Inheritance

Inheritance
Date of Scene:	07 February 2013
Location:	Traverse Town - Church
Synopsis:	A mysterious thief is stealing powerful holy relics from the Traverse Church, and murdering those who try to stop him/her. VALKYRIE is once again called into action to stop the mysterious robber, however, the story takes a sudden surprise twist!
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Katyna, Avira, Vespa, Hati, Minerva

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Katyna has posed:
A few weeks since the church was cleared of ghosts and a particularly large heartless, it was the focus of yet another somewhat large threat. The church officials had summoned many of the heroes that had so nobly aided them in their last venture, grateful for VALKYRI's help once more.

They had been summoned to meet one of the church officials in the spooky catacombs of the church, which was a place just a bit less heartless infested since the larger threat had been eliminated last time. However, it was still full of numerous booby traps and dark, unexplored passages..

..And of course, treasure.

Katyna is the first to arrive, one who is always attracted to treasure..And to the promise of reward for her help. She impatiently fidgets, waiting for their contact to meet them and lead them to the scene of the crime. Lately she's been a bit quieter than usual, as if something were troubling her.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Being lit up like a living torch made of rat (again) isn't about to stop one Templar Faruja Senra from investigating a murder within a church. Particularly one he'd love to see come under the banner of his own. Maybe with another task under his belt, he can convince this particular denomination to join the fold!

"Lord bless, Lady Redsvaren. Come to investigate the crimes here as well? Your growing piety is, frankly, refreshing." Faruja greets with a slightly pained smile as he makes his way to the meeting point. He's moving slightly slower than usual, and what little of his injuries can be seem would tell of /more/ burn wounds in their usual spots. Giga Flare spells aren't kind.

Dooo doo doo. Time to wait for the contact. The rat kneels, praying as they wait.

Vespa has posed:
Vespa walks causally into the catacombs, the promise of a reward attracting her and the chance to explore some hopefully unexplored area was always an interest to her. She been away to long and this seemed a good chance to get caught what was has happened lately.

"Hello..", she says causally to the others gathered here.

Avira has posed:
This church just can't catch a break, can it?

Avira's in a fantastic mood today, mostly because yesterday their team won their Hades cup match! Not only that, but all three managed to remain standing! The celebration is, however, tempered by the fact that they had to fight another team of people from Manhattan's world (mostly), likely arranged to reduce their numbers.

The grinning Avira is hot on Katyna's heels, arriving not long afterwards. "Heya Kat." she greets, thumbs hooked onto one of her belts as she saunters over. "Always nice to have a repeat customer, huh?" Regarding Katyna, she watches her carefully. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Avira that she'd seemed a bit quieter since their first job here in this church. Hearing about the ghost of her paladin friend passing on must've hit her pretty hard.

"Oh yeah, Maira's busy right now. She might catch up with us later." Avira looks worried. It was the fire mage's skills talking to the ghosts that had averted some pretty nasty booby traps last time. "Vespa! Good to see you again."

Hati has posed:
The catacombs... again. It had been a bad enough place to visit the first time, with the dark, cold, enclosed spaces seeming like a far cry from the open spaces that the werewolf-girl prefered. At least this time she decides to arrive dressed for the occassion, which means a slightly thicker set of clothing rather than her usual loose attire. For good reason, she doesn't show her wolf form around most of VALKYRI, lest at least one of them that she's faced as Pyre figure out that she had once been working for the 'bad guys'.

The wolf isn't part of the group, but she had come before, and somehow word has spread to her yet again. It seems like she keeps showing up where VALKYRI goes, or perhaps just where a certain Templar goes, who knows which one she is actually tailing, or if it's just some sort of strange luck. She's dressed in layers, with a turtle neck and a hoodie, and a pair of pants that look like they belong on a rave floor rather than a battle. Then again, she's got those twin daggers strapped behind her, and a fleece cap pulled down with her real ears peeking out of it. Dressed as she is, the werewolf looks... young for once.

"I hate this place." She mutters on her approach, hands shoved into pockets. But perhaps she has her own reasons for showing up. It might be easy to guess that money is part of it. She hadn't given Faruja his share of the Mark reward yet, but she's never been one to be too swayed by shiny treasure. This seems to be all she says by way of greetings, though, nodding her head in regard to the others.

Hati has forced her way into the party.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva is a bit concerned about what happned at the churhc but hey it's over right or so she hopes but called again they have been so it's time to get back to work. She's alert awake and ready as she catches up with the party. "Aye we have come to take in just what has happened here." She pauses for a moment looking at Vespa she's never met her in person before. "Hello."

Katyna has posed:
It's true that Katyna still missed her dear friend and mentor, Sir Kasrillen, especially after hearing what he told Maira before passing on. Every so often when she prayed, her pearl rosary would light up as if he were watching over her quietly, and it was primarily that reason that she attended church more often than not. That, and a guilty conscience..

Right now, something else seems to occupy her mind, other than her brief visitation with Kasrillen. Not that she'd tell the others what she had recently discovered in the catacombs. She's not sure they'd understand. She's not even sure she understands.

Just when Kat's starting to wonder where everyone is, they start showing up one by one. Faruja is given a small smile and bow, although she quirks a brow at his words of praise. Ahh, if only he knew, but she wont say a thing.."Faru. Good to see you again!" Then there's Vespa, Avira and Minerva. She nods and smiles to them as well. "Heh, guess this church really likes VALKYRI. Sorry to hear that Maira wont be joining us." Indeed, she was growing fond of the other girl...

And guilty too...

Then Hati appears, and she smiles a bit and nods to her, still oddly quieter than usual. "Hey, Hati. Y'seem to be hanging 'round VALKYRI a lot lately." Or was there someone in particular she was hanging around more than usual? Whoever it was, she was sure it wasn't herself.

"Well darn, where is this contact, we're supposed to....." And then suddenly light footfalls and the glimmer of a brilliant flaming torch skitting across the walls and hallways marks the entrance of their contact: A priestess in a long white hooded cloak, her intense amber eyes both strange and some how familiar, as she peers at each of the heros in turn.

"Greetings, friends.." She states with a polite and formal bow, peering around at each one in turn, her voice sweet as honey. "My name is priestess Felicia. I am glad to see you were all able to make it tonight. Before we start, allow me to explain why I summoned you." She clears her throat before continuing. "As you may have heard, there have been many rumours as of late, regarding numerous robberies of some very invaluable and even powerful holy relics and treasures."

