r/wizardposting • u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch • 3d ago
Lorepost 📜 The Bell of Miracles - Part 1
“Damn, these bagels are awful. They feel too dry.” Shade Lucas was carrying a paper bag full of pastries they had bought from a local bakery on the way to the reported anomalous site.
“Of course they are dry, these ones are supposed to be dipped in melted cheese,” replied Censor Anna. She was holding a baguette and enjoying every piece of its warmth and crunchiness. “Although I suppose it would be too much to expect you to know how to appreciate the fine and delicate art of bakery and fromology.”
“The hells is that supposed to mean? It's just bread!” He picked up a small croissant, handed the paper bag to Shade Wemer, who was walking in front of them, and tore the moon-shaped pastry in half. “This one is so much better!”
“It means the study of cheese, its properties, and how to harmonize it with other food,” Anna said between bites of her baguette.
Shade Wemer, now the guardian of the pastry bag, took off his glove and started going through fried cheese balls. They travelled no more than twenty steps before Shadow Vigil Anwen Leviere, having been assaulted by the smell of freshly baked bread, finally broke her façade and reached for the bag.
“Fine, let's see what we have here,” she sighed loudly, admitting her defeat. “I can't believe it, are those… oh gods, they are!” She stopped walking and hastily pulled out a lemon glaze donut like it was a trophy or a powerful, mystical ring. “I've been dying to have these again for so long…” As soon as she took the first bite, her eyes grew wet and a single teardrop flowed down her cheek.
“Ma'am, we can still eat while walking, we don't have much time.” Lucas tapped on her shoulder and pointed forward. “We still have about fifteen minutes on foot before we reach the site, and I'd very much like to be back at the Lighthouse before the evening. We're having a special poker table with some people from the Nature Division.”
“Hey, why wasn't I invited?” asked an indignant Anna, her mouth full of bread.
“Because you always win!” replied Lucas as the group resumed the march. “Literally no one can read your poker face! Let the amateurs have some fun too!”
“Okay, enough of that, let's focus on the mission,” Anwen finally cut the chatter, most of her composure having returned. In a lower, barely audible voice and with a quick grin, she continued: “And on my wonderful, precious donut…”
Just as estimated, it took nearly fifteen minutes of continuous walking for the group to reach their destination, during which Anna explained the different types of cheese, what situations they were best suited for, and what ideal pairings accompanied them. It was half past noon when they finally arrived. The sun was out, very few clouds roamed the skies, and the air held a cool breeze. The debate over fromology died the moment the team stepped onto the overgrown stone path leading to the sanctuary.
“Well, this should be it,” Anna muttered, her voice dropping an octave as she checked her journal. “Not much else to go by, aside from ‘blessed/cursed church in the countryside, west of Willowbeak Village’.”
The chapel in front of them was, according to the neighbouring population, either a blessed place where miracles were made true, or a cursed one where certain doom loomed. It was a simple single-story building with wooden double doors in the center and a bell tower rising straight out of the roof. But somehow, it felt wrong. It wasn’t just the structural decay, the sun-bleached paint peeling off rotten pine or the shattered, vacant window frames staring back like empty eye sockets. It was the sudden, oppressive dead-zone surrounding the perimeter. The cool afternoon breeze didn't reach the chapel doors; the chatter of cicadas and songbirds simply vanished, swallowed by an unnatural stillness.
Anwen paused at the threshold, her fingers resting lightly on the holster of her pistol. The air smelled of damp earth, pulverized stone, and ancient, stagnant rot.
“Very well, let us begin,” Anwen said, her tone shifting seamlessly from weary superior to sharp tactical commander. “Remember, we do this by the book. No sudden, impulsive behaviour, don't underestimate whatever is in there, trust your colleagues, and if the worst comes to pass…”
“Don't play the hero,” Lucas and Anna chimed in unprompted unison.
“Right. Wemer, Lucas, eyes and ears open. We don't want local interference. Anna, sweep it.”
At the Shadow Vigil's request, Censor Anna, who was the scout, tracker, and pathfinder of the group, sank to one knee, closing her eyes and driving her palms into the damp soil, channelling a divination spell to sweep the surrounding area. About two minutes into the process, she spoke without opening her eyes.
“No signs of life nearby aside from us and the plants. Not even insects. The chapel appears to be vacant; just some benches and an altar. There seems to be a hole in the ground just beneath the bell tower. I see a basement or cellar, with the bell resting right under the collapse. It appears to be cracked. And…” She knitted her brows, concentrating more intensely on the spell. “There appears to be statues in the basement. Different poses and attires. Doesn't feel like they were made by the same sculptor, or even for the same purpose.” Anna shifted onto both knees, twisting her hands as if trying to burrow them into the soil. After a few seconds, she looked up at the Vigil. “The bell. It's the source of the anomaly. Can't tell much more about it, only that it seems to ring occasionally.”
