape and would not be able to draw on the strength of the alters magic for anything else. They still had quite a few demons to deal with. And the sorcerers that were stationed there.
Martin let the martyrs sacrifice blessing end, he didn't need it any more he activated his “sphere of consecration” blessing around him. Everything was effectively covered in holy light, two hidden stalker demons closing in on him reacted in pain. He swung round pistols in hand and blasted them away with blessed silver shot.
David fought off the majority of the demons, blocking backing cutting backing. He sliced down one hound that melted into a mongrel dog no longer possessed. He sliced again and a wolf lay bleeding out at his feet. The mithril shield was highly effective against hell hounds and soldier demons. They could not overpower him from the front and he kept retreating so that they could not flank him, it was the reverse of his usual tactic.
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Vivian targeted two of the demonic soldiers, the first charged at her bellowing to receive an arrow to the head with a second arrow to the neck and a third to the heart. The demon was knocked down but not quite out. The second demon got an arrow to the knee dropped down then received an arrow through both eyes. It was quicker the two demons succumbed from there horrific injures as the corrosive magic in the adamantine heads did its job. Alice concentrated her electric strike spells onto the hell hounds, three of them were fried as one managed to outpace the spell. The two spell caster demons were caught by ghost one flying away wounded with a dozen steel knives embedded in them, the second quite dead with an adamantine blade through there skull.
Martin was on the main group of demon soldiers “purge soul, purify” one of the demons screamed and dropped their demonic weapon and armour faded away like a mirage. Their body shrunk their horns crumbled and a confused shell-shocked man was left on the ground. Martin hit a second demon with the same combination and revealed a disorientated woman who could barely stand as the demon possessing her was expelled. One of the demonic stalkers bounced off Alice's shield spell only to be engulfed in an icy tomb spell, as the spell ended a frozen human body was left. Vivian targeted the hell hounds, three enchanted mithril arrows three strikes. Almost all the hell hounds were now gone.
The main hut opened, and a sorcerer showed his face. It looked like despite all their efforts there was only actually one sorcerer. He noted how many of his demons were left how the alters had been destroyed. He panicked and ran the opposite way from the battle, it was clearly quite obvious why he had been left behind. David moved from defensive to offense as the number of demons dwindled. He cut down one of the soldiers and wounded two more. If the spell casters had taken him on it would have been a different matter but he had picked a fight he was equipped for. Ghost intercepted the spells thrown at her with her own throwing knives. The demon's wings were mangled, and she fell to the earth. Before she had recovered ghost was on her and the demon was exorcised from its host in the most bloody way possible.
Martin used his blessings, “purge soul, purify” to knock out a third demon and revert them to human. He was out of such blessings so he would have to rely on more mundane means. A few throwing knives found the last hell hound and down it went. One of the stalker demons tried to avoid Vivian's arrows ducking behind a building the arrows tore right thorough the structure two missed but the third was the charm. Alice hit the sorcerer in the legs with an acid strike spell. They screamed and fell to their knees then started to crawl away a second spell and they slumped into the earth gurgling in pain there back dissolved to the bone.
Ghost caught up with one of the stalkers her blades quickly evened up the battle. Slicing away until it fell down dead, she looked around for other targets. David traded a few more blows with the demonic solders. The injured rouge like demon tried to take him again a cut and it was headless, it did make it a good ten feet before the demon collapsed. And its body reverted to the possessed human.
The two demon soldiers left stood back to back ready to fight until the end. A hail of bullets arrows spells and knives struck them 1 was left standing. David struck with his pummel and the demon staggered back. Martin was upon him his holy symbol pressed to the demon’s head. The wounded demon struggled against the burning sensation slowly bit by bit the demon reverted to a man and there was just another confused wounded human being.
Another brief hectic and chaotic fight over, their eyes glowed as the level up hit. Martin was not going to move forwards the rest were catching up Alice reached level 91 gaining the greater version of the mage armour spell. Vivian reached level 90 she improved her comprehensive training ability she could now train imperial guards one of the toughest variations to ever fight for the northern kingdom. They had the made of steel perk which stacked with the made of iron perk granting them an additional bonus 3 hit points per level. Making them amongst the toughest infantry to ever walk the battlefield. David reached level 87 raising his peak conditioning ability to level 2.
