As Marcus flees past him, almost climbing the steep stairs like a ladder in his haste, Londo again manages to get his thoughts under control, though he is finding it harder and harder to ignore the maddening whispers in his head. Masym quickly moves down to fill the gap, but as he approaches the bottom, he feels the strange whispers in his head as well, all of them trying to suggest actions that make no sense at all...
Or do they?
With a grimace, he tries to push such thoughts down, and focuses on the undead creatures in front of him, but it is a losing battle. The thoughts worm their way back in and soon, he is looking around as if everything is turning against him.
Fifi finally fights off the same voices, and takes a good look at the creature in front of her... and realizes what it is... a huecuva! A creature that denounced its faith in its god in life, and thus has been cursed to unlife as a punishment in death. Even at it claws at her, she can sense the hatred pouring off of it... as if it senses her own piousness... and resents her for still showing the strength it could not. She does not know too much about them, but does recall that its cursed nature makes it particularly hard to damage, without magically enchanted or silver weapons... neither of which she has! She quickly takes up a more defensive posture, her weapon more a distraction than a threat at that point.
Luckily, that shortcoming quickly becomes a non-issue, as Kioshi commands his flaming sphere onto it once more. Skin already burnt and melted from the first contact, finally flare up for good. The huecuva falls to the floor, its desiccated skin going up like a tinder, a greasy black smoke rising up towards the ceiling high above.
The priest, now standing in the middle of the chalk rat drawn on the floor, calls to his god once more, as he stares intently at Londo.
"This country destroyed my family. Now I shall destroy it. Burn it down from the inside out, until it is but the diseased blot in history it deserves!" He screams in rage.
Once again, Londo feels the maddening whispers pressing on his consciousness, trying to force their way in!
- Round 2 -------
Back half: Midge and Londo!
Again, Londo finds his mind assaulted, and again he manages to keep it at bay long enough to bring his axe around, the first swing going well wide... but he's able to recover, and bring it around on the backswing, just over Masym's head, cleaving the remaining huecuva in two. The two halves fall in different directions, a foul black dust leaking out from both sides.
Masym feels the axe sweep over his head, and the voices whispering thoughts in his mind, getting louder, drowning out his own... He tries to kill you... You must kill him... You must kill him first... Before he can kill you! They continue to whisper it, over and over, until he can no longer tell if they're his own thoughts or someone else's... until there is no difference anymore, and he turns on the giant-sized half-orc with a manic look on his face!
- Round 2 -------
- Round 3 -------
With the last huecuva going down, that opens up the init to Everyone but Londo!
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Midge finishes her spell causing a radiant, celestial eagle to appear in the room, just beyond Masym.
Which lets out a loud CAW and attacks the nearest enemy. It swoops at the crazy man's head and tries to claw his eyes out with its talons.
Then Midge hurries into the room, slipping past Londo and Masym.
But a moment later Masym's yelling like a psycho. She turns and looks at him. "Masym? You alright...? WHOAH! Londo's your friend! Remember?"
She turns and scowls at the crazy dude in the middle of the room. "What did you do to him?" she yells. "Leave him ALONE!"
Up the stairs, Midge finishes her spell and a divine avian emissary suddenly appears nearby, diving down towards the priest in the far room, its talons glowing with holy light. The talon nearly takes out the priest's eye, and he instinctively ducks away, but not before the eagle tears a large gash along his temple. Careful of the steep steps, Midge then moves down the stairs into the room to assist, but as she reaches the bottom, the maddening whispers hit her like a physical force. She staggers back for a moment, as he thoughts suddenly start warring with themselves.
Unaware of the battle going on in the minds of his companions below, and with the huecuva gone, Kioshi moves his flaming sphere across the floor towards the Groetian priest in the middle of the room. He sneers at Kioshi's words, easily stepping aside from the slow moving sphere.
"Terror? I don't seek terror, fool!" He cries. "The terrors are already here!"
As Fifi moves in to confront the man direction, he snarls at her, his insane convictions clear. "I seek the utter annihilation of this entire cesspool of a country! A reward far past due!" His heavy armor is more than a match for the paladin's scalding hot scimitar, easily deflecting her blade, and he laughs even harder.
Masym, his mind not his own, turns on Londo, sure that the man has betrayed you all somehow, though the mendevian veteran easily turns the spear aside, he realizes his size, and Masym's suddenly divided loyalties make it hard to easily get into the room beyond!
Unfortunately, whatever voices have twisted Masym's mind, also have worked their way into Midge's! The little halfling yells for Masym to stop, as the voices start to whisper into her ear. He has turned on you all. They're working together! You flirted with that?! She too is suddenly overcome with an urge to defend her comrades... but to defend them by killing Masym before he can do more harm!
In the room above, Marcus's terror finally starts to ebb, as he finds himself at the base of the ladder, about to clamber up into the warehouse, while his friends fight on down below without him!
