Theme: Keep Your Head Above the Mayhem
Sound in the cathedral returns to normal as Darvesch dismisses his spell and leaps over the channel of blood. Eyes wide and teeth clenched, Charelle's proxy points at Alis and shouts, "STOP HER!"
From behind, Lureene feels King Tut scamper up onto her and whimper nervously.
; Yarzoth, Mal, Shëakatri, Sasha, Priyya, Lureene, Alis, Spawn
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1064b)
With a clank of armor, Darvesch hurdles the stream of blood and jogs up behind Alis. As he approaches, he can see that Ieana is laying upon the ground seemingly unconscious.
, Mal, Shëakatri, Sasha, Priyya, Lureene, Alis, Spawn
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1065)
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Alis wheels about, rapier in hand, and charges Shëakatri with blinding speed shouting, "FINISH THEM," as she moves. With a single bound, she leaps up onto the dais bearing the altar, thrusting with uncanny precision for the vampiress' black heart.
Charelle's proxy just barely has time to stretch forth a hand, exerting all the power of her god-like deflection field to stop the charge that has left her on her heels. The clash causes a wave of distortion in the air, but with a scream of rage, you see something incredible. Alis' own deflection field responds, yet not in defense, but attack!
In a single move, she sheers thru the ancient vampiress' defenses and plunges her rapier deep into the undead beauty's heart!
fail
threat
yes
Figured the vamps would spring the betrayl first, but damn!
With a roar, Mal charges the altar and delivers a careful but vicious slash to Shëakatri's ribs sending a spray of dark blood across the dais.
Shëakatri attempts to slip backwards, away from the furious assault. She employs the same graceful maneuvers you have seen Alis use to evade injury countless times. She easily evades another slash from Mal, but Alis sees thru her attacks and once again wounds her, mithril rapier now smoking with vampire blood.
"FOOLS!" she shouts, "YARZOTH POSSESSES HER!"
With a curse in some ancient tongue, the proxy vanishes from sight.
fail
The tall brunette looks up at Darvesch, blue eyes full of fear. "Quickly, we must get the circlet from her hands without any of you touching it! The relic has no hold over my kind!"
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"Tch–" Alis turns, annoyance evident in her eyes, "Such preposterous lies! What sort of fools do you suppose we are, spawn of Charelle?"
Sense Motive Checks:
, Spawn, Darvesch, Alis, Mal, Shëakatri
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1065b)
"Uh–" Sasha blinks and looks about, "Sooo... who do I shoot? 'Lis, the vampy chick, the snake girl, ooor...?"
Alis sighs and points at the vampiress. "Ieana is unconscious, slay the vampiress before she recovers!"
Lureene is not sure what to make of this situation. Perhaps the Spawn was indeed telling the truth…certainly she has not ever seen Alis act like THAT before. Plus, she does not like the look in Alis’ eyes as she called for the slaying of Ieana, when she had earlier called for her capture.
She looks directly at Alis, and says, ”Drop the circlet…NOW!”
Alis raises and eyebrow and holds up the circlet. It is a delicate thing, seemingly made from a frosty, white crystal and a sort of translucent silvery metal that looks almost like water. At either side of where it would fit onto the forehead are two large, flat gems that look like green cats-eyes. The pattern in the stones seems to almost follow your gaze as the princess waves it in her hand.
"Tone aside," she looks at Lureene, "if I relinquish this devices, the vampiresses shall surely seek to steal it. Are you saying you trust them with such power more than myself?"
Lureene returns the look from Alis with her own stare, her eyes burning with an intensity the other lady has not seen before. "No, I do not trust ANYONE with such power, including you 'Lis. I remember the lesson of Skather all too well, as should you."
She grips her wand tightly. "This is your last warning...drop it NOW!"
Darvesch looks to Lureene, then Alis, "Look at both of you! We didn't get here by being paranoid of each other! Calm down, now!" His face getting red from the stress this whole temple has put him under, visibly angered by the whole situation. He looks to the remaining vampire "I do agree that nobody should be touching that thing. But, I'm not going to just hand it over to you. Just get that idea out of your head right now."
