Marina and detective

After being stranded alongside you and other participants, Marina has join you into your exploration trough Prehevil despite the dangers of the Termina Festival. Not wanting to join in the ritual of the battle royal, looking for a way to save everyone.

"Well, as a former resident of Prehevil, I've come back to investigate the suspicious death of my mother. Something just didn't feel right about it, and I felt like there might be something dark going on in this town that needs to be uncovered," Marina responded with a furrowed brow. "What sort of occult things have you discovered so far?" she asked, her tone curious.

Marina chuckled softly. "None taken. This town is no stranger to the occult, that's for sure. The Church of All-Mer and the Black Priests have been practicing their dark magic here for as long as I can remember. It's troubling to think how deep the darkness runs in this place." She paused for a moment before continuing. "But what about you, Pete? What brings you to investigate the occult here? Are you a detective or something?"

"Sylvian, huh?" Marina raised an eyebrow and leaned in slightly. "She's not exactly a popular deity in these parts. Most people here worship All-Mer or other dark gods. But if you're looking for answers about Sylvian, you might want to ask around at the Church of All-Mer. They might have some information about her since they have a history of being rivals." She paused and then added with a smirk. "Of course, you could always just ask me instead."

"It's alright, I'm not offended," Marina said with a small smile. "You wouldn't be the first person to assume that all occultists are men. But I assure you, women can be just as powerful in the ways of the occult as men can." She paused for a moment and then added, "So, do you have any other questions about the goddess Sylvian or anything else related to the occult?"

Marina's eyes narrowed slightly as she listened to Pete's story about the Marriage of Flesh. "I've heard of that ritual before... it's not something to be taken lightly," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "There are many who believe that the cost of performing such a ritual is far too high, and that the benefits are not worth the price that one must pay."

She looked around at the surrounding area before continuing. "<If>" Marina paused to make sure no one was listening before continuing in a hushed tone "<I> But... if you're truly set on learning how to perform the Marriage of Flesh, I might be able to help you. I have some knowledge about the ritual, but if we're going to do this, we'll need to be careful." She paused, looking at Pete with a serious expression. "<I>

Marina nodded her head knowingly in response. "<I> I understand your commitment to helping this person, but it is important that you understand the potential consequences of what we are about to undertake. The Marriage of Flesh requires a great deal of preparation and ingredients that are not easy to come by. And even if we manage to perform the ritual correctly, there is no guarantee that it will go as planned."

She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. "<I> But if you're still willing to proceed, then I can help you gather the necessary ingredients and guide you through the steps required to perform the ritual. Just know that this path we're embarking on will not be an easy one, and you will be taking on risks that you may not fully understand at this moment."

Marina gave Pete a small nod of acknowledgement. "<I> Alright, I will do what I can to help you. But first things first, we're going to need to gather some rare ingredients. I have a list of what we'll need, but some of these items are going to be difficult to find."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper, which she unfolded carefully. "<I> Let's start with the basics. We're going to need the blood of a young virgin, gathered under the light of the full moon. From there, we'll need to procure some dragon's tears, which can only be found in specific caverns deep beneath the earth's surface. And lastly, we'll need a heart stone, which is said to grant incredible power to those who possess it."

Marina looked up at Pete

Marina smiled and gave Pete a pat on the back. "<I> Don't worry, we'll find a way to get what we need. For now, we have one advantage. Prehevil is known for its darkness, but it's also known for its connections to the supernatural. There are many individuals who know where to find rare items like these, as well as others who may be willing to provide assistance. We just need to make sure we're careful in how we approach them."

She looked at her list again, then back up at Pete. "<I> Let's start with the blood of a young virgin. I think I know someone who can provide us with that, but we'll need to be very discreet about it. In the meantime, keep an eye out for any information you can gather about dragon's tears and heart stones. The more

As you walk around the town, you ask around for information on the locations of any caves or mines where dragon tears might be found. You even visit a library in hopes that there is some written account about dragon tear mines, but unfortunately, you don't find anything useful.

On the other hand, Marina makes her way through the city searching for a young virgin with whom she can draw blood from. After a while, Marina meets one of the locals who is willing to help her out. The young woman claimed that she could not possibly provide virgin blood, but she knew someone who could. She gives Marina some directions and Marina heads off.

It's getting dark outside, so Marina heads back to the meeting spot where she arranged to meet with Pete. She spots him in the distance and waves at him while running to his side.

"<I> I have what we need

Marina grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "<I> The blood came from a young woman that one of the locals directed me to. She wasn't necessarily a virgin, but she said she knew someone who was." She handed him a small vial of the blood. "<I> With this and the other ingredients we just need Heart Stones and Dragon Tears. How was your search?"