The next thing they did was heal the four injured people saved from demonic possession. They were far tougher with the possession than without and might have succumbed to their sustained injuries without immediate attention. There was still most of the little hamlet left standing the group recovered weapons reloaded and prepared for battle. The place was checked from top to bottom to make sure that there were no other surprises.
Alice sent up a signal to the carriage that the cost was clear for it to approach the settlement. This signal was in the form of a fire ball then two fire bites spells into the air. They then began a far more though search of the place. Bedding blankets capes and a rug were used to wrap up the dead with as much respect as they could muster. The sorcerer was searched one cursed ring and a cursed belt were destroyed. There were quite a few texts on sorcery Alice skimmed over them then onto the fire they went. Bit by bit the settlement was dismantled. They found a stack of provisions and fed the people recovering from the possession. The group ate quite a bit themselves.
They found part of the hamlet was a garden where corrupted plants had been grown. They were probably used in ritual for one thing or another they appeared to be mostly ordinary herbs that had been twisted in one way or another. Martin put them to the torch and the seed stock, the settlement seemed to serve a number of rolls, a place for the demons to hunt prey to sacrifice. A place to grow food and ingredients for some of their spells.
Vivian took stock, for all the effort they had put in one sorcerer lay dead. Now they expected about 7 sorcerers to still be active. They had removed a large reserve of demons and destroyed several alters even rescuing some possessed people. There was a handful of coin a few other bits, but the place didn't seem worth having, part of her wished to put it to the torch and be done with it.
Ghost unlocked a hidden compartment and Martin unearthed a ledger, it detailed finances supplies. This was where the sorcerers did business, for the food and other necessity's that they needed. In amongst payments for candles and bread there was more. A clue became apparent the finances included the money and favours they paid to bribe their way into town. There was a record of payment one meant for this very day and name of guard next to it. Seeing the man's name Martin went livid, it was quite an apparent from the records that this man had been taking the sorcerers coin for five years. Before him another in the guard for fifteen years and so on.
They grabbed the scraps of paperwork anything else of use and loaded up the coach. The bodies were lashed to the top of the coach and the possessed people sat inside. The coach turned and left as quickly as they could. The trail was very warm, if the sorcerers had not given up on the contract from the midnight king and had something else planned. Well they had gone back to town to try again. The pitiful handful of bronze penny's they found were handed out to the victims of the sorcerers the formerly possessed.
When they made it back to North port, they made sure that they went through the gate that the guard they had evidence against was not stationed at. The party went to see the deputy sheriff. The bodies of the sorcerer and those formerly possessed were dropped off at the cathedral. Some crusaders and priests checked them over. One was a former conman who had tried to scam the sorcerers the rest were just people abducted form the road and surrounding area. The town guard would have a few words with the conman.
Martin showed the deputy sheriff the ledger the evidence of bribes. The deputy sheriff was sceptical at first but called the guard into his office. Ten minutes later the man entered he saw the agents and the deputy sheriff. He tried to draw his sword only for Martin to flatten him with a mallet strike to the face. The deputy sheriff went to intervene, but ghost stopped him with a look.
The man could see the zealous fury in Martins eyes. Martin asked him questions while David and Vivian held him down. Martin used divine favour to heal his wounds and they started again. “Tell me how you got the sorcerers in”? “Please stop cutting, I had paperwork for a group of pilgrims, I got a scribe to make up new paperwork saying they lost it, I got it signed off”. “How did they get past the dogs”?
“A few of the dogs don't react if you give them a bit to eat, they don't question it”. “How did you get them past the other checks? “I have a holy symbol that isn't blessed, so nothing touching it will cause a reaction”. “The priest on duty takes a break every so often, you can slip someone past then. The magical tome that reads people, it can be tricked. The sorcerers have to wear someone else's skin as a glove, nasty bit of sorcery, they have to take that off them while they are alive for the spell to work”.