The woman sighs softly, shaking her head, seeming quite saddenned by this. "We have some very sophisticated booby traps, and..Guards that regularly patrol these catacombs. Some more..Unique than others.."

Kat's eye twitches for some reason at this point.

"..However, it seems this thief has managed to...Elude all of them. What's worse, many of these guards have been brutally murdered. We now suspect that they may be more skilled and more dangerous than a mere thief. I wish you to track this thief down and detain him. I shall lead you to the treasury where he is expected to strike again, tonight. Please let me know if you have any questions before we continue.."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Grin! Faruja rises from his prayers. "Lady Avira. Ahh, thank the Lord, yet another person used to the...ahh, oddities...of this hallowed ground." Or maybe not. There were quite a few deadly traps beneath Mullonde that the Templar got up close and personal with.

All of the ladies get a bow, though especially Vespa. The exchange between her and avira gets noticed. "Mmm. A member of Valkyri, then...M'Lady Vespa, is it? Temple Knight Faruja Senra, of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados. Well met. Your bravery is commendable, to join us on this righteous mission to bring the vile evildoer(s) to justice!"

Turning about, the rat tilts his head slightly. Hati's here. Again. Huh. And dressed in a rather interesting manner.

"Good 'eve Hati." No chastising for her comment. Really, the catacombs /do/ suck. "The looks suits you, methinks."

A bow to Lady Minerva! "Lord bless, dear Dame Monk."

Faruja notes the eyes, and a familiar feeling. Slightly odd, but then again, given his profession he's met a /lot/ of Priestesses. Have they ran into one another before? His almost photographic memory for names fails him, until she introduces herself. Dipping to one knee for a moment, enough to show respect yet not kowtowing to a non-Ajoran Priestess, he crosses his chest. "Lord bless, Honored Priestess." Greets the Templar before he's down to business.

"How were these valiant guards murdered? Blade? Flame? Gun? If we know more of what this thief uses, we may at least be somewhat more prepared."

Avira has posed:
"Faruja!" Avira greets brightly, "Somehow I had the feeling you would be here." A frown graces her scarred face, "Though you look a little beat up. Getting into more trouble?"

As for Maira... "She was pretty sorry she couldn't come." Avira half-smiles, extremely pleased to hear that this church has taken a liking to VALKYRI. Good press was always fantastic! "Some things can't be helped."

Katyna goes on to point out an astute observation as Hati shows up and noses her way into the party. Avira too has taken notice of Hati's surge in participation in their activities, though she assumes that this occurs through Katyna. Except this time Katyna seems surprised that Hati is here, meaning she probably didn't invite her..hmm. "Interesting, that. Instinct, maybe?" she looks over to Hati. Wolves naturally want to be in packs, after all.

At last their guide arrives and Avira stares back at the woman in turn. Avira finds herself feeling a bit unnerved at the unplacable familiarity. As the woman goes on about robberies, she starts to think "Max" until it is pointed out that this thief has murdered people, which is something her suave French friend would NEVER do.

Avira lifts a hand. "Yes, how much time do we have before he strikes tonight?"

Vespa has posed:
Vespa smiles back to Avira. "Thank you. Good to see you too.", she sighs and pauses "Sorry away for so long. I'll try and be around more to help out..", her voices trails off at the end there. She mutters lightly to herself no sense worrying about what did or didn't happen just try and be here for people, her freinds now.

"hello..", Vespa says back to Minerva. She nods to Fajura, blinking at his long name and it a bit surpised at his entusiasm. "Nice to meet you ...Faruja Senra."

She listents to Priestess Felicia. she frowns her fist clenching as she talks about the roberies and murders. "I really hate theives....", seemed to her that this one wasn't stealing for the money and what kind of thief kills the guards too. How unprofessonal.. She just listens for the moment.

Hati has posed:
The wolf takes out one of her daggers, flipping it in her grasp once, twice... catching it each time as she seems to occupy herself with the idle task. When the others turn their greetings to her, she tips the edge of the dagger to her forehead and offers them a salute. Whatever her purpose for 'nosing' her way into the group, she doesn't seem to focus too long on any of them, shealthing her dagger again soon enough, tail swaying behind her. "You keep things interesting." She notes, as if this somehow explained her reasoning.

The arrival of the priestess has Hati's ears perking, her nose twitching to take in the woman's scent the moment she steps forward out of the darkness. She's awefully quiet, herself, but then again, the wolf didn't tend to do much talking in larger groups. Instead, she tended to be something quiet until the need came for violence - like a force of nature. Those amber eyes are noticed, though the color seeming more wolf-like to her, although they are not terribly familiar.

"Have you found anything left behind by the thief... something that might carry their scent?" While she certainly is no bloodhound, the wolf's nose is a might bit keener than that of some other species. If nothing else, she might be able to use some scrap to be able to track where the thief is gaining access to the underground. "And do they seem to be taking anything in particular... any kind of pattern?" She cleans beneath one claw with the finger of her opposite hand, seeming interested, but perhaps not as clearly invested as the others.

Katyna has posed:
She nods to Faruja although her visage seems slightly grim. "Tis an honor, Sir Faruja, to meet you. I have heard of the holy church of Glabados. A most honorable institution." Her gaze turns to each of the other members in turn, although it rests the longest upon Katyna for some reason. Only then does she smile before looking back to Faruja again.

"Indeed, they seem to strike in the middle of the night, about an hour from now. We should have time to get down to the treasury before then, and stick to the shadows. This thief is sneaky. There are many hiding places down there, but we should have no trouble spotting him. If anything, he is predictable from what little information we have gleaned from him. He will head straight to the treasury, towards the very back chests where most of the more valuable items are stored. Oh, one other thing...All of his victims seemed to have burn wounds that are always associated with the clean cut that a blade would make.."

She looks towards Hati for a moment as she suggests an item that carries their scent, frowning for some reason as she shakes her head. "No. I'm afraid not. This thief has been very careful about leaving clues behind. He's been most impeccable. The best we can do is hide and wait. It's what the other guards have done before, but as I've said, this thief managed to kill as many as five at a time. We suspect he may be using one of the holy relics to augment himself, in particular, a mystical gauntlet that was the first thing to be stolen..."

