The Carpathian castle was always dark now. The sun no longer rose over Hallowed lands, nor any lands for that matter. Light barely skirted the horizon, leaving the world to languish in a realm of shadows and darkness, barely even able to be called twilight any longer. Fires burned in the hearths at all hours as autumn took Auster, more to provide light to the castle denizens than warmth. Everyone was sequestered away in their own rooms, keeping to themselves. The world had become sick, and with it, so too had much to the Hallows—including its young Aegis.

Artorias stood in front of the great hearth, gazing into the flickering flames of the fire roaring within. The light reflected off of his amber irises as well as the fluorescent blue liquid that dripped from the corners of his eyes and nostrils. Screams of pain echoed around the castle from his wolves that were also inflicted, suffering in anguish. Or maybe that was just the voices of the damned in his head. Was someone screaming? He cocked his head and flicked an ear. No... no, the castle was silent. Always silent. Except for the screaming. But that was in his head now. Artorias shook his head as if to force the voices out, but it made no difference. That was okay, he didn't expect the voices to go away any time soon. They hadn't since the day he'd tried to confront the demons out on the plains—not he day he'd been blinded.

So Artorias continued to sit in front of the fire, surrounded by the bright orange glow from the firelight. He liked it here. The shadows couldn't get to him here. The phantoms couldn't reach him and the wraiths inside his head didn't scream as loudly. He blinked his eyes a few times as the glowing goop built up in them, wiping the mucus-y fluid away with the back of his paw. He didn't know what was coming out of him, but he'd seen Eska suffering from something similar, and a number of his Hallowed wolves were also afflicted with some sort of strange maladies. His poor sister, she had no idea what was going on or how to begin rectifying any of it. It was fine; he didn't blame her. After all, who could truly stop the end of days?

A blue paw reached to grab the neck of the bottle of wine beside him, taking a deep swig of the strong, rich red wine. Alcohol was the one thing he'd found that seemed to have any affect on drowning out the voices screaming inside his head. Can't hear the ghosts when you're drunk, after all. The bottle fell from his lips with a defeated sigh from the young Aegis. He'd run out of ideas for how to protect his pack and his family and he'd simply... given up. Trying to face the demons had done nothing. Trying to enlist help from the firefly entity had gotten him blinded. Trying to keep everyone inside the castle walls had proven ineffective. They couldn't fight shadows and specters. There was nothing they could do against the invading malice. There was nothing anyone could do.

And so Artorias had given up, allowing madness to settle over his exhausted mind. There were so many voices whispering and yelling in his head at all hours of the day that he'd stopped trying to discern what they were saying. More than once, he'd heard them urge him to kill himself—to throw himself from the tower or walk into the ocean or thrust a dagger into his own heart. Were he a weaker willed wolf, he may have considered the tempting offer just to shut the damn voices up.

Daggers... Daggers and swords... Swords...! Go get the swords...! Save your pack and cut them all down...! It'll be quicker this way...

Arotrias' head twitched on reflex as a twisted, sinister version of his own voice tried to goad him into committing mass murder. Smoldering amber eyes turned in the direction of the armory door across the great hall, staring at it through the deep, dark shadows. His heart raced as he watched the shadows swarm and swirl like clusters of ravenous insects waiting to strip his bones of flesh and sinew. He swallowed down the hard lump caught in his throat. Artorias had never been afraid of the dark before, so why was he dreading leaving the safety of the fire's light all of a sudden?

Don't you want to save your pack...? Don't you want to stop their suffering...?

"Shut up... Just shut up..."

Do it... Do what your weak mother never could... Kill them all...!

"Shut the fuck up!" Artorias bellowed and hurled the bottle of wine straight into the fire. The bottle shattered against the back of the fireplace with a clatter of breaking glass, and then the fire surged as the alcohol burned, filling the great hall with the acrid stench. Artorias didn't shy away from the fire, instead basking in the sanctuary it provided. Yes... here he was safe. Here the shadows couldn't put their vile fingers inside his brain or tug at the strings of his marionette. That was why he had fires in every room, torches in all the halls, candles wherever he could. The castle would remain lit—not just for him, but for everyone to escape the darkness. "You can't touch me in here," Artorias muttered to the shadows dancing on the walls, laughing at him, mocking him. He glared daggers at the pirouetting shapes of black on the walls and floors. "You will never touch me or my wolves again. I will burn you all away."

