Witchers of Nifelheim - Part 3

"Reinforcing stereotypes keeps folks away from my home." She whispers, "I am doing well, now excuse my hostility but, who are you to ask questions when you arrive out of nowhere to my doorstep." Circi twists her neck to the side a loud snapping can be heard, "Better yet what is a parasite doing outside of a sinners home. A quite powerful one at that." Her tongue falls across her lips as she glances across the massive parasite the man was riding, painting her lips black as ink, "Glystaria like that are quite the delicately around these parts, that and their a formidable challenge." She carefully looks up at the man stepping outside her house, her legs extending to their full length, pulling her into the air and high above her cottage, "Allow me to be more polite." She clears her throat, "I know you aren't here for tea, and I don't want to chitchat. Can you please leave?" There appears to be a large lump rising in her throat.

"I'd do as she asks" Radiances steps into view. His face calm yet stern. Wings loose but not obviously open.

Internally: Echo can feel Radiance heart naturally slows as his body prepares for an encounter.

"Are you people suicidal?!" Echo screamed out in panic: "Do you understand who you're threatening??!"


The young man atop the beast smiled and shook his head in disappointment: "Such rudeness."
The hedgehog underneath faintly roared with its maw still closed.


"Ah, but where are my own manners" the young man slightly nodded his head:

"Kaznachey, Collector of Stories" his smile changed slightly, as he lovingly held the flute in his hands, becoming unnerving, menacing. His cold eyes reminded you of that of a hawk that just spotted its prey. Cold, remorseless, empty of empathy.


"...I advice you to refrain from succumbing to your baser instincts" he quietly said, a blue flame beginning to play in his palm and dance over his fingers and flute. He looked somewhere past you:


"Quite a lovely home you've built for yourself... it would be a shame if something happened to it" he smirked.
The hedgehog underneath dug up the ground once with its front paw, in anticipation and grunted. On a quick glance, the beast seems to be almost the height of the cottage, maybe even a little higher.



Some kind of base, primal energy was emanating from the parasites. The aura of one of them seemed ancient, overflowing with energy that threatening to spill out and drown everything around it.

The unhingingly familiar feeling of an impending mental breakdown creeped up on you. The aura's mere presence was beginning to slowly press on your psyche, destabilizing your thought patterns, injecting some primal fear into you. The desire to panic, run, hurt yourself and your friends, for no explanation.

Kaylee and Johan's heartbeats notably increased. Their faces grew pale, beads of sweat appearing on their forehead. Johan closed his eyes shut and started muttering something.
Ursula was faring a little better, but not by much. She seemed to understand what was happening and was concentrating, pushing back against this invisible force.


You've never ran into a parasite like this before, who's power was so palpable that you could sense it even without the assistance of magic.
And you weren't sure that it was emanating from the hedgehog.




Kaznachey grinned, watching your reaction and slowly cocked his head:

"There you are Radiance, its been a long time. Have any new.. stories for me?" the corpse of the young man emitted a quiet, barking laugh that sent a chill down your spine, before Kaznachey slightly leaned forward, his empty eyes fixating on Radiance, an unnerving grin over his lips:


"...say... lets make a trade... I'll tell you a story, then you tell me one of your own. Maybe I'll even leave, without turning your cottage.. and everyone in it... into a giant smear on the landscape."




Kaznachey slowly leaned back and straightened up. His fingers lovingly glided over the metal flute, even as a dark blue ember danced over it:

"...the story goes... a group of desperate parents, travelled across the universe, to find their lost children. Blindly they rushed into the unknown, against all reason and caution, not knowing if they will survive even a second on the other side. Not knowing if their children yet lived.

But they did. So strong was the love for their children."



Kaznachey sighed and smirked: "But... nothing comes without price. And every parent, without exception, was infected. Such was the price of their arrogance, their blind drive to reach those they loved most.
A lifetime of hardship, living together with an entity that seeks to destroy them, at every opportunity, a high price to pay... a high price indeed... to reach their lost children"





Kaznachey's expression changed. To that of curiosity and open intimidation:

"But lo and behold... when the parents reached Nifelheim, they didn't look for their children.
Instead, they spent every moment of their life, searching for tombs long forgotten.
Ruins, lost to time and overtaken by nature..."



