Illusion : Phobia (6)

Jasper opened his eyes which would greet the lighting coming from the towering torches of Her room. There was an unnerving feeling resting in his eyes, an exhausted fog swirling within his bones. It wasn't often a newborn experience such a long pause from their scenarios, as it was meant to be a continuous and character appraising series of events. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately considering the state Jasper's mind seems to be in, the little pudgy hellspawn had completed his very own first scenario exceptionally fast considering his... limitations. This uneasiness wasn't uncalled for, he had fear simply stewing within his being after all.

[Tokophobia (M) has begun to wake from dormancy.]

Tokophobia is a crippling fear over the responsibilities and nuances of childbirth. Ranging from the general health of the partner and child to the financial stability of their family, a man may never truly feel the joys of creating a new life when facing the suffocating feeling. It was only natural that Jasper harbored this within him after being faced with his wife in the latest scenario, but it was his responsibility to learn from it. He could not let this cripple him.

Fear is what truly constitutes a demonic entity. They embody fears, their own more so than the humans they feed on. It can be what makes them stand above others, or what causes them to waste away in the flesh mines. Like a typical viral illness, those that can beat it once will ne'er fall to it again, but they may never go into public spaces without a mask from then on. It's funny, really, the greatest thing holding both people and demons back is establishing healthy barriers.

[Strength swells within you as you consider the nature of fear.]

[+1 STR | 3 -> 4 STR!]

Before he could find himself further spiraling into his 'reward' for clearing the previous scenario, the gargantuan doors of Her room squealed as their weight was forced to make way for the tiny petite body of Jolande. Here tortured face matched the squealing of the doors as she huffed at the sheer effort required for her to enter a damn room, much less walk its length to peer over the small body of the troublesome newborn.

"Hahhiya there little guy… oh gosh I can't stay mad at you, look at those little tubby cheeks! C'mon let's go ahead and get you sorted out for your next nap," the ghost nanny's warm thoughts lapped along the edges of Jasper's mind like the warm ocean to the coast before she placed a single finger on his forehead.

And with a single thought of 'sleep' his mind seemed to forget its fears then drifted away. At the same time the Hunchback Hamster Huggers were currently discussing the necessity of an increased difficulty in his subsequent scenarios. Normally the difficulty of scenarios in a newborn state would remain relatively the same, with few exceptions in those who managed to fumble their way to a successful clear. Jasper however, did not have to guess his way to the end. His victory was calculated, and these old men needed to be sure the scenarios were sufficiently difficult for him.

A greater crime than harming a newborn would be knowingly stunting their growth. It was not out of some hate harbored for him after he had gotten them in trouble, they accepted their responsibility for how the situation had gone down at this point as such is the benefit of their free-spirited chaotic minds. No, they truly needed to make sure a newborn came out of this period of growth in the best form they could. Perhaps it was time to try something new.

The tale was not exactly what was passed down in history books, but it was undeniable that it told a story foreign to almost any being living in the modern realms. Even in the most chaotic of demonic races today, their were structured cities and currency in which demon's often time could resolve problems in an orderly fashion. This did not hold true before their King first rose and the descent into hell, when they were mostly simple monsters straddling the Earth. Scorched Earth is the period of time this Scenario will take place, a time where never encountering a demon would be a miracle.

[Scenario Title : A time before heaven and hell.]

[Scenario Rating : Undecided]

Thick leather straps held his shirt tightly to his bronze colored chest while he sat awake in front of the scarlet fire as his companions slept. A lush green canopy hung overhead, its beauty smothered by the ominous shadows dancing between the branches. The days were of little concern to their party, but the nights were deadly. Anywhere a shadow was cast from the scarlet moon hanging overhead, evil could coalesce. And while the sanctity of fire could keep the bottom feeders at bay, there were always bigger evils out there whose deepest darkness could snuff their lifeline with a glance. They could never be sure.

It is for this reason that, mostly, everyone in this group of travelers either practiced a form of exorcism or possessed blades forged from a precious metal known as Demon's Bane. Some of these practices had ways to ward of evil, such as sanctified flames, and the metal would interfere with demonic powers and leave wounds on demon's that could not recover in battle. Most nights, they were in fact able to rest peacefully despite restless turning in fear of the inevitable night that wouldn't hold true.

Faust Uh-Balls' eyes were alert as shadows moved overhead, noticing the familiar sight his hand reached for the Demon's Bane blade resting on the forest floor beside him. A single grotesque finger broke through the cover of night, its grey elongated visage sporting equally long sharp nails impaling Vincent who had been sleeping soundly just moments ago. Faust mustered a grunt of displeasure, but thought little of the fool's assured death. He managed to get to his feet and posture himself for combat, as he knew the screams of his late acquaintance would awaken the other others to see the sight of the man's body sliding down the palpitating gullet of a beast. It would seem most of them would not sleep well tonight.