Castra Perdita

Castra Perdita, or 'Camp Lost' is the home base of the Interna Coven and is located somewhere in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon, if not within. It is widely believed to be concealed in magically concealed valleys and are only connected through portals, making it next to impossible to find without knowing what to look for. These territories stretch into Nevada. It is believed they share neighbors with another witch coven in the region.
== First Day ==
Robin was sleeping soundly, a quiet morning day was just beginning. However, this wasn't to be a normal day...
She's all of the sudden hit on the head by a wooden staff, which causes her to jolt awake and rub the area where she was hit. Then the owner of the staff speaks,
"Come on, get up lazy! You need to finish your registration with Lady Magnolin!", a man wearing the typical Coven garb says.
"Wha-why didn't you tell me!?", Robin asks hysterically.
"I just did, now go get ready!", the man once again hits her on the head.
She immediately rushes to change, the man walks out of her room to give her privacy, and after about five minutes she exits her room with her outfit a bit messy. The man, who was waiting, shakes his head before helping to straighten her outfit.
"Thanks, and sorry Father.", Robin says.
"Your welcome and I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, so come on.", her Father replies.
They both exit the house and waiting for them outside is a Samebito, who easily towers over everyone in the Interna Coven, and follows them closely behind as they quickly make way to their destination.
They arrive at a moderately sized house, its windows blocked with curtains. Hanging from the door is a series of amulets hanging on a nail. Besides it is a sign that says ‘take one before entering.’
Robin, her father, and the Samebito take one as instructed by the sign before entering the house.
A black robed woman lays down on a padded couch, surrounded by warm brown walls and red carpet. Her eyes are faintly pink, her hair a light brunette. Immediately upon stepping inside they feel a sharp punch to the gut as the amulets activate from a powerful aura emitting from her. Surrounding them is an intoxicating aroma akin to floral incense.
”Thank you for bringing her. The two of us will talk now.” She instructs Robin’s father.
He nods and backs up to give them space alongside the Samebito, though the latter was reluctant, and Robin is somewhat hesitant and unsure what to say.
The woman stares him down. “That was the polite way of saying that we need to talk in private. Either go into the guest room or go home. The information I am to discuss with Miss Robin is private information that non Caretakers may not have access to. The Samebito can stay, he is permitted as written in the original application process.”
She places her head on her palm. “She is an adult, as hard as it is to let go, she needs to handle her own affairs.”
Robin's father let's out an annoyed groan but decides to comply but not before talking to the Samebito,
"You better keep an eye on her Bruce or else I'll have your ass."
The Samebito, Bruce, rolls his eyes at the threat as Robin's father leaves the house.
She looks at Robin. “Come, have a seat.” She indicates a very comfy looking reclining seat.
”Everything is in order, but I will need to go over a few things, then hand you over to your boss. They will take care of you for the remainder of the day.”
"Y-yes ma'am.", Robin stutters out before sitting in the offered seat.
Magnolin takes a package and hands it to Robin. “This is your uniform you will wear. Everything should be sized accurately according to the measurements. Now, go ahead and put it on while I explain…”
Magnolin explains that from here on she must put the uniform on when she leaves home and must wear it to her home when working for her protection as well as her patient. She further explains that any relationship between her and a patient until they become a member of the Coven is forbidden, among other rules.
”Now then, I would like to introduce you to your direct overseer.”
From another room emerges a black robed figure with a red plague doctor mask. “You must be Robin. I am expecting good results from you.” Their voice is light and gentle, very feminine in fact.
”I am Armalo Lavencius.”
"N-nice to meet you, and I'll work hard to meet or even surpass your expectations.", Robin replies.
Armalo leans in and takes off their mask, revealing an equally feminine face to match the voice. With faint pink grey eyes with wide irises and small dot like pupils, their gaze is piercing, as though striking through to examine her core. Long eyelashes bat as they blink, ash tawny brown hair dangling from their scalp thankfully obscures the intense gaze of Armalo staring right into her eyes.
"I won't take that comment seriously, just know that few people, human or otherwise meet my expectations. Most can only scrape by to meet my standards." Their voice is still soft, but combined with their facial expression give off an aura of disdain.
Magnolin chuckles. "Armalo is a Pride half breed. Don't take it personally. He has expectations of people that most would consider... unrealistic. In spite of my efforts to teach him not to be so critical of everything."
Armalo regards Magnolin with an annoyed glance. "Teacher, the world of man depresses me, and 'people' are not much better. I merely broke her idle fantasy of impressing me before it could get off the ground. The damage is far less this way."
"Stiff." Magnolin teases.
Armalo's eyes narrow. "Bimbo."
"You know that it's not an insult if I factually lay with people as part of my job, yes?"
Armalo rolls their eyes and looks at Robin. "We looked at your list of ideal Patient candidates and while I won't dismiss them out of hand, there is one that came across our desk recently I would like you to consider."
Armalo reaches into their robe and takes out a folder with many papers inside. "This is their file. Will you consider looking at it before we examine the preferences you picked out?"
"Oh sure!", Robin replies.
She takes the folder and begins looking through the papers with Bruce moving behind her to look at the papers too.
She begins to read about a Violence half breed that recently began experiencing the full range of demonic adolescence and was flagged as needing a Caretaker and is to be moved from the General Youth Facility to a secure location. Included in the papers is the details of her background and the circumstances leading to her being taken in by the Coven, as well as the general evaluation of the Coven on her Risk Assessment.
"Allaba Burgisht, categorized as a C Risk Factor. A step above D Risk, but you were full of bravado, she is in urgent need of a Caretaker, and settling for a D when you could have a C as your first assignment... Well, other Overseers might overlook it, but if you want it easy, you can find something else to do with your fleeting lifespan."
Armalo looks Robin over, gauging her reaction of the contents of the paper.
