The Veil Tower

1436 ATC

Somewhere, deep within the marsh lands and swamps deep past the forest of the veil. Deep within the swamp shows signs of a once different time. A time where the land was livable. A time where people inhabited a once beautiful land that had now changed over the years. Standing tall in some still waters of the swamp deep behind some withered willow trees stood an abandoned tower. It stood tall but at a slight tilt. The door on the front was rusted at the hinges and the door nearly fell off the tower. As one would climb the steps they would feel an erry draft as the stones of the wall were loose. Coming to the top as their would be another door, this door in better condition than the last. The door was a glass door with black steel details. Opening it the room anyone would enter would be in shambles. A sofa ceil was in front of a window, vines grew creeping along the window frame. To the right of the room when coming in from the door was an old sofa, both ceil seat and sofa decorated in skull and rose pillows. In the middle of the floor a broken chandelier had fallen, its beads scattered across the floor. A old skull of some unknown person sat there with a crow named Bosco. He would occasionally hide his next meal in the eye sockets of the skull. Above the sofa an old dry rotted wooden cloak hung and next to it in the corner a birdcage with the creeping vines from the window grew onto, beautiful blossoms bloomed on these vines. To the left of the room were some old lights and a mirror and on the wall a candle obra. On the floor scattered around the room were old chandles as well. As if this had been someone's secret hideaway. Oddly enough for the visitor, all the candles were lit but no one was there except a cold chill clinging to the air around them.

A man sat on a branch of a dead tree, scouting out the area with a silver spyglass he held to his eye. He wore a crimson and turquoise tunic with baggy red pants and bright red boots caked with mud from the swamp, along with a black cloak and a hood draped over his head. ''Odd. Nothing out here but this tower.'' He muttered. ''Can't really see a way in...'' He disregarded that thought spotting a door in very bad condition that blended in with the tower. He disappeared in a puff of thick red smoke and reappeared several feet ahead of him, right at the door. He cleared his throat and slid the spyglass into one of the many pouches of his belt, pushing the door open. It creaked noisily and he was quick to step back, ready for anything to jump out at him. He was met by a chill, and a hollow silence. ''Exciting. Filled with... There's got to be something valuable, at least.'' The man said with a small smirk, stepping inside, his right hand grabbing his odd, bladeless sword that hung from his belt. The hooded man climbed the stairs slowly, wary of his surroundings and keeping both ears attuned. So far, nothing. His muddied boots squished against the stone steps and he shuddered, reaching the top. Eying the glass door he raised a brow. ''Is that a...'' Could someone be living here? He approached it slowly, raised a fist, and knocked once, before quickly pressing his back up against the wall away and out of sight of the door. Best to knock, as there could have been something dangerous on the other side lying in wait, and it would be best to know before he opened the door and it left at him.

BUMP. The sound of the knocking fist resonated throughout the murky insides of this estranged tower, seeming to rock the foundation of the building itself. In fact... It did. The door would fall from the bronze, rust laden hinges to hit the ground, another thud finding purchase to the ears of all involved. That all being one... Or was it? Further auditory prompting came from snapping support beams, shifting stone. It was like an earthquake, but confined within this tower. To any with any sort of knowledge, it was rather apparent. The Tower was collapsing, right around the footfalls of this rather... Eccentrically dressed traveler. Ahead of him, right before his eyes the couch fell through the roof, as the solitary nesting crow fell underneath a crashing block of oak. The floor, from his behind, toppled to the floor, ten stories below. Dust, mold, and displaced stone filled the air, creating a choking, oppressively atmosphere to breath in...There wasn't much time before the entirety of the structure would fall, and take this explorer with it, to be buried under a surplus of limestone and steel.

The only glow in the room was that from the burning candles, smoke scenting the air, but there was another smell here. Something rotten. Something old. Perhaps it was the mold? Perhaps it was something else? As the man entered the room looking around the air grew colder, more dense. Something was here. A being who could not be seen or heard formed from the smoke of the candles and she stretched yawning a bit. She blinked her ghostly dead white eyes stared at the intruder and she huffed. The Tower Keeper floated over towards the male circling him. He couldn't see her but she could see him. She circled him more before she leaned in towards his ear. Her cold breath gently brushed his ear and a small whisper came out for him to hear, "Get out... This place is not for the faint of heart..." She spoke softly.

