Rowan, seeing the Dawnbringers charge into battle, knows in her heart that she must continue their mission and leave the battle to their magnificent Officers and Calvary. Her talk with Nurah was not forgotten. She turned to her companions and motions to the vault. "Let us search this vault. Perhaps the source of this corrupting undeath lies within and I know we have the means of seeing it vanquished forever. Prepare my companions and let us cleanse this evil place."
Julian nods to Rowan and pulls out some extracts for Tarov. "Made these just for you my friend." A small smile was on the tieflings face as he handed them over.
With that he nods to Rowan and readies himself allowing the paladin to lead the way, having learned his lesson over the last few times that he wasn't a very strong scout...
Tarov tucks the extracts into his belt, nodding his thanks to Julian. Gripping his weapon, the dwarf stretches and prepares to head into the vault. "Stay sharp, I got a bad feelin' 'bout this place."
"Lets see if I can get it open. Cover me..."
Seeing the imposing gateway Julian sheathed Einherjar and drew out his masterwork tool and got straight to work disabling the locking mechanism...
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Seeing the unlocked doors Julian takes the time to down his mutagen and reveled in the feeling of his form breaking free once more. Half his body becoming demonic and his horns jutting out further as his eyes became a red and silver in color glowing in the shadowy confines of the crypt. His left hand occasionaly leaking falmes from the mutated demonic flesh.
He looked to his companions and nodded to the door. "I wonder if there are stairs on the other side. It wasn't unsurprising to have catacombs for burying more of the dead beneath the earth. But just in case..."[b] He takes the time to cast Blur on himself and keeps Einherjar at the ready. [b]"Let's do this!"
Tarov pops the stopper out of one of the extracts Julian gave him and downs the contents. Tucking the bottle back into his belt, his hands squeeze his weapon as he readies to lead the charge into the room.
"Stay close an' keep yer eyes open," the dwarf says, his face a mask of concentration.
Rowan tucks in besides Tarov leaving Julian in the lead as she casts a spell to protect her from evil. A radiance glowed from beneath her chainmail as she called upon Iomedae's divine protection in his shadowy abyss of a graveyard vault. "Right behind you Julian."
Rowan calls out a challenge in celestial, angling her sword and designating the winged abomination before as the focus of her goddess wrath. She intended to smite this abomination so that they could proceed onward into the vault...
As her sword starts to glow she speaks to Tarov, unsure if Julian spoke celestial. "Advance and destroy it, let Iomedae and the goods of righteousness guide your strikes Stalwart!" With that she moves with Tarov, guarding his side and raising her shield to defend as they move into the room together.
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Seeing the glow flowing over Einherjar from Rowans chanting makes the demonic beast within Julian strain at the chains his reason had restrained it with. He smiles wickedly at the creatures wretched attempt to harm him and laughed in a sinister echoing laugh. "My Turn!"
He reached his foe, blowing past its reach if it had any as he closed to deal it one harsh blow after another, he spun in the air. His blade screamed as he tore at its flesh and wing alike. The mutagen burned in his veins leaving him feeling almost invincible as he through all his gracefulness behind his strikes. He relied on his blurred form to avoid the worst of his opponents attacks as he sought to destroy it!
Tarov roars as the creature darts around. Stuck on the ground, he begins to bang the haft of his weapon against his armor as he moves closer to the creature. "Bring it down, Julian! We'll dogpile th' bastard!"
Effects: Stance of the Silver Crane, Flank Shield (6/6 minutes), Inspire Courage +2
Reach: 10 ft.
Manuevers and Stances:
. . [maneuvers] enduring crane strike [1/1], blessed pinions [1/1], raging hunter pounce [1/1], sanguine barrier [1/1], silver knight's blade [1/1]
. . [stances] eyes of the crane, silver crane waltz, stance of the silver crane [1]
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He fluttered to the left, opening up the enemy as Tarov's encouragement was answered by Julian pressing his hand and sliding it across the flat side of his blackblade and infusing Einherjar with a part of his spirit once more. The holiness he inherited from his mother. This infusion made Julian's blows all the more telling as he unleashed another flurry of strikes and in the midst of which he cast a spell. The air cooled dramatically just before he delivered the spell through his now Holy Einherjar. His form wavered and blurred and in the span of a single breath he tore into his opponent once more.