Not done, the priest steps to the side, away from Fifi, though still within range of the divine messenger clawing at his face. He ignores the bird as its talons scrape ineffectively off his armor, and casts another spell, glaring towards Londo.
Londo once again feels the voices in his mind... but this time not whispering, but reminding... reminding him of horrors and atrocities long past, of allies turning on innocents and each other... memories he has tried to forget and put behind him.
Old fears start to well up to the surface almost uncontrolled...
- Round 3 -------
- Round 4 -------
Party is up!
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Midge's eagle flies in place then tries to bite the man.
Meanwhile, Midge gives in to the whispers...
"Leave them alone!" Midge shrieks at Masym. "I'll... I'll... I'll kill you before I let you hurt them!"
Midge pulls out her morningstar and swings it at Masym!
But she whacks him in his armour, leaving him completely unharmed!
If there is another creature in the way of your bull rush, you must immediately make a combat maneuver check to bull rush that creature. You take a –4 penalty on this check for each creature being pushed beyond the first. If you are successful, you can continue to push the creatures a distance equal to the lesser result.
As the celestial bird fades away, Fifi finds herself fighting the priest alone. She manages to strike him with her heated blade, burning a small line, but as usual, no actual physical damage, and he suddenly smiles.
"Oh... a Sarenrite, is it?" He says to her, almost sounding pleased. "No one has done more to further our cause than the Dawnflower, and those who follow her!"
He steps away and says a quick prayer, and Fifi is dismayed to see the talon wound by his eye heal up, as well as all the bruises she'd just caused. He gives her another grin.
"We have had no greater ally in this fight!"
"Perhaps the Harbinger will look fondly on you..." He adds. "But I doubt it."
"And now your allies destroy each other, as is the long storied history of Taldor."
As if to make his point, Masym sinks his spear into Midge's chest behind them, the smaller halfling only able to wave her morning star around weakly, intent on fighting back, no matter what, as the maddening voices whisper to them both.
Londo has had about enough of being bottlenecked in the stairwell though. The enlarged half-orc lowers his axe to hold it parallel to the ground in both hands, and just pushes right into Masym from behind.
The haft hits him in the small of the back, and he suddenly finds himself staggering forward, his spear pushing Midge along with. Londo can't quite get enough leverage after the steep stairs to push them far, but it is enough to get into the doorway.
In the back of their minds, the voices start calling something else... that there is a bigger danger that needs to be destroyed! Both Midge, and Masym, suddenly turn their wild gazes towards Londo.
Behind them, Marcus doesn't seem to be thinking clearly after the fear fades. He rushes back down the stairs, his sword dropping to the ground with a clang, as he pulls out his bow. He fires one desperate shot down the stairwell, that hits the sloping ceiling, before deflecting down to clatter along the stairs.
- Round 4 -------
- Round 5 -------
Party is up!
Londo will squeeze past Masym and Midge
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Fifi remains silent, not replying to the Groetain priest - instead, her anger seems palpable to everyone, as her fire grows in size, in a red hue.
Realizing the healing capabilities of the enemy, she turns her scimitar in her hand and whispers to herself-"Everlight, forgive this sin. For I fear we might not make it if I do not commit it. I hope you'll be able to understand, my light."
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Midge gasps in pain as Masym thrusts his spear into her side. She presses a hand to her bloody wound. "You... You... I'lll k--" But her words are cut off by Londo shoving her aside. She goes spinning, and stumbling backward. Then she looks at Londo with eyes full of hatred. "YOU! It's YOUR fault!"
She swings her morningstar at Londo as he tries to hurry past.
Seeing he's still standing she swings at him again!
"Take THAT!"
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Marcus makes his way down the stairs further and sees the look in Masym and Midge's eyes. "Oh bugger... OI, MASYM, QUIT IT!"
He attempts to draw him off of Londo's back.
"And Fifi? Now might be a good time to call on your god's power. Nobody here will complain... except the priest... who'll be dead in a minute."
Londo pushes his way through the gap, before the out of her mind Midge can plug it up... but in so doing, exposes himself to both her and Masym. They both seem suddenly very motivated, Midge smashing her weapon across his knee and Masym jabbing him in the side with his spear, as he goes by. Midge is not done either, as the small sorcerer continues slamming her weapon into the far larger target, as if working out some long pent up aggression towards those bigger than her.
The aging veteran grits his teeth from the pain, and tries to cut down the priest causing all of it, but despite putting everything he has into the swing, the blow deflects off the man's plate armor without doing any harm at all.
Kioshi, for the first time, moves out of the stairwell, into the room as well, and is instantly assaulted by the maddening whispers in his head, telling him things, suggesting things... He shakes his head, pushing them aside, and starts an arcane incantation, as cold and ice start to form in a ball in his hands. He hurls the ice ball across the open room, where it strikes the Groetus priest square in the chest, freezing skin and putting a fine layer of frost across his armor.