Robin's reaction as she reads starts as curiosity, then sadness, then understanding, then concern. Bruce has somewhat the same reactions as her but seems more worried and concerned about Robin with what he's just read if she chooses to be Caretaker to this half-demon.
After a little bit of thinking Robin closes the folder then looks Armalo straight in the eye,
"I'll do this one.", Robin says.
Armalo's eyes shift, the pupils widen slightly. "Are you sure? Without even meeting her first? There are other candidates."
"Well of course I'd like to meet her first, get a better and up close gauge of her personality and whatnot. That way I can figure out the best ways to approach and take care of her.", Robin replies.
"So what I gather is you'd like to meet her first before you consider anyone else. Does your heart speak to you on this?"
"Yes."
Armalo's mouth lifts faintly, and they extend their hand. "Very well, get ready. I hope you're ready to meet her."
Robin takes Armalo's hand with her own.
Armalo lifts her up and gestures to the door. “Shall we meet her? Well. You will meet the team first, but then you will meet Allaba.”
"Sure, let's go.", Robin replies.
Armalo places their red mask back on their head and gestures for Robin to do the same, then exits the building.
Robin puts on her mask as well and follows Armalo with Bruce not too far behind.
Armalo guides her through the town, until finally coming to the valley wall far to the west. He lightly raps the wall in a particular pattern, where small dips in each spot can be seen.
”Remember the pattern. You will be responsible for letting yourself in the future.” He then steps forward, vanishing into the wall, after Robin steps forward with some anxiousness, she appears in a pleasant interior, with Armalo waiting at the end of the hall. Caretakers of different rank are all milling about in what must be the main hall of the Caretakers facility.
Both Robin and Bruce look around with curiosity and amazement as they walk down the hall towards Armalo.
Armalo opens a door with a dark interior and gestures for them to go in first.
Robin and Bruce go inside but are being cautious about what's inside.
Armalo pushes them forward. "In. Quit dallying." 
Suddenly everything snaps into a white room with a long conference table, with multiple people, all wearing red plague doctor masks save for one, a white masked woman seated at the center. On the opposite side are two seats, one for Armalo and Robin seemingly.
Armalo quickly is seated and gestures at Robin to follow suit.
The white masked woman regards Robin with a measured gaze. "I am Adimat, and I am overseeing this entire team. You must be Robin, the soon to be Caretaker?"
"Y-yes ma'am, it's a pleasure to meet you.", Robin says with a bow.
She then sits down in the seat gestured by Armalo with Bruce opting to sit on the ground beside her, but due to his immense size he's still a few heads taller than everyone else even when sitting down.
A red masked Caretaker tilts her head at Robin. "You sure she's not cracked? She seems too timid to handle this assignment."
Armalo stares daggers into them and they squeak. "We independently reviewed her case. Now then, we shall introduce ourselves, taking our masks off as we do so. Robin, you will start. Your identity, role, and skill sets, if you would."
Robin clears her throat before taking off her mask revealing her purple/orange eyes and long brown hair styled in dreadlocks.
"My name is Robin, I am a Caretaker, my skills involve plants, animals, defense, healing and earth magic, and I have the preference of being a defensive and supportive unit."
Adimat takes off her mask, revealing her long brown hair with white strips tied into a ponytail, and her sullen face with eyes having long lashes and brilliant gold irises. The depths of her eyes are captivating.
She gives Robin a faint smile, and speaks. “As I mentioned I am Adimat. I oversee many teams like this one, and my role is purely for neutrality and direction. Team conflicts are a risk to our patients, so oversight removed from the team’s dynamics is crucial.”
Armalo takes off their mask, looking over the others with a stony face. “I am the team lead. I will be operating the day to day activities and personnel. Should a crisis happen, I will directly intervene to neutralize what Robin cannot.”
The Red Mask that was skeptical earlier takes off her mask, revealing a girl with red, orange, and yellow colors in her hair. Her eyes are a wild and dangerous looking violet, and two horns crown her head.
”Zilloniae. Security Provisioner. Violence Demon hybrid, I consider everything a potential risk and deal with them like I deem appropriate.” Her voice and expression comes off curt. 
Another Red Mask takes their mask off while sighing. Her skin is tan, while her hair has black and blue tones, and two large horns curl from her head. Her yellow eyes are intimidating, but she actually bears a kind face.
”Mindol, Medical expert. I keep track of the patient’s physical well-being and that of the team’s. We’ll work together often, or see each other frequently, given our patient, Robin.”
"Pleasure is mine, I look forward to working with you all.", Robin responds.
Mindol nods as another Red Mask removes her mask.
”Agnis. Dietician and Mindol’s… …sister.” She has short black hair with brilliant blue eyes and two small horns on her forehead akin to an oni’s. She seems much cuter than her sister but seemingly apprehensive.
Another Red Mask takes off their mask, this time a male with long silver hair sprawling down past his waist, his lashes are long, his eyes an uncomfortable yellow green. He is rather pale and moody looking. His horns are incredibly long and almost antlers in appearance.
”Asmonitias, Sloth, presiding over the psychiatric. I’ll be depending on you to get good notes…” His voice is dreary and bored sounding, as though talking was an endeavor of its own.
"Nice to meet you as well, and I won't let you down.", Robin responds.
"Try not to work yourself up too hard... this job you will be involved in is taxing on the minds of even the bravest faces... just ask Armalo..." Asmonitias intones, earning a fierce withering look from Armalo. Robin notes that Armalo has piercing pink eyes with doted intense pupils that stare into their targets as though staring into the very soul, while his light brown hair freely grows down to the base of his neck. Upon sensing her gaze Armalo's piercing pupils dart to her and she feels the full sting of his gaze.