Current Effects: Proteection from Evil +2 AC, +2 save vs mind effects from evil creatures and protection from summoned creatures.
Bless: +1 Attack bonus
Rowan lowered her sword arm and attempted to call upon a magical incantation so she could scorch the undead with flaming missiles. Only to have it back fire and cover her casting hand in liquid flame. Which she quickly whipped to the ground to remove the possibility of burning herself.
Round 3
Tarov continues to beat his weapon against his breastplate below the flying creature, unable to engage it directly. The tip of his spear never strays from its target.
Effects: Stance of the Silver Crane, Flank Shield (6/6 minutes), Inspire Courage +2,
Reach: 10 ft.
Manuevers and Stances:
. . [maneuvers] enduring crane strike [1/1], blessed pinions [1/1], raging hunter pounce [1/1], sanguine barrier [1/1], silver knight's blade [1/1]
. . [stances] eyes of the crane, silver crane waltz, stance of the silver crane [1]
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Julian lands, his form still blurred as he skips back a step before pulling out a bomb and burns the corpse of his foe with the chemical compound. Once satisfied he steps up and relieves it of its head with Einherjar.
With a pleasured growl he kicks the severed head aside and looks about at the still dancing shadows. "It remains desecrated... Perhaps Sosiel has a means to lift this... Let us look about in case there is something more simple at work...
He keeps Einherjar drawn as he strolls around the shadow filled place trying to pierce the shadows with his demon tainted eyes...
Rowan, with her sword still drawn joins Julian in searching the rest of the vault. She couldn't help but keep a pace behind him though, so that she could keep an eye on his transformation. She didn't quite trust it after the display of barbarity to his fallen foe, however his quick work in defeating it outweighed the risks.
"Sosiel shall be overworked if we don't learn to cope soon. BUt you are right, we cannot allow this darkness to linger." Especially if that beast was a result of such malignant decay...
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Julian, noticing the paladins reluctance, grunting in displeasure at Rowan as he taps a corpse with his boot. His voice was rough and calm as he spoke. "Fear not... I remain in control despite the urge to inflict carnage on those that threaten us..." He turns and faces her, his pupiless eyes stared right at here as he clenched his demonic hand into a fist. "Despite our rage we have one purpose. To destroy demons, crush the those responsible for the Worldwound and their ambitions." His smirk was all his own as he added. "Now... I'll gather this up. Get Sosiel so we can be done with this place. We have a city to retake... Right Stalwart!" His bellow was loud and clear, his body felt like a tensed coil ready to spring at the chance to
"So long as you can control yourself then I will trust you." Her voice was stern but she smirked as added. "Just don't let it get to your head, not every enemy is so tame as this Julian. We were lucky, that is all. Remember that next time you charge ahead. However..." She looked to the grim task ahead of her companion, digging through the corpses of the fallen and gathering what was once another's. A grim task she didn't relish in the slightest. "Thanks and I will seek Sosiel. Be careful though as I do not trust this place..."
She turns and heads out, looking for Sosiel in the midst of the ensuing chaos of battle. She doesn't go unarmed though and strides off into the field with Sword and Shield in hand.
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Sosiel's reach Julian, who had just finished taking the items from the fallen. "Faith..." He touches his mothers Starknife, taking a moment to pay proper homage to the dead. The forgotten corpses filled him with a sense of rage tempered by his powerful reason. He would never know them but it did not mean he could not ensure their final resting place was as clean as he could manage.
He casts Arcane mark and flies to the roof where the center of the darkness effect was. He placed Starsong's symbol there and marked it as her place before landing again, his wings scattering dustupward before he cast his potent magics to grab hold of the filth around him. The air hummed as he moved his hands in a sweeping motion, driving out the filth, cleaning off sculptures, cleaning walls and slowly erroding the presence of years of defilement. "In the name of the Great Dreamer I mark this place as hers, for what is death but another path we walk during our journey through existence through the spheres. I will not let this darkness shroud this truth." As he spoke his cloak took on the constelations above which pulsed with dim light in the darkness of the vault.