Coming down the stairs, Marcus fires another arrow, this time at Masym, hoping to draw him away from Londo, not realizing it is the tiny Midge doing the most damage! Despite his caution, his arrow comes very near to skewering Masym in the back! The man instantly turns, and sees the new cause, and rushes forward to attack him instead! He stomps through the doorway, spear in hand, and up the first few steps, intent on destroying the taldan shooting at him, with as much fury as he was trying to destroy Londo only moments before, and Midge before that. But as he raises his spear to thrust, suddenly the whispers stop, as he just sort of stands there a moment, spear poised to strike, a more normal confused look on his face.
Back in the room, the fight rages on though, as Fifi steps up to the priest once more, deciding that perhaps striking for non-lethal damage is not the way to go. The Groetean seems to see that decision on her face, and a cruel smile works its way across his features.
"There she is." He crows.
Fifi doesn't wait for him to say more, thrusting her blade with all the force she can. It pierces his abdomen with ease, the flesh sizzling on the red hot metal.
"There's the Sarenrite we all know you are." He whispers with a triumphant smirk, spitting out a sudden mouthful of blood, as he slides backwards off her sword to collapse to the ground, his breath coming in ragged gurgles, still alive, but unconscious.
Despite him falling, the everpresent whispers in the room do not let up... if anything, they seem more prevalent then before.
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Londo moves to intercept Kioshi - his newfound faith will not allow the murder of a defenseless man even one this awful but he is too late. Too slow. His aching bones - even weaker for that trick he tried to pull unable to stop him.
A look of pure disgust crosses the old veterans face. Kioshi how could you ....after all the work Fifi did to leave him alive...even he could have been redeemed.
Marcus rushes in, full of rage, hoping to find whatever might be causing the effect... but his mind can barely keep the voices at bay as he re-enters the area, only his anger holding it back... but he can feel even that flagging, he's been at it too long, and fatigue is starting to set in... and the voices know it, as they continue to whisper louder and louder. He has no idea what might be causing it, not even knowing what to look for among the priest's possession... or even if there is something to find.
Kioshi has a better solution in mind, as he walks up beside Fifi, pulling out his crossbow and inserting a bolt.
Londo, getting a sense of what is about to happen, tries to stop him, but his wounds and Midge, still trying to break his bones with her morning star slow him down just enough that Kioshi gets off his shot.
The bolt buries itself deeply in the man's heart, and almost instantly, the maddening voices stop.
Midge gasps behind you, her thoughts suddenly her own again, confusion and horror all over her face.
A moment later, you realize the voices are not gone... You can still hear them whispering, just on the edge of your consciousness, but they seem to have been dampened with the priest's demise. You might not even notice them now, if they were not there a moment before.
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Midge looks at the morningstar in her hand as if it has betrayed her. She drops it, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter. Then she staggers back.
"I'm... I'm sorry Londo! I... Oh, what have I done?"
Midge backs herself into a corner of the room, until her back is pressed against the wall. She opens her mouth to speak again and then realizes she's holding her side. She brings her bloody hand to her face and looks at it in confusion for a moment. Then she looks down at the side she was speared in. That Masym speared her in. She glances up at him accusingly.
A moment later her face softens. "Guess I deserved that." She let's out a groan of pain. "Ow! Not exactly the kind of thrusting I was hoping for, Masym." She tries to chuckle, but it turns into a grunt of pain.
Midge pulls out her healing wand and tries to use it on herself.
Then she looks at Londo, clearly guilty. She takes a deep breath and hurries over to him. She looks up (WAY up) at him. "Let me patch you up?" she asks nervously. "I'm SO sorry..."
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Londo gives a kind smile at Midge. It wasn't your fault - truth be told I kinda got you to go after me on purpose...it pains an old man's heart to see kids fight each other. Besides if Me sum gutted you who would I share my pastries and candies with. Londo fishes out the half a Danish he saved from breakfast and splits it once more to share with Midge.
Though ouch. You re pretty good with that morningstar ya know.
Londo still looks a little bit cross with Kioshi but Zarisha now resurfaces he more practical view spilling into his ear about the impermanence and irrelevance of all life. Her despairing truths of nihilism calm him down somewhat.
Well the most obvious things, aside from the dead man on the floor, are the huge pile of crates and barrels on one side, and the three cell doors on the other.
The now dead priest, is relatively young, clad in half-plate armor. An elaborate heavy flail lay on the floor next to him, and a sinister-looking blackened silver skull hangs from a chain around his neck, the symbol of Groetus. As Kioshi searches him, he suddenly feels the maddening voices assaulting his mind once more when his hand brushes up against the holy symbol. He immediately steps away from it, and the voices go back to the faintly heard whispers they were a moment before.
The pile of supplies is quite large and seem to cover a wide gamut of materials, mostly dry goods. About half of them have large red X's painted on the side with a wide brush.
You will also quickly realize that there are people jammed into the cells, all of them huddling in the back, as if trying to get as far from the doors as possible. Perhaps a dozen people in each.