New Moon of Yharnam
A World of Darkness x Bloodborne crossover
Chapter One
Castle Cainhurst
As the rain came pouring over from the clouds in the sky, the castle of the Cainhurst Vile Bloods was ablaze with the fires of battle, as the nobles of Cainhurst were under siege by the zealots of the Healing Church known as the Executioners, along with other members within its myriad ranks. As the knights of Queen Annalise fought to keep their opponents away from entering the castle proper, the courtyard, having already been breached was suffering massive damage from the chaos of the attack.
One such member of the noble Cainhursts was dueling with one of the Executioners at the walls surrounding it, whose enemy from the Healing Church swung a carriage-wheel like weapon known as a Logarius Wheel, slamming it down with enough force to shatter stone, and smash a boulder. The Cainhurst Knight on the other hand, was wielding the more elegant weapon known as the Reiterpallash, a kind of rapier with a pistol built into its handle. As the Knight tried to point and shoot the Executioner with it, his more brute opponent ducked, the golden cone he wore known as the Golden Ardeo taking the impact of the Quicksilver Bullet that was fired. Due to its unusual shape combined with the angling of the conical helmet, most of force was deflected upward, causing the mercurial projectile to spray upwards as the Executioner pushed forward, the wheel he used like a rounded club spinning to speed up his charge.
It was then the Executioner swung it upwards, striking the Knight in the chin, making him grunt as he backed up. Before he recover, the Knight screamed in pain as he felt his leg get smashed by the Logarius Wheel, and looked up to see the Executioner raise the Wheel to bring it down upon him. As he spun it, it split, revealing it to be made of two wheels connected to one axis, the noble barely managed to roll away from the incoming attack. When his helmeted head turned to look where he was just was, it was to see the face of the Wheel coming towards him, knocking the Knight into the stone parapet of the wall. With the Cainhurst warrior pinned down, the Executioner lifted the Wheel away from his opponent, and drew the sword-like Church Pink he kept as his secondary melee weapon, and proceeded to stab his opponent through the chest. As the Noble cried out before finally dying, the Executioner pulled it out, and then heard a gunshot just a split-second too late to dodge as another Quicksilver Bullet struck the shoulder of the arm he carrying the Logarius Wheel with, along with taking two more mundane lead bullets to the stomach.
As the Executioner grunted, he ended up having to drop the Wheel, and turned to see another Knight with a smoking Evelyn and a Chikage, along with two members of the castle servants wielding regular hunting rifles that were being deployed like a militia to aide the Vile Bloods in fighting back against the Executioners who, along with Hunters in the Healing Choir, came with a number of more militant Healing Church warriors who were among those Ludwig rallied to fight back against the Beast Plague. Snarling, the Executioner ducked to the side as he pulled a two-barreled Repeating Pistol, and shot at the Cainhurst Knight. He dodged the Quicksilver Bullets that flew at him, but one of the servants died as their head was struck with a glancing blow, which was still enough to blast off their head. The other flinched as blood and gore sprayed out onto him, as the two Blood-Cut warriors clashed, their weapons flashing as the currently one-handed Executioner was forced back by the sheer fury of the katana wielding Cainhurst Knight.
The Vile Blood-enhanced noble pulled up his Evelyn once more, but the Executioner was quicker with his Repeating Pistol, shooting it once more on reflex. However, instead of shooting the Knight, he shot the pistol he was bringing to bear, causing it to explode in his opponents' hand, and slashed the surprised Knight across the chest, before shoulder-bashing him away and pulling up a vial of the Old Blood. The other castle servant, seeing he had a clear line of sight now after waiting for it with his hunting rifle at the ready, shot the Executioner in the leg, making him drop the Blood Vial which shattered.
"Gyah! Bloody heretics, the lot of you." the Executioner growled, though his voice was unusually small, more an annoyed mutter compared to the shouts of his brethren zealots, their voices filled with hate and anger. Indeed, he seemed more angered by the loss of the Old Blood then with the fact he was close to death. "Come on then, I have all of time to do this." the Knight merely tilted his head, then charged at the Executioner, ready to perform a killing blow by slashing off his head. The Executioner replied by parrying it with the Church Pick, then hacked off the nobles' arm. As he grasped at his bleeding stump and yelled, the Executioner chopped off his legs and stomped on his head, then ran towards the now terrified servant as he dropped his hunting rifle.
"No, no please!" he begged with both hands up, a useless gesture as the Church Pick came crashing down upon his skull. Taking the breather he made, he produced another Blood vial and injected it into his leg, making a groaning sound as the lead inside his body was pushed out, flashes of pain racking through him in the process. The Executioner looked into the courtyard, and watched as Logarius himself, tall and resembling one of the Pthumerians who were the first to be blessed by the Great Ones, along with a team of the most elite and high-ranking members of the Executioners ran into the keep, fighting their way to slay the Queen of the Vile Bloods. As he ran in, the leader of the Executioners let out a war cry, projecting his voice through the arcane magics of the Great Ones.
"Follow me into the nest of these heretics! I shall purge the Queen, and you her servants in heresy!" his voice resounded in their minds, causing a rigorous war cry to resound from the Healing Church's servants. "For the Great Ones!" he shouted
"FOR THE GREAT ONES!" they echoed. The Executioner didn't, only watched as they rushed in to follow.