Kaznachey's expression completely changed into open threat and hostility:

"Two tombs in less than two months... what are they looking for, I wondered...

...Care to fill in the blanks?" he quietly hissed.

Circi cocks her head, "The collector of stories you say." Circi takes a deep breath,. As if steadying herself. You can see a faint black pulse through her vains, highlighting every connected blood vestle, as she stares at the two parasites her nose begins to bleed, "there's the answer as to why your here." She glares, her gaze unmoving as she stands tall against Kaznache's overbearing intimidation, "Your power does not concern me. So I'm guessing that you didn't come alone either then? You brought your gang of loyalists to the party as well? That wouldn't be a surprise to me considering it's Glystaria scum." Her voice oozes hatred, her tone grinding against your ears. She bites her tongue a moment before speaking again, "I feel as though your promises are empty, I wouldn't trust you to keep your word on anything. Not even if we were the last two somewhat living things on this planet." She clears her throat and remains focused on the parasites before them, she spits in his direction sharing the hostility. Her spit coming out black as tar, when it hits the ground the grass withers and dies beneath it, "Get lost..."

Twilight was the last to look out of the hole, observing the scene as coldly as one could. She lets out a sigh.

"Well, that's the end of that Sinner." She muttered.

She sank a bit deeper, whispering to let it be quietly heard in the house. "I'm staying down here. One of us should get out of here. One of us must keep that information alive."

With that, she ducked underground.

Internally: "Calm your tits Echo. We're on the defensive and not offensive. I may have no fear rushing into battle but I'm not an idiot."

Radiance's body goes full neutral.

"I do believe the last time we spoke you said you'd tell me your favorite" Radiance call out to him "I've got a better idea of who you are so if you're still trying to figure that answer out I can wait. But story for story and you technically payed back the fist one I gave so..."

he clears his throat

"A man comes to this world in search of his daughter. He comes with others and most but not all have children of their own. A child is found nearly instantly and along with that new threats and challenges. Yes the man and his companions became infected with a parasite but this is where your story and mine very greatly.

This man has had finding his own daughter at the focus of everything he does since getting here. All of the tombs and questing and getting stronger is simply a way to cover more ground.

He doesn't care all that much about doomsday until he finds his daughter. Either reunited joyful or learning he was too late having the sorrow of telling her mother. He will be relieved either way."

Alyx uncomfortably swallowed:
"Twilight, not to be a party pooper, but from what we've seen so far, the tomb only has one exit. If Kaznachey is interested in the tombs, he'll probably want to come down here... after he's done massacring everything up top.
We'll be trapped down there, with him blocking the exit.

If I may, sneaking out of the back window in the cottage, with no line of sight towards Kaznachey, then legging it into the forest, seems like the best option, if we are to escape"





Kaznachey only gave Circi a condescending smile:

"To make demands, one needs a position of power. And you don't have that, do you"

He cocked his head, his eyes becoming cruel, crazed:

"...you want my favorite story? I once murdered the king of Lieselotte.. together with his battalion of honor guards. When his retainers sought revenge... I tore their arms off... and forced them to eat those.
Their sobbing as they begged me to stop... it was magical."


Kaznachey smiled, then suddenly barked, leaning forward, his eyes turning into coals of hatred:


"Now where's the fucking artifact!" his voice changed, becoming a gravely rasp.



Your head began slightly spinning. The feeling on an impending mental breakdown began to grip your body. Adrenaline shot all over your system, making your hands shake. Kill, tear, harm everyone you love, the feeling was terrifyingly familiar to what you experienced back on Earth.

If your souls wasn't already linked to a parasite, who desperately tried to shield your mind from this horrific influence, you feel you would have already succumbed to this madness long ago.




"..he's... not lying.. you know.." Ursula quietly whispered, just loud enough for you to hear:

"Everyone who challenged him, died. Or escaped with grievous, permanent injuries.
Fighting him, is a suicide. We should only accept combat, if he forces our hand.

And if that happens.." Ursula looked down. She was terrified, shaking in fear, but she opened her eyes and spoke firmly:


"...prepare Dance of the Swallow. To be cast in an Area of Effect. If we are to die here.. we can at least try to make sure that beast under him, won't harm anyone else"


"Ursula!.." Kaylee called in grim protest.

