It’s no use trying to shoot him in the head with a helm like that, Drystan thinks. Maybe I can get behind him...behind the altar. There’ll be nowhere to run though.
Drystan hurries down the chamber, fitting an arrow to his bow. He glances at the weird blue glowing bodies and wonders how that is possible. ”You can give up!” he calls out, pulling the arrow back until his bow can’t bend further. He aims for the person’s back and fires.
With the Catarina Knight among the living Annalise breathes a sigh of relief and turns towards the other, black knight. She weaves through the fight towards the fallen figure. She hesitates as she draws near; after all, she knew nothing of this persons intentions. Still, by the sounds of things they could use another blade in this fight.
Ordric attacks the creature again, lunging with his sword but not abandoning defense.
Spending a Benny to Soak 3(!) Wounds...
= 4, a Success
So Alder takes 2 Wounds and is Shaken.
Trying to un-Shake :
= 5, a Success, I can act
Trying to Heal himself :
Spending a Benny :
= 6, a Success
The group continues to struggle against the Channeler. Ordric's and Kearan's attacks just seem to knick and scratch the foe, while Drystan's arrow goes wide as the sharp blue lights play tricks on his depth perception.
Alder staggers under the power of the Channeler's spell, but manages to hunker down and recover some of the damage with his faith. Similarly, Annalise's timely intervention brings focus to the man in black armor. His armor is smooth and rounded in the shoulders and chest, a heavy blackened steel shell that must require absurd strength to wear properly. . Near him is a large two handed axe made of dull steel. The man stirs, but isn't yet healed enough to take part in battle yet.
Ordric, Count Ethelred (A C)
Kearan the Short (Q H)
Alder Claybourne (4 H)
Drystan Kressothe (Joker)
Annalise of Astora (6 H)
The Channeler (Q C)
Initiative: Drystan (Joker), Ordric, Kearan, Channeler, Annalise, Alder.
Ordric presses on, now concentrating on the offense and slashing the creature with wide cuts.
Drystan growls as he misses again. After exhaling quickly, letting his shoulders slump and the tension roll from him, he takes another breath as he pulls back an arrow. Just picture a target at home. We’re not fighting this guy.
Ordric's sword manages to bite deep enough to evoke a hiss from the channeler, and Drystan's arrow shatters against the thing's head. He can't see it, but Ordric and Kearan can see a spatter of dark blood escape from the vents in the channeler's helm.
Alder pulls out his dagger, and runs up to join his friends in attacking the dark figure...
Um...wait a minute, Alder damaged him with three lightning bolts before, doing 8, 10, and 15 points of damage. You never said anything about him Soaking or spending Bennies to immediately un-Shake, so if 8 points Shakens him, 10 should too (Wound), and even if 15 doesn't inflict a Wound, he's still Shaken again (Wound). So he should have 2 Wounds before Ordric and Drystan's attack, yes?
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Kearan grimaces beneath his helm as the enemy stands strong, but Ordric's strike seems to cause some damage. The knight himself sets his feet and attacks again, this time keeping his shield up to protect himself.
The channeler looks like his movements have gotten less energetic, though he still seems to be quite dangerous. Kearan's attack cuts into it past it's armor.
Kearan's attack, alongside the rest of the group's efforts, have whittled it down, but not enough to finish it off yet.
Kearan (Joker), Ordric, Allies, Alder, Channeler, Annalise, Drystan!
Ordric, Count Ethelred (Q S)
Kearan the Short (B Joker)
Alder Claybourne (J D)
Drystan Kressothe (5 H)
Annalise of Astora (6 S)
The Channeler (9 H)
Allied Aid (J H)
Your Catarina Knight rises to her feet, picking up her weapon and rushing closer, her armor clanking and squeaking. A still-smoking burn on the breastplate of her armor is easily visible. (Rise up and run-split actions. Alder, is that correct?)
The knight in the Steel Set rises and picks up his greataxe. He, unlike the Catarina knight, has practically no distance to move to attack.
Up next is Kearan, Ordric, and Alder!
Emboldened by his allies' successes, the ailing of the enemy, and the renewed vigor of the fallen knights, Kearan decides to seize on the moment. He once more puts all his weight into a mighty blow, hoping to end this battle with one decisive strike!
Unless I messed up again, channeler's wound penalty also lowers his parry so yeah, you do get a raise.
Seeing both knights raise up and join the fight lightens the count up and Ordric swings his sword with more power, again forgoing defense.