More laughter echoed inside his head, malicious and taunting. Artorias glowered at the shadow demons, ignoring the dripping of brightly glowing ooze falling down his chin and snout to drip onto the floor. He sniffled back some of the goop dripping from his nostrils, trying to prevent from swallowing it into his body. Was it even coming from his body? Was he producing this stuff? What the hell even was it?! Gods, he wished he had Embershard. He'd cut down all of those laughing shadows right here and now. Then they'd see... Then they'd stop laughing at him. He'd be the one laughing when he stood on their flat shadowy corpses as they melted and died. "Not gonna get me... You're not gonna get me..." said Artorias, unaware that he was slowly rocking back and forth in place, or that he had begun to give little manic giggles—or that he had already been gotten by the unseen forced corrupting the world.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Firefly Shoppe- Artorias

The sickness deepens... You get the runs. It glows.

Your tears now permanently glow.

Your attention blurs and refocuses. It feels as if you are in a dream as you find yourself alone in the mist. Fireflies gather and light the way to a table with a figure waiting behind it. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Choose w̶̢̧͉̥̻̟͈͙̽̉̆̿̈͒͋̓̇̍͌̇̎͠͝ì̵̢̝̄͐́͆̓̚ṣ̶̛͙̟͎̤̞̤͎̹̙̭̪͔̓̐̾̂͆̄͆͌̈̈́̏̚͜͝͠ȩ̴͔̱̗̜̾̉̀̓̀͆͛̊̂̍̕̚̚̚ͅl̵̢̦̲̼̠̖̜̺̮̜̺͋̈́y̴̧̨̧̪̗̥̘͇̾͑͗͜͠, and only choose o̷͕̭̊̃̌̊̏̀ņ̸̼͚͉͔̒͐̊e̵̮̯͛̔̀̑͜," the figure says, looming over the table as his eyes seem to peer into your soul. Are they... moving? "If you can afford it, that is. Beware, however, for there are many d̷̡̯͉̎̊̈́͐͠á̴̬̪̣̝̞̅̀̈́̄ṉ̸̢̠̤̹̥̙̜͋͆̚g̷̛͍̹̣̬̙͖̝̘̃̈e̷͓͕̖͓̝̤̿͐͐͜͠ŗ̵̤͚͔̟̹̳̽̒͝ş̸̛͓͔̩̥̦͛̊̈̾̐̒̓ ̴̺͔̃̇̆ahead." He does not seem like he's in the negotiating mood...


I̵̜̖͎͓͒̑̕n̸͓̗̘̫͉̗̻͐̔̿̊͆̋͝v̵̦̹̠͉̖̼̮̎̌͆ȩ̸͕̦͔̳̩̈́͜n̶͍̝̙̯̣̹̫̩͋t̶̟͈̟̲̜̙̣̋̿̓̆̅͊͝͝ŏ̶̼͊r̶̖͎̙͔̥͎͙͈̊̍͝͠y̴̧͔̭͒͆̉̕͝:

• Tantalizing Treat- 3 /
  Some surprisingly appetizing snacks though it’s hard to tell exactly what’s in them.
  
• Equalizer- 3 /
  A small bag in which you can see two sickeningly green cookies, on the bag is a small tag with instructions: “Afore the eve of war, when the outcome is yet to be drawn eat one biscuit and leave the other for your opponent and all battlefields shall be made equal.”
  
• Crystal of Knowing and Forgetting- 3 /
  This crystal glows not unlike the others plaguing Boreas, but the glow alternates between every color in the rainbow. Just looking at it calls to mind how little time you’ve spent working on your skills lately… This could be risky...
  

You gain:

• Permanently Glowing Tears- No chance of ugly crying ever again with these!
  