"For the Great Ones." he muttered to himself with all the boredom of someone watching paint dry, then turned as several of his brothers in arms ran along the walls.
"Gavlan, what are you doing here?" one of the other Executioners asked, even though neither one of them could see the faces of the others through their shared helmets. At least, not with normal, unblessed eyes.
"I was clearing this wall to prevent these heretics from providing fire support for those fighting our forces in the courtyard. As you can see, the others who followed me didn't make it." he said, gesturing to a Choir member and two Yharnamites dressed in the Hunter uniform that was mass-produced for those following Ludwig, who was famous for the Holy Moonlight Sword, and had sent them along with the Healing Church Hunters to lend their aide and support. Some of the Healing Church Hunters also carried replicas of his sword, with their sheathes being capable of turning into greatsword blades to mimic the Moonlight Swords' glowing blade of arcane energy. "Lets go, we must make haste to stop the ritual the Queen is preparing to-"
"Hold on, what ritual?" another Hunter spoke, visibly confused.
"One of these Knights was arrogant enough to speak of a ritual the Queen was preparing to tip the battle in her favor. If we can-" Suddenly, an explosive boom resounded, but this was not one of a cannon being fired. As a tremor shook the ground, the Executioner exclaimed "What, now?!" as he saw cracks forming on the walls. Looking down at them, he turned to the other Executioners. "Jump!" he yelled, and they followed his lead as they leaped from the wall and onto a stables where a number of Cainhurst-bred horses could be heard neighing and trying to break out of their stalls to get away from the chaos of the battle. Gavlan crashed through the roof, slamming onto the ground and grunting as he felt his leg bones making painful cracking sounds. His fellow zealots made similar sounds, as they fell near and around him. After quickly imbibing several vials worth of the Blood between them, they quickly ran to get away as the wall began to collapse.
As several of the stones fell, they ended up crushing one of the zealous warriors, killing him before any of the others could assist. After a moment passed, and tremors stopped the various Healing Church Hunters could be seen recovering from the earthquake.
"What in the name of Oedon was that?" someone asked, when the sounds of increased fighting could be heard. Along with that, bestial screeches could be heard coming from the keep, followed by screams of pain and anger. With the sound of a Choir bell being rung in a pattern that meant it was a distress call, the Healing Church Hunters rushed in to lend their aide. Except for Gavlan, who stayed near the back.
When a horde of beasts resembling gray woman burst out, they fell among the crowd of Church zealots and Choir Hunters, breaking it up and tearing apart the ones closest to them. Several of their Yharnamite Hunter support rushed in on one, but the regular men and women that made up their force was nowhere near powerful enough to deal any powerful hits to it. As it shrugged off their blows, the Healing Church fell upon the beasts, then several more of the Cainhurst Knights rushed out into the fray. However, they were moving far faster then normal, and their blows, which initially were on par with their opponents, were now suddenly empowered by unknown magics to cleave through their enemies like chaff.
Gavlan, upon seeing one such warrior running up to him, dodged to the side, then shot them in the neck with the repeating pistol. As the Quicksilver Bullet tore through his neck, the noble recoiled, only to block Gavlan as his wound began to regenerate. As he brought out his Chikage and performed some form of blood magic, Gavlan ducked to dodge the sweeping strike of the incoming attack.
With a quick jab to force the Knight back, he activated the transformation of the Church Pick, which burst forward and stabbed the defender of Cainhurst in the stomach, as he didn't jump back far enough to evade it. With a quick pull, Gavlan freed it, and the pick turned to a ninety degree angle, as Gavlan held the shaft with both hands. The two began to clash with each other, as the Hunters and Knights fought each other while the former servants of Cainhurst, now turned to beasts jumped and struck at both sides with reckless abandon.
As the Cainhurst Knight slashed at Gavlan with the Chikage, the Executioner rolled behind him, then spun while swinging the Church Pick. His opponent jumped forward, causing the Executioner to miss as he turned and fired a pistol at Gavlan. The Quicksilver struck Gavlan in the chest, and he coughed as he felt one of his ribs break and stab into his left lung, causing him to drop to one knee. The Knight, quickly taking advantage of this, stabbed in Gavlans' chest, and the Executioner was thrown into the ground as his stomach, along with his intestines and spraying a fountain of blood into the ground air. As he fought to stay awake, he saw a beast sniff the air, then turn to him while the Knight ran to slay someone else. As his vision grew black and the creature bounded towards him, Gavlan chuckled.
"507." he muttered, as death took hold of him while the beast reached out to him.
Hunters' Dream
"Gavlan, Gavlan..." the Executioner awoke, finding himself in a tent. With a groan of pain, he got up from the bed, ignoring the other Executioner. "Gavlan... it's about time for the final push of the siege... Gavlan?" the man was ecstatic at the thought of slaying the last of the Vile Bloods, until he noticed that his fellow zealot was staring into space. Gavlan was fair-skinned, with light blue eyes and auburn hair. Along with side burns which followed his jawline, his upper lip had a mustache which met his side burns at his cheeks, which was normally kept perfectly groomed when not in the field of battle. Now it was shaggy, both due to neglect and Gavlan not taking the time to comb it.
