Aww...it was just getting fun! Roland playfully complained as he flew back down to the party. Hearing the discussion of how to fight it he added, perhaps Leo here could align some of our weapons, and cold iron arrows for our archer here would be of aid.
As Serelina suggested returning to the Tower, Roland shook his head. The night is yet young, and our main reason for coming out was to investigate our favorite fallen paladin's old haunt on the cliff face. Let's go check it out. Besides, I'd hate to let today's flying jaunt go to waste! The aaismar then shot up to roof top level and in the direction of the cliffs.
Rilumin also climbed to roof level, then ran across rooftops as much as was feasible toward their goal, keeping Roland in view as he was sure Roland was keeping the party below in view.
Ian sighs and gives Serelina a look. "Gonna fly off too?"
He follows on foot.
"I agree with the wizard. I'll collect blood samples from the corpses and then we should move. It might be positioning itself to ambush us.
With Roland's suggestion, he thinks briefly. [b]"Yes, maybe Magic Weapon or Weapons Against Evil would work. Give me a bit of time and I can pray for it. Give me a sunrise and I might even be able to prepare something more potent."
"Ian! Stick back for a second. Let me collect the blood here before we chase after them. I'd rather not be left alone if that thing decides to show up again." He'll then busy himself with filling vials with blood from each corpse found.
"Yeah, sure kid. Smart." He looks up and around at the skies distrustfully, greatsword held casually in one hand. While Leo works he stands in silent vigilance for awhile before asking: "What's your story anyway. Straight outta' memory you came."
"Oh, nothing too notable." Leo chirps as he readies his vials to collect blood from the gruesome scene. Gone is the melancholy from earlier as he considered the lives he took, now, as he stands in a scenario of significantly more gore.
"Was part of the church, eventually Nethys chose me to serve Him as a cleric. Apparently I was fairly well blessed, clerics usually aren't able to accomplish the miracles I can perform on His behalf without much more training."
Leo pauses a bit before continuing, judging his words carefully. "What about you? You seem, uhh... In better control from when we last met."
"Right the whole...cleric thing. Uh, right the Pesh. Been clean since I joined the Tower."
Leo gives the guard a steady gaze behind his glasses. "I don't believe you." he says simply, not judgmentally. "But I think you're probably using less, and that you might actually want to quit, yes? You know, magic might help break that particular curse, I can pray for you, if you wish it. Nethys surely knows a way to help you."
Ian flinches, face reddening slightly. "Pray for me? Save it for them," he gestures at the massacred remains. He turns back to keeping watch. Under his breath, "F$~@in' clerics..."
Leo smiles. "Not like that. I don't mean to save your soul or anything like that. That's between you and your god, none of my business, really. These ones..." he gestures at the corpse. "Are beyond my help, unless I mean to try and drag them back to this world. No, when I offer my prayers on your behalf, I mean in a practical, this life sort of way. If you wish your lies to match what is real in this world, if you want to be done with that Pesh shit, I can seek real guidance, real affect. I don't know if it will help any, even miracles cannot fix everything... But I can try."
"I said I'm clean." He turns on Leo. "Call me a liar again."
Leo dismisses the disguise on his eyes, and looks at Ian with his mismatched eyes over his glasses, one gold and one dark red. He doesn't say anything, just looks into Ian's eyes. No fear. Not judgmentally. Not pressing the issue, but not taking back what he had said. More like a friend who knows that his friend is bullshitting him, and is gently but firmly letting him know that he's acting foolish.
Ian grits his teeth, frustrated. He wanted a fight.
Finally he growls, "Just mind your own business, boy," and stalks off in the direction Roland went.
Serelina waits calmly for the conversation between the warrior and priest to end, remembering it but seeming as if it were beneath her notice. When all is ready she journeys back to the tower.
While Leo collects blood samples, and Rilumin clambers up to the roof tops with Roland hovering overhead, a shadow form detaches itself from the shadows across the street. The shadow demon races across the gap, claws and teeth pushing past her magical protections and digging in to Serelina. The touch of the creature is icy cold.
The demon lets out a hiss of laughter.
Serelina takes a 5' step back then blinks out of existence to reappear to the opposite side of Ian, placing him between herself and the demon. She then launches into a quick incantation, bolts of energy again streaking towards the demon.
"Hit it now and quickly with magic weapons!"
"Yes ma'am," Ian growls.
5' step.
"Die you f!!*!"
Poking his head out of the window, Leo notices the injured wizard and Channels Energy with a quick prayer.
(Excluding the demon from the burst)
Assuming the Demon is still alive, Leo casts Spear of Purity at it.
+ blinded for 1 round.
Rilumin unloads as many shots as he can into the beast.