The guard looked over the group he tried to stand, and his legs gave out, “I suppose you want me to tell you where they went”. The guard Baldwin Downer had enjoyed a good life for the last five years, it was over now. Perhaps he could get some sort of deal. Martins angry eyes were inches form his. The man saw no difference between him a vampire a blood thrall anything that willingly served with the darkness. “A quick death is too good for you you’re going off to the tower jail”. He held an octium dagger in his hand. He forced Baldwin's hand down on the table. Baldwin looked about, the look in the rest of their eyes, apart from the deputy sheriff who looked away. The rest looked on him like he was a rat. A particularly annoying noxious one, but vermin none the less.
He tried to negotiate once more, “give me 100 silver and passage out of the city and I will give you the address”. Martin began to cut as Baldwin began to scream, “a man missing one finger might not be so bad off at the tower jail. Two fingers three the entire hand”? Baldwin cried he couldn't take the thought of it as Martin got ready for the second cut, he revealed the address of the house.
The hunter’s crusaders and city guard were mobilised. A ring was formed around the two-story property and the group advanced. Ghost did a quick scout, “six sorcerers their leader and half a dozen conjured demons. They seem to have set up some sort of very primitive enchanters’ workshop”. Martin looked around the rest of the group. “I am the best one to take on the leader of the sorcerers, my blessings are the best thing to counter his magic”. Ghost looked at him, “remember to leave a body, he has a reward on his head. It’s the best chance we have of a decent pay day for today's efforts”.
The least subtle members of the group went through the front door. Martin with various defensive blessings active. Alice wrapped in mage armour and several shield spells and David in his full plate tower shield up. The leader looked at them, “take one step closer and I unleash my supreme spell possession”. Martin laughed, “I ask you to surrender and submit to judgement, but you won’t, so we go at this another way. I know your bluffing your supreme needs several days or even weeks to recharge I know mine dose, what are you doing”?
The look on the sorcerer’s face indicated it was a hollow threat, he gestured around to a piles of mundane items. “It cannot hurt, I was preparing to scatter these cursed items throughout the city. People would have been possessed bit by bit, it would have caused chaos eventually. Its slower but has a better chance of succeeding. I believed it has a subtlety that the first plan lacked, I hoped to have you chasing all over the countryside while we were sitting under your nose”.
It was useful info, while they talked one of the sorcerers activated the makeshift altar. The portal pulled at the sorcerers Vivian had been ready coming in through the back door with ghost through a window. She put three octium arrows into the magic disrupting the portal. The red shimmering pattern faded into nothing. Still three sorcerers had made it into the portal getting away. The rest of them were trapped in the middle of a hostile city.
Martin nodded in respect, “that almost worked” he gestured out the door, “fight me one on one show me how well the demons aid you now”. Silently the exalted master sorcerer stepped past David and Alice into the street. He squared off against Martin he was not sure that his companions and servants would be that much help anyway. He cast a bunch of mental attacks at the vampire hunter only for them to have a very minor effect.
He swore under his breath, he remembered a high-level vampire hunters’ strength. He had to think of this fight as if he was taking on an elite vampire not a human. The sorcerer had a little over three hundred hit points plus some infernal bonuses. Martin had just over 4350 health. Still the sorcerer could keep casting defensive shields where Martin had a limited number of blessings that he could use. Martin threw a few blades and emptied pistol shots at the sorcerer’s protective barrier; the sorcerer threw spells. They were blocked by the hunter’s holy symbol or he simply dodged out of the way.
The party tore into the others, the demons had been recently summoned had no bodies to possess no spells cast to buff them up. David charged at the nearest two demon soldiers one with shield one with spear he knocked the first back onto the second and ran him through. Then delivered three quick strikes which left the demon surprised as it slowly started to fade away, as the spells that allowed it to remain in the material world faded. Vivian targeted the remaining sorcerers with her arrows she got two of them with octium arrows before they could even react. Alice targeted the hell hounds they were resistant to fire, but a barrage of fire balls still eliminated them and a good part of the wall behind them quite quickly. Ghost got the demon stalker slitting their throat impaling them through the eye then spinning there body around to block an infernal bolt form the last sorcerer.
