"sinful thoughts"
Brevon is blinded by a flash of nauseating gray light--the color of rain in a cemetery. He is suddenly standing waist deep in the river near his home. Once he used these waters to baptize congregants into the faith. Once he used them for something far worse...
Darling. Zeldara's voice gurgles up from beneath the surface. With it comes the smell of death.
"No!" he moans in utter dread.
A memory, I need a memory! Think, think!
In a panic, he tries to recall his dreams. But all he can see is the demon. An enormous web. The river water. Darkness. Death. And a face, barely visible, floating in the depths of memory. Under the water. A face he has tried desperately to forget, for every time he envisions her he is wracked with guilt.
And another memory comes to mind. She, coming to bed, wandering the darkened hall of their home. She carried a single candle. It's flame illuminated her face as she peeked into his study. He, deep in thought, barely noticing her. Come to bed, she said. In a minute, he replied. The look of disappointment on her face. Goodnight, she said, snuffing out the candle.
"Be Gone!" he roars, clenching his fists to the side of his head. Above, he thinks he feels the warmth of the sun on his helmet. It washes over him, traveling down his back, arms, legs, and into the tips of his fingers and toes.
He blinks, returned to the fight. He rushes forward, cleaving at the demon closest to Elriel.
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----
After thinking for a bit Rukzha comes up with some information. "Like all demons these are resistant or immune to elemental damage. They might be closer to dead than living though, the way they use dead bodies to their bidding. Like undead they are harmed by positive energy and use negative energy to drain the life out of their enemies. Steel your minds to avoid succumbing to their power. The bloated corpses they inhabit makes them slow to react though, making them weak to spells that require good reflexes to avoid."
"As for the plan, if we could catch them unaware that would be great. Let's do this." Rukzha is eager to yet again test out her magic against these hated foes. "Oh, Arrika. I'll lend you some of my power. That should make it easier for you to deceive them." She clutches the two days old scar on her upper arm.
----
Rukzha once again chants the guttural tones accompanying her magic. She draws forth a tiny clump of spider web from the pouches around her waist. Her guttural chanting is acompanied by animated movements as she reaches around herself as if for a big hug.
-
