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[Arcana]

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As soon as Black finished splinting and poulticing Arcana’s broken arm, she remounted her horse. Blood still seeped from the ragged gash on the back of her head, but it was knitting quickly thanks to her knight’s healing skill. She felt a wave of dizziness as she clambered into the saddle and she shook her head to clear it. All of her knights were dismounted and had been grievously wounded, and the small party that had managed to drag themselves to relative safety was gathered around her in this remote corner of Ilshnear. She wheeled her horse toward the dungeon entrance. Behind her, the battered party of knights hauled themselves back into the saddle, some of the horses dancing nervously at the agonized screams that echoed from the cave. The knights’ faces were grim and determined. It was time for some payback.

The fetid reek of death and blood assaulted them immediately, for this was the Dungeon of Blood and many had fallen prey to its perils this day, adding their seeping lifeblood to the vast, thick pools which covered the place. The party of knights grew in size as they advanced, healing fallen comrades and recovering their panicked horses. A pair of wayward adventurers who had despaired of ever escaping this earthly hell took comfort in the sight of the regrouped knights and joined their advance.

Imps, daemons, and blood elementals fell to their wrath, but their true goal, vanquishing one particular fiend, as yet eluded them: a succubus, like no other Arcana had faced before. The knights reached the fell spot where their line had been shattered and routed by the paragon she-fiend. Arcana dismounted and rummaged through the pile of hastily abandoned gear for her arrows. Her quivers were gone. She scowled and had to content herself with a handful of bloodied arrows yanked from a dead hellcat before climbing back onto her mount. Several of the other knights were also missing important equipment.

They were about to resume their search for the succubus, when they heard a particularly blood curdling-scream from just around the corner. The party of knights galloped down the corridor and were greeted by the sight of the paragon succubus gleefully disemboweling some unfortunate adventurer. The she-fiend turned at their approach and regarded the knights with a malevolent smile. Blood dripped from her fanged mouth and clawed fingers, and bits of flesh and gore were spattered across her batlike wings. Her naked flesh was an unearthly pale shade, and her glowing red eyes radiated hatred for the knights that dared challenge her again. The looted possessions of her victims were the only garments she wore, and her exaggerated female form was near-covered by stolen weaponry, bandages, pouches of gold and gems, reagent bags, potions sacks… and Arcana’s three quivers of arrows. The succubus gave Arcana a particularly malice-filled smile and began insolently picking pieces of adventurer from her fangs with an arrow.

“That horrid wench!” Arcana exclaimed in venomous fury, counting at least five of her possessions hanging from the succubus. Without waiting for the order, the most heavily armored knights quickly rode to the fore, taking up position for the attack as they had been trained. The party of knights was already putting spurs to their horses as their lady shouted the command. “Charge! For honor!”

The battle was joined again.