"I'm not saying to use it outright" Ursula anxiously sighed: "But have it ready, for when you'll be at your limit. That's why we carry it Kaylee. A last 'fuck you' to the person who kills us."


Ursula's eyes drifted and found Rain. She was terrified, shaking in fear, but she smiled. A ball of magic still danced in her hand and she looked ready, brave enough to challenge death.



"Hey! Snap out of it! Don't do anything rash!" Johan loudly whispered from his corner: "He hasn't attacked yet, there's always a few paths out of a problem!"

~Yeah, because running will save us from him. To survive, to not let the knowledge die, I'd have to leave them behind. Ursula's right, the best plan is to negociate and try to make him not want it. He's in control of the situation now, we must let him think that. After all, who knows what will happen if he gets arti-~

Something clicked in her head. ~Hold on a second. This might be something. He was there when we arrived on Nifel, letting us meet you. Now we're diving into the tombs, and he arrives just when we pop out. Asking for what we sought. I was right, this isn't a coincidence. Kaznachey is using us for something. But for what?~

She pops out of the hole in the ground again. "We may be able to strike a deal, if we can discuss this without anyone's temper flaring up at eachother."

Disgruntled purple wrote:Twilight was the last to look out of the hole, observing the scene as coldly as one could. She lets out a sigh.

"Well, that's the end of that Sinner." She muttered.

She sank a bit deeper, whispering to let it be quietly heard in the house. "I'm staying down here. One of us should get out of here. One of us must keep that information alive."

With that, she ducked underground.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence" Rogue replies.

Disgruntled purple wrote:~Yeah, because running will save us from him. To survive, to not let the knowledge die, I'd have to leave them behind. Ursula's right, the best plan is to negociate and try to make him not want it. He's in control of the situation now, we must let him think that. After all, who knows what will happen if he gets arti-~

Something clicked in her head. ~Hold on a second. This might be something. He was there when we arrived on Nifel, letting us meet you. Now we're diving into the tombs, and he arrives just when we pop out. Asking for what we sought. I was right, this isn't a coincidence. Kaznachey is using us for something. But for what?~

She pops out of the hole in the ground again. "We may be able to strike a deal, if we can discuss this without anyone's temper flaring up at eachother."

"I guess that's our cue then, Rolo" Rogue shrugs, then steps out after Radiance, with his hands open and raised to show he's unarmed.

Kaylee Brown wrote:Kaznachey only gave Circi a condescending smile:

"To make demands, one needs a position of power. And you don't have that, do you"

He cocked his head, his eyes becoming cruel, crazed:

"...you want my favorite story? I once murdered the king of Lieselotte.. together with his battalion of honor guards. When his retainers sought revenge... I tore their arms off... and forced them to eat those.
Their sobbing as they begged me to stop... it was magical."


Kaznachey smiled, then suddenly barked, leaning forward, his eyes turning into coals of hatred:


"Now where's the fucking artifact!" his voice changed, becoming a gravely rasp.

"Kaznachey, long time no see! Boy is it a small planet we're on, what're the chances of running into you again? Y'know, I was just saying to the others as we were coming up, no way it could possibly be you up here, but it is! How crazy's that?" Rogue opens up, confidently and with no sign of intimidation.

"Man, we've got so many new stories to share that I know you're just gonna love, so much has changed since the last time we crossed paths. Our little troupe has more than doubled in size, for one. We've all got symbiotes now, you may've noticed. Mine's called Rolo, say hello Rolo; Kaznachey, Rolo, Rolo, Kaznachey.

A wee tad bit o' the ol' bad news however, as it happens, the Dark Machine's not here, and in fact, hasn't been for what I'd wager has been quite some considerable time, going by the state of the bodies down there. Looks like some Machine Folk got here first and just, sort of took it? They could be anywhere by now. I know, we were disappointed too, but that's life.

So... How've you been?"

At the first mention of the words 'Dark Machine', Kaznachey's expression changed drastically. His eyebrows flew up momentarily.
It wasn't fear exactly, not really. Maybe more a sudden surprise. He frowned and just silently listened to Rogue with an even, unblinking stare.
It was hard to tell what he was thinking exactly, his rotting face was hard to read.