Kearan's attack leaves an opening that Ordric exploits. The channeler drops to its knees, an unearthly cry erupting from his helm as it tips over. To your surprise, the body shimmers with a white bubbling light before seeming to deflate. Moments pass, and nothing remains of the six-eyed sorcerer but it's trident and some robes way too big for any normal man to wear.
The knight in steel drops his axe and rushes to the altar. "Are you intact?" the man asks gruffly, but his actions are anything if not gentle as he delicately scoops up the lady.
"I am alive. What was that thing?" she asks, rubbing at her wrists. She turns to face the group. "Thank you, my rescuers. I fear for my fate should that monster have succeeded."
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"I am glad we were arrived in time to help you. Are you the Carim pilgrimes we were tasked to escort?"
Alder finally arrives, puffing slightly from the running, with his dagger in hand, feeling kind of useless.
"I fear I shall not be of much help to the group until the middle of tomorrow."
Annalise will approach slowly and continue to check wounds with her delicate, sightless touch.
"What was all this?" she asks to no one in particular.
Drystan slumps against the wall when the enemy is defeated. He looks to his companions to see if they are as shocked as he feels.
”I-I don’t know what that was,” he says with in a weak voice. He shakes his head, then looks to Count Ethelred. ”We should burn those robes. Bury that weapon. Push it into the ground with a stick. I don’t want to touch it.”
He steps next to Alder, ”I can help bind wounds.”
"Ah, you're the lapdogs that Prince Ricard sent to escort us." The Carim knight says grouchily. "However abysmal your timing was, you still showed up before it was too late. I suppose I can extend you my gratitude."
The woman turns to him. "Marius, do not be rude, they saved our lives."
"Joan..." he grumbles. "Fine. Thank you for coming to our aid."
Joan steps forward. "Have you seen Patches?" she asks. "He was one of the first ones that the monster attacked."
"That wasn't a monster." Marius says, putting Joan onto her feet. She wobbles, but remains standing.
Marius continues. "That was not a man, but one of the beings of Anor Londo. At least, one of the smaller ones." He taps the helm with a foot, dislodging it. Ashes drift from the open neck of the helm as it rattles away. "The six eyed helm means it worshipped, or maybe even worked for, the Scaleless one."
"Hmmm..." Your Catarina knight hums. "Have you seen another wearing my kind of armor?"
Marius turns to the knight, looking a little stunned. "By the gods there are more than one of you." he retorts. "I thought you had seen the attack and returned, but you're a woman."
"The man would have been my father." she says in response.
Marius shakes his head. "Nay, I don't know where he went after he stormed off. He had been offended when I referred his helm to that of a common vegetable." he shrugs, his armor creaking. "Seems that I saved his ass, if he got out of town before the attack."
Ordric narrows his eyes when the Carim knight calls him a lapdog, but controls himself.
"I'm afraid Patches is dead. At least, we were told that he is dead," he takes a pause and continues. "Now that we have found you, our mission of escorting you begins fully. We will follow and protect you, while you are on the territory of Astora."
Annalise bows silently as introduction.
Kearan follows Annalise's suit, also sliding his sword away after wiping it on a spare sash. The knight of Carim's ill manners make him bridle indignantly, but he doesn't say anything--perhaps a rare blessing of his wounded throat.
"Perhaps we should return to Minas Overlook, and report to Lord Hiram about having killed the thing that ravaged his town. Maybe he would be inclined to let us spend the night in his castle, with good beds and good food..."
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"A very good idea." the Catarina knight replies to Alder's offer. "Let us depart."
The group, including your new rescues, return to the front gate of the fortress. Lord Hiram appears up on the walls a few minutes later, noting one of you are carrying the channeler's trident (which was too big to keep concealed).
"By the sun, you've done it!" he shouts down at them. "Men! They've slain the monster!"
He looks down at you. "Come in. Our healer is overworked, but he will tend your wounds!"
The portcullis rises, and you are escorted into the fort. They lower the portcullis again, just as a precaution. You are brought into the fort proper, where Lord Hiram greets you briefly before you are escorted to some spare rooms to rest in. He informs you to meet him at the dining hall within the hour, and then takes his leave.
Those of you who choose to show up in an hour will find that he has had his men set a banquet fit for noble knights and their retainers. He sits down at the head of the table as you enter in, smiling gladly. The man had even changed out of his armor and into a fine set of clothing that looks sturdy but simple.
"Please, by all means, eat!" he exclaims. "I have to thank our saviors!" he gestures, and a serving girl comes around with a carafe of wine to pour drinks.