The quiet disjointed mutterings of the young alpha were cut off by a sudden bought of dizziness. His head swam like a head rush, hearing his heartbeat in his ears. A blink of his eyes, and suddenly Artorias was no longer in the great hall—or in the Carpathian castle at all. He was in some dark, foreboding world, lost in a thick ethereal mist that glowed like every other damned thing in the world now. Artorias rose to his paws, staring around the desolate world he had been spirited away to. Where the hell was he?! Darkness seemed to loom in the corner of his eyes, threatening to creep up on him and swallow him whole. It made his heart rate spike, his breathing grow shallow and uneven. He had never been afraid of the dark before... but now nyctophobia had gripped his heart so tightly he could scarcely breathe!

As he spun to look in all directions, a sharp stabbing pain hit his lower guts like a hot knife had been driven into his bowels. Artorias gnashed his teeth together and growled through the pain, but held himself together. Another sharp stab of pain and pressure, and Artorias was left with no other choice. Alone in this misty world, Artorias relieved himself, the glowing diarrhea bringing both pain and relief with it. When he had finished voiding his bowels in this world of oblivion, Artorias coughed a few times, spitting up some of the glowing ooze that continued to run from his eyes. He wiped the gunk from his vision just in time to see a familiar face—or lack of a face—manning a familiar stall a short walk away. Artorias' manic mind was filled with arguing voices when he saw him. He wanted to embrace the entity. He wanted to kill the entity. He loved and hated the paranormal being that had manifested before him. Was he in the entity's world now? Was that what this place was?

Stumbling his way towards the stall, Artorias slumped against the stall, physically and mentally exhausted. He couldn't keep going on like this. He wouldn't survive. Beside him, his small cache of mushrooms and crystals had appeared from nowhere. Weary amber eyes peered up at the cloaked entity, staring back into the glowing blue that had once taken hold of his own irises not too long ago. Was this entity blind as well? No, surely not; it reacted as if it could see him clear as day. "Thank you for not taking my eyes," he murmured to the entity. "I understand now... What you meant about looking at things differently." He had learned his lesson from the entity.

His eyes only briefly flickered over the items laid out before him. Despite his still clenching stomach, Artorias' eyes lingered on the assortment of snacks. They smelled delectable! Lifting himself up from the stall took some effort from the tired wolf, but he managed to reach down and snatch up three mushrooms to present to the entity before taking the treats. "Thank you," he said, sniffing at the treats again. "...Did you make these yourself?" He raised a curious brow. Did supernatural beings do things like baking and cooking?

OOC: Artorias is trading three mushrooms for the Tantalizing Treat

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Firefly Shoppe- Artorias

The hooded figure makes a croak that sounds oddly like a laugh. "Taking your eyes when you see so clearly now would be silly, don't you think?" There is a pause as he pushes the treats toward Artorias. "These should help settle your stomach. I hear the effects are quite... strange... but don't worry, they won't hurt you." With a swish of his hand, he disappears, leaving Artorias alone with his snacks.


You gain:

• Tantalizing Treat- Some surprisingly appetizing snacks though it’s hard to tell exactly what’s in them.
  

You lose:

• Currency (x3)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...
  
  

The sound of the entity laughing was... not something Artorias had been expecting. The entity had seemed so impersonal and menacing the last time they'd interacted, but apparently he'd said something to tickle the entity or he'd caught him on a good day. The entity pushed the treats across the stall towards him, and Artorias accepted them gratefully in his paws. The entity told him they should help settle his stomach, which still churned and ached with a throbbing pain, but cautioned him that the effects could be "strange" but harmless. Then, with a flick of its robed arm, the entity disappeared, along with the mysterious fog and shop stall. Artorias had returned to the living realm, the fire crackling bright and warm in the hearth. There was no trace of the diarrhea left behind, and it was as if he had slipped into an entirely different plane of existence for a brief moment, then returned without any lapse in time. The only memento of his experience were the treats still clutched tightly in his paws.

Artorias gazed down at the little biscuit-like morsels, giving them a tentative sniff. They smelled absolutely incredible! His mouth began to water, which was directly counterintuitive to the pain he felt in his guts. The young brute cringed and grit his teeth against the pain, nearly doubling over when his stomach churned once more. The entity had said these should help settle his stomach, and he decided to put his trust into the paranormal being. Popping the treats into his mouth, Artorias began to chew slowly, savoring the flavor and letting himself really enjoy the experience. The treats tasted as good as they smelled, if not better! In fact, they were one of the best things Artorias had ever eaten! They were a perfect blend of savory, salty, with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. The texture was pleasant to chew, and the more he chewed, the more layers of flavor he discovered in each biscuit. Swallowing them down, Artorias found himself wishing he had more!