"B̶̛̫̠̃ͥ͆̈͑̋͌̕ĭ̸͉̦͇̩̳̯̹ͦ͐ͪ͌ͪͪ̃͟͝ņͨ̆̑̐̀͏̸̯̞̬d̢̗̫̤͈̅̌ͨ̃̇ ͖͖̙̟̤̥̬̭̿ͥ̿̓͟l̤̈́̈̀̎ͩ̋ͩͦ͝i̤̠̓̏̈́̎m̿̆̍ͨ̽͏͓̗̭̱͜b̨̰̊ ͐ͧ̾̂̑͆͛̇҉̨̛͓̝͉̠͕a̴͕̖͇̮̘͓ͦͨͦͥ̒͊͜͝ṉ̷̷͈̭̤͔̈́̌͑͡ͅd̖̠̟̦̮̭̳̮̏ ͖̝̳̖̰ͥ̽̑͜͠mͣͨͮ҉͖͉i̷̸̩͚̭̾̄n̵̥̝͇͎͓̼̮̠̤̆̀͋͗̕ḏ̵̵̺̾͂̄ͭ̒̀,͊҉̛̯͙̤̥͘ ̲̠̖̪͖͖͙̿͐ͩͬͨ̃̏̇n̷̡̤̘̾̀̂ͧ̃͌ͪ̒̚ŏ̝͎͈̻̻ͥ̚ ̹̫̘͈̯̬̠͓̦̉͐ͨͦ̔ͦ̆e̱̘̗͖̤̠͂̌̐ͫ̈́̎ͮ̕ͅś̩̰̹̬̤̮̘͛͋͒͡cͣͫ҉̣͖̱a̰͕͚̗͇̺̝͔͌̀͢p̄̾̌̎ͤͫ҉͇̘̟ ͚ȩ̪̌̄́ ̡̫̠̺̦͇̻͂͆̏̍͂̄͆̅̂͘f̸̺͍͓͉́͂r̛̝͚̝̻ͧͭ̾̀͊̌ͣ̆͜o̒ͫ̑̈͟҉̷͚͎͙m͊͐̋̀ͪ̈҉̲͓̹̰̰͓̯͍̻ ̟̭̘͚̦̻̫̃̋̑̀m̷̵͎̺̙͖͋̾ͤ̑y̍ͧ͏̬̳̩͖͍̼̼̜ ̗̙͉ͣ̃ͯ̌̈͐͆ͮ̕̕͠ͅt̩̠̠̬̆̅́̕r̺̦̳͈̗̺̜̦̿ͪ̄͋͛͐͒̂́͠ả̵̫̬̯̺́̎͒̋ͭ̾p̰̰̰͉̌̇̇͝,̴̴̛ͣͤ͊̒̾̚ ͈̣̰̱͇̳̬̝ ͕͚͍̥̣̹͚́s̥̪̹̘̣̫̲͒̂̑̾ͮ͊̏̉͞t̴̋̈́ͤ̔̃͏̣͠u̵̡̠͚̻͇̯̼͈͎͛ͦ͑̔̈́͐͛͋͛͡ͅç̝̤̖͌͒͑̐k̟ͥ͡͞ ̛̖̪̭͎̱̓ͧͤ̒̏ͯͩ̄yͫͫ̏ͪͯͪ͆̚҉͍͙̹̟͞͠ô̿ͬ́͏̥̦̠͇̳͔̪͕ȕ̂ͤͬ̈́̎͒͛̀͏̖̞̦ͅ ̸̻͚͍̖͐ͧ̅̋̋̈ͫ͋̒͘a̡͚͔̙̗̺͑̊̌́̑̎ͣ̇̇́ͅr̢͚͎̩̮̗̳̲̦͗͆̑ͯ̃̑͑ͥ̚e̪̰̰ͧͭ ͇͈̭̐̂̅́i͐̃̾҉̘̟̤͍̣̺n̠̼̙̝͉̭̥̲ͤ̎̉ͧ̾̚ ̶̩̞̹́̌̿̕͠m̯̺̱̱̖̬̞̈̃͆ͤ̌ͤ͂ý̳̳͑̕͞ ̱̞̥͙̳̫̣͕̓̋̋w̢̛̩̹̣̜͙̰͇̺̉̏̃͋̿ͤ̑e̴͂͏̰̯̗̥̜b̷̜͈ͯͤͭ̅̈́ͧ̑̀͘"
-
Once she's done her hand is empty, but the battlefield is filled with large sticky threads that tries to entrap the demons.
No...no, put it out, Her feet blister in the flames as her arms struggle ineffectually against the cruel grip of the ropes binding them behind her. The flames reach out mid-dance, tug playfully at the hem of the dirty linen shift being turned into her burial shroud. Tearfully, frantically, her voice rises from the pyre that grows to consume her. And Arrika watches as Lora Shappok begs for mercy, pleads for forgiveness for her father's sins.
Other pyres surround her, a ring of death where she sublimely holds court. The sacred sister who'd caned her for stealing a coin from the collection basket watches in terror as the torch reaches for her next. Two boys who'd pulled her fiery red hair, mocked her for her witch blood, stand tied together, their jibes turned to cries. The pack of hounds that had chased her when she tried to run from her escort to Kenabres sits caged, whimpering and matching the flames' burning licks with their own cool, soothing ones. A host of southrons - all the cruel glares and nervous stares she can remember from a lifetime as an outcast - take it in turns to walk a bed of coals, yelping with the pain as they go.
Kelumarion rises from beside her, and the warm glow of his coat has a sickly greenish cast. His tail has turned to a snapping viper, and his eyes glow with the deep, undulating red of the coals the southrons pace over. No...this isn't right... No, I... They were prejudiced, certainly, even cruel sometimes, but they don't deserve this...no one deserves this... And in an instant, as if rushing to quell her moment of mercy, all the flames grow, consume, converge, meeting at her heart that smoldered in secret for so long...