Priestess Felicia begins to walk down the long hallway, leading the party towards the treasury as she speaks. "Rumour has it that this legendary gauntlet has incredible power. In the right hands, it can increase a person's natural power tenfold. But it is also said to be cursed. That it takes incredible willpower to control the gauntlet. Lest it control you and turn your own fears against you.."

Katyna continues on in silence, only shrugging at Avira when she asks about Hati. Of course she is glad that Hati is here, especially given what happened the time only she and Gesandte were down here. Perhaps she is the only one who could truly understand her. She hopes. Still, as she listens to Felicia's story, Kat seems to frown every so often, shaking her head slowly but saying nothing. Something the woman said seems to bother her.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva gives Vespa a look over for a moment sne nods and says "Minerva, I take it you been out missing member?" She tilts her head a lit bitt and she turns her attention at the matter at hand as she seems almost distracted by something a she looks about pionder on the questions about the deaths of teh furd. "Hello Ser Faruja." She goes back to thinking on the problem at the mention of the theif and has to agree "There's something else going on here."

Faruja Senra has posed:
As Avira questions him, the rat glances back to Hati oddly enough. "...This may sound strange, coming from a Temple Knight,however it seems churches have not been kind to my health as of late. Nor deserts and rogue Clans." Another week in the life of Faruja Senra; seems he's rarely /not/ in a scuffle.

The mention of the Church gets a nod, the rat not wasting but so much time with pleasantries. However, her seeming receptiveness is noted. He'll have to use that later.

Burn wounds? Faruja has heard of such abilities. "Some sort of sword mage, then, mayhap." The rat ponders.

Shiver. The sound of that gauntlet doesn't sit well with Faruja. "...Quite dangerous."

The rat is sure to stick near the Priestess as they walk, assuming his calling's main purpose; protecting Temples and Holy Men/Women.

Vespa has posed:
Vespa says, "Great. This doesn't sounds like a simple robbery anymore..", Freya sighs "Someone running around with a powerful relic and has lost control..", she turns to Minerva. "Yes I was away for a while but I'm back now. ", she hms thinking on the possibe ex-theif and may have happend to him."

Avira has posed:
"An hour, then? Well, let's get moving to the treasury." Avira taps her chin, "I'm thinking 'ambush' may be a good option here-" she looks to the priestess. "You've already tried that before, it seems. Though given our time and wide array of skills, I think we might stand a chance. He may expect guards but.."

Avira grins. It's almost kind of cocky! "..he won't expect us!"

She walks along, following behind Felicia and making no attempt to move ahead of her. Avira had some vivid memories of the traps down here! "Oh, about this gauntlet. How large is it? How much of the arm does it cover? It only grants super strength, righ? Nothing along the lines of, say, iron skin?"

Hati has posed:
The wolf nods once. Even if there is no way of tracking this thief, at the very least they have enough of a lead to go on to form some sort of attack. Sometimes, setting up an abush is the perfect form of pack combat. She falls into step, moving to flank Katyna. As she often does, the wolf-girl tends to move around others as if she were an extension of them. It's a predator's mentality, adding her strength to that of others.

"Nor fire." Hati adds in to Faruja's explination of his usual array of injuries. They had managed to come out of their hunt mostly unscathed, but that doesn't mean that a certain Templar hadn't gotten himself into other trouble. The fact that this weapon wielded by the thief inflicts 'burns'... that does not bode well for someone who seems to have the world's worst luck. Well, perhaps second only to Reize.

Though she doesn't quite look the part of a fighter at the moment, Hati's ears are keen, and her bestial eyes take in the passageways they aren't traveling through. She ahd gotten lost down here before, so trying to memorize the way back this time would be useful. The others were right, it didn't sound like an ordinary robbery. Otherwise, the thief wouldn't come back like clockwork. It is foolish to return to the scene of a crime.

"I agree. This sounds like no ordinary thief. We'd best be watchful." She tugs the fleece hat down, failing miserably in any attempt at looking fearsome while wearing something with dangly, fuzzy bits that dangle down against her chest. At the very least, she doesn't feel cold this time.

Katyna has posed:
Legendary Gauntlet huh? Katyna frowns a bit as she thinks about that for a moment. Of what she'd do if she had such a power. It's..It's soo tempting. But, would the price be too high? It's a frightening thought, and once again reminds her of her conversation with Riku. But..But there must be a way to control it, right? She smiles to herself. If she had that Gauntlet, then.....

Twitch. twitch. Dont mind Kat over here, nothing to see here, really! She continues along in an almost disturbing silence, straggling along behind the others. When Priestess Felicia mentions burn wounds and Faru suggests a sword mage, she just clenches her fists. Ooh, she *really* doesn't like where this is going...

"Careful." Priestess Felicia says suddenly, slowing down as she shines her torch upon the ground up ahead. "There are some spike traps in the floor up ahead. Step exactly where I step. I've found a short cut that will lead us to the treasury in no time. Just be careful." And with that, she begins to do a little hopscotch sort of thing, stepping carefully only on certain squares, hoping the others do the same. There's a large iron door at the end of the very long and narrow hallway. The treasury is surely beyond that door.

As she follows after Felicia, Katyna suddenly, randomly laughs nervously, then once again falls into her eerie silence. For some reason, Felicia simply smiles quietly at her. "Worry not, dearie, as long as you follow my exact steps, you shall be safe.." she states gently, almost too warmly, almost as if she were talking to a close friend or..Someone else.

She pauses at the end, glancing over at Avira, "Tis but a small gauntlet, light metal, covering only up to the mid-forearm. Grants super strength and a bit of invulnerability too, I believe. I suppose it's tempting..For some.." Again that strange gaze as she locks eyes briefly with Katyna, who stares back speechlessly with her own...Amber eyes. And blinks in surprise for some reason.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's tail swishes a little more, though not quite out of irritation as Hati speaks. "'Tis /always/ fire. Oft it seems the Lord drives us towards the source of our own fears." Seriously. He might have to ask Maira to make him a fire retardent set of robes!

Suddenly, the rat's happy for the extra layer of robes. Yup, Catacombs, still freezing. He follows along.

Peer. Faruja tilts his head at Katyna. "Are...you quite alright Lady Redsvaren?" Comes the rat's voice hesitently. Is all of this chill robbing her of her senses?

