ROLEPLAY HQ - vetalas-curse

The village of Vikramaditya was different from the city Jai had lived most of his life in. Not entirely new, by any means; he had traveled far in his work, offering his services as a sorcerer to whoever needed the assistance and had the means to pay. The greatest need always seemed to be in the smallest places, where the misdeeds of malicious spirits were most likely to be noticed. He dismounted his horse in front of his host's stable, in front of the grand house of the artisan who had offered a room in his home to the king's hired sorcerer. He dropped a few more gold coins than strictly necessary into the stable hand's hand. "Could you let Aarava and his wife know that I'll be back shortly?" he asked with a bright smile on his face. "I wanted to get a few... early investigations done, first." Yes, today would be a good day. He would face the Vetala terrorizing the town, collect his payment from the king, and have his own endless repository of information at his disposal. He'd even prepared the spell to bind her to his service in advance. All that was left was the confrontation. And finding out who she had disguised herself as. There was that, too. Finding her was short work; a simple spell revealed the largest magical signature around. A brief questioning of the townsfolk confirmed it. A woman lived in the village, one with pale skin, dark hair, and an odd name, someone who looked like a human but... off, in ways nobody could quite place. Too perfect, perhaps, like she was never truly there. There was no particular location that anyone could point to as a home, only when her crimes were committed. So he had returned to the house, to wait for sunset. Better to wait until there were fewer people around anyway. People loved to know a sorcerer could save them from an evil spirit, until they witnessed the confrontation itself.

Once night had fallen, he once again stepped out into the town itself. He closed his eyes, and rested the bottom of his staff against the dirt road. A web of magic, invisible to humans but certainly perceptible to spirits, spread out from where he stood, covering the town. Once he picked up on the ghostly presence, he opened them again. "There."

16:25

@.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻 𝓢𝓪𝓫 ✧˖°

Madeline would be roaming the town earlier the day before the sorcerer came. She had a bonnet on to cascade over her face creating a shadow, wearing a long black dress her hands behind her back. She did seem to be off from the other towns folks but they all viewed as the weird one.. and not much. They didn’t think she would be the spirit at night haunting there every dreams. She waited a while to get accustomed to the town before she caused havoc that started 2-3 months after she arrived. The town live in fear wondering who was next or what will happen next. Last night Maddy caused 2 women to have miscarriages.. walking past those very women this morning as they were crying mourning their lost a smirk forming on her face as she heard one of the men who was comforting the women “It’s the damn spirit that struck!!” he say in bitterness as Maddy couldn’t help but just smile. As she walked further and further into town hearing all these rumors about her filled her with joy.. all until an old man approached her “Ye be the town crazy here what do you think of this spirit! Ye might be next” he spat as Madeline paused looking down at the old man with a cold look and a soft smile “Why~ if I’m next I’ll be sure to pray to the lord tonight to make sure that spirit don’t come to me” she spoke in a husky, sultry voice walking past the old man patting his shoulder as she left *as dusk turned into dawn and the town closing up there shops and doing there prayers that Maddy doesn’t strike, she’d roam the town once more.. her bonnet off to reveal her long black silky hair, and her outfit a bit shorter revealing her legs and arms. She’d be barefoot roaming the dirt road, her hair tied in a ponytail and a blank expression on her face. She didn’t seem joyous or sad.. just numb. She was lost in thought of what to do. As she walked she picked up on another aura.. despite Jai being far from her and smirk crept along her face as her head slowly turned to face exactly in

16:59

Jais direction looking right into his eyes. Voices echoed around him, soft whispers and murmurs enough to drive the average man crazy as suddenly in a blink of an eye the vetala would be standing infront of the man, looking at him, she’d cock her head with an amused smirk* “You know.. for humans it’s awfully dangerous to roam at night. You never know who could be lurking..”

17:04

“Even the mortals fear so much so they close their shop as soon as the sun sets.. sorcerer..” she’d smirk as she’d then coo “don’t tell me your seeking me…” as she playfully pout “ah before you take me please, allow me to tell you a enchanting story..” “Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom named Lumaria, there lived a young and curious princess named Amara. Amara possessed a special gift—she had the ability to communicate with animals. She would spend her days exploring the enchanted forest that surrounded the castle, talking to birds, squirrels, and even the mystical creatures that dwelled within…(I won’t bore you with the entire story) And so, I ask you, mortal : What gifts and abilities lie within you, waiting to be discovered? Hmm..?” @Knight of Pentac-Als

Jai didn't even need to move to find her, as though she had come straight to him on purpose. His eyes locked with those of the pale figure standing nearby. As she appeared in front of him, he hardly batted an eye. This was far from his first dance with an evil spirit, though the whispers that surrounded him gave an indication of her power. Beyond what he had faced, for sure. His lips turned upward in a smile. Finally, a challenge, and she'd come right within range for the binding spell. Yet, as she spoke, his hand froze on the staff's handle, as though his body refused to follow any of the gestures he'd carried in his mind. Even his jaw had no desire to cooperate, but he still managed to respond to her taunts. "You will find I am not so easily deceived, spirit," he claimed. Though his words carried a certain harshness to them, he kept his tone friendly, polite as though this were a casual conversation. He managed to get at least a few finger twitches out of his suddenly-uncooperative hands, but nothing useful. He attempted again to stall for time. "You will be bound, and you will serve the purpose of order." No more words would leave his mouth once she began her story. He observed her as she spoke, as though fascinated, though whether it was by her words or her odd beauty, he couldn't tell. There was something otherworldly to her. Consciously, he understood that it was because she was an evil spirit. But, as she continued, it was as though that logical part of his brain no longer functioned. The question threatened to break his silence, just as he felt that he needed to continue it, rather than give her the information she asked about. He bit down on his tongue as his jaw quivered with its effort to open and speak against his will. A red glow gathered atop the staff he carried, but would do nothing undirected by incantations. As the copper taste of his own blood began to fill his mouth, his lips cracked open on their own, and he spoke without wanting to.