"Ahek! Ahek!'' The man coughed several times and swore underneath his breath, throwing himself forward through the door when the hall behind him fell. Now in the room, he moved about slowly in case the floor would collapse again, looking about for any kind of valuables. So far, no threats aside from the environment itself. He clipped his strange folding sword, named Whalebone, back onto his belt and sighed, coughing a bit more. Or was someone here... Once he saw the lit candles his hand went back onto his bladeless sword. ''Ah!'' He jumped at the voice that whispered into his ear. ''Who's there?'' He called out. Reflex kicked in, and he twirled his hilt and a short blade extended. With the faint lighting he did something he didn't often do... Placing the sharp blade in his left hand, he slowly dragged it across his palm, his mark glowing greenish white as he coated it with blood. Zzzrt! A very brief crackle of magical green lighting erupted from his fingertips and onto the blade. Zzzrt zzzrt! Waving his sword around, the blade now glowed bright green and crackled with unstable magic lightning.

Each step the male would take would result in the floor directly adjacent to him collapsing, falling down to the ground, with each and every second, more and more cracks formed in the foundation. He was now caught in a circle, gradually decreasing in size. There was not much time left... And not much visibility with all the smog clogging the air around each and every inch of his visuals. Oh, what is one to do in this situation? Another voice chimed into his ear, on the other side. Less quiet, but far more raspy..."But...perhaps it's a bit too late for that...."

The Veil Crescent looked up to see Veil Dusk floating there with her examining the male who had invaded their home. She looked at Dusk licking her lips. She was hungry. She hadn't fed for a rather long time. Veils were interesting creatures, Night Terrors. Hallowed out Souls who fed on terror and fear and insecurity. But they had a special ability. What one Veil fed on and collected in Negative energy they could share with one another. She was sharing with Dusk, but she hungered for more. She reached out her long black eerie narrow finger gently brushed across the male's cheek and she pulled her hand away, he would barely feel her a streak of cold brushing against his cheek. She wanted to feed and she waited for her senior Night Terror to give her the okay.

''Too late for what?'' He asked aloud moving to the enter of the room, besides the broken chandelier. Whatever entity, or entities hovered around him, he assumed they were tied to the tower. If it fell apart, then they would vanish. ''Too late for you too...'' He said raising his left hand, and the mark on the back of it glowed greenish white, emitting steam. He moved back sharply when something touched his face and backhanded the air in front of him, blasting it with a powerful gust of wind.

The Hand, thrusting outward to lash at the air... Would find itself caught in the grips of a decomposing palm, nails hinging on last lines of putrid, green flesh, maggots wrenching from the muscle and bone. To shift one's eyes lower, would result in seeing the source of this extremity...a rolling, black mist, with nothing visible within it's depth, save for the rising hand...and two, pupilless and irisless eyes, bloodshot, and milky, pure white. The gusting wind would fall short as a light breeze generating from his digits, and from that same fog, which encroached all around his feet, more degenerating limbs rose to grasp his limbs. The Veil Dusk shifted his silvered eyes over to his fellow Night Terror... And offered but a nod in acceptance.

The wind did nothing and once she got the okay for the feed she smirked widely. She also felt it funny that this man assumed they were bond to this tower, thinking it was to late for them. Yes she supposed it was to late for them, they died and turned into something less than a spirit. Something much more terrible. But they were not bound to this tower. This tower acted as their headquarters for many years. Floating behind the man she placed her two index fingers into his temples. The Tower Keeper would not make him a host, only a surrogate until she found a proper host to feed from. He was her snack. Her index black fingers slipped into his temples, it would not hurt but he would feel a cold caress against his temples, and as she did this suddenly his darkest fears would come up to his mind staring him right in the face. She began to whisper in his ear, the eerie voice of a dead girl speaking, "I warned you..." She spoke softly.

''Oh by the void!'' Some adventure this was. Here Venser had recently kicked his heroine and Grey Amber addiction and was getting out of his usual dojo to travel and this went south fast. Then again, he knew the risks of adventuring. He nearly vomitted at the sight that looked him in the face. He tore away from it, only for limbs to reach out of the floor and grab his legs. ''Oof!'' He tripped backwards and quickly disappeared in a puff pf thick red smoke, reappearing against the wall. ''Still think something here is of any value?'' No. He had to- Everything froze and went cold. And his back arched and he heard a snapping noise as his mind fell away to the things he feared most.

