"Ha! Enjoy that, heheh!!!!" chimed Ilquis as he saw that the fighter had fallen prey to his spell.
"So good! I've two of your friends taken cared of feeble humans! I warned you not to disturb me and yet, no one listens to Ilquis. Thats why I don't like your kind. No matter how many times I've seen the wonders of men fall, they can't help but think they're superior until someone like little 'ole me arrives and ruins their day. Your baron, is just like that! Powerless and Weak!"
After delivering his little tirade, only a few targes remained in the room - there was the Dwarf who had actually knicked the fey quite good. And of course..the fetchling, the very race that resisted the disease.
"You...fetchling. Why must you pose a threat? All of your ilk are just feeble minds..ants, drones, sweat off the Baron's throne. What purpose you've here?"
Sanira's eyes narrowed, and despite the blinding brightness of the light, she stared at where she believed the creature to be.
"The shadow-blessed are far from the mindless drones you imagine. We serve a master far greater than any Baron - a master your presence has offended," she paused, but couldn't help to laugh. She stilled the outburst, and continued.
"My purpose is simple - I serve the Midnight Lord's interests. The better question, beast, is what purpose do you serve?"
"Why...my own!"
Satisfied at the temerity of the fetchling, Ilquis's interest in the girl quickly fading.
within the floating sun, he created another swirl of energy which bound straight for Sanira.
"Hate the light, huh? THEN BASK IN YOUR DARKNESS WHELP!!!"
- - -
.
Unlike before, these two shadows seemed particular close. Perhaps its because of their hosts Fane and Oana. The shadows combined together, becoming a more fearsome creature.
He turns his attention to the shadows and rolls his eyes. "Desna laughs at you. Go play somewhere else, pitiful thing."
Surprised to not hear himself speaking, he grimaces. A slight chuckle escaped his lips. "Clever," he says as he steps away from the light.
Shadrick stood helpless as blinding lights assaulted his senses, reducing the powerful fighter to a shaken man before the fey.
Fearn on the other hand tried to fare better. With Ilquis within grasp, he went forward and tried to pluck the lurker in the light from his energy source, but the dwarf's hands grabbed nothing.
Having been successful on her previous attempt, Sanira unleashes her chain once more but alas, the fey was too quick.
Giving Ilquis the opportunity to impair another of Fearn's comrades. Unlike Nicola, a bright energy that contrasted Sanira struck the oracle. In a split moment, All she could see was darkness...her master's domain.
Meanwhile, On the Chandlery Floor the shadows borne from Fane and Oana's dead bodies had formed into a new entity – something more solid and fearsome than the pervious shadow creature.
Presented with a better target, Nicola cackled despite not knowing what he sounded like.
Though his words fell on unaffected ears.
Missing his grasp and falling out of the blinding light, Fearn notices the shadows coalescing. That does not bode well.
"Sanira! Can you handle the shadow?" He asks without much hope.
The world went dark.
But this wasn't the darkness that Sanira was used to. Her eyes struggled to make sense of the blackness, but there was... nothing. Nothing beyond the black. She could sense things moving around her, but strain as she might - it was of no use.
At least that cursed light is gone...
Either the creature had drowned the room in a supernatural darkness beyond even that of her master's domain...
Or the light had blinded her senses. It was unfortunate that the latter seemed so much more likely. She silently muttered a prayer to her master that she'd slowly tear the fey limb from limb in his honor, should Zon-Kuthon feel the desire to guide her through this.
Still, she was not about to show weakness to the outsiders. She turned in the direction she'd last seen the shadow beast.
"How dare you attack the denizens of your Master's lands! Do you truly wish your miserable existence to end with the Midnight Lord's scorn and wrath? A beast of shadow - serving a minion of the light?" She broke into a laughter, half fueled by the growing sensation of dread within her. Sanira was not accustomed to blindness.
"Do your Master some honor. Slay this fey beast in his name, and perhaps he will spare you the torment of his ire!"
"You'll have to try har-ugh!" screamed the lurker in the light as Fearn's massive guantletted hands had found a tight grip against the fey.
Struggling within the paladin's hands, Ilquis tried to squeel out. "YOu!!! HURK!! LEMME GO!! OR I DO SOMETHING BAD!!! HURK!!!"
- - - -
During the cacophony of battle, the Great Shadow had felt a calling from the band of nearby humanoids.