No! she cries aloud, and in an instant, the Grey Garrison comes back into focus - though the pain of the fire still lingers in her chest. Kelumarion stares at her in concern, and she manages a small, weak smile. Send them back, she murmurs, and with a touch Kelumarion's snout glows with holy power. As he jumps forward and opens up on the leftmost demon, Arrika summons her energy and takes a step forward herself, putting both entrapped demons in the reach of her spear.
Brevon moves forward quickly, healing his wounds in the process, and slashes against one of the demons, causing old and partially coagulated blood to spill. From this new wound, he is able to see both human and demons flesh being rendered. Soon after Rukzha creates one of her webs, trapping both the demons and Brevon, even if the paladin is able to completely avoid its effects.
After having his jaws enhanced by Arrika's magic, Kelumarion bites and claws at the trapped enemy, almost dropping the demon. Elriel strikes with both his swords. His first attack fails as the sword slips from his hand and falls to the ground, while the second one meets the desired destine. Irabeth moves quickly towards the almost slain demon, fully aware that it would be able to heal itself if not stopped and, with a powerful and wide slash, finished the foul creature.
The remaining demon starts to convulse and faster than any of you can react he devours the 'meat-suit' that once was Lord Hulrun, healing itself in the process, and revealing its true self: a pallid five-jawed bloated worm. Faster then before, the demon leaves the web behind with no difficulty.
Butterfingers Drop your weapon.
________________________________
Vermlek#1 [43 dmg; unconscious, dying]
Vermlek#2 [8 dmg; grazed (-1)]
Brevon - up
Rukzha - up
Arrika - up
Kelumarion - up
Elriel - up
Irabeth
Panting heavily, Brevon sighs in relief when Irabeth fels the demon in front of him. The wormlike creature that slithers out of the skin suit is nothing short of horrific, and he steels himself to face its true form.
"Don't let it escape!" he bellows, hopping out of the web and maneuvering around beside Elriel.
He raises the scimitar high into the air, twirling it once to capture the sun's reflection, before slicing deeply into the demon's flesh.
Cursing his fumbling of one of his blades, Elriel redoubled his attack.
He slashed with his one sword, nodding as he sees Brevon strike as well.
"It's not going anywhere..."
___________________
Rukzha smiles a grim smile as the strands of her web helps her party take down one of them and stops the other one from using it's magic. Though her smile disappears when the creature escape from it's corpse shell. She had expected it, but it's still revolting to look at. She keeps up her web, not wanting to let the demon step away from her allies even if it annoys her a bit that it hinders her allies as well.
She waits for her opportunity to strike, knowing that wounds would make it harder for the demon to resist after her powers. After Elriel strike out, she draws forth the power from the scar at her temple. It trobs painfully as she tries to force her way into the mind of the creature. I'm going enter your mind, just like you enter the bodies of the fallen. You don't deserve to ever awake again!
"Let's take it down together." She lets out in a strained voice.
Brevon slashes at the remaining demon, cutting its flesh easily now that it is not protected by the corpse of Lord Hulrun. Maneuvering inside the area filled with Rukzha's web, Kelumarion pounces and bites a huge piece of the demon, almost knocking it down... luckily Elriel stabs with its remaining sword, finishing it before it would be able to heal itself once more, cursing and harming you in the process.
Despite being prepared to curse the demon, Rukzha ins't required to use her power. Irabeth lowers her sword a bit and shakes her head towards the double doors of the garrison. "Ready to move? We'll we storm the garrison through the doors or try to squeeze through that shutter?"
Elriel almost wretched as he picked up his dropped blade. He cleaned both blades before turning to Irabeth.
"Now that the sentries are taken care of, we should press on through the front gates. Going up the small window would necessarily split the party in two while we all make it. I like my chances I we are all together."
He looked at Arrika and Brevon, "You're both hurt. Rukzha girl, can you work your magic on them. We need everyone whole; these are not the last demons we'll find here."
tag?
Elriel checked the fallen demons while holding his breath and readied himself, "Ready to go in?"