With the male crumbling away to his fears, and with the Veil Crescent feeding, the use of further illusions was minimal...Veil Dusk released his hold over this tear between the realm of nightmares the corporeal existence, the tower losing it's dilapidated state, and making a display of a well upkept area. Of course... The male in red wouldn't quite see this, even if Maxx had lounged against the couch to watch him shrivel away in a corner. "Enjoying your meal, Keeper?" His voice would only be heard to Isabella, conducting the 'soundwaves' solely through the fourth dimension. Anyone in earshot would merely get a strong sense of dread, given his nature... Though that would be useless information, to someone battling it out with inner demons.

The Tower Keeper felt his mind go towards the darkness of his fears and she smiled brightly. She began drawing the negative energy from his mind taking away his fears as quickly as they came feeding off his energy. When she was finished she floated over to Maxx touching his arm and sharing some with him, "Taste for yourself... It has a tangy taste if you ask me." She said happily glancing over at the male. Her words could only be heard by Maxx at the moment, "What should we do with him? Why do you think he came to this place? Is there a way we can probe him for information?" She asked glancing at Maxx who was lounged on the couch. She floated around him before taking her own seat on the ceil seat watching the male cower against the wall.

Anaxximander just shrugged his shoulders, now lounging along the couch, all in relaxed mode. "Honestly, once he comes to from this fit, he'll more than likely leave. If he sticks around, we just hit him again, get a bit more food. Carboload and all that...No telling when my laziness will subside, after all..." Maxx offered his compatriot a slight smile. "Thanks for sharing....Nice job on that one, by the way. He seems to be really out of it....He's attuned to other worldy and other dimensional forces. You can tell by that mark on his hand... So it makes sense that he probably has more fears than those within the mortal coil."

Not many months ago... "Pryldahn was so beautiful... Both inside and out. It would make travelling to work so much easier and all of the children could play together, when the baby grows a bit of course." A woman with flawless, semi-golden skin and warm, loving green eyes said smiling warmly and pressed a tender kiss to Venser's lips then, nuzzling against them. "I love you, Venser...Thank you for the life you've given me." Beside the woman in the comfort of turquoise silk sheets inside the Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, laid the man himself. ''Yeah... We can just walk to work everyday, and we can have Kari and Alex watch the kids.'' Venser said smiling as he took Sanna's soft hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over them. ''I love you too Sanna. So so much.'' He nuzzled her head, and she did the same. In the present... ''Thank you for the life you've given me.'' Her words echoed in his head as the hooded, bearded man lay still against the wall, staring up wide eyed and unblinking at the ceiling. His head fell forward and his vison blurrd, everything went white and he saw a figure approach him. One... Familiar.

The Tower Keeper frowned a bit looking at Maxx, "His fears come from his loss of love I believe..." She spoke, "I wish I could have sympathy for him.... But I have never experienced love... I was alone when I was alive.... And now I am dead...." She spoke sighing, "I almost forgot what its like to be alive... really the only thing I remember is my pain..." She said floating towards the male who seemed to be in a cold sweat and she felt bad. She knew she needed to do this for survival, but when she wished to plague al those others who hurt her, she didn't think it would be at the cost of plaguing everyone who came around.

''Ven-'' A blocky, beautiful voice said as the figure approached him, the figure being human and wearing a simple white sundress, but the light blocked out most features. A year ago... ''Tempey's gone!'' Venser yelled at the top of his lungs dropping all the bottles he held and pushing his dear friend away. ''What was it she said? She doesn't love me anymore!'' He shoved his head back into the garbage can and wept before falling over. ''Oh well... I can always have female company at The Golden Cat. Or The Witch's Wiggle!'' He jumped up and faced Juliette. ''We could have those orgies they have every three months! I've taken you to Riddleport right?! Orgies Julie! Orgies! Orgies!'' He kept yelling that one word and flailing his arms, making a huge commotion in the middle of the tavern he lived and worked in. The children hated seeing their father like this. ''Reeky what does orggie mean?'' A young boy, about five years old with messy hair so blonde it looked white with grass green eyes asked a nearby succubus. Further back... A woman seven foot tall, beautiful despite the odd marks etched into her skin, mismatched eyes, and muscular appearance was not sure how she felt but she gave him a kiss back however it was far less affectionate and she cut it short. "Maybe." She stated and then she walked out the doors. Once she headed down the stairs Venser walked over to the railings and silently watched his love exit his life. The door shut and was easily heard inside the empty and quiet tavern. ''I love you.'' He said sadly shedding more tears slumping down against the railings, looking through them with his hands on them as if they were prison bars. ''I love you...'' She didn't have any second thoughts as she got her horse from the stable and began on her new journey, a healthier one. ''Tempey...'' He croaked. The figure moved closer, and closer. ''You can't help yourself, can you?'' The female voice was clearer now and he tensed up.