"I'm aware, let me get into my garb Albius." Gavlan muttered nonchalantly with none of the enthusiasm of the one speaking to him. As he went behind a privacy screen to change clothing, the other spoke up
"What's going on with you? You were ready to cheer on our finally breaking through the gates of the castle just last night."
"Hmm, its nothing." Gavlan replied, as he emerged from the screen, he was dressed in his Executioner garb, carrying his Gold Ardeo in one hand, and his repeating pistol in the other. Stashed along his back was the Church Pick, and Gavlan walked out, not waiting for Albius to get ready. Upon exiting the warmth of his tent, and into the cold night air, Gavlan placed his Ardeo over his head, his insight-enhanced mind not being hindered from seeing the world around him in anyway or form that a normal person would. He took a glance at Castle Cainhurst, standing defiant despite clear signs of damage from the exchanges of cannon fire that occurred over the course of a week between the two sides.
He was initially heading for the crowd of the Hunters who were gathering to listen to Logarius, at his back stood the inner ring of commanders with the Executioners, already dress with their sign of office indicated by the way their Ardeos glowed in a manner that they looked like the Oath Rune of Purity that only the Executioners were allowed to etch into their minds, and thus see. Gavlan listened with only mild interest to the speech given by Logarius about how the many heresies of the Vile Bloods, having memorized it to the point that he could recite the entire speech verbatim at this point.
So when he heard a soft bell ringing in his ear, he was quick to catch on that this was not one associated with any of the ones the Choir had, and turned to see what it was. Upon hearing it again, he saw a door of light forming in front of him, marked with an unknown Carryl Rune he didn't recognize. It was like that of the one for Formless Oedon, but the center figure glowed blue, and the two symbols for people being embraced by Oedons' presence was replaced with five lines coming the center figures' head.
Gavlan, upon realizing the ringing came from the door, noticed that none of the others around him reacted to it, and thus knew this was not a product of his prison. With that being good enough for him, the Executioner walked forward, and placed his hand upon it. It then glowed brightly, and Gavlan allowed the light to envelop him.
When he awoke on his back, it was to see a female member of the Healing Choir ringing the bell over his head.
"This one is awake now." she said, turning to someone he didn't see. Gavlan lifted himself to a sitting position, to then find he was staring what appeared to a figure dressed like a plague doctor with a uniform made of crowfeathers. He was also aware that the plague doctor uniformed person was armed with what looked to be a short sword, and the Choir Hunter held a Threaded Cane. Gavlan however, was unarmed, and thus vulnerable if a fight broke between them.
"Very good Velia. That was faster then most of the others." the figure said, their voice that of an elderly woman, with an accent he recognize as being foreign to that of Yharnam, but he couldn't place it. "So Hunter, it seems you were more then eager to get out of whatever nightmare you were in. How was the hunt within it?" Gavlan, looking about at the field of white flowers surrounding him, realized he was in the Hunter's Dream. He then looked at what he now realized was a Hunter of Hunters, and replied.
"Bored. I wasn't stuck in a Hunt, but some form of repeating cycle centered around the siege of the last bastion of the Vile Bloods." Gavlan said, as he got up, and took off the Gold Ardeo. "I'm Gavlan, of the Executioners of the Healing Church." he introduced himself, offering a hand. The Hunter of Hunters grasped it and nodded.
"I'm Eileen. It seems you remember enough of the Dream to not need any explanation about it, though much has happened since the Siege of Cainhurst." Gavlan then realized the Dream was bigger then it was the last time he was in it, which was... years probably. Not only that, he, Eileen, and Velia were not the only Hunters in it, among other changes. "What is going on here?"
"Follow us, it would be best if I explain everything privately." Velian said, her cane tapping on the stones as she walked down a road. The Hunters largely ignored the trio as they moved about, though Gavlan noticed the looks some gave him and Velian. After a half minute or so of walking, the Executioner stopped and did a double take when he saw what looked like one of the Pthumerians. As she walked into the Workshop he recognized as the one in the original form of the dream, he swore he saw something was inside it. When he turned to the others, they were standing there silently watching him.
After a moment passed, he resumed walking towards them, where he found there was another building, one of several in fact that had been built within the Hunter's Dream. This one was in the form of a chapel, similar to that of the ones in Yharnam, which featured the Hunters Mark on a stained glass window. As they entered it, Gavlan saw it had at least a dozen or so Hunters within it, all dressed in various uniforms and outfits of the Healing Church priests and Blood Ministers gathered around a glowing map of some sorts. One of them, dressed in a white doctors garb turned his head up to see the trio entering the building. As the Healing Church Hunters exchanged bows with one another, he spoke up.
"So we have a new Hunter in our ranks, and an Executioner at that." Gavlan looked around in confusion, noticing that he was the only one from the Executioners. "I am Priest Clemont, and I was the one chosen to lead and manage all Healing Church assets in lieu of nobody else to fulfill the role. So..." the man said, turning to the other two Hunters before Gavlan replied. "When was he stuck in one of the Dreams?"
"Cainhurst."