12:11

"I have a skill for binding spirits to my wishes, without the usual amount of ritual required, and with a higher capacity for sustaining multiple pacts without succumbing to madness," he said. "But sometimes I worry there is more to it than that; others have greater physical needs than I do, and I fear I may not be quite fully human." The words escaped on their own, slowly escalating into things he had never voiced to another living being before. With his answer complete, his mind and body seemed to rejoin with one another, as though just now breaking free of her spell. He gasped for air, bringing a hand up to his mouth to wipe away the trickle of blood from his failed attempt at refusal. "Damn you, spirit." @.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻 𝓢𝓪𝓫 ✧˖°

as they continued with their story, their eyes narrowed seeing how he remained quiet.. as her story finished she see in his facial expression he was eager to answer “Well~ hun… don’t keep me waiting” they taunted tryin to pry him to answer but see he didn’t even bite, she was intrigued. She see his staff glow red and then eyed back to his lips seeing blood drip down as he spoke her eyes widen as she had a playful smirk. What an interesting little toy he was “is that so?” the vetala cooed softly, questioning his ability to bind spirits to his wish without the usual amount of ritual required and the higher capacity for sustaining multiple pacts.. usually as her victims answer her questions or began to answer or even think about it, she’d leave but something about this sorcerer made her stay.. his answer was different a wicked smile formed on her face as he said damn you as they laugh “Usually I’d leave when the toys answer but you… I want to know why?” the vetala spoke eyeing him up and down as she looked to his staff pointing at it “why the staff… why do you worry there is more to it than that?? And that you may not be fully human.. what do you think you are mortal?” she say filled with questions herself, she never seen someone doubt their selves especially when it coming to being human or not, this was a first for her @Knight of Pentac-Als

Jai narrowed his eyes. He hadn't meant to give her an answer, let alone one that would pique her curiosity enough that she would try to toy with him. Maybe he could take advantage of her curiosity to capture her, but he wasn't about to tell her that he needed the staff in order to channel his magic more effectively. Best to answer in a way that didn't convey his weaknesses. "Most humans can't live a week without food, without enduring intense pain from the process. Or without sleep or drowsiness, for that matter." He was fairly certain that he needed both, of course; it simply took longer to feel that need. "I don't know the cause, or what the non-human half of my blood would be exactly." He had his theories; he was not about to give voice to them, when they may have given her the capacity to use that information against him. He tightened his grip on the staff. "As for this..." The red cloud of magic gathered around it. "The magic that flows through it will initiate the process of binding you to my will." If she remained instead of escaping for the night, he would tilt it toward her. "Now, you will serve the purpose of order." @.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻 𝓢𝓪𝓫 ✧˖°

“Is that so..? I heard a human can go 3 weeks without eating food.. and a week without water…” she’d say to herself placing a hand under her chin looking up curious. Did she get it all wrong? Afterall he knew mortals more than she would know As she’d look down seeing a red cloud gather around the staff, she’d laugh and in a blink of an eye would be above him ontop of a roof as she’d look down to him “sorry Darlin~ I don’t bind to anybody nor do I plan on…” Shed hum looking at the town from above “ I don’t think I’ll serve you that purpose.. nice try sorcerer” she’d snicker and vanished into the night… if he went to find her again he’d find her in the woods, sitting on a rock the moon light shining under her @Knight of Pentac-Als

"Closer to three days without water, but there would normally be a serious weakening of the body long before deprivation of either kills you," Jai explained, before questioning why he was explaining this to an evil spirit and getting back on track. Except he didn't get far. Before the binding was complete, she disappeared. He lowered his staff and looked around, silently cursing himself for getting so distracted by the conversation. He should have known better than to get caught up in her spell like that. His grip tightened, and he walked toward the woods, following the traces of her magic. This time, he didn't announce his presence, though he was sure she'd still be able to sense it one way or another. He kept his voice low as he began the incantation, the glow slowly returning to the staff. @.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻 𝓢𝓪𝓫 ✧˖°

They heard Jai approach, as they would be sitting on a rock, looking up at the moon with a subtle smile humming eerily to herself “Oh~ Sorcer.. you know I can sense you right?” she say her voice echoing around him as he’d slowly approach her “I don’t like the thought of being bound to someone” she say looking to her bloody claws, already have taken a life on her way to the woods “besides… wouldn’t it be better if you stayed in town to protect those humble mortals? What if there was more than one of me” she’d smile glancing back to Jai making direct eye contact with him, she didn’t even move yet she knew exactly where he was “Come on now.. no need to hide… the area is wide open and quiet beautiful” they say as the two would have been in an open patch with flowers surrounding the area, some rocks here and there and lastly the moon glistening down @Knight of Pentac-Als

The last thing Jai wanted to do was come closer to her as instructed, especially when he could see the blood. But self-preservation meant nothing in the face of powerful magic. From the moment their eyes locked together, it was as though he couldn't resist her invitation. He walked toward her. "Vetala aren't known for cooperating with one another. Based on the magical energy I detected earlier, you are the only one here. Prolific, but quite alone in your endeavors." He took a seat on one of the other rocks, though it brought him to a somewhat lower position than the Vetala, and rested his staff across his lap. He looked up at her, deep in thought for a moment. "If you won't be bound, I can have you released from your ghostly existence instead," he said, as though it was an offer. @.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻 𝓢𝓪𝓫 ✧˖°