Priyya furrows her brow. She had not expected for any of them to be the first to break their deal with the vampires. Of course, it was nice to be on the offense for once, but something didn't feel right.
Tone? More like sibilance. Well, I suppose this is going to hurt...
On a hunch, Priyya leans up against the pillar beside her, trying to look relaxed while she attempt to see what Alíta's sight shows her. As she does so, Alis glances from Lureene to her, hand upraised as if to ask, 'Can you believe this?'
Bluff Checks
Sense Motive Checks:
Bluff Checks
Sense Motive Checks:
Alis glances back to Lureene from Priyya. "Thank you, Darvesch, at least someone sees reason. As yet I have not so much as donned this circlet, you realize."
Priyya squints and rubs her temples with her finger tips before looking away.
Yeah, she's lit-up like the full moon. Dammit Alis...
"We should hand over nothing, I agree. At any rate, you were injured by Yarzoth's aura when you disarmed her of the circlet. I should heal you, but I risk injuring our uneasy allies were I to channel Alíta's radiance."
She walks forward, towards the alter
Sense Motive Checks:
Bluff Checks
Sense Motive Checks:
Alis breathes a sigh of relief. "My thanks, Priyya."
As Priyya walks up onto the dais, the vampiress currently sitting in two-inches of blood in the center of the room looks at Darvesch incredulously. "Are you not going to DO something?!"
, (Spawn), Mal; Alis, Shëakatri, Priyya
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1065c)
Lureene looks at Alis intently...
Darvesch, concerned with the behaviour of his elven cousin, steps in the blood, and simply walks to her. As he approaches, he looks to Mal, "Protect Ieana, would you?" He drops his weapon and shield at Priyya's feet, "Protect these, just in case." When he get's to Alis, he presents his open backpack to her and simply says "We're done here. Put the circlet in my pack. You can trust me with it, you know this to be true."
"Oh, yes," Alis says demurely, "of course, sweet cousin."
She leans down to place the circlet in his pack, but you realize that something is wrong, she's preparing to cast a spell!
Perception OR SM Checks
fail
"Oh crap, she's faking it!"
Not needing Sasha to tell here anything that she can't see for herself, Lureene unleashes a volley of magic missiles, but they shatter harmlessly on an invisible field of power surrounding the princess — spell resistance!
Before Mal can even acknowledge Darvesch and start moving towards Ieana, he curses beneath his breath and tries to knock Alis out without hurting her. When his hand is whisked away almost as if flung aside, he mutters, "Sorry Alis," and dives forward, trying to tackle her. He narrowly avoids getting skewered by her rapier, but for all his effort, Alis merely hops over his arms as if he were moving in slow-motion.
"Guess we all need to work on our acting skills."
Priyya aims a careful, open-palm strike at Alis' side, hoping to collapse her lung without doing any permanent damage, however, it's like she's punching at thin air.
Damn, what is that thing doing to her?
<<<
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Ieana remains unconscious, oblivious to the sound of calamity from the altar.
The vampiress slowly stands up and hisses to Lureene. "You are a mage are you not?"
She points to Ieana's prone form. "Can you use any of that woman's items to aid the fight? She yet sleeps, her mind is open to me!"
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The goddess of the Sun casts a glance to her senior. "This hardly goes according to plan. You do realize that the soul crown having combined Yarzoth's abilities with Alis' may as well have made the elf girl invincible, correct?"
"The thought had occurred to me, yes."
"And you will do nothing about that?"
Lyria says calmly, "Patience, my dear, you of all Vala should know that there are protocols we must follow. Besides, I believe that she should be acting very soon now."
"You know her that well do you? Very well..."
The vampiress slowly stands up and hisses to Lureene. "You are a mage are you not?"
She points to Ieana's prone form. "Can you use any of that woman's items to aid the fight? She yet sleeps, her mind is open to me!"
Lureene sighs in frustration, "Of course I can, if I had the time to learn their functions...wait can you assist me with this?"