The exchange between Katyna and the Priestess is noted, and the rat rubs his chin.

"...How curious." He mutters quietly.

Vespa has posed:
Vespa follows stepping excatly where the Priestess steps, not having any trouble at all.

"..Was too tempting for one person anyway. There are downside always do those sort of anicent weapons.", thought she not one to talk...

Avira has posed:
Every now and then Avira does do a quick headcount, just to be sure. She didn't want, say, Hati running off and getting lost down here again. Kat...Katyna seemed to be acting strangely. Very twitchy and defensive, not to mention dragging in the back.

Watching Felicia pull off the hopscotch-esque moves, Avira manages to successfully repeat them and follow. Once she makes it over, she turns and looks at Kat strangely, given her unusual behavior.

"Hmmmm. Perhaps one clean cut to sever the arm from the shoulder might solve this problem." Avira helpfully suggests, as far as this gauntlet goes. "I have heard in some cultures that the fitting punishment for a thief is to cut off a hand. For the sake of not dying, we might have to take off a little more."

Hati has posed:
Following the exact path that the priestess takes isn't a difficult task for Hati, who hops between the stones as if it were little more than a children's game. She doesn't even take her hands out of her pockets as she follows behind those leading the way through the catacombs. A glance is cast behind her, offering a small quirk of her lips. "At least you have something to help take care of such things now." She offers, inclining her head towards the Templar. He had, afterall, asked her for some sort of potion the last time they had been down within these walls.

Her mismatched gaze comes back around, hovering on Katyna for a long moment. It's almost as if the wolf can see her train of thought, at least part of it, anyways. Her eyes narrow, but for now she just keeps her mouth shut. Clearly, some part of her reason for going on these escapades was to try to keep the Ember Knight out of trouble, and of course, she tends to fail at this more often than not.

The suggestion of taking the thief's arm off draws a hint of fangs beneath her lips, "Might be easier said than done, if they have some sort of invulnerability. There has to be some weakness to it, though." Her tail twitches once, but is otherwise mostly still, hoping over the last stone and landing in a crouch, sniffing at the path as if she were trying to remember it by scent alone. Then, she's back to watching the interplay between her friend and the priestess. Something is going on there, and it makes the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva wonders how well she'd be suited for this she's good at fighting sure but prehaps not more than that she's come to realise still prehaps there can be something about trying to get into the head of the person. AS she listens abotu the item she nods "humm it would be a tempting thing, there are those who'd pay a lot of coin and clearly the thief found it was worth killing over." She seems to go back into thought thinking about this in connection to the theif being willing to kill. "Is there something we do not know about it?"

Katyna has posed:
Amber eyes..Like her own. Why does she seem so..So similar? And this corridor, it was the same place where she went with..If only she knew, then...She shivers at it all. Something..Something doesn't seem right, but then, she dares not say anything herself. Not after what she and Ges saw...But wait! There was something the priestess had forgotten to mention...!

The priestess just smiles sweetly at Kat and fishes through her robes for her keys. "Much easier than blasting through. Give me a second.." She fits the right key in and turns the doorknob...Openning the way to the treasury with a gust of wind. That door was pretty big and heavy! The room is a bit more decorative and alight with torches, making it slightly brighter as she steps in, glancing around. Plenty of crates and chests and large piles of gold would make excellent hiding places.

"We still have time. You should take your positions...."

Katyna suddenly moves quickly forward, peering at a bloodstain in the floor. "But..But what about that other thief that was down here..And the spirit knight that was protectin the treasure? I..Dont understand..." She scratches her head, wondering if she gave away too much as it is. Felicia just smiles, turning towards Katyna. The wind blew off her hood, revealing her flaming red hair. Strange, she...Looks a lot like Katyna!

But before she can answer, all the flames suddenly go out, throwing them in pitch darkness!

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Remove the arm with thy blade, M'Lady Avira, and I shall be more than happy to lay spearpoint into the wretch." Hopefully no one here's actually hoping for mercy towards the thief. His own orders were explicitly 'kill' rather than 'capture'. Something that the Burmecian is fairly good at, all things considered.

Faruja actually smiles a bit awkwardly at Hati's mention of the burn ointment. He's already gone through a third of it, thanks to that jerk of a Nu Mou. "Let us pray I shan't make use of it overmuch." Sadly, the rat might have to start buying them from the wolfess in bulk at this rate.

The rat's fur prickles as they enter the treasurey. A flick of wind, and suddenly, Faruja is staring at two very similar women.

"...Lady Redsvaren? Are you related to the dear Prieste..." Suddenly, DARKNESS!

But they've a Paladin in the party. Concentrating, it doesn't take much for the small Burmecian's body to light up with Holy energy like a torch, weapon and body alike shining in the darkness like some sort of living lamp. Aiming it around, he'll try to cast some light on his companions.

"Is everyone quite alright?"

Vespa has posed:
Vespa looks at Katyna. "What are you talking about?", she looks at Felicia as her hood comes down seeing she has similia hair colour as Katyna. Are they related somehow? Before she can comment of this fact the room goes dark.

"Great. A trap.",she turns to Faruja able to see a somewhat now." I'm fine. Time to go work Al!", she pulls broach from off her neck it changing into her humougus axe, the blade hitting the floor.

Avira has posed:
What tension. Avira can't help but think that Katyna looks like she's seen a ghost. Given the interactions they had the last time they were down there, it's equally likely that such is the case. As she heads for the back where the inevitable row of to-be-pillaged chests awaits, she gives Felicia a long look.

Something felt off.

A she walks, she keeps an eye on Felicia, pausing suddenly as she sees this woman's head. So that's why it was so familiar.

Felicia looked a LOT like Katyna! About to point this out in a Captain Obvious type manner, the lights cut out. It's not completely dark here as there is still the faint glow of the crystal around Avira's neck.

"Careful, this might be the thief."

Hati has posed:
Something is definitely not right here. A growl works its way up from Hati's chest even before the Priestess pulls down her cloak, looking far too much like Katyna for this to sit well. The Fur bristling, the moment the lights go out, Hati actually backs closer to the others, possibly bumping into a few bodies in the process. She doesn't reach for her daggers just yet, knowing that people might be moving close by. She has no light source to see by, and until the others start to use their abilities to shed some light.

