Ruhk's cries echo across the field as looks to and fro. There! he catches the faintest glint of moonlight reflecting off of steel in the guard tower across the yard. Narrowing his eyes he can just make out the the faint outline of a figure lying prone in the tower. A fact that's confirmed when a second crossbow bolt sinks into his shield. Trying to think of a strategy, Ruhk is surprised as something erupts from the still smoldering piles of corpses, a bloated creature with spindly arms charges towards you, sending off screams that pierce the soul!
Outside the palisade, the hideous beast howls in pain as Aleppo's blade slips into its gut. It reels back from its prey, but the scream turns to hideous laughter as Aleppo's watches as the freshly carved wound seals itself closed. The Beast attacks Aleppo once more, claws and teeth slashing and scratching and it shrills a keening, guttural scream. Its jaw clamping down on air where seconds ago was Aleppo's shoulder.
Within the darkness of ruined building The woman smiles coyly at Daen, "I'm not so sure I'm going to be the one in need of protection Good Knight..."
To punctuate her statement comes Ruhk's shouts of attack from outside and then some sort of gibbering shriek. Daen's head snaps back behind him and then back to this woman, who's abyssal traits are on full display, horrifying and beautiful all at once, her wings extended behind her back, her tail lashing around her ankles and from her head grow a pair of ebon black horns. She smiles again at Daen, the smile of a predator and says, "Sic him."
A third of the gibbering, gangly monsters comes running out of the backroom that this same woman was originally in. bloated and putrid, the squat monster lunges for Daen with outstretched claws.
For Jack and Kyson
It had been a long road from Waterdeep. Long and ultimately fairly boring. It was where each of you had arrived during your respective journeys. It is also where, respectively you each ran out of coin.
It was also in Waterdeep that you met Finius Eberk, a travelling salesman who specializes in exotic wares, and aparently has some sort of deal with a few of the Dwarven clans.
He hired both of you on to act as Guardsmen for him during his travels. the experience has been exasperating, but not horrid. Finius is overall a good man, but a bit of a blowhard and a braggart. You've been travelling with him for months now, From Waterdeep, to Cormyr to the Dalelands and now finally to the last stop on the Journey, Fort Oak.
The single, two wheeled wagon trundles along the trail at a slow and relaxed pace. Finius sits in the drivers seat, his bushy white mustache waving in the slight night breeze. Kyson rests in the back, propped against a bag of grain while Jack sits up front with Finius, the light of the single hooded lantern washing over his face.
"What in the world is going on..." Finius muses as the wagon rounds towards the Fort. flickering lights can be seen, and the sound of steel on steel sounds in the air, shouts and screams. then a guttaral, screeching wail that wakes Kyson from his sleep with a start!
Seemingly faced with an invulnerable opponent, Aleppo resorts to his training and seeks an immediate escape from the situation. While the beast undoubtedly possessed some form of night vision, it did still seem to rely on it's eyes.
Aleppo's frantic search makes his heart drop, The clearing he stands in is bare, to his back is the wall of the fort, the front gate possibly 40 or 50 ft away, it's hard to tell. and the forest he just came from on the other side.
Grabbing a fistful of leaves and dirt, he tosses it in the monster's eyes to buy him a fleeting moment to escape.
Ruhk, taken aback by the sudden appearance and terrible visage of the monstrous creature emerging from the dead and decides to beat a strategic retreat. Though he will never admit it, he is badly frightened, but he refuses to scream, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as he rushes towards the gate.
Gather Info:
With a flash of steel a pistol is in Jack's hand as he scans the surroundings. His hand is perfectly still, an oddity in anyone's experience of Jack, but he compensates with his swiveling head and roaming eyes.
"What is the samhell was that?!"
Waterdeep Gather Info:
After leaving Impiltur (and the memories therein) and then to Waterdeep, then a few months on the road, Kyson figures he has made the right decision. It was strange at first, getting used to daily travel, but the chance to see more of Faerun had definitely been worth it.
