[Therider]

"So must the ritual be done;bring the entwined to a land or place in full view of a starry sky; make it so the entwined is placed in a circle of magic runes; allow the entwined to allow the magic to caress him for a time, until finally the soul is released from within. But be wary; the soul within the entwined might fight, or react to the magics separating him, and their strength may contest with the magics at work.

Richter kept his gaze at the words before him. Maria's guidance and her family library brought with her here had been a huge help, especially in finding this, the Soul Sanctuary spell. How Richter could ever repay his little sister for this tremendous task? How could he repay anyone who was coming to aid him? Truth be told, he wasn't sure he deserved the help; What had he done to deserve their friendship and companionship now? In any case, they were coming, and not only were they coming, they were coming to aid him; from ancestors to descendants, and apprentices, to friends, to even the reincarnation of his greatest enemy turned his close ally.A true band that may never be replicated. But they were to come to his aid, and they were to come and aid Richter. 

And so Richter sat with Maria, as the final preparations set in, waiting for the last few others to arrive. Richter lifted the whip on his side, carefully running his fingers across the hilt of the divine weapon. Perhaps, when all was said and done, Richter could prove himself worthy of wielding it faithfully once more. In the meanwhile, Richter stood to greet those who had just arrived.

"Friends, welcome! I trust you are all prepared for this situation we are going to embark upon. Any questions before we begin, I would be most happy to answer. However, I do not know how... our friend will react." 

Alright everyone! One round of social intro, before we jump into the ritual! I'll be putting the relevant rules in as we go, but for right now, just a quick post to set up for the fight.

Maverick Hunter Zero TheSpatialWeeg @phreezey Coolshaymin KashKey cynda1

[Coolshaymin]

Maria was looking over the setup, her divine guardians making checks over it. However Maria was not in her usual form of her 12 year old self for this mission. Discovering a way to keep this form for periods without extending magic and deciding the experience would help, she had her form in her older self with an owl resting on her shoulder.

This plan has to work, it needs to. She already lost her parents to Dracula and Shaft, she lost Richter to Shaft once, but this time she had an opportunity to do something about it. The animals nodded to which Maria nodded back and went into the woman, the celestial stars shining around her in sequence as they combined their magic with hers for now. She was going to need to focus all their magic on this so she'll rely on her familiars and own strength for now. She went to sit with Richter while they waited for the others. She looked to her brother for a moment. This was extremely dangerous and she has to admit, on her own this would probably be impossible but with the help of new friends they could pull this off.

"... Relax, between Niece Annalise, Soma, our ancestor, your apprentice and Shadow we should be able to help you. You helped me after he took everything from me in Castlevania, it's time I return the favor again," she holds her hand on Richter's shoulder before looking at the others as they arrived.

"One thing worth noting is if I do all the work then this will take bloody ages. This spell has gone out of practice for a reason but it's our best shot. We should be able to pull this off more effeciently if anyone with magic finds an opportunity to help me with the channeling part. Just don't forget that we can only pull this off if we work together."

[cynda1]

Shadow the hedgehog was one of the first to assure Richter he’d be there to assist, so it only made sense that he’d be one of the first to arrive. Especially since he moved at the speed of sound. He got wind that Maria and Richter were all set to go, so the hedgehog made his way from the apartment. He seemed to be helping Richter out quite a bit as of late, but he didn’t mind. Richter seemed like a trustworthy person, and the fact that he was having trouble was a good enough reason for him to help.

“Alright,” Shadow stated once he entered the vicinity. “Is everything situated to go?” Always eager to get things started as he usually was, the hedgehog had to remind himself that this was a team effort. Shadow glanced over at Maria, almost not recognizing her. Still, the hedgehog reacted as he always had around her and tried not to look at her. One might’ve thought this appearance of an adult may have helped the hedgehog forget the fact that she looked like… someone he knew, but in fact it only made the hedgehog wonder what she’d have been if she were allowed to grow up…

...Shadow shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for such things! It was time for him to focus, and for everyone else to do the same. This persona, or whatever the heck it was, had hideous plans… he could see it first hand when the thing tried to chain him up and take him who knows where. Even if Richter wasn’t the one who was tied to this Persona, the creature needed to be stopped.

Still, he knew Richter, and to say that he wasn’t motivated to help because of that was a lie. The two had gone on missions together, and he’d learned to respect the Vampire Hunter’s abilities and moralities, so to allow a person like that to shrivel into darkness could not be allowed.