Martin continued to fight against the exalted master sorcerer. He was an effective spell caster Martin tried to use “pillar of fire” against him but his conjured energy shield was effectively resisting the heat. Martin used his strongest ability “chain smite” it would take a few seconds to build but the electrical damage far exceeded the damage from his pillar of fire blessing. The sorcerer couldn't doge the attack, but he could summon a low-level minion right in the path of it to interrupt the attack. The sorcerer found himself strained but then he was fighting a well-equipped hunter of equal level. He didn't have his ultimate but then neither did the hunter.
There was one sorcerer and one soldier demon, left they looked around. The sorcerer held their hands up in surrender and the demon tried to run diving through a window. David intercepted the demon catching its lower half on his shield it didn't make it out of the window. Vivian put a few arrows into the demon and it slowly started to fade away. The sorcerer reached for a spell scroll of some sort. Alice hit them in the back with a kinetic strike spell while ghost stabbed them through the scroll with her adamantine blade into their heart the sorcerer collapsed dead to the floor.
Martin used his four barrelled pistol then the lion harts hammer to damage the sorcerers shield spell. He used the blessing “final judgement” to overwhelm the shield spell with holy energy shattering it. The sorcerer tried to recast it. Martin was quicker, “smite” the sorcerer staggered back barely able to stand his concentration disrupted. “Smite” he was down on his side unable to stand. The sorcerer looked around everyone had been evacuated, his allies had been eviscerated or evaporated. He had nobody close by to possess or use as hostages.
Martin stood over him, the pain of his burnt body, barely holding it together. He tried to cast a shield spell only for Martin to speak once more he favoured pillar of salt but stopped himself, “smite” a bolt of lightning flew from his holy symbol and took the sorcerer in the shoulder. Blasting a hole in his robe and charring his flesh to the bone. One final spell was unleashed as the sorcerer tried to use his departing life force to summon an overlord. Martin placed his holy symbol onto the sorcerers remains, not sure what to expect but cautious. He broke the spell apart using his purify blessing again and again, to undo the sorcerers last act of defiance against the natural order.
Martin wondered if there was anything beyond an exalted master. Technically he was over that threshold but only with his crafting job, his combat job was something else. He had a suspicion of what lied ahead as the sorcerer fell. Deeper than his spirit his very soul his eternal being embraced a new reality. A special action has been performed feat of marshal strength has been achieved. You have defeated a worthy opponent your level limit has been broken; he had a new job.
He wondered what that meant, he had time to meditate and ponder. It was clear the hunter job was a fusion of the crusader job and the battle alchemist job. He would probably gain the battle alchemist job if he ever reached rank 100 of the crusader job. He had some inclining of the crusader job from sir Reginald. He reached level two he gained a holy vow, “I swear to kill every vampire that threatens this land before the creator god”. He unlocked the mounted combat feat, even if crusaders these days were two poor to afford horses.
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He would also gain a one-off martial proficiency bonus with a chosen weapon, two of the founders of the vampire hunting order were crusaders with swords. So, he chose a blade, any sword would help. Like a mercenary he gained strength with each level he also had an adrenalin reserve as well as focus reserve. But no way to tap into the adrenalin yet that would be activated at a later level. He gained a skill sword parry putting it up to level 2.
The rest of the party were also progressing nicely towards reaching level 100. Alice hit level 92 mastering her mage armour spell. David reached level 88 reaching level three of his peak condoning ability. Vivian reached level 91 she gained the first rank of the stun ability, giving her attacks a small chance to stun an opponent every advantage she could take helped.
They quickly searched over the house that the sorcerers had been staying in. It looked to be a rental property. Few checks just cash up front. The landlord would get a stern earful from the guard captain about doing the proper checks, probably a hefty fine awaited them as well. They found lots of cheap trinkets a few had already been cursed the rest were piled up. It would have been a slow creeping attack as such items were circulated. Several priests’ monks and mages turned up to start going through everything with a fine-toothed comb, to remove any spell or corruption.
On examining the body’s, they found a gruesome discovery. Which supported the guard Baldwin's explanation of how the sorcerers had slipped past the gate guards. From the right hand of each sorcerer they peeled off a glove made from human skin. Enabling the sorcerer to fool cursory identification magic. Now they knew about the trick it would be looked for.
