Fantasy World of Gea: The Greatest Adventure [IC] [CLOSED]

[Elenion Aura]

"Hey, lad... Huh? Heh, you are dark as the night itself! Mind helping the lass over there?"

The hooded man raised his head, saying nothing. Whoever the 'lass' in question was, her plight was none of his concern, for he knew dark shadows stalked these streets tonight, and the sooner he found himself in a safe place, the better. Doubtless, he had no time to waste on the dead, or the dying.

Another step forward and the hooded man would have left the grisly scene behind him. It was at exactly this moment that something miraculous happened.

Catching a glimpse of the woman’s prone form out of the corner of his eye, the hooded man saw what could only be described as a halo of light surrounding her. Alarmed, the figure stopped short, nearly stepping on the nearby corpse of a man. Stepping over the northman, he knelt down gingerly beside the woman and threw back his hood, revealing a complexion as dark as starless night, and hair and eyes the color of moonlight.

Cautiously, he observed the phenomenon before him. The light that enveloped this strange woman felt soft, and cool. Nothing like the harsh sunlight of the surface world. Surely this was a sign.

Divine Providence. This vision meant something. But what? Suddenly fearful that she would die before he could discern the meaning of it, the Dark Elf prayed aloud to his Dark God for a boon.

“Dumoas d'l'isto.”

Where there was once light, darkness ushered forth to devour it. Inky, black tendrils erupted from the elf’s finger tips and worked their way into the woman’s wounds.

 

[Roda the Red]

As Gawain focused on the detection, Syll couldn't help but worry about Sera who for some reason has suffering some kind of panic attack, he walked closer to her as Sentry tried to reassure her.

"Sentry is right, i understand if you're scared, but i know Kastalli will be fine, and whatever comes to us, we can take it, we're all coming out of this alive, okay?

But Syll's confidence was short lived, as Grunde suddenly started warning the group, apparently Zen was attacked, and possibly the others as well, but why would he be attacked? The cultist were clearly aiming for a specific objective, either Sentry as she was a Runeseeker, or the aformentioned Ddraig, which also confused the Half-elf, they clearly weren't going to find that in Waterham. And then the murderer... could it be, that perhaps they caught wind of him and Zen looking around for clues, could it be that they decided to attack Zen because of that. If that was the case then Syll was going to be extremely angry with himself, as that would have ultimately been his fault for not being careful enough.

Either way it was not the time to start blaming himself, and as Alberto commanded, Syllannan was about to head to the plaza, that is, until.

"Prepare yourselves! Something dark and powerful makes its approach to us now..!"

Perhaps this night is truly cursed thought Syll as he focused on finding nearby auras. His concentration wasn't nearly as good as Gawain's, so his detection range and accuracy were quite weaker, but even then...he could feel it, an ominous presence was approaching, something that felt like what could only be described as evil. Syll took his battle axe from it's holster, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped the wooden handle.

"I can't let anyone die tonight... may the gods watch over us"

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Petrocoles walked around the scene, glancing between the defeated killer and the area around them to ensure there were no more forthcoming attacks. The others had brought him along to help Zen, but he was unable to climb to the roofs, and was frustrated to have been left on the street. And they had returned to find the apparent redcap already taken care of by Abasi, injured, but otherwise okay. "You fought well, my furry friend," Petro said with a heavy, approving nod. He had been worried about him and Cassandra being bait for the trap, but it seemed his fears were misplaced. He stepped around to Cassandra and glanced down at her, before kneeling and patting her on the shoulder. "Take a deep breath, you are okay, miss. Valor is on our side tonight."

The minotavur then stepped over to Abasi to check on the dancer, hearing him mention Kastalli was being hunted. Petro frowned at this. He hoped she was safe with the rest of the group.

Some of the others arrived, carrying two wounded Tengus, one being Zen, the other a stranger. It seemed their enemy tonight had struck on many fronts indeed, but they had won here, for now. "We should look to our wounds, then meet up with the others. Are they to come here? Who can say what danger is still hunting us." He kept his hammer in his hands as he swept his gaze over the square again. Petro glanced back over Abasi and Cassandra. "Can you both walk? I can carry one of you, or both if necessary, but then I cannot fight."