He's met a few new friends and begun cooking more often...simple pleasures that he's never known. And new things to see. In Waterdeep, he saw Tieflings walking around, brazen in daylight, and no one seemed to mind. He saw the castle at Suzail! And passed through the Dalelands.
And his duties haven't been so bad: tending a few wounds and scrapes, cooking a bit, a few minor fights....Kyson thinks this is a good life...getting paid to travel!
Kyson makes a note to ask Finius if he can possibly pick up another stint or two.
The demons still haunt Kyson's dreams, appearing once in a while to tear out the heart of a dear friend, or rend a farmer in two. The nightmares have become less frequent over the months as he's gotten away from Impiltur.
So it is no coincidence that the first demon's cry did not immediately awake Kyson from his doze, but the second real cry and the yelling of others does finally rouse Kyson to action. He remembers. He remembers it all...the pain and carnage, and the valiant men and woman who have lost their lives standing against them...but, no coward, he remembers his training first and foremost.
Grabbing Luckspear, Kyson ponders briefly whether to get his shield off out of his backpack...but realizes there is no time and there are probably people dying. Rolling off the bed of the wagon, standing behind it, Kyson tries to get his bearing and take stock of the situation.
"Jack, Finius! We've got demons! Get out yer cold iron, mere mortal weapons are naught but thorns to them!" Kyson hopes that Jack has something made of cold iron.
"Foul creature taste the wrath of Torm and begone from this place!" Daen will shout as he draws his longsword and attacks the monster (creature not woman) before him.
"Cold iron? Heck, I got cold steel, but iron I left in my other trousers, priest. Can't I just put enough holes in it so it won't float and kick it down a well?!?" Jack sighs, seeing the priest jump off the wagon and follows after him, moving at a trot, drawing his second pistol as he does.
Perception:
"Poke holes in it with what, Jack? Those hallow tubes? Or are you pulling something else out of yer trousers to poke with?"
Kyson realizes that he hasn't seen Jack in a real fight yet and worries that Jack will end up like most of the unlucky who face demons unprepared...a corpse in need of burial.
"Take my spear if ye can use it. It has tasted the blood of demon before and it's metal is bane to them!"
The Light from the wagon's lantern casts a stark contrast against the blue black of the night. Kyson and Jack, making their way towards the fort see a hooded man facing off against a horrifying creature, its body distended and bloated, spindly arms falling all the way to the dirt, it's ovoid head filled with rows of sharpened and misshapen teeth as it snarls and howls at the man.
The hooded man dives backwards into a roll, grabbing a fist of dirt and grass that he pitches into the thing's eyes and makes a break back for the fort's gate.
As Aleppo dives backwards the creature's claws rake up through the air, slashing hardly a hairsbreadth away from Aleppo's face.
The Young rogue immediately hoists himself to his feet and turns for the Fort door, just in time to see Ruhk barreling up the same path, a similar beast to the one that now faces Aleppo chasing him down!
"De..Demons you say?! Oh my gods!" Even before the two men are barely off the wagon, Finius hauls hard on the reigns to the wagon, forcing the horse into a sharp turn to the left,
Sadly it's too much for the horse and too sharp a turn for the wagon, as the horse veers the wagon's straps snap, sending the animal tumbling towards the woods. The shock of this puts too much pressure onto the wagon's left wheel and it shatters, spilling the contents of the wagon, along with their terrified driver, sprawling to the ground! For a moment Kyson and Jack watch the lantern fall... And Kyson in particular thanks Tymora that the lantern lands in a clatter on the dirt path, and not on the grass beside it...
Meanwhile in the ruined cookhouse, the third demonic beast launches himself at Daen, but the young Paladin stands stalwart and brings his sword to bear, slashing a line of deep read across the demon's chest. the thing falls to the ground, clutching at its spilled entrails. Writing for a moment Daen watches in horror as the demon shoves its own intestines back inside it as the wound stitches closed, though thankfully not completely.
"Hmm, a neat trick, no?" the Demonic woman jokes with a sing song laugh. "I'll leave you two to get aquainted..." and as if she just finished a pleasant chat with an old friend she bumped into on the streets, she turns and starts to walk away without a care in the world.