Adimat chuckles. "Now then. We must discuss your patient, Robin. You are aware of the fact that she is a Violence hybrid, no? I want you to understand that while she may be a manageable threat, she is still a Violence. Your wellbeing will be at risk, and if something goes wrong there is every chance you could meet a violent and grisly end by the hands of your own patient... or that you'll have to one day kill a patient you may come to love as dearly as if you reared her as your own child. Do you still wish to accept this risk, this burden?"
"Of course! It's better that I do something instead of nothing, especially when it involves the Coven since you were all kind enough to let me stay here ever since I was an infant. I will admit killing her if I need to will be painful, but I'll do what I must to make sure that the possibility of that happening is zero percent.", Robin responds.
Adimat stands up, putting her mask back on.
”We’ll be visiting Allaba. You will take your mask back off once you enter her chambers and introduce yourself.”
"Yes ma'am.", Robin responds as she puts her mask back on.
Adimat gestures for the group to follow, and heads out through a door in the back. They travel deeper and deeper into the earth, passing heavily armored sealed doors in the dim light. Finally they come to a particular door, and Adimat opens it with a sequence of knocks.
"Remember that sequence, you will need it to open the door."
The group walks through, and come to a faculty room. Down the hall is an observation room, with a door closed beyond it with the name 'Allaba Burgisht' engraved. Adimat gestures Robin to go through.
"We'll be taking our positions in the observation room. Today won't be much of an actual shift, so much as it will be meeting, learning, and planning how you intend to approach the caretaking shifts. You have the whole day, provided that there are no incidents that mandate you be removed for the day. Good luck, deep breaths."
Armalo puts his hand on her shoulder, a warm gesture that is surprising coming from him. "If you are in any danger, rest assured that I will be watching to ensure your safety. Still, do not be careless. You can still end up a bloodstain smeared on the floors and walls."
Robin nods and walks up to the door, with Bruce right behind her, and takes off her mask before gently knocking.
A loud thud rings out from the door which causes it to shake.
”Let me out! I wanna play!” A young adolescent female’s voice yells, younger sounding than expected. 
“She is restrained from approaching the door by arcane binds, so it is generally safe to enter. …Aside from thrown pillows.” Zilloniae calls out dully. “So hurry up and go in.”
Robin does what she's told and opens the door slowly.
Upon entering Robin sees a comfortable room, with few if any heavy objects in the room. The reason why becomes apparent when a large pillow flys by her head and slams into the wall and explodes into feathers that shower the room. The throw was so strong that Robin’s clothes flutter violently in the breeze.
The individual who threw the pillow is a teenage girl with golden hair that trails well past her feet in large wavy flows. Adorning her head are massive ram horns almost equal to the size of her head, her eyes an angry mix of gold and flakes of red. She wears a skirt and a tanktop that ends just under her bust, which are large, she looks far older than her voice portrayed.
”Outside! Outside! I wanna play! OUT! SIDE!” She appears to be getting worked up, judging by her eyes. After a brief, tense moment she seems confused.
”New? Lady is Strange New Lady? Who is Strange Lady? Allaba not know Strange Lady. Is Strange Lady going to let me play?”
Robin takes a moment to compose herself before talking with a soft smile, "My name is Robin, it's nice to meet you Allaba."
Allaba squints at her, then seems to become greatly confused. "Waabe? Raaben? RAAAABEEENNN...?" For a mercy, it seems as though trying to understand her name has thrown off Allaba from the subject of going outside.
Robin then slowly says her name again, by syllable, till Allaba gets close enough to pronounce it correctly.
”Rahben is hard… Allaba knows, let’s play! Play!” Allaba starts running around excitedly and then sees the door and runs to it. “Play outside! Play outside with Allaba, Bin Binny! Binny!”
"Wait, before we do I'd like to get to know you better Allaba. If I get to know you then it'll be easier for me to plan out play sessions, is that okay?", Robin asks.
== Those that Survive ==
Rene finds himself seated quite comfortably on a cushioned surface, none other than the large round couch that Magnolin often rests on. The home is rounded in design and comfortable in size, with warm brown walls and red carpets. Often the word that comes to Magnolin's abode is 'immensely cozy', given her fondness of cushioned surfaces and warm temperatures. Sitting across from him reading a book is a tall half demon with short red-pink hair and similar colored eyes, with dot like pupils that possess an intense stare characteristic of the individual.
Without looking up he offers a set of keys towards Rene. "Try as I might, your presence is wholly negligible. If her magic hadn't brought you here I might not have known you'd be here, save for the advanced notice. You'll need these if you intend to peruse her private collections, like I figure you oft do." 
Sitting on his lap is his top hat, which he slowly places on his head and stares at Rene with his piercing gaze. Rene knows little of them, save that they are Magnolin's protégée and they are known as Armalo, a half Pride Demon whom little is known of by the Coven, save that he cares little for just about anyone, human or otherwise. 
The effeminate looking Armalo's expression shifts slightly, and his pupils seem to only dig harder into Rene for some reason.
"Set them wherever. I'll get to them when I have need," comes the swift, curt reply from Rene as he walks past the halfbreed without much notice. He begins looking for and floating random object, muttering something unintelligible in what seems to be Draconic, but the words are somehow... different.
Armalo seems to mutter something as well, and his pocket feels the slightest bit heavier than before. He snaps the book closed with a 'thud!' and stands up, looking as though he will leave soon when he starts sniffing the air, around the same time that Rene feels a minor headache come in. 
Rene finds what he's looking for, and moves towards the gardens, the keys floating up into the cloud of assorted objects and texts around the ever-worn cloak as he reaches the door.
Rene comes out to a mid sized plot of land amidst a section of the Coven that was more like a well established town than anything else, numerous people milling about, a few Sentinels with their imposing masks watching for trouble, and a few groups of children being supervised by the plague doctor mask wearing Caretakers, dutifully watching their young charges. The half demon children seem content to frolic and play with little concern for safety or fear.