 

[Beann]

Considering their interaction at the market earlier in the day, Kastalli did not expect Captain Jager to help her at all. As he spoke, it was somewhat understandable that he was merely acting in his best interests. If word reached her father that a couple of sailors even touched a hair on her head, he would completely deny their entry to Holmstæin. She took short and shallow breaths as she could feel her hand being soaked in the blood of her wound. The last of her strength was being used to remain conscious and nothing more. To crawl and seek aid would be unwise as it would only speed up the process of bleeding out, and it would appear that Captain Jager had the intention of only helping once. She remained still on the ground as she watched the captain continue to walk away. The only expression she offered him was the slight raise of her eyebrow as she was rather surprised at his last words. Obviously what he said about her husband and mother earlier were not nice but she didn't expect him to realize that himself. Perhaps she judged him too harshly. Well, it mattered little at the moment as she felt considerably colder and weaker. Hopefully someone would stumble upon her soon and help but for now she closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

"Saito…" she breathed as she thought about her husband, the memory of him constantly fresh in her mind. It was always best to have one's last thoughts be about their loved ones, right? Kastalli recalled a certain memory where her husband brought back a charm from his homeland. A small flower that was delicately carved out of wood. As it was attached to thread, it was easy to wrap it around her spear for both decoration and good luck. She reopened her eyes to look around for her spear as she had lost hold of it during the battle. It was out of reach but she could still see the charm that was attached, covered in blood from when she stabbed the Skæglin sailor. Out of the corner of her eye though, she could see movement and as she turned her head, it was a hooded figure walking towards her. Friend or foe? She wasn't sure so she attempted to reach for the dagger that she had dropped nearby but winced in pain as she strained her body.

Before she knew it, the figure knelt down beside her and pulled their hood back to reveal their face. Kastalli stared at the man before her, almost amazed at his contrasting features. "Who are you?" He obviously was not a member of the company, was he truly just someone passing by and wanted to help? Just as she asked for his identity though, he uttered something in a tongue that was unfamiliar to her. Her eyes widened in horror as shadows contorted and moved from the man's fingertips towards her body. Only they weren't shadows, they were physical. "N-No! Stop!" As much as she wanted to move away from this man, her body was simply too weak to do so as she watched her wound be enveloped by black. The feeling was something she could not fathom, her tail twitching erratically in disgust. Kastalli gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly to fight through whatever unusual feeling she was experiencing.

When the experience finally passed, she slowly reopened her eyes and looked down at the wound she had received earlier. All that was left was dried blood and she noticed that a considerable amount of her strength and energy had returned to her. Kastalli patted herself down to make sure there were no open wounds but it would appear she was fully healed by this man. She looked at the dark-skinned elf and grabbed his hand. "I am truly grateful, kind stranger. I owe you my life." She lowered her head to express her appreciation and respect for him. Her ear then twitched at the realization of needing to return to her friends. Quickly scrambling back up to her feet, she hurriedly walked over to retrieve her spear. "I would love to repay the kindness you have shown but I am afraid I must return to my friends quickly as they could be in danger as well. First the Berserker and now a cult…" Kastalli muttered the last part more to herself than to the stranger.

 

[Elenion Aura]

Annoyed by her protestations, the cloaked man ignored them, and continued to funnel his blessing into her wounds until they had all sewn themselves up. He felt flush with power, with the blessings of Nyarlaexedum. Surely, in healing this stranger, he had just done His will. Somehow...

As the Unlight, his Lord's eldritch blessing, faded to true darkness, the dark elf drew up his hood once more, saying nothing. He eyed her warily, curiously, wondering if this work had satisfied his patron's ineffable will. Then the woman reached out and grabbed him. His first instinct was to pull away, jerking his hand out of her grasp. He waited in silence to see what she would do next... And more importantly, whether or not his God had further plans for him in her presence... And what was this mention of 'friends'?

He continued to watch as she collected her weapon, suddenly wondering if, after all of this, she'd turn her spear on him. But she did not, and the elf relaxed his guard an iota, enough to no longer feel the ridge of tension in his shoulders. Eventually, she started off in a direction. Toward either 'berserker', 'cult', or 'friend'. He knew not which lay before her, but he did know this. That his business was not done with her yet.

When she had gone around the nearest bend in the road, he stalked quietly after.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

(1d10 = 2 | Zen's Health: 2/9) Using his shamnistic powers and his holy powers to summon the Big Frog in the Sky. Korzhev managed to heal some of the wounds on Zen but it was clearly not enough to help the crowman fully recover. He then pulled a potion from a pouch tied to his rudimentary belt and gave it to the crow man, helping him recover a bit more. (Zen's Health: 7/9).