Now he just had to wait and see if the entity had been truthful when he said they wouldn't hurt him, and began to quietly wonder about those effects and if he was about to start tripping balls again. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd been tricked into eating some sort of hallucinogenic drug.

OOC: Artorias eats them tasty treats!

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Tantalizing Treats

Finally some good fucking food.

You scarf down the treats quickly, pretty sure you've eaten them all... but wait! There's a scrap at the bottom of the bag left, and though you feel compelled to eat it you feel even more compelled to share it with a dear friend of yours. One of your companions would love this, you're sure of it, you know it with every fiber of your being! Time to invite someone to share this last bite, you can't be the only one to ever taste these things...

You gain:

• ???- ??
  

You lose:

• Tantalizing Treats- Some surprisingly appetizing snacks though it’s hard to tell exactly what’s in them.
  

The treats were easily one of the most delicious things Artorias had ever eaten. He didn't know how much of that was attributed to his sickened mind distorting his perception and senses and how much of it was just how little he'd eaten in recent days with how worried he'd been over the pack and his family, but he eagerly scarfed the treats down all the same. Amidst his ravenous snacking, Argent had made his way into the great hall, seeking out his master and friend. He'd been worried over Artorias' deteriorating state since the ooze had begun to fall from the wolf's eyes, and when the quit mumblings to himself and the ramblings to the shadows began, Argent feared he was watching the wolf's slow demise. "Hey, boss man," Argent greeted the young alpha with a nervous smile. "How, uh... how ya holding up, big guy?"

Artorias licked his lips and paws of any stray crumbs, trying to savor every last little morsel he could get. Amber eyes flickered down to the now empty bag that had held the treats, wishing with all his might that there had been some more, or that he hadn't been so gluttonous in his snacking. But wait... there! At the bottom was a small chunk of biscuit left behind, barely more than a nibble for him, but easily a good bite for the silver fox making his way cautiously up to him. Artorias turned his maddened gaze to Argent. His friend! He'd stuck by his side through this insanity of the ending world, stayed with him when he'd been blinded, and even now he was checking up on him. Such a good friend deserved to share in this amazing experience!

"I'm feeling much better now, Argent!" Artorias said with a smile, though the crazed look in his eyes didn't inspire faith in the brute's state of mind. He wiped the glowing goop from his eyes with the back of a paw, then reached down to scoop up the last morsel of snack and offered it to the fox. "Here, taste this. You've gotta try it! It's delicious!" Argent hesitated, looking between his owner's ecstatic grin and the treat being offered to him in the large blue paw. An instinct in his gut told him there was something off about what was happening with Artorias, but the wolf had never led him astray and he had no reason to distrust him. A slow silver paw lifted to pick up the treat, sniffing it curiously.

"Where did you get this from?" asked Argent. Artorias hesitated, trying to figure out how to explain the paranormal entity without seeming insane.

"An acquaintance gave them to me. Wish he'd given me more!" Artorias barked out a laugh. Giving the treat another sniff, Argent rolled his shoulders in a shrug and swallowed the morsel. Artorias was right; it was delicious! Argent gave a pleased hum while he chewed and swallowed. How silly he'd been for being suspicious of a snack! What ever went wrong from eating a snack?

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Tantalizing Treats

He did say they wouldn't cause YOU harm....

Though Argent is rightfully wary, he accepts the treat you offer him. Will he find the treats as delicious as you do? Who knows, but the way he begins to grin manically as the treat hits his tongue suggests he feels similarly. His teeth part in laughter, and you watch as the normally crisp white of his teeth dull before your eyes... perhaps you are seeing things? But no, they seem to fade as he chews and chews- how could such a small treat take so long to eat, you wonder?- until Argent's teeth gleam jet-black obsidian. Wow, his bite looks much stronger than you remember...

You gain:

• Boosted Argent!- Strong and spooky.