"Malalictor, he's preparing an attack, orders or not it's time to respond. "
I cast scorching ray.
After the attack I will move to get as close as possible to the man with my 30 speed. Then I will activate an arcane pool point for shield to get +4 to AC as a swift to be at 23 AC.
You cast your spell, the first ray slamming into the man, fire and lightning colliding. The second one misses, but you use his distraction to sprint up towards him.
You come too close though, the lightning around his body lashing out, streaking through you and into the ground.
Vorgal writhes, though the shock means more than the pain. "stay back" he intones to the squad behind him
Ivari tenses at the activity and draws an arrow but does not loose it. Marelictor, by your command...
Hold Your ground, and subdue the enemy with less than lethal force.
After Kayle's orders, Bjorn will continue on full defense, as he can not guess what he can do to subdue the electrified man without lethal force.
No way I'm gonna grapple that thing.
Then, suddenly, a question makes his path to the big man's mind.
May I deduce from your words, Sir, that you are a free spirit and not a Tower member? -Says Bjorn with loud tone and firm voice-
If he recognises not to be a member, we will be allowed to full engage, and increase our survival chances.
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"ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਨਾਲ, ਸਾਡੇ ਆਦੇਸ਼ ਜੇ ਸੰਭਵ ਹੈ, ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ! ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਆਦੇਸ਼ ਪੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਵੱਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਹੈ?"
Still unseen, Cassius casts a spell hurriedly, then runs forward to touch Vorgal with it, discharging protection into his flesh.
"You are now protected somewhat from lightning, Bjorn," he whispers into Bjorn's ear.
Kayle readies a use of channel energy on the group if multiple team mates are injured.
Stand your ground, we need only to wait for Imazi to arrive to sort this out.
"Hah. The Tower. But yes, they have enlisted me to their cause, for it is one that is in my nature to comply with," the man smiles, sidestepping away from Vorgal just slightly. He then raises his arms and roars a chant. And it is a roar indeed, thundering from his mouth to crack against the sky with a teeth chattering peal.
Lightning crackles around and between his fingers as he continues the chant, almost seeming to weave the lightning into a complex, ever shifting pattern between his hands.
"I don't have many subdue abilities, but I'll try not to kill him. Cassius, any tricks?"
Nodding at the command's of his leader Ivari steps forward and pulls Cassius back and takes his place , interdicting himself between the caster and their foe.
This is not what we are here to do. All of us need to stop this!
The streaks of fire slam into the tattooed sorcerer, causing him to scream in pain and lose concentration of his spell. The lightnings quickly dart outward, thwarting his pattern and dissipating into the air.
He looks at you with new-found appreciation.
"Well then. I was going to be nice and at least give you all a chance to run away. But if you all want to play for real, by all means then!"
He walks towards you, chanting and pulling one hand into a tight, complex maneuver, ending with his forefinger outstretched. Just above it a tiny bead of light hovers.
"I should have warned you. I'm a bad bad man."
The bead explodes in a burst of electrical energy.
Vorgal tries to hide his pain as it washes over him. "Ivari, I know you have codes but there's no way they are holding after that attack, you need to join this fight." Vorgal turns back to the sorceror.
"Too bad, I was looking forward to facing you alone." Vorgal sneers and fires off two more rays, then follows it up by stepping up next to Zakat, as much to the side of him that is away from the others.
Kayles celestial offers some protection against the attack but nonetheless she feel most of the attack.
Kayle will take hold of her symbol to Iomedae and channeld positive energy.
[b]Stop this madness at once. We have no desire to kill you. Continue and you will force our hand.[b]
Ivari grunts at Vorgal's statement, Indeed. It is time to act.
Having taken note that day in the pit Ivari knew his powers had expanded and grown. Now, as a hellknight, Ivari reaches out with his mind and declares judgement against the being before him, be he an agent of chaos.
Ivari lets loose with his arrows...
After Ivari's arrow barrage, Bjorn doubts for a moment, moving his hand to handle his sword while moving closer to the stormy man, but finally deciding to try another tactic.
