Chancre cannot get in to attack the vampire directly, so he makes a point of positioning himself to where he can touch the maximum number of attackers in case emergency healing is required.
The force weapon attacks again.
More metal cascades off the stone walls bracketing the once half-human on both sides. This time, it is the second chakram that slices into the unliving green flesh.
Konstantin pulls his wand and blasts the monster with magic missiles.
Chancre cannot get in to attack the vampire directly, so he makes a point of positioning himself to where he can touch the maximum number of attackers in case emergency healing is required.
The force weapon attacks again. But this time with no success.
Miril moves like a puppet on strings to flank Samirah, totally so that Chancre can have a open spot to the bad guy.
For all of his words of admiration for Samirah, it is with dedicated viciousness that he attacks her, the knife strike powering through her parrying defensive, although her quick swordplay does save her from his draining bite.
Anevia indeed continues to work at the jammed door. She swears neither in Taldane nor Hallit, but it is definitely swearing. With cuts off suddenly with a unexpected scrape of stone on stone.
Irabeth is momentarily distracted by Miril darting around her towards Samirah - but she recovers to hit with her second blow.
Vamp -14,-21,-24,-45,-52,-47,-78,-92,-102,-104
Míril turns her sword on her friend Samirah, unable to resist the vampire's silent command.
Roshan
magic: +2/+2 or +1/+1
masterwork: +1
Pt.Blank:+1/+1
Deadly Aim:-2/+4
Flank from Samirah?:+2
Having noticed Miril's uncharacteristic actions, Roshan moves to keep her from "repaying the favor" on Samirah, attempting to tie up her arms with his own from behind. He is only partially successful.
Second Hit
A combination of burning rage and a long day seem to have worn the ifrit down; her swings seem to have become sloppy and slow after defending herself from the vampire's vicious attack.
Chancre pulls his physical corkscrapier. "Doc, it's time for you to go." Chancre moves into the space that Miril vacated, and attacks the vampire directly.
To perhaps no one's surprise (since her jerky movements gave the enemy a combat advantage) Míril turns her sword on her friend Samirah, unable to resist the vampire's silent command. ( ) Not truly expecting the attack from her friend, Miril's attack stings.
A combination of burning rage and a long day seem to have worn the ifrit down; her swings seem to have become sloppy and slow after defending herself from the vampire's (and Miril's) vicious attack.
Having noticed Miril's uncharacteristic actions, Roshan moves to keep her from "repaying the favor" on Samirah, attempting to tie up her arms with his own from behind. He is only... not successful.
Konstantin unleashes another volley of magic missiles.
The force weapon continues to attack. Sadly with the same result as last time.
Chancre pulls his physical corkscrapier. "Doc, it's time for you to go." Chancre moves into the space that Miril vacated, and attacks the vampire directly. With the same success as Steve - even though the physical weapon glows with deadly energy that hums when in proximity to the vampire.
Unrestrained, Miril continues her unnaturally focused attack on Samirah. Miril knows Samirah's figting style much better than most enemies that they come up against (plus Samirah is tired) and Samirah only managed to parry the sneaky rogue's second attack. However her armor proves just enough protection against the first attack as some part of Miril tries to fight the mental control.
Which is good as Samirah doesn't move quick enough to parry the vampire's dagger - but does beat off his life-draining bite. This leaves the swashbuckler just at the mobile edge of consciousness.
With the secret door open, Anevia grabs one of the books, pauses to check the title, grabs a different one, and uses that to jam the door open.
Seeing how close to the brink Samirah is, Irabeth reaches a hand to her shoulder.
Samirah -17,-37,-62,-44
Vamp -14,-21,-24,-45,-52,-47,-78,-92,-102,-104,-114
"This is why nobody likes vampires. It's not the undead thing. It's not the looks or the smell. It's because you're jerks."
The force weapon readies itself for another attack, then flickers out of existence. Chancre does not flicker out, his corkscrewed blade striking twice.
Roshan
Flanking w/ Samirah: +2
Roshan redoubles his efforts, hooks one arm over Miril's, hand braced behind her shoulder and uses his left on her back and the strength and leverage of his entire body to steer her forcefully into the wall (no damage, but out of any possible flanking position-except maybe on himself).
Míril continues to dance to the vampire's tune, and continues to savagely attack her friend Samirah.
Crit Confirm
Second Hit
After shooting a very quick and thankful glance back and Irabeth, Samirah keeps swinging away at the vampire. "Tired of playing with me, decided I was too much to handle?"