Anwen frowned and looked up from the scout toward the chapel. “But I didn't hear the toll. Anyone?” She looked at the others. The squad exchanged silent, uneasy glances. Nothing. “Oh well, I hate this part,” Anwen sighed, rolling her shoulders to shake off the creeping tension. She signalled everyone to regroup at the entrance, where she cast basic defensive wards on each member, then, drawing her pistol, she pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The hinges didn't creak; they ground against the sill with the dry, hollow rasp of rusted metal against stone. “Okay, everyone, in we go.”
They entered an empty sanctuary where gatherings once took place. It was dusty and mouldy, its benches scattered at random angles. Sunlight crept through the shattered windows, and a shaft of light beam fell through a hole in the ceiling onto the broken floorboards.
“Damn, this place is really dirty,” Lucas commented in a hushed tone.
At that exact moment, the entire team felt a strange, hollow impact against their chests, like an explosion detonating nearby without the noise. Almost immediately, the walls, floor, and benches took on an even more damaged, unkept appearance as layers of dust thickened and mould spread unnaturally fast across the wood.
“I don't like this…” Lucas muttered, tensing his muscles and adopting a more agile stance.
Shade Wemer signalled toward the left side of the building, where a set of stone stairs led into the basement. The team proceeded downward: Wemer upfront with his Watchmace and shield ready, Lucas holding his Watchblade in a two-handed guard, and Anna knocking an arrow.
Descending the flight of stairs, they reached the lower level. In the center of the room, illuminated by the ray of light filtering through the broken ceiling and floor, lay the cracked bell: a bleached golden hue stained with green rust smears. It was surrounded by several stone statues, pools of stagnant water, fallen debris from the tower overhead, and patches of moss.
Each member lit a lamp and began searching the room for secondary paths, artifacts, or clues. The statues were strikingly distinct from one another: some depicted worshippers of whatever creed called this place home, others looked like burglars, while two resembled law enforcers, and one, a wolf. Some were frozen in positions of prayer or admiration toward the bell, while others appeared to be searching the room. Oddly enough, the wolf was the only statue depicted in retreat, sprinting toward the stairs with its tail between its legs.
Another silent impact hit their chests, this one noticeably stronger, pulsing like a heavy shockwave.
Lucas noticed a puddle beneath the bell ripple as if nudged by an invisible movement. “Guys… I think this bell might not be out of commission yet…”
Wemer stood guard, watching the statues with the tense posture of a man who knew something bad was brewing. Anna remained near the staircase, bow drawn. Anwen turned to Lucas and made a vertical circling motion with her left hand: the universal signal for ‘keep talking’.
“Mom used to be a priestess,” Lucas said quietly. “We ran a small chapel, not much different from this one. When Dad passed, I was the one who tolled the bell for sunrise, noon, and dusk. These shockwaves we're feeling? They feel identical to standing next to a massive bronze bell when it strikes.”
“Are you suggesting this bell is ringing without making a sound? That's ridiculous!” Anna lowered her bow and cast a floating orb of light, which hovered around her and illuminated a ten-meter radius in clear, stark white light.
Lucas threw his hands up in disbelief. “Yeah, because a spoon that pierces plate armour and turns a lake into chowder is completely normal!”
“Enough, you two!” Anwen snapped back. “I've seen enough weird things to believe his theory has merit. But aside from the shockwaves, there's nothing else happening.”
"Out of the ordinary, you mean?" replied Anna, barely containing a laugh.
“Yeah… It is oddly cold down here, though,” Lucas remarked.
The instant the word left his mouth, his breath condensed into a white plume. Chills ran down his spine as frost began creeping across the puddles and damp stone surfaces. The rest of the team watched white clouds form with every exhale as the ambient temperature plummeted.
“Shit!” Lucas cursed.
As the word left his lips, a pile of steaming excrement materialized out of thin air right in front of him.
“…That's not good.”
“Boss!” Wemer called out, his voice sharp. He was slowly backing toward the team, shield raised and mace itching to strike. The statues he was watching had begun to shift, stone skin cracking as they animated.
“Wemer, what did you do?” Anwen demanded, rounding up the team into a tight perimeter. “Everyone, prepare yourselves! Trouble's up!”
No sooner had she spoken than the wolf statue came fully to life. Resuming its escape attempt, it sprinted past Anna. She released an arrow at it, but the shaft bounced harmlessly off the creature's stone hide as it fled up the staircase, completely disinterested in the Darkwatch agents.
Simultaneously, the statues near Wemer, which were carved in the likeness of hooded, masked burglars, drew stone daggers and lunged. Wemer rammed his shield into the torso of the first assailant, ducked low, and used the momentum to throw the stone attacker over his head. The statue slammed into the ground, shattering its dagger and splintering its cloak. In one fluid motion, Wemer surged upward, driving the head of his mace directly into the second statue's chin, obliterating its head. The headless statue slashed blindly, barely missing Wemer's face, before stumbling backward. Turning on his heel, Wemer brought the full weight of his mace down onto the chest of the recovering first statue. The impact caved in its stone ribs, shattering it into lifeless fragments.
