Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

Tanjiro makes it out just in time.

He looks back to see that Reyna isn't behind him anymore...!

An arm slowly reaches out of the rubble and makes a thumbs-up.

Tanjiro sighs with relief.

Castle Volkihar, Farandare's World

Awkeff dual-wields Tenebrae and her Nightingale Blade, simply waiting for Farandare to show up after the slaughter. She's made sure to top off on her health, though.

Edited by KiriK on Feb 17th 2020 at 6:23:11 AM

The sheperds are in a pile. Well, Oboro, Samsara and Takumi are in a pile, all but knocked out. Lucina, ever the cool one, jump away in time, with Emmeryn on her back.

Such power... even with our success, I cannot help but fear for our allies. May they prevail and finish what we started!

Baldr's nowhere to be seen. He was at Ground Zero though.

Once she was certain that she was in the clear, an exhausted Serana takes a seat upon the ground and leans back against the nearest pile of rubble.

Castle Volkihar, Farandare's Tamriel

With the hood of his cloak thrown back, Viserys grips the Infinity Sword's hilt with both hands as he waits for Farandare's arrival.

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Feb 17th 2020 at 4:39:29 AM

Enda and Alleria just stand there in silence, their masks making it difficult to determine their emotions. Does either feel even a shrivel of regret for what they're about to do? And who could blame them if they don't?

Finally, the time comes.

From behind the dining table, where the throne room stands, a telltale green puff of smoke accompanying an Alteration spell and a muffled bang heralds the arrival of the Scarlet Scourge, holding her Serana tight by the shoulders in a twisted parody of a friendly embrace. And the first thing she sees is the heroes standing resolute in the middle of the dining hall, amidst the ashes of her former subjects.

   "..."   

The silence is somehow even more crushing than back when they were alone.

Farandare stares into the eyes of the Dragonborn, each in turn. The stalwart Viserys and the cunning Awkeff. Enda, her older sister, her dirty little secret buried in the Crypts. Alleria, ever the runt of the litter. No doubt she was the brains behind all this. But not alone. The Golden Whore does not work alone.

Her gaze stops on Serana. Then back to the Dragonborn. Then to Serana again.

   "..."   

   "...so that's how it is."   

Edited by Arachnos on Feb 29th 2020 at 1:58:19 PM

"Gol... Lovaas... DOV!"

With those words, Awkeff takes on a grotesque ethereal armor reminiscent of Shara Ishvalda. She drops her swords and fires an earth-vibration from each hand at the ground beneath Farandare, causing the Old Everwyrm's haunting, horrible song to echo throughout the castle at an earsplitting volume.

After a few moments, the area around the points of vibration explodes in a realistic shockwave fashion, trying to blow Farandare and Serana away from each other!

Edited by KiriK on Feb 17th 2020 at 7:19:28 AM

"Your tyranny ends here, Farandare. No longer will the people of Tamriel be forced to live in fear of you and your Molag Bal-worshipping underlings."

Throwing off his cloak as he steps forward, Viserys flourishes the Infinity Sword before pointing the fiery blade at Farandare.

The Moon

Azrael is knocked back, quickly finding his own footing.

Azrael: "And you're the game!"

He roars in excitement as he charges Augus once more, going for another weakpoint-setting flurry of fists.

It all happens in a fraction of a second. A green glow surrounds the ancient stones as they surge in front of Farandare and Serana.◊ The shockwave hits with crushing force, but breaks itself on the enchanted stones. Here, in her world, Farandare's hold over magic is too powerful. Strong enough to withstand even the Old Everwyrm's wrathful song. Only a small window, itself protected by a barrier of Alteration magic, remains in the wall, allowing the group to still see Serana and Farandare.

Farandare Spell Slots: 15/30

   "You too, Serana, my girl? After everything we've been through together? I thought you knew the value of loyalty."   

"Loyalty?" Serana's voice is audibly breaking into tears. "Farandare, you don't know the meaning of the word! You stuffed your own sister into a crypt to rot forever! Your own family! I'm not even family. I... I thought we could be, you know? Our first adventures together, I thought you could be what my father never was... but that didn't happen, did it? You didn't try to extinguish the sun, but in all other aspects, you're no better than he ever was."

   "So you ran to the WHORE with your tail between your legs! YOU EVIL, UNGRATEFUL LITTLE FUCKING BITCH!"    Farandare grabs Serana by the throat again and lifts.

"What? I thought 'evil' was just a word made up by the weak." Despite her situation, Serana cannot help but channel some of her standoffish personality again. "Alleria... she was more a friend to me than you ever were. Viserys and Awkeff, whom I backstabbed on your own orders... they treated me with more kindness than you ever did even after I helped you take the Volkihar throne!"

   "Loud barks coming from a little mutt!"    Farandare's expression is beyond wrath. She slams Serana into the table, making it crack.    "I liked you better when you knew better than to yap."   

"Enough... Farandare... I'm so tired. I'm tired of the backstabbing, the killing, the draining, the turning. I'm tired of trembling in your shadow. I am tired of living two lives. I almost doomed two people who were greater heroes than you ever could be. I don't care anymore. Just send me to Molag Bal. It's not like I don't deserve it at this point." Serana closes her eyes in resignation.

   "Gladly."   

"Enjoy it... it's your last meal after all."

~~THE MAD QUEEN'S LAST STAND - IN THE ARMS OF DEATH~~

The Scarlet Scourge bares her fangs and plunges them into Serana's neck, not so much piercing it as ripping it apart. Spurts of corrupted blood taint her royal robes as unnatural power surges in her from the most taboo, the most twisted of acts: consuming the blood of her own vampire kin.◊ Even after darkness changes her royal regalia to her usual hooded black robe, the stains just won't go away.

