Nahia faintly hears the screams and sees the flickering light shining through the stained glass windows, causing her to smile as she lets out another stream of smoke. The stone behind her begins to warm slightly, but this is nothing compared to the warmth she can feel rise inside of her as she contemplates her service to her Dark Prince.
It is going to be a good night...
Hounds draws his blade as the flames erupt and the large glowing being appears in the center of the burning chapel. Seren! Turn loose the commander! He snarls as the fires lash at him and focuses his rage on that...thing Running forwards and launching himself off a blazing pew, he drives his blade into it's heart..
Seren laughs menacingly at the Archons pronouncement. "You're far too late Archon, sorry, Archons, you're God holds no sway here any longer."
With the final words of her speech, Seren finally drops the unholy vial in her hand, the vile liquid burning rapidly into the floorboards, as black smoke begins to waft up from within the circle of silvery powder. "Let me show you who really is in control of this tower."
At that she banishes her glamour, her deathly self become apparent to all around them. "Your fate was determined far before this. Come to me oh Lord Tom. Attack this...thing. It has no place on this realm any longer, let this gestalt scurry back to the heavenly realms in pieces."
Lord tom eyes begin to glow a sickly red as it enters the area of Seren desecration, it's mouth opening to show the pristine teeth of the late Lord as he shambles towards the archon, he's decayed legs working adamantly to fight off their slow nature.
He launches himself at the divine being, Slamming into the creature as it attempts to form. Bone and sinew cracking as it contacts the archons, trying to interrupt the merging ritual.
Hound launches himself at the Archons, piercing it with his sword, while Seren desecrates the area, commanding the former lord to interrupt the creature merge, but he is unsuccessful at the attempt;
Rose, on the other hand, toss some dark energy into the mass of light, trying to blind it, but that too is not enough to stop the metamorphosis.
Mysty casts her spell in the rapier, and prepares herself to join the fray.
The transformation finished, the large mass of swirling lights says ”Thy attempts art futile.”
From him, bolts of flaming light hit the corpse of the lord, burning it beyond repair, destroying Seren’s prized creation.
Hound, still aflame from the explosions and Rose's burning aura, lets rage take over and he once again swings his blade in a wide arc, destroying any remaining soldiers who seek to engage him and slashing into the being of light.
If he felt pain, he did not show it for he was now in the throes of berserk. Snarling, slashing and roaring like a blood soaked beast, he was not a man but a hound, killing at his master's whim and order.
Rose didn't lose herself the way Hound did. It was more as if she found herself. Standing in a burning church, a prayer to Asmodeus on her lips, she reached out hands wreathed in hellfire and poured the pure energies of the Abyss onto an angel.
"Thy existence is futile." she mocked the archon. "Look around, little angels. See your faithful? Candles, every one of them, burning so brightly against the dark."
"Bet they're wishing for a little darkness right now."
"Give up, little candle..." Rose said sweetly as the hellfire corroded the angel's form.
For the first time in it's existence, when faced with the pure might of hell being channeled through one of the mortals which were it's charge to shepherd and save, it had a moment of doubt.
It's light dimmed just a bit, and it stopped.
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A voice spoke in Mysty's head And so perishes the servant of the holy fool. Well done my little blade
Mysty smiled. That was the voice that spoke to her in the prison.
She watched as the Angel faded before her eyes.
It spoke to the party as it faded.
Justice will happen black ones. One day you will fall and be destroyed and the only reward you will gain will be the fires of hell. Think on that. I go to light incarnate.
Mysty spat on the place it was, and turns to any surviving guards. Your turn boys
Seren gives a small sigh as Lord Thomas gets burned to a cinder by the Archon. Well that didn't last long.
Enraged by the Archons lack of understanding in her attempts to create an undead horde, Seren stomps up to the gestalt character engaged in combat with her companions. "You shall pay for that one."
The room takes on a darker hue suddenly as Seren pulls from the power of the circle of desecration around her, letting the foul power infuse her being as she pools the necromatic energy within her body, transforming the divine energy of the chapel into something far more nefarious.
Almost giddy from the sheer amount of power at play in the room, Seren shakes her head quickly, clearing her thoughts, as the power grows. She feel flesh begin to flake off of her extremities, and winces as she feels her heart start to fail as the power influx begins to overwhelm her. Not yet...Not yet...
Finally, feeling the energy almost ripping her apart and with eyes alight with evil malcontent, Seren lightly places a single pointer finger on the fading Archon, the holy energy burning the tip of her finger slightly. "My turn."