"I'll do my best." Rukzha says and walks over to Brevon and Arrika. She concentrates deeply as she tries to heal them up.
After a moment of intense concentration she removed her hands and says angrily. "Argh! Something is wrong. I can't undo what the demons did completely. It's as if they damaged you deep, deep down."
She shakes her head and looks apologetically at them. "I'm sorry. I'll try to improve my healing powers. They haven't acted up like this before. For now though. We might have to use something else to get you both to full. A light potion eac perhaps?"
Rukzha looks from the shutter to the gate and back again. "About where to go... Heading through the shutter might be more surprising, but I think it's more important that we keep together. You all so it started off on the wrong foot in this fight. Arrika was the only one close enough to meaningfully affect things. If we all were closer, I might have been able to get off my spell before they cast theirs. We need to keep closer together, even when we try to surprise the enemy."
Still distracted by her revulsion at the demons bursting through their skin "suits" (and by the horror of the vision the demon's spell had prompted), Arrika wipes a bit of gore from her cheek and shakes her head, accepting Rukzha's blessing without a word. Finally, she manages to clear her thoughts enough to answer. I had to be close, otherwise the trick wouldn't have worked - but I agree, keeping close is our best bet. The front door it is, even if it is what they may expect - hopefully we've dispatched their guards quietly enough to avoid drawing attention for the moment.
Irabeth nods to Elriel and Rukzha, leading you towards the front doors. "Very well, a more direct approach... I like it." Arriving at the door, she sidesteps, waiting for Elriel, who opens the door with almost no sound... the dwarven craftsmanship allowing such a massive stone door to move swiftly. The room is lit with continual flames placed inside lanterns, as the lack of windows would make the accumulation of smoke a discomfort. The air quality is stuffy, warm, and uncomfortable.
Along the northern wall of this room, a frieze depicts a line of mounted crusaders crashing over a horde of twisted demons. The crusaders' faces have been obliterated and vile graffiti is carved over the entire scene. Fresh blood stains the floor. There are passages both to the left and to the right.
The half-elf raised his hand and brought a finger to his mouth as he silently closed the front door.
He whispered, "Some sort of reception hall with two doors leading from it, one left and one right. I heard nothing from the right side but saw at least two tieflings playing cards or something on the left."
He continued, "This door is silent enough. Let me see if I can get the jump on one of the tieflings but I need you right behind me in case there's more. But if there's isn't more, then maybe I can continue moving silently."
He thought for a moment, "Let me see what I find. I will call for you. If you don't hear me then stay put. OK?"
Brevon lowers his shield and scimitar for a moment as rest as Rukzha heals his wounds, nodding his thanks. Perhaps the evil of this place is draining her magic, he thinks to himself, though he doesn't voice this concern.
"They won't expect intruders with guardian demons stationed out front. If they haven't noticed us yet, we still have an advantage."
Brevon frowns heavily as he considers the debased frieze. Their faces gone, he cannot shake the feeling that the men depicted in the portrait have had their very souls stolen, held captive until the picture is set to rights. But, he's probably only being superstitious.
"I don't like the sound of this. But there's no way I'm surprising anyone in these boots. We'll be ready to run in and help."
Two arre better than one, should both move softly. Kelumarion tests his paws on the stone floor, velveting them so they make hardly a sound despite their massive size and weight. I will follow behind, and togetherr we may prrevail. Then my callerr has worrd of our well-being as well.
Elriel looked at the big cat and did not want to anger it. he still had some trust issues with the talking beast but he knew it to be quiet enough.
He nodded, "Ok, let's see what we can do. We can certainly take care of two without alerting the rest but we'll see."
He then took out his blades and prepared for a stealthy approach
______________
I'm good with this. Elriel has a +9 stealth and he can reroll a bad roll once per day.
GM: tell us how you want this done because we have reached consensus.
"Wait!" Rukzha hisses out urgently. "There might be more of them. I don't Like you going in alone without preparing properly first. We still got the wand of invisibility. Let's use that! No point to risk things when we don't have to. I also got a spell for sending whispers back and forth. That'll be much better for communicating than shouting. The charges on the wand are limited though. I suggest that just one of you go to scout out things. Then we'll decide how to best deal with things once we see what's there. If we need to battle we could use the protection from evil wand to prepare ourselves."