One group being rather close by contains a blonde haired half demon girl with tight curly hair that is especially bouncy and energetic, and she seems to lead the others in play. This one girl stops briefly to look at Rene and acknowledges him with a giggle before resuming her carefree play.
His cloak resumes floating by, still muttering to himself as some grass floats into the swirl. The child feels a tug at the back of her head, then sees two strands of hair float into the strangers cloud as he continues towards the garden.
As he keeps walking the headache suddenly worsens and his hearing starts ringing, accompanied by a wave of nausea.
He places the hovering objects into one of his many pockets, lessening the concentration needed. Rene knew he will need the materials in this garden. Just the matter of getting there without causing too much commotion...
He is able to make it to the garden, but he feels unsteady and his finer motor control is compromised, making accurate movements difficult. He hears the questioning voice of Armalo, but it feels muffled and distant even as the scenery around him blurs...
Demons. Scores of them. Crawling, gnashing, biting, clawing, all over him, constantly. An old, familiar horror. But experienced through clarity that childhood and trauma lacked: he had forgotten when and why the demons departed, but he knew what came next: waves of pain and torment unending in a deep dark pit. Except, now he could see what he could not: a great black shadow, boundless, seemingly infinite snatched him from their clutches, and it was in the midst of that evil's clutches his many years of suffering was wrought.
An evil his many hundreds of years could not find an equal, nor surpass, for staring down Orphan did not instill the kind of fear in him that he felt to merely recall the existence of that black shadow. And as he remembered it, he also remembered that he did not come to that strange manor in Hell randomly... he had been there the whole time. That wicked thing let him go. But not before letting him catch the faintest glimpse of that black shape, that pit of darkness in the vaguest of human forms. An image that burned into his psyche even after hundreds of years, that recalled to Rene what true evil, true fear felt like.
And the laughter... the endless laughter that delighted in it all surrounded him like the wailing of the damned.
And then a faint flash of the female demonness he sought for so long, before finally Rene was rent from that vision, that baleful nightmare. But the remembered pain endured, festered in the old scars like termites burying through rotten wood.
"Are you with me? Steady now." Armalo's voice calls out to him, distant and muffled in his hearing from the memory of his tormentor's laughter. When Rene finally focuses, Armalo's face is close and filled with something other than distain: apprehension. For once, the razor edge of his gaze is subdued, darting around Rene in an anxious examination for some unseen malady.
The warlock grunted, wondering why he had suddenly recalled all this. What was different now that he was shown a vision? "I need to see Magnolin," he wearily states, struggling against Armalo to stand. "I have seen a vision of things that were. One that may tell me of things to come."
With surprising strength Armalo pushes him down into a chair. "I know what has ailed you these long years, but I will speak nothing unless you swear to me now: say nothing of what I am to speak of."
He slowly releases Rene. "I thought little of you honestly, but things have changed. When I joined this Coven I swore to aid those who had suffered Hell's torment, and spare them suffering and pain. Sit, there is much to discuss. You have become my concern, and I will not let this lie. Magnolin cannot give you the answers you need. For as versed as she is... the Bimbo has her limits."
Armalo seats himself across from Rene. "Now: swear."
The afflicted contemplates. Then, more out of curiosity than out of actual belief Armalo was truly useful, he said plainly and clearly: "While I have no True Name left to use, I swear I will not speak of what you say. You may hold me to this."
Armalo closes his eyes slowly. "Most times when a half demon is born on Earth, it is to a human mother. Rarely do Succubi or female demons leave their progeny on Earth if there is no greater motive behind their birth beyond procreation. Unlike the bimbo, I was not born on Earth and raised by humans. I was born in Hell. To powerful demonlords. I never fit in, nor did I desire it. My humanity screamed against their upbringing and my Pride would not content me to be a mindless pawn. But in my years there, I learned many dark things, including how one might turn a human into a demon."
Armalo pauses to let the significance of that statement linger in the air before continuing. "I chalked it up to a rare deviation coupled with a potent curse to explain away your symptoms when first I heard of them. But if you were kept in Hell as long as I have heard, then coupled with first hand experience observing you... you are likely the victim of a much, much, much bigger plot than you could ever understand. You almost certainly have a Demon Seed in you. A form of potent, condensed Demonic crystal that has the power to corrupt spiritual energy.
They can be used for all manner of things, from poisoning wells, planting curses that last generations... but were created for the purpose of making humans into demons. And usually, in the cases I have seen, all roads point toward Demonification in those who bore Demon Seeds within their souls. There's only one case I've heard of so far in which someone did not eventually turn into a demon after a hundred years. And that's you."
Armalo's eyes pierce him sharply. "If humans found out Demon Seeds exist, and synthesized them... the damage could be catastrophic. The Balance would be upended. Humanity was not meant to tamper with the Spiritual. Do you understand?"
"Hmm." A few books begin floating out of the pocket, and specific words float out into open air. "I suppose there are only two worthwhile questions then. 'Is it removable?' and 'Is it destroyable?'"
Armalo's eyes dim with a somber expression on his face. "If I knew of a means, I would not have you suffer it longer than necessary. Like as not, only the higher powers could potentially do something." He swishes his hand and two cups of tea appear, one on Armalo's desk, and one hovers in front of Rene. A rather warm, pleasant aroma fills the air.
"That said, the knowledge of such things is only granted to the Princes and Dukes, and those Demonlords entrusted with their support. So ultimately... you can take this as confirmation that whomever your enemy is, they are formidable and their schemes would benefit the Dukes and Princes of Hell were they to bear fruit." His eyes narrow.
"Villains equally as terrible as my foster father and... ...my Mother." His face tightens in what comes close to rage for Armalo. "Trust that whoever put that thing in you is cunning and if you do not tread lightly, it could mean certain doom. I may not be the Bimbo and her resourcefulness, but I have knowledge of things most would not. Come to me at any time, with what little power as a Caretaker, I will do my utmost to help you. Confide in me, ask of me what I know, I will do my utmost. That is the oath upon my True Name I swore to Adola. To aid the weak and helpless cursed by the Damned."