The deputy sheriff Ghost and a guard captain went over the dead bodies against a ledger filled with the descriptions of wanted people. There was a reward of 450 silver on the exalted master sorcerer Reynard Elyot he was confirmed as the leader of the local circle of sorcerers. If he had a deputy or protégé it was unknown. There was an unusual key on the body Martin quickly pocketed it as it resembled the other two that they had found. The sorcerer had a lot of enchanted objects on him but most of them were infernal in nature. They simply crumbled under a purify blessing.
There was one useable object on the sorcerer, a Greater Ring of the adder’s tong granting 75-point poison resistance and 20 points of corrosion resistance. Ghost had something similar already. So, it went to Alice the most susceptible to a sneaky attack from a poisoned weapon. Alice passed her ring of the adder’s tong to Vivian the second lightest armoured of the group.
Martin grinned he remembered an opponent’s words, how someone with a composite job. If they reached the pinnacle could gain the constituent jobs that formed that job. One layer on top of another. He had a breakthrough human could get past level 100 for combat jobs, it was rare, but he was proof. It opened a world of possibilities; he could help his teammates over that threshold now he was a crusader. They could each come to rival the elder vampires in strength.
While Ghost was talking to the deputy sheriff about the reward, Martin quickly showed the rest of the group the key. Then into the depths of his coat it disappeared. Vivian slowly made an assessment. Three more sorcerer’s dead along with the leader and the other base, that was five fewer members of the sorcerer’s group. They would soon have victory, then they could focus on the dam hidden hand and finding their secrets. Or at least a way to cost them so much money they gave up and abandoned North port.
Alice was a mage prepared to get her own hands dirty, to step up to the front line and test her shield spells against all attackers. To see if her magic was greater than some monsters flesh. She was vindicated by their continued success, they had found another mysterious key, three so far probably a set of four in total. A brief look revealed that they could be slotted together back to back. It was a mystery that would be a pleasure to solve, after they removed their current objective, she had seen Martin's eyes glow his level up. He was still growing that gave her hope that she could push her arcane potential higher and higher.
They went to the gate house, the deputy sheriff got authorization from the duchess and the trade commissioner and the rewarded was paid out hastily. The remains were taken to the cathedral to be taken care of. From the collected reward 90 silver went to ghost. 360 silver went to the rest of the group’s funds. It would pay for further equipment; ghost could certainly see the benefits of working with the four masters. It was one pay day after another, facing a lot less of the risk. She normally would have to pick off the sorcerers one by one.
They went to a tavern for a meal and drinks. A lay helper arrived, a messenger from bishop he approached Martin, “Martin Wright the master of thermite correct”? “yes”? “The bishop would see that you speak to him urgently tomorrow”. There was a note, tell no one you have broken the barrier I implore you. Martin had an inclining of the implications; he screwed the note up and threw it in the fire.
Ghost looked over the group as she drained her tankard. “I anticipate we have no more than three sorcerers left. Perhaps a deputy leader amongst them and a few pupils, it will be easy to remove the threat by comparison. Now we know about the sorcerers skin stealing trick they will be much easier to find”. Vivian looked meditative for a second, “and the pupils or apprentices”. Ghost looked thoughtful, “we grab some mana draining shackles, they won't be too dangerous to capture alive”.
She got up and left the group calling it a night.
The majority of the party went back to the duchess residence. David set up a few trainings exorcises remaking the obstacle course from the glass bay mercenary companies home base from planks carts barrels and whatever was to hand. Alice was on healing duty for anyone that fell off the course and Vivian helping him push the local militia and Levi's through their paces.
Martin went to see the merchant’s guild. It was late but Clarice the mechanist was ready in a cleared yard. The hand of Tesla was laid out on a table ready for calibration, they would use a stack of lumber as target. Martin strapped it in place on his left hand. He had modified his armour to accommodate it. A few hand movements adjustments of the trigger and he had it. There was a safety he could activate or deactivate. He filled the reservoir with the electro fluid.
The first trigger activation and his shot hit the ground five feet in front of him. Clarice made a few adjustments and showed him how to make further calibrations. His second shot went into the air over the target and burnt a chunk out of the wall behind. The next three shots were on the correct level but a little to the left. A final adjustment and every one of the last five shots hit the target leaving it as a smouldering stump.
