chapter five ♔ it'll be a day like this one when the sky falls down

[eldritchweaver]

the blues - switchfoot

WHO || The Knights
WHAT || Failboat returns from the disaster in LA as the Knighthood goes on lockdown
WHERE || The castle, London
WHEN || Directly after this, Fall 2017
HOW || Actionspam

Hasmed's announcement does not brook any rebuttal: all Knights are recalled to the Castle, where they must remain until the Section Heads and Jack Chessing have spoken about the events in Los Angeles that have left the Knighthood without their usual leader.  

The entire Los Angeles area is now covered with a dark miasma that has interfered with any signals that might be sent out from phones, etc., leaving the whole world wondering what exactly is happening down there.  Final images showed horrendous monsters, a panic of citizens, looting and violence from humans and Shadowkind alike.  

Hasmed has warned of extra magical wards on the castle, and anyone arriving will immediately take notice of one very prominent one: above the entire roof of the excessively large building hovers a black and red sigil in the air, a pentagram in a circle surrounded by runes or words in an unknown language, stretching for miles.  

[ This is the social log for post-LA lockdown.  Failboat must complete the top log before being allowed to tag outside of it. ]

Comments

[sirsolace]

[ well he definitely notices when he looks up from his desk. he moves to stand, one hand on the desktop ] Of course. What has happened?

[daredtobelieve]

Please... sit. [She moves to the nearest chair and has a seat herself. There's really no reason to stall any longer.]

Given recent developments, I thought it best to come forward. The news of Mr. Descant's connections to Hell were no surprise to me. He and I were friends, and as we grew closer, he and his spouse confided in me who they truly were. I should have said something sooner, but my judgement was clouded. Not by anything sinister, mind you- at least, not that I'm aware of. I simply struggled to believe the worst of someone I had come to care about.

[sirsolace]

[ he obeys her request, settling back in across from her. he watches her carefully, his brow furrowing as he weighs her words. ] How much do you know about the Nine Hells, Sir Magnus?

[daredtobelieve]

Truthfully, not much. My understanding is that there are similarities in the lore from my world, but I would by no means consider myself an expert.

[sirsolace]

[ solace walks over to a bookshelf against one wall, loaded with ancient looking tomes. he seems to know exactly what he's searching for, pulling down a book with a dark red, worn cover, and bringing it over to his desk. the cover has no title, merely the image of an evil looking sauron eye. he turns the pages carefully, flipping to this one ] Baator, also known as the Nine Hells. It is here that most souls go after their death, unless they earn a place in one of the heavenly realms, through acts of good or devotion to a particular deity. Or, of course, should they lose their soul to a particular demon lord of the Abyss, who claims them after they die.

Each level of Hell that you see here is distinct, in climate, as well as the tortures visited upon those souls who end up there. Each is ruled by an archdevil, the most powerful of which command the deepest levels: Maladomini, Cania, and Nessus itself. The most diabolical torments belong to the masters of these three layers.

Two of whom our former allies now serve as consorts to.

[daredtobelieve]

[Helen looks over the page he turns to, taking in his explanation quietly.]

And one of whom I considered a friend for some time. [She's deliberate in using the past tense, as if she's trying to convince herself as well that their friendship is over. It has to be for the sake of her family.] What can you tell me about them? These archdevils. What powers do they wield?

[sirsolace]

Considerable ones, even on their own. When combined with those of their many dark followers, there is a very good reason that they have gone unchallenged for thousands of years. [ he opens to another page, where this image is painted. ] Mephistopheles - Lord of the Eighth - is a patron of fire and magic and a master of hellfire - the unholy essence of the Nine Hells, a foul, destructive energy. He is one of the most powerful spellcasters to exist in any realm.

[daredtobelieve]

But they each have different abilities? Do I have that right? [She makes a gesture to the book] May I? [She'll just read for herself, if he'll let her.]

[sirsolace]

[ he hands it over ] They do, although there are many that they share as well.

[ the book, in fact, lists a lot of things that mephistopheles can supposedly do/traits he possesses:

superhuman physical traits, immortality, regeneration (high-low, reforms in Hell if killed outside), teleportation, enhanced senses, telepathy, energy projection, reality warping, magic, elemental manipulation, hellfire manipulation, necromancy, telekinesis, flight, mind manipulation, time manipulation, spatial manipulation (creating portals and such), soul manipulation, divination, summoning, banishment, healing, resurrection, death magic, transmutation, inflicting curses and disease, illusions, magic dispelling, immunity to fire and poison, highly resistant to cold, acid and magic, can understand and speak all languages, can create an aspect of himself, can grant powers.

it also lists the researcher's best approximation of the scale of his power.

Destructive Capacity: At least continent level+ (above most hell lords, can fight equally with demigods), likely Planet level at his best and on his plane
Range: At least continental (his power is felt across Cania), likely Planetary. Universal with teleportation, can also hop between dimensions
Speed: At least Massively Hypersonic+
Durability: At least continent level+, likely Planet level
Lifting Strength: Superhuman to an unknown extent ]

[daredtobelieve]

[She looks it over carefully, clearly interested in taking it all in.]

And is this one of the beings that our former associates have attached themselves to? [She's realizing that she knows very little about... all of this, basically. Knowledge is power and all that.]

[sirsolace]

He also goes by the name "Azrael" in this realm.

[daredtobelieve]

[gulp]

I see... [It's a lot to process, and definitely unsettling to find out just what sort of destruction a person you know is capable of.]

[sirsolace]

Do you.

[daredtobelieve]

I'm starting to. [She lets her eyes roam the pages once more.] I've met with him on multiple occasions. But he never displayed any powers as described here.

[sirsolace]

Perhaps it was to his benefit to conceal them at the time.

[daredtobelieve]

[She hums in agreement, lost in her thoughts for a moment.]

You must think me so naive

[sirsolace]

I think you have always looked for the best in people, Helen. I imagine he knew that as well.

[daredtobelieve]

I'm still not sure what the point was. They never asked anything of me, beyond keeping their secret. And it wasn't as though I stumbled upon it on my own and confronted them. If no part of our friendship was genuine, why tell me at all? What was there to gain?

[sirsolace]

Considering that they possess the ability to read minds, he might not have needed to ask you anything to be mining information.

[daredtobelieve]

[But I never rolled a will save!!! Helen exclaims from the land of meta.]

I'd like to believe that I would have noticed, at the very least...

[sirsolace]

[ some things don't get a will save, helen ]

The truly powerful work their magic without ever a sign.

[daredtobelieve]

Is there any way to know if they've been mucking about up there? [She wants to believe that her friends wouldn't betray her. But it's hard not to wonder...]

[sirsolace]

Not that I'm aware of.

[daredtobelieve]

That's... less than ideal. Perhaps I can find something. [A research project to pick at her own brain? Sounds fun.]

[sirsolace]

Much of this is unexplored territory - speculation or lore. If there is anything you discover, I would be glad to know of it.