He finally tilted his head: "...who put you up to this.

Answer this question and I will honor our trade.
It is the best deal you're going to get."



Kaylee, still hidden by one of the windows, called out, her voice slightly cracking:
"What guarantees do we have!!"




Kaznachey spread in a warm smile: "Why... my Word, of course.
A Word can be a very powerful thing. When I make a promise and keep it, word spreads, builds reputation. And the next time I give someone my Word, people know I will keep it.

It is a powerful thing, reputation, and I have built mine over millennia, long before your race ever set foot here. I'm not about to tarnish that reputation now.. not for you" he smirked, then his expression changed once again.


A cold, unblinking, unreadable mask covered his face as he stared at you:

"Your answer?" he called.

Kaylee Brown wrote:At the first mention of the words 'Dark Machine', Kaznachey's expression changed drastically. His eyebrows flew up momentarily.
It wasn't fear exactly, not really. Maybe more a sudden surprise. He frowned and just silently listened to Rogue with an even, unblinking stare.
It was hard to tell what he was thinking exactly, his rotting face was hard to read.



He finally tilted his head: "...who put you up to this.

Answer this question and I will honor our trade.
It is the best deal you're going to get."



Kaylee, still hidden by one of the windows, called out, her voice slightly cracking:
"What guarantees do we have!!"




Kaznachey spread in a warm smile: "Why... my Word, of course.
A Word can be a very powerful thing. When I make a promise and keep it, word spreads, builds reputation. And the next time I give someone my Word, people know I will keep it.

It is a powerful thing, reputation, and I have built mine over millennia, long before your race ever set foot here. I'm not about to tarnish that reputation now.. not for you" he smirked, then his expression changed once again.


A cold, unblinking, unreadable mask covered his face as he stared at you:

"Your answer?" he called.

"I see no harm in revealing our source, they're no longer with us, after all" Rogue shrugs, "She was a Precursor, called herself Lucretia.

She visited us in a dream when we were back on Earth, showed us this tomb, and told us that the Dark Machine was the only thing that could save both our worlds.

She didn't explain what it was or what it would do though, so we only have her word that it's gonna help, but apparently she was dying and this was her final act, so we gave her the benefit of the doubt."

"How is this negociation?!" Twilight hisses under her breath. "Sure, reveal everything already, not like anything is sensitive information!"

She heads to the window in the opposite direction. Ready to escape at a moment's notice. "Our mission is too important. We must keep our knowledge alive, at all costs."

Rain rises slowly stepping out, she places her hand on circi's arm, "Circi... Back off." She says calmly shaking her head.

Circi doesn't break contact with Kaznache for a few moments, "I dispise you and every single one of your kind. One day you will die and nobody will miss you." She streightens herself out and walks inside her home, slamming the door behind her, "I am not talking to that thing."

Rain steps up taking Circi's spot, "Hay! Pleased to see you here. Genuinely pleased actually. For a parasite you aren't the absolute worst thing to exist ever." She walks up to the hedgehog, "Would you like to see the ruins Kaznache?" She gives him a small smile.

Already at the first syllable of Lucretia's name, Kaznachey's eyes drastically widened.
And that was fear.
For a split, fleeting second, you saw it clear in his eyes, before his expression changed back to his emotionless mask. But it was too late.

And he realized you saw it.


Kaznachey's rotting face became distorted with unfiltered rage. His pride, his perception of an untouchable force, was momentarily shattered. And the rapidly unhinging expression on his face, said everything about what he planned to do about it.



"Hey!.. you said you'd honor the deal!" Kaylee screamed out, forgetting her job to stay hidden and clearly showing up in the view of the window:
"You said you'd honor the deal!"



"I said, I won't turn you into a smear" Kaznachey released a horrible smirk, through his scowl:
".... I didn't say anything about my friend Bobby here.." he bared his teeth, gently patting the hedgehog's spikes.




Kaznachey stood up, hiding his flute in some kind of holster on his back and giving a low bow, never breaking eye contact with you:

"Goodbye, my dear neighbors..." His smile faded, replaced with disdain:
"I hope we never meet again"



Kaznachey suddenly jumped backwards, pulling a complete somersault, just as 'Bobby' released a blood curling howl, in anticipation of blood and folded his own body into a colossal spiked ball, before rolling in place for a second and accelerating towards Rain and the cottage at a dizzying speed.


