Entrance to the Otherworld

☽ Literate RP Blog ☾  Still WIP - Not active yet

[the-hexenringe]

It had been just over a week since the last boat trip to the smaller island, the rest of them that week having been cancelled due to an unforeseen circumstance and once again the boat from the little village of Ballinskelligs was ready to take the next group of visitors across to the Hexenringe. The morning had an unpleasant chill to it, the early winter mist only beginning to clear as guests pre-emptively gathered at the pier's registry building around 7am for the boat to depart at 8.

The crowd consisted of thirty people, which was the maximum of those allowed to venture at any one time throughout the week save for various months of the year when celebrations were hosted. Those gathered still took up most of the space in the office, a wide array of visitors; It was true that there were mostly those of the alternative style that gathered, young adult females in groups made up the majority of the bunch. Among them included some older couples as well as groups of friends.

Sat at the desk to greet each group one by one sat a pair who looked in their mid-twenties, one male and one female. If they weren't, the pair certainly looked like twins, both sporting dark copper coloured hair, pale skin and dark auburn eyes. They were dressed smartly in white and grey clothes, the dull tones making the fire in their hair and eyes brighter.

The woman was sat upon the desk, beside the pile of papers that her supposed brother was busy filling in as they addressed the groups one at a time before sending them out towards the boat. Her hair was loosely wavy, hanging down just past her collarbones and framed the buttons to her tight fitting shirt which was fastened to the neck. One leg was resting atop the other as she greeted the visitors, several of them by name.

The male was sat at the desk, one arm flung over the back of the chair as he sat with a lazy slouch, loosely holding the pen as he scribbled away some details on a sheet of paper. His hair grazed his shoulders, hanging straight with one side pushed behind an ear to stop it getting into his eyes. Unlike the female, his shirt was lazily open at the top by a couple of buttons, much to the delight of several patrons. There was no denying that the pair of them were very good looking, every feature seemingly too faultless.

[the-hexenringe]

Aftermath: Darcey

The room of the penthouse was dimly lit upon this current night, with an air conditioner blasting as much cold into the room as possible. The television was on with some ridiculous mortal film from years ago, with the volume so low that no-one could really pay any proper attention to what was going on.

There in the same room sat a toned, dark-skinned man, with long black dreads of hair which were pulled into a high ponytail and a neat beard that was clearly well maintained. He sat back lazily in a leather armchair, with no shirt on and a lit cigar between the index and middle fingers of one hand.

Upon his lap someone sat swaddled in a blanket, which he held against his chest with his opposite arm. The young woman looked to be in her mid-twenties, dark and light brown streaked wavy hair unfastened and hanging over her shoulders as she rested the side of her face to the man's chest. A peaceful night together.

Until a crimson portal of runes opened in the living room before them.

"WRETCHED CREATURE!"

A shrill voice cried before the owner was revealed, the swaddled woman jolting in surprise but the man didn't bother sitting up.

Darcey stormed into the room, the pale woman looking an unusually dishevelled mess. The peak of two horns on the right side of her head had shattered, the ebony hair on the same side of her face singed and to her shoulder for the most part, spiked up untidily in places. The right grey eye was entirely white, and by the looks of it, the entirety of her right arm was made of jagged black metal shards, all stuck together as though they were clinging to a magnet.

"WHERE IS ELANZEEN?" The woman barked, making herself at home as she switch on the lights and turned the television off.

From his seated position, Malakharne finally grumbled and pushed himself to sitting up, keeping the smaller woman securely on his lap, protectively almost.

"Why would she be here?"

"I don't know. You fraternise with people. I see your useless human pet is here." Darcey wafted her now-metal hand at the woman, Kadia, to which she scowled at the Ilden and sniped back at her.

"I live here! Unlike you-"

"Mortals shouldn't be seen OR heard." The taller woman spoke matter-of-factly, fingers and thumb pinching the air as though she was holding the girl's mouth closed.

"Enough! Enough, okay, I'll find her alright?" Malak pinched the bridge of his nose, the ends of his dreads lighting up as though a flame had just ignited his hair like a candle wick. "I'll let you know as soon a-.. What happened to Svarog?" A furrow of his brow as he looked to the disheveled woman, the same fire igniting in his dark eyes, making them glow a warm orange. Darcey contemplated for a moment and looked down at her metal arm, inspecting it closely as though checking her nails.