Míril continues to dance to the vampire's tune, and continues to savagely attack her friend Samirah. Happily Samirah dodges them.
After shooting a very quick and thankful glance back and Irabeth, Samirah keeps swinging away at the vampire. "Tired of playing with me, decided I was too much to handle?"
"Like anything worth having," with a disgusted look at Miril's ineffectual attacks, "you'll take time to break."
Roshan redoubles his efforts, hooks one arm over Miril's, hand braced behind her shoulder and uses his left on her back and the strength and leverage of his entire body to steer her forcefully into the wall.
Konstantin fires yet another volley of magic missiles. It's only a little damage, but it proves just enough to bamph the vampire into mist.
Mist which flows through the door Anevia has wedged open.
Miril is still under the dominating force of the vampire.
The vampire is NOT destroyed. When injured to the point of destruction, the vampire reverts to mist form and returns to his specially prepared gravesite/resting point and heals. Once he has healed to a certain point his fast healing kicks in. The vampire returns just as strong, but really f+#*ing hungry.
"Ugh. Like cockroach," Konstantin says in disgust, following the mist. Louder, he says, "You cannot escape me, little vampire. When you return to flesh, then you are all mine."
Intimidate
In the small secret room you find a room absolutely bare, except for a coffin laying dead center in the room. You see the lid, which is secured closed by a number of chains and locks overlaps the body of the casket - a hair-thin opening which the mist seeps into.
Samirah presses a hand against one of her ragged wounds.
Samirah follows, looking thoroughly worn down and keeping a wary eye on Miril. In the next room, she looks around and asks the others for oil to dump over the coffin.
If it's applied, she lights a torch and drops it on the box.
"He'll just heal up again if we leave him be. I don't have any oil, but I do have some very strong ale."
Samirah's torch takes a moment to catch the alchol fumes aflame, but once it does the fire starts to eat into the wood... then the dead body within. The smell is not pleasant.
"I generally prefer a colder death for my enemies, but this feels appropriate."
Roshan, still holding Miril in the adjoining room sniffs the air. His brow furrows briefly and he looks back at Miril over her right shoulder questioningly. His grip does not loosen, however.
"I do not believe we are capable of either the fire or the winter a creature like this deserves. Yet." She reaches up to brush hair out of her face and sweep it over her shoulder. "The next one is yours." She pops up on her toes to brush her lips against Konstantin's cheek.
She watches the coffin burn for a few more moments before turning away. She doesn't even wrinkle her nose at the smell.
"Thank you for your sacrifice, Chancre. I owe you a drink or three, I think." She rests her hand on his arm for a moment, squeezes, then drops her hand back down to her side. "I suppose I will go and see if Miril still wishes to kill me."
As she kisses him, Konstantin loops an arm around her waist to give her a comforting squeeze.
"It is not Miril, but the vampire's power. There is, unfortunately no way for me to break such enchantment yet. It is up to her to escape its lingering influence."
I leave it to you to play it. Although the paranoia would make sense as a part of Miril's hind brain senses the vamps sire.
Samirah nods. "I know, I found myself under the same enchantment. It was a poor joke." She gives half a smile. "Although maybe I offended her at some point and this was a convenient time to seek revenge. It would not be the first time such a thing has happened!"
Míril blinks as her name is mentioned.
"I..." she starts. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I think I'm back to being me, at least for now."
"I can still feel the traces of where it had its grip on me. If it comes back, or if its sire comes, I'll probably be its weapon again."
She looks helplessly at Samirah. "I am so sorry, my friend," she says, holding back tears. "Konstantin, how long will I be like this?"
"Konstantin, how long will I be like this?"
"A few days, I think. It will pass."
Samirah waves her hand. "It is nothing I would hold against you, Miril. There is nothing more vile than a creature who takes away choice." She says, tone gentle.
Satisfied that the vampire has been turned into the remains of a crispy critter, the group scans the prison. A polite, but worried voice comes from the one occupied prison cell. Tenor voice, raspy, "Hello?"
"Lovely lady with the fire-red hair?"
The man in that cell looks vaguely familiar but the brown hair and brown eyes visible under matted blood and bruises are fairly common in his Taldane features.
"Do not worry, we have not forgotten about you." Samirah pops back into the room with the prisoner who is awake and speaking to her.
"What is your name?" She asks, motioning for Miril to help with the lock.