Action 1
Shot 1 (two arrows)
Shot 2
Shot 3
Action 2
Shot 1 (two arrows)
Shot 2
Shot 3
(IGNORE if confirmed crit)
Shot 3 (confirmation, i get +3 to confirm also)
(total real x3 dmg)
Ian and Rilumin put a beating on the demon, though its incorporeality and demonic healing lessen the extent of the wounds.
Leo heals Serelina, but is unable to strike the creature with his magical spear.
Roland began lazily flying in the direction of the cliffs, keeping just above the roof tops to allow others to follow. Thinking of what they would find at the cliffs, hearing Serelina's cry was the first he noticed the trouble. That's the THIRD time I'm let something catch me off guard today! Streaking back down towards the shadowy fiend, Roland did his best to tear the creature apart with his claws.
Roland's claws leave visible tears in the shadowy form, but it remains hovering a few feet off the ground. It lets forth an earsplitting shriek at the assault upon it.
Hoping to finish off the demon, Serelina launches another magic missile into it.
The shadowy form now badly torn and shredded, it once again teleports away.
Ian looks left and right, then scans the rooftops.
"The hell was that thing? Did it run?"
He looks at his sword for blood.
"It was a shadow demon, and it could have fled anywhere on the continent. You will find no blood, it is a creature composed entirely of shadow. As such, it is almost impossible to harm without magically aligned weapons, enchanted cold iron, or force-based magics. We best return to the Tower quickly as it can re-appear as easily as it disappeared and, as you saw, your weapons are nearly powerless against it."
"It tried to...take my body."
He grimaces as if tasting something foul, then spits.
"You alright ma'am?"
Serelina spits out a little blood and says, "We are all alive, and unprepared against that creature we should be pleased. It seems that perhaps Summoner La Vallette should think twice before taunting powerful extra-planar beings. Let us move. Now."
With that Serelina starts a quick pace back towards the tower.
Hey, come back! It was just getting fun! Roland's feigned amusement only slightly held back his annoyance at the creature teleporting away yet again. He then listened to Serelina's explanation and admonishment. Oh come now, Bellafini, that thing was on whatever the Abyss calls Death's Door when it skittered off with the remains of it's pathetic life. Hard to be too scared of that. If the fiend is half-way intelligent it would avoid us like the plague. 'Tis odd that it sees Radgar as in it's way though. Hmm. Roland seems to get lost in his own thoughts for a brief moment but comes to quickly. Back to the Tower? Nonsense, we have the cliff faces to check! Radgar was the reason we came, not that shadow wretch. Come let's check the cliffs, then we can go back and let Hast's lackey know what's afoot. Roland then renews his slow flight towards the cliffs.
If Leo has already finished getting the blood samples from the corpses. "Yeah, I've got the blood, let's go."
If not... "Oh! I still need to grab one more sample!"
Seeing the group slowly side with Serelina and begin walking back toward the tower, Roland sighed but seemed to take the change very much in stride. Very well, it seems that some in the group need their beauty sleep. Still smiling, Roland continued flying along the rooftops with the group until he reached a deserted alley. Sweet dreams my fellows, I'm off to the taverns to see what else is about in this town. He then drifted down into the alley, and in an instant dismissed his celestial shell and took on a disguised form. Emerging from the alley on foot was a dapper, attractive human male who appeared a modestly successful merchant. Perhaps The Crow tonight, yes?
Seeing La Valllette float off to waste more potential, Serelina shakes her head. She unleashes her empowered ion torch to sheild against he darkness and makes her way back to the Tower.
Muttering to herself she says, "Why would such a fiend wish us to slay a fallen Paladin..."
"Thinking alone in my room, versus thinking over a drink, I think I'll take the drink." Leo says, a bit self-consciously and follows Roland, Disguising himself as a young mercenary sort in the same type of armor and cut of shield he already carries (Though hiding all identifying marks and colors to be more mundane).
He'll spend the night thinking of the question of the shadow demon's role in Radgar's business.
Ian nods and escorts Serelina.
He drones in a deep gravelly voice, "It said Radgar was interferin' with its business. Radgar's killin' Drow, so I'd guess Drow are its business."
Rilumin will head back with those who are going with the tower.
"I've seen enough tonight. Any chance the tower has some arrows that will work better against that thing?" he asks of Serelina.
Tiredly and wincing through the pain of her injuries, Serelinia says: "Yes, cold iron arrows would work if shot from a magical bow. Ghost touch would be best, but that would be much more difficult to acquire."
While Roland heads off to The Crow, the others retire for the evening to rest and rejuvenate.
While you don't know much about demons, you do understand a good deal about the state of souls when they pass from this life. Radgar's soul is almost certainly bound for the abyss from whence demons come.