Martin thanked Clarice for her work and her skill. The hand of Tesla hit quite hard but needed to be reloaded after ten shots, not something that could be done easily in battle. Martin had an alternative fire that could deplete the entire charge in one hit something that would give an elite vampire a nasty surprise. He had quite a lot of electro fluid left; they had harvested a lot of the blue beetles that the fluid was distilled from over a month ago.
They met in Vivian's room, Martin pulled back his sleeve and showed off the hand of Tesla. “A genuine artefact of the first vampire hunters, history of our order it’s a powerful battle alchemist weapon made of nearly indestructible metal”.
Martin decided to talk to the group about levelling up further. He was sure Vivian and Alice had noticed anyway, “I am now a crusader” David looked confused, “you mean that you are on a crusade, the bishop had a note about something to fight heading hear”? He shook his head, “not my job type has switched to crusader”. Vivian was not sure what she had seen, “dose that transform your levels from one to the other”?
Martin centred himself, “no, I am both a level 2 crusader and a level 100 vampire hunter, I don't think that there is a limit passed level 100. I don't think I have to break through again, when I have a total of 125 levels of combat job levels. That's it no more restrictions the gloves are off”. Vivian summarised it with what the average man knew as generally accepted fact, “I must admit until today I believed a human could gain 100 levels of crafting skills and 100 levels of combat skills and that was the absolute maximum, now I wonder how high we can grow”.
Alice grasped it straight away, “what about the …rest of us, isn't it really rare to find something around level 100 that can be nailed down”? “I will agree it will be difficult to do, but not impossible I have done it. That sorcerer slipped away through a portal twice before we backed him into a corner and forced him to give us a fair fight. We are in the middle of these trade talks. The vampires don't want us to have allies. More high-level sell swords, monster and human alike will turn up, soon all of us will be over the 100 barrier”.
David was also thinking, “you don't ever hear stories of humans that powerful outside legends like the magus prime, why do you think that is. If it was me, I would be milking it for every bit of coin and prestige”. Alice had perspective form her readings, “probably anyone that gets that powerful gets the attention of the stronger vampires or other monsters. Or they get a bit arrogant and bites off more than they can chew”. Martin was thinking it out, “if that's the case best we all keep quiet, I think the bishop somehow felt it”. They agreed caution and went to bed to sleep.
Status Screen Name Vivian Tanner Age 19 years old Race Human Primary Occupation Mercenary Level 91 Affiliation Glass Bay Mercenary Free Company / Merchants Guild Association Health 490/490 Adrenalin 455/455 Efficiency 2 Strength 97 Intelligence 5 Wisdom 5 Agility 6 Endurance 6 Charisma 6 Dexterity 5 Perception 5 Bonuses Level Attack Bonus 91 Level Defence Bonus 91 Bonus Base Weapon Damage 277 Class Proficiency Comprehensive Training L15 Layered Armour Perk L4 Adrenalin Power Shot L4 Bow Proficiency L8 Speed Shooting L8 Critical Strikes L8 Better Criticals L8 Pierce Armour L8 Shatter Shield L8 Strike Through target 8 Improved Range L8 Knock Down L8 Stun L1 Perks Bound by Oath / member of the Fellowship of Masters Intensive Training + 1 Endurance and Strength Flaws Blue Moon dust addiction Status Screen Name David Fisher Age 18 years old Race Human Primary Occupation Mercenary Level 88 Affiliation Glass Bay Mercenary Free Company / Merchants Guild Association Health 475/475 Adrenalin 440/440 Efficiency 2 Strength 94 Intelligence 5 Wisdom 5 Agility 5 Endurance 6 Charisma 5 Dexterity 5 Perception 5 Bonuses Level Attack Bonus 88 