"Ah. Well then, this is going to be uncomfortable." Clemont said.
"What is it?" Gavlan asked, now getting annoyed. "What are you not telling me?"
"Well..." Velia said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yharnam has been destroyed by the Beast Plague, as well the machinations of the School of Mensis." Gavlan turned to the the woman, staring into her with a piercing look.
"What?" Gavlan asked, disbelief in his voice.
"After Cainhurst happened, there was a second outbreak of the Beast Plague, which was the result of the Old Blood being tainted from an outside source. Due to the expenses that were incurred by the Healing Churchs' crusade to wipe out the Vile Blood, combined with the massive loss of it Hunters, the Plague swept through Yharnam with beasts sweeping through the streets in untold numbers. That, and it was discovered that the School of Mensis was trying to contact one of the Great Ones." Gavlan looked at the Healing Church Hunters.
"What did they do?"
"Among the various things they did, the School took away the child known as Mergo, an infant borne of the Queen whom Yharnam was named after, and Formless Oedon." Gavlans' eyes widened. Among the many things that he was told whilst he was raised by Logarius when he and his Executioners took Gavlan in and inducted him into their ranks as an orphan, they taught him that the Great Ones were gods that gifted them the Old Blood, the very same with which he was given a transfusion once he was initiated within the Executioners. Among the many things that he was told, the defilement of those they mated with, and their children were one of the worse sins one could commit in the eyes of the Great Ones. Thus, when they were summoned through the use of said umbilical cords, they were done from ones collected from stillborn children of said gods.
"Mergos' cries ensured that when the School tried to contact another known as Flora the Outcast, they were visited with retribution, but the aftermath of their ritual led to inflicting madness upon those not afflicted with the Beast Plague, which was in fact the result of our leaders being corrupt."
"What do you mean?" Gavlan asked, balling his fist which caused Eileen to finger her short sword. "That's a lie!" It was then that a knock was heard, and the Hunters conversation was interrupted. When one of the Hunters opened it, this one dressed in the uniform of a Tomb Prospector, he then immediately bowed his head, letting the Plain Doll and the Pthumerian in. When the other members of the Healing Church saw them, they too prostrated themselves before the two, except for Eileen and Gavlan, the latter of which stood in confusion.
"Executioner Gavlan, I come to confirm that what has been told to you is true." the Plain Doll said, while the Pthumerian stared down at the man with unblinking eyes, her face not betraying any emotion. She then showed Gavlan a vial, filled with a pale substance. "Drink this, and you'll understand."
Gavlan, realizing there was only one thing to do, did as she said. He recognized the taste of blood, and had only but a second to process this when he found himself gazing into the final nights of Yharnam itself. Among the flashes of memory and chaos, he saw the full extent of the corruption which dug into the Healing Church. He saw Ludwig, turned into a horrific beast that was a combination of man and horse, the children experimented on by the Choir, and more which culminated in the revelation of all that transpired, including the heresies committed by the School of Mensis. Eventually, he came upon the time that the one who ended the Eternal Hunt was turned into an infant, at which point his mind snapped back into reality, where the Pthumerian he now recognized as Queen Yharnam was holding onto the shaking Executioner by the head. He was quick to feel a sense of calm claim him, preventing him from breaking down as what he shown was processed in a manner that he could understand.
"By the Great Ones..." he muttered, as he nearly fell over. Yharnam, after blinking turned to the Plain Doll, then back to Gavlan. As he recovered from the panic attack he felt the calming aura coming from Yharnam stop, who then released her grip from Gavlan and left the room without saying anything. "By the Great Ones. I'm guessing there is a reason we are not cast out from the other Hunters." he mumbled, as he got up and sat down, massaging his aching head. Someone passed a sedative to Gavlan, who drank it as he got his reply.
"Simply put, we are all needed for Faunas' plan, including those of us who were part of the Healing Church." Velia said, as the other members of the former Healing Church got back up.
"Fauna?"
"He is the one who transcended the Hunt, and ended everything that had been started by Flora the Moon Presence and the Outcast. Among the many things we have been called forth for, Velia and those of the Healing Choir for example are the only ones who have the arcane knowledge to find and call other Hunters to the Dream without them ringing a Beckoning Bell. Fauna has become a Great One, but he is still undergoing metamorphosis, and thus finding someone wouldn't go mad at seeing him outside the Choir was not a valid option for him. With the aid of Queen Yharnam, he was able to call one of them into the Dream and got things started from there." Clemont explained. "Not to mention we are the only ones who know how to process the Old Blood, as despite all that has happened in Yharnam, we are possibly the only ones left with the knowledge of Blood Ministration, and most manners of the arcane were under our purview. Not that the others like the idea of us being kept around." Gavlan grimaced, remembering how he was stared at by several passing Hunters on the way here.
"What other groups are there?" Gavlan asked, to which Velia answered.
"Well currently out of everyone we brought here, there's Valtr and his League, Eileen, who after having been discovered alive and well by Fauna was reawakened by him though the Messengers to reform the Hunters of Hunters, us, and also the Powder Kegs." As though confirming Velias' statement, a loud explosion was heard in the background.
"They're still around?"
"A handful, but yeah they're around."
