Tryane stopped at the sound of the language the new figure spoke. That didn't sound demonish, not that she had ever heard it before.
He didn't look demonic either.
She opened her senses and uses Detect Evil on the newcomer, just in case.
"Anyone know what language that was?"
He says he is the servant of the Inheritor. And who are we to give orders? Also can somebody just kill this annoying little gnat that is buzzing around my ankles, it is really starting to bug me, Celes says with a slight chuckle on her voice.
Dolan turned his head to look at the slight, pale woman, and noticed the dretch that was fighting her. His eyes narrowed as he set his sights on the monster. He said something before he attacked it.
He chaged toward Celes, and stopped in time to slash at the dretch she was fighting.
Terra turns not even realizing that another creature was attacking then the stranger appears as if summoned into our midst.
Terra faces the last demon and punches the ground as a rock flies into the air in front of her and then with a front punch maneuver the rock is hured at the dretch
Die you wretched beast!
It dies and dissolves into a pile of black goo.
Tryane puts a hand out to stop the newcomer, before she realizes he is here to help and stops herself from interfering.
Taking a deep breath, she raises her visor and looks around at the devastation. Putting her hammer away, she will retract her armor and search for survivors, healing and ministering to the wounded as she can.
Terra looks around but she does not see much in the large chamber.
quietly she takes a seat. as if there is more to the cerimony.
Dolan looked around, making certain that there were no more foes to be seen. Once he had satisfied his curiosity, he performed a ritual he'd been taught to center himself. He found it calmed him down and allowed him to speak regularly once more.
He watched the newcomers for a moment, before he spoke. He decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, and explain himself first before demanding the same of them. "I was here with three others when the beast revealed himself and summoned minions. We slew them all, but when I killed the last of them," He pointed to one of the dretches, "Something odd happened. It was as though the world had dimmed, and then righted itself, but when the light returned, my companions were gone, replaced by you three."
Dolan watched the three, wondering what to make of them, before he added, "And you all seem unaware that anything strange has happened at all. Tell me, how did you come to be here, I don't recall you at the ceremony, and I know you didn't join the fight when the beast appeared."
Bloodstains, twitching corpses, and the remains
of demons lying on the smooth flagstones—
hissing, bubbling, and convulsing—mar the
beauty and sanctity of Saint Clydwell’s Grand
Temple. A shocked silence fills the hallowed hall.
Running footsteps from behind the raised
dais precede the arrival of a bloodied soldier,
who stops as he enters the grand temple and
stares at the carnage. In a strangled voice
barely more than a whisper, he says, “Clydwell
Keep has fallen!”
"What?" Tryane says astonished. "After all this..." she gestures feebly around at the carnage in the cathedral. "This was all just a distraction?"
Dolan immediately headed for the exit. As he ran, he shouted over his shoulder, "If you are friends then come with me! They may have taken the keep, but I don't intend to let them hold it!"
Priestess:
she runs to the group
“Judging by your quick reaction and competence
in the battle against the demons, you have twice
the courage and four times the brains of anyone
else in this room. These fools will stand around
and debate the particulars of the assault and
the significance of the fall of Clydwell Keep until
you’re all as old as me, but the truth is, we don’t
have the time. If there’s any chance of salvaging
this situation we have to act now, before the
Demonscope is destroyed and the rest of the
wardstones fail.”
After catching her breath and settling her stomach, Celes gathers her now she dropped, and settles he nerves.
The Demonscope cannot fail, otherwise... her voice trails off as she thinks about all of her brothers and sisters who gave their lives to defend their tribe and home against the foul of the abyss.
Terra just sits there confused what is this Demonscope? and Clydwell Keep.?
Tryane limps as she approaches the priestess.
"What? What is it that WE can do against a force that can take down the entirety of Clydwell Keep?"
Priestess:
“When Saint Clydwell first arrived in Mendev from the south, he faced a massive legion of demons who could teleport into the heart of the most heavily defended fortress,
preventing his men from having any place to recover from their wounds or recuperate from the rigors of battle.
It was impossible to contain the demons, and he knew defeat was inevitable unless he could create some sort of safe zone. To deal with
this problem, he created a powerful artifact from the essence of a captured demon.
Ironically, it is that evil essence that enables us to use the Demonscope to detect other demons and prevent them from teleporting past our defenses.
It has been invaluable in helping us stay a step ahead of them. But the strength of the artifact might be its downfall.
There has always been the chance that one of the Holy Sentinels would not be up to the challenge of confronting the demon, and I suspect that is what has happened now.
Some weak-willed fool has allowed the beast to corrupt the vessel, and now it is beginning to fail.”