"Kat?!" She calls out into the dark, a growl behind the word. Whatever this is, she doesn't like it and the wolfy protective instincts just went into high gear.

Katyna has posed:
Is she related? Indeed, that's a very good question, and one that Kat does not have an answer..Instead, she just...STARES at the priestess in total shock..And then suddenly the lights go out! "Aah!" She yelps, stumbling and falling to the ground. "What the...Oof!"

And then suddenly there's the blood curdling scream..Was it Kat or Felicia? They suddenly sound similar too...

The lights suddenly come back on, and...Kat's wearing the gauntlet..Which is tinged with blood. And Felicia? She's nowhere to be seen...

Avira has posed:
The curiosity is maddening. Avira desperately wants to ask this woman where she came from. All sort of things! But for tonight, that was not in the cards.

The lights come back on revealing that Aivra had gotten her SPine out, perhaps too early.

Felicia is gone. Katyna has a strange gauntlet on her arm, perhaps /the/ gauntlet. "What the.." 'precise cuts, all with burns' "...Kat, don't tell me that this thief.."

She looks at the gauntlet, feeling bad about her earlier suggestion now, "...is you. That can't be possible, right? That can't be the gauntlet, right? Maybe you should do us all a favor and take that off."

Vespa has posed:
Vespa lifts her axe up shifting inot a battle stance looking at Katyna "..okay so now what?", she look at Avira. "I think that be a good idea as well take it off.. I really don't want to hurt you.."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Two women, both extremely similar in both body and apparently voice. A scream. Lights flick back on, and Faruja is left blinking at the sight of Katyna with the gauntlet. Was she wearing that when she came in? He doesn't remember it being there. Slowly, he scowls.

Something's been wrong with this place since he stepped into the troubled church.

"...Overcomes the user." The Priestess' words, and then the giggling Katyna...yet, the two are so similar. Could there be more at work here? For the moment, it doesn't matter.

"Do as Lady Avira says. Gauntlet off, NOW. Upon the ground with ye."

Hati has posed:
The scream has Hati's head perking up, looking this way and that in the dark without being able to figure out the source of it. Her alarm is echoed in a growl that sounds far bigger than the small girl it comes from. The darkness doesn't last long, and as the light returns, the wolf's eyes squint, looking every which way before hearing the others mention the gauntlet. Her eyes widen, taking a half step back. "Kat... what's going on?" She asks, looking from the gauntlet to her friend and then back again.

Unlike the others, she doesn't reach for her weapons, which might be a big mistake in this case. Her first response is to protect, not to harm. Drawing her weapons against Katyna just feels... wrong. There is no threat in her voice, just concern in those wolf-ish eyes as she crouches, confused.

Katyna has posed:
There's the scream. And the stumble. And something cool being placed on her hand. Her eyes widen in fear. What is...What is going on?

"Wh..What the..What? Which what? What in the...What!!??" She gasps, staring down at her gauntlet in horror. How on earth did that..But no, the dreams..She saw all their faces..And then the blood on her hands..

Kat stares down at the blood on her hands in horror, stepping back. "N..No...How can this..I dont understand! I'd never...Never kill anyone!" Or would she? Those dreams were soo...So real, and..."Okay, okay, so I DID come here and try to steal treasure, but that ghost knight wouldn't let me take any away with me, he beat me up, and and..The dead thief was there before I arrived. Ask Gesandte, he'll tell you, he was there with me! He saw that happened, I swear!!"

Tears are streaming down her face now, she looks more upset than defiant, and she nods to Faruja as she attempts to pull off the gauntlet. But..It wont budge! "N-no! What's happening! Why wont it come off!? I dont understand...Someone..Please..Help me!" She nearly yells out in fear. Clearly she seems just as horrified about this as everyne else.

And what on earth happened to that priestess anywhere? Is she still around here somewhere? It seems Kat had landed on a pile of gold or something. Did Felicia fall or get buried in it too?

Minerva has posed:
Minerva pauses as she hears the scream she turns quickly looks but looks at the Gauntles and she stares she's not sure what the heck to think of this. She stares at Kat and looks at her strangely at Katyna for a momebnt she does fall into a readh postion she's not sure what's going on a she move to pull off the gauntlet and it won't come off.

"These gauntles have a will of their own! What foul magicks is this?"

Her eyes narrow as she looks right at the gauntles "The things are ... yes the gauntlet sare taited and it's spreading."

Vespa has posed:
Vespa sighs and put her axe over her shoulder."What mess, she taking Kat's word for what happend she quite upset by all this ordeal. "Just calm down and we will get thought this. "Where did that preistess go?" She hope she didn't take off but then again with all those trap she might have not gotten very far. But for Vespa, Katyna is her first concern. She looks to Minerva. "From bad to worse.", she pauses for a second. "That a final option Al. Not something I want to consider..."

Avira has posed:
Avira is shocked and confused, though fortunately not angry like, say, Faruja might be. Still, it must be upsetting to suddenly have those brown eyes of hers looking on in disappointment and confusion. The doubt that this long-standing member of VALKYRI might have done something so heinous.

Yet Avira didn't want to believe that. She didn't want to entertain that idea from Katyna, who has proved to be a solid and dependable fighter.

"Listen." she says, her voice sounding firm now, like an adult talking to a test. "Calm down! Don't let the fear and the gauntlet get the better of you." Ever so slowly, she starts to approach Kat. If she can get in close enough...

Hati has posed:
The smell of blood hits the wolf's nose, causing her nostrils to flare. The predator's reaction to the scent is clear in the way her eyes dialate. It doesn't help that the girl is clearly scared, and the two things combined set her wolf instincts on edge. Forcing the instinctual reaction down, Hati pushes up onto her feet. She is no expert on the lore of this place, and this is the first that she has heard about the escapades down here in the ruins. What she can feel is that presence of dark magic, though.

Flashing an expression of worry towards the others, the wolf's ears slick back, the black hiding against the fleece of the hat. "It's some sort of dark magic. I can feel it." And the worst part about it is that it's making /her/ feel uneasy. Even if there is that blood on her hands, and the girl is clearly upset, Hati steps towards her anyways.