As the storm mage turns to deliver what is sure to be a sardonic reply, several arrows suddenly sprout out of his head and neck. With a quiet gurgle he falls, twitching, to the ground.
Not that I am an expert, but I doubt this is the best way to start a diplomatic encounter. Anyway, the stormy-guy brought it on himself.
mmm, I must remember to never exhaust your patience, Ivari Says Bjorn nodding to Ivari with recognition.
And now? we must just ignore the event and continue with our mission? -Asks the man to Kayle, but expecting to hear the opinion of all the squad members- After all, he did not gave us other realistic alternatives.
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Cassius fades back into view and dashes to the side of the downed storm mage. With the arrows protruding from head and neck, he is nigh-but-certain this is a lost cause, but duty demands that he at least make the attempt. His fingers fly to gushing points of blood, but..
...he is certain there is nothing to be done for the fact that the man has an arrow through his skull. At least, not by his hands: he is no god-worshipper, to call life where death is certain.
Cassius draws back with his hands bloody and his face tight.
"Ignore the event?" he echoes shortly. "We just directly violated our orders, where it was stressed to us, several times, that we were under no circumstances to attack first. We did that-- he had cast no spell yet when we first turned hostile spell against him. We were also ordered to engage only to withdraw, and to not make enemies of the Tower. Instead, we just killed a highly prized and powerful member of their order. I suggest that rather than ignoring the event, we damn well prepare the most groveling speech to Imazi that we can."
Getting to his feet and wiping blood from his fingers with a handkerchief, Cassius looks heavenward. "Did you not--" he says to Ivari, with a tight sigh, "--think to purchase, say, incapacitating arrows rather than lethal ones, given the explicit diplomatic nature of our mission? Or perhaps, did you not think to avoid sending three arrows at a man we were trying to avoid killing?"
The wizard sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Realistic alternatives don't matter. We are Hellknights. We are expected to accomplish the unrealistic."
Realizing after his speech that he is far overstepping his rank, Cassius offers an apologetic bow to Kayle. "Forgive me, Maralictor. What are your orders, regarding this situation?"
Brother Cassius, take for sure that I am as much concerned about the events as you. I really apreciate your opinions and, over the top, your advice about the speech.
Says Bjorn trying to appease things.
Perhaps, and only perhaps, Imazi will just take the bold action of his storm-boy as reckless and stupid, and decide not to take it into account. More a hope than anything, I realize.
To further ease the man, Bjorn draws a red pulsating wand, and offers it to Cassius.
Take it, use first on yourself, and then on anyone that needs it, please.
Vorgal remains tense until Cassius' confirmation. He loops his belt, and trades the thrill for shame. He pulls some papers out of his pack and looks them over. "Cassius is right, engage only if attack, which happened, but engage only to withdraw. I don't think this was a foe you turn your back on." He puts the paper away and sighs. "Having said that, I take full responsibility for initiating the attack. I identified his spell as offensive and reacted accordingly. I believe the attack was justified based on subsequent actions, but justification in that manner is rarely commended." He turns to Kayle. "I apologize, Maralictor, I know i have disobeyed the mission objective. I hope my actions will not reflect poorly on your leadership evaluation."
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Cassius takes the wand from Bjorn with a short nod of thanks, though his brow is still drawn in worry. He moves around the group with swift, businesslike motions, tapping those who are injured and calling on the specific healing of Hell, unless any decline on personal reasons.
Cassius's loud-mouthed parrot crawls out from his pack and lands with a squawk on the head of the dead man, peering curiously down into his unseeing eyes.
"ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ, ਜੋ ਕਿ ਕੇ ਹੈਰਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ ਕਹਿ ਸਕਿਆ," croaks the bird.
Cassius turns a withering glare on his parrot's attempt at wit. "Get off the corpse, Decibel."