"Vile Bloods?"
"Have the position of being hated by everyone like us, but not able to fill a niche anyone else has not, plus the fact they ran around attacking them as well as us in the Dream resulted in the case that they are not to be let out of it. We have found other Executioners that are trapped within it, but we are still working on releasing them. You're the first of their number to reawaken here."
"As for why we are doing this, as you no doubt are considering asking," Clemont spoke up, filling in for Velia. "Fauna has found a world that he seeks to help, one that is undergoing an infestation of its own. He, through the new Host of the Dream, the blessed Queen Yharnam had begun gathering those Hunters who have managed to survive the destruction of the city which was named after her, and organizing them for accomplishing this very goal. He intends to purge the Beasts on this world, but has imposed a number of commandments upon the Hunters, ensuring that we don't cause a second Yharnam like what had happened in our world." Gavlan nodded, so far understanding what was happening.
"So how long has it been since this world was found?" he asked. Priest Clemont rubbed his face, and it was then that Gavlan noticed the way he looked tired and worn out.
"About five months ago. Unfortunately, we have very little info on how the creatures of this world operate, as the Messengers, despite being able to interact with both this Waking World and myriad spiritual planes around it, have many blind spots where they cannot enter, including entire dimensions where entering poses a risk to them directly and indirectly. These include parts of the world where the ghosts of the dead reside, and have chased them off, as well as what appears to be areas with magic wards specifically tailored to prevent creatures like the Messengers from entering them." he said, as he stared at the map, which Gavlan realized was a global map that did not match that of the world Yharnam resided in.
"So what do we know about them?" the Executioner asked, scratching at one of his side burns.
"Well, they are less like the mindless Beasts caused by the Plague in Yharnam and more like, Queen Yharnam forgive me for the comparison, the Pthumerians in that they have their own societies and politics, though what they want, their cultures, etc. are unknown to us... however, they're all centered around maintaining secrecy from the humans they live in the midst of, and each other, meaning most public information is certainly going to corrupted with false information and half-truths and most are entrenched within the nations of this world. So far, it is possible to enter the physical plane, but only in select spots." the Healing Church Hunter explained. As he waved a hand over the map, a bunch of spots appeared in bright blue light, but one of the continents, a particular landmass not connected to the eastern one it was close to, and was more akin to a giant island had notably fewer spots.
"These represent where the veil between the Dream, and the Waking World is thin enough for us to travel between one and the other. As for the spiritual parts, that is what the Choir will be studying, both to figure out what is going on there, and how to better prepare in terms of manners that require knowledge in the arcane. I have some idea for where to send you out on your first Hunt, to get things started." Clement said, as Gavlan looked at him.
"Already?"
"Yes, because as it happens, we are lucky enough to not be alone in our Hunt. There is a number of human organizations, which are dedicated to their own versions of the Hunt against these monsters and beasts of the night. First contact has yet to be made with them, save for one group, due to them having a very limited insight into the world as it truly is around them, and like us Hunters will be, are always on the move." Clemont produced a sheet of paper, which had a symbol drawn on it. When Gavlan looked at it, he saw it was five dots arranged so that it had a center dot, connected to the others by line in an up, right, down, and left facing manner.
"They call themselves 'The Imbued', and thus far, they stand out the most in that they have an insight that allows them to perceive Fauna's Messengers. We already made first contact with them with Velia and several members of the other Hunter Covenants, and thus far most of these Imbued consider the idea of cooperation something that will benefit us both in them help establish a network for us to break ground and begin our work, and for us to assist one another."
Gavlan gazed at the map, as Clemont showed a city that was being set up. "What is this city called?"
"The Imbued call it Los Angeles, and there is supposedly what they call a Cell, a type of team of Imbued heading there. From what the Messengers can observe, there is currently a form of social upheaval amongst some of the monsters in this city, and thus we can use this opportunity that has caused while they are focused on each other to lay down some groundwork. For that, Velia will be going there to prepare a safe area for us to come and go with being assailed by whatever is there. You, Executioner Gavlan, will be heading there with her to provide support for her while she teaches you what will be expected of us by Fauna on the field." Eileen, who had thus far stayed silent, looked at Clemont.
"And I will be coming with, to make sure proper discipline is held." Gavlan looked at the two of them as they stared at each other. After a moment, he sighed and just accepted it when Clemont nodded.
"Alright then, where's the armory?" Gavlan asked. With that, Velia gestured to the Executioner, who followed her to a door. Upon opening it, he saw a wide array of the various Trick Weapons and firearms wielding by the Hunters, as well as other various items. Going through the arrayed arsenal before him, Gavlan decided what he was going to bring. "If this is mainly to scout out and acquire information of our enemy, then it will be best to not be conspicuous." Gavlan said, turning to the other two Hunters. Eileen was mostly watching them, though she chuckled at that.
"Well now, the zealot who wore a golden cone for a hat wants to blend in a crowd? Overall, with exception of learning about Yharnam and its fate, you're the calmest Executioner I have seen yet." she said. While her voice was not quite one was friendly, it was clear she was not harboring judgment towards Gavlan. "I should also warn you, there is a barrier of some kind that limits where we can enter and leave the Waking World to the Dream and so forth, so what you bring with you on your person is likely all you will have until your return.
