Another voice comes from somewhere near the marble block, although neither The Beast's eyes nor its nose can pinpoint its location.
"Congratulations. You've found me. Offer yourselves to me with no resistance, and perhaps these women will live."
The sound of rushing water is suddenly heard, and the screams for help from the two sarcophagi become more desperate.
***
The Beast looks down into a sarcophagus that's rapidly filling with water. A bedraggled young woman is bound to the bottom of the sarcophagus with shackles securing both her legs and her arms. Despite her state, Maddok recognizes the woman as one of the young nobles he had relations with at the Cornucopia.
***
Xerath readies a glitterdust if he can pinpoint where the voice is coming from.
Appario shakes his head as Maddok runs ahead, setting off the trap.
What is with that guy at times?
Appario looks to Yahirma and Derek and *sighs*...I could make it through, but them...not taking the chance.
Appario sheathes Extortion and draws his MW Thieves Tools.
"Appario, can you get through? Extortion is adamantium, it could shatter the bonds on Tarvis chest and save her!"
Part of Derek recoils in disgust at asking a friend to not only brave an obvious trap, but also because he realizes that he may be using him as bait. The enemy will not likely allow the group to free both hostages unopposed, and Appario is the obvious target between him and the beast.
The fight will probably not last too long once we find our foe, let us gird ourself for combat now.
Derek casts the spell he had been holding back for just this battle.
***
The metal grill's foundation withstands the force of The Beast's pull on this attempt.
***
Frustrated by not being able to locate a target, Xerath reluctantly moves in to help the beast. Deadly trap or not, he was no coward.
The blades easily cut through Xerath's magical defenses, though the hooded caster powers through and aids the beast's next attempt to break the grillwork.
Seconds after Xerath proves his bravery, Appario tries to disable the trap.
Disable Device
Yahirma waits tensely for Appario to work his own kind of magic as she considers her options for freeing her apprentice. Knowing that her own limbs are only just strong enough to keep herself standing, she elects to try magic over brawn.
Appario is certain he has discovered how to disable this trap, but he quickly realizes that the task will take time to complete.
***
Even with Xerath's aid, The Beast is unable to tear the grillwork free from the sarcophagus, and they both see the water coming up above the woman's head as the screams for aid from both sarcophagi suddenly stop.
***
The chain of force wraps its hooks into the iron grating over Tarvi's sarcophagus, and pulls it out of its sockets to slam down next to the sarcophagus.
***
The gothic-looking figure of a half-elf vampire becomes visible near the marble altar, as the fabric tying The Beast to this world is assaulted.
The Beast's form is unravelled, leaving Maddok standing in its place.
The vampire's form is blurry, and Derek immediately recognizes the effect as a blur spell.
In a conversational tone, as if this is just a walk in the park, the vampire inquires "Do you think you can save them that easily? Offer yourselves to me willingly, and you will live forever. Defy me, and die today along with them."
***
A shadowy being extracts itself from the wall behind the altar, and flies silently towards Maddok.
The shadow is unable to penetrate the force-armor surrounding the warrior.
***
This shadow seems somehow different from regular shadows or greater shadows, and Yahirma remembers hearing about people who keep shadows as companions, strengthening the shadow's abilities while rendering it immune to being commanded or turned.
***
It is a powerful being who can call his own shadow to arms.
With a glance at Appario, who seems to just be getting into breaking down the trap, Yahirma frowns and gives him a tap of her wand in hand. She gives him a worried look and then nods forward, an eyebrow raised in yet-unspoken question. In devil-tongue she remarks what few might understand and then maneuvers the chain of force to harass the shadow.
Maddok needs every ounce of strength.
"The shadow is bound to the vampire, who must be very strong indeed. With shadow gone, gone goes a shadow of his power."
The sounds of the Beast's frustrated bellows can be heard even as his form is forcefully separated form Maddok's.