The enchanted wall collapses as Farandare turns towards the group. There is no Noblewoman's Laugh. No arrogant bluster. With the ferocity of a cornered rat, she surges towards Viserys, going for a brutal downwards power attack with Silmeri which, even dodged, that will shake the entire room with two successive explosions: one of ice, then one of lightning.

Initially, Serana was planned to die in the Arena with the possibility of revival, unfortunately, I absolutely wanted the Dragonborn themselves, and not their less acquainted allies, to see her death. Besides, this hits harder.

Edited by Arachnos on Feb 18th 2020 at 9:19:33 AM

"Serana!"

With rage in his eyes, Viserys meets Farandare's strike head-on with a horizontal power attack from the Infinity Sword, resulting in three enormous room-shaking explosions: one of ice, one of lightning, and one of fire. After engaging her in a Blade Lock, the Nord Dovahkiin fixes the Scarlet Scourge with a ferocious Death Glare as he attempts to gain the upper hand in their struggle.

"That... was the last fucking mistake you will ever make, you sadistic, cowardly little mongrel!" he snarls. "You're going to wish that pathetic excuse for a dragon was here to save your wretched hide!"

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Feb 18th 2020 at 12:45:33 PM

   "That... was the last life... you will ever take."   

Shuddering, Awkeff's fingers flex and seize her swords with telekinesis, spinning them around herself as she advances on Farandare with a veritable whirlwind of slashes!

Meanwhile, the clashing strikes of the Infinity Sword and Silmeri cause the walls within the castle to warp, ever so slightly.

While there's nothing wrong with In The Arms of Death and it suits perfectly well as a theme for Farandare, I just felt like saying my personal song choice would be Attrition of Tortured Souls, but that's probably just 'cause I got hooked on the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack and this one's name fits.

Next

Merryfair Farm

42's limp body sits there with empty, lifeless eyes.

... And then she starts to reboot.

Edited by KiriK on Feb 18th 2020 at 6:15:16 AM

Merryfair Farm, Skyrim

Once she fully wakes, she'll see that she's lying on a couch in a rather cozy-looking living room. If she looks out of a nearby window, she'll see some fields where crops could grow, though they seem to be empty of plantlife at the moment.

Pulling herself up by the back of the couch, 42 peeks out the window.

"... Where am I?" she asks, hoping to hear an answer from seemingly nowhere.

"Oh, good, you're up...", a voice suddenly answers her. If 42 looks at the source, she'll see a young, long-haired man standing in the doorway of one of the rooms, seemingly just having entered the living room.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to wake up again..."

His voice trails a bit after he speaks. That, coupled with some off inflections at times, makes his voice stand out a little.

Edited by DevilPsyco on Feb 18th 2020 at 7:55:29 PM

"Why do you care?"

It's said in an inquisitive tone, but the haste and bluntness with which it is said could still give the man pause.

"Hm..."

... well, that's not much of an answer.

"Mostly because he wanted me to."

... that's simultaneously more of an answer, yet also less. He then walks towards the table.

"You're metal... Does that mean you don't eat?", he asks.

42 smiles blankly.

"Is 'he' as unhelpful as you are being right now?"

A hint of an almost amused smile crosses the young man's face as he's getting a snack.

"Usually, I suppose..."

Once he has it, he turns back to 42, his expression neutral again.

"It's best for you not to cross paths with him... or to stay here for long... It's not exactly safe..."

Sarah is close to the big Thor near Whiterun, legs crossed as she floats in mid air. Thor is busy swinging at the air.

AND HE ASKED ME TO BRING SOMETHING HEAVY AFTER WITNESSING MY MIGHTY FEATS! THUS, I LOOKED HIM AND SAID « AYE! BUT I WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHERE THOU MOTHER IS!

Witty. Answers Sarah, amused.

AND THEN I KILLED HIM.

Oh.

FEAR NOT FOR HE WAS OF BOUNDLESS EVIL.

Hm. Neat.

I THINK.

Oh.

"On the contrary, I could be most helpful to you. That is, if I knew anything about my current situation. I was observing a battle against the Cyber Angels when -"

42 pauses. There's a small beeping sound in the back of her head.

She silently glares at the man.

The young man doesn't say anything in return, simply raising an eyebrow when 42 suddenly glares, and taking a bite out of his snack, after which he starts casually walking towards a closet.

"My memory banks have been forcibly altered. Information is present that I have no memory of collecting. I believe if I attempt to access it, I might be corrupted."

Beat

"Deleted. Now, were you the one who tampered with my memory?" She draws her EMP katana. "Because if you are responsible, then I have no reason to show you mercy."

"If you ask if I did something to whatever witchcraft lets you move and speak like a person... then no... I don't have the knowledge to meddle with that kind of technology..."

He stops in front of the closet.

"And neither does he..."

42 slowly lowers her katana.

"Can I ask that you stop talking about 'him'? I have data on that castle. If 'he' was among its occupants, it is likely too late to stop me from knowing. I would rather know about you, and about where I am right now."

"... Very well. I don't like to talk much about him either.", he says.

"I am Jeritza, and this is an abandoned farm I found some distance away from that castle..."

He turns around to look at 42 again.

"I dragged you here after you fell unconscious... those armored women were going to try to destroy the castle with everyone in it... had they succeeded, they might have killed you in the process..."

42 suddenly starts acting all friendly.

"Oh, yes, I was aware. That was why I shut down, in order to preserve my data in the event of my destruction. They're called Cyber Angels, by the way. That castle's people should really consider reaching out for assistance in times like these."

"Did you happen to see a boy with heterochromia and white hair?"