"Wait!" Rukzha hisses out urgently. "There might be more of them. I don't Like you going in alone without preparing properly first. We still got the wand of invisibility. Let's use that! No point to risk things when we don't have to. I also got a spell for sending whispers back and forth. That'll be much better for communicating than shouting. The charges on the wand are limited though. I suggest that just one of you go to scout out things. Then we'll decide how to best deal with things once we see what's there. If we need to battle we could use the protection from evil wand to prepare ourselves."
Slightly irked that his bonding moment with the big cat was lost, Elriel agreed to use the invisibility wand and scout the place where the tieflings were.
Elriel fades quickly after Arrika uses a charge from the wand of invisibility and soon after he slips through the doors.
Leaving the sadists behind, you retreat to the foyer and then moves right, arriving in what was supposed to be a shrine, now befouled. A bracket shows where a longsword once hung over a stylized gold sunburst affixed to the south wall. Lines of strange runes are carved into the walls on both sides of the sunburst. Dried blood and excrement have been smeared across the sunburst and a short bench for kneeling that sits on the floor. You identify the runes as prayers to Iomeade written in Celestial, however the letters are unusually florid and complex.
A still invisible Elriel announced his presence among his companions. He was glad they could not see his face. Red from anger and streaked with tears did not a pretty picture make.
"Six demonspawns playing cards with body parts in the right room. Gross. A defiled altar to Iomedae in the left room. Very sad. Let me back inside and I'll hopefully be able to take out one of the tieflings before they are aware of my presence. I'll need you right behind me though. I will call as I don;t think we could kill six people quietly. In any case, there didn't seem to be anyone in the altar room."
____________
"Playing with bodyparts? That's sick. Let's deal with them. Though hopefully we'll be able to do it better than last time. Ideal would be to have the rest of us come through the door at the same time you strike. That way we could get off our spells or charge right as you attack them. You can whisper with the spell when you do so."
"Playing with bodyparts? That's sick. Let's deal with them. Though hopefully we'll be able to do it better than last time. Ideal would be to have the rest of us come through the door at the same time you strike. That way we could get off our spells or charge right as you attack them. You can whisper with the spell when you do so."
After tapping Elriel with the wand, Arrika turns to Kelumarion and gently sets it on her companion's brow as well, smiling as the arcane energy trickles down his back, concealing him. Give them Hell...or, Heaven, I suppose, she whispers, playfully kissing the apparently empty air.
Rukzha receives a faint whisper as Elriel, with his blades drawn, pierces one of the tieflings' head, the blade protruding from his mouth. After a nod, Arrika opens the double doors, allowing Rukzha to use her power, unfortunately with no effect, and making it easy for Brevon and Irabeth to burst into the room. The tieflings are even more surprised when Kelumarion reveals himself and bites the shoulder of one of them.
Elriel looks no time and soon strike with both his blades once more, even if his eagerness causes only one sword to find its target, dropping one more enemy. Fast in his feet, Brevon steps in, almost splitting a tiefling in two and missing the other one just barely with his wide strike.
Recovered from their initial shock, the remaining tieflings draw their blades and attack when they clearly should have surrendered... no attack finds its target. The wounded tiefling manages to dodge another of Kelumarion's bite but falls against his claws. Rukzha moves inside the room and this time the enemy isn't so lucky and soon falls to the ground, hitting his head against the table in the process, and Irabeth finishes the last one in a clear strike.
After the short battle, Elriel finishes the wounded and unconscious guards even if Irabeth turns her head away from such grievous task, moving right towards the desecrated shrine. In this meeting hall you are able to notice slashed portraits in the walls and smashed marble planters in the ground. At the befouled shrine, a bracket shows where a longsword once hung over a stylized gold sunburst affixed to the south wall. Lines of strange runes are carved into the walls on both sides of the sunburst. Dried blood and excrement have been smeared across the sunburst and a short bench for kneeling that sits on the floor. The runes are prayers to Iomedae written in Celestial, however the letters are unusually florid and complex.
