phantasmalrift | DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

The shadows are starting to grow very long as you crest his particular ridge - it's not night yet, but it will be soon. In the shadows of the afternoon, with a tall mountain already blocking the sun, lies a snow-covered valley that is different from the ones you've come across thus far in your investigation.

This valley is home to a town, and unlike all the settlements you've seen so far - Incendia, the Telovia mining town, and the manor - it's very much active. There are actual people in the streets, visible from above, going through their days on snow-free streets, bundled up against the cold.

Those of you who asked were told of the handful of people who didn't go into the slumber of stasis as the Fissure conditions of the world grew worse and worse, instead isolating themselves and trying to continue living their lives as they could. Now, it seems, you've found exactly such a group.

Welcome to the Bellmare Enclave, and enjoy your stay.

[[OOC: Welcome to part 2 of the dungeon! For the most part, interaction with the town's NPCs can be handwaved as described on the main information post. Worth noting are the following major things: The Bellmare Enclave isn't expecting visitors, though the people are generally friendly to the new arrivals. They don't know about the time dilation effect of their Fissure - to them, it's only been about eighteen years since the Slumber Plan was put in place and they withdrew from the world. And finally, by a similar token, they have no idea how far the Fissures outside of their own have grown - while it's not uncommon for them to find odd objects from time to time, they'll assume that the characters are just arrivals from other places within their own world, rather than outsiders, until told otherwise.]]

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So what, trading one sort of baggage for another? Hopefully yours doesn't have to do with Royalty.

[The fact that he calls himself a Glaive though. That has Nyx's brows raising, clearly surprised and unsure what to think about this particular piece of information.]

So more than just family... you've vowed to serve him? [See he hasn't really gotten any of the explanation as to why Ardyn's not the Accursed anymore (after only just finding out he was more than just the Chancellor) so that's a little unsettling.]

Nah, and I'd say it's way more fucked up, but man, you don't get a whole lot more fucked up than the story of the Lucis Caelum royalty.

I'd show you my tat if it didn't require stripping half naked to do it. [Not that he'd normally mind, but. It's fucking freezing, fuck that. It's a miracle he hasn't gotten back into his armor, really.] I'm his Shield. Ardyn's Shield. As in, of the King and all. It, uh, it started out as a joke until it wasn't a joke anymore.

I'm kinda learning that.

[Tattoo you say? Now you've got his interest, Leonard.]

I want to see this later, when we're not all freezing our asses off. And I assumed you meant Shield of the King...[Except Ardyn was never King? kind of? It's all very complicated and talking about Shields only makes him think of Clarus' body pinned to the wall of the council room and sitting here looking at Church with his thick dark hair and dark eyes that would match so well with the rest of the Amicitias that just hurts even more.]

I will totally take my shirt off and flex in your general direction later. [church PLEASE]

Hey, uh, how...okay are you with Ardyn and learning fun new facts about him? Like. You didn't kill him before. Thank god. So I assume you're not going to keep trying, else, y'know, I'd have to play Shield and that's not something anyone wants to see. And that you're not gonna kill me for being close to him. Right?

[Okay that gets a laugh. Fucking hell Church you sound like Lib.

And then immediately into the serious side of things.]

I've gotten so many fun new facts I feel like my head's gonna explode but no I don't plan on killing him? Or you?

I'm reasonably sure that it won't be an issue because Regis respects Izunia for some serpent cursed reason. But if it ever comes to it I will do whatever my King commands.

[So until Regis decides Ardyn is too much of a threat y'all are safe.]

Okay. Good. Cuz, listen, I love Noct like a brother, but if his dad decides my husband needs taken out, I'm not gonna hesitate to do something about that, and then we'll have a family war on our hands, and literally nobody wants that.

[Nyx's expression quickly goes from mild surprise (oh? you know the Prince?) to startled (wait husband!?) to utterly lost as to how to even respond to what. even.]

Uhhh... I think... there's been enough war for everyone at this point?

...[Oh, he didn't know--oh. He wasn't told that part. Okay. Church takes off the glove on his left hand to show off his ring, black metal with a pink stone set in it.] He's got one in blue.

It's an exhaustingly long story, but yeah, I think basically there's nobody who's willing to start shit up, especially once people see the 'x weeks since murder' counter.

[Yeah Oh. But he does lean in to take a look at that ring, smirking a little. Of course it's black. Of fucking course.]

Murder counter? Is this... y'know what? Nope. Later. You can tell me about it later. I'm done.

[He hurts too much for this shit right now.]

Either way I'm in no condition to be starting anything, like you said.

It's literally nothing to worry about and fully for the sake of people--a worryingly, startlingly high number of people--who came from places where they were kidnapped and forced to play sick murder games, but yeah, it's, yeah.

...

Honestly, I'm astonished Zazu let you up here at all if he's so worried over you. And your...breaks and burns and shit.

Pretty sure this was his way of compromising. If I was stuck in that hospital I'd probably have terrorized three nurses and tried to break out twice by now. Especially with his Majesty coming up here.

No, let's be real, I'd have just warped after one of the sleds and I'd love to see him try to stop me.

I think you'd have been surprised at his effectiveness at stopping people. Power of the kings in the ring or whatever.

Yeah, I know. How d'you think I got this fucked up?

I guess he did kinda take most of it back though. [He's really not sure how much power or whose is in him right now. Is it still the ring? Izunia? Regis? Well... probably not Regis because he'd been dead when Nyx was dying so that power had been cut.]

He kept telling me not to put the damn thing on. Ardyn, I mean. I keep telling him, there's no way that kinda power reaches to a whole 'nother universe to burn me up, but he won't hear it.

If there's any other choice why the hell would you? I mean... this leg's shattered and I had, have I guess, two hollow points in my gut. There was literally nothing for me to lose.

Oh, I mean, if the magic were actually alive and active, yeah, that'd be a last resort, but I genuinely don't think if I put it on here it'd do anything but be a nice way to make some asshole lose a few teeth.

I feel like testing that theory on someone perfectly alive and well is a bad idea.

[Now someone that's half dead already...]

Which is why I promised him I'd never put it on. At least, not to prove him wrong. I get it, fire, pain, death, prices, but I apparently don't have any healthy fear of any of those things.

Prices that are death. and yet...

[Here he is. Alive. Sort of.]

If Izunia isn't in the ring though I wonder who they'd defer to for judgement.

[And Regis isn't either so no one to vouch for him this time. Oh but he's so curious now. Shit.]

Doesn't really matter, does it? They were all duped by their big nasty dumbass vindictive gods, so I mean, one would hope maybe that would sway 'em to be kinder.

The astrals are powerful beings sure but not everyone considers them gods, y'know.

Some of us are smarter than that.

Depends on what they know? Last I talked to them none of them really thought poorly of Bahamut. Fucker.

But they were also stuck in a ring for a couple thousand years. Whatever, I don't put it on because he'd have a conniption if I ever tried, and you sure as fuck aren't ever putting it on again.

I mean it would test your theory and I'm half dead already.

[Curiosity killed the Coeurl]

Yeah. Exactly the point.

[Yeah exactly, they're not losing anything if it kills him.

Are they going to get into a stubborn staring contest now? Is that what's happening here?

That might be what's happening here.]

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motherfucking_ghost - 2019-01-05 13:37 (UTC) - Expand

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hardbargain - 2019-01-05 13:43 (UTC) - Expand

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