Not waiting for Jack's response (who is currently out of danger), Kyson moves up to where Aleppo and the demon are squaring off. Standing behind Aleppo, Kyson yells: "Take my spear if ye wish to live, man! It's metal is baneforged against demons and consider it blessed by Tymora herself! Your blade is nothing to it, stand fast with this!"
Ruhk feels the unnatural fear dissipate, washed away with red hot rage once more, he snaps around, axe at the ready and growls at the demon.
"Let's try that again shall we?"
Ruhk lets his axe trail behind him as he turns and charges the demon.
Aleppo gives the man a bewildered look before glancing between the spear and the approaching demonic creature. Looking back to Kyson, he sheathes his daggers and accepts the spear with a nod. "A spear... okay... it's been awhile," the Sembian mutters shakily as he readies the weapon for use.
Jack turns back to the wagon and Finius' desperate attempt to get away. "Darn you, you coward! You've got my spare pants!" Looking back toward the fray, he moves 30 feet to get closer to the demon and the man facing off. He raises his right hand pistol, sights for a quick moment and fires!
Pistol! Touch Attack
Critical Confimation! Touch Attack
Damage: x4 if it's a crit
"Take that, you ugly hell-spawned beast!"
"Hell spawned wench this is not over!" Daen will shout after the demoness while he Attacks with both hands holding his longsword.
Power Attack
Damage
Aleppo takes the spear from the newcomer and turns to face off against the demon, who giggles maliciously at the rogue. A sudden crack of thunder breaks the air and the giggling monstrosity lets out a scream of pain that pierces the eardrum. A smoking hole lets Aleppo see right through the beast's skull, and the rogue snaps around to see the second newcomer, Jack, holding a pistol up, the barrel still smoking.
The Dretch stands on wobbling legs for a moment, and Aleppo, Kyson and Jack gasp in horror when, inside the demon's skull, the brain matter starts to stitch itself back together.
The Dretch moves, clutching its head in pain, the now impartial hole still visible, before raising its red glowing eyes at Jack and letting out a hissing scream of rage. Lunging at the Gunslinger.
Its claws rake across Jack's neck and chest, drawing bright lines of blood.
As this goes on, Ruhk comes running to the gate, before suddenly bellowing out in rage and turning to the demon chasing him, axe swinging wide. The Blade sinks deep into the monter's skull. It lets out a chuckle and pulls the blade from its own skull. it raises a long four knuckled finger and waggles it in Ruhk's face, as if to say 'no no no...'
While on the other side of the fort, in the abandoned cook house, the succubus gives off a light laugh while her Dretch servant lunges at Daen, just missing him. The Paladin's sword swings around and buries itself into the creature, rending from shoulder to gut. As he pulls it from the beast the flesh begins to knit itself together, but the wound is too great, and all the dretch can do is stumble back and forth upon its feet.
The demon's momentary pause is all the rogue needs to get a proficient grip on his newly-acquired weapon. As the monster lunges towards the gunslinger, he lashes out with the spear tip.
"That's a good thrust, you! We may just survive if you keep that up! By Tymora's luck, let's hit it again."
Ruhk tries to get some sense from the demon, is it really that confident, or is it just trying to intimidate him?
Regardless, Ruhk is far too angry by now, and unwilling to let the demon get the better of him now that he has to recover his sense of dignity, he cannot accept that he would flee from such a beast.
[ooc]Attack:
"Cripes! Is that thing dead? Can it die?!?" Jack trains his other pistol on the creature, but is hesitant to fire until he knows the bullet is needed.
"And, what the heck is going on here? Why is this evil little bastich trying to kill you lot, anyway? And anyone got some pants I can borrow? My last pair just fled on that wagon..."
"Cripes! Is that thing dead? Can it die?!?" Jack trains his other pistol on the creature, but is hesitant to fire until he knows the bullet is needed.
"And, what the heck is going on here? Why is this evil little bastich trying to kill you lot, anyway? And anyone got some pants I can borrow? My last pair just fled on that wagon..."
