"Eat me first! Eat me first! I'm old but I'm still juicy!"
As Samirah and Miril slip north to exit the chapel through the large double doors, you hear the voice from the back courtyard. , the words are momentarily muffled by a scream of pain,
Even as Chancre was speaking, he laid a hand on Aron's shoulder ().
Miril and Samirah are able to quickly dodge west out of the alley where the gargoyle bodies lay, so that they can climb to the roof out of the direct line of sight of the villian.
"drat i forgot they were out there"
Very quietly Míril says, "Yeah, that's not any kind of good news."
Roshan moves (double) towards the sound of the voice. He is not trying to be stealthy.
Konstantin moves to the door by Pan to get a vantage point.
From just inside the doorway, Kon can barely make an angle on the creature in the courtyard. The hulking ugly bastard has his head cocked to look down the alley towards the chapel, but the bulk of the wiry form is turned to a partially opened wooden door.
The nabasu demon sniffs the air a bit, the late afternoon sun reflecting silver in the creature's unworldly eyes as the shadows of humanoid forms flicker in them. The death demon has odd protuberances beneath its arms, which after a moment you are recognize as the start of a second pair of arms - a clear sign the nabasu has used its life consuming gaze to convert more than a few people to ghoul while gaining power from their souls.
Next to Kon, pressed tightly to the wall like it might be able to absorb her - thus hiding her from anything else - shudders. Her eyes flick from the creature outside to Konstantin's then down. "Five. Bastard, has five chained."
Roshan strides past Konstantin at the doorway even as Chancre uses the silver scale to heal Sosiel. Above, you can just barely make out the sounds of Samirah and Miril's steps picking through the statuary on the roof of the chapel. The demon's nose wrinkles in the afternoon sun and it turns towards the intentional movement in the alley.
Over its shoulder, in the gloom of the dank room once protected by the wooden door, you see a chained and lank form. The creature smiles its tongue slipping out to taste the air. "Just one?" the demon says with more than a hint of disappointment.
Roshan saunters into full view of the demon. Once there, he smiles with just a bit of a sneer. His expression turning to one of confident contempt for the horrific monstrosity as it comes into view and pauses, assessing the situation. His right fist taps his chest before opening to cover his left fist seeming to symbolize a held cup, the fingers of his right hand wiggle slightly as they move over his left fist, almost like water overflowing and splashing to the ground.
"A mute." The demon sounds annoyed. "That was really the best idea for a spokesperson?"
"Slow, indeed." The demon says, "So my choices are a mute or a dim-wit. Lovely."
Samirah's lips are a thin line on her face; it's clear that if Miril weren't there to serve as a silent example, the ifrit woman already would have popped her head over the side of the roof to chat with the demon in the courtyard.
"A mute." The demon sounds annoyed. "That was really the best idea for a spokesperson?"
Roshan replies by bringing his thumb out from under his chin, his pinkie finger up from his temple, crossing his fingers then bringing them apart, bringing his open fingers up to his lips and glancing that hand off of his left wrist in a single fluid forward motion, then touching his index finger to his temple and swinging the tip forward and finally redirecting it in a sharp short motion at the demon.
His demeanor seems to be amicable enough, however.
Konstantin steps out of cover and looks the creature over. "What is your name?" he asks.
With the new person actually visible on the scene, the demon turns fully towards the pair in the alley, even taking a single step in that directions. "Maugla. And yours, Northman?"
Muttered slightly, "Finally someone who can talk who isn't a martially inclined idiot-savant."
Inside the room, Chancre casts a little spell, moves to the doorway and puts a supporting hand on Konstantin's shoulder - just for a moment.
"I am Konstantin Argentaev," he says, as though this should be obvious to anyone looking. "Are you here to enter into diplomatic negotiations or are you to share the same fate I gave to your servants?"
Samirah peeks her head over the edge to see if the demon is actually facing the members of her team its engaging with verbally.
Once it seems fully involved in the conversation below, and confirms that it's not going to negotiate anything diplomatically, she looks back at Miril. Winks. Her sword glows red.
And she leaps, point down and hair flying in the wind.
Another step forward, a wide grin that shows all those white and black sharp teeth. "Konstantin Argentaev." Tasting the name. "Would you really be negotiating in good will with a demon," the monster says, "A ghoul-maker, a soul hunter?" He sounds amused by the idea.