"What can we do then? Purify the vessel? Crush the Beast? Replace the Holy Vessel? What is it precisely?" Tryane asked, somewhat testily.
Priestess:
“We need to act quickly to strengthen the Demonscope and prevent the demons from reaching it. According to the soldiers, there are pockets of resistance preventing the demons from completely overrunning the keep, but they are cut off from each other, making it difficult for them to coordinate their efforts.
With the magical protections fading, greater numbers of demons are teleporting into the keep, but not so many that it’s impossible to retake it—at least not yet. With the Demonscope back up to strength, the demons already there will be easier to deal with. The problem is that those sneaky bastards tricked us by diverting a large company of soldiers to the north. As it turns out, it was a false alarm—one I’m sure the demons engineered to keep us shorthanded.”
"Alright then. It is clear we must reinforce the Keep and strengthen the Demonscope. Whatever that is.
You know the area better than we newcomers. Which is better; to charge to the main entrance, or make for a back door or tunnel?"
Priestess:
“There’s a secret tunnel to the keep. A small strike force like yourselves could accomplish more than a larger group of soldiers and probably do it a lot quicker. I can take you to the entrance if you’ll help.”
Tryane smiles with relief.
Placing her hand on her warhammer she replied; "You need not ask. I pledge my life and soul on this mission. We will not fail! Now, where is this tunnel?"
Priestess:
She guides you to the tunnel.
"This will be as far as I go, as I will be help others nearby."
After thinking about her heritage and her clan for a brief moment, she snaps back to relaity.
I will gladly crush the foul demon hoard that THINK they can take over. My bow and spells are at your service Celes says with a determined look upon her face.
Tryane shakes the Priestess' hand.
"Thank you. Send reinforcements as you can, in case we aren't enough."
She turns to the tunnel entrance, then waives for the rest of the companions to follow her in.
Terra gets up and follows. wondering where this will lead her to.
let me see if I understand then. we need to reinforce this keep from demons until the reinforcements arrive. but are we the reinforcements? also where is this demon scope thiongy and how do we do whatever we need to do to it
she thinks a moment clear as rock she gives a thumbs up and a smile
Dolan offered a slight bow to the priestess, before saying "By the Inheritor's grace, you will find us either victorious or dead, though I prefer the former. He added a smile with his little joke.
Dolan chuckled at Valterra's thoughts, "That seems to be the case."
As they wandered through the tunnel, he added quietly, "I was wondering how it was that you all managed to appear in the church, teleportation, perhaps?"
Dolan offered a slight bow to the priestess, before saying "By the Inheritor's grace, you will find us either victorious or dead, though I prefer the former. He added a smile with his little joke.
Dolan chuckled at Valterra's thoughts, "That seems to be the case."
As they wandered through the tunnel, he added quietly, "I was wondering how it was that you all managed to appear in the church, teleportation, perhaps?"
Wait we were in a church? never noticed she says indicating her glazed over eyes.
But to be honest I do believe you were the one that came to us.
The roughhewn, lichen- and moss-covered
tunnel walls average twenty feet in width. A
stream of fast-moving water flows along a
natural channel in the rock down the center of
the tunnel. Lanterns hanging from hooks in the
fifteen-foot ceiling provide ample light to see
by. Statues of armored warriors stand silent
vigil in niches in the wall, their shadowed faces
bearing stern and grim expressions.
Tryane will look through the peephole (if any), open her senses to Detect Evil in the room beyond before stepping back for stealthier members of the assault force.
She touches her amulet, and her plate armor folds out and around her again.
The Knight of the Cup holds a fist up in the air, signaling enemies are present. She motions in several directions, indicating enemies, and in particular a spot above the doorway in the room.
Terra sensing danger kneels to feel the stone beneath her feet.
she mumbles some word in Terran and a thin layer of rock creeps from the ground and covers her clothing.
Heeding the knight's warning, and following Valterra's example, Dolan whispered some words in Celestial, and became surrounded by a shimmering field of energy. He nodded to the group, and then elaborated, saying:
Celes will pull out a rod and quietly cite a spell. A shimmering force surrounds her, the dissipates as quickly as it was there. She stows the rod, and pulls out her trusty scimitar easy to slash her foes to bits.
I am ready
The Knight of the Cup casts Bless for the companions and Divine Favor for herself.
She signals "ready".
Forgot to post this in with the map
An angelic marble statue in plate mail and
wielding an enormous maul stands silent vigil
at the center of the room. A rough-hewn tunnel
exits the room to the east.
And it shots at Tryane, just as she signals ready, but the bolt bounce off her armour.
Init's please
need Celes and Dolan's rolls
Players Go first