The discharge wraps around the archon, Black tendrils snaking between it's various parts, shredding the bonds that held the gestalt together. An unnatural scream echoes through the room as the energy begins to literally eat the flesh from the archons as it lies dying on the floor. "There will be no escaping this place for you. No retreating back to some holy plane."
Satisfied with her work, Seren meanders over to the door. A single touch rotting the wood instantly, The vile energy still pulsing within her veins. She steps out into the open air, steam and mist streaming off of her as she looks around.
With a smile and a laugh she lies down on the grass outside the Chapel, thoroughly enraptured by thoughts of the event that just unfolded.
Nahia continues to hear the faint sounds come from the chapel: the crackling of fires, a few screams, the falling wooden supports from the roof, the muffles shouts of her companions. She even picks up on the barely perceptible feeling of a mass of dark energy.
Taking a shallow draw on the pipe, she thinks to herself:
I can't blame them for wanting to have some fun after all of this. I would be drawing it out too...
She looks up at the sky, at the moon, while she slowly lets the smoke waft from her open mouth.
I wonder what is going through the minds of Sakkarot and the others right now? What will they think when they see that we've completely taken over this fort. Just a handful of us... Will they honor us? Will they praise us? Will they love us? Will the fear us?
Nahia can feel Andros begin to move a bit, and Nahia pulls him from around her neck, letting him wrap around one arm. Biting the pipe between her teeth, she pets him with the other hand, lost in her thoughts.
Suddenly, Seren barges through the now dessicated remains of a door, and Nahia can feel the heat pouring from inside. At first, Nahia thinks Seren might be angry, but the wide smile on the priests face shows otherwise.
After taking a quick glance around to make sure no one escaped, Nahia goes over to lay by Seren, and says "Had fun?"
Shh... So much power. I need to kill Archon's more often. That was intense. So much perversion. mmmm. Everyone burning around us was just icing." Seren replies happily.
"Guess it's probably time to call for Sakkarot though eh? Enhh, I'll let someone else do that, I'm going to bask in this for a little while longer." She adds, her eyes closed in contentment.
It was finished. The fort was theirs.
Rose went about the anticlimactic task of collecting her armor from the bones of the thing that had once been The Lord of Balentyne.
When she was done she walked outside to join the others. She still hadn't bothered to put herself out yet. Flames licked gently across her shoulders and arms, crawling across her skin but not managing to sear it. This fire was hers. Turned our she rather liked being on fire.
She retrieved the signal firework from the fire resistant hard leather case at the small of her back. She looked at it, trying to find an activation rune or a command word written on it somewhere.
"So how does this thing work?"
Then it went off.
It leapt out of her hands and into the sky trailing sparks. Rose squeaked in surprise and fell back, landing on her butt in the middle of the courtyard.
Overhead, the sky burst into light and flame.
Hound managed to come out of his rage after the archon's life force was devored by Seren. Looking around he felt a surge or satisfaction at the carnage they had wrought upon the guardhouse. All this by just their small band.
Then he noticed he was on fire.
*Roll roll roll roll*
Having called the army, the group of villains goes about, open the portcullis, and lower the drawbridge, to give the horde safe passage. After doing it, they go into the lord’s room and the magister’s , colleting the chests and searching its contents.
- 4650 gp in Talirean coinage neatly sorted into 100 gp purses.
- A small box containing a dozen silver and sapphire military commendation medals (worth 75 gp each 900 gp in total).
- Ten “double eagles” minted to celebrate the birth of Bellinda, Princess of Talingarde, eighteen years ago. These large coins are solid gold and weigh a pound each (50 gp each – 500 gp in total).
- A sack that contains the “petty cash” – 300 gp in mixed coinage (mostly silver and copper)
- Seven ornate chalices adorned with gold, silver and a variety of semi-precious stones. Official visitors have presented these gifts the commander over the years. The chalices vary in value but in total are worth 1050 gp.
- 5 potions of cure light wounds (securely wrapped)
- 2 elixirs of truth (also securely wrapped)
Inside the lockbox is his spell book “The Heart of All Flame” and 120 gp.
“The Heart of All Flame”
Bound in the crimson, scaled leather of some indeterminate reptilian beast, this large locked tome bears its title proudly in Common across the front cover. Inside is found not just spells but a lovingly written treatise on the beauty and purity of flame and how ice, when it grows cold enough, also burns.