The hedgehog would personally see to it that this demon would be put to rest...

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

{social interaction before the fight? Good to hear this. Also showing stats since I would need to be able to have someone check if I should politely ask them for dice rolls}

---

Leon was prepared for the situation, though as to how prepared he was, it wouldn't be much of a surprise because he was going in with his equipment normally, and as to how he got there, he was simply able to get to the location by running there. It could be seen that Leon Belmont was being careful on the situation because he knew nothing of the dark priest called Shaft and he was aiming to help his descendant in bringing judgement to the evil person who plagued him so.

"This will be the last time evil darkens my descendants, may this Shaft person know our wrath for his crimes, Richter." Leon said, he was disgruntled by the fact that he had no necessary means to make evil stay defeated, but the post ass-kicking boast of the clan that bore his namesake forever hunting the night resounded throughout the generations, and even in an alternate timeline.

He simply knew that This was the day he'd make his one-time friend; Mathias Cronqvist know that this was now very, very, VERY personal...

How personal you may ask? He had kept his anger in check, but once the fight begins, he would be fighting full force.

---

Leon Belmont
stats:
{STRENGTH}: 14(+2)
{DEXTERITY}: 6(-2)
{CONSTITUTION}: 10(=0)
{WISDOM}: 12(+1)
{INTELLIGENCE}: 12(+1)
{CHARISMA}: 16(+3)
HP: 150/150
Shield: 50/50
Status: good to go, VERY TRANQUIL FURY!!!
Cooldowns:
N/A

[Deleted]

Click click click click...

The hollow reverbs of heels met from pavement to grass became known to the group from the distance. Annalise had just arrived. Her mind was addled with questions, and answers she may receive later may not yet sate them. They were such desires to know that even surpassed her will to accrue any sort of monetary gain. After all, this was her 'Pops' they were talking about, not some sod off the street. Those who saw this woman approaching from the due direction of the Life Sphere may have the honor of beholding Annalise's four barreled, jet black shotgun. The beauty and marvel of postmodern engineering was chambered with one shell at a time as the Belmont approached, pristine locks done in that ponytail, fluttering in one direction like a knight's tassel...

"Oi, I'm not late, am I? Pops' important to me, y'know."

Shhk, shhk, shhk, shhk. Click.

Annalise had finished loading that long barreled behemoth of a firearm, and took a look around at this ritual. Maria had prepared her for this, at least... enough to assume this was going to be a tough-as-all-hell ride. Shaft was only rumored in her time, to see such a legendary enemy now, and of all times here, it would need to be taken care of immediately, lest this evil spread further.

"Auntie! Git me somewhere to help with the ritual, let these other blokes protect pops, yeah? I'd be better in the fight if I was takin' on the evil inside, not fightin' me own old man."

THE NEO BELMONT

HP: 160/160

Cooldowns: None

Status: Locked and loaded
Neo-Cross Multiplier - None

[TheSpatialWeeg]

Usually, the proverb she'd bust out in times like these is 'haste makes waste'.

However, despite quoting it frequently and most of the time adhering to its advice, Rhyme for once, actually went against it.

The news were very abruptly delivered. Richter Belmont, her mentor on the matter of night creature slaying, was suffering from a serious case of demonic possession. Unlike those freaky movies Beat'd watch occasionally, this was no basic demon or monster, but rather a dark priest, one named Shaft. And he required help to expel him from his body.

She accepted the daunting task in a heartbeat. How could she not help her mentor in his dire time of need? Thing is...maybe she should've taken her time and considered the possibilities. What good would she be if Shaft ended up being expelled an intangible mass of black smoke? Her 'magic' was just calling the strength of the physical pins on her, and what good would a super-charged uppercut do against something like air? If she at least finished that--

Amidst her thinking, she came across the group currently gathered for the ritual. A bunch of experienced hunters of the night...plus Shadow the Hedgehog. While feeling out of place, the young girl decided to steel her resolve. She would help Richter and the others, in any way she could.

...somehow. She was gonna work on that.

"Sorry I'm late." Rhyme spoke up. In sharp contrast to her usual easygoing tone, her voice was serious. This was a big issue, after all. "You can leave Shaft to me. I'll make sure he won't bother you again." she (attempted to) reassure the azure vampire hunter, putting both her fists together and forming a rather faulty smile.

[KashKey]

Why does this keep happening?