Edit: Jack reloads his pistol, stepping away from the demon while calling out for answers...
Aleppo lungers forward at the exact moment that the beast rears back for another strike, the result is Aleppo's procured spear piercing through the demon's throat and out the other side! The creature lets out a strangled gurgle as deep black blood pools out from the wound. a second later the creature burst apart into a thousand scrambling cockroaches that wither and die as if they were baking under the morning sun.
Ruhk's axe digs into the second demon's gut, a blow that would double over a normal being. The monster just laughs. not even bothering to try and remove the weapon from itself and Ruhk's pulse quicken's when he realizes that yes, the demon is that confident.
The demon's arm snakes out, its claws closing around the Northman's throat. Squeezing in tighter and tighter...
the sound of whistling air and then a thick, wet thud as the monster's eyes go wide, a green fletched arrow suddenly protuding from its skull.
They come from the trees, Four elves garbed in green and brown armors styled to look like leaves, the lead one wielding a long Elven Curved Blade, shouting to his three comrades in Elven.
The Demon let's go of Ruhk, stumblind back on its feet, clutching at its head in pain.
Ruhk is by now, almost insane with rage the filthy thing TOUCHED him, and it LAUGHED at him! That was it, the thing had to die!
Ruhk Tosses the axe aside, He then lunges forward, seeking to grab the arrow and dig it deeper into the demons skull, lets see it laugh THAT off.
"Die hellspawn!"
Kyson is pleased with the killing thrust made by Aleppo...'tis alwaysn been a source of pride and joy when a demon dies, even the lowest of them.
That joy is short-lived as the second spawn engages Ruhk.
"Fool man, where is ye cold iron!?! These are demons, not festival trees! There is not much I can do for ye' and yer madness, but pray and accept Tymora's blessing."
Kyson will skirt around behind Ruhk and bless him with Tymora's protection.
Move: Move behind Ruhk to a safe place.
Stnd: Cast Protection of Evil on Ruhk.
"May Tymora protect ye, mortal."
Ruhk growls loudly. "Do I LOOK like I have any cold iron? All I had was cold steel, and that didn't work, take it up with the pointy ears over there!"
Jack edges back from the insane people and their demon-play things. Clearly he has stepped in someone else's troubles...
Ruhk growls loudly. "Do I LOOK like I have any cold iron? All I had was cold steel, and that didn't work, take it up with the pointy ears over there!"
"It looks like yer tryin' to dance with the demon...can't say I've seen that 'fore. Most men be tryin' to kill them."
Ruhk's rage fill cried echoed througout the night, growing louder and more fierce as he grabs out of the embedded arrow shaft and pushes forward, the pressure bring the hellspawn to its knees!
All at once, the staff upon Ruhk's back erupts in a blue fire that licks its way over Ruhk's form, coating the Northman who still howls in fury, his clenched fist driving forward still, until it breaks right through the Demon's Skull and goes out the other side! In an instant the Dretch's body dissolves to nothing like the other, and Ruhk is left holding the arrow, the last of the blue fire licking away to nothingness.
The Lead of the Elven group stops short just beside Kyson. Dressed in chainmail that's a deep forest green, with his golden blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail, eyes Ruhk with wide eyes. "I was going to berate you for calling us "pointy-ears" but I think I'll keep those opinions to myself.
[b]"Selkerdrim!" Another voice, this one coming from down the same path that the Dretch had chased Ruhk up. Two more Elves make their way up the path, Daen's unconscious form held up between them. "The rest of the camp's empty, but we found this one sir!"
Kyson looks with sadness upon the form of Daen and wonders if he has lost yet another to the demons.
To the elves: "Does that one yet live? Mind if I ply my arts to him?"
To all: "Did anyone see what happened to him? Is there any chance that a demon's vemon is inside him?" Kyson knows that some demons have more than claws and bites in their attacks. "Is anyone else hurt? Did you happen to see a wagon driver?"