"In response to your first statement, being stuck in Cainhurst and dying over and over had the effect of making me reevaluate my life. And got boring as all hell." Gavlan said, as he examined a Threaded Cane. "Not good for a primary, but useful as a self-defense tool that won't attract attention, given what you said about the barrier you mentioned. For that, I'm going to use this for when he have to initiate a fight." he said, grabbing a Hunters' Ax. As he reached for the Blood Vials, arranged within a system of tubes that sorted them into rows that were allowed one to grab them one by one, Eileen spoke up.
"Before you get your ration of the Old Blood, I should inform you that you're only allowed twenty vials, no more then that. You are only to use it to regenerate your wounds, never for its intoxicating effects. That, and only give another Hunter a vial if it means life or death." the Hunter of Hunters said, when her voice grew serious. "But above all else, you are not, under any circumstances or reason, to administer the Old Blood to one not of our number, even if will save someone that is going to die." it was then that Gavlan looked at Eileen. As the two stared at each other, Gavlan relented first, the question of why never left his mouth as soon as it formed. "I trust you have no problem with that?"
"No."
"Good. Meet me outside when you are ready." Eileen said. As the sound of her footsteps receded, Velia sighed. After about several minutes passed, the two Hunters got their equipment sorted out, and weapons picked out. Gavlan carried a Threaded Cane and a Hunters Ax, while Velia was armed with another cane and the Church Pick. As they walked out the Church Workshop, they saw that Eileen examining her blades, then snap them together upon seeing the other two approaching her.
"Are we ready?" Gavlan and Velia nodded, to which Eileen pulled out a map of what Gavlan guessed was the city of Los Angeles, and the general surrounding area. "Alright, so to ensure we are not discovered quickly, our entry into the Waking World will be outside here, in this particularly wooded area here." she said. "We will need to watch ourselves however, for while the ones in the city are going to be distracted, there are others in the forest."
"What makes them different?" Gavlan asked.
"They mostly are made up of a type of shape-shifter, which can change between five forms, from one resembling a human, to various combination of man and wolf, to a full wolf form, and while they may resemble the final result of the Beast Plague physically, they are far from mindless. Not only are they thus able to disguise themselves almost flawlessly, these shape shifters are capable of utilizing magical powers and will always fight in packs when possible." Velia explained, as she started to stare off into the distance, rubbing her neck seeming to remember something about what she said. "I will tell you right now, if you plan to go into the wilds of this world, don't do it alone." Gavlan raised an eyebrow, but decided he would follow her advice.
Material World
After about a hour later, Gavlan appeared alongside Velia and Eileen in the middle of a forest area, around a bent and crooked lamp surrounded by the Messengers. After taking a look around, his eyes focused on a spot of ground. "Gavlan? What is it?" Eileen asked. It was then she saw that he had focused on some tracks. As they examined it, they saw the tracks were wolf prints. "Hmm, they must have passed by here sometime ago, going the same way we are going. Either way, we are going to have to move on." Eileen said, as a noise could be heard from the Messengers. When Gavlan turned to them, he saw that they were pulling the lamp back into the ground.
"Why are they doing that?"
"In case one of the various creatures here show up, lest they risk being attacked by what lurks in these woods. Same reason we haven't entered into the city directly." Velia replied to the Executioners' question.
With that the three moved on, with Gavlan at the back, following Eileen and Velia. While Velia was familiar enough with the area, Eileen was the one with the map, along with a compass and thus led the way. As the three Hunters traveled through the forest, a lamp placed at each of their hips to direct the way, they made sure to cause as little a disturbance as was possible. After about five minutes, the three came to a road cutting through the forest. With a quick glance, Gavlan estimated it was wide enough for four horse-driven carriages to travel together with plenty of room between them. As he examined it, and saw it was made of what looked to be solid pitch with white and yellow lines painted on it, he looked at Eileen and Velia.
"Are we waiting for a carriage, and what manner of road is this?" Eileen chuckled, though this one was more out of genuine amusement, and Velia smiled as well.
"This world is one that has become quite advanced compared to Yharnam. As long as we continue this way, we will make our way into the city in about an hour." the Hunter of Hunters replied, as she started to step onto it, and walked down the middle of it. "We also will be able to more reliably notice if anything tries to approach us in the open." Gavlan looked up, and after a few seconds saw lights.
"Eileen! Velia!" he shouted just as a growling noise reached their ears, and the Hunters immediately retreated to the side of the road. As a machine of some kind appeared, they heard appeared to be music. It was a red one with pitch-black windows that slowed down as it passed by them, but then stopped about ten or so feet or so ahead of them. The back of the vehicle glowed with a pair of red lights, which dimmed but did not go out as the machine made an idling noise. A door opened, and a man came out of it, a strange rifle slung at his right shoulder like a musket, and a metal club of some kind that had bands of spiked iron wrapped around it in his left hand. He was dressed in a black coat of some kind, which went down to his knees, and wore blue pants made of a heavy textile. A pair of blue fingerless gloves covered his hands, while a hood, improvised cloth mask and glasses hide most of his face, and the skin of which Gavlan could see from his fingers from there was a pale color. After closing the door, he called out to them.