Soma rushed to the Meadow in bat form, desperate to make it in time. He always managed to be LATE to the important things, and it was getting to be a real problem. But, better late than never. He was worried about Richter. A Belmont possessed by a priest obsessed with his past life? That only spelled trouble, trouble he, naturally, was rushing had first into. It was his duty to make sure the past never reared its ugly head, and this was the top of that list. His memories as Dracula were fragmented, but he remembered one quite clearly. That night the Dark Lord had been resurrected by Shaft. Richter Belmont had, of course, defeated the Dark Lord swiftly, and Shaft with him. But this damnable Priest was just too dumb to know when it was time to die. Soma would make the Dark Priest know the world no longer had any place for him, just as it did not require a Dark Lord to ascend the throne.

Ah, there was everyone. The Bat flew on high, making sure it was well too high to see without damn good vision, before suddenly it transformed in a bright flash of green light, and Soma Cruz fell to the ground. The wind rushed past, and he had to admit, he'd always enjoyed the rush of falling from a high place. He quickly came crashing to the ground, and as the dust cleared, he stood.

"Sorry I'm late. I got the details on the ritual, I'll help the best I can. I'm not sure how effective my magic will be though." His speech was clipped, and hurried. There was no time to waste.

[Therider]

And come they did. 

Maria Renard, the true heroine and savior, always by his side when he needed her most.
Shadow the Hedgehog, the "Shade Animal", a rival and confidant, who's cold exterior betrayed a loyal heart.
Leon Belmont, the revered patriarch and expert of the night.
Annalise Belmont, the most recent descendant and the technological genius.
Rhyme, the apprentice and the one he wishes he never involved; purely out of his fear of her being hurt.
and Soma Cruz, the darkness harnessed for holy purposes, and the destined Reincarnation of Richter's greatest foe... turned friend and ally.

Richter watched as this team, this force united because he simply asked. His hand gripped the Vampire Killer, as he stood up on a small crate to address everyone. Looking at the eyes and smiles and frowns in the crowd, Richter's heart leapt... only a tiny bit. He didn't speak for a few seconds before rearing his arm back. With a powerful yell and a strong CRACK, Richter snapped his arm forward and launched the spiked head of the whip into the sky. Swinging the whip back and retracting the chain, Richter raised a clenched fist with the whip in hand. "Friends, family. Strike for the heart, and hold nothing back. Now... Let us begin. Maria, gather those who would aid you in this. The time has come."

Within minutes, the rune circle was completed, and soon the circle activated, creating a barrier between Richter and his allies. His hand, resting on the barrier near Maria, slowly dropped. "Maria... Promise me that you will destroy him... That is the only task that matters. My life... Is a second concern." And slowly Richter began to fall to his knees... And started to shake. The screaming came next, a long and uninterrupted cry of pain and agony. And finally... Richter was still.

MISSION COMPLETE!!!

"AHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!... Did you really think it would be so easy?"

Richter's body lifted up, as a shadowy aura covered his body, turning his clothing purple and gold. His eyes simmered red, and his hand holding the whip began to burn before the corrupted Belmont was forced to let go. He rolled his eyes, before cracking his knuckles and scanning the assembly. "So this is your great fellowship, hm? Found that a little girl and her dhampir lover weren't enough to stop me, so you decide the more the merrier? Let us see..."

Shaft, in Richter's body, cast his gaze upon Shadow and Rhyme first. "Beings from other worlds, yes? Hm... The child is practically useless short of pure corruption, and I hate to work with children." A roll of the eyes landed his gaze on Maria briefly. "Of course, you of all people would know, wouldn't you, Renard?" Turning back to Shadow, Shaft stroked his chin with the incredibly burned hand. "...Ah, yes, the being of intense darkness. Your essence will restore my power more than you can imagine. It will be good forcing the Belmont to watch you wither in my hands."

A simple wave of his hand, and both Rhyme and Shadow suddenly found themselves face to face with a very large bat! The bat screeched, and the two were assaulted with waves of energy! Oddly enough, they didn't hurt... They just made everything start to feel reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllyyyyyyyyy wwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeirrrrrrrrrddddddddd!

Rhyme and Shadow! Shaft's Phantom Bat is attempting to tire you into submission! Roll a CON check with a difficulty of 14; on a pass, take 3%. On a fail, take 10% and lower your CON modifier by 3 for 2 turns!

