As Darius helps Z to her feet she has another series of coughing fits and she coughs up a large glob of blood.
As it hits the forest floor, the blood begins to burn away revealing what looks to be a large lump of coal.
The light around the stone flickers and wanes, and small Whispers seem to escape from it.
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Darius looks to Jones and Sledge and then back to the stone. His hearing had not waned even from the resurrection. It was undeniable that the stone was peaking and unlikely it meant well. He moved the two away from the odd coal and then gestured to the stone. Kicking it slightly away.
" Jones, could you inspect that lump of coal. in my expertise, very rarely is that a good sign. "
Z's body slowly turns back to flesh from flames, still occasionally giving a weak cough.
Last to return to normal are her arms. Excepting, that they don't. Up to her elbows where the curse had managed to reach, instead of burnt cracked flesh, Z's arms just remained what appeared to be fire taken solid form.
Z indicates to Darius to sit her down, where she breathes haggardly.
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"What could this mean?"
Jones inspects the stone carefully, listening closely to its whispers.
He also tries to recall if he has ever learned about this sort of thing.
Darius shakes his head and grins after the ordeal, the defining effect of this venture seemingly different change in her arms, " So.. all that research to make a spell and it allows you to lob coal that speaks at them? Zin, even for you I can't fathom the practicality of that. Not to mention the pain you went through. Maybe you need.. more research? "
Z still clutching her chest manages to breath out, "F++*..... You...... "
Z looks at her new hands, and then to Jones, "Destroy that thing Jones... Probably don't touch it..."
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Darius had a slight, " Hrmph " escape his teeth as he rubbed the woman on her back. " You cannot blame me for stating the facts. More importantly, are you alright? The spell seemed to incite your curse further, does it hurt any more than before? "
As Jones inspects the coal, he can more clearly understand the whispers, "She'll destroy you all, you know. I've taken great care to insure it. There is no salvation, only fire, ash and death. For her, for you, and everyone else who tries to save her. You will all burn in the end. Kill her now while you can. Destroy her and save yourself!"
Z looks to Darius, "I... Feel a lot better... Better than I can ever remember feeling... The pain, it's subsided so much. Something happened."
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"Destroy it you say?"
Sledge (who looks thoroughly unamused by this progression of events), takes the rock and smashes it between his fists.
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Jones seems utterly unfazed by the rock's speech, and hands it to Sledge without hesitation.
"You must be glad to be rid of that. Has that voice tormented you your whole life?"
Z turns away from Jones pretending not to hear his question.
"I think I'm going to call it an early night. Despite feeling better, hacking up pitch, blood and coal has left me drained." she says to no one in particular.
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Darius gave a knowing nod, she couldnt lie very well but with what she went through, it was understandable. He cupped her face for a moment, before releasing. " Very well, you deserve it. While this was quite eventful, you need your rest. Get better. "
Z wrinkles her face as Darius cups it, but squeezes his hand quickly before laying out her sleeping space and falling asleep nearly at once.
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Jones gives Darius an odd look and starts to say something to him, but stops himself. Then he sets up his bedroll and goes to sleep without another word.
Darius raises an eyebrow at Jones before folding his arms and letting the lanky detective sleep. It was as if he saw something weird.
Sledge ignores the sexual tension, as always, and goes directly to sleep.
Darius catches sight of a glow off in the distance that approaches ever closer. Eventually, he can make out an armored figure atop a flaming horse, flanked by a trio of sickly looking wolves. On closer inspection, the armored thing lacks a head, only pale blue flames flowing from its neck stump.
It rapidly approaches, but you have time to react.
Darius grimaces at the coming of the creature and cracks his whip while awakening the rest of the group. " It seems we have company. "
He searches his mind for anything of note about this headless creature.
This is a Dullahan, commonly known as a Headless Horseman to the peasantry.
They have Blindsight to 60 feet, and several terrifying special abilities.