Protection Average lock (DC 25)
Oppositional Schools illusion, necromancy
Value 1445 gp
SPELLS
4th – fire shield, ice storm, stoneskin, wall of fire
3rd – dispel magic, flaming arrow, fireball, fly
2nd – bull’s strength, burning gaze, flaming sphere, protection from energy, pyrotechnics, scorching ray, web
1st – burning hands, dancing lantern, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, sleep
0th – standard plus spark
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Rose, seren. Let us make sure some of these guards survive. We can give them as a gift to the hordes leader. I'm certain his underlings would appreciate it. Amongst those folk it would hurt to acquire a reputation for competence.
Mysty starts tying up wounded survivors, binding wounds if needed. Then she asks hound to lug them to the gate house. if any cause trouble, throw them into the ravine. But it would be nice if some lived for the question process
Mysty sticks to the others as the army rolls in. After all, they may not know about her, and killing allies is not very diplomatic. She keeps looking for the leader of the horde.
Rose changed into her new armor, satisfied that she had well and truly earned it.
She nodded as Mysty trussed up the few survivors. "Good idea."
"We should open the gates and get our things from the inn. There probably won't be much left of it once the horde rolls through town."
Hound nods and carts any survivors to the gatehouse. Also empty the Inn of any valuables if they can be found.
Once the horde arrives, Hound like Mysty stays close to Rose since his joining of the group was late and the less humorous misunderstandings the better.
Nahia sees the firework overhead and smiles. She glances over at Seren and then gets up, leaving the woman to her revelry.
Hmm, I know what this occasion calls for...
Nahia takes heads into the burning chapel for a bit. After exiting the church she takes a few moments to finish her pipe, knocks the ash out of the bowl, and heads back into the castle.
For nearly an hour she is gone. But when she returns she is carrying a basket of fruits and bottles. Looking to Hound, she says "Hound, dear, would you set up some tables and chairs near the fountain?"
She makes several trips, each time returning with more food a drink. On the table she lays out an assortment of dishes: several soups and custards, a (small) variety of fruits, rice, and rich smelling roasts, steaks, sausages, and meat pies.
Smiling at everyone, she says "I stashed some food away for us, and managed to scrounge some things together." She pours several glasses of wine and takes a seat, sipping at the wine, and says "Come! Let's celebrate!"
Fantastic, I am now the butler.
Hound sets up the tables and chairs in a 'Sit here but don't expect anything special' kind of way. One used to either sitting at a campfire or eating slop in a prison cell knows little about fine dining and pretty much slouches in his chair with arms crossed over his chest until the food arrives.
Rose returned from the inn driving the carriage she'd arrived in town. Their belongings were nearly packed away inside it. There were a few splatters of fresh blood on her armor. She was humming to herself.
She reined in the horses near the fountain and giggled at the food Nahia had laid out for them.
"Oh, this is wonderful! I'm famished, thank you."
"Oh, that reminds me!" she said a few moments later after she'd taken off her helm and taken a bite of a crumpet.
She disappeared into the stables and came out a few minutes later leading a horse.
"Seren, you said you wanted a horse of your very own. How about this one?"
Nahia smiles as she places various foods onto her plate. "Eat up everyone! And Hound, have some of that pie, it'll be good for your muscles. Not as nice as if it was raw, but it might be more palatable for you in this form."
Hound rolls his eyes at the suggestion that he eats raw meat.
Well not all the time of course, a well cooked and herbed piece of deer was a treat after a long hunt.
Hound took some of the pie and eats. The crust was interesting at least.
Hound tilts his head. It may very well be. He finishes his pie and wipes a hand across his mouth. Might be interesting to see their reaction to our casual dining when they expected a fight.
Seren takes another bite out of the delicious pie. "Don't you go spoiling my picnic Mysty. That horde can wait."
Seren continues to eat her pie and sip on her delicious wine when Rose brings out the horse. At the mention of a horse of her own Seren jumps up from the table her chair bouncing on the grass as it falls. She squeals not unlike a school girl, clasping her hands around the obviously frightened beast.
"Oh we shall be such good friends, after I figure out how to turn you successfully of course." She adds nuzzling the fine beast.
Another thought dawns on her as she mentions a fine beast and she grabs at Nahia's hand to pull her from the table. "Nahia! We need a gift for Grumblejack! We have to find a guard, or a child quick. Oh it won't do if we made him stay with all those bugbears he wasn't allowed to eat, and don't even provide him with a tasty mitran snack when he arrives."