Turning his attention to Leon and Annalise, Shaft chuckled. "The Alpha and the Omega. Fitting you both die together. Tell all the others you failed when you meet them. Well... if you meet them." And in front of the two Belmonts appeared a monster, one that Annalise would find vaguely familiar. A Creature stood before them, bolts sticking out of it's head, with bug, hulking arms and a deadly look on it's face. It raised its hands above it's head and smashed downward hard at the ground, causing a shockwave to hurtle at high speeds at the two.

Annalise and Leon! The Creature has decided it wants you to feel the Shockwave!! Dodge a 13+, or take 27%!!

Shaft stopped with an odd look at Soma. The look appeared to the young man as... melancholy? Sadness, it seemed, filled the air between the two. "... Lord Dracula... I did not expect you to support this. Perhaps you wish me fully under your service again...? No matter. Your current host is weak-willed and does not desire your return to full power... I will rectify that. I will kill this "Soma Cruz" or whatever facade you have placed before me and the damned girl with you. And when I sprinkle her blood upon your corpse, your full powers of the night shall be restored, and My Lord, I can serve you once more. But first... D I E ! ! !"

Soma and Maria would now find themselves faced with linen forming around into the shape of a human man, before the arms raised, and forward marched a Mummy! The Mummy stepped forward, and muttered an ancient curse in Egyptian... At least, it seemed a curse to the two, because before their eyes, stones burst from the ground and flew towards them!

Maria and Soma! The Mummy has summoned Hieroglyphic Stones to smash you! Dodge with a 15 or higher, or take 24% as you're crushed to the ground!

Shaft twitched slightly within the rune circle; the runes began glowing brighter, as Shaft cursed in a mutter.Placing his hand upon the barrier, Shaft began to mutter his own incantation, and a noticeable crack erupted in the barrier wall. Anyone who studied the ritual knew this was bad; if Shaft broke through before he was separated... Richter might be lost for good.

Everyone, Shaft is trying to break through the Soul Sanctuary barrier! If he does, Richter is considered KO'ed! In order to counteract this, one or more magic users will need to sacrifice 2 or more of their actions to counteract and keep him inside. If 5 total actions are sacrificed, Shaft is stunned for one turn, and will not attempt this next round; however, this will force the monsters outside to act more aggressively! Your choice!

All posts due by Monday, July 8th.

Attachment Deleted
Shaft Mont HP:0/?	Phantom Bat HP:0/? Weak: ? ? ?	The Creature HP: 0/? Weak: ? ? ?	The Mummy HP:0/? Weak: ? ? ?

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

{Putting this out now so others may get theirs in.}

---

Leon was adamant, meeting his descendants and some new allies, the time was nigh for Richter to be free of the curse of Shaft... Sadly Shaft was still inside his descendant and when he took over, sicced Frankenstein's Monster on both him and Annalise, Leon would not be deterred and blocked the attack by way of his Bubble Shield.
{Leon Belmont Bubble Shields the attack!}: 50-10(activation penalty)-27(Shockwave)=13

After he dusted himself off, Leon glared at Shaft. "I thank you for the compliment, but I think you don't know of your 'Master's' past from my viewpoint." Leon said with a scowl, noting to ask Soma Cruz to tell him the details later.

"Annalise, Shadow, Soma, Maria, Rhyme; Let's take this dark priest down as well as his monster minions. Shaft: You will forever regret this day! Richter... Forgive me for what I may end up doing to you in the process of this battle." Leon added, feeling saddened by the fact that he might end up fighting his own descendant.

unfurling the original Vampire Killer, Leon let out a roar of fury as he unleashed his furious attack upon his assailant and minions.

His time to hunt had now begun, and his target was the Dark Priest and Frankenstein's Monster!

He would first smack the monster with his whip in an attempt to soften it up.
STR ROLL A: GInkpVQbp_1d20+2 (Critical Vampire Killer @ Frankenstein's Monster, 8% dmg and 100% burn chance if it connects, additional 5% dmg to unholy beings)

Then threw a phial of Holy Water at the source of his being arsed: the dark priest possessing Richter Belmont's body!
DEX ROLL: p_1d20-2 (Holy Water @ Shaftmont, 18% dmg and 10% burn chance if it connects, additional 5% dmg since shaft is considered an unholy being due to possessing Richter Belmont's body)

Then jumped into the air and came crashing down on Frankenstein's Monster with a kick that could easily Decapitate the fiend if it truly landed such a devastating blow!
STR ROLL B: p_1d20+2 (Critical Falcon Claw @ Frankenstein's Monster, 30% dmg if it connects)

Leon would be ready in case he had to begin his nimble(albiet clumsy) dodging should he be attacked again, his brawn to Mathias Cronqvist's brains would be put through the wringer in this fight, and he knew that he would need to take on more fearsome does eventually.