"So what are you three doing out here, with no car in the middle of the woods?" he asked. Eileen pulled out a second piece of paper, as she showed it to him. Gavlan could see from his position that he had some form of insight, but not to the point of not needing his physical eyes.
"We are fellow hunters of the beasts of the night." Eileen said, unfolding it to show the symbol of the Imbued, though with a crescent symbol attached to its left dot. The man looked at it, then nodded.
"I know, I was just curious about what you were doing, since the Heralds told me to get you. Just a word of advice though, don't go showing that and announcing to the world next time one of us asks you, the Word is not something we Imbued want the monsters to know, alright?" the man said, then gestured to them to come over. "Come on, my team is on their way in a separate car."
As the Hunters approached, he whistled upon seeing their weapons, then held up a hand as he seemed to realize something. When he walked over to the back of 'car' as he called it, he opened up a section which revealed a storage space. "Not enough room for both you and your equipment in the back." he explained, as the Hunters placed their Trick Weapons inside, save for Eileens' Blade of Mercy, and the two Threaded Canes the Healing Church members brought with them. It was noted by Gavlan that the car, which had four seats had a woven material, which made him think of a odd kind of fabric. Eileen sat in the seat next to the man, With Gavlan and Velia behind them, the former of which was looking around the interior with undisguised interest. While the man was driving them down the road, Gavlan was the first to speak, as the Imbued passed a couple of cloth squares similar to what he wore as his mask, explaining it was for obscurity.
"So there are others you mentioned, how many are in your group?" he asked, only to be jabbed in the elbow by Velia.
"He's a new member."
"Ah gotcha." the Imbued said, as he looked at Gavlan through a mirror, occasionally checking the road. "There's a number of rules that I and the other Imbued throughout world have taken and codified to ensure we move more freely, due to the level of infiltration the Vamps, Wolves, and other creatures permeate society."
"Vamps?" Gavlan asked
"Vampires. They're the kind of beast we are hunting within the city we're heading to." Eileen explained.
"How new is he?" the man asked.
"This is my first hunt."
"Well damn, you certainly have a bit of experience fighting though. You a soldier?" he asked.
"I suppose you can say that." Gavlan said. "Though if we are going to talk about ourselves, we can at least have a proper introduction to you and how you joined the Hunt, now that I think about it."
"Touche. Well, I'm Philip. I'd give my last name, but Hunter Code and all that." the man said, as his voice tone changed to that of a smile, and Gavlan could see through the mirror that his muscles shifted to show this.
"Gavlan. So these Vampires, what are they capable of?"
"Well, they all share a few weaknesses and strengths, but it always boils down to the individual Vamp. Starting with what they are and all that, the average Vampire is a form of undead which requires blood to survive, and can not go out during the day." Philip replied. "They have a pair of sharpened fangs on their upper set of teeth, which is how they draw it by biting their target, typically at the neck, and exhibit and effect where when bitten the victim undergoes a state of euphoria. It has been observed most actively try to stay hidden by not killing the person they feed on and can hide the bite marks left over, though how is not something I know. Some don't give a damn about that though, and do whatever they feel like, whether that is draining you dry, or tear apart a campground of people for the thrills. The main thing however, is that they have entrenched themselves deep in the government and other institutions to maintain their cover. As a result, they are well connected, enough to warrant caution at all times while in the city."
Is he saying these 'Vampires' are intelligent and capable of speech, despite their bestial and undead nature? Gavlan asked himself, then mentally slapped himself for already forgetting what Clemont said.
"Now as for their strengths, they have that going for them, and are also able to withstand blows that will kill a normal man or woman, while also being better then us normal humans in basically every way. The only way to kill one is to either drag it out into sunlight, hose it down with fire, or blast its brains or heart out with a shotgun. That's about the only ways I know how to kill one." Philip continued. "So, what were you doing in the woods? That's mostly Werewolf territory last I checked ." he suddenly asked after a pause in the conversation. It was Eileen that replied to him. Gavlan leaned over to Velia as the Hunter of Hunters was speaking.
"What is Hunter dot Net?"
"This world has a strange network of devices, which allow one to communicate with others throughout the world. I don't know much about it, but the Imbued have their own secret communication network, which they refer to as Hunter Net." Velia replied.
"We had a series of... unfortunate circumstances that required us to go through the trees and find this road on foot." the Imbued, not focused on Gavlan turned to Eileen as she gave her own answer to his question.
"Well shit, with what I heard of the Werewolves, that's basically suicide." Philip said, clearly impressed by the response. "I guess that is why you two carried those big weapons. Do you happen to carry any guns on your persons as well? Because packing some heat is always good." he said. Gavlan, upon it being mentioned pulled out his Repeating Pistol, while Velia carried a regular one. "Huh, look like old 14th century handguns. You sure you want to run around with those?"
"We have our own reasons for using them." Velia said. Philip shrugged.