"How dare you attack the denizens of your Master's lands! Do you truly wish your miserable existence to end with the Midnight Lord's scorn and wrath? A beast of shadow - serving a minion of the light?" She broke into a laughter, half fueled by the growing sensation of dread within her. Sanira was not accustomed to blindness."Do your Master some honor. Slay this fey beast in his name, and perhaps he will spare you the torment of his ire!"
Though it didn't speak, it seemed to regard Sanira's plight.
Reaching out its incorporeal hands, it went for the Lurker in the Light.
Though within in your new darkness, it seemed like a figure stood before you - a being wrapped in a blanket of absence, yet at the same time - it felt there.
Having lacked a mouth, you felt like it was communicating with you.
"You...are...kayal."
It went silent before continuing once more. Its voice sounded like whispers of smoke from a tea candle upon a tranquil lake.
"Why....am...I here..?"
Despite the overwhelming darkness that blinded her, it seemed as though a single being stood out in the blackness. Somehow, it called out to her - without words, but directly into her mind.
The very fact that it was projecting its presence despite the blindness was evidence enough to that fact.
She tried to muster her thoughts into something close to a conversational voice.
"You have been given a gift. You have been rent from our home, and given the honor to serve Zon-Kuthon on the mortal plane."
She wasn't sure the beast would understand the more complicated explanation - that he was the spawn of a disease of unknown origin, and surely disapproved of by Zon-Kuthon. Hopefully the short version would suffice.
And it wouldn't try to maul the outsiders. At least, not yet.
"Gift...Zon-Kuthon..."
It sounded curious at the fetchling's response. In her mind, she could see a man folding his arms and tendrils forming up from the person.
"I...will serve...the Midnight..Lord..."
Nicola watches in confusion. He has no idea what's going on anymore.
"Ahaa! Got you you little gnit! Somebody stick him!"
Fearn recoils in horror as the shadow approaches. Half his nature screams, release the fey and flee or fight this dark abomination and half cries out for final justice in the form of Ilquis' blood. Frozen between the two impulses he holds on to the fey.
Shadows they live with here, but Ilquis brings a different sort of trouble. Convinced now that Ilquis is behind the tallowthroat and the death of at least four innocents, Fearn squeezes and hopes he can survive the shadow long enough to see the fey put beyond mischief.
His relief when the shadow strikes at Ilquis is intense. Followed immediately by the realization that if the shadow kills the fey then another undead will be born in his arms. Torag help me.
Already thick into combat and much of the heroes were already at Ilquis' mercy. Nicola had been deafened, Sanira suffered from Blindness and Shadrick was immobile - leaving Fearn to be the proud defender against the fey enemy. Things weren't looking good.
But on the precipice of defeat, Fearn sought the light and embraced it - keeping a tighthold on the elusive Ilquis. Granted this small window of opportunity, the paladin held onto the lurker with everything he had.
Sanira, being a kayal and born from darkness attempted to reason with the creature. Though the dialogue was short, she seemingly encouraged the Greater Shadow to attack its mortal enemy - the Light. In mere moments, the newly formed dark being reached out and pierced the tiny heart of the Luker, causing Ilquis to scream in horror.
"YOU!!! NO SHADOW ATTACKS ME!!! ARGHH!!!! LEMME GO!!!"
As the Lurker in the Light was held in Fearn's tight grasp, Nicola took a defensive posture and keep his eyes focused on the battle before him. Fortunately for Shadrick, he could feel his senses coming back.
As his senses returned to him, he was, needless to say, a little addled. His mouth was filled with something now, and it tasted of metal. Oh wait, that's right, he'd bit the edge of his tongue rather deeply to cause that.
Gripping his scythe, he turned around, a bit slowly. Things sort of happened in slow motion. Sanira seemed to be having trouble swinging her weapon, and if he'd been able to hear, Nikola also looked as addled as he was. He couldn't hear much for a ringing in his ears, and the colors still faded from his vision every now and then.
Finally, the lights faded, and, although slow, a shadow pierced what appeared to be air. Fearn was... hugging something. He seemed to be preoccupied with whatever it was.
Oh that's right, they were fighting an invis- Fearn had the murderer in his arms.