---

Leon Belmont
HP: 150/150
Shield: 13/50(regenerating...)
Status: TRANQUIL FURY
Cooldowns:
Falcon Claw(1)
Holy Water(2)
Stats:
{STR}: 14(+2)
{DEX}: 06(-2)
{CON}: 10(=0)
{WIS}: 12(+1)
{INT}: 12(+1)
{CHA}: 16(+3)1d20+2·1d20-2·1d20+2

[cynda1]

Shadow felt a fire burning in the pit of his stomach. The hedgehog leered into the demon’s eyes more intensely with each word spoken to him and Rhyme. Shadow had accused people of being useless before, but the idea that Rhyme should be ashamed of that was ludicrous considering the demon’s goals. Perhaps the fact that Shadow was able to stare this one down so intensely made the creature’s words true about the amount of darkness he held within him.

“I’d like to see you try!” The hedgehog, nonetheless, challenged the beast within Richter before preparing for the fight. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for what came…

beWqYvf5p_1d20 (Shadow's attempt to avoid the bat's attack... fail.)

The bat’s attack was swift, making a good slap across Shadow’s face. Shadow was instantly knocked back a few paces, and he felt… strange. Shadow shook it off and let out a growl at the bat. “You made a big mistake, rat,” Shadow hissed, not even wanting to associate Rouge with a creature like this. “You’re going to regret it, dearly.”

Shadow leapt into the air and threw three lightning bolts at the bat with the swipe of his hand in the air. The hedgehog would land on his feet to the ground to prepare for his next attack as each spear approached their target for the obvious purpose of causing the creature great pain.

p_1d20+3 (Shadow used Chaos Spear! His WIS stat allows for a +3 in each roll! Should the attack make its mark, it'll cause 3% damage, plus inflict the Speared status, allowing Shadow to use the Spear Pulled technique to cause an extra 5% of damage each time Shadow utilizes it. The foe must roll a CON roll to avoid Spear Pulled. Speared lasts for 4 turns.)
p_1d20+3 (Again.)
p_1d20+3 (Again.)

The first two spears weren’t that great, but the last one was pretty intense. It’d be hard for the bat with wings to avoid that last one.

After this, Shadow rolled into a tight ball, dashing right for the bat and planning to run it over. The hedgehog repeated this twice before unrolling, rage clear as crystal on his face whether the attack made its mark or not.

p_1d20+3 (Shadow used Spin Dash on the bat! His DEX stat allows for a +3 in each roll. should this attack make its mark, it'll cause 7% damage.)
p_1d20+3 (Again.)

Shadow straightened himself up, clearly ready to take this demon down a peg with all his might.

---

Shadow
Health: 140/150
Shield: 50/50
Status: Angry and CON stat lowered by 3 (3).
Cooldowns: None

1d20·1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3

[TheSpatialWeeg]

Everybody had gathered.

Out of the many figures gathered for the ritual, Rhyme only knew Shadow and Richter personally. If the matters weren't pressing and Richter hadn't called their attention, she'd go with the usual greetings. But for now, it was time to commence the ritual.

During the odd time were the ritual was conducted, Rhyme was quiet, her expression fixated on a worried frown, said expression worsening a bit as Richter ended up saying something that certainly didn't sit well with her. Sure, Shaft needed to be destroyed for good, but did he really have to go ahead and say that his life doesn't hold the same level of importance...?

Deep breaths. She couldn't let emotions run amok. Not right now. She needed to put a strong front.

Especially when Shaft ended up surfacing.

Her worried expression replaced by a scowl, she stared down the dark priest looking at her and dismissing her potential use as a pawn. 'Is he...underestimating me?' Rhyme wondered, before Shaftmont summoned a monstrous bat for her and Shadow to fend off. "...What do you say we teach him to not count his chickens before they hatch, hm?" she asked Shadow before sliding into her combat stance.

SseKKg3dp_1d20-2 (CON check pass!)