"Ok then. I suppose it is my turn to talk about how I got inducted by the Heralds to fight the various things that go bump in the night." he said. "Well, it was about a year and a half ago, and I was living in San Francisco. I was walking home after working late at night. While I was about to enter my apartment, a heard a woman scream, followed by this whispering in my ear that whatever was attacking her was not alive. She happened to live next door to me at the time, so I kicked in the door, and rushed in to find a Vamp had just then bit down on her neck while she tried to flee. When it looked up, I felt a surge of energy course through as I punched it, square in the jaw with a right hook. Had I not been Imbued right there, it would've done jack nothing against this bloodsucker, as the two of us ended up in a short fist fight, with the two of us beating on each other for a short time. Unfortunately for me, Vampires happened to have the ability to continuously heal their bodies, and I was only just able to keep up. Fortunately for me, however, the Vampire had the misfortune of having been chased by the other members of my Cell, who had been after it for the past three days at the time, having picked off several others that were with it. When they arrived on scene, I had stalled it long enough for the woman to get away, and the other Imbued were directed to her apartment." Philip then chuckled.
"At that point, I was beaten to a pulp, but the others dog-piled it before the Vamp had the chance to finish me off, and dusted its ass. After one of them did some weird healing power which helped me recover, they explained what was up, and next thing I know, I was being taken up and down across the city, dusting Vampires or shooting Witches and Warlocks. We made a point to stay the hell out of the woods though, since we heard of when at least 20 Imbued went in there to find and kill a group of Werewolves that were attacking a camping site and killing the people there, only for a mere four of them to make it back to the city, screaming like hell to the rest of us about how there was a small army of them running around in the wilds. I also had to eventually give up on my apartment and quit my job, as at one point a Vampire we were hunting showed up there, and started asking for me." it was then his face grew dark. "You never realize just how intense the Hunt gets until you realize how easily it can turn on you, and with the kind of shit these bastards can throw at you, so always watch your backs, because you only got each other." Gavlan shifted in his seat, as Philip looked around the road, his body language one of neurotic anticipation.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Sorry, just haven't had the chance to sleep. Once we reach a motel or something for the night, I should be just find in the morning." the Imbued said, as he saw a building with several more cars arranged with a structure over them. "Speaking of which. This was the agreed upon meeting place, when the others get here, then we can get to introductions, if they feel up to it." he said, parking the car in a empty lot, then shutting off the vehicle. Alright, I'll handle getting us to stay for tonight, and maybe the morning, so we can get ready to head out together in a group." he said, as he walked to where a man was waiting at a front desk.
As the Hunters carried their equipment to the room, which was marked with a '7B' in blue paint, Gavlan entered first, to sweep it of potential threats. As the the other Hunters saw him gesture that it was clear, he walked into one of two bedrooms of the motel space and placed his ax against the wall. He was sharing his room with Philip, while Veila and Eileen shared the other, both with separate beds thankfully. At least that was what Philip said, as they instead were gathered around a table with the map discussing what to do.
"So what exactly is going on in Los Angeles?" Philip asked. While he stopped wearing his hood and bandanna revealing he had black hair, the man still hid his eyes behind his sunglasses. Eileen was the one that spoke up, as she pointed to the city. they had decided to let Philip know what their goal was, to show the Imbued that they were willing to trust him and his companions, while Philip left a small mark on the door for his fellow Imbued to know where he was, as he explained that telling them where on the network directly was considered dangerous due to the risk of being intercepted by those who might be looking for them.
"As it stands, we happen to have our own resources dedicated to watching what is happening in the world. Currently, based on what information we have on the monsters that reside in Los Angeles, the Vampire population has become embroiled in a civil revolt against each other, disguised as a gang war between the two factions." Philip nodded.
"Yeah, Hunter Net mentioned spotting Vampire packs fighting each other for some reason. My Cell was heading over due to being close by when we got a message to support the Cells there and form a Compact." The Imbued said. "Is there any particular target you have in mind?"
"In fact I have." Eileen replied. "Our sources located a point of interest, where some of the Vampires are gathered, and have constantly maintained by them, along with human servants." Philip frowned.
"Ghouls. That is what they call themselves. Simply put, if you drink Vampire blood you become addicted to it, and I have fought a fair few of them. They will do anything to try and get their next fix of the stuff, even if the Vamp is abusive to them." Eileen nodded.
"On that note, our mission is infiltrate the Vampire hideout, which is hidden and disguised as a shop for those interested in the occult and the arcane. It is also believed, since this appears to be a key area they have been fighting around, that whatever faction is trying to break in wants something in it. What we plan to do is take advantage of the chaos to get in, and given that this a holdout of the Vampires of Los Angeles, try to find information concerning the Vampire populace, so that we can hunt down their nests and purge them." Philip looked at the map, where a red spot was put down on it.
"Sounds bold, though so far, that means we will be fighting them on their terms at that point. I hope you guys got some tricks up your sleeves for this." he said. Eileen nodded.
"I'll go into further detail when the rest of your Cell gets here." Eileen confirmed, as she then folded the mask. "Well then, is everyone on track for our plan of attack so far?" After everyone replied positively, she said "That is good, for now it is time to rest, though someone will need to take first watch in case we have company." It was decided that the position would be taken by Velia, followed by Gavlan, then Philip, and last Eileen. With that, Gavlan walked into his room with Philip behind him, and looked at his ax and Threaded Cane before retiring for the night.