Though, it does bring to mind an issue-- as he heals people, Cassius says to Kayle, "My further apologies: I had assumed that you spoke the Infernal tongue, and that it might be a good language to communicate in when we are worried about relaying sensitive information. I think that we should have spent our week in the Fortress, following our confirmation, with less resting upon our laurels, and more dedication to learning each others' capabilities and skills."
With the healing concluded, Cassius moves to Zakat's body and begins removing the arrows. He intends to do his best to clean and arrange the body respectfully-- if they haven't already demolished their chances at peaceful interaction with Imazi, then leaving the corpse slumped with the killing weapons still jutting out would probably manage to complete the job.
"Those figures that were floating around are gone now," he points out to the others. "Likely gone to inform Imazi. As we cannot continue without our guide in any case, I suggest, Maralictor, that we stay here, wait for Imazi, and have a good excuse prepared."
Vorgal holds up his hand to Cassius, "What spell?"
Kayle will examine Zakats dead body, in the hopes that there was still some life within, but is not pleased to find out he is DAF.
Kayle can barely hide the frustration as she addressees the group.
Right now everyone get ready for Imazi's arrival. Let me do the speaking. DO NOT ENGAGE unless ordered. We caused enough problems already. Rest assured we will have a lengthy discussion once we are done here.
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"In the wand?" Cassius asks with an arched brow. "The healing of Hell, of course. Devil's blood to cause wounds to close at an infernal rate."
To Kayle's orders, he only nods mutely. He gets out his waterskin, douses the edge of his cloak in water, and washes the blood as best as possible from Zakat's face. He bears the man no particular love-- honestly, from the brief discussion he'd written him off as an egocentric lunatic-- but that doesn't matter. They will do what they can to salvage this-- to show they treated a Tower member with respect after death, at least.
Cassius lays Zakat's body out on Cassius's own cloak, arranges his limbs with hands crossed over the chest, eyes closed. He can't do much about the obvious wounds beyond what he already has done.
And if Cassius also looks through the man's possessions, well... gathering intel on your enemy is also what a Hellknight does.
"ah, thanks. "
It is less than half an hour before Dusk returns with Imazi. She completely ignores you at first, walking gracefully over to Zakat's body and kneeling down. She observes the wounds, holes from arrows and scorch marks from spellfire, and sighs, muttering to herself under her breath.
Finally she stands and turns back to Dusk.
"Could you take him back to my tent please, while I entreat with my... guests," she asks. He nods and easily lifts the body in one gargantuan hand, tossing it across his shoulders and trudging back off into the shadow.
Finally she turns and faces you. Her eyes appear almost luminescent in the darkness, and the tattoos scrawled across her face make it hard to focus.
"So. I assume Giordano has a very, VERY good reason for sending you here? I would certainly hope so. I would be extremely upset if, say, a squad of Hellknights belonging to an Order that I have a standing contract with come uninvited into my territory and kill one of my greatest assets, without them having at least some sort of excuse."
She grins, her eyes and teeth glowing and sharp in the dark. Fury drips from her voice and is displayed in every hard angle of her stance.
Vorgal holds his face impassive, waiting for kayle to respond. Greatest asset? Ivari and I took him out by ourselves.
Bjorn scratches his rear neck instintively, as he thinks.
uninvited? I thought this was an arranged meeting to deliver a message... oh man, this goes from bad to worse... heh I miss not being with the oldman gathering horse dung in the citadel
Kayle will bow before Imazi.
I Take full responsibility for what transpired here. I can not begin to express my regrets for what happened here We were sent here to deliver a message. We were greeted by Zakat, who meant to to toy with us. Members of my team did not kindly to Zakat casting offensive spells and attacked Zakat. From there Zakat did not give us the opportunity to retreat. From there against my orders, my team fearing for their lives used lethal force to subdue Zakat. Rest assured they will be Strongly disciplined when wee return to our Fortress.
The woman sighs and rubs her eyes, again muttering to herself under her breath. Finally she looks at you again, returning to her previous imperiousness.
"Well then. What's the message?"
Kayle will retrieve the letter and hand It to Imazi.