She drags Nahia from the table, leading her off in search of a lovely gift for grumble. "Oh who should we get him? A Guard? Child? maybe that barmaid from the inn? So many options." Seren says with a pout. "Should have left the father alive. He would've enjoyed that one. Whoever it is, we must hurry. The army is almost here!"
Nahia giggles at Seren's enthusiasm and replies "Calm down. This meal is for him, and Sakkarot, too! He probably would have preferred it a little more raw, but I've got some applejack here just for him to make up for it."
The night had just started; it was the first day since the horde had finish its travel. It was the first day of what could have been a long wait.
However, his faith in the Ninth, as it seems, was not misplaced.
The excitement in the throng of bugbears was palpable. Too long, the north meet failure at their attempts against the south.
But not anymore.
Sakkarot made no speech at all; there was no need for it. The promise of slaughter was more than enough to motivate the horde.
This was no righteous army of the north avenging some unjust treatment over the years. Blood was their coin, and blood will flow today.
Therefore, into the night the horde marched against their enemy, the hated fortress that had claimed so many of them over the years.
No battle horn or drums, there was no way to predict what they would find in the watchtower. Besides, there was not need at all, the murderous and monstrous screams of the bugbears was warning enough.
At the head of the army, Sakkarot marched, until the watchtower was in sight. That was when the big fella, walking just behind him changed from walking, into a might charge against the open portcullis. That without no doubt was the most dangerous position, but Grumblejack liked it that way. He would not hide behind puny bugbears; he said he would be the first to enter the watchtower. Grumblejack would be the first to enter the watchtower.
Gripping his monstrous hammer, cursing his heavy armor for getting in his way he went ahead of the horde.
The Knot gave him that armor, the hammer was the one Seren gifted him for learning their god blessings.
Rotten un’, Elfy, Klunt’s and Scarred un’ had done their part. It was now Grumblejack job to finish it.
And so, he entered the watchtower bracing himself for an attack that never came. Something was off, however that didn't stopped him as he ran into the drawbridge, gripping his hammer even tighter, passing through the gatehouse into the yard, to find Seren hugging a horse’s neck, and Nahia at the table eating and drinking.
His challenge scream died in his throat as he looked in that scene, trying to figure what to say, but ending up in a crazy laugh, as the hammer hit the ground.
Not much later, scores of slaughter lusting monsters enter the yard, giving pause only because Grumblejack is laughing and not attacking the survivors.
The horde parts opening way for Sakkarot that looks at the scene for just a second before bellowing to the ogres.
”There is no prey here for us! Into the city. Today we feast in Talirean meat!”
That’s enough to set the horde into a killing frenzy, running past the yard, passing in the side gate, heading into the unsuspecting city.
Rose waved at the horde as it passed. "Have fun, boys!"
Hound merely follows the horde with his eyes and stays put.
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well that's enough food.
Mysty looks at hound looking at the streaming horde. Mysty was not by nature kind, but she could be understanding.
hound, how about you and I go with the horde to loot the town and such. Give me a lift, and we will catch them up. She looks at the others The others can come too if they want.
Of course. Hound hefts Mysty onto his shoulder and follows the horde. What will we be doing now that the fort has fallen?
Nahia smiles at the approaching hoard, and upon seeing familiar faces, shouts
"You two." says Sakkarot in a calm voice pointing at Hound and Mysty with his flaming axe ”Stay exactly where you are. Tonight nothing will stop that horde, and to them, you are nothing more than humans to kill.”
He then turns to Nahia and Seren saying ”I understand now, why the Cardinal chose you.” and with that, he walks in the table taking some of the meat pie.
After his burst of laugher, Grumblejack walks to the table and ignoring the food asks Nahia ”Tell me Elfy, did you had a nice meal?” he keep looking into her eyes before moving closer to Seren picking her up as grown up would do to a child.
”You are prettier than ever.” it’s all he says giving her a bone breaking hug.
”New friends? What happened to the other two?” says the bugbear looking at the other villains. ”We didn't have the pleasure of meeting before. I am Sakkarot.”
Hound nods. Hound, just call me that. I accompanied Rose in the past before she came here and managed to reunite in time for the breaking of this fort. My job is simple; kill whatever gets in reach.
"We met once before, actually. Years ago when the Cardinal first contacted you. I was a bit smaller then." she said with a wide smile. "I am Rose, the Cardinal's daughter."
She watched the ogre squeeze Seren and laughed.
”Ah, yes. I remember it now.” he says simply and then says to Nahia ”I must confess. I was not expecting… this.” he finishes looking around at the fort.