Kyson is full of many more questions, but those would wait until the dead and dying are tended to.
In the moment of victory, Ruhk had superimposed the face of his own father upon the demon, all his rage and fury spent, Ruhk feels drained, but also...calm, more controlled, almost like he has managed to purge his soul of some of the resentment and anger that he harboured since his exile.
He slowly stands up, moving his massive shoulders back and forth as he stretches his body and exhales slowly.
"His name is Daen, he is a Pal-o-dine or some such, is he the only one you found? There were two others in there with us, an elf and a Rashemi woman, they went to the other building."
As he retrieves his axe and straps it on again he looks at the elf leader.
"I'm Ruhk "Blackstaff" Arunson, heir to Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunson, and I apologise for speaking out of turn, where I come from, elves are not well loved, but I am trying to get passed such prejudice. We are searching for a Cormanty scout and lady mage that were heading for Myth Drannor, have you seen them?"
Aleppo whirls around, seeking any other demonic threats. Seeing none at hand, he lowers the spear tip as the elves approach and raises an eyebrow at Ruhk's display.
"Well, this turned out to be an interestin' day." Jack murmurs to no one in particular. "I'm Jack. I just arrived and my pants were on that wagon that ran away. I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me what the samhell just happened?!?"
The smaller of the two Elves, a younger looking male with shaggy, sand brown, hair who is garbed in supple fitting leather armor shakes his head. "I'm sorry Sir, we searched the whole compound, there was no one else."
The two Elves rest Daen down on the grass and the elder of the two, nods to Kyson. She smiles reasuringly to him, her deep blue eyes sparkling in the moon, robes swirling around her legs, "He's alive, though barely. We found a number of tracks that could be demonic but I found no bite marks upon him." She steps aside for Kyson to inspect Daen and approaches the first of the Elves. "We also found this, Selkerdrim." She shows the man a small black crossbow bolt with a serated head, smithed in the shape of a spider with its legs coming to a point.
"Damn..." the Leader mutters, "They've already made it this far west..."
He straightens himself and sheathes his sword, a slender and curved blade that is none the less almost as long as he is tall, on his back and nods to the group. "My name is Braern. I'm a Selkerdrim of Myth Drannor. These are my men," he nods to the other Elves, before turing back to you all with a grim look on his face, "What ever business brings you to this forest, I bid you turn back. These woods are not safe and Drow and Demon alike stalk between the trees. You may rest the night at our camp but after that I suggest you go back the way you came."
De... Demons you say?! At this point Finius, the travelling salesman that Kyson and Jack were travelling with, emerges from under his overturned wagon. The portly man's robes are caked in mud, what's left of his hair is dissheveled and one side of his heavily waxed, bushy mustached droops pathetically, "Drow, you say!?" The Old man's voice climbs in pitch on every word as he nervously blusters, "Your offer is most kind, sir Elf! I'll happily take you up on it."
"Bah, more Dock-Alfar...erm, Drow I mean, if they die as easily as the last one's I fought then I have no worries, besides, it is likely they are looking for me anyway, they are after the Blackstaff."
"I think this one will make it," Kyson says, referring to Daen. "I care not where we go, I would tend to this man. How far away is your camp? And by the by, who are you people and why are drow and demons after you?"
Kyson looks at the non-elves, wondering if any of them would account for themselves. Internally, Kyson is angry, wondering how good his luck could be if he 'accidentally' ran into more demons while trying his hardest to run away from them.
Tymora, what do you have in store for me?
"My pants! Heck, at least now I got a spare pair of pants. Now, is anyone going to tell me what the heck's going on here? Drow? Demons? Are there any other D words I'm going to get attacked by today?"
"My pants! Heck, at least now I got a spare pair of pants. Now, is anyone going to tell me what the heck's going on here? Drow? Demons? Are there any other D words I'm going to get attacked by today?"
The Elven woman, a mage of some sort based on her robes and weapons, lifts one eyebrow and answers with a sardonic smile, "Devils."
