Nebbin looks around, confused about the creatures' tactics.
Aero continues vomiting.
As does Thom, though he begins to collect himself as he staggers towards the unconscious demons.
Lucius strides past Thom and Aero as they struggle to control their stomachs. He sets the crossbow at his feet, then hefts his mace in both hands. He brings it down squarely on the head of the southernmost dretch with a satisfying crunch.
|
Saoirse grinds her teeth hard as scratches bloom across her shield arm, drops of her blood soaking into her linen shirt underneath as she raises up her sword to make another strike. Surprise covers her face as the demons fall to the ground asleep, though her confusion clears quickly as she slams her sword downwards on the demon directly in front of her.
Thom stands over the final fallen demon; a flood of emotions drown out the nausea. He stands still for a few seconds, breathing deeply, black eyes intense. The thick, gauntleted hand wielding the morningstar begins to quiver slightly, escalating to a shake that threatens to dominate his whole arm. His black eyes lock on the slow rise and fall of the demon's chest, however, and his ruined features twist.
Rage overwhelms the fear.
His thick wooden shield thunks hollowly against the cobblestones, spinning on its rim for a moment like a tossed coin as Thom raises his morningstar high in both hands. With a wordless, anguished cry, it slams down on the thing's face with the sickening crunch of bone and tissue crushed between cold metal and unyielding stone.
Lost in his fury , the morningstar rises and falls again... and again... and again. The sound of each impact becoming more and more liquid as the demon's head and face are reduced to a bloody pulp.
In the end, he's left standing over the demon—splattered in the combined filth of his own stomach and the demon's blood and brain matter—panting as he stares down at the mess... the head of the morningstar remaining embedded in the demon-head-crater.
Lucius' mace head meets little resistance as the creature doesn't even have time to gasp before it dies in its sleep.
Saoirse's quick reactions claims another life as the demon convulses once or twice and lies still.
Thom's rage covers any sounds the demon may have made in its final moments. The sound of metal on stone and squelching flesh override the death rattle from the first blow.
Eventually Aero stops retching...
"Ugh, thanks Thom. Lets get going, staying out here we'll eventually just get overwhelmed."
Lucius backs away from Thom as he brutalizes the dretch, looking around for something to wipe the gore from his mace with. He mutters in Infernal: something about slaying his first demon.
After cleaning the head of his weapon (or at least shaking off the worst of it), Lucius will recover his waterskin. "Arashniaval, you have my thanks. Which way to your library?"
Thom nods dumbly at his name, and it seems to pull him from his focus on the pulpified demon at his feet. He similarly slings demon-guts from the head of his own morningstar before hooking it on its belt loop and looking up at Lucius. The slightly dazed look is back, but he seems to be in control.
”What’s at the library?”
"An order of demon-fighting wizards, if they survived. Possibly just a smoking ruin, judging by much of the city."
Taking a moment to look around, Gwerm starts to huff out his chest, but deflates almost immediately. "The Blackwing would be closer than my manor. And on the way...I agree with that decision."
Anevia merely nods with a slightly shocked look on her face and Aravashnial just smiles.
As you begin to pick your way through half-shattered buildings you catch glimpses of eyes watching you warily from time to time. A person comes running out of a sidestreet, screaming "They killed Terendelev and drug her body down into the 'Wound! The Storm King did this!!!" The ragged person continues running into another alley filled with rubble.
As you make your way through for about 15 minutes you hear some worrisome scrabbling in collapsed house. Evil looking rats, seven of them, gorging on something in the stone present themselves without noticing you for their food.
Nebbin hefts his hammer in case the rats notice him and try to attack.
Lucius peers over at the rats. "Filthy creatures. They've probably ruined whatever supplies they've discovered." A moment later a realization about life in a warzone actually means. "Or perhaps they're living on the bodies of the fallen. In either case, we should move along before they feel the need to defend their food supply."
Aero nods, although casts detect magic to see if there's anything magical.
Thom silently watches the exchange between the larger group, adding nothing to the conversation.
The half-orc’s black eyes are similarly drawn to the feeding vermin, and at mention of the possibility of them eating the bodies of the fallen, his features harden.
Regardless, he follows along, drawing his deep hood up over his features and scanning the grounds for bodies of fallen Crusaders or defenders.
I will make sure to work in a change of clothing :)
Aero concentrates momentarily on the rats but finds nothing out of the ordinary...if giant rats eating what is likely to be the remains of a family in the ruins of a demon-attacked city could be called ordinary.
As you start to quietly go past the area with the rats you hear a muffled sniffling in a partly destroyed structured on your side of the street. A woman with torn and dirtied clothing, ash and soot marking her face, and dried tears around her eyes mutters to herself in between sniffs, "Cultists...so many cultists. Why are they different? Baphomet, Deskari, The Storm King...why are they all in our city?"
Lucius will first examine the woman with detect magic to ensure there is no trickery about: he knows demons use illusions and disguises.
Assuming he doesn't detect an aura, he says "Demons are creatures of disorder. They claim no single leader, nor common purpose. They are here ...purely as uninvited guests."
The woman responds by looking at Lucius, madness creeping into the edges of her eyes, and says, "The demons came first...but the cultists...they still roam the streets." She looks back down and continues to mutter to herself.
Lucius wonders what to do with the woman. She is broken and mad, and the little group already has enough to deal with. Nor can they stretch their supplies forever.
"Of course they would. Reveling in the chance to show their terrible affiliations publicly. Your warning is appreciated. Do you have a safe place to go?"
"You don't need to worry, though. See, these are crusaders!"