The Tower Keeper watched the man relive these painful memories and she frowned. Her effects never lasted this long on anyone before and she feared his mind unraveling. Suddenly a loud voice of a dead girl boomed out, "STOP!" And the tower quaked at the voice as if it were alive. Veil Crescent watched the man cry and break down on the floor and she decided to do something she had never done. Suddenly the small ghost girl stood before him in plan sight. She was a small girl only five foot four. She was slender, as if deprived of food and even affection. She had black hair that faded to white and she had white eyes. Her skin was pale with a black line across her face and black lips and black shadows around her eyes. Her fingers were black and slender and she was dressed in a plan black shirt, black skirt and black sandal shoes. Around her neck was a Crescent choker which gave her, the Veil name of Crescent. She walked over to the man and crotched down next to him reaching out and touching his forehead. She began to drain the fears away as best as she could not saying a word.

The man carried loss and regret on his shoulders like no other. On the back of his left hand, were the letters ''RG" branded there. On his right palm was ''AK'' and on his right wrist was ''TD''. On his left palm was ''AV'' and on his left wrist was ''AN''. ''Aytu. Angel. Tempey. Alexis.'' The ghostly figure that approached Venser was close enought o show her form. It was a woman around the same height as Venser, shorter, and wore a simple white sundress. She had shoulder length black hair with a pink streak in the front, azure eyes of deepest summer, and a kind smile. ''And you.'' Venser said aloud. His lip quivering at the sight of the long dead woman before him. ''I tricked you to fall in love with me. And... You killed me.'' She spoke strongly and sternly, her gaze matching his. ''I'm so sorry...'' She frowned. ''You should be.'' She disappeared along with the white light. Instead, he envisioned himself covered in blood, holding the bodies of his children close to him. Their eyes blank and lifeless. ''No... No...'' He began to sob as he held them close, nuzzling into their heads. They disappeared and before him stood an unfamilar woman touching his forehead. Reflexes. He lunged forward and let out a savage, angry yell that held a saddned, stifled sob of pain. ''You took my children away from he!'' They figments all but disappeared, and he found he had wandered into a long hallway of the tower. "Its not real... No. No. All this can't actually physically hurt me... I'm sure."

As he lunged forward he would go through her and onto the ground. The Tower Keeper frowned and turned around looking at him kneeling down infront of him. "I am hungry... Let us delve deeper into your fears... Now, show me what you fear most." Her voice was cold, dead, meek. Not nearly as scary as she wanted to be to people to see her, but it was not her they had to be afraid of, it was whatever was within their own minds.

Venser cautiously walked down the corridor, his crackling green lightning sword providing a good source of light in the darkness. And then... At the end of the hallway, his greatest fear rounded the corner.

A large, bulky figure stood at the end of the wide hall. He looked like he had just been ripped from the ground, stains of dirt were splashed all over his dark green jacket. From knapsack, a bandolier across his left shoulder, aged trousers, a military belt with several fastener pins and studded pinholes, and combat boots adorned with weathered gaiters, and medals pinned to his chest that bounced as he moved closer and closer. Blood was even visible on his uniform. His skin was a dead grey, and covered with lightning bolt shaped burn marks and veins that glowed a supernatural orange. The broad shouldered undead soldier had very short wispy brown hair, long eyelashes, a strong clean cut jaw, and a mouth that was stuck in a permanent scowl.

In his hand, The Revenant wielded a claymore, it’s very blade blazed a molten orange as if he had just pulled it out of the core or a forge. The claymore flowed through the air, leaving a trail of misty steam. At the sight of the familiar bearded man in front of him, The Revenant's eyes flared red with blinding hatred, his volcanic veins that covered him turning the same color and pulsating.

Venser breathed slowly and held his sword in front of him, listening to the cracking if the unstable lightning that coated the blade. But it was only for a fleeting moment, as the very familiar soldier lunged at him.

"ERRRRAGGGGGH!" CHZZZZT! Sparks from the hot claymore and the lightning infused sword flew everywhere as Venser was knocked back barely off balance blocking the during blow. "Ah! No!"