Rene squints at the tea. Then, almost like a cat, swipes his nail in and out of the liquid. "Hmm." His hand wraps around the cup, eying it and then him. "Do you know of the Nameless One? The demon caged deeper and more powerfully than any other Prisoner?" A pause, before a hesitant sip.
Armalo's eyes slowly close. "I'm going to hazard a guess and say that you know about that from Magnolin, who in turn got it from that damned book." He slowly sips his own tea.
"Bimbo..." Armalo says with what can only be annoyance. "The information in that book was intended to convey to readers that demons from its pages should never be summoned, no matter how convenient their services may appear. And I'll even guess she actually summoned him, no?" He mutters to himself for a bit.
"Precious little. The book is the only record of his existence, and that of first or second, third hand accounts of interactions. The power he is said to wield is miraculous to say the least, but he cannot be controlled, by *anyone*. Least, if he truly has no name, then no means of enforcing deals upon him exists, making any encounter with him purely a matter of his whim if you suffer the consequences of your hubris in invoking him." 
His eyes pierce Rene like spears with their intensity. "What are you plotting."
"Oh, not anything too big. Just promised him I'd bring a chessboard next time I came down there." The humans eyes meet the half-breed's - his gaze not quite honest, but much more than sincere. "Where is this book?"
Black flames dance about Armalo's form. "I'm not a fool. And besides, failed deception asides, nothing beyond what I have told you lies within that book that is any concern of yours. While it possesses information on many a terrible demon, it will serve your interests none. Answer my question. I cannot help you if you are not honest."
His eyes narrow. "And make me angry besides."
Rene sighs, finishing the tea. "How do you believe I escaped hell? It was not by mere coincidence that I did. I made a deal with an unsavory being; one of whom I, by all means, seem incapable of remembering." He holds his calloused hands in his lap. "You do not know the toils of mortality. What years unending does to beings fated less than a mere century. It is of my belief something earth-shattering is coming. I have only heard tale of it by the title of 'The Event', and after over two centuries of finding and... asking... demons to 'politely' tell me this Event's name, they seem much more terrified of it than me." 
He makes a dry swallow. "This demon is dangerous - but that's exactly what we might need for what is coming."
Armalo's arms become crossed as his eyes narrow yet again. "Think for a moment. Hell does not keep prisoners. They kill threats, rivals, there are only two reasons they would keep a prisoner: they're valuable alive (unlikely), or they're too powerful to slay. There is no demon in Hell save for the Dukes and the Princes that commands such power even Nameless that would warrant such action."
Armalo looks off to one side. "You're not talking about meddling with a Demonlord or an Archfiend, you're talking about the most powerful beings within our reality save that of the Heavens. There's likely already at least a Duke meddling behind the scenes if a Demon Seed really is being used in this manner, but you'd be invoking the wrath of the Noble Demons of Hell over what? A hunch? A whimsical gamble? You're dealing with a Demonlord, aye, and that's no meager problem, but you are not alone, remember that. 
Don't endanger the people who are looking out for you, because it's not an all mighty demon that will be there for you when you're at your lowest." Armalo doesn't turn his head but his eyes return to staring at Rene.
"The Bimbo taught me that. If you insist on this course, I'm not going to stop you, but ask yourself if this is really the best course of action, and by the heavens don't meddle with this stuff in the Coven, you know things are hard enough without the thrice damned Dukes knocking on our door."
His gaze softens. "Just think about it. You know that you'll upset Magnolin if you do something careless. Teacher has a soft spot for you and she doesn't bond nearly as well with others as you think she would."
A long silence follows this tirade. Then, almost too suddenly, Rene stands. He places the cup down. "That was good tea."
The raven-feathered cloak materializes around him. "I wonder what chess set I should choose..." he mumbles, beginning to gather the plants he needs to re-stock his collection as he reads the various spells he must prepare again.
Armalo doesn’t respond, instead closing his eyes and as Rene turns to his own affairs, Armalo’s form blackens into liquid shadows that ooze into the ground and disappear. The half demon reemerges, while his face returns to normal, the oozing shadow composes the rest of his body and droops over his face, concealing it as his clawed hands rest on a gravestone like structure that glows red with demonic energy, Armalo is surrounded by hundreds of these and several unlit and cracked. 
He kneels before the objects and is motionless after bowing his head quietly.
After some time, he hears quiet footsteps. "I've got your new toy." Magnolin's voice can be heard behind him. As Rene goes to take the sealed box in her hands, Magnolin lifts it out of reach.
"Ah! I went out of my way to help you this time. Reward me." She flashes him a teasing smile.
He sighs heavily, looking at the ground. "I suppose I owe you." The feathers open, showing a seemingly endless void inside their embrace. "For which of my collection do you wish?"
She appears to think before abruptly lunging at him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug.
"I was thinking more… you. You really ought to eat more, Your bones are so pokey.” She flashes him a teasing grin before she presents the box with her tail. “For you my introverted skeleton.”
Taking the box, he unfastens the lid to reveal the daggers within. "These will do." The cloak fades back into itself as he walks briskly back to her abode.
She follows after him with a leisurely gait. "What are you thinking, Rene? I'd like to know your plans before you try anything that might give me grey hairs from stress."
"The Demons of Hell are aware of a plot. I haven't found a method of extracting the details, but I know something is coming." He floats a knife around to her. "These take demonic magic and store them in a small pocket dimension. The end result is simple 'Capture and Release' for a very specific magic, but the capacity is nigh infinite. That's why I needed them."
She gives a worried expression and folds her arms. Rene soon feels another splitting headache, followed by an immense burning sensation. Just as he feels as though it is about to subside, he feels it double as a voice fills his head.
Found you.