Level Defence Bonus 88 Bonus Base Weapon Damage 268 Class Proficiency Comprehensive Training L14 Layered Armour Perk L4 Adrenalin Power Strike L4 Sword Proficiency L8 Shield Proficiency L8 Adrenalin Power Block L4 Defend Against Missiles L4 Duelist vs single target L4 Defence Against Horde L4 Shield knock down L4 Bonus sword damage L4 Hail of Blows L4 Counter Armour L4 Counter Heavy Armour L4 Counter Shield Defence L4 Protect Allies L4 Contract Bonds L4 Soldier of Fortune L4 Battle Brother L4 Peak Conditioning L3 Perks Bound by Oath – member of the fellowship of masters Flaws Gambling Addiction Greedy Status Screen Name Alice Costar Age 17 years old Race Human Primary Occupation Mage Level 92 Affiliation The Eternal Tower Mages Guild/ Royalist Court Health 291/291 Mana 590/590 Strength 3 Intelligence 5 Wisdom 97 Agility 5 Endurance 3 Charisma 5 Dexterity 5 Perception 5 Bonuses Level Attack Bonus 92 Level Defence Bonus 92 Number of Simultaneous Spells 5 Base Mage Spell Cost 1 Mana Magical Defence 200 Class Proficiency Mana Regeneration L5 Analyse Magic L5 Recharge Enchantment L5 Spell List Fire Bite (5 Damage + 2 per Level ) 1 x Base Mana Cost Tracking Fire Bite Master (16 Damage + 5 per Level ) 1 x Base Mana Cost Touch Heal Master (15 Heal + 6 per Level ) 1 x Base Mana Cost Ranged Heal (5 Heal + 1 per Level ) 1 x Base Mana Cost Fire Ball Master (30 Damage +12 per Level 10 foot Area ) 4 x Base Mana Cost Touch Poison Cure – 5 x Base Mana Cost Tracking Acid Strike Master (16 damage + 5 per level ) 1x base mana cost Aura of Healing Master (15 heal + 5 per level per second 10 seconds) allies 10 foot 10x base mana cost Physical Shield Master (6 x level resistance to physical damage) 3x base mana 25 seconds Elemental Shield Master (5 x level Resistance to Cold lightning fire) 4 x base mana 25 seconds Icy Tomb Master (7 points of cold damage per level 13 seconds) freezes target in place instant 10 x base mana Electric Strike Master targeted spell 13 foot radius (40 damage + 7 per level) 4 x base mana Illusionary Allies Master - target individual 13 copies of caster illusions remain for 6 x level seconds 4 x base mana Poison Gas Cloud Master – cast on area 10 foot by 30 foot duration 7 seconds 3 point of poison damage per level 2 x base mana Bonus Vitality Master – cast on target gets 6 x level bonus hp for 6 x level seconds – 4 x base mana Tracking Kinetic strike Master 45 + (7 x level) physical damage 3x base mana Earthen Wall Master (defensive barrier) 8 x level + 90 hp of barrier – 3 x base mana Desiccate Master – causes damage by removing water from living creatures (6 x level damage) 3 x base mana cost free aim Mage Armour Master – spectral weightless armour on self armour points 2 x level for 4 x level seconds 4 x base mana Perks Bound by Oath – member of the fellowship of masters Flaws Fear of Bats Shy with Peers Self Harming Status Screen Name Martin Wrigt Age 29 years old Race Human Primary Occupation Crusader level 2 Secondary Occupation Journeyman Craftsman Level 11 1st Mastered Occupation Vampire hunter level 100 Affiliation Order of Steel and Silver / The Church of the Creator God Secondary Affiliation Bay City Guild Hall Health 4352/4352 Focus 555/555 Focus efficiency 2 focus Adrenalin 10/10 Adrenalin efficiency 5 Strength 13 Intelligence 5 Wisdom 5 Agility 5 Endurance 110 Charisma 5 Dexterity 7 Perception 5 Faith Yes Bonuses Level Attack Bonus 113 Level Defence Bonus 113 Bonus Base Weapon Damage 21 Class Proficiency Crusader skills and Abilities Bonus vs Demon Holy vow – Church Mounted Combat Feat Immunity to Taint – Demonic, Thrall, Necromantic, Ghoul and Vampirism Taint Sword Parry L2 Martial Proficiency – Sword Vampire Hunter skills and Abilities Bonus vs Vampire + Minion Resist Disease Holy Symbol usage L4 Greater Poison Resistance Blade Coatings L4 Focus Shot L4 Greater Psionic Resistance Greater Sonic Resistance Immunity to Taint – Demonic, Thrall, Necromantic, Ghoul