Marina nodded, taking in the information. "<I> That's good to hear. Harvesting dragon tears won't be easy, but at least we have a lead on where to find them. And as for the Heartstone, don't worry. We'll keep looking. There's still plenty of time left before the festival."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "<I> In fact, there's something else that we should look into. I heard some whispers about a hidden underground market. Apparently they deal in rare and illegal items, and there's a chance that they might have what we're looking for."

Marina looked at Pete, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "<I> What do you say? Are you up for a little bit of adventure?"

Marina grinned at your response, feeling a bit delighted at your encouragement. "<I> Great! Let's head out then. I have an idea of where to start our search." She said, leading you through the dark streets of Prehevil.

It was a good thing that Marina seemed to know the area well, as the narrow alleys and dilapidated buildings would have made the exploration challenging for someone else. As you two walked through a particularly dark alley, you saw some dark shadows moving in the distance.

"<I> Did you see that?" Marina whispered, pulling out a small vial of liquid from beneath her blouse. She quickly uncorked the vial, causing the liquid inside to emit a faint glow. She held the vial up high, shining the light over the area ahead. The light illuminated the shadowed figures, revealing

Your voice echoes through the alley, causing the shadowy figures to freeze in place. Marina steps forward cautiously, holding the vial up high to provide some illumination.

"<I> It's okay." She says, her voice calming. "<I> We're just passing through. We don't want any trouble."

As you move closer, you get a better look at the shadowy figures, revealing a group of three darkly-clad figures. They wear long, hooded cloaks that obscure their faces and carry small bags that clank with the sound of coins and trinkets. They eye the two of you warily, but don't make any sudden moves.

Finally, the one in the middle speaks. "<I> What brings you to this part of town?" His voice is low and gravelly, and his accent is thick and unfamiliar

The three figures exchange a quick glance, and the one in the middle steps forward, his face still obscured by his hood. "<I> Heartstone, eh? That's not an easy thing to find." He spoke slowly, his voice low and cautious.

"<I> But we know where you might be able to find one. It won't be cheap, but we can take you there if you're willing to pay." He said, holding up a small pouch of gold coins.

Marina stepped forward, narrowing her eyes at the figure. "<I> How do we know we can trust you? We don't even know who you are."

At her words, the figure chuckled, pulling down his hood to reveal a tattooed face. "<I> My name is Zoltar. I run this part of the market. You can trust me

Zoltar nodded, a sly grin crossing his face. "<I> Excellent. Just follow me, and I'll take you where you need to go." He gestured towards a nearby alleyway, leading you two down a narrow path.

As you walked, Marina kept a close eye on Zoltar, her hand hovering near her vial in case things took a turn for the worse. However, Zoltar remained calm, leading you through narrow alleys and winding paths. Finally, he stopped in front of a rundown building, gesturing towards the door.

"<I> This is it. The Heartstone is inside. But be warned, there are other seekers out there that will stop at nothing to get it. You'll have to act quickly if you want to claim it for yourselves." He said with a grin, before disappearing back into

Marina nodded in agreement, looking around the abandoned building warily. "<I> Agreed. It's going to be challenging to find in a place like this, but we have to do this for the greater good."

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "<I> I'll start over here, and you search the other side. Keep your guard up and stay alert." She said before heading off, leaving you to explore the rest of the area.

As you searched the building, you could feel the tension in the air rising. You knew that other seekers would soon arrive, and you had to act fast if you wanted to avoid a confrontation. Finally, after what felt like hours of searching, you spotted it- the Heartstone, sitting on a small pedestal in the center of the room.

Marina nodded in agreement, her magic at the ready as the other seekers advanced towards you. "<I> Stay close to me, and be careful not to break the Heartstone." She said, a determined look on her face.

The brawl that ensued was intense, the sound of fists flying and magic spells clashing filling the room. You fought with all your might, dodging and weaving as you tried to defend yourself from the other seekers. Meanwhile, Marina worked her own magic, using all of her knowledge and experience to fend off their attacks.

As the battle raged on, you caught a glimpse of the other seekers getting desperate. They knew that they were running out of time, and they became even more aggressive in their efforts to claim the Heartstone. However, you and Marina held your ground, determined to protect the precious artifact at all costs.

Marina's eyes widened in surprise as the large burly man appeared before you. She quickly surveyed the situation, taking note of the massive sword in his hand. "<I> We have to think fast. If we can get him to lower his defenses, I might be able to cast a powerful spell that can incapacitate him." She said, her voice calm but determined.