He then hears a startled gasp that chokes out from behind him, before falling silent.
"I know... thine intent. If... Would speak... thou must reach the City of Demons..." What sounds like someone using Magnolin's voice to speak through her can be heard, and stumbling footsteps can be heard approaching him.
He slowly turns over his shoulder at the half-demoness. At his friend.
She is moving in jerky unnatural motions, like a puppet roughly being pulled along its strings, expression of terror etched on her face as her hand reaches out and grabs his head.
He sees a burst of an image of a circle of jagged stone pillars with etched markings on their flat faces, with an altar of some kind at the center, built on a tall cliff overlooking a searing pit.
"Find... passage... City of Demons... in the Depths of the Stygian... Quarter. Circle of Profain... Closest... Link..."
With that, Magnolin gasps and collapses in a heap, quivering and shaking, utterly pale white with terror as she curls up into a ball.
”Rene… he was puppeting me like I was a toy…” She whispers.
After several minutes of having a panic attack, she sits up and looks somber.
”It would seem that even if we try and avoid it, Hell will keep toying with us…”
After several moments of thought, Rene sighs and begins to speak in a slow, hushed tone. "I have prepared for this for over a hundred years, and I still don't know who's game we're playing or why we're playing it..." He stands, gathering some materials from his cloak. "I do, however, have a few incantations to protect you from these... attacks for a while if you so please."
She has a far away look. "The City of Demons..."
"What could arguably be called the very heart of Hell itself. The greatest of Demonlords, their servants, and the Dukes and Princes reside there at its deepest depths." An inhuman voice speaks behind them, and Magnolin whips her head to the sound.
"Armalo? ...Are you close to Frenzy? You should take a rest-"
The monstrous, oily black creature with long clawed forelimbs, and a torso comprised of inky black octopus tentacles, and menacing horned head with no facial features, only glowing, piercing hostile eyes that is presently Armalo raises its 'hand' to interrupt her.
"My natural state, but it is obvious when I am close to Frenzy when I lose control and revert to this form, this is true. In my case however, I am too tired to put up with charades at this moment."
Armalo looks at Rene with piercing eyes. "The City of Demons lies beyond your ability to reach. You must be invited or taken there by one who belongs there. That is simply the nature of that place.
Magnolin slowly looks toward him. Armalo's head stiffens and pointedly avoids eye contact.
"I will not entertain the idea, not even in jest, Bimbo."
Magnolin slowly gives Rene a meaningful side long glance as her eyes turn faintly pink.
Rene looks toward his falling acquaintance. "There is no need to entrance him, Mags." The feeble human stalks towards the tiring demon. "Rest. We'll deal with this bridge when it comes time to cross it, not before. I need more tools before getting there anyway. And if you say nay, I will find another way."
"That place will tear you apart, without a plan clad in steel. Even then, you'd be riding the thinnest of margins without knowledge of what and where your goals lie. You alone of the two of you have the best hopes of escaping the city once called 'Pandemonium', but Magnolin? Bring her there, and you might as well be gifting her away to become a concubine of the Dukes. Between the natural power of Hell calling to her inner nature, and the endless armies, and her own latent potential, she will be entirely at Hell's mercy, and the likelihood she won't turn into a Succubus is less than 1%."
Armalo looks at Rene. "If this folly is what you insist upon, and you insist on involving Magnolin, then if it means keeping the one I am indebted to herself, then I will have no choice but to oversee this fool's errand myself. Make your preparations, but know that I will be the one making the plan, and you both will follow it, and to the letter, am I clear?"
Magnolin looks at Armalo surprised. "You're going to help?"
Armalo looks at her, mood disgruntled. "Help keep you protected if you absolutely INSIST on coming with him. Otherwise I'd leave him to his devices. I cannot stress enough that even if I involve myself and shield you from the attentions of Hell, it will take all of your will to remain yourself."
Magnolin sighs. "I understand."
"You do not, not even in the slightest. But that is why Rene here will spare no expense on his preparation and research, as a minute's delay in Hell will translate to the difference between your humanity and a Succubus." Armalo intones this last statement with steel in this voice as he tosses a key towards Rene.
"The Master's Librarium Key. Artifacts and Spells and Maps of virtually anything you might need to know and certainly everything you have no business knowing."
Upon taking the key from Armalo's hand, Rene whispers something in an Angelic dialect neither of them can understand, and a burning scar traces itself on the demon's hand. "In return, you have access to my library. Use it well, as you'll find artifacts neither of you would survive if you choose not to use them carefully."
With that, the sorcerer leaves the room, on his way to prepare for a journey none of them could yet comprehend the stakes of.
Adola's library was always full of old texts and tomes the likes of which Rene could scarcely fathom, even after multiple browsings, he never once felt like he had scratched the surface. In fact, whenever he was in there, it was akin to having a silent servant invisibly guiding him exactly where he was looking to find information, or that the right book would appear exactly where he was looking. Rene always felt like he was wading through the history of magic itself, the tomes and scrolls aged and withered but intimately preserved all the same, too fragile for one to touch for those with no appreciation of their value.
It doesn't take him long to feel guided to a particular shelf...
Feeling the guide, he stretches out a scraggly, shaky hand, closing his eyes and summoning several books and items from that shelf to float around him, the pages fluttering open and words flying through the air in a rapid motion of magic, taking in the knowledge while waiting to see what had peaked his senses.
Something akin to an electric charge runs through him as mention of 'Orphan the Abandoned One' flickers into his consciousness from a book that having granted it his notice, gives him a dark aura. For some reason, he feels drowsy, and a faint floral scent is filling the air.
His fingers tingle with excitement as his wards are hesitantly dropped one-by-one - leaving only the strongest ones for dealing with spells cast by inherently malevolent intentions. The strongest of these nature is two is from a fallen angel who made his ward against demons wishing for complete control, instantly accosting the demon with angelic fire.