"Bah, more Dock-Alfar...erm, Drow I mean, if they die as easily as the last one's I fought then I have no worries, besides, it is likely they are looking for me anyway, they are after the Blackstaff."
Braern shakes his head at Ruhk's words, his voice solemn, barely betraying the anger in the Elf's voice. "I know not what experience you've had with the Drow my friend, but if these forces were after your staff, then they are going about it entirely the wrong way. We've been under siege by them for weeks now, we've been cut off from the City of Song for days. But come, as I said these woods are not safe. Our camp isn't too far, maybe six miles."
"Pfft, not listening very well are any of you? I already told you, we're looking for a Cormyrian scout and lady mage traveling by this way towards Myth Drannor, and the drows were after us before because they wanted this staff of mine. Not sure if these drows are connected to those ones, but it's a fair guess, they wouldn't give up a prize like that easily. Still, doesn't mean they had anything to do with the demons, they could have tracked us since we left Shadowdale and just saw a good chance to strike."
"On the other hand, it doesn't seem likely that we'd run into two such evils in a little place like this, so most likely they are connected, and in that case I doubt they were after us, because if they were then they have a spy somewhere that told them we were heading this way. As you can see, there are no simple answers to any of your questions."
Without bothering to explain further, Ruhk begins to head towards the buildings.
"I'm more concerned with the disappearance of two of my travelling companions. And I'm going to look for them. Gimme a hand Allepo?"
The Elven woman, a mage of some sort based on her robes and weapons, lifts one eyebrow and answers with a sardonic smile, "Devils."
"Well, miss. Perhaps you'd like to tell me more about the evils we face some time, maybe over dinner? Drinks? D...candles?"
To Ruhk, "What's this then? You're missing people? I'll lend a hand."
Ruhk stops and glances at Jack.
"Good man, one is a Rashemi woman, she'd be easy to recognize since she'd most likely be wearing a mask, the other one is an elf, but a bit more of a dandy than these people, if you see them then you'd know them, they went into that building over there."
Aleppo nods at Ruhk's request for assistance in finding the other party members. He offers Kyson's spear back to him. "I appreciate the weapon, sir. It seemed most... effective, if not my usual style."
"Forgive me for not hanging on yer every word, yer Majesty. I was foolishly busy tendin' to yer near dead." Kyson does a playful half bow to Ruhk.
"I be Kyson Tirc...and that be Jack, He of Lost Pants. I had hoped to be far away from demons but it seems my trip has taken me full circle into more of them...unless this entire blasted Faerun be coated in demons?" Kyson sighs wearily.
"I've been fighting demons for most of my life...and, as you can see, I've had a long life." Kyson looks at the elves. "Yar, maybe not as long as *some*, but a long life fighting demons to be sure. Tymora's luck has been with me."
To Aleppo: "Ah Luckspear! Yet again it has tasted the blood of demons and kept its wielder alive. Tis a good spear, is she not? Real Vrock feathers here." Kyson points to the feathers at the tip. "I had really hoped to see the last use of this spear. What did you say your name was? Alpo? Yelpo?"
To Ruhk: "Tell me then, Drow pursue ye *and* ye be walkin' right into more of them? Tymora does not smile upon ye, does she?"
Ruhk gets a funny expression when Kyson uses the phrase "Your majesty", but it passes within seconds, still, still it was obvious to anyone who looked at him at the time.
"I swear by Tempos, that is all the "luck" I need, I don't know anything about Tymora, who she is or where she smiles, or doesn't. The day I start having any luck but ill is the day I get suspicious, because then someone is sure to be making another great jest at my expense."
Ruhk walks over to the building he saw the others enter and kicks the door out of the way, looking for any signs of his lost companions.
"Finius! You live? Good, good. Where is the wagon? I wish to retrieve my shield and gear. If we'll be exploring here and if there be demons about, I would be armed."
Kyson will get his gear from the wagon, then move to follow in the direction of Ruhk, hoping that he finds his comrades alive.
"I'll be there in a moment, yer majesty! If you need help, just send out the royal page to get me." Kyson playfully yells at Ruhk as he walks away.