The poison courses through Marco's veins making him feel sluggish.
Marco & Khalid GO!
Then Bannock & Derrick
Marco disengages, moving 60 feet away from the combat.
Khalid produces rays of flame from his hand, three to be exact!
Inspector Attack Dunstan! Inspector Attack Marco Attack #1 . Damage Attack #2 . Damage .
Two stray above the combatants but one connects on the shoulder of the Inspector.
Seemingly ignoring the pain, the Inspector drives in hard at Dunstan scoring two solid hits. Whatever poison ailed Macro seems to have been dispersed with him as Dunstan suffers no further ill effects.
Turning from the constable, Derrick unleashes a flurry of martial techniques on the Inspector, striking swiftly with fists and feet. "Keep him alive so we can use the manacles!"
"Bannock, we have to test him. The Divinity frowns on murdering a man guilty of only doing his job."
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Bannock shouts back. "He HAS been tested! The power of Hold ONLY works upon those with any trace of Man within them! That it was repelled from him like water from a duck means he is a doppelganger of the filthiest sort! Methinks we shall see his true form when life at last slips from his wretched grasp!"
Derrick's initial kick contact the Inspector but the other two deflect off of some sort of energy field about the Inspector. Indeed that same field deflects both Bannock's spell and the spiritual weapon he summons are likewise nulled.
Constable Crier shouts out, "You are surrounded villain, yield!"
The Insepector laughs cruelly, "You are simply lambs heading for the slaughter", he hisses spinning with his blade surrounded on all sides now by foes.
Khalid unleashes yet more magical firepower at the Inspector in the form of Magic Missiles!
Dunstan attacks at the same moment growling, "Mercy! He and his kind killed Kensington, he'll transform to his true self when we slay him!" Dunstan surges striking twice at the Inspector.
Boxed in the Inspector cannot sidestep the wrathful blows of Dunstan!
Still even with the might of Dunstan and the magic of Khalid, the Inspector does not fall!
Crier holds back, his sword still pointed at the Constable on the floor who is still awake to ensure e doe snot again get up and join the fray.
Marco wades in to attack the Inspector again, wielding two weapons.
How about another taste of your own weapon!
Marco's attacks are deflected by the Inspector's armor, outnumbered and surrounded, the Inspector splits attacks between foes. Swinging at both Dunstan and Marco wildly.
Unfortunately for the Inspector, neither one hits home.
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Bannock calls out to the origin of the Divinity, to he who brought forth the spark and ignited the flame. To him that showed what it meant to be Man. To him all actions originate, and all power gives heed.
Unto this matrix, Bannock focuses on his three companions, loyal warriors all who require maximum guidance to strike down this elusive agent of Chaos.
Derrick continues to unleash fast strikes at the Inspector, still aiming to incapacitate, not kill outright.
Perhaps it is the blessing of the Divinity, perhaps not, either way Derrick's last kick connects with the Inspector's temple, knocking him out cold!
Marco moves in quickly to search the Inspector.
Apply the cuffs, Bannock. Let's see what we have.
Derrick breathes deeply, centering himself after his final roundhouse caught the Inspector high on the head. He only nods to the others, waiting eagerly to see with his eyes what his heart and mind have all but confirmed already.
Zoot looks around and says I am not where I am suppose to be. He listens to the sounds and seeing the man pop up. He decides to play naive and keeping his spell in his mind.
Greetings my good man. Do you know where you are at?
"In Paridon, a terrible place with a terrible secret, help me, help me find my friends they are in terrible danger..." He hobbles towards you clearly terrified.
As Bannock locks the manacles in place the form of the Inspector melts away leaving the androgynous body of the shapeshifter behind and unconscious. The shifter still wears the armor on his body unlike those form the night before.
Koth and Mariel scream out in terror at what they witness as they stand up from where they were cowering behind the bar.