Pain and Simple Double damage and nonlethal damage.
Brevon wipes a bloodied gauntlet across his brow, dragging his already-somber expression into a deeper shade of tired. He flings the excess blood from his blade, then follows Irabeth into the prayer room.
Regarding the desecrated shrine, he imagines the invocations of light and truth that once filled the room--voices now silenced by the heavy hand of corruption. Its talons have done their work, leaving the shrine as it is.
He does what he can to straighten the stool and other clutter and place it in its proper position, quietly uttering a prayer to Sarenrae for retribution to those who would defile the Light.
"This script is strangely ceremonial... And prayers to Iomedae? Were they here before the desecration, or is this some cruel mockery of the faith?"
He does what he can to straighten the stool and other clutter and place it in its proper position, quietly uttering a prayer to Sarenrae for retribution to those who would defile the Light.
"This script is strangely ceremonial... And prayers to Iomedae? Were they here before the desecration, or is this some cruel mockery of the faith?"
Elriel was pleased when the tieflings had gone down quickly and silently. He checked them for anything of value before arranging their bodies out of casual sight from the door.
Once in the altar room, he worked with Brevon to tidy up things as best as possible. "I don't want to sound like I don't care but we really have very little time for this. Let's just clean up what we can but our mission is something else."
Hoping no one got mad, he added, "I'm not avoiding the work. Far from it. I promise to come back here and do this myself but we just can't right now."
____________
Irabeth examines the runes before shaking her head. "I'm ashamed that I'm not able to read such a sacred language but it I correctly remember these were already here long before the invasion." Irabeth then knees in front of the altar, making a quick prayer before nodding to Elriel. "You are right... lets move on."
As Arrika makes her way into the defiled room behind the others, the script on the wall catches her eye, though Elriel urges everyone to move on. Kelumarion had taught her the achingly beautiful Celestial script through pictures in her mind as she nodded off to sleep as a child, perhaps as recompense for forcing her through learning the Abyssal tongue. And although she'd never held the esteem for the Inheritor that the southrons did, there was no denying her power, or her value as an ally in the fight for lost Sarkoris. Stealing a few moments before the writing on the wall, she bows her head slightly in respect as she reads the complex script.
"Nicely done on the fight." She says with a smile. "We managed to pull through without any injuries this time. Though something tell me these weren't their toughest warriors."
Rukzha detects for magic in both rooms after the fight is over. She then studies the script and notices Brevon and Arrika are able to process it much better than herself. "You know this language? I'm having trouble with it. Maybe you can teach me sometime?"
"I know we don't have the most time, but it doesn't seem like we've been noticed either. We've got time to investigate if there is something useful here. The thing about Brevon's scimitar that I couldn't discover have been bothering me. Maybe this bracket can somehow be used to shed light on what's up with it. Worth a shot right?" She studies the bracket and the rest of the room intently.
After a few moments' contemplation, Arrika prepares to move on from the elaborate writing...but a low rumble in Kelumarion's chest stops her. Looking at him quizzically for a moment, she drops to a knee next to the large cat - and suddenly gasps softly. The letters - I thought they looked curious! The shapes were off, different from what you usually see in Celestial script. I thought at first it was just some kind of odd calligraphy, but when you look from down here, they make a shape, a sword. "Let us inherit thine arms, Iomedae," she murmurs softly, reading the letters that appear with her new perspective as she runs her fingers lightly over them. It's written that way so that those words can only be seen down here...by someone kneeling before the shrine. Honoring it.
"Beautiful words," Brevon says as he admires the script up close. He turns his head to say something to Irabeth, then pauses. "The hidden armory. Inheriting arms. Could this be the location of the secret weapons?"
Irabeth looks uncertain. "I'm not sure... if I correct remember, it should be located besides the temple and I'd consider this as a simple shrine. There is another room which would fit the description better."