The big Shoanti finds himself on the ground and quickly works to put together the scene around him with what he understood from the spirit's point of view.
Shu-Ak’eh-Di, if there was ever a time I needed your strength, it is now.
With a roar of effort, Maddok grips the iron grill and tears at it.
"You talk too much, you say nothing, and you have a debt to pay."
Derek brandishes the Morrowfall, holding it aloft as he calls upon its full power.
"Here is the sun you have so long been denied, embrace its purifying light!"
Xerath defends Maddok from the shadow, by trying to destroy it.
"If we can't save them, then we'll avenge them. First let's start getting rid of your pet."
Maddok glances back for a moment as Derek's lance of light pierces the room.
"You'll find that we're not simple women you can pluck off the street and subdue", the Shoanti shouts.
Appario grunts, disappointed.
Maybe they want to come back out and try this right?
Appario drops his tools and shrugs at Yahirma, averting his eyes from Derek's sunbeaming.
"Stay safe. This is going to be great. What's the worst that could happen?"
Smile Ilnerik, you're being smitten.
Appario will spring attack Ilnerik, ending in U10.
to hit;
damage;
blur, high is good.
"If you can't break the chains Big brother, smash the sides of the coffins, if there is a hole they can't fill with water!"
***
Yahirma's chain attempts to wrap itself around the shadow, but the shadow slips out from its tightening grasp.
Like The Beast before him, Maddok too seems to fail to pull the iron bars out from their sockets, but Derek's timely phrase of song inspires him just enough to tear the grillwork free. The submerged woman continues struggling, although the flow of water is trickling to a stop as it reaches nearly to the top of the sarcophagus.
Xerath's missiles strike the shadow one by one, but while the missiles were strong enough to destroy an ordinary shadow, they only seem to hurt this one.
***
The trap slices Appario on his way through, dealing 20 damage to him. Perhaps thrown off center by his injuries, he's unable to put his battle-dance to good use, missing with the strike against the vampire.
***
Ilnerik evades the beam of pure sunlight, escaping entirely unscathed from the tremendous force of light spewing from the Morrowfall.
***
The master vampire smiles half-heartedly, unsettled by the Morrowfall's power. "So you will not take my offer. So be it."
Ilnerik moves closer to Derek, although warily, then attempts to crush his will once he gets near enough.
Derek finds himself unable to withstand the sheer force of the vampire's mind assaulting his own, as he's compelled to follow Ilnerik's orders.
"Take the artifact with you and go as far from here as you can. Do not return until I command it!"
***
The shadow continues its attack on Maddok.
This time its cold touch seeps into Maddok, stealing away some of his Strength.
***
Maddok grunts as the shadow saps his strength.
Undeterred, he reaches in and grabs the chains binding the girl's arms and tries to tear them free.
The vampire's just talking. Why isn't it actually doing anything?
Oh right, vampiric domination, masterminds, and the dislike of artifacts that harness the sun, she concludes with a nod. Before Derek has a chance to think that the vampire is a friend and do a few somersaults through the blade trap for the undead's amusement (or whatever order he gave), Yahirma seals Derek's mind against evil influences steps up beside him.
***
Even with the added protection, Derek is unable to free his mind from the vampire's influence.
The sheer unthinkability of simply leaving his companions to fight the vampire alone jolts Derek sufficiently to summon up the mental strength required to force Ilnerik out of his head.
***
The chain once more attempts to wrap itself around the shadow, and this time it succeeds, leaving the shadow unable to see.
***
***
Despite having been somewhat diminished by the shadow's touch, Maddok's strength serves him well enough to tear the shackles out from their foundation. With their hold on her arms broken, he's able to pull the young woman up enough to get her head above water. Gasping for air and spitting water, it's all she can do to hold on to the edge of the sarcophagus.
***
Maddok holds the girl above water until she's got a solid grasp of the coffin's edge.
"Stay strong, there's another that needs our help more."