Rhyme was then attacked by the bat. Outside from feeling slightly weird, the waves of energy didn't affect her. Without a second of hesitation, the psych girl went into the offensive. "Onikiri!" she called, as she channeled one of her pins. Next, she slashed horizontally at the bat with her arm, as it got covered with a powerful aura. The range of the attack was probably enough to grab the other monsters as well.

p_1d20+2 (Onikiri! AoE Combo, 7%)
p_1d20+2 (Onikiri, Combo 2)
p_1d20+2 (Onikiri! Combo 3)

Afterwards, she decided to focus on the lovely gift from Shaft, as the aura surrounding her hands flared intensely. "Unjo!" With a quick pin switch, Rhyme unloaded a lengthy storm of fists at the night creature, the final hits coming out slightly stronger.

p_1d20+2 (Unjo @ Phantom Bat! 18% damage)
p_1d20+1 (Unjo @ Phantom Bat! Using it a second time grants damage bonus at the cost of accuracy mod. 18+3=21% damage!)

After finish the fist storm, the blonde slid backwards, a smirk forming. "You guys keep Shaft at bay! We'll deal with the monsters." Rhyme said to her teammates. Still, the fact that the monsters were targeting the others was gonna make the plan hard to execute. She and Shadow needed to distract them...somehow.

...Wait. Richter's Vampire Killer was on the ground! That's it!

OK, whether or not this would work was a big stretch, but fortune favors the bold, doesn't it? Weaving past the bat, she quickly grabbed the abandoned chain whip and moved back. "Hey, ugly faces!" She called, cracking the whip loudly to get their attention. "Come 'n get it, punks!"

...She's going to get into deep trouble, isn't she?

---

Rhyme 127/130 HP

1d20-2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+1

[KashKey]

Of course nothing ever goes well. Soma cursed internally as Shaft revealed himself, and reached for the Silver Gun inside his coat. This would be a fight to the death, he was certain of it. This dark Priest... He just never knew when to give up! Soma watched Shaft talk... Then felt his blood run cold as the obsessed Priest turned to him. Damnit, he revealed that to so many people he needed to NOT KNOW!

"Kh... That past... That past is Dead, as is your lord. And they are NEVER coming back. The world has no place for your darkness Shaft, and the Dark Lord is unrequired. RETURN TO THE ABYSS, and leave the Belmonts ALONE!"

As the mummy arose, Soma narrowed his eyes. the past truly was quite literally digging itself up from the dirt. Brilliant.

TS4FiCj9p_1d20+2

Soma skillfully leaped over the hieroglyphs, and immediately drew his Silver Gun, firing off three rounds at the monster of darkness.

p_1d20+2(Bang bang bang, 3 shots, all 8% on the mummy.)

p_1d20+2

p_1d20+2

Poor shots were made, but he didn't have time to worry about it. He leaped over the mummy, and made a sprint for the barrier. He quickly flung his hand through the air, creating a magic seal, then slammed it onto the barrier, channeling every bit of magic power he had into it. He panted as he finished adding his power to the barrier, then turned. ... And that's when he saw Rhyme make the worst mistake he'd ever seen someone make. His eyes widened in shock. He didn't have enough time to get to her at the moment, there was too much chaos. Normal people couldn't wield Vampire Killer, and Richter's was especially stubborn. So a warning would have to do.

"RHYME, NO! DROP VAMPIRE KILLER!"1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2

[Deleted]

"YOU!"

Oh no. Annalise's blood began to boil, outright embittering her anger when she saw Shaft manifest, seeing her own 'Pops' being taken so quickly over by that evil force. It sent chills down her spine, and caused her chest to ache with rage and stress. Annalise's mind became addled, her focus was waning, and the intense anger kept her from truly strategizing at that very moment, until it became clear what was at stake. If she didn't act now, and save her ancestor, she may never be able to finally have a family again. So, she simmers down, still furious and ready to put this being into the dirt. To show him, once and for all, that Dracula was a lost cause. That this war of Belmonts and vampires always turned in the favor of those who served God, and not those who'd bend knee to Dracula.

"I'm gonna pull you outta Pops, you PILLOCK! After that?! I'M BEATIN' YOU TO DEATH WITH ME OWN TWO 'ANDS!"

Of course, the shockwave comes tumbling in, and as Annalise had been caught off guard, she makes her attempt to evade such a thing, bracing herself just as the wave billows closer and closer...

(Ow)
BvAQ7c8Op_1d20+2
The Shockwave tears through her just as she tries to jump, landing face first onto the ground. As Anna starts to sit back up, her skin begins to... faintly glow..? Over one of those runes, the very holy light she could manifest draws closer and closer, channeling the light itself through her. She was acting as a catalyst (if against her will) for the ritual!