With an incoherent roar of rage, The Revenant launched a vicious, all out assault. Venser was able to keep up with the strong pattern of attacks, simply dodging as many as he could. Gripping his sword in one hand, bright green lightning erupted from his fingertips, crackling and sputtering at the soldier, who gripped his magic claymore with both hands and obsorbed all of it, simply flinging it off to the side and blowing a hole in the wall.

"YOUR LIGHTNING WILL NOT CUT ME DOWN TWICCCCEEE... VENSERRERR."

"I don't want to fight you. No. Not again." The bearded man said shedding a single tear, moving back. In response The Revenant narrowed his glowing red eyes and held his glowing hot claymore up, prepared to strike again. His mark glowed greenish white and emitted steam and he disappeared in a puff of thick red smoke but found himself dragged back to the hallway and pulled forward.

The Revenant had the very same mark, and an ethereal green chain now bound them together in The Veil Tower, and the only way out was death. There would be no teleporting out, nor running away, lest the undead soldier dragged along. As their duel progressed down the long hall, the bearded man found that he could still anticipate the familiar soldier's offense, but could not find any openings to strike back. All he could do was block his enraged blows, sending sparks flying all around them. Venser could feel his energy falter as he kept dodging and attempting to block the heavy claymore. "Hoo... Hoo... Hoo!"

After blocking for what seemed like forever, Venser lunged again, but The Revenant was ready, bringing them into a blade lock. The tall, bulky undead soldier shoved hard breaking the lock and forcing Venser back. The Tower Keeper watched the two duel with great interest, a smile across her black lips clearly entertained and feeling her strength return from the man's fear. Sweat ran down the man's handsome visage as he held his sword in front of him, and then, as a desperate measure he drew his strange twin tubed device, aimed, and fired. KERBLAST!

The Revenant recognized the device and threw his left hand up just in the nick of time, a burning orange shield appearing in the palm of his hands and absorbing all of the projectiles, all of them coming together to form a molten ball of metal. ''HERREGH!''

Thinking just as quick Venser did a fast back hand motion and knocked the molten ball back at the undead soldier, striking him in the chest and the heated ball lodging itself in his chest. ''Ha!'' The bearded man closed the distance , spun his folding sword around and gripped it with both hands, summoning all the strength he could and swung at The Revenant's neck, slicing it clean off and sending it flying.

Thunk, thunk. The bearded man dropped his sword, letting it clatter against the stone floor beneath, and not too soon after he dropped to his knees beside it. Emerald green eyes filled with tears, brushing them away and tightening his fist watching the illusion fade away. Overcome with regret, and reminded of what had become of that familiar man, what he had done to him, reminded of where he came from and a past he ran far away from, caused him to briefly break down. He did what he had to do, forced to kill him once again. It was simply a ghostly illusion, but it all felt too real.

The Tower Keeper almost felt bad for the bearded adventurer in the crimson and turquoise tunic, and simply allowed the rest of the wall to crumble behind him, revealing a small space filled with the pale bones of other long dead adventurers, victims of The Tower Keeper and her cohorts.. Their treasures ripe for the taking.

''Take what you want... And go. You have greatly entertained me.'' She said fading away along with her demon cohorts, leaving an eerie silence behind in The Veil Tower.

A few coin purses filled with silver, old equipment mostly steel and simple leathers he chose to leave behind, a ruby pendant, an intricately cut red crystal, a small leather sack filled with diamonds that would fetch a fine price. All quite boring so far, but would do the job in helping pay for a big home for his family.

''Now this looks interesting...'' Deep in the pile was an old bottle of elven wine from the Alfonse Islands. Called Alfonse rose wine, the bottle was of silverbough wood, crafted by a ‘Shape Wood’ spell and appearing as a delicately crafted rose, with the date and winery listed in the elvish along the stem. Rose wine is a brilliant red in color, delicate and dry, with the flavors and scents reminiscent of spring and life. The grapes for rose wine were only grown in those far off southern islands that he himself had never been to, and such an aged wine was surely very expensive and very tasty, and the man loved traveling around for exotic wines and liquors. This was a perfect find, and now planned on sharing it with his lovers when Rowena was born.

The man collected all of these items in a leather sack and slung it over his shoulder, and made for the entrance with his bounty, vowing never to returned to The Veil Tower.