He continues this for as long as it takes to remove the filth and right the inside of the forsaken vault. Throughout his castings he took the time to place Starsong's symbol on every wall he passed. "Let it be known that should I fail I will return to see this place free of corruption." He continues to perform a slow dance, moving his hands in motion and casting spells such as gust of wind to expel the dust out of the vault.
NOdding to Sosiel. "It appears then that we will have to return once we have the power to combat this evil. I, like you, do not lack in faith but my power too is..." She pauses when she starts seeing the dust and filth start to gather and retreat out of the vault. It is then that she notices Julian doing what he can to clear the filth out of this shadowy vault. She sighs before nodding to Sosiel. "The next time we send a messenger or others back across the lines for supplies we need to ensure we order the necessary scrolls to reclaim this place for our own. Rest or rejoin the fight as you so choose Sosiel." She took some time to decide her next move...
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Rowan left Julia to his work and rejoined the battle with her sword in hand. "Come Stalwart! The ghouls await our blades this day!" Despite them being on foot, they made good time to reach the front line and join the Dawnbringers as they eradicated the undead menace.
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Seeing the darkness abate some Julian went about removing the corpse of their fallen enemy and leaving it outside. He then arranged the long dried bodies cleanly in the center of the second room, he uses his mending magic to restore their tattered clothing to a more functional form. "I will return..." He moves to the head of the corpses and pulls out his mother's starknife, jamming it between the cracked stones in the floor so it stood upright like a headstone cross for the unknown fallen. "That I promise."
Once all of that was finished he moved to the entrance of the vault and closed it behind them, locking the doors before flying off into the battle alongside his comrades!
Tarov rushes to join the Dawnbringers in battle, not content to let them fight alone against their undead foes.
Having secured victory Rowan stood among the mounted Paladin's, wishing in a small part that she had a mount to join the glory of the charge. But thankful that their army had come out with minimal losses.
Amidst the chaos she found Irabeth and congratulated her on her recent victory. "Praise be to the Inheritor for granting us the strength of arms today and for granting me the luck of knowing such a strong sword sister!" She slapped Irabeths armored leg as she surveyed the clean up and thoroughness of ensure the undead stayed down. "I believe we should prepare for battle in the morning and save the troops strength for then. Do you agree?" The question was for her nearby companions as well as Irabeth or her fellow officers.
Once a decision was made she nodded and looked to Tarov.
"This time we target the crusader arms they have captured, its high time someone liberate them eh?" Her smile was wide as she was still intoxicated with the exhilarating feelings of victory. No matter how minor it was it was still victory.
She visits the prisoners, carefully sifting through those that could be saved and separating them from those who were truly lost. Not all freely choose this life, many were forced believers because they had no where else to turn to. Let us and our crusade be that hand that pulls them back into the light. She did keep an eye out for even those that in there darkness revealed there was a modicum of good still in them. Though this conversion process was lengthy it was worthwhile, especially if she succeeded in saving even one of the prisoners.
"Iomedae and the gods of light are different as they want free thinkers, innovators and warriors for the greater good. The Masters of the Abyss want only cannon fodder and tools to advance their own agenda. With them you will never be an equal, you will always be lesser, expendable and replaceable. That is not existence, that is merely waiting for the executioners axe to fall when they see no more use in you. A much more fulfilling existence lies in the gods of light."
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He removed aghouls head from its shoulders before ramming Einherjar threw its eye just to make sure. He looked to the Paladins as they cleaned up the enemy corpses. "Lets pile them high and burn them lest their corpses spread disease..." He made sure to intone it more as a suggestion and not a command, he wasn't about to lose what little respect he may have garnered from the Paladins of the Dawnbringers so far.