"I needed a new arm. And honestly, he's much easier to control this way."

By now, Kadia had returned to her curled up position against Malak's chest, scrolling through her phone to avoid interaction with the demonic bitch in their living room. Malak looked over Darcey from head to toe, taking a long drag of his cigar at the same time. He whistled sharply and blew most smoke out at the same time, the remnants slipping through his teeth as he spoke.

"I wonder how the other guy looks."

[the-hexenringe]

Rumors of the Ringe

• Some say Freak-show or Circus. Others simply called it a Coven.

• The more 'normal' crowd that tend to visit speculate that the place is haunted, which drew some attention to teenagers who were dared to stay overnight.

• While not everyone's cup of tea, the little island attracted a more alternative audience which composed mainly of goths and self-proclaimed wiccans and 'witches'.

• It was also mentioned that the lack of electricity helped the authenticity and that it was something the owners had put in place to reinforce this.

• People who seemed to live there enjoyed a more basic lifestyle, composing of runaways, carnies; Anyone who didn't have a real place to call home. The total population was still below a hundred however.

• On occasion, the owners would host a weekend where visitors were welcome to stay, but more often than not everyone would be escorted off upon nightfall, back to the mainland where they can stay overnight.

• Despite it's creepy and unusual infamy, most of the visitors only have good things to say about their trips.

• It's been said that PETA have been giving the occupants grief regarding some animals that dwelled upon this smaller island, brought along by the owners. The claims were soon forgotten and PETA didn't contact them again.

[the-hexenringe]

For the longest time, the islands of Deenish and Scariff were uninhabited; the only listed family having lived there well over two hundred years ago. It welcomed no visitors and hosted no journeys to bring anyone from the mainland across and in due time a lot forgot about the small territories off the south-western coast of Ireland.

It was rumoured (but no solid evidence was provided) that the land had been reclaimed by the contracted owners half a decade ago and ever since both the islands had been under renovation. The occasional reporter wanted to snoop and get pictures, more often than not in an attempt to fly their drones over to get a sly picture of what work was being done after so many years, but the drones never returned.

After four years, a dock was built at the north of Deenish, the smaller of the two lands, just enough space for one boat to fit comfortably. While the Island still wasn't exactly welcoming travellers with open arms, they were no longer being secretive with their work. Over the course of years, a large building was erected upon the steep and grassy land of Scariff which looked to be more like a stone castle more than a modern building. Many believed this to just be for sightseeing, to awe travellers seeing as not only was there no apparent way to getting to the larger island, the castle had no visible doors or windows; The only creatures that appeared to inhabit it were a number of cattle and sheep.

Curious locals from the mainland began making trips across to see what exactly had been at work and soon enough the rumours started to spread.

Popularity bloomed in Southern Ireland and stories soon spread to the North. It wasn't all too long ago when whispers of the little Islets met the Mainland, albeit still scarce of any real details. There were no pictures- Never any pictures of any good detail. Anything electrical on the majority of the Islands became distorted, save for the dock where the boat would be anchored and from there the steep incline didn't give much away. Any taken at a further distance didn't show much apart from various tents set up between torches and garlands, all of which surrounded a large marquee which was pitched upon the flattest part of the land.

[the-hexenringe]

An encounter; Darcey and Serath

 The sudden downwards slash was dangerously close to clipping the woman's arm, even as she stepped aside just in time to watch the greatsword crash into the stone ground. Darceveris gracefully twirled with the dodge, now facing the assailant with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.   Everything about the woman made her look as though she was pulled directly from a black and white movie, save for the subtle sheen of magenta that reflected off her metallic, ebony hair. She stood around six foot two in the heels she currently wore, the rest of her clothing really leaving little to the imagination in this horrendously warm world.

    Even standing as tall as she did, the creature who stood opposite her still managed to cast a shadow over the woman. A man who stood closer to seven foot tall. A Daeden. While she made an effort to blend in with humanity- albeit a lacklustre one- this stranger certainly didn't bother trying.      This particular Daeden was a hulk of a man, tanned and built with muscle that was obvious beneath the black and gold-trimmed, half-plate armour he wore. He'd swung the large greatsword in one gauntleted hand, the other open and empty, for what reason the woman couldn't tell. Maybe he was just a savage who really had no true idea how to wield a weapon like that, as though they thought it fun to give a gorilla a blade.