At the same time the last waking Constable's fear seems to melt away, "I'm Nayth, Constable.. make that Acting Inspector Nayth. Now, remove those manacles and place them on my sleeping companions, let us make sure they are what they appear to be... I am sorry I doubted you all."
Crier exclaims, "By the Divinity I am seeing it but I don't believe it..."
Marco strips the Inspector of his armor, weapon and equipment. He begins to examine it all closely as the manacles are applied to the others.
Derrick unclasps the manacles from the Inspector's true form, and turns to Bannock. "Would you care to do the honor of ending this foul blight upon our city?" With that, the monk moves to use the manacles on the other constables--starting with Nayth. "Forgive me, but you'll understand my suspicion and hesitation. We did just discover that a man we thought was a steadfast ally proved to be a monster."
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Bannock grins, accepting the job well done. He responds to Derrick. "We went through all the trouble to take him alive. And I said I would see him put to the Question! I shall deliver him to High Priest Kellen. The Divinity will be able to wrest from him his secrets: How he got here. Where he came from. If there are more wretched Xenos like him crawling around in the sewers.
Oh, he shall be most talkative, I wager."
After the former Inspector is stripped--bare--Bannock binds him securely, hand-to-foot, neck-to-knees.
"Anyone care to help me carry him back to the Father Kellen?"
Acting Inspector Nayth allows the manacles to be clasped on his wrists with no effect, he is human. As are the two unconscious Constables.
Crier looks to Bannock, "He is a criminal and should really be taken into custody by the Constabulary, he was impersonating one of our own".
Nayth seems a bit bewildered, "Does the Inspector being some sort of monster have any connection to the murders? For three nights women have been slain, will there be a fourth tonight or have you now put a stop to that?"
Koth and Mariel are on their knees behind the bar praying to the Divinity of Mankind to deliver them from evil.
In the meantime, Khalid approaches Marco and casts a spell. His eyes go wide, "The armor and the ring both read strong in abjuration magic. Who are these villains that they wield so much potent magic?"
"Bannock, perhaps we should take it to the Constabulary, and invite the elders of the Divinity to make their presence known and available during the interrogation and proceedings."
Marco gathers up the armor and pockets the ring.
Khalid, we should be providin' these items among us. With more time, might ya be able t'know what they do?.
"With more time, yes I can".
Again, there's no weapon looks like it coulda' made the bite marks on the dead molly's neck, eh?
You walk through the streets alongside Crier, Nayth and his two men, Grimmolt and Kirk. The Inspector is covered by a cloak due to Nayth's insistence that the people not be panicked by parading a "monster" through the streets.
Upon arrival two other Constables greet you shocked to hear the story of what took place.
The Inspector is locked in a back cell with the two unconscious Constables form the pub watching over his cell for when he wakes up.
Crier sighs, "Who should go to the Temple to request the presence of the high ranking Divinity members?"
The two Constables on duty, Freise and Payit address the group, "We are down three men who never reported in last night or this morning". "We just don't have enough Constables to patrol the streets and guard this station tonight, not without asking for backup from another station and that ain't exactly easy to get. So are these murders solved or what?"
"We can't be certain that the murders are finished, but we can be sure we've caught a foul monster, and we must make sure it remains captured." Derrick frowns and looks at the body, and suppresses another shudder. "It's more important to guard this station and keep it in custody, at least for now. We don't need it escaping into the night to wreak more havoc. Bannock and I can go to the Temple, seeing as we're followers and directly involved both here and with the Divinity. Marco, Khalid--can you stay here to help keep an eye on things? If they remain on watch, you could leave a constable or two to patrol."
Aye, got nowheres else to be.
Khalid nods. "Certainly. Be careful out there. I imagine, the more of these things that we catch, the more attention will be drawn to our group. If they've been impersonating inspectors, who know what other city officials are secretly doppelgangers."
Zoot looks at the man and says What makes this place worth a secret? He looks at the man wonders how he got hurt. He would normally move along but he is stuck here.