and Vampirism Taint Pistol Proficiency L17 Overload Shot L1 Focus re-load L4 Throwing knife Proficiency L4 Focus throw L4 Focus Multi Throw L4 General Melee Weapons L19 Focus strike L4 Grenadier L14 Focus Parry L4 Duel Wield Focus Attack L3 Combat Medic L8 Focus Stitch L4 Trap specialization L5 Poison Use L4 Focus Diagnose L4 Focus Set Limb L4 Focus Resuscitate L4 Combat / Focus Dodge L4 Blessings Use Per Day Wrath – 25 points of holy damage unblockable x 10 Shield of Faith – 50 points of temporary health x 1 Guardian Angel – blocks first two attacks that would penetrate armor x 1 Guardian Seraphim angel – blocks first four attacks that would penetrate armor x 1 Armor of Faith – ten extra points of armor block both magic and physical attack x 1 Purify – remove taint disease etc x 19 Holy Aura – five feet - ten points holy damage – per second x 1 Divine Retribution – 100 points of holy damage unblockable x 4 Circle of Consecration – fifteen feet area ten points holy damage per second x 4 Sphere of consecration – twenty five feet area twenty points holy damage per second x 3 Fortress of faith – 100 points of temporary health + 20 points of armor x 1 Smite – 200 points lighting damage x 8 Divine Favor – 20 hit point Regeneration for 5 seconds x 15 Divine Regeneration – 20hp restored per second as long as left running also consumes focus – Overcharge can consume own hp 10 per second and stamina to regenerate Limbs x 1 Hallowed Earth – 250 points holy damage in 10 meters x 1 Martyrs Sacrifice – minus 4 hit point per second + 20 attack + 10 strength + 10 agility + 10 dexterity. - (really painful) consumes focus per sec x 1 Chain Smite – 200 points lighting damage + 50 points per second of ability stacks x 1 consumes focus per second Thy Will be Done – can see location of enemy directed to them Wrath of the Almighty – (300 holy 100 fire 100 freezing 100 electrical) damage x 3 Greater resist igna – resistance to 65 points of fire damage x 2 Greater resist lightning – resistance to 65 points of electricity damage x 2 Greater resist cold – resistance to 65 points of cold damage x 2 Litany of blessings – activates every unused defensive blessing x 1 Bastion of faith – 250 points of temporary health + 30 points of armor x 1 Citadel of Faith – 300 points of temporary health + 40 points of armor x 2 Pillar of salt – 400 point holy attack transforms enemy to salt x 3 Pillar of Fire – 400 point fire attack x 5 seconds can target spot or individual x 3 Pillar of Ice – 400 point Ice attack x 5 seconds can target spot or individual x 1 Greater Pillar of Fire – 500 point fire attack 8 seconds can target spot or individual x 1 Martyrs Spirit – summons an ethereal hunters spirit for ten seconds capable of holy damage then fades back to there rest. X 1 Crusaders Stride – cannot be knocked down or back consumes focus per second x 1 Field of Wrath – 25 points of holy damage all targets 25 foot in front of hunter x 4 Hand of judgment – 500 physical damage 500 holy damage knocks target down x 1 Word of Judgment – 500 sonic damage 500 holy damage stuns target 5 seconds x 2 Final Judgment – 2500 points of holy damage x 1 Ward of Faith and Flame – surrounded by light and flame anything in 2 meters 35 holy and fire damage per second x 3 sec – uses focus per sec Purge mind – cleans mind control x 3 Purge soul – removes demonic corruption possession x 3 Cleanse Air - cleans tainted air x 2 Cleanse soil – cleans tainted ground x 2 Cleanse water – cleans corruption form water x 2 Craft Proficiency Administration L1 Woodworking L1 Leather Working L3 Mettle Working L5 Sowing L1 Perks bound by oath – member of the fellowship of masters Well Maintained Perk on all equipment Pistols – improved critical damage 30% + Armour penetration 150 points Long ranger rank 3 Grenades – improved focus throw improved distance 30% + accuracy 60% Vitality level 3 – 4 x base hit points Flaws Alcoholism Zealot Survivors Guilt Sadistic