Appario will spring attack Ilnerik again, this time stopping at R6.
to hit;
damage;
blur, high is good.
"My you're sparkly! Hey guys!? You ever see a sparkly vampire before?"
healing;
***
The young woman appears to have other things on her mind at the moment, such as getting air into her lungs while attempting to keep her panic under control, so she hasn't gotten a good look at her savior yet.
***
Appario slices the air near the vampire, although he could have sworn its neck was there just a split-second earlier.
The blinded shadow is unaware of Appario's movement.
***
"Gnnnh...Get...out...of...my...HEAD!
Oh, big mistake there corpse worm...almost as big as getting within hearing distance of Thesing."
Can you dodge that again?
Derek sends another stabbing lance of light towards the vampire.
A little inspiration perhaps?
Xerath steps to R11 and decides to take a risk in hopes of a greater gain. This shadow needed to be destroyed now, lest it take more strength from Maddok.
Ilnerik continues to successfully evade the storm of sunlight, while Xerath's rays of fire ravage the shadow yet leave it still moving.
***
The still-blind and nearly-destroyed shadow retreats into the safety of the wall.
Ilnerik ignores Appario for the moment, provoking an attack from him while moving into the slashing blades to get at Derek.
Seemingly impervious to the blades, the vampire levels a fist at the Morrowfall-wielder, attempting to knock the artifact out of his hands, before dancing away.
The Morrowfall flies out of Derek's hand and is thrown north-west, where it falls to the ground as its path is blocked by the wall.
***
"My lady Yahirma, if you would move a little...
Derek calmly walks over to the morrowfall, retrives it and brandishes it aloft.
"Fear the sunlight blood sucker, it's the last you'll see before Pharasma judge you.
You best hope she will be more mercifull than me...then again, she does so hate the undead..."
Maddok wills away his rage long enough to concentrate.
"Distract him, I will call back Shu-Ak’eh-Di", Maddok whispers to the adjacent, still smoldering, Xerath.
Salt in hand, Yahirma steps back to join Derek and prepares to freeze the vampire in its tracks should it attempt the same stunt again. Hoping to dissuade the foe from harassing them further, she pulls the chain to strike at the vampire.
Xerath will ready a spell against anything that attacks Maddok while he is summoning the beast.
Appario swings at the blurry vamp as it moves away.
to hit; (smite, bard, haste)
damage.
* * *
On his turn, Appario will 5' step and continue his assault on the vampire.
"Are you thinking that toy outside outshines the light of Abadar? Please, allow me to correct that thinking."
to hit; (smite, bard, haste)
damage.
Haste:
to hit; (smite, bard, haste)
damage.
Interative:
to hit; (smite, bard, haste)
damage.
***
***
***
***
Appario hits the vampire when it moves away, and again when he moves in to strike anew, but his last two strikes miss. The damage dealt seems far from sufficient to hinder the vampire's ability to fight.
However, on Derek's third attempt to bring the Morrowfall's light to full power against Ilnerik, he stumbles and is unable to evade the beam. His expression is one of complete inability to understand what's happening as his body is burnt to cinders by the pure sunlight streaming out of the artifact.
For a brief moment, Xerath sees thousands of shadow rats beginning to surge out of the walls into the room, but upon seeing the shadowmaster's destruction, they recede as quickly as they appeared.
An anguished scream is heard from somewhere within the wall behind the altar, where the shadow companion was last seen.
***
The Beast easily tears the shackles free from their foundation, and a streaming wet Tarvi fights her way to a few gulps of fresh air as she just barely manages to hold on the edge of the sarcophagus.
***
Tarvi rolls onto her stomach, coughing up the few trickles of water that had managed to enter her lungs.
The other woman looks up at The Beast as it carries her away, lets out a whelp, and immediately crawls into a corner and hides her head in her hands when it lets her go, as if hoping all of this craziness will go away if she can't see it.