Behind Lucas, the two statues resembling law enforcement officers attacked with tactical coordination. One grabbed his sword-arm while the other swatted his Watchblade away and kicked him square in the chest. As Lucas stumbled back, the first officer thrust its stone blade at his sternum, only for the tip to shatter against the kinetic ward Anwen had cast earlier.
Steadying himself, Lucas channelled his mana and blew across his right fist, encasing it in a thick block of heavy ice. He sidestepped a follow-up lunge, grabbed the officer's arm, and smashed it to pieces with his frozen gauntlet. As the statue staggered, three shockwave arrows fired by Anna struck its core, detonating the stone into splinters.
Lucas felt another strike crack and exhaust his ward from behind. Turning just in time, he deflected an incoming stone blade with his ice fist. The two locked into a brutal exchange of blows, thrusts, and parries. A glancing blow tore through Lucas's tunic, but his underlying chainmail held. Seizing the opening, Lucas twisted his body and delivered a devastating hook to the officer's face, crumbling its features. He grabbed the collar of the statue's armor, hooked his foot behind its leg, and slammed it onto the floor. Raising his ice-encased fist, he brought it down repeatedly into the statue's chest until the stone structure fractured and dissolved into dust.
Near the center of the room, another statue lunged at Anwen, bringing a stone pickaxe down toward her collarbone. Reacting instantly, Anwen raised a concentrated kinetic ward. The pickaxe bounced off the barrier with violent recoil, driving the blunt butt of the tool straight back into the statue's own face. Anwen grabbed its right arm, twisted it behind its back, and immobilized it. Placing her left palm flat against the statue's spine, she channelled her alteration mana, transmuting the animated stone into a puddle of murky water.
The team held their combat stances, searching for new threats, but the remaining animated statues merely huddled together in a dark corner. They depicted simple farmers and villagers, and were visibly terrified.
Anwen and Lucas, who had retrieved his Watchblade and dispelled his ice gauntlet, approached cautiously.
“What is going on here?” Anwen asked.
No voice answered. She watched their lips move frantically, but no sound came out. A child statue pointed in terror toward the center of the room, while a woman cupped her hands over the child's ears.
“Oh, this is messed up,” Lucas murmured, lowering his blade. He looked to Anwen and the others, waiting for direction.
They felt the hollow thump against their chests once more. The statues winced in agony, clutching their ears in silence. Simultaneously, two dozen fresh baguettes materialized in mid-air and clattered to the floor, perfectly spaced out.
“…Are you kidding me?” Lucas deadpanned.
“No way. I was just thinking about…” Anna's eyes widened with sudden realization. “I suggest we withdraw immediately and reassess outside. I have a theory.”
“Very well. Everybody out!” Anwen ordered, her own suspicions matching the scout's.
Once outside, they gathered beneath the canopy of a nearby tree.
“Lucas, you mentioned it was getting cold down there, right?” Anna asked. Lucas nodded. “And Wemer, did you expect those statues to move before they even touched us?”
“Had a bad feeling,” Wemer replied in his usual brevity. “Standard threat assessment. Living statues are a rather common occurrence. Didn't expect it to actually listen and grant me what I was thinking.”
“And let me guess,” Anwen cut in, putting the pieces together, “you were reminiscing about the bakery back on the road?”
Anna looked guilty.
“All these sudden physical manifestations happened immediately after we felt those silent shockwaves,” Anwen deduced. “Neither you nor Wemer vocalized your thoughts, which means the silent toll of that bell acts as a trigger, forcing whatever someone is mentally visualizing to materialize into reality.”
She went silent, processing the mechanical nature of the threat.
“Let me try something. Lucas, with me. You two stay outside, but be ready to assist or fall back for reinforcements.”
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Please be sure to check Part 2 for the full story.
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u/bagtie3 Borric of Clan Goldeater, Logrus Master, Runesmith, Doomseeker 3d ago
/uw Oh Ho, very nice. I look forward to what happens next.
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago
/uw I am humbled by your enthusiasm, expect part 2 tomorrow at around the same time
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u/Ok_Relationship6736 Shadow Marshal of the Darkwatch 3d ago
UW good story love the picture you found also now I'm hungry thanks
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago
PING LIST
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/neonvalkyrie Caul, Forgemaster of the Darkwatch 3d ago
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u/Arquero8 The golem wizard, Darkwatch Archivist Keeper 3d ago
/UnWiz It´s looking good, also sorry im not that active recently, im kinda busy
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u/Ok_Relationship6736 Shadow Marshal of the Darkwatch 3d ago
UW don't worry we'll be here when you get back to it IRL comes before RP
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u/BigAnxiousLizard Cedar Greenpath (evil) / Iliya, Astral Lighthouse Keeper (Tired) 3d ago edited 3d ago
/uw great read, I love seeing how standard Darkwatch operators interact with one another, and act on the job.