(Anna sacrifices all three of her actions to the Ritual!)
"Nnnh! Don't worry 'bout me, luvs! Get that kid back, an' git someone over 'ere to 'elp me!"
Anna could only hope someone stopped Rhyme... After all, she was preoccupied with being a literal catalyst.


Annalise
HP: 123/150
Status: Immobilized by the Ritual, channeling...
Cooldowns: None

1d20+2

[Therider]

(Shaft is stunned due to the 5 actions used to stop his actions! Not bad, heroes!)
(Also, apologies for the wait! I got swamped IRL, but it gave almost everyone time to finish posts. I'm extending the deadline to a two-week deadline for more IRL reasons as well, so we shouldn't have to skip anyone this round. Also for the record, Coolshaymin you can roll to see if you dodged the first attack; however, you will not be targeted this round.)

Shaftmont grunted as the force of both future Dracula and future Belmont combined their forces and pushed him back. The priest, stunned by the show of force, was silent for the first time since his arrival. Perhaps he was devastated that Dracula would fight so hard to keep him bound? In any case, Shaft simply flicked his wrist, and the monsters would continue their assault.

First, the Phantom Bat.

The Bat carefully flew around most of the Spears, although one clipped it in the wing. Shadow would notice that the spear seemed to fade almost after contact; any attempt to pull back would not be wise. Carefully soaring around Shadow's spin dashes, the beast was suddenly assaulted by Rhyme's powerful blows. 

(Note: Shadow has discovered that the Phantom Bat is immune to the Spear Pulled Effect! Also, Rhyme's CRIT Onikiri deals 11% to all three monsters, for the record.)

The last swipe would also find it's way across the Bat's body, forcing the beast to land. Before it could take to the skies again, Rhyme's powerful punches would smash the beast, pushing the beast and causing it to screech in pain. Rising to the air, the Phantom Bat would twist it's body at full speeds before flying to smash into Rhyme!

RHYME! The Phantom Bat is attempting to Drill you! Dodge a 17 or take 26%!

Bouncing back, the Bat would screech again, before flying high...

Over the Creature, whom faced down Leon and Annalise. Annalise had decided to focus entirely on the Barrier, leaving the Founder of the Belmont Clan to face the Creature back. Unfortunately for the electrified monster, Leon was more than up to the challenge. His whip's lash left a burning mark on the Creature, although Leon would notice the holy burn didn't hold out. In fact, it seemed to fade almost instantly from the monster's moist skin.

(Leon has discovered that the Creature is immune to the Burn Status Effect!)

The Creature watched as Leon tossed the Holy Water at Shaftmont!... Only for it to bounce off the barrier. Did Leon forget that there was a physical barrier separating Shaft from getting out? Perhaps he thought the attack would be able to pass through because of his righteous heart. In any case, the Creature would point and laugh at Leon, before taking a powerful kick to the face. 

The Creature's head would be turned around to face his back. Grabbing his head with both hands, the Creature switched around it's head back to normal, before glaring down at Leon. Clenching his fists together and charging them with electric energy, the Creature brought them down in an overhead strike!

LEON! The Creature is attempting a Charged Overhead Slam! Dodge a 16, or take 32% damage and lose two actions next turn!

Finally, the Mummy would watch as Soma shoot it once well, and the other times not well at all. The wrapped undead would unravel wraps from it's arms, and launch them at Soma at high speeds. They would wrap themselves around Soma and pull him away from the Barrier, forcing him to dodge or break out!

SOMA! The Mummy is attempting to Grapple you with Ancient Linens! Roll to either Dodge or Break Free (STR) from a 15, or lose 2 actions next turn and be pulled away from the barrier!

...However, before we leave, we have one more thing to mention.

Rhyme would hold a relic older than perhaps she realized. The Vampire Killer would feel heavy in Rhyme's hands but other than that it would seem to be a normal chain whip.

Unless...

iLN|XZikp_1d100 (d100 roll to decide what happened when Rhyme picked up the Vampire Killer. I chose a number at random and decided effects around it. I picked... 28.)

Rhyme would hear a female voice echo through her mind. "You who hold the holy whip of the Belmont lineage... I applaud your courage... But this is not your weapon. You have not trained to fight the night with me... I can only offer a small portion of my power to you... But please... Free the one who has suffered much for righteousness..."