The lights flicker then the room blacks out.
”For one so fixated on his protection, you really don’t sleep much. Although with the pain and nightmares, it’s little wonder that the influence of a demi succubus would be your only succor. Perhaps the touch of an Elder would grant you bliss.”
The lights come back softly, and they are in a snowed in log cabin adorned with fur lined furniture and blankets, a soft fire crackles in a fireplace. Sitting in a rocking chair is a dark haired woman with tan skin and impressive physique, covered in thick fur clothes with the quality and make of Russian aristocracy. Her long black glossed nails tap across the wineglass she holds. What catches his attention is the resemblance to Magnolin and Magpie…
She smiles impishly as she extends a second wineglass with a yellow sweet smelling liquid.
“It’s not poison. Come, I won’t bite. Let us speak of you, me, and my daughter, a friendly conversation. You can hold one of those, yes?”
She sees the calculations happening in his eyes before the sprawled crooked fingers take the wine glass with a pained strain of stringy muscles. "Conversations held with strangers who seem all-too-friendly often end in tragedy and heartache."
"It is a good thing I come in dreams, rather than in person, is it not? I digress. You may not understand this, but you would be mistaken to believe that as far as my children are concerned, they are mere pawns. The average Succubus might view their children as tools but I... I have cared for and nurtured in my own way, my bright and shining offspring and encouraged their growth towards their full potential.
...And it would be no exaggeration to say that dearest Magnolin is among the cream of the crop of my younglings. Indeed, I watch her often, through her eyes, through the acts of her fool of a sister, and my many, many connections. So I know of you, and very much your role in her life. You saved her from blooming prematurely, and now she has fully ripened into one of my prized heiresses."
She takes a small swig of her wineglass, then swirls it, the contents refilling as she regards it with a coy smile.
"Rather, her potential has nearly reached its zenith. She has yet to evolve into her fullest self. What a beautiful Succubus she will become, one of my finest..." She regards Rene with a sidelong glance of an ornery nature. 
"Of course it goes without saying that I am aware of your circumstances, and I may, in theory, be capable of providing insight you cannot find from anywhere else. You know my name, you know my history, and the reach I command... indeed, there are few Elder Succubi with my clout and prestige in or without Hell. Such resources that I have, for the right payment, could be yours."
He sits, materializing a simple red wingchair facing diagonal from her, and relaxes with his legs crossed. "It seems we have come at a crossroads, though one of us holds more hidden cards. What is it you offer, in particular, and at which unpayable cost?" He tastes the wine, but does not let it enter his throat - instead leaving all of the contents in the glass.
She laughs. "Such doom and gloom! Here, let's try this; you tell me the name of the informant that sold out my name to you, and I will answer one question. Not so bad, right?"
A small laugh escapes him. "Well, that's simply something I cannot give you. I suppose, seeing as that's what you were after, our business is concluded? Or is there more you wished to claw out of me?"
She straightens in her seat, silently placing the wineglass down on a table beside her, and puts her hands together in her lap. Her smile is thin and taut. 
"I don't think you understand your position, little darling. Ordinarily, I would just take what I wanted, be it through torture, killing, or manipulation. I'm being generous. What is one rat compared to the plethora of things I could answer you've been dying to know? Like... the identity of the Demonlord who ensnared you in her plot."
Her eyes glow a faint tint of red. "I would reconsider, lest I alter the deal."
He chuckles a bit louder this time. "It's quite simple. It's not a 'I don't want to' situation - I can't tell you." He places his glass hovering in the air and leans toward her. "It's a simple spell, but you'll find it quite unbreakable."
"Unfortunate for you. If you had simply complied, or made an effort to give me what I asked, then I wouldn't have to get... unreasonable."
She slowly gets up, the room dimming and losing a fair bit of color, the fire dimming and becoming cold.
"You will give me what I want. One way or another. You have caused me great inconvenience by carelessly spouting my name to many. So your pound shall be paid, even if the ledger is paid in blood, or suffering. You think you hold the cards, or that you are in a position to refuse me..."
She silently stalks up to him and whispers in his ear:
"...But you don't have a choice. You will surrender the identity of they whose lips parted with mine name, or suffer the consequences. I will grant you three days, fulfill your debt or you will lose something dear to you. And you can be sure of this - there is nothing in your power that will avert it. How can I be so sure? Magnolin, be a dear and slap him on the right cheek, so I have spoken."
There is a scream of pain, and the next thing he knows, he wakes up from the dream to a sharp slap of pain to his right cheek, Magnolin staring at her hand in horror, glowing pink veins subsiding.
He looks up at her, taking her hand in his and putting it back to his cheek, whispering something she cannot hear. "Armalo, come to us now. Bring Adola. Magnolin is in need of assistance."
A ripple of shadow tears open and Armalo steps through, in his usual form, eying Magnolin once and then him. A swirl of light shortly follows as Adola appears, and in a single fluid motion places her hand on Magnolin's head.
"...I see. She is fine for the present, Rene. Her Mother Compelled her into doing her bidding, and nothing further... although her demonic blood is at a higher potency after having been Compelled by her Progenitor, so there is likely less time from now till next Frenzy." Adola notes.
She takes off her mask and eyes Rene. "What happened? If her Mother felt the need to compel her progeny to strike at you, the interaction must have gone unfavorably."
"She was angered that I could not supply the name of the one who gave me access to her information." Rene sighs. "Honestly couldn't tell her if I wanted to. Couldn't tell any of you. I explained that to her, though I did forget myself for the first time in a while and laugh at the absurdity of the circumstances..." He squints, attempting to remember things that seem as though through a fog.
"Heh. It's as if the person who gave it all to me erased the fact they existed. Kinda funny when you think about it."
"I am assuming there is more to the situation. Her compelling Bim- -Magnolin would not happen if she was simply aggravated. I assume she made some manner of threat?" Armalo looks over Magnolin and wipes sweat off her with a handkerchief.
