The Emperor's Ghost

Bella was used to being the one who sliced through opponents, leaving them gutted before they even knew what had hit them. But now the Graveknight deep within the Well of Demons had turned the tables on her. One combination of blows had left her bloody and reeling, and she had barely managed to scratch it. The heavily-armored undead warrior drew back its katana, and unleashed another furious series of attacks. Bella’s uncanny reflexes let her dodge first one slash, then another. But the tireless enemy just wouldn’t quit, and the rusty katana slashed through her belly. The pain was unbelievable, and she dropped her weapons and clutched her abdomen, trying to hold in her entrails. As he swept the blade through Bella’s body, he whipped the blade clean, slinging a mess of blood and gore directly into Marie’s face, sickening her.

Scouring the Devils

Things were looking grim for the band of adventurers who had crossed the world to try to place one of their own on the throne of an empire. They were deep beneath an island trapped between planes, surrounded by devils. Bella, usually a sure source of death and destruction, was paralyzed by an invisible assassin. Sawyer, with the ancestral sword Suishen, was stunned and helpless. And who had stunned him? Their very own Nicki, who had apparently turned on the party and thrown in with the devils who shared his bloodline. The only positive was that the former Empress Amatatsu Maemi, now the devil’s handmaiden, lay dead on the cavern floor.

A Marriage Contract

“Follow me, master.” The horned assassin, Shiori Heikkaki, turned to lead the party deeper into the caverns, taking them to her mistress, the Empress Amatatsu Maemi. The group had dodged a bullet when Nicki had Dominated the devilish creature after it had (temporarily) killed Shinjiro. But now everyone else was a bit uneasy seeing the deadly killer acting so subservient to Nicki. For his part, Nicki was feeling pretty pleased with himself.

The Shogun's Bargain

Deep within the Well of Demons, the party was fighting their way through a seemingly endless succession of the caverns’ namesake. The Hezrous’ stench had left Sandru retching in the corner, and Zhustin was staggering around the room, hopelessly sickened by the foul secretions that had rubbed off on him when one of the demons grabbed him. Sandoval, fearing he could do little damage against the thick-skinned creatures, cast Heroism on Bella, counting on the little rogue to do enough damage for the both of them. She didn’t disappoint; her adamantine short sword sliced deep into the flesh of the nearest Hezrou, leaving it howling with pain and rage.