"Some teiflings can be born with wings by crossing certain bloodlines, half elves and elven teiflings are possible, half teifling half dragons are possible, as Half Dragons are different from Dragonborn. Very different and they will get mad about the distinction." Thalia explained.
"Wait, what do you mean by half dragon?" Ruby asked.
"Simple, a dragon and a member of the mortal races have a child. Happens way more often then one would think. More often then not it's a bard who gotten himself into a little too much danger with a female dragon." Thalia laughed.
"Know what I don't think I need more details." Ruby also laughed.
As Wyll and Karlach made their way over to the campfire a circle of fire appeared with a black portal in the center. "Hells she's coming." Wyll said with a tinge of fear.
Chapter 16 Mizora
"Who's coming?" Ruby asked as she reached for Crescent Rose.
From the flaming portal came a figure wreathed in flames and the smell of sulfur. The smoke cleared, and a blue skinned devil in a fine deep cut dress with bat like wings stood before the party.
"I knew it, Wyll was full of Infernal magic." Thalia said holding her scimitar. "Your Wylls patron?"
"How perceptive, little rot flower." The devil said. "I'm here to discipline my puppy. He's been a bad boy." She pulled her hand back and Wyll was yanked as though a chain was wrapped around her neck.
"Mizora, damn it Wyll you made a deal with her? Well that explains why you were so desperate to take my head." Karlach growled.
"What do we do?" Ruby asked as Gale, Durge Shadowheart and Alfira joined the circle around Wyll and Mizora.
"Its dangerous to interfere with a devils pact. And by Mystra's light she is furious." Gale said grpping his staff.
"I see you've been busy making friends pup. Did you tell them about me? Oh of course you didn't." Mizora taunted Wyll.
"Clause G section nine, targets shall be limited to the infernal, heartless and the souless, Karlach meets the criteria by virtue of having no heart." Mizora smirked.
"Back off Mizora, I ain't going back to Avernus." Karlach gripped her axe tightly.
"Trust me, that's the least of your worries at the moment, what with the tadpole in your head." Mizora dismissed her. "Not that I care, really. I'm just here to teach my pup a lesson." She snapped her fingers, and a circle of flame surrounded Wyll as he fell to his knees. A black oil like substance covered him, and he screamed in pain as the sensation reverberated across their psychic link.
Flames licked his skin, lightning struck his bones and acid flowed through his veins. His fore head cut open as horns grew from his skull, blood dripping down his face. It but lasted a moment by Wyll had experienced a lifetime of pain. Ruby rushed forward as the flames receded to help him to his feet. His one eye turned black and red, it glowed in the dark of night. Ruby looked at the man who had risked his life to drag her from the nautilod, and she could see he had lost apart of himself.
"Ah, now that's more like it, I'll be around, and pup, don't fail me again or else." Mizora vanished in flames.
Wyll grunted as he looked down at Ruby. "I'm sorry I let you all down... I spoke harshly against Rachael's deal... yet I am a fraud."
"Wyll your our leader." Ruby helped him sit down. "You always did what you thought was right."
"Honestly I can't blame you, I had my suspicions when it came to your magic. Infernal magic is incredibly difficult to mask to those that know what to look for." Thalia said. "And that your not the only one beholden to a Infernal contract... though mine is considerably less useful then yours."
"What could have been so important that you two would sign your freedom to devils?" Shadowheart asked.
"As per my contract I can't divulge that information, but every thrust of my blade, every flame I sparked was for the coast." Wyll said, more trying to convince himself.
"I... was sold into slavery by my step father." Thalia said sitting on a log as a she looked to the floor. "My mother was a half elf prostitute at Baldur's Gate at a brothel just outside the main gate. My father was a regular client of hers and one day I was born, made to cook and clean for the brothel for room and food. Then she managed to get a member of the Zhentarim to fall in love and marry her. He was a drunk bastard who beat me senseless for being a devil child." She shook her head. "One day he takes me into the tunnels under The gate and a Red Wizard of Thay is waiting. The Wizard hands him a chest of gold and slaps chains on me. He starts experimenting on me, and that's when My father offers me a deal, he'll kill the wizard in exchange for an ability I inherited from him."
Wyll, Gale and Karlach sat up straight. "Don't tell me..." Wyll said.
"I cant tell you, the contract prevents me from telling others what the power was.." Thalia finished. "Though not the magical power to enforce them."
"Hells that's a dangerous power in the wrong mortal hands." Karlach said shocked. "Seems we all got screwed over as kids... all the more reason to stick together. We can't let each other fail." The group milled about camp for a while.
Ruby was just falling asleep as she saw Durge get up and stumble over to the ruins near the camp. But she was too tired to investigate.
Ruby awoke to a dog licking her face. She pushed it back as she rolled out of her tent. Scratch the dog had joined them during the night. Everyone silently ate break fast as they geared up. Things weren't the same as they were before.
Ruby looked over at Durge as he threw a cape on his shoulders... did he have that before? She blinked and shook her head clear.As they all finished packing their needed gear for the day, Wyll stood before them all. "Ruby, last night you said I'm the leader... yet I lied to all of you. Can you all really follow me now?"
"Wyll, you defied your patron for me. Do I even have to say anything else?"Karlach smiled. "Your the son of Duke Ravengaurd you have my confidence if your half the man your father is."
"Frankly you haven't led us astray yet Wyll, and while I don't care either way you do seem the best equipped." Shadowheart remarked.
"You're a bleeding heart, Wyll. A man born for greatness, I expect you will do what is right no matter the cost." Gale pointed to the sky.