Darvesch simply prays to Kahn when he realizes the ruse, "What am I to do, Kahn. I know her unique capabilities make her a worthy opponent. But, I fear this artifact that has taken over her is amplifying those abilities to heights we may not be able to overcome. I have failed as her protector. Take my life, obliterate my soul, just protect my friends and family, make sure they're safe. This, I ask of you." When he finishes, he lifts his head and a single tear runs down his face.
Suddenly, Alis disappears from sight, her spell complete.
This slight girls is not the spellcaster that Ieana is, but her athletic ability and gifts from Charelle's dear sister mesh nicely with those of the soul crown. Time to bring Qingu's powers to bear, while ignoring that simpering invisible slut and her obsequious spawn...
Yarzoth/Alis raises her hand to channel Qingu's power. From a point in the center of the room, you hear Alis' voice call out harshly from beside Sasha and Lureene, "So it ends scaleless fools! See your lives ended by the kiss of Great Qingu!"
In the next moment, a burst of negative energy sweeps across the room, savaging you all... Alis included!
"What?! Why?"
Alis staggers in the stream of blood, and the tangible aura of power surrounding her seems to vanish, though she still clutches the circlet tightly in her left hand.
fail
fail
fail
fail
fail
fail
fail
, Priyya, Lureene, Darvesch, Sasha, (Spawn), Mal; Alis
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1066)
Sasha shakes her head. "What the hell just happened?"
Seeing Alis staggering before her she whispers, "Sorry, 'Lis," and decks her, once in the bread-basket, once across the face.
With that, Alis spins around and splashes into the blood on the floor unconscious, the circlet rolling from her hands...
Theme: The Final Decision We All Must Take
"Do not be concerned, my daughter," a silky voice says from near the red-head a moment before a dagger is thrust into her chest, "you can make your apologies in the afterlife!"
With a gasp, Sasha pulls away from Shëakatri, he face going pale from the sudden loss of blood. Even as she reels from the shock the vampiress tastes the blood on her dagger — a dagger that looks identical to the one tattooed on Sasha's back.
"Oh, except for one minor detail, that is... your soul belongs to me!"
yes
, Spawn, Mal; Sasha, Shëakatri
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1066b)
- unconscious
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-
-
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"Foolish Yarzoth, have have done everything I could have hoped for just like the good slave that you are."
As she speaks, an invisible force lifts up the bloody circlet. Shëakatri pulls off her headdress and allows it to fall into the blood revealing a cascade of dark, wine-colored hair that reaches nearly to the floor. As the unseen force places the Soul Crown upon her brow, she breathes deeply, as if savoring a sweet aroma.
"Did you really think Qingu had been reborn?" Scathing laughter fills the cathedral. Your flesh crawls with goosebumps as you realize you can hear the laughter within your very minds! "Such a fool. I slew your god and corrupted his offspring. It is I who has been answering your prayers, granting you spells! Oooh yeees, I can feel you trembling in anger, in disbelief!"
She looks down at Alis and shakes her head. "I should have preferred one of the elder sisters, but what sweet revenge upon dearest Lyria to claim her prodigal daughter as my new avatar! How gracious of you to send her to me..."
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With a groan, Ieana attempts to push herself up, eyes bleary from exhaustion. As she tries to move, she feels the odd sensation of too much flesh in contact with too broad an area, her body too massive. In surprise she looks down at her legs only to find a thick serpent's tail instead.
"Gods, NO!"
"Ah, your own recent host awaken," the vampiress purrs, "it seems she does not favor your... handiwork."
"No," Ieana answers icily, "No I most certainly don't. Yet I like you less, demoness!"
As she pushes herself back to an upright position, the brunette beside her prepares to make her pay for the act, but the proxy waves her off, chuckling with derision at the hapless mortal.
"Laugh at this!"
With a sudden gesture, a wave of force issues from Ieana's hand, narrowly missing the vampiress. However, her laughter is cut short when the blast impacts the altar instead, cracking its front surface and knocking the gold implements from its top. As Shëakatri's laughter turns into a snarl, Ieana shouts, "DESTROY THE ALTAR, CHARELLE NEEDS IT FOR THE RITUAL!"