He nodded in agreement with Rowan's suggestion. "Better to not push our luc..." He grunted as his mutation began to wear off, his demonic forms starting to reverse to its former form. His speech was interrupted by grunts and short grinding of his teeth as he looked to Tarov. "As Stalwart pointed out before. Capturing that gear will give us the edge we need, these undead bastards were nothing more then the warm up. Now... We get serious. Although..." He hold sup part of the undead's wing membrane. "I am hoping this gives me a new alchemical reaction."
Tarov nods, grimacing at the blood and filth coating his previously shiny armor. "There's more t' do today, yet," he agrees.
She isn't speaking about just the success of the crusade or even the capture of Drezen. She has some sort of plan that requires more then just the Dawnbringers to see it succeed.
Rowan found the time before the next strategy meeting to sit down and write out several letters, each with same message targeting multiple individuals in the Dawnbringers. By the end of it she had used nearly ten pages in all to create them and was satisfied with her work. She took the sigil from her sword pommel and imprinted each of the letters with fresh wax to seal them.
That night before bedding down she performed her nightly prayers, hoping that Iomedae would grant them yet another victory. Not about the battle on the morrow but for those they held prisoner, she hoped that they would see a path better suited for them. Whether it was under Iomedae or another's hand mattered little compared to being under the yolk of Abyssal enslavement. And that she survive to see her promise to Nurah through to its completion.
Having stripped the mutant ghoul of many excellent alchemical components the night before, Julian was in high spirits as he joined his companions for the morning briefing prior to committing to the next phase in their operation. All of his extracts and mutagens were prepped and his appearance was sharp as ever.
Rowan awoke early in the morning, beginning with her martial exercises followed swiftly by her casting rituals. Today was different as she started practicing old rituals she had learned from her mother in the early years. Rituals she had yet to master until this morning and now she was another step closer to reclaiming her birthright.
She called her officers together, Nurah included this time, so they could discuss there next plan of attack...
Once everyone was gathered she pulled out there map and detailed the plan...
"Today we will be marching into Southbank, we cannot make a move on Ahari Bridge or Paradise Hill without ensuring our southern flank is clear of threats. We will rely on our mages to counter enemy spells and once we have taken Southbank of Drezen we will open up the number of routes we can take before storming Drezen proper." She indicates the multitude of buildings, streets and other cramped environments they'd be dealing with. "I suggest we strike quickly and scatter them before they can rally in decent numbers, it is likely they have demons to support them. So do not take them lightly. We will take prisoners, no cutting down those that surrender willingly. Remember that most of these Cultist supporters may be nothing more then the previous inhabitants of Drezen who were trapped here when the fortress fell."
This was the hardest part, the difficulty in asking her officers, let alone the soldiers that made up the Dawnbringer ranks, to be merciful when in the heart of enemy territory was asking them to put themselves at grater risk. "I ask this of each of you. This will be one of our greatest tests of Faith yet. We cannot assume that every foe we face is a willing supporter, they may be forced to fight and we must consider this. However we will need these survivors if we plan to hold Drezen once this is over. When we succeed today though, not only will we have taken the southern part of Drezen and a good portion of its army down with it but we will have captured the resources and armaments to augment our forces more effectively against the Worldwound threat. Any questions?"
"Then we need t' strike hard an' fast," Tarov states. "Th' sooner we lay 'em low, th' better. If yer out t' minimize casualties, though, stay vigilant," the dwarf warns. "E'en if they are bein' forced, there's no sayin' they'll honestly surrender, rather than bidin' their time t' stab us in th' back."
Rowan nods in agreement with Tarov and considers what Anevia has laid out. "I agree Stalwart, hence why it is difficult to ask this of our soldiers." She looked to Irabeth then. "Command the Dawnbringers to engage the cultists first. Once they are brought low we will turn our attention to the Tieflings. Let us hope they are slow to react to their comrades plight. Julian and Avarashnial, do you have anything you can add to our offensive?"
Julian nods as he reads over his latest spell. "I have a spell that may affect the cultists more then my brethren who are far more resistant to fire. However I believe we can counter their spellcasters if that presents itself. Other then that I am in agreement, take out the cult followers and crush my bow wielding brethren right after."