Elriel moves to the room to the right, which is unlocked. This room was once some sort of museum, but its contents have been smashed and scattered across the room... even the shelves have been shattered and torn apart in places. The decapitated bodies of two knights, their armor and bodies broken and mangled, lie in the ruins.
The apparent cause of all this destruction still lurks here... a pair of deformed, horned, hunchbacked humanoid has a forked, ratlike tail and two thumbs on each taloned hand. They are currently enjoying a grisly game of puppetry, using the severed heads of the two crusaders to entertain themselves with mock conversations in high pitched Celestial. The demons shriek in delight and drop their 'puppets' to attack.
________________________________
Elriel - up
Rukzha - up
Brevon - up
Abrikandilus
Kelumarion
Arrika
Irabeth
"Well, worth it to try to say the prayerer at the altar regardless right?" Rukzha says, but before she can do anything more than suggest it at as an option Elriel opens the door and calls out about the demons. She quickly rushes after him to see what they have to deal with.
"Abrikandilus, wrecker demons! They live to destroy and loathe beauty, but there is one thing they hate more, their own reflection!" The witch says in a pained voice as the scar along her neck and temple contracts painfully as it channels her power to send the demon into dreamland.
"Wrecker demons?"
Elriel did not know what they were but he saw what they were doing with the crusaders' body parts. Something stirred inside of him as he swiftly closed the distance and cut upwards with his blade.
"Die, demon spawn!"
_____________
Brevon flips his head around at the commotion, only to see Elriel disappear in a flash. Lamenting the weight of his armor, he hefts the weight of it through the doorway, pounding the stone floor with his heavy footfalls as he races to catch up to the man. He stabs out with his scimitar, hoping to skewer the demon in the tight quarters.
Elriel moves fast and pierces one of the demons through his chest, probably perforating a lung if the anatomy of demons are somewhat similar to his. Rukzha is also quick on her feet and pressures her will against the weak mind of the enemy, overwhelming it. Brevon, with his shining sword, slashes against the demon still standing and almost drops it.
The Abrikandilu, clearly scared by their eminent and effortless defeat, tries to runaway, even dodging Elriel's stab, but falling into the ground when Brevon takes advantage of its opened and desperate stance to almost sever its right leg, sending it into the ground, probably dead.
Among the ruble of the room, Rukzha finds a magical morningstar discarded in the corner of the room and upon close inspecting determines it is a +1 adamantine morningstar. You notice that this Morningstar was used to pulverize the paladin's bodies and gear, all of which is completely destroyed.
Irabeth enters the room. "Even after so many years fighting against these demons, I'm still surprised when I see a scene like this... I imagine this is a good sign, meaning that I haven't lost my mind just yet..."
Hamstring Normal damage and Dex damage and target is knocked prone.
Another low whistle escapes the half-elf's lips as he inspects the morning star. "Another fine weapon. Wish it were a shortsword, though." He shook his head in dismay, A lot of good it did the poor soul.
He then added, "We should keep this handy. That rare metal is deadly to most creatures."
tag?
He then gathered his things and readied himself to continue the exploration, "We should go back out and head north. I think it's only way open to us right now."
tag?
Brevon gags as the smell of blood overpowers him. He's grateful for the helmet, as they others might not have noticed.
"Mortal men should never grow accustomed to such savagery," he agrees with Irabeth. "This room contains relics from the First Crusade. Clearly, it was not the last."
"Yes, the weapon might prove useful. I can carry it for now." He secures the gory weapon to his belt, still breathing through his mouth to avoid the smell.
Rukzha surveys the wreckage with a mixture of fascination and horror. I thought I had seen a lot of pain and destruction from Gorthuk and then from the inquisitors, but this is something else entirely. The demons are something quite out of this world. "This is brutal. I'm glad we stopped these demons, though unfortunately it's too late for the poor souls that were here."
She hands over the weapon to Brevon. "I'm guessing they couldn't destroy this weapon. Some enemies might be weak to adamantium, but be aware that demons are not, instead the cold iron weapons we've been using so far are better. This metal is so hard it can withstand or destroy pretty much anything. It could be used to destroy items like the head we encountered earlier or even break down walls if we need to."