You could only see a massive ball of rapidly swinging spikes, barrelling down on you at the speed of a car and throwing around dirt and debris, obscuring the vision of everything behind it.

"It's not like we haven't fought one of these things before!" She sighs, "The next time you see us will be your last." She summons her poleaxe and quickly grabs Rogue. Her wings shoot open and she takes to the air, she whips her poleaxe like a harpoon once again aiming for anything.

Circi sighs, "Well... Here we go." she steps out her hands pulse with a sickening black energy, "Tendons grasp." She whispers as she casts her spell at the charging beast, "HALT!" she shouts as she begins closing the distance between her and the beast.

Radiance rolls to the side and comes up with his flaming blade out. A metallic 'chunk' sounds as the weapon extends and Radiance takes "the stance of the nimble ninja" focusing on dodging and counter attacking.

"Well that doesn't sound good." Twilight says. She throws the windows open, getting them to outside.

She floats up, preparing to scan the beast that was send to deal with them.

~And that's what I loathe about these people. The pure disregard of anything but themselves!~

C̷O̴N̴S̶U̸M̵E̵ wrote:"It's not like we haven't fought one of these things before!" She sighs, "The next time you see us will be your last." She summons her poleaxe and quickly grabs Rogue. Her wings shoot open and she takes to the air, she whips her poleaxe like a harpoon once again aiming for anything.

"I guess that concludes negotiations then" Rogue says to nobody in particular, as he hangs there held up by Rain, "Y'know I have a shield, right? That's like, my thing."

He summons said shield, "D'you think if we accelerate towards him in a divebomb and then you drop me at the last second and pull up, we'd get a good hit on him with my shield and momentum?"

Rain nods and dives down, she dives low and drops rogue near the things head, she resummons her Halberd and lands starting to close the distance.

Circi now close enough brings her leg up into a high kick only to bring her heel down onto the beasts head. Her spider legs lift her off of the ground as she cocks a right hook and let's it fly.

C̷O̴N̴S̶U̸M̵E̵ wrote:Rain nods and dives down, she dives low and drops rogue near the things head, she resummons her Halberd and lands starting to close the distance.

Rogue hunkers down into his shield and braces for impact.

Rain wrote:she whips her poleaxe like a harpoon once again aiming for anything.

The ball of gigantic spikes was spinning at an unsettling speed, barreling down on the cottage. The poleaxe loudly struck its spinning surface and chaotically bounced off with a ringing metalic clank, that lasted for several seconds, before the poleaxe dissipated.

No visible damage was seen, partly because the creature was spinning so fast. The spikes over his body seemed so tough, you suspected they had some metal mixed in their physiology.


(Bobby suffered -1 HP)

Circi wrote:her hands pulse with a sickening black energy, "Tendons grasp." She whispers as she casts her spell at the charging beast, "HALT!" she shouts as she begins closing the distance between her and the beast.

Circi wrote:now close enough brings her leg up into a high kick only to bring her heel down onto the beasts head. Her spider legs lift her off of the ground as she cocks a right hook and let's it fly.

Your heart sank, as you momentarily witnessed the earth itself come alive. Something that looked like pieces of human flesh, burst out of the ground. Their color black as pitch, they reminded you of the tendons linking a muscle.

Squirming and gliding out of the ground like snakes, the tendons shot straight ahead, trying to attached themselves to the spinning hedgehog. They did, but the sheer mass and speed of the moving object, made the tendons instantly stretch out to their limit and get pulled along, stretching along the entire length of the spiked ball.


The hedgehog briefly and violently came to a stop, accompanied by the sound of tearing tendons. It briefly exposed its face, from behind its spiked hide and opened its maw.



Circi didn't have enough time to make a high kick.

A gigantic ball of fire shot out of the creatures mouth like a bullet, impacted Circi right in the center of mass and threw her into the cottage wall. A deafening racket washed over the area, as the ball of fire blew Circi right through the wall, turning the wood into splinters and creating a massive hole in the building.


Johan, was caught in the impact on the other side. The fiery ball carried him and Circi together, until they all flew into the living room and the ball finally exploded, setting the floorboards on fire and raining small wooden chips all over the house.