   The man's hair was dark brown- Sharing the shade of the four great wings on his back, each feather delicately gold-trimmed like his armour. It would really be a rather impressive sight if his face was covered up. Not unattractive, really, but his long locks were a dishevelled, wavy mess, which someone had attempted to tame but ultimately resulted in a lazy half ponytail. He had a beard too- What a scruffy thing.   Daeden often prided themselves on their pristine radiance. It was something that kept the mortals believing they were in any way shape or form 'holy' in this Stars-forsaken world.  This one must have missed the memo.

   The two made eye contact briefly, misty grey meeting burning gold as neither immediately moved to make an attack. The Daeden was the first to act. He wrenched the blade free from the ground in one swift uppercut swing, slashing at the woman diagonally. Darcey was ready and swift to defend as the thin chain belt around her waist shattered into separate links before the metal rebuilt itself around her left arm; Skin tight armour that she used to grab the sword blade with. Maybe she could play for a little while. It wasn't very often she had the opportunity to converse with the Blinded. If he could in fact talk.

  "They're lying to you." She spoke with such sincerity, but also a small amount of glee that she couldn't contain, a sadistically playful croon as her armoured fingertips drummed against the side of the sword. The man ripped the blade free from her grasp and swung it again at the woman with reckless abandon, which she'd leapt backwards from the moment the blade was freed. He used the momentum of the blade to sink the tip into the ground once more, a grunt in response that was closer to some animalistic growl. The drawl he spoke in wasn't much different.       "I would never take the word of an Ilden over my brethren."        "Oh look at that, you are just like the rest of them." The metal armouring around her arm spread almost like a liquid around the woman's body, soon after taking the form of dark full plated armour with crimson veins running through the metal. There was a shift of reality, the same red veins pulsing through the ground at the Ilden's feet before a crown of four swept-back horns burst from the helmet she now adorned. Two pairs of metallic wings followed from her back, splits in her armour opening to allow them space to stretch. There the two of them stood, face to face. "And here I hoped you actually had a personality."

[the-hexenringe]

Denizens of the Hexenringe are primarily fae creatures, though other beings of a mythological nature have been associated with them.

Seemingly rather passive in terms of violence, the Hexenringe tend to busy themselves by way of mischief and overall just being a nuisance, such is the nature of the Fae. Whether there is a specific purpose or not, only the members of the Court know for sure. The shenanigans they get up to don't just involve harmless pranks, as the beings of the Hexenringe have also been said to cause nightmares, induce paranoia and corrupt luck.

The one overseeing the land has been referred to as several things; The Faerie Queen, The Morrigan, the Mother- But she simply prefers the name Eagla. Welcoming and polite, she greets those who approach her with warm and open arms, offering the lost and confused creatures and beasts a home. Interactions with her are scarce however, more often than not it'll be part of her court that meets with people.

[the-hexenringe]

"LOOK AT ME I'M STARVING."

A soft and reassuring hushing sound reverberated off the obsidian walls and floor of Eagla's bedroom, the entire thing plunged in darkness with not even the slightest flicker of light to break the ebony blanket. She reached a hand towards the Nightmare, slender fingers with nails like talons that raked through the finer wisps of the entity's form.

"I know you are, child. I can tell." Her hand elegantly moved to embrace the side of the nightmare's face then, her touch just as soft and caring like her words were. "But it's something we sadly need to grow to endure. This hunger will never end."

[the-hexenringe]

"Feed meeeee. FEED ME."

Laying on his back rather nonchalantly in the dead of night, atop a wall with a lanky leg dangling off the side, Torven held a lit cigarette between rows of jagged teeth as his hat was lazily papped onto the upper half of his face. On his chest sat a rather unkempt and unhealthy looking black furred weasel creature, that stood up onto it's hind legs moments before the Nightmare arrived.

The words were enough to make the man jolt in surprise- "OH FUCKING SHI-" and roll off the side of the wall in his brief moment of panic, an unpleasant thumping sound cutting his words off as he hit the ground. There soon followed a wheezing of breath and a flurry of coughs as plumes of smoke left his mouth.

The ugly weasel creature however, was completely unfazed by what was happening. It hadn't even moved, despite it's perch now rolling around on the ground, so there it sat, suspended in mid-air and peeking down at the far darrig.