"Kat, take a deep breath. Look at me. Calm down." It's the same pleadings as the others, but the wolf-girl doesn't reach for the gauntlet, or even try to remove it in any way. All Hati does is try to put her hands on either side of the Ember Knight's face. "We'll figure this out." This runs a bit too close to what has happened to her brother lately, and right now, it is leaving Hati feeling just as helpless. Even so, she at least /tries/ to act like she knows what she's doing.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The rat may have his orders, but a good Templar knows a shifting situation when he sees one. Muzzle's lips in a line as he listens to the crying, seemingly desperate Katyna.

"Katyna...on the ground. A thief. Mean you to say there was a second thief? What do you mean?" More than ever, his fur is rising. A pause.

"Where did that gauntlet come from, Katyna? Has it been on you this whole time, or...?" The rat asks. That simple question could be the key to it all. Would this one /really/ have murdered so many guards, thief or no? A glance to Avira. She knew the woman better than he, after all.

Vespa's question gets a nod. Earperk. Darkness. Claws kneed hard stone, before he forces himself to calm. This is a delicate situation.

"Far too many unanswered questions here. Let us not act in haste." Even as he speaks, his hand is near the butt of his spear, his free hand hidden within his robes. It glows white within, a Warp spell prepared just in case he needs to kill some distance in an instance.

Katyna has posed:
She shakes her head at Faru, "I've never seen this gauntlet before in my life! I have no idea how it got on me! It must have been that thief, but..He was dead..." Kat hears the disappointment in Avira's voice and somehow it made her sad. She was really starting to respect the VALKYRIE leader, and she never really got over the guilt she felt when she betrayed her. Pray she never finds out. Pray this wont be worse than even that time.

"I...Er..Okay.." She nods slowly as she says to calm down. "I..I'm not afraid..I'm not! Haha! As If I would be afraid of a little metal glove!" Kat starts to laugh a bit, finding it hard to stay still and calm down. But then Hati speaks, and she focuses on her seeming to calm at the sound of her voice. Yes, Hati would understand, she knows how the darkness works, better than anyone. She nods again, closing her eyes...Trying hard to fight the darkness..

But, what could she possibly fight it with? She had no light within, what tiny light she had, she is sure it had been extinguished when all the people she cared about had died..Save Hati. Kat blinks again, but when she opens her eyes again, all she sees is darkness.

"Err..Heey, who turned out the lights?" Suddenly there is a whispering that only she can hear, and maybe only Hati with her possibly enhanced hearing, can pick up. whisperings that tell her of the glory of battle, of the power and fame she would have with this gauntlet. This is the power she always dreamed about, wasn't it? This was what she wanted, wasnt it?

"Yes...Of course. I searched for it..It's..What I wanted, but..." But..No! She didn't want to hurt Hati, more than any of these people. Hati was her dear sister. She didn't want this power to consume her, to destroy the wolf girl...

"Aaah!" She screams again and an incredible blast of dark power radiates out from the gauntlet, blasting any who get too near to her back several meters. When she opens her eyes again, they are pitch black, eerie almost, and she stares as if unseeing, as if blind..

With her gauntleted hand, she slowly draws her flaming sword..And it starts to flicker with black flame..

Avira has posed:
The pressure was on and certainly getting to Katyna. As the ember knight struggles to explain herself, Avira continues to edge a little closer, her eyes locked upon Katyna. Very little breaks her eye contact while she's doing this. "Go on." she encourages, "Tell us what happened."

If what Felicia said about the gauntlet was true, as long as Katyna remained calm and in control, they would have nothing to worry about. First they needed to calm her, but oh, easier said than done. Suddenly her progress in getting close to Katyna is turned against her, leaving her completely open for the blast of darkness that eminates from the gauntlet.

Whether or not Katyna was the thief to begin with or if she was framed becomes secondary at this point. What mattered now was Katyna had the gaunlet upon her and it had now gone out of control. Severing an arm was no longer an option.

Avira is knocked off her feet and falls to the ground before her. Her face screws up in pain and she shudders at the darkness that has touched her. "Katyna, please! Snap out of it!" she calls out, pressing a hand to her chest as she tries to heal her own damage. It's slow, though. Perhaps too slow to matter right now.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Suspicion rises in the rat's mind. His eye narrows, searching Katyna's own for signs of untruth. Slowly, the rat nods. No, she didn't have it on her when she came in. Nor does she seem to be lying.

"The Lady doth speak the truth, so far as I reckon it." The Templar proclaims. There's too much confusion, and honest remorse in Kat's features.

Then, he voices his thoughts. "A touch convenient, all of this. Murders, a gauntlet with such powers, and someone seeking to steal from this place? Mmm. Where /ever/ did our Priestess get to?" No doubt in his mind, he's fairly certain he knows who's behind all of this.

Flick. Damn lights! Inner battle lost, Katyna's newly gained dark powers throw back the ratling, sending him tumbling and crashing about. The pure force is enough to cause several ribs to crack.

Luckily, Faruja doesn't lose hold of his weapon, nor the Warp spell. "Warp!" A swirl of light sucks in the Burmecian, before a reverse vortex sends him directly beside the sword-wielding, darkened woman. Up goes his spear, already shining, and then down!

Was Faruja really going to stab Katyna? It's the blunt end that comes down, aiming to quite simply knock her sword out of the woman's hands. Succeed or fail, he'll then attempt to grab onto her gauntlet arm, and yank with all of his strength even as his hand glows white! Will some holy energy help in yanking off the unholy thing?

"Off with ye, accursed armor! In the name of the Divine Saint Ajora Glabados, wrench thy claws from this girl's heart and body!"

Vespa has posed:
Vespa curses at the flames from the Katyna's flaming blade strike her, it stings somewhat but she doing okay.. "Dammit! Now what?? Katyna! I really don't want to hurt you..", she doesn't want to hurt her so she goes for the cause of the problem the gauntet! "Let see if one aceint weapon can break another!", she bring her axe down aiming for the gaunelt itself!

Hati has posed:
At first, it seems as if she might be getting through, reaching the red-haired girl and getting her to calm down. It doesn't last, though. One ear twitches, but she isn't able to quite catch the words being whispered. That is the only warning that she has before the blast of dark energy throws her backwards. This is what she gets for trying to help. No good deed goes unpunished.