Circi and Johan were heavily thrown onto the floor, their clothes singed, Johan barely breathing.


(Johan suffered -20 HP damage, 1 HP remaining)

(Circi suffered - 20 HP damage, 10 HP remaining)

Radiance wrote:Radiance rolls to the side and comes up with his flaming blade out. A metallic 'chunk' sounds as the weapon extends and Radiance takes "the stance of the nimble ninja" focusing on dodging and counter attacking.

"ITS FACE IS EXPOSED, FIRE!" Ursula roared, ducking out of cover and snapping her fingers in the direction of the monster.
The air in front of her suddenly and violently ignited, turning into a rapidly spinning fireball, about the same size as the hedgehog used, before the projectile flew right at the monsters maw.

Almost in unison, Kaylee smashed open a window with her elbow and violently threw a haze of purple mist in the creatures direction.


Both spells flew straight into its face. The detonation set the creatures fur on fire and it began shrieking and howling, so loud that it briefly impacted Radiances' hearing, briefly disorienting and deafening him for a second.


(Bobby suffered -20 HP)

(Bobby has been afflicted with the Blindness status effect for 5 turns of combat)

Twilight wrote:"Well that doesn't sound good." Twilight says. She throws the windows open, getting them to outside.

She floats up, preparing to scan the beast that was send to deal with them.

The shock wave of the blast in the living room, sent you flying into the grass and snow, a couple of meters away from the cottage, but not before your eye briefly caught a glimpse of the hedgehogs eyes.

The monster emitted a howling roar, as the scan spell flew right into its face.
The spell itself was invisible and had no accompanying lights, but the impact was felt vividly by the opponent.

His information began flooding into your mind.



Health: 59 left, out of 80 total.
Mana:  60 left, out of 80 total.


Combat skill: 8th Kyu
Magic Category: 3


The target is suffering from the Blindness status effect, for 5 turns of combat.

Twilight wrote:~And that's what I loathe about these people. The pure disregard of anything but themselves!~

"To be fair, we did consider hiding out in the tomb for the rest of the battle" Alyx quietly quacked, as you tried to recover from the fall:

"Twilight this thing has a ton of health, we need to start blasting it with magic, if we want to end this fight fast"

Rain wrote:dives low and drops Rogue near the things head

Rogue wrote:Rogue hunkers down into his shield and braces for impact.

With the creatures head partially exposed amidst its countless spikes and wildly swinging about, the dive was tricky and required good aim.
Thankfully, Rain's Lei-Tech Skillwires, a cybernetic system designed to give the user more control over thrown weapons and projectile weapons, increased her precision and accuracy.

The system activated on a subconscious level, allowing you to release Rogue just at the right moment and angle.



Significantly accelerated, Rogue mashed his shield square into the monsters forehead. The impact emitting a loud thud, and setting the creatures already burning fur, with another set of green burning fire.


As Rogue bounced off the monsters head and began flying aside into the snow, the hedgehog howled and suddenly curled up into a ball. Sticking its face into the snow to put out the flames and exposing a set of razor sharp spikes to point outward in every direction.

The spikes were big, about the size of a persons head and dangerously shook, as the hedgehog messily buried its face deeper and deeper into the snow.


You don't see any openings. Just a giant ball of spikes stood before you, with no visible opening to exploit. Still held in place by the dark tendons that extended out of the earth.




"Damn... its like natural armor" Rolo said, intently squinting and the monster: "I doubt our attacks will be effective, unless we strike a weak spot that isn't protected by spikes.

We landed good on his head though, we need more attacks like that"



(Bobby suffered -5 HP in the attack.)

"Gotcha." Twilight replies to the voice in her head.

She flew up in the air, preparing a 2nd level fireball to launch at it when it lay open again.

"Everyone! Try to get it on it's back! And get the wounded to safety!"

Radiance throws his weapon at Bobby then turns and sprints into the building.

He picks Johan off the floor then sprints out of the house, taking flight as soon as his feet touch the snow. Setting Johan at the top of the hill and out of sight Radiance immediately takes off again and flies back into the fight. His weapon flashing to life in has hand again.

Internally: "Johan was no question but do you think we should save Ciri? Or let one of the others?"