Miril is able to open the door of the cell easily, revealing a bedraggled man in worn and broken armor. A rapier sits on the floor of the room, just out of reach of how far the man can reach his feet at the extent of his manacled wrists. He wears a boot only on his left foot, the right boot abandoned on the floor near him.
There is a pauses when Samirah asks his name, a hint of insane fear seeping into the brown eyes, even as his voice breaks a little, "You don't know?"
Míril opens the lock, happy to have something to do, however briefly, to take her mind off the prospect of suddenly being compelled to kill her friends again.
Samirah waves her hand. "It is nothing I would hold against you, Miril. There is nothing more vile than a creature who takes away choice." She says, tone gentle.
Míril smiles weakly, seeming not sure she feels she yet deserves such forgiveness. But she accepts it without demur.
Míril blinks as her name is mentioned.
"I..." she starts. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I think I'm back to being me, at least for now."
And to no one's surprise, Roshan of course has released his half-elven friend. Though it may be noted he kept his eyes on her for quite a few moments after.
"I can still feel the traces of where it had its grip on me. If it comes back, or if its sire comes, I'll probably be its weapon again."
His outward appearance does not change, but there is a softening in the eyes, and perhaps an acknowledgement as well.
Miril is able to open the door of the cell easily, revealing a bedraggled man in worn and broken armor. A rapier sits on the floor of the room, just out of reach of how far the man can reach his feet at the extent of his manacled wrists. He wears a boot only on his left foot, the right boot abandoned on the floor near him.
There is a pauses when Samirah asks his name, a hint of insane fear seeping into the brown eyes, even as his voice breaks a little, "You don't know?"
Roshan places the boot upright and facing away from the man to make it easier to slip on, then retrieves what he assumes is his rapier and offers it to him, hilt first and over his left forearm.
After a moment of watching the flames and pondering an old adage, Chancre returns to the larger room. He places his hand on Míril's shoulder briefly. "Don't let it get you down, kid. Vampires are jerks."
Chancre looks over the cells -- and frowns when not finding Nurah.
There is a pauses when Samirah asks his name, a hint of insane fear seeping into the brown eyes, even as his voice breaks a little, "You don't know?"
She shakes her head. "I do not. And though I cannot promise you safety if you choose to leave now, we have killed the vampire who stalked these halls, among many other in service to whatever dark beings governed this place." She pauses, then smiles. "We are reclaiming Drezen, room by room. But no, I cannot tell you your name."
To Chancre; "Now that I personally know what vampires are capable of..." her tone is colored with anger at this, "I am more open minded to the idea that Nurah could have been very heavily under a vampire's sway when she left us behind. I would not consider it outside of Drezen, but here? Perhaps."
Roshan remains noncommittal and nondescript among the shadows.
She shakes her head. "I do not. And though I cannot promise you safety if you choose to leave now, we have killed the vampire who stalked these halls, among many other in service to whatever dark beings governed this place." She pauses, then smiles. "We are reclaiming Drezen, room by room. But no, I cannot tell you your name."
"Vampire?" the man says with uncertainty. "With dark skin? And horns? And luscious long white hair? She asked me to stay here and then the demons hurt on me."
"She was a vampire?" He asks amazed.
"No. She was likely a succubus," Konstantin says, a frown creasing his face at the mention of "luscious white hair." The white-haired sorcerer continues, "We faced a different opponent. A half-orc who had been turned into a vampire. He was, most decidedly, green. I suspect he is gray now."
Chancre bends down next to the man. Hand on forehead. Looks into his eyes. Checks his teeth. "He's under the effect of a charm monster-type spell. Poor guy."
Checks his teeth.
Up to this point the man seems rather passive, but the teeth seem over the line to man, pulling back, "Hey buddy, I don't know where those have been."
"Maranse doesn't swing that way."
Plus Maranse's features are not quite as rugged as you'd expect from the stories of the hard-living man.
"Maranse Delaskru?" Konstantin asks, the disbelieving frown deepening.
Samirah cocks an eyebrow. "I do not know this name. Do you know him?" She asks Konstantin.
The man stops batting away Chancre's hand for a moment to blink up at Konstantin in confusion, "Dela who?"
A pause, "You're really really white, you know?"
"Silver," Konstantin corrects him peevishly.
"A crusader lost to the Worldwound two years ago," Konstantin explosits at Samirah. "This man matches the description, and now has the same name. And swings in the proper manner, according to one text."