An unseen force conveys a hidden wand to Lureene and she realizes that it must be the unseen servant that was holding her grimoire earlier. With a nod, Ieana says, "Strzałki kwasu."
hit
, Spawn, Mal; Sasha, Shëakatri, Ieana
Priyya looks from the scene in the center of the room to the altar and back again.
Need to keep them in the fight...
Raising her hand, she unleashes a burst of healing energy that washes halfway across the chamber. Beside her, the altar hisses as tiny cracks form on its edges.
Shëakatri flinches slightly at the sensation, but the blast scarcely affects her.
"Sorry to interrupt," Priyya says smartly, "but we were just getting started here."
, Spawn, Mal; Sasha, Shëakatri, Priyya
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1066c)
Darvesch quickly retrieves his axe. And starts toward the Altar.
Lureene grasps the wand provided by Ieana, and realizes acid should prove quite effective against the altar. She also notes the spawn is ready to unleash a world of hurt on their newfound ally Ieana.
Calling out in Auran, she orders the elemental to assist in the attacks against the Spawn, and then points the wand at the altar while activating it. She then steps next to Sasha, and laughs "Sheakatri, don't forget about ME now! We are a package deal!"
Darvesch stoops down to pick up his axe at the same time a stray acid arrow ricochets off his shield and flies between Priyya's legs, leaving a smoking hole in her robes. Even as Priyya raises an eyebrow, Mal and Darvesch share a telling look before all three glance over to see Lureene holding the offending wand, seemingly paying more attention to smarting off than to aiming.
Mal comments, "I'll be over there with the demigod... where it's nice and safe."
Gritting his teeth in determination, Darvesch picks up his weapon and shield and prepares to get cracking.
"EEE! AAAH!"
King Tut gives a cry of protest when the succubus steps up to confront Charelle's proxy. He hops off, jumps across the channel of the blood and anxiously tugs at her shoulder trying to wake her up before she drowns in the blood.
Alis sputters and groans as she wakes up. She rolls over, to find Shëakatri standing over her. Reacting on instinct more than thought, she lashes out, sloshing blood everywhere, as she wraps up Shëakatri's legs with her own in an attempt to restrain her.
, Mal; Sasha, Shëakatri, Priyya, Lureene, Darvesch, Alis
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1066d)
The look on Shëakatri's face belies her surprise at her intended host's tenacity. Behind Alis, the tall, brunette vampiress looks ready to assist her mistress, but Shëakatri shakes her head, the two evidently exchanging a non-verbal message.
As the proxy smiles, her spawn ducks away faster than either Ieana or Lureene's elemental can react. She moves to the doors and heaves them open admitting a flood of creatures composed of bones with glowing eyes. There are four tiny dolls, seemingly composed of black hair, children's bones, and twine. You also hear the soft scrape of bone on tile. A long, sinuous skeleton of a large snake, its head a humanoid skull with a snake's jaws reveals itself and slithers into the room after the dolls.
Even as the dolls run over to Lureene and Alis, following the vampiress' pointing finger, Talvyra growls low in her throat at the sinister serpentine skeleton. She pounces, clamping down on the thing with her jaws, but with no flesh to tear, her attack seems to have scarcely any effect at all.
Even so, the violent motion is enough to throw the skeletal thing's own bite off and its jaws clack harmlessly above the panther's back.
Hearing the scrape of the doors behind her, Lureene turns just in time to see four tiny dolls swarming towards her and Alis with tiny little knives glinting in their hands!
Alis twists her shoulders out of the way, evading the blade intended for her, but Lureene is not quite as fast. Three of them sink their little knives into Lureene's calves. Instantly, she feels the burning sensation of poison, but manages to kick the little bastards off her before it can make its way into her bloodstream.
miss!
hit
hit
no
Fort DC 14
*damn you Eric!*
no
, Shëakatri, Ieana, Priyya, Lureene, Darvesch, Alis, Spawn, Dolls, Snake
MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1066e)
"Great, more enemies," Mal mutters darkly.
With that, he rushes forward hoping to help Alis tackle Shëakatri. He is very nearly thrown to the ground by an invisible field of energy, yet he manages to right himself and his thick, powerful arms clamp around her torso seeking to hold her still.
Mouth by her ears, he growls, "You're not going anywhere!"