Another step forward, a wide grin that shows all those white and black sharp teeth. "Konstantin Argentaev." Tasting the name. "Would you really be negotiating in good will with a demon," the monster says, "A ghoul-maker, a soul hunter?" He sounds amused by the idea.
"Of course not. I will slay you regardless, but you seemed to wish to talk before you could work up the courage to face me. I was giving you that opportunity. If you are ready to die, by all means... I am waiting."
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
masterwork: +1
Point Blank: +1/+1
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Seeing that things are quickly going sideways (as expected) and anticipating the demons aggression, Roshan takes a step closer and cold iron slices through the air towards their foul opponent.
Maugla motions to the decently sized courtyard he is in, "Fights are more fun when you aren't hemmed in, dragon-kin."
He stretches his arms out to an almost impossibly wide span, "Of course that is because it is no fun to swat everyone down at once."
Roshan's eyes narrow. He does not move forward. Instead, cold iron appears in his hands and slices through the air towards the enemy.
Maugla motions to the decently sized courtyard he is in, "Fights are more fun when you aren't hemmed in, dragon-kin."
"Then flee," says Konstantin. "And when you return to hell, know you only live because I did not care enough to pursue you."
"Your choice, Argentaev," the demon says with a horrible smile, "but if you get a chance to think back on this day, remember you chose to let others stand for you."
The demon turns its back on the group of men about seventy-five feet away in the alley, Looking right at Samirah hidden on the roof within striking distance of the monster.
The demon's voice goes quiet, almost soft, "Come on darling." And there is a flash of silver in the afternoon sun.
Miril, I rolled your stealth and the demon did not notice you. Please also give me a surprise round action (move or standard).
Given my uncertain access to Wifi I'll start with archery with cold iron arrows. If I can't post again in time for the next round, then it's easy for Mana to repeat.
From her hidden perch, Míril lets a cold iron arrow loose at the demon.
"Your choice, Argentaev," the demon says with a horrible smile, "but if you get a chance to think back on this day, remember you chose to let others stand for you."
Konstantin keeps an admirable poker face, as his internal monologue wonders what on earth the demon is talking about.
Konstantin advances into snowball range.
Samirah draws herself up to her not-very-formidable full height once the monster addresses her. She points her weapon at the demon and grins.
"As you wish, ურჩხული." She says cheerfully.
Something very rude about its parentage.
She leaps from the rooftop, heating her scimitar as she flies through the air toward the monster.
"A dimwit says hi," Chancre says.
Even before Samirah rises, the flash of silver hits her, draining her color for just a moment as an intangible something is ripped from her and dragged towards the demon.
Despite, or may hap because, of whatever the demon did, Samirah leaps from the rooftop, heating her scimitar as she flies through the air toward the monster.
Finally a single arrow streaks out from hiding, revealing Miril's location near the edge of the roofline. The cold iron arrow slices deeply into the demon's flesh.
Seeing that things are quickly going sideways (as expected) and anticipating the demons aggression, Roshan takes a step closer and cold iron slices through the air towards their foul opponent. Only a single shuriken hits home from the extreme distance.
Gracefully balanced on the demon's shoulders, Samirah strikes out with her scimitar, the weapon slicing off a tip of the leathery wings with spurts a vile bloody ichor.
Konstantin advances into snowball range.
Almost running to keep ahead of the spellcaster, Anevia pauses at the door only long enough to whisper something to Pan.
From her hidden perch, Míril lets a cold iron arrow loose at the demon. But with the element of surprise lost and aiming so she doesn't hit Samirah balanced on the creature, Miril misses.
Maugla does a rolling shrug which forces Samirah to flip from the monster's shoulders to the more stable footing of the ground next to him. A flash of black energy is her only warning that the demon intends something nastier than a diseased claw.
Unsteady from the toss, Samirah doesn't quite manage to parry the touch, and black energy courses through her, stealing life and giving it to the demon.
Aron and Sosiel both move up, Aron looking for a chance to flank the monster, Sosiel with weapon in hand, but keeping an eye on Samirah's injuries.
Samirah -15
Save DC
"Whatever that was you stole, I'd like it back. Immediately." Her eyes are narrowed and her customary smile is missing. She lunges forward with her scimitar as though scoring a hit will undo the demon's damage.
