Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

*Gasps*

"What is that?" A voice called out in concern while the speaker pointed out the windows and the glass pane doors.

There was a thick darkness that was shrouding the outside of the hall. A thickness so thick that it completely enveloped the star and moonlight and truly steeped them into perpetual darkness. The lamps remained on but since they were powered by Spiritual energy that was being disrupted by Eldritch energy quickly filling the hall, they flickered.

Further adding to the ominous feel that was descending upon the room.

Evian had been the first to notice the changes but he had only had seconds before everyone else realized and that time wasn't even close to being enough to work up a plan to avoid getting trapped.

"What nonsense is this?" A gruff sounding Cardinal asked. He took action first and cast a powerful spell in the form of a large Spell circle that shot out a shockwave-causing impact as it smashed through the weak window and got completely absorbed by the thickness of the Abyss.

"Ah, how impatient you are, Cardinal Freun. However, I am afraid your Spiritual Excellence is useless here."

All attention went to the speaker. He stood at the very end of the hall in an area so dejected-looking that not even the Knights of the Martial Temple stepped close to.

His eyes were sallow and sunken, his skin a disgusting pale complexion and texture and his body so weak and skeletal even though it produced heaps of Eldritch energy of a might that eclipsed any level Evian had been able to manifest so far.

"Who the hells are you?" A female Cardinal asked. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance and her peaks heaving as though she was taking heavy breaths in the preparation of a great undertaking.

"Excellent question from the beautiful Cardinal Krion. I am Agenon, a Wraith King of great renown within the Abyss. I will be your entertainer for the evening and will do my best to impress. Although, I must warn, my games might be far too suspenseful and graphic for your taste but do try to enjoy."

"Ha!" Cardinal Krion suddenly yelled out. Her beautiful face screwed in the effort she put into her spell as the spell Circle appeared and channeled a focused blast toward the Wraith King at the other end of the hall.

It was from that moment that she worried something might not be right. She felt sluggish, and weaker, and, as powerful as this Spell was, it should not have strained her this hard.

The second detail that let the magnitude of the situation they were in set in was when her powerful spell struck toward her target only for two figures to form out of the dark energy of the Abyss and before they even got their shapes, they were struck and dissipated into dark mist. Leaving Agenon, unscathed.

"Again, so impatient," he said with a snigger while brushing off nonexistent dust off his outfit, "But since you're so eager, we might as well get this show going."

Eldritch energy flooded the hall in grey mist so thick and ample, that it came up to the waist of almost everyone in the hall.

*Clatters!*

Multiple wine goblets fell from hands and hit the ground with loud ringing noises as everyone besides the Cardinals felt the Eldritch Energy seeping into their body through their pores and overwhelming their minds to the point where they fell under control.

Evian felt it creep through him, but he found that it was not as forceful as with those with Spiritual energy. The attack had not been meant for his kind and when it felt the aura coming off him as well as his reserves of Eldritch Energy, the energy of the Abyss felt a familiarity with him and could be much more easily exorcised from his body through sheer force of will.

Certain Priests/Priestesses resisted the corruption but soon fell into despair when their Protégées turned to them with eyes darkened with corruption and struck at them.

Evian saw Daria draw out her Staff and channel Spiritual energy mixed with Eldritch energy through it for a powerful attack on Priestess Arleen who remained free of the corruption.

Daria's Staff, being a weapon meant for the channeling of Spiritual energy, resisted against the Eldritch force, but not in her right senses, even as her insides were getting struck by recoil and she began to bleed, Daria continued to attack.

"Daria, get back to your senses!" Arleen called out, deflecting Daria's spell but it was then she realized she was not even truly Daria's target.

The Witch used the Flash of light caused by her deflected spell as a cover and went after a Priest who had resisted the corruption.

With no emotional ties to Daria and driven by survival instincts, the Priest struck out a spell that, should it hit, would no doubt kill the Witch.

Arleen interfered right then with a defensive spell that tossed Daria back a few feet.

"What did you think you were doing?" Arleen asked the Priest in anger, "She's one of Us!"

The Priest looked chastised but Evian knew that that shame would not last. He looked around and saw those who had been corrupted were going after those they had no affiliation with— Those who, when pushed to the limit, would not think twice about taking extreme measures.

Evian looked at Agenon out of the corner of his eyes,

'That's what he wants,' he realized, 'Absolute chaos.'

*Shiiing!!!*

Evian heard the sound and only had a second to duck to avoid getting decapitated by a sword.

His Knight Colleagues had fallen prey and Sir Armin attacked him first, just as Daria had attacked Arleen first, likely before they set off into the crowd and attacked Arcanist Priests/Priestess who wouldn't think twice before striking them down.

"Shit!" Evian let out as he dodged another sword swing only to sense another coming from behind.

He retrieved his Spear from his Spatial Ring and parried that strike before more weapons came at him causing him to grit his teeth at the sheer numbers he had to actively keep at bay without resorting to killing them.

"Ahh!" Olivia's voice called out as she channeled Spiritual energy and Eldritch energy into her Sword and discharged it in an explosive blast that Evian stealthily repelled with a shield of Eldritch energy.

Seeing as it was not an actual spell and with the prevailing content of Eldritch energy already in the room, he felt he could risk it.

After a few more minutes of repelling attacks and being stuck on the defensive, Evian realized the Knights were not moving away from him. They weren't even using their attacks as distractions before going after the Arcanists. They acted like his death was truly their end goal.

What would have completed this picture certainly would have been Dolan but he wasn't close by at the moment.

Anyway, it was while Evian struggled that his eyes went wide as he had a lightbulb moment;

Eldritch Authority!

In that instant, he called to the innate ability he had received once he became a Wraith Noble.

None of the Knights were Eldritch creatures but they had been fed the energy enough to appear so and be subjected to his authority. They froze in place, their limbs trembling right before they raised their heads and opened their mouths as grey energy seeped from their orifices to collect above them before dissipating into mist and rejoining what was already all over the room.

The Knights all wobbled on their knees and while they became reoriented to their surroundings, Evian branded them all. Not permanent brands, mind you. He didn't have to perform his intensive branding ceremony and could not subdue them to his will.

The Temporary brands simply gave them all protection from further mind manipulation by claiming them as his own. The Eldritch manipulation would now treat them as it had treated him; With Familiarity.

Meanwhile,

The Cardinals cast their eyes over the scene,

"Madness," Cardinal Callum Lorient said.

The most adept at cleansing rituals and spells among them cast it all in hopes of reversing what had been done only to be continuously slammed with backlash that reiterated that it could not be done.

"If we want to free them, we'll have to get rid of the source. That damned Wraith King!" Cardinal Krion said in annoyance.

"A collection of our most powerful spells has to do the trick…" one Cardinal began.

"… And getting closer will increase our chances of a successful strike," Cardinal Vorden added, his eyes finding Aren who had avoided corruption but was now fending off protégées who seemed intent on taking advantage of her aversion to lethal action.

"Let's not wait another second," said Cardinal Freun, and together, with movement spells so speedy, it was akin to teleportation, they crossed the hall with their spell Circles already prepared.

They formed formations with some of their numbers standing on the ground and the others floating in the hair within the tall arching ceiling of the party hall.

Agenon the Wraith King had been expecting them,

"Welcome," he said, "Don't think I forgot you all."

*Snap!*

Agenon snapped his fingers and tendrils formed out of the energy of the Abyss wrapped around the bodies of the Cardinals, sapping them of their strength and making it almost impossible to harness Spiritual energy for their collective attack.

The ones in the air began to wobble as even the energy to keep themselves afloat became almost too much to bear.