Nebbin gestures to his companions, trying to reassure the woman that everything will be OK.
Even if it won't be... he thinks sadly.
To his companions
"The destruction here is terrible. These people are going to need hope and supplies if they are going to survive."
Thom, from deep in his burnt cowl, nods along to Lucius's question to the woman, adding his own. "And are you alone, ma'am? Do you need help?"
He looks around, seeing if she has any companions of her own.
"Yes...all alone...all along."
The woman makes no move to get up or uncinch her arms from around her knees.
Thom looks around, his deep cowl swiveling both ways as he considers.
He steps over to her, dropping to one knee in front of her to try to connect with her. Despite his raspy voice and revolting appearance in the cowl, he tries to make his voice comforting. "Ma'am, it's not safe here by yourself. Come with us, and we'll see if we can find you a place to stay."
Aero puts his hand on Thom's shoulder and motions him back.
Clearly Thom means well, but I don't think he's quite come to terms with who he is yet...
"My companion speaks the truth. Come with us, it is not safe out here.
Saoirse allows Aero and Thom to deal with the woman, her eyes scanning around the surrounding rubble and stone, standing near Anevia she whispers "This feels wrong... why isn't there more... screaming? Did the demons destroy this whole city so quickly?"
The woman looks up at Aero, bottom lip quivering, and nods. She slowly unwinds herself and stands up. Anevia hobbles over to her and puts an arm around her comfortingly.
Anevia whispers back to Saoirse "This had to have been planned for a long time. Those who survived...and could still run...have likely fled the city. I'm sure there are some who have the misfortune or the mule-headedness to remain." As if to accentuate her point a shrill scream of terror starts and ends abruptly somewhere in the city.
Once again making your way towards Blackwing you travel for another 10 minutes. You see a block of buildings seemingly untouched by the devastation so rampant in the city. Your hearts sink, though, as your gaze settles on the building that once was the great librarium. Unfortunately, Blackwing now lies in ruins—all that remains standing is the Librarium’s facade and its reinforced great hall. A short gasp from both Horgus and Anevia give Aravashnial a clue as to the upcoming revelation, "What is it? Have we arrived at Blackwing?"
From inside the library you hear some scuffling noises and a few muffled thumps. A brash voice says "Stack them damned books better!" Aravashnial says in a worried voice "What is happening in there? Who is talking?!"
As they stop in sight of the semi-ruined library, Thom finds himself standing just behind Saoirse. His eyes are drawn to the untreated cuts on her arm. Without thinking, he reaches out, laying his thick fingers on the damaged skin. A whispered prayer comes unbidden from his own ruined lips, and the bleeding stops... leaving damaged but healing skin.
He seems to realize what he's doing, and he holds his hand in front of his cowled face... not fully comprehending.
Lucius sighs. "So the smoking ruin, then. Still, someone is inside. Thom, would you mind trying the door?"
Thom's hand drops as he looks up at Lucius, a startled expression just visible within the cowl. "Uh..." he says, looking reluctantly from Lucius to the door and back before continuing. "... sure."
Shield still hanging from his left arm, the half-orc clanks to the door, pausing with one last look back before he gives it a testing push and tries the handle.
Thom's gauntleted fist clangs heavily on the wooden door, his voice rising to carry into the building's interior, "Hello the library!"
Nebbin waits, trying not to panic at the wreckage of the library.
The door swings open easily and right off its one remaining hinge. Inside is a vaulted room with debris and dust littering the ground. In the center of the room is a circle of books stacked around four people tied together. A fifth, a woman, is crying and putting more books on another stack.
A man who looks like a crusader is ordering the crying woman to continue stacking the books around the bound people.
"What in the name of the nine circles is going on here?"
Thom's eyes squeeze to slits as he takes in the unexpected scene, and he takes a step into the building. "What, indeed..." he grunts, slitted eyes seeking out the man in the crusader's uniform.
Saoirse lifts her shield slightly as she steps into the double wide library doors next to Thom, her hand on her sword hilt as she takes in the room. Seeing the bound men and women and one crying as she collects books, Saoirse's grip tightens on her sword. Settling a glare on the crusader, Saoirse focuses on her eyes around the man instead of on him, her eyes giving a pale glow as she yells "Explain yourself crusader!"
Aero, pauses for a moment, surprised by what he sees and waits for Saoirse's question to be answered.
The crusader looks up, obviously surprised, and starts to a defensive stance. He hisses, "Paladin...Iomedae! Your death will surely place my standing in a demon's view!"
Anevia moves over to the doorway to see what Saoirse is talking about. She readies her bow as soon as she takes in the scene. The woman who was crying and carrying books drops them and sniffles a few times, looking back at the crusader and then at Saoirse. She lurches forwards towards the bound people and starts working at the knots in the ropes.
Lucius will attempt to charm the heretical 'crusader' if the scene hasn't degraded into a grand melee by then. Otherwise, he'll open fire with his crossbow.
Nebbin's eyes grow wide as he takes in the scene.
Nebbin will react if the 'crusader' attacks Saoirse or another woman. Basically it's a ready action to wait until then. Should he do so, Nebbin yells in rage -- "Hey, leave her alone!" and charges forward, swinging wildly with his maul.
Thom throws his hood back... his hideous face is contorted with rage as he draws his morningstar and steps forward. "DEMON-PUPPET!" he roars, his voice filling the space, "STAND DOWN NOW!"
Aero will head in and move slightly to the side, activating his silverscale [ooc](Alter Self 1/2 Orc +2str + Darkvision) and call upon Archaeologist’s Luck.