"How about we try to pray at the altar before we proceed further?" Rukzha offers. "It's worth exploring and it'll only take a moment. Doesn't hurt to try in Celestial as well if it doesn't work in common."
She proceeds to walk to the altar to kneel and pray. "Let us inherit thine arms, Iomedae"
Nothing happens when Rukzha prays in front of the altar and the same occurs when Arrika does the same, this time speaking in celestial. Meanwhile, Elriel opens the door to the north, revealing an antechamber with two more doors, one to the north and one to the west. There are no adorns in this chamber so there is also no unnecessary destruction by the demons.
So far, nothing indicates that the defenders of the Garrison even noticed they are being attacked.
Elriel kept his voice down and encouraged the others to do the same.
He flinched every time Brevon and Irabeth made their armors clink.
"I think our presence has been undetected so far. Let's try and be as quiet as possible."
He listened to both doors and check for traps, as was his usual modus operandi.
Noting nothing out of the ordinary, he opted to go north.
He whispered, "This way and keep it down."
Careful to avoid setting her hand in the filth the demons had left behind, Arrika rises to her feet from before the altar and follows Elriel through the corridor, careful to set her feet where Elriel's have already landed to avoid any sudden creaks. Kelumarion pads alongside, his huge feet making barely a sound on the floorboards. She peers over Elriel's shoulder as he advances, trying to keep herself alert and wary of whatever may emerge around the next bend.
While looking at the doors, Elriel notices that the door to the west is locked... one more reason to move north. The door opens without making a sound. Blood and filth smear the floor of this long room. Six white stone statues of famous heroes line the hall, each clawed, bloodstained, partially smashed, or otherwise defaced. At the far end of the hall, a raised dais holds an upturned alabaster altar. Sitting atop the upside-down altar is a hideous mass of severed limbs that have been stitched together into a vile monstrous insectoid shape. Before the dais, seven ratty bedrolls have been laid out on the floor.
In front of the new altar, stand three cultists bearing scythes. Unfortunately one of the cultists was moving away from the altar and as soon as Elriel pops his head inside the room, the cultist yells to the others. "Ah, great! More offering! Our Lord will be pleased!"
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Kelumarion - up
Brevon - up
Elriel - up
Cultists
Arrika
Rukzha
With all hopes of secrecy spoiled, Kelumarion wastes no time - as the voice's last word hangs in the air, a flash of gold darts past Elriel, teeth bared savagely as he challenges the cultists with a steely stare, his back against the east wall.
In front of the new altar, stand three cultists bearing scythes. Unfortunately one of the cultists was moving away from the altar and as soon as Elriel pops his head inside the room, the cultist yells to the others. "Ah, great! More offering! Our Lord will be pleased!"
No longer shaken by what he sees, the half-elf wastes little time to move inside and try to gut these 'animals' as quickly as possible.
His blade strikes from below and cuts upwards towards the man's neck.
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"Confounded--!" Brevon forgets polite manners as he struggles to haul his weight through the next doorway. The heavy armor would definitely take some getting used to. Still, he's grateful for the protection.
Running as fast as his legs will carry him, he storms through the doorway behind Elriel, who seems to move like a river.
"The offering shall be you!" he bellows.
"Damn, I thought that might yield something." Rukzha says indignantly as she dusts of her knees after kneeling to pray. She start to follow after the others and is surprised when she hears the words of the cultists up ahead followed by the sounds of weapons. Damn, I should have followed more closely with the rest!
Elriel manages to pierce the cultist through, freezing his smile as he falls into the ground. Seeing his companion taken down so easily, the other cultists make some gestures and whispering some profane prayers. Soon after, the one in the middle steps towards the south wall, taking advantage of the cover that the statue grants them.
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Kelumarion
Brevon
Elriel
Cultist#1
Cultist#2
Cultist#3 [20 dmg; unconscious, dying]
Irabeth
Arrika - up
Rukzha - up
Round 2
Kelumarion - up
Brevon - up
Elriel - up
Cultists
Irabeth
Arrika
Rukzha