"Thanks for the assist , i thought he had me there for a moment... hah, imagine coming all this way to die gutted in a plaza... and thanks to you as well, but now this "redcap" here, he said something about the others , he said something about Kastalli she is being hunted by someone from the north... where are the others ?"

Cécilia looked at down at the unconscious body of the killer before looking at Abasi. "Huh... he knew? Grunde had warned me about Kastalli being hunted." She said as the other members of the party grabbed the unconscious Balneach. "...what the Hel is going on? Why did all these threats choose to attack us now." She asked while caressing her chin.

"We should look to our wounds, then meet up with the others. Are they to come here? Who can say what danger is still hunting us. Can you both walk? I can carry one of you, or both if necessary, but then I cannot fight."

Cécilia looked at Petrocles, agreeing wholeheartedly with him. "Indeed... you seem to have a few cuts on you, Abasi! A-actually..." Cécilia looks at Abasi's tail, that was having some trouble to move. "Dear me, d-did he pull your tail?" She asked while nearing Abasi. Cassandra nodded after catching her breath. "Y-yeah... that guy pulled his tail out of it's socket I think, he might need some help putting it back there." While the party concentrated on Abasi's current state, Cécilia couldn't help but to feel unnerved by something... the distant bells, echoing throughout the city.

Brakenshire Street

​

As the sound of bells ringed throughout the town, it was rather surprising that most of the population were hiding inside their homesteads instead of peaking their heads outside to see what was going on in their city. The Sheriff and her constables knew the reason why, the bells only rang when they were dealing with real danger. She hoped she could reunite with Cécilia and her group before the cultists planned anything else. Sadly, it was too late. Alberto and the Sheriff turn to face Gawain as the wizard stops to look at a menace up ahead.

"Prepare yourselves! Something dark and powerful makes its approach to us now..!"

"Fucking Hel!" Shouted Alberto as he prepared both his spear and shield. "Everyone! Get ready for combat!" He ordered as everyone got ready for the worst. The Sheriff aimed her flintlock pistol to the general area Gawain was looking at. Sentry was starting to feel the presence the wizard was talking about grow in intensity. It was indeed a dark and powerful being. The birds that were resting on the large roofs of Waterham fly away in utter fear and whatever soul was still roaming the streets during the chaos shouts and runs away from the demonic presence rapidly making its way to the party.

"I can't let anyone die tonight... may the gods watch over us"

Alberto looked at the young spellblade, giving him a smile. "...Let's protect everyone then... might the gods bless us all, Syll." He said before turning his attention to the darkened figure walking towards the party. It was tall, muscular, it's eyes had a powerful red glow to them, its skin was dark but not in a natural way, he was tall. Around seven feet tall, it carried nothing, not a single piece of armor or a weapon yet it was clearly a powerful being. It was still hard to believe that such demon was nothing but a common soldier, yet it carried such a strong aura that scared everyone that gazed upon it.

​

"H̵e̴r̸e̶ ̴y̸o̶u̸ ̸a̷r̵e̴.̷.̵.̴" said the Chort as stood a few feet away from the party. It's voice sent shivers down the spine of everyone that heard it. A few constables held their head in pain. It was painful to hear. "T̵h̵e̸ ̷r̸u̴n̵e̷s̷e̷e̶k̴e̵r̶.̵.̸.̸ ̶a̸n̷d̶.̷.̷.̴" He looked at Gsera for a moment, letting out an evil chuckle before noticing a familiar face among the adventurers and constables standing in front of him. Gawain. "A̸h̴.̴.̴.̶ ̸t̸h̴e̵ ̵W̴a̶t̸c̶h̸e̷r̴'̶s̶ ̸p̷a̶w̶n̵ ̶s̷u̸r̴v̴i̷v̸e̷d̷?̷ ̷V̴e̴r̴y̷ ̸g̸o̸o̵d̷.̶ ̶I̷ ̵l̵i̴k̶e̷ ̴p̴r̴e̷y̷ ̷t̷h̵a̷t̷ ̵t̵h̴r̸i̴v̴e̶s̶ ̶i̵n̵ ̵d̵a̵n̵g̴e̷r̴.̸.̷.̷ ̶A̶l̷a̵s̸,̸ ̵i̶t̴'̵s̶ ̶t̴i̶m̵e̷ ̷t̸o̸ ̷k̴i̸l̷l̸ ̸y̷o̴u̸.̶.̴.̶ ̶M̶y̵ ̸m̵a̷s̷t̵e̷r̶ ̵d̵o̶e̴s̶ ̶n̶o̸t̷ ̵l̸i̴k̷e̶ ̷l̴o̸o̵s̸e̵ ̴e̵n̶d̷s̵.̶" It said coldly, yet it continued to smile in such an uncanny way. Suddenly, the demon let out a stomach churning scream that makes everyone in the party grit their teeth. Those of weaker will, mainly the poor constables, shout in terror before running away from the scene, with the exception of the Sheriff and two of her most veteran constables.