All of their weaponry are treated as both Frost and Keen. They can also call a Fiendish Trained Warhorse from the ether at will, though the mount of this Dullahan seems different than that description. Their very presence frightens nearby foes.
But most dangerously is their Death's Calling power. They can curse any victim they can see, staggering them and making them more susceptible to critical hits (they automatically confirm). Should the victim be knocked unconscious, no amount of effort will make them stop bleeding out until the curse is lifted, or they are magically healed.
Beware any trickery as well, because if the Dullahan knows your name and speaks it, you are less likely to be able to resist the curse.
It approaches and speaks.
"Hail, travelers." it says mockingly.
"I bring a message from the Way. Retrieve the Mace from wherever you have it hidden from our sight and bring it to me. You have 48 hours. All is forgiven should you comply. Defy us, and things get worse."
It waits for a reply.
The wolves are milling around, circling the horse and glaring at you menacingly with their tongues hanging out.
The Dullahan carries no visible weaponry, but the chain wrapped around his chest glows faintly red.
Darius narrows his orcish eyes at the creature. A threat? They posed such a thing upon them? How could they even know any such thing. His action was the correct one.
With a bright light, a flicker of Grimore flew towards the headless man's chest, attempting to give him the same feeling as if he had a face.
" My Answer is this! The Way will see no weakness here! No one speak your names, this creature uses it for foul magic. "
Darius (29)
Sledge (23)
Zin (23)
Wolves (20)
Jones (17)
Dullahan and Mount (13)
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Z stands, sprouting her wings.
"Hmph."
"I can see why they sent you after us, it would take someone without a brain to come looking for a fight with just some flea bags for support."
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Sledge slides across the ground with shocking speed and grabs the dullahan, activating his belt of manuevers as he does so.
Sledge gets up and then flexes into Greater Grapple and Rapid Grappler.
Jones stands up, studies the Dullahan, and moves around to flank it.
The horse nimbly ducks down and avoids the worst of the blaze, while the wolves eat the brunt of it.
The wolves circle and attack! Two go after the semi-helpless Jones, while one snarls at the flame wielding witch and lunges at her.
Jones hit and kills the two stubborn wolves!
The Dullahan shifts in his saddle.
"I'll be back in 24 hours to collect."
It leaves you with one parting gift (Darius make me a Will save), and its horse opens a portal to somewhere, disappearing them both.
Darius narrows his eyes as the undead leaves
" Good I don't expect you to run again. "
He says before the creature disappears.
Jones curses through his teeth.
"Damn...the Way already knows our location. We must move quickly."
Sledge tries to figure out how serious he was about this 24 hours thing, and whether he meant exactly 24 hours or not.
"Why bother moving quickly? We'll hole up somewhere, maybe get a consecrate cast for us, and then let them come and break on us like water on rocks."
Serious, yes. Whether he's going to time it down to the second, who knows?
"I'm more partial to Sledge's idea I think. If we move into Caliphas, the Way might just attack us in the streets, which very likely will mean civilian deaths."
"Im not sure in the middle of this forest is the best place to battle either though."
"Either way, who gives a damn? He better come back with ten more friends if he wants to be taken seriously."
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Z notices the blood coming from Jones' leg.
"You got bit?" she asks moving over to him and laying her hands on the wound.
Jones feels his wound become very hot, but unlike before however when Z has administered healing, there is no pain.
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Darius looks displeased. " It matters not, what they proved today was their inability to see the object which means the hiding place has worked. Likely even our own traveling method caused them not to gain much information as we were on another plane. They seem desperate. Next time Jones I believe it would be best yo stayed relatively near our group then wade in. That will get you killed one day. "
Darius sighed, " He likely is not coming back, more certainly a diversionary tactic. We are not stopping our move to Caliphas. And it will be a few days even then, the business will be handled before we reach the city. "
"We could shadow walk one more time to get into the city proper come the morning, if that's what would be best." suggests Z.
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