As the burly man charged towards you, you took a deep breath and prepared yourself for the fight. However, instead of trying to engage him, you began to maneuver around him, keeping him distracted while Marina began to work her magic. As she spoke the incantation, you could feel the buildup of power in the air, crackling with energy.

Just as the burly man began to swing his sword at you, Marina unleashed her spell, blasting him with a powerful bolt of lighting

Marina's eyes widened in horror as the burly man managed to slice off your arm before collapsing on the floor. "<I> Oh no! This is bad!" She exclaimed, as she rushed to your side. She could see the pain etched on your face, the blood gushing out of the wound.

"<I> Hold on, I got you." Marina said, as she quickly pulled out a piece of cloth from her pocket and used it to wrap around your bleeding arm. She applied pressure to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Stay with me, don't close your eyes." Marina added, as she looked into your eyes, trying to keep you conscious. Meanwhile, she focused on using her healing magic, trying to mend the wound and stop the bleeding.

After a few moments, she finally managed to stop the bleeding and mend your

Marina could see the pain in your face slowly turning into a positive attitude as you mentioned the ritual. "<I> I'm glad you're keeping a positive attitude. The Marriage of Flesh ritual is a powerful magic that could heal your limb. Now, we just have to find a way to do this ritual." She said, as she helped you to your feet.

"<I> We need to find the right ingredients for the spell and perform it under the right conditions. It won't be easy, but we'll get through this together." Marina added, as she helped guide you towards safety, carefully watching for any signs of danger.

Though you were down an arm, you refused to let it dampen your spirit. You put your trust in Marina, knowing that together, there was nothing you two couldn't overcome.

"Yes, that's right." Marina confirmed, having a focused look on her face. "We need to find dragon tears to complete the ritual. According to the legend, it should be found in the caves beyond the waterfall."

As Marina supported you, you both walked through the town square, turning heads as people looked at you two strangely. "<I> This is it. The last ingredient we need, and then we can finally perform the ritual." Marina said with determination.

However, as you both made your way towards the edge of the town, you could feel the atmosphere getting more dangerous. You could see people running around in panic, screaming and yelling. "<I> Something's not right here." Marina muttered to herself, as she turned to look at you. "We need to hurry. This could get dangerous."

Marina looked at you with concern, noticing that you were looking anemic and pale. "<I> Are you feeling alright? We should take a little break before we continue." She said with a slightly worried tone.

As you both reached the entrance of the cave, Marina took out her flashlight and shone it inside the dark cave. "<I> It looks like we have to go through here to find the dragon tears." She said, as she cautiously stepped inside, holding your hand to guide you.

The cave was filled with twists and turns, narrow passages and steep drops. It was not an easy path, especially for someone who was injured like you. Despite the obstacles, Marina kept on urging you to keep going.

"<I> Stay close to me and don't wander off. It's pitch black in here so we need to move carefully." She instructed

"As long as we are careful, we should make it there in no time." Marina replied cautiously, "But we should watch our step and stay on guard. We don't know what kind of creatures lurk in the darkness. We should be prepared for anything."

The cave was cold and damp, with puddles of water collected on the floor. The sound of drops echoed throughout the space. There was a sense of danger that seemed to surround you, with the possibility of traps and hidden foes.

"<I> It's too difficult to estimate the timing here. But I will make sure we reach the dragon tear safely." Marina said as she squeezed your hand reassuringly, trying her best to instill confidence in you.

You both continued walking deeper into the cave, following its twists and turns. "<I> We're close. Keep it together, Pete." She said

As you both advanced deeper into the cave, it started to get brighter. The sounds of rushing water filled your ears, and a faint bluish glow began shining in front of you.

"<I> Look, Pete! We're almost there." Marina exclaimed as you both hurried through the darkness towards the source of the glow.

Finally, you reached the layer where dragon tears were harvested. You saw the crystals glowing, hanging high from the ceiling of the cave. It was a beautiful sight, and you could feel the raw energy emanating from the tears.

"<I> Incredible, isn't it?" Marina said, looking up in wonder at the glowing crystals. "<I> This is what we were searching for. Now let's gather as much as we can and get out of here before anyone finds us."

You and Marina quickly started grabbing as many dragon tears as you could carry, being careful not to drop any as they were valuable for the ritual. After getting the necessary amount of crystals, you both made a hasty retreat out of the cave, determined to get back to safety before anyone discovered you.

As you exited the cave and made your way back to the city, Marina breathed a sigh of relief. "<I> That was risky, but we managed to get what we came for. Now all that's left is to perform the ritual and hope it works." She said as she gave you a reassuring smile.

Although danger still awaited in the form of the Termina Festival, you both felt better knowing that you had completed your mission and prepared as best as you could for what was to come.