Magnolin looks toward Rene guiltily and then looks away.
"Hmm," Rene seems troubled, but gives a reassuring smile to Magnolin. "Adola, a word?"
She nods quietly, tipping her hat and a flurry of snow like particles envelope them and they soon appear in Adola's personal study, a place seemingly attached to no particular place.
"What is the matter?" She sits at her desk, now in casual clothes as compared to her Witch's Robes and invites him to sit."
"While we were gathering my knives, as I'm sure you're aware, Magnolin and Magpie's mother decided to make quite the scene." He sits, a brief shimmer of black flames taking his robes away to show a white collared shirt under a black vest. "I took it upon myself to stop these events from causing any more harm by speaking her True Name."
His posture seems incapable of relaxation. "I need to hunt down why I can't remember where it came from, or I fear she'll do much worse to Mags."
Adola closes her eyes. "So she threatened you with Magnolin. Then she is very cunning to so quickly identify where you are weakest. And the worst part is there is not much we can do to avert the worst outcome - Authority of Blood is by and large an Absolute Power. Even if Magnolin could muster the immense will required to defend herself from a command, she could not prevent her mother from taking the ultimate extreme of self termination. You've made a cruel enemy."
She sighs before continuing. "In respect to your plight, I have an inkling, but I must confirm it and if it has aught to do with Demonic Magic, I will be unable to assist or counter without your having to fulfill a Deal. The more power required, the worse and less room for maneuvering I can afford you."
"And what Deal would be worth this is even harder to know..." His fist tenses, and his foot begins to rapidly bounce.
Adola sighs. "This is why it is said to not put your foot in your mouth at such a time that you have dealings with Demons, Rene. Considering how seriously you are reacting to this situation, you are up against a Matron, a Demoness of considerable clout, otherwise even with these circumstances, you should have been able to handle it by yourself. And yet you still poked the bear."
She gets up and walks over to him, crouching down to face to face level, and flicks his nose with a dour expression.
"Magnolin is one of my brightest students, and most worthy among them to take my place one day. It is not as though I lack personal stakes in this matter. So regardless, I will render my aid, so kindly stop making the expression one makes after biting on an overly sour grape."
Adola stands up and steps back, withdrawing several colored stones, which levitate into the air and begin to circle Rene, and Adola begins an incantation, the stones begin to gain the quality of gemstones and gleam with brilliant hues, oscillating with a gentle humming that fills the air.
"Detect Arcanis."
"Wait do you not know who she is?" Rene blurts out as the orb of Necromancy flies to her hand.
She looks at him softly. "I have an idea, but I require more than instinct and guesswork to know for certain. Even with my ability and knowledge, there are many great and terrible Succubi and Incubi. To rule out all of them and divine a particular one is difficult. If they are competent enough to foil you Rene, then they would have protected themselves from what power I could use to glean their identities.
In summary, I have had my suspicions as to Magnolin's lineage, but the truth is denied even to my eyes. At the very least, I know for certain that a Matron Mother, one of the upper echelons of Succubus kind gave birth to her, given her immense latent power and potential, and my eyes would have discerned a lesser being's identity even with protections. Only one of the hundred most powerful women in Hell could deny my sight, ignoring of course Dukes and Princes."
She eyes the gemstone wearily. "...Necromancy. A field of which while I am versed in its countering, I am nonetheless not a practitioner or inclined to tamper with that accursed craft. My teachings and magics are not compatible, you see."
Her expression darkens as she bites her lip.
"You will have to seek this caster out directly, like as not. If I were to reach out to the Necronica, they are not entirely likely to aid you. The Iratis have never been welcoming of outsiders since the Witch Hunts and the Crusades. They might lend an ear to me, but just as likely will ignore my hailing, as is their wont when a matter does not interest them. You likely do not have that kind of time at your disposal. And while Academia has the knowledge to help you, they would rather teach you Necromancy in length and exhaustively than give you what you want.
In short, you cannot expect timely aid from the Covens, and the Silvet shy from anything to do with the Demonic, so simply using a Dispeller is not an option either. Unless you wish our antagonist's wrath upon them through deception of your circumstances."
Eric stands, pulling a page out of thin air with demonic text written upon it. "I have my suspicions. I'll take Magnolin with me, if that would be quite alright. We have to go see a certain irritating pirate of the damned..." 
He walks toward the door, and as the page flutters into her view, he speaks, "She is out of your jurisdiction, my friend," as he leaves.
As Adola reads what is on the text, her mouth tightens. Things are far worse than you know, Rene. My hands are tied, more so then they ever have been. I hope you can escape this tightening noose your fate has become.
As he returns to where Armalo and Magnolin were, he sees Armalo fussing over her. When Armalo sees him, he aggressively motions for Rene to come quickly, pointing at Magnolin's neck.
When Rene comes over, Armalo intones in a low voice, "In case you were wondering if your adversary was even remotely bluffing, let there be no doubt... she's serious."
There is a band of demonic script wrapped around Magnolin's neck, glowing through the skin that reads: "In three days, become a Demon if ReNE%# does not fulfill my demands."
Her veins are popped out and visible around the area, and the skin immediately surrounding the cursed brand is a splotched deep tan.
The sorcerer sighs deeply. "Mags, get your stuff. We've gotta go on a cruise." 
He gets to work immediately, making a doorway of bones on the wall of her home.
She makes a deep rattled breath and stumbles to her feet, withdrawing into her home for a while, eventually coming out in her witch's garb. She comes bearing a staff and several wands strapped to her waist, along a number of pouches and packs.
As the doorway fills with rotting corpses grasping at Rene, he says over his shoulder, "Armalo, want to come? Might get to see your mother." and steps into their embrace, being pulled to the other side.
Magnolin hesitates for a moment, before stepping through the threshold.