The wolf is is slammed hard back against the thick doors of the treasure trove. All her air is forced out of her chest, a painful feeling telling her that a few ribs have probably cracked. Barely able to get a breath into her lungs, Hati's eyes roll back slightly, left hunched over on the ground as her hand goes to her ribs. Eventually, a little whimper sneaks out as she manages to breathe. "Kat..." The wolf grits her teeth and presses her hand back against the door as she moves shakily to her feet.

This human form is far more frail than the wolf, but that doesn't mean that one good shot is enough to floor her completely. One dagger is pulled out from behind her, but rather than using it to attack the woman, Hati instead uses it to draw a rune in the air. some of them might have seen her use this sort of thing before. It isn't a direct attack, but it uses her own dark magic as a way of binding... dark bits of smoke forming into etherial wolves who launch towards Katyna, trying to hold her down so the others can find a way to disable her.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva just stares her down now she looks at her she pauses for a moment at Kat gets strange he' snot sure just what's happening here other than Kat is clearly being taited by it. She listens to her struggle and the grim duty that could be before them comes clear. She watches as the blade forms and the attack comes she brings up her arms to block it but it hurts and takes a bit out of her to deal with it. The punk takes a moment her fists freezes and and moves to start striking pressure points on the possed woman, though one tim she'll grab her temple. It's not plesent but she'll have to distrupt the magic within her, prehaps effectign the gauntlet.

Katyna has posed:
"Avira!" She gasps, hands fumbling around in the darkness as she hears the girl's voice. But it seems so far away. She sounds hurt, though! "Avira..No, I'm so sorry! Please..Stay back! You gotta..Gotta.." No, she didnt want to die, no!! she steps back, trying to pull the gauntlet off again, but it hurts! Ooh, why didn't someone teach her how to properly wield the darkness? Why? Ugh...

For a moment, she remembers the dream she discussed with Seith that time, of the fledgling phoenix..How it was binded by the light, yet lost too in the darkness. Ugh..Which way should she turn? What can she do? They had said to calm down, and so she tries to focus on Hati again.

"Hati? Where are you? I need to hear your voice..."

She closes her eyes, trying to focus on her voice..Then Faruja steps up and attempts to disarm her. "Yes..Stop me! I dont want this power..." For once, she seems honest..Or at least more honest than she once was. No, if it was like this, she didn't want it, but..There was still that darkness within her that craved the power. The gauntlet oozes in darkness and shadows, drawing upon this doubt, this little darkness in her heart.

She screams, stumbling forward, pushed on by the gauntlet, yet she attempts to knock the sword away rather than attack with it. Faruja manages to strike at the sword, but the gauntlet wraps tightly around her hand, bringing it up to partially defend against the attack. The others come at her attacking her, and she grits her teeth, trying with all her might to try and open her hand, to drop the sword..

For a moment, dark flames fight with red flame in her sword, and she is propelled forward once more, against her will, attacking with three slightly weaker flashing strikes of flame with her sword. At least, she tries to pull the punches this time. "Guh!"

Avira has posed:
Avira can't really help herself-she lets out a small groan of pain as she picks herself up off the ground. She doesn't lift the Spine, though, even though the weapon remains firmly clutched in her hand. The woman actually seems pretty reluctant to do so and looks on with sadness in her eyes.

Those words of hers, though, help cement in Avira's mind that Kat is not responsible. That this artifact has been put upon her unwillingly. While it would be nice to continue to face Katyna without taking action, Avira knows better. Preservation instinct kicks in and she lifts the Spine, parrying the fire-filled blow with one of her own.

Neatly countering, her own blade shines blue with the power of ice, completely negating the dark fire. "We'll get it off you." Avira says, determined as she advances with a sudden swing of the sword and outpouring of ice magic. "Hang in there!"

Faruja Senra has posed:
A possession. That damn gauntlet was possessing Katyna! "Lady Redsvaren, you are stronger than this! Knew you well a Templar, one whom trusted you! Keep his Faith in you within thy heart, Katyna! FIGHT this Abyssal power that seeks to corrupt you! Sheath thy blade, and we shall remove this guantlet if it raws our claws to naught but bone in the doing of it!" The Templar pleads, hoping to further bolster the woman's spirit.

Those slashes are slow, and weak, Faruja raising his spear to take them on the pole portion. Giving a little ground, he twists to the side, letting it slide away. There's scorch marks on his weapon, but he's not hurt at least.

Dropping slightly, the ratling will try to trip Katyna this time, sweeping his powerful dragoon legs after Avira tries to calm the flames with icey strikes. Should she fall, he'll quite simply leap upon her, trying to hold her down.

"Lord bless this child, upon whom evil would prey! Grant her the strength to look to Him in her time of need!" Prayers can't hurt, right?

Hati has posed:
Some of the shadow wolves shrink back from the power of the gauntlet, which is not a response the wolf-girl would have expected. It isn't easy to use darkness against darkness, and it may actually be the worst thing she could do now. This time, she truly is helpless to do much. Everything Hati had ever learned was about destruction. Gritting her teeth, she takes a step forward, looking around at the members of VALKYRI and their allies. As much as it pains her to do so, she'll somewhat have to leave this battle in their hands.

The pleading catches her ears, though, drawing them back, "I'm here, Katyna." At the very least, maybe she can help keep some of the damage away from the others. "You need to fight. You are stronger than you think. Stronger than this. You are my friend..." The wolf doesn't claim very many people to have that relationship, but she needs to try to keep that part of the Ember Knight alive and fighting.

At the same time, the tip of her dagger traces over the ground, forming another series of those runes. This time, though, they activate beneath Faruja and Avira, forming a protective barrier around the two of them. She's placing her faith in them and their comrades.

Vespa has posed:
Vespa says, "Fight it Katyna!", Vespa screams out, as the flames from the sword singe her clothing ,a few light burns nothing to worry about. She can't go all out on her. "I'm sorry!", she says swing her axe aiming for the gaunlet hoping to break it."

Katyna has posed:
Katyna blinks, hearing everyone's words of strength and it brings tears to her eyes, and a small smile. They...Did they believe her..? "Thank..Thank you.." She seems to have trouble focusing, but Hati's voice in particular seems to calm her. She closes her eyes, openning her arms and for a moment the sacred rosary around her neck glows as if in response for Faruja's words.

"Sir, Kasrillen...?" she blinks as it flashes briefly. The combined attacks draw blood and she screams as she stumbles forwards, forcing the sword to fall from her hands..