"You saved the Teiflings and Arabella from harm in the such a short time. I have full faith in you Wyll." Alfira smiled.
"I'm just as guilty of hiding things as you, but I trust that you will do your best, Silvanus watches over all of us."Thalia stated with a half smile.
Durge regarded Wyll as he tapped his fingers on the shattered flail whip. "Blood lines our path forward. Just as it has lined it in the past. We would be dead without your power."
Ruby spoke up last, "Back home, names of teams at our schools were formed from the initials of the team members. I was the leader of Team RWBY. It gave a sense of identity and cohesion. If you and everyone else is alright with it we should have a name."
The group looked at each other then one by one nodded in agreement. "What are we called?" Wyll asked
"Well... Wyll is our leader so WARD for Wyll Alfira, Durge and myself, but Karlach, Gale, Shadowheart and Thalia don't quite work well."
"What of last names?" Gale asked, "My last name is Dekarios."
"Cliffgate," Karlach said.
"Rathodani." Thalia added
"Just Shadowheart for mei'm afraid." Shadowheart added.
"Team Ward Drakes, or as on Remnant Team WARD DRKS" Ruby smiled brightly.
"How about just The Ward Drakes?" Alfira asked. "When the songs are sung it'll roll in song better."
"It is a fitting name for a legend." Gale said.
They all Agreed. Ale and Alfira Cast a spell as a sigil appeared on their armor, Ruby's burning rose emblem with a stylized wingless dragon clutching a sheild.
They prepped their gear one last time and left camp. In the grove they bout whatever food they could and potions as well. While stopping by Arron he stopped to talk to Karlach and Ruby.
"I thought I smelled a infernal around here. Judging by the flames you got a infernal engine for a heart. And by the looks of it it's running hot." He said looking her up and down.
"Sadly it has. I don't have access to my mechanic at the moment. Not since I left Avernus." Karlach admitted.
"If you want I could take a look for you." He offered.
"That would be appreciated." She smiled, "Just don't get too close or you'll burn your eyes out."
Dammon leaned in close to listen and inspect the engine before his ear tip singed from the heat. "Shit, you're burning hot... It's burning up, either from a cracked piston valve or leaking oil. Who ever built it has used metaligized demano valves in a ra-gnax cassing, very risky." He said.
"Can it be fixed? I know we can't stop her pistons but we would need to... where I'm from we have these machines that can generate alot of heat under stress but to draw the heat away and disperse it we use something called a heat sink." Ruby suggested.
"That is one solution, but that would require a metal that's inherently magical, like mithral or adamantine to be forge welded with infernal iron into a form of Damascus and well we would need alot of that metal." Dammon scratched his chin.
"What of Crescent Roses old blades? We have some infernal iron with us." Ruby suggested. "With my Aura I can physically touch Karlach in order to get a better idea of what's needed."
"Wait, are you suggesting you can help fix part of ot right here? Fuck yeah, I'll take anything that can help."
"It would be a temporary fix, but it should bring your heat much further down then just infernal iron on it's own." Dammmon tossed Ruby a hammer as on parchment he began to sketch out the plans.
The others watched As Ruby and Dammon worked in unison, folding infernal iron and Remnant steel together. Ruby measuring Karlachsh engine and a few short hours of diligent work as Ruby and Dammon were drenched in sweat. Ruby carefully installed the upgrade and the flames on Karch died out in as the air around her cooled.
The barbarian looked at her hands amazed. "You two are amazing. I haven't felt like this in years."
"Find me in Baldur's Gate, we should be able to fully repair it there, as I would be able to get my hands on adamantine or mithral." He said. Drink grom a glass bottle.
Ruby Rose stats, class, and racial abilities
Class Fighter lv 5
Subclass Champion
Great weapon fighting style (rerolls one's and twos on damage)
Hp: 45 (3 d12 plus 0)
Strength: 18 (base 17)
Dexterity: 16 (base 15)
Constitution: 10
Wisdom: 8
Intelligence:12
Charisma: 10
Race Human Variant (Remnant)
Feats:
Ability score improvement: plus 1 str plus 1 Dex
Savage Attacker : Reroll damage once take highest
Base Speed: 45 ft Total speed: 55 ft
Aura: 10 temp hit points per level (50 Thp) (resets on long rest)
Semblance: Petal Dash; Dash action is now a bonus action
Improved Critical: reduces critical requirements by 1 (18-20)
Action Surge: Gain an extra action
Extra attack x1
Gear:
Infernal Crescent Rose: plus 2 to damage and rolls to hit, 2 d 12 slashing an fire damage plus strength. 2 d 8 Piercing plus Dex when firing.
Infernal Critical, Reduces critical by 1, and on a critical hit target auto fails save against burn condition.
Searing Petal Smite: While Dashing from at least 60 ft away, auto cast searing smite at lv 2. 2d6 fire damage. Once per short rest.
All but Ruby Rose have disadvantage with this weapon.
Elemental bullets: 2d4 elemental damage added to ranged attacks.
Two-handed, heavy, extra reach
Cleave lacerate trip enemies, peircing shot
1 Half plate armor: Ac 18 (16 plus 2 dex) Medium armor. Reduces piercing damage by 1.
Haste Helm: Plus 10 ft to movement first three turns of combat (Effectively just 10 ft because I'm not drawing out combat for more then 3 rounds except for major bosses) plus one dex save
Speedy Light Feet: Gain three lightning charges when Dashing. Lightning charges deal additional damage on weapon and spell attacks.
Ruby's Explossive bag:
7 Alchemist fire bottles
5 smoke powder bombs
2 smoke powder bags