With that thought, Shadrick swiftly raised his weapon, and charged the dwarf, making it a point to try and not hit his hands. On his first step near the dwarf, he spat the pint of blood that had collected in his maw, completely glazing both the Dwarf and the bastard in his arms.
And then he brought down his weapon.
He cleaved as he spat, and he spat as he cleaved. The pain in his tongue invigorated him, and the sight of so much blood, whether it was his own or not, still excited him. He'd be even more-so if they could finally tear a bit of life's nectar out of this irritating killer of women... Who knows. When everyone had left, he might even do a little torturing of his own.
Grapple to hold Ilquis (CMB, str damage, grapple bonus)
The dwarf watches with a combination of elation and alarm as Shadrick swings the scythe at him and Ilquis. Clutching the fey, Fearn lurches away from the shadow toward his hammer.
With her spatial awareness quickly failing, Sanira tried to work her way towards where she'd last seen a wall. Bumping into it a little harder than she'd intended, she put her back against it and gripped her weapon. Hopefully she wouldn't have to flail it around like a fool.
As Ilquis was separated from his blinding sun, it became apparent that he was in the hands of his enemies - the very folks he pissed off. Reasoning couldn't be had, and the Luker's options were running out. Whether death by the humanoids or being drained by the Greater Shadow, Ilquis had to decide something.
"DAMN SHADOW. YOU SUPPOSED TO STAY IN BODY, NOT POP OUT! HM!! DWARF!!! LEMME GOO!!!!" roared the lurker as he struggled within Fearn's mighty grip.
- - -
In its single toned vision, the Greater Shadow bound once more for the Lurker in the Light. Reaching now with an array of tendrils, its struck towards the direction of Ilquis, enjoying the torment on the creature's soul.
Within the darkness that plagued your senses, you could hear the Greater Shadow speak a litany of anger towards the polar enemy.
"I am the absence of light, the silent fear that always hangs on, ever so watchful of your every step. But you cannot escape me! Your very presence upsets me, and you will be crushed..."
"Ahhgh! Come back you damned sprite!" Fearn curses as Ilquis twists free.
Drawing a starknife from his belt, Nicola hurls it at his target-- the floating sun.
It spins completely off balance. With a shrug, Nicola gives the sun a disparaging and irreverent hand gesture.
Shadrick, who just recovered from a malady contributed to the forray that stood before him. Bathing both the paladin and the lurker in blood, he follows suit and lands a scintillating blow that only adds more discomfort to the fey creature.
As the fighter maimed Ilquis, Fearn held onto for dear life. In no way would he let go of something the party tried to so hard to capture.
As combat proceeded, Sanira stumbled to where she believe was a nearby wall, hoping to seek cover from the fight.
Just as the heroes were granted a small opportunity, Ilquis was the superior combatant. Though removed from his sun, he managed to break the paladin's hold and fluttered 5ft above the heroes. ”You won't get me so easily! Bah! Not even your best could thwart me, mwuahahahaha!!!!”
Meanwhile, the Greater Shadow reached out once more...but missed the agile lurker.
Understanding that Ilquis had broken free, Nicola scurried to toss whatever he could at the liberated lurker. Drawing upon a starknife, the favored weapon of the Lady of Luck, he hoped with all his might that he could land a blow on Ilquis. But, the creature was too fast, and Nicola's projectile missed and landed towards the far end of the room where the vats resided.
Looking high up, Shadrick's head was woozey. The amount of blood he'd use no doubt came straight from his head, but that was a given. Regardless, Ilquis's concealment was squandered, whether he was in the sun or not.
Jumping rather high, Shadrick swung with his scythe, but the delirium from the blood loss was a bit too much, and he missed, but only slightly.
Fearn scoops up his hammer. A faint satisfied sigh escapes his lips as he hand wraps around the worn leather grip. Looking up he sees Shadrick's scythe slice wide. "Keep on him, Mavis. I can't reach him, but I'll watch the shadow."
Sanira keeps near the wall, half expecting her vision to return at any moment.
It doesn't. Somehow, the darkness is almost comforting, despite her inability to do much.
Nicola stares at the blood-soaked fey for an instant before signing an arcane symbol and closing his fist.
"Choke on this," he mutters, unaware he's audible at all.
-
<--- thats a nope on you Nicola.
Freed from the Paladin's grasp and well about the heroes' grasp, Ilquis returned to his mocking before acting again.
"YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!!! CAN GO AND JUST DIE!!! I'VE HAD IT HERE WITH THIS STUPID LITTLE HOVEL!!! YALL CAN DEAL WITH THE SHADOWS YOURSELVES, IM HEADING BACK TO THE WOODS!!!"
- - -
The Greater Shadow loomed, chasing after its mortal enemy which seemed to float around like a spec of annoying blinding light.
Shadrick after dealing a good amount of damage before hand tried an another attack. Swinging upward with his dangerous weapon, he had hoped to clip the elusive fey, but the warscythe only caught the air.
Fearn, playing the part of the dwarven defender shifted and reclaimed possession of his favorite war hammer. Keeping a watchful gaze, the paladin readied himself should the Greater Shadow harm his allies.
Despite being in her element, Sanira knew well that not all her actions translated well within her current darkness. Still clinging to the nearby wall, she was at the mercy of the outsides and the wicked fey.
But it was here during combat that Ilquis did something unexpected. Outnumbered, withered and slowly running out of options, he fluttered towards the floating orb that seemed to hang in balance. Calling out some parting words, Ilquis and the Floating Sun vanished from site, returning the Chandlery Work Floor to its current dim candlelit environment.
The Greater Shadow, which seemed to hunt after the fey stood dumbfounded as the Lurker in the Light was no longer there. Though inaudible, Sanira could feel its agitation and frustration. It seemed to float, as it waiting for something.
Nicola, tried pulling off a spell before Ilquis fluttered away but lacking one of his senses, it was a challenge for him to cast.
Know(religion) :
Spellcraft : best I have to figure out what Ilquis did.
"Nicola, take Sanira out of here. Ilquis, can you stand against this shadow?"
"If it's incorporeal, do we need magic to harm it?" he asks, hoping that someone else can answer. Then he realizes... he's deaf.
"I'm deaf," he says out loud to everyone else. "So if you're talking to me, stop."
He readies to stop the shadow if push comes to shove, drawing the mirrored paper again and holding it up to refresh the spell across his allies.
.
Sanira pushes herself off the wall, offended, and trying not to lose her bearings as she does so.
"What exactly does that mean, dwarf?"
Nicola's own plight would have been humorous if she hadn't been incapacitated herself. Still, she wanted to show as little weakness before the outsiders as possible...
Fearn's eyes flick away from the shadow to glance at Nicola and Sanira. "What that means is that there's no use having 5 shadows if we fail to put this one down. This thing could kill everyone in town, including the shadow-blessed. It's got to die a true death. I don't want anyone who can't defend themselves at risk."
Nicola catches Fearn's look. "I said I'm deaf! Stop talking to me. Act, damn it!"
In your present state, the shadow could be felt at a short distance away . To you, it now took the form of a large wolf and it was discerning the air for a trace of Ilquis.
"A pity. My touch would have finished him..."
Despite having shifted forms within your perception, the voice remained the same - whispy and forlorn.
Your skin grows cold, and chilling sensation runs along your spine as the Greater Shadow turns around to face the heroes.
"These....light bringers...tell me..kayal, what are they to you?"
The Greater Shadow loomed within the room, a gaseous cloud of death that clung to the still air of the Chandlery work floor. Devoid of the lurker in the light, the heroes were presented the remaining peril of the Greater Shadow.
It didn't make any threatening gestures, but it seemed to be probing the air with several murky tendrils.
Ignorant to the situation, Shadrick bit his tongue again, this time to test the severity. The rush of the sting was painful, but it had certainly started to clog, so he was in no immediate danger.
Looking at the shadow, Shadrick turned to look at Fearn, realizing there was a good chance his weapon was capable of harming the thing. As he attempted this, he was confused. Would this even work?
Regardless, he tried it anyway, dropping to the ground and landing on his heel, spinning ridiculously quick with his scythe.
In an attempt to trip the shadow.
"If it falls! Beat it back! It cannot be allowed to harm the populace! We end it here, staggered or not!" he yelled at the Dwarf, spinning around to see whether or not he'd been successful.
Shadrick's weapon flourished with ease at the arrogant warrior whipped with such grace, catching the Greater Shadow off balance, sending it to the ground. If the monster had a face, it would be sneering.
"Good man!" Fearn drives forward swinging his hammer.
+1 War hammer ... damage
In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.