In Rhyme's free hand, a Pin would appear, with an odd logo on it.


The whip would suddenly flare up in heat, becoming unbearable to touch, hopefully causing rhyme to drop it. As she did, she would hear a final phrase.

"Leon...My love... Stay Strong..."

(Rhyme has received a temporary primary move! It will last until the end of this mission, or until it is bought.)
(Vampire Killer: Rhyme summons a spectral whip and hits foes with it! Deals 15% damage, plus 5% if the foe is unholy or undead.)

Shaft Mont HP:0/?	Phantom Bat HP: 60/? Weak: ? ? ?	The Creature HP: 43/? Weak:?? ?	The Mummy HP:8/? Weak: ? ? ?

1d100

[cynda1]

Shadow snarled at the bats. Nothing Shadow did seemed to do much of anything. On the contrary, the only thing that made its mark was one of Shadow’s Chaos Spears, and even then, the Chaos Pulled ability didn’t seem to be working. None of his Spin Dashes made their mark either, and the hedgehog was starting to get frustrated. If he couldn’t even hurt a little bat, what good was he to this mission?!

It was then that he noticed Rhyme. The girl made her attack, and it seemed to make an impact on the bats. Shadow turned his head toward the girl, more fierce and determined than he’d ever seen her behave, which was interesting because Rhyme wasn’t someone he was particularly interested in before this moment. Shadow ignored the words of those that seemed to doubt Rhyme’s plan. Her actions held more results than his did, so who was he to question her idea? He nodded in agreement.

“She knew the risks when she agreed to help Richter,” Shadow said. “Besides, the sooner we defeat Shaft, the sooner we can save Richter. Go! I’ll make sure she’s alright.” Just as he said that, the opportunity for him to prove it had arisen.

An attack from the bat, a rather powerful looking one, was making its way toward the girl, causing Shadow to glare and jump. “Move!” Shadow commanded as he jumped to push Rhyme out of the way.

cGXfsNSkp_1d20+3 (Shadow's attempt to save Rhyme... He succeeds, but he is hit by the attack.)

...He was successful, but he wasn’t able to avoid the attack himself. Still, the hedgehog glared the assaulting bat down, accepted this outcome. At least he helped Rhyme avoid the attack. Shadow grunted as he took the full brunt of the bat’s drill attack, his pained expression exclaiming just how much the attack hurt. Shadow was launched a few feet away from his original spot, the force of the attack skidding him backward as he tried to stand against the force. Once the impact was made, Shadow knelt down on one knew, before glaring at his foe in pain and slowly and shakily pushed himself back up.

Shadow then allowed a blue aura to surround him as he growled, letting out a battle cry as a boost of blue energy surrounded his body. “Chaos… BOOST!” Shadow cried out, creating a wave of increased power around himself. This power boost wouldn’t last long, but it would hopefully be enough to help him make an impact on the bat. “Take a hold of your destiny, Rhyme!” Shadow called out to her. “I’ll help you take care of these monsters…”

p_1d20+3 (Shadow used Chaos Boost! Shadow's next WIS based attack will have a roll raised by +3. The attack damage will also be raised by 7. This boost will only apply to the next attack, and it will have a cool down of 3 posts starting in the next turn. He will also lose an action on the next turn.)

After the Chaos Boost attack, Shadow flared up a blue aura before disappearing and then ending up on the other side of the bat. The Chaos Snap attack, if effective, would have made its impact a few seconds after Shadow landed. He repeated the attack three times.

p_1d20+6 (Shadow used Chaos Snap! Shadow's WIS and Chaos Boost allowed for a +6 in this attack. If the hit is successful, thanks to Chaos Boost, the Chaos Snap attack will cause 14% damage.)
p_1d20+6 (Again.)
p_1d20+6 (Again.)

Thanks to the Chaos Boost, Shadow’s attacks were more potent. However, after the Chaos Snap, Shadow’s blue aura would wear off as he started panting. The hedgehog shook his head, leering at his foes. Now was too early for the hedgehog to get tired! He needed to focus. Richter believed Shadow could be an asset in saving him, and the hedgehog wasn’t about to let him down.

---

Shadow
Health: 114/150
Shield: 50/50
Status: CON stat lowered by 3 (2). Loses 1 action in the next turn (Chaos Boost). Having a hard time.
Cooldowns: Chaos Boost (Starts in the next turn.)

1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+6·1d20+6·1d20+6