That..Should be enough, shouldnt it? And yet..The gauntlet forces her onward, forcing her to attack with its own darkness, even without the sword. Even so, there's some force behind it. In her weakenned state, Kat yelps. "Cant...Stop it...Noooo!"

Faruja Senra has posed:
Punt! Faruja's quick to kick the sword far away from the gauntlet-possessed Katyna. Not need for her to get that thing again for a bit. Despite it all, the Templar smiles. "Come now. Whatever thy sins, murder 'tis not one of them. You have not the eyes for it. Know well do I the scent of treachery upon chill wind."

Faruja's glad he kicked away the gauntlet, as pure darkness assaults him, sending him flying back to be impaled by the blade upon the ground. It just /had/ to stick up at an angle. Damnit! Focusing, he casts curing energies upon those nearest, Hati's spell not availing him but so much.

Vespa has posed:
Vespa says, "Let go of her you... monster!!", Vepsa calling the gauntulet that because that what it is, talking directly to it. She screams being her axe down on the gaunlet over and over again, the clash of metal on metal echoing in the chamber."

Hati has posed:
The one thing you can say about darkness, is that it calls to darkness. The second blast doesn't so much strike Hati, as washes over her with a force that seems to ignite the dark power within herself. Her teeth grit, her body arches, and her fingers tremble. There is no reflection to bring the transformation from human to wolf. Even so, she snarls, the feeling pushing her further towards the edge. Even that healing energy doesn't help, although it does ease the pain in her ribs.

Fight or flee. Those are the only options. With so many here who are her own companions, and her friend already having lost control, the only choice is to flee. With a strangled howl, her body twists, unable to let loose the wolf within, but with all the darkness in the room, she is able to use that power to summon a way out. "Help her." She begs of the other. Unable to keep herself in check, there's nothing more she can do. So, Hati escapes down the hallway they had come, calling on her own darkness to make a portal. She had to get away now, lest she be the one attacking them next.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva has a plan she can control the darkness to a limited degree it's not a huge ability her master has taught her to never dig too deep but she has a plan she is hit again she's clearly hrut and says "Let me this will not be plesent but I think I can remove some of the tait."

She walks over starting to focus she's just calm, oddly as she reaches out attempting to reach out and grab Katyna she's going to grab firm and she's littelry attempting to leech the darkness out of her forcefully and expell it away from her. In one hand out the other but it may do a hell of a number of Minerva.

Avira has posed:
Hati rushes off again and Avira actually pauses, reminded quite throughly of last time. Now they were on a time limit, because she desperately needed to go grab Hati before she got lost in the catacombs for days again. Little did she know the /true/ reason she rushed out of the room-the darkness itself.

"Blasted gauntlet! It should be melted into slag!" Avira scowls, even as it forces her to fight without her sword. It comes for her it seems, but Avira dips and slips out of the way just barely as the darkness surges past her, enabling her to get around and flank Katyna.

With a mighty overhead chop, she brings the Spine down atop the gauntlet itself, trying to smash it to pieces.

That strange silvery sheen sometimes seen in Avira's aura shows itself, viciously opposing the darkness here.

Katyna has posed:
Katyna blinks, having let her guard down a little as the sword was flung away from her. That..Should stop it right? but no, it seems that the gauntlet still has power, even without a weapon in her hand. "wah! What do I do? You..You have to..Cut off my hand!" Dammit, if only she knew some magic, maybe she could blast the thing herself. But without her sword, she is useless.

"Ugh..Gotta focus.." She grits her teeth, closing her eyes. she knows there is some strength in there somewhere. The others saw it, it must be there, even without her sword, or the power of the heartless..Right? Again, Kat reaches down with her other hand, trying to pry the gauntlet off. "This..Isn't what I want. I only wanted..To protect myself...And my friends!" She yells at the gauntlet, as if it could hear her.

Then, the combined might of the VALKYRIE and Faruja, along with her own strength of spirit, cause a slight crack in the gauntlet...Enough so that when Minerva hits, drawing darkness out of her, it weakens and clatters to the floor as Kat manages to pull it all the way off...

"Ugh.." She stumbles to the ground, exhausted, wounded..But free!

But wait, where's Hati? At the moment, Kat's too confused and tired to really make much sense of her surroundings, although the darkness is rapidly vanishing from her field of vision.."guh...." She grits her teeth, clenching at the ground, breathing heavily as she tries to slow her rapidly beating heart, to stop her head from spinning...

Avira has posed:
Avira promptly steps forward and kicks the discarded gauntlet away from Katyna, well out of her reach. The urge was strong to finish destroying it completely, Avira's grip tight upon the Spine.

Her free hand reaches over to put a hand upon Katyna's head, fingers threading through the knight's hair gently. "Steady." she says carefully, looking at everyone here. "Someone....someone needs to go look for Hati-if she got lost down here, she could be in big trouble."

Vespa has posed:
Vespa looks around. "I don't know where Hati wen't.. Dammit.", she also resting the urge to smash that gauntlet into tiny peices.. ".and the other matter is where did that preiestess run off to?", she hms pondering.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Hati runs away, begging them to save her. "On my honor!" Faruja promises. Their combined attacks, and Minerva's quite interesting technique, give Katyna enough power to yank the bloody thing off. The Burmecian quickly leaps up, taking out a spare set of robes from his person, and throws them over the gauntlet. A quick Curaga is flashed over them all.

"...Should the Priestess live, capture her if you can, kill her if you cannot. She is of great interest to the Church. I trust you all. Allow me to find her." A swift salute, and the rat is off to find the wolfess. Even as he leaves, he's making calls to the Inquisition, along with the description of the Priestess.

"And ensure none take the gauntlet!" he yells back.

Minerva has posed:
Minerva has done some very nasty things to herself she staggers to the ground she's looking badly off and there's strange burns Minerv has done what she can to burn the darkness otu of Katyna well draw it out but the power is terrible it hurts she's sees the thing gindally hits the groud but she's not moving much. "The gauntlest... they must be destroyed...before they can claim another..."

Vespa has posed:
"Al and I will take care of that..", Vespa says. She walks over to the gaultlet gripping her axe with both hands and bringing the blade down on the Gaunlet again and again and again...

Katyna has posed:
Its power drained, the gauntlet smashes into millions of pieces. Whee.