"Do tell, how did you manage to slay such a brute!" he asks, seeming positively pleased that you've managed to break what must have been a very stressful period of time.
"Actually, it was a group effort. Firstly, I had my god smite him, then Kearan hit him with a mighty blow, and finally Ordric finished him off with an even greater blow."
Kearan gladly accepts the offer of healing, although he's somewhat sheepish when he presents the wound. A truly skilled knight might escape such a battle without a scratch... but then, only a fool would expect such an outcome.
He arrives on time for the dinner, and takes a seat by Ordric as any good knight should. Kearan himself is still wearing his armor, although he took some time to wipe and burnish it to a gleam, and he's removed his helmet for the meal. His customary crimson sash is draped about his throat, covering most of his scars--only a keen eye or someone at close quarters would notice them.
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Ordric changes from his traveling clothes and armor into a modest, but appropriate for a noble outfit.
"As Alder said, it was a joint effort. Alder, Drystan and the Fire Keeper Annalise supported us from the back-lines, while Sir Kearan, Sir Marius, honorable knight of Catarina and I surrounded the creature and attacked it in melee."
If she can, Annalise will attempt to excuse herself from the meal for the evening and instead tend to the wounded and dead from the village. Her Astoran upbringing already had her straying away from praise, not to mention that as a firekeeper it was partly her duty to see to the dead and dying.
= 8 (a Raise, if that's important)
Drystan arrives at the feast wearing clothes that are clean but wrinkled, smelling a little as if they have only recently been brought out of his pack. He eats heartily but doesn’t talk about any of the strange things he has witnessed on this journey.
Your meal is great, and Lord Hiram is pleased to hear of your endeavors. He sends his forces out to collect the dead and burn them on a pyre, as is the tradition. They work through the night, but you all get some sleep instead.
Your night's sleep is plagued by strange visions. The ancient battle depicted on the walls of that long-buried church seem to come to life in your dreams, where you envision yourself fighting alongside a vast army of humans. Around you giants and godly beings in armor and wreathed in power join you as your forces wage war on colossal dragons covered in stone scales. Only the lightning of the gods could strip away these stone scales, where then your people poured into melee with them. Even so, for every dragon felled thousands of your fellows were slain.
When it was over, the greatest of the gods, wreathed in lightning and sunlight, reached down and touched the chest of man, and that touch did... something. Your chest burns.
When you awaken, it is because of a great pain in your back, just under your left shoulder blade. The pain fades quickly, until you think it was just part of the dream you had. Looking at the spot is going to be difficult without help or a mirror.
Alder and Kearan awaken with a minor itch on their back, but otherwise are very well rested.
You come out of your rooms, where a serving girl directs you to the barracks dining room, since Lord Hiram is currently indisposed.
The barracks is at half-capacity, but the soldiers accept you amongst them with little complaint. Oats and soft-boiled chicken eggs are served for food, as well as fresh, cold water.
The soldiers are talking energetically amongst themselves.
You can collect that they managed to find all the dead, but some of the townsfolk and soldiers were actually badly wounded but stable. They have been taken to the healers to be looked at, but the fact that they still draw breath and were conscious was a great raise to morale around the barracks.
Alder is quietly thankful that many of the townsfolk survived the ordeal.
Ordric eats the breakfast, noticing the increased morale. "At least some made it out alive."
After the breakfast he searches for the pilgrims to ask what they plan to do next.
Annalise eats a light breakfast, just enough to keep herself going.
"My lord" she says quietly "Before we begin our return journey, perhaps we should speak more with the knight of Carim and his companion? Did it not seem that there would be more pilgrims when the Prince ordered us to come here? Also, the maiden, Joan was her name I believe, is likely the one on the path to become a keeper of fire like myself. I'd like to speak with her if it would not trouble you."
"Speaking with them was my intention," nods Ordric. "You are of course welcome to accompany me."
Drystan eats a bowl of oats and finishes his breakfast with three soft-boiled eggs. ”Yeah, surviving that encounter...if I was them I’d be relieved too. And yeah, I survived but I don’t feel the same. I can’t wait to get out of here. I don’t know if the reward is worth all this. Strange crystals and creatures. Terrifying dreams. I thought breakfast would help. Ma always said, ‘A good day starts with a good breakfast,’ but I don’t feel like it’s going to be a good day. Do you want me doing anything while you’re talking with them my lord? I can see to the horses and the like.”