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
ki pt: +20' move
Roshan frowns, clearly not pleased with the effectiveness of the cold iron shuriken. He puts on a burst of speed and puts himself in position to flank with Samirah. The glowing golden starknife pulses, arcing upwards towards the demonic monstrosity.
Chancre looks the demon up and down.
"So who do you worship, then, demon-thing? In your appetite and arrogance, I'm gonna say.... Kalibri. Am I close?"
Chancre advances to Konstantin, puts his hand on the taller man's shoulder, and ...
The force corkscrapier attacks again.
From her perch, Míril lets a carefully aimed arrow loose into the demon.
She follows it up with a second arrow.
"Ah, mortals." The demon's eyes flick from Samirah to Chancre then back to the nearer danger, "Once your soul has been burned up, you don't really worry about worship anymore."
A scoff, "And someone who worships a dog-loving drunk really shouldn't throw stones."
Chancre advances to Konstantin, puts his hand on the taller man's shoulder, and ...
The force corkscrapier attacks again. This time the demon has to dodge, just a bit to keep the weapon from damaging him - but he manages it.
Roshan frowns, clearly not pleased with the effectiveness of the cold iron shuriken. He puts on a burst of speed and puts himself in position to flank with Samirah. The glowing golden starknife pulses, arcing upwards towards the demonic monstrosity. And the demon proves a quick bastard with thick skin.
"Whatever that was you stole, I'd like it back. Immediately." Her eyes are narrowed and her customary smile is missing. She lunges forward with her scimitar as though scoring a hit will undo the demon's damage.
The demon laughs even as he uses a thick are to parry the blow, "Oh, darling, you don't want me to give you anything back." The red eyes narrow, "Although I do need a replacement for the offspring you did kill..."
Konstantin's arm frosts over, and he quickly flings a hard-packed ball of ice at the demon. Distracted as the demon was by Samirah's wrath, Konstantin's snowball barrels into him, staggering the demon.
From her perch, Miril's arrow seems to disappear even as she fires it, only appearing when it has well and truly perforated the demon.
The demon's gaze flickers from Konstantin to Miril, "Obviously, this bears study."
The demon's form flickers, but unable to move away from Samirah, thanks to Konstantin's snowball, the demon does not quite manage to teleport away.
Seeing that they may have the demon trapped, Anevia and Aron move up to flank, surrounding the demon. Although their attack harry the creature, they don't quite manage to draw blood.
Yet.
"Already weakening," Konstantin says. "And trying to flee like a whipped cur. When your fellows ask you what you fear, why you cower, remember my name."
Save DC 21
If that's a miss, Konstantin will expend a mythic power to add to the roll.
"Oh no, the old Cayden Cailean is a drunk insult. Never heard that one before. Is that really the best you can do?"
Chancre looks at Konstantin. "This guy is still minor, chief."
Chancre gives Maugla the side-eye. "I'll bet he still has a soul, even."
The force corkscrapier presses its attack, searching for a weak point.
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
Roshan attempts to tie up one of the demons arms with the Star of Desna. ..at least temporarily.
"Oh no, the old Cayden Cailean is a drunk insult. Never heard that one before. Is that really the best you can do?"
"Everyone knows he is a drunk, he predilection for a hole, even his pet dog's was the insult, priest."
Rather than responding with words, Samirah merely makes a noise of disgust and presses the attack on the flanked demon.
"Awww, you've given me a new mental image for how he filled the hole in my heart when I was younger. Thank you."
Chancre closes half the distance to the demon, and something in his stance changes.
The force corkscrapier presses its attack, searching for a weak point. But does not find one, yet.
Roshan attempts to tie up one of the demons arms with the Star of Desna. ...at least temporarily.
Rather than responding with words, Samirah merely makes a noise of disgust and presses the attack on the flanked demon. Roshan's distraction proves useful, as Samirah's hit strikes true barely hitting, the fire just washes over the demon's skin.
The demon dodges away from the press of people, his defenses drop for just a moment, allowing Roshan and Samirah a chance to land painful blows. Samirah's strike, in particular, is rending - taking one of the demon's wings off at the joint.
Bloody, but alive the demon, grins - a bit of blood dripping from its maw, "If running lets me strike back at you when you aren't expecting it? Call me a f+*@ing coward."
And the bastard teleports. Leaving a wing twitching on the ground.
Kon -30,-16, -5
Miril -23, -12
Samirah -22, -11,-26 (-1 level)