Qina's anger rose up to new heights. Her eyes frosted over and the air in the room seemed to turn cold. Her hands swirled around and around, seemingly gathering the moisture out of the air. She brought her hands up to her face and blew her icy breath into them forming a ball of ice and snow that hovered barely an inch above her fingers. With an icy stare that could freeze fire, she stared hard at Egarthis and released the snow ball. It flew through the air straight towards Egarthis.
As Al slumps to the ground just beside him time slows for Belathorian, divine energies coruscate and spiral around him he swings at the herald standing between him and Egarthis
Seeing Allister fall so quickly, Gad'larr rips his mask off, roars incomprehensibly and charges Egarthis!
"ROOOAOORGGGHHH!!"
With a short start, Gad charges, and easily leaps over Brezik and performs a flying kick straight at Egarthis!
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Brezik's charge misses the priest, but brings an onslaught from his companions. Vivian's ghostly greatsword cuts into its opponent, nearly bisecting the man. Qina's rage inspired spellcasting flies true and slams Egarthis back into the railing, the magical cold dropping the temperature in both rooms enough that breath fogs the air. Belathorian becomes a reaper true and ends the unhurt Herald's spiral with cold calculation for the bitterest of enemies. With Egarthis still reeling against the handrail Gad'larr takes the opportunity to knock him backwards just enough for a precarious fall.
Egarthis can see this coming and throws a fist at Gad to stop the charge. His desperate flails are no match for Gad'larr's defenses and he is smashed through the rail to fall to the ground below.
His head CRACKS against the stone of the bottom floor and he moves no more.
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"Whoa.." Vivian whispers, stunned for a moment as the silence after Ergathis' fall sinks into the group. The way the battle triumphantly ended, the power behind them all, it has an existential effect on her. She's at peace in this moment. It is a part of her Nirvana, a victory won, glory, honor, pride, power for the good, a piece of freedom for Nirmathas.
'We're really making it, we really can work as one.' Her attention is enevitably brought to her cloudy breath.
"Qina.. this.. this is beautiful." Vivian shivers and smiles in the magically cold room.
"Hey, I have an idea. Gather around Allister with me. I want him to wake up with us all looking down at him. Let's tell him how he led the charge."
Gasping heavily, Gad begins gathering his wits about him, taking a few moments to look down on the possibly dead Egarthis and
attempt to slow his breathing.
"Irori says that every journey of a thousand miles, still begins with but a single step."
Gad nods, turns, and tries not to watch as the others gather to Allister's still bloody form. He then goes to retrieve
Krant's mask from where he threw it and and puts it back on. Taking a second to adjust it, he turns back to the grisly scene.
"Vivian, I appreciate the dramatic wake up, but we need to go. Soon."
Brezik Kneals next to Allister waiting for Vivian to heal him... a look of expectance on his face.
That was the stupidest thing I ever saw... The big dwarf gives Allister a smelly hug and whispers in his ear... But it was brave.
With that the dwarf gets up and starts to help securing the gear off of the fallen priests.
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Allister gasps and his eyes open. He is surprised to see his friends standing around, staring at him. He feels uneasy, like his mother must have felt on her death bed when they were helpless so stood around and watched her die.
"Did we get em?" He looks around and grows worried when he doesn't see the black-robed priest. "Egarthis?"
Weakly, he stands.
"Even stupider then the brand? You said that was stupidest thing." A big, albeit pained smile stretches across Allister's lips. He leaves the mask up.
"Let's get out of here... Is anyone else cold?"
Gad'larr finds the back of Egarthis' head open to the world, brain matter and blood spattered across the floor and stairs.
Gad leads the way with his mask in place and he will retrieve Krant's club on the way down the stairs.
"Let's move. No talking unless we have to or are attacked ourtright. If you see Evlar, grab him if he needs help. Follw me or
Vivian's lead as needed. Once we get outside the temple, we can ditch these robes and masks when we are out of sight."
Peering over the balustrade as Gad checks the body of Egarthis, his magical dagger poised to finish the job if needed, he relaxes as it becomes clear the man's spiral is at an end.
Belathorian finds his usual place as rearguard of the group as they prepare to move off, as they move his eye is drawn to the face-plate of the golem they earlier destroyed, he scoops it up and places it in his bag.
As quickly as the cold took her, it left just as quickly. Qina's eyes returned to normal and the reality of the situation began to set in. "Are...are they dad?" she asked innocently.
Despite the warmth returning to her, her skin remained blanched. She gulped nervously as she pushed the remaining mica back into her spell pouch. She tossed the mask to the floor in disgust. "Can...can we just be us now? I don't think I can wear that thing anymore."
"Can...can we just be us now? I don't think I can wear that thing anymore."
Gad looks at Vivian and then back to Qina.
"Just a little longer Mother Dragon? Once we get outside and out of sight you can toss all of this fake outerwear!"
Gad sighs heavily and smiles at his friends' bravery and togetherness. He holds his hands up in surrender.
"OK, that is fine. I guess I do not have a problem with it, I was only hoping to avoid more fighting on our way out,
but I guess that would probably be inevitable anyway with the alarm blaring."
Gad removes the robe, tosses the useless greatclub, but keeps Krant's mask. Removing it, he taps it wonderingly
for a second then puts it away for later.
"Let's go."
You head down the stairs and out into the main yard where the portcullis is. Stepping out the door you see Krant, flanked by 2 other 'priests' of Razmir.
"Thought ya could get away huh? I'll show ya upstarts! "
While Krant still caused hatred and anger to flow within her, Qina had more of a grip on her emotions after helping to kill a person. She had never killed someone before and the action weighed heavily on her, even if they deserved what they got.
Once again she reached for her pouch of powdered mica as she sought to summon the magical motes of dust.