So tell me how I can help you? He says to man.
Wyatt shakes his head, "It is a secret I wish I did not know but that I dare not keep secret. Come with me, I've no weapon or armor left to me now I do not know you and must rely on you for you've strange garb. I would wager that you have come through the Mists to be here yes? In this case, I can trust you more than those from my own city! Come along with me, for not only do I know the secret but I have been offered a way out of this prison"...
Bannock and Derrick head out of the Station towards the Temple of the Divinity. The sun is beginning to set and with it, the number of people on the street begins to dwindle, indeed, it is clear even in this rough and tumble district fear runs rampant.
As you make your way through Blackchapel a familiar figure catches your eye...
There is no doubt in your mind it is Wyatt, or, something that appears to be Wyatt. The normally well dressed Bard looks haggard, his shirt is open revealing his chest beneath. His armor apears to be gone as is his weapon, and the backpack he carried with him.
Standing near him and walking alongside him is a Gnome dressed in strange garb, similar to that of Korgan and Gavin, both of whom vanished as mysteriously as they appeared!
As you wait in the station with Constable Crier, Acting Inspector Nayth and the four Constables remaining, none of who seemed too eager to patrol tonight the door to the Station slams open. A man with regal bearing but dressed a step down from the Aristocracy enters with two armed guardsmen wearing leather armor and armed with short swords and one shot pistols tucked in their belts.
"Where is Inspector Logan, I need some action taken before another damn murder takes place. The people are going to lynch me!"
Nayth sighs, "Lord Whiston, the Inspector is ah er, indisposed, I am acting in his place".
Whiston glares at him, "Well then, what are you going to..." he looks to Marco and then to Khalid, "Are these men being arrested? Why are they not in cells?"
Crier interjects, "They have been deputized Lord..."
"Whiston, who are you, I've not seen you in Blackchapel before Constable?!", he demands.
Nayth answers for him, "He is assisting us with the investigation please just"...
"I'll not leave until I said my piece, I've an idea to thwart the murderer this night. The man strikes at midnight. Let us stop the clocks and the chimes. In this way he will not know the time and therefore not be able to slay anyone!"
The murders 'ave nothin' t'do with the time of day, Lord Whiston. There are more monstrous things at work. We can show ya' whatever it is that was takin' on the look of the Inspector. We 'ave caught one of the buggers.
Derrick frowns as he sees Wyatt, knowing that the figure could be one of the monsters in disguise. But he doesn't want to let paranoia overcome him--and even if it is a monster, it may not know they'd discovered its companion yet.
"Wyatt!" the monk calls, in the end. Too many factors are at play, and between Wyatt's disheveled appearance and the out-of-place gnome at his side, he seems unlikely to be "blending in." "What happened to you?"
Wyatt sees Derrick and taps Zook, "Come, it seems we have lucked out and already found them".
Wyatt approaches Derrick and Bannock his eyes a bit wild as he inspects all of those who pass him by. "We must speak somewhere safer, we are all in great danger!" he hisses while eying you and especially Bannock warily.
Whiston looks to Nayth as he points at Marco, [b["This man is wrong is he not?"[/b]
Nayth turns to Marco, "He is correct, the murders all seem to happen at or near midnight..."
One of the guards speaks up, "What exactly have you captured?"
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Bannock eyes the newcomers warily. Brother Derrick seems to know at least Wyatt, so he is...possibly...not a Heretic. But they are already on a course of action that can not be deviated from. "If you would speak with us, then follow us. We go now to seek the Divinity's council on matter of import. If what you have to say is worth hearing, then the High Priest should know it as well.
And if it's not worth hearing, they we'll not have wasted time standing here."
Dunstan nods, Let us speedily get this monster in front of the authorities
Wyatt ignores Bannock, "Derrick, you must hear me out first then we can decide what to do". He appears quite frantic a state you've not seen him in, of course you only knew him a few days but still even in a battle he was not this... affected.