Again the magical motes appear, though this time it is the priests who fail, while Krant sees through them without issue. "Ya think yer sparkly dust'll cause me ta stop? Ha! I'll crush ya where ya stand."
Bel steps forward to confront the group, divine energies once more swirling around him
"your spiral ends today Krant. I will see to that personally, your doom has come. Do you see it now, what awaits you?"
Krant is visibly shaken from his premonition. He combats this, as he does with most things, with anger. "I'll show yer! Yer spiral is the one that ends!"
The priests both cry out in fear, babbling about being unable to see. In their terror they pull out tindertwigs and small sticks, lighting the sticks and dropping them at their feet. The sticks begin billowing smoke and soon cover a small area.
Krant instead bellows out a challenge and charges, menacing with a heavy flail in hand. His target is Belathorian, the closest member of your group.
The anger behind the flail is palpable as Krant crushes it against Belathorian's side, bellowing his rage and fear for all to hear.
The priests continue cursing their ill luck and their blindness.
Anger already dissipated, Gad moves quickly behind Bel, and around to hopefully set up a flank maneuver for Al or Brezik!
He speaks carefully during this movement, draws his sword from his back, and gives Krant a chance to surrender!
"Give up now Krant! Ergarthis is dead and we have proof this Temple is nothing but a lie! Surrender and seek mercy from
the Nirmathan government!"
On his final step he strikes out.
Krant sees it coming and Gad hits only air with his fist!
Brezik looks at Gad and gives a nod... He Charges forward and leaps from the top step bringing his axe down in an overhead smash a cry coming from his lips....
YOUR COOKING SUCKS!!!
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"Back for more? I think it's time we taught you a lesson, Krant."
Brightfang sings as Allister pulls it from the sheath while stepping towards Krant. He wishes the blade shone in all its splendor, not the dull disguise it bore.
Allister swings the hefty blade up and over his head in an arc and brings it down on Krant.
Krant is devastated from all sides and roars in pain and fury.
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Vivian hussles to be in view of both priests and Krant. "You are hereby under arrest for treason against Nirmathas and the city of Tamran! The false god of Razmir is henceforth an enemy of the state! Drop your weapons and surrender!" Her voice booms throughout the room and into the hearts on the cultists.
Bel mutters a prayer to his godess and swings his scythe to bear
No surrender for you, this ends here
The priests are too busy worrying about their eyes to take much notice of Vivian's words. Krant however, seems physically bowed by Vivian's words, more prone to fear, and less accurate in his rage.
With Krant surrounded, Qina focused her attention on the other priests. Rubbing a small slab of butter, Qina chanted the magical words to summon a coating of grease where the blinded men still stood.
From inside the cloud of smoke comes a shouted curse and an audible THUMP. Krant yells back at them, "What are ya idiots doin'?! Get in here!"
He swings around on a small axis, centered on his torso. He 'aims' at Brezik on the zenith of his swing.
Seeing his first strike is so successful he tries again.
His second attempt is much less successful.
More cursing comes out of the cloud of smoke, though the sounds of skidding is disappearing.
"I can see again! Me too! Let's get 'em now!"
Brezik reels from the attack and looks up rubbing the blood away from his mouth. He brings his axe around in a vicious drive for the reckless mans head and at the last second turns the axe side ways to hit Krant with the flat side of the axe head.
Brezik's attack knocks Krant out entirely, allowing Allister to rush over to the figures still wreathed in smoke.
Though the man is just now getting his bearings the shadows within the smoke are confusing and prevent Al's attack from hitting.
Gad easily moves to flank Allister and attempts to help him take out one of the false priests within the edge of the smoke.
Gad'larr's sword cuts through the shadows and smoke and into the flesh of the priest behind them.
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Vivian's shield hand to shimmers with divine radiance as she lays it onto her chest. "I said If you wish to die for your false god then leave that cowardly smoke and meet your desired fate as men of honor. Krant is dead, there is nothing left here for you."
Vivian tries to reason with the men as she waits for the smoke to disperse. 'They're cowering like wounded animals.. Maybe I should throw a flask of oil..'
Not wanting to get any closer, Qina pulled out her wand and released a volley of force missiles. They streaked through the air, a missile striking into the side of each of the remaining priest.
With Vivian's words the priests hesitate ever so slightly, but go back to their vigorous offence. Qina's missiles put them quickly in their place.
"As forseen false priest, your spiral is at an end"
Bel brings his scythe down at the man's neck aiming to end the man
Krant's head rolls, spilling blood across the hard-packed dirt and only stopping when it bumps into the stairs.
The priests try to take advantage of all of the distractions and circle around, flanking Gad'larr!
Despite not being able to clearly see one opponent Gad is able to fend off or avoid most of the attacks directed against him...until a blade plunges out of the smoke, slipping past his defenses and deep into his body. Two inches to the right or left and one of his lungs would have been pierced.
Pushing the pain away like he was taught, Gad will try and finish off the one enemy he hit before!
Looking the false priest as he withdraws his bloody sword, Gad grunts grimaces.
"My turn."
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
- Possible Crit!
+ Flurry! (1 ki)
(Crit Confirmation!)
Gad'larr's strikes completely collapse the priest in the fog, destroying his defenses and dominating him completely. By the time Gad is finished the man is bleeding on the ground.
The world seems to slow for Brezik as Beltharion makes his pronouncement and decapitates the defenseless man. Brezik has time to look at Bel and ask one question...Why? before running off to help Gad who has just been run through, without waiting for an answer.
Brezik walks up to the man and tries to stop him from swinging his weapon at Gad..
Brezik's slice nearly disembowels the man, though he is still standing and gushing blood.
Allister's slash cuts across and fails to hit his opponent, who is too weak to muster a retort.