From the darkness of Waterman's many alleyways emerged several hooded figures, based on their size and shape, all of them are either Human or Hobálfar. "There's around twenty of them Alberto!" shouted Ser Justin as he raises his shield at the sight of the cultists. "I know... damn it all! Ser Justin, Ser Waylond, Pottrey! Get the others! Look for Kastalli, anyone!" He shouted as the cultists continued to approach the party. "This is an order! No buts or ifs! Get the others in the bar! We will hold these bastards as long as we can!"

It did not feel right for any of the three knights, the trio of knights had to agree, it'd be better if the party was all together. Waylond specially had the most doubts, but was dragged away by Justin. "...Grunde! Tell Cécilia of our situation now!" He shouted right as the Chort started to chant something, it's corrupted demonic tongue was too painful to listen to, even the cultists had to hold their heads as the demon seem to create some sort of magical pentagram on the ground. Hot smoke emerges from the glowing symbol and the strong smell of sulfur invades the nose trills of those near these wicked circles. Then, from these pentagrams started to emerge two creatures. Almost as tall as the Chort, with a sickly coloration in their long and lanky bodies, they had wings, large and well proportioned and while they looked thin, they were also incredibly muscular. Imps. The servants of Hel.

​

The creatures were expressionless for a few seconds before looking at the Chort that had summoned them. When they locked eyes with their new master, the Imps imitated that uncanny smile with equal awkwardness, yet there was something inherently unnerving about their strange smiles. "Tsk... if you think you can intimidate us you vile creature... think again! We will put you down!" shouted Alberto, looking around cautiously as the cultists continued to approach them. When a cultist attempted to attack Gawain with their wicked blades, a loud bang echoed throughout the entire city, catching the attention of Kastalli and her strange new acquaintance.

The Sheriff stood there putting her gun away as the cultist that was about to stab Gawain falls dead to the ground with a massive hole right on the lady cultists chest. "Tsk! If ya think I'm gonna let ya do what ya want in MY CITY! Yer bloody wrong ya stupid creature of the night! MOTHER OF ALL, PROTECT ALL OF YER CHILDREN!" Shouted the Sheriff with uncharacteristically zeal. The two remaining constables nodded nervously, ready to fight against these cultists and their demonic benefactors. The battle ahead of them was a though one, but one they would push through.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

• Cultists of Nyarlaexedum •
Cultists: 25/25 HP • Special Ability: Unnerving Fervor, for each downed enemy, the cultists gain 1+ bonus to their attack roll. This bonus is cancelled when 50% of the cultists are dead.
Imps: 10/10 HP • Special Ability: Avaricious Hunger, Imp's can use a turn to mark an enemy and in the next turn they'll be able to attack twice against said enemy.
Chort: 20/20 HP • Special Ability: Tool of War, they recieve a natural +2 bonus points to their attack roll. Chorts are completely immune towards invasive status effects.​

• Constables of Waterham •
The Sheriff: 5/5 HP • Special Ability: Callous Defender, the Sheriff does an extra +1 bonus damage against enemies that downed/incapacitated/killed an ally.
Constables Bolby & Sandra: 7/7 HP​

• Enemy Turn •​

Despite the fact that they just lost one of their members, the cultists began their attack on the company first. They charged towards them, a few attacking Alberto and Syllannan but both men were able to evade their attacks. Gsera on the other hand was quickly surrounded by these bastards, undoubtedly they knew about her and her true nature. (1d10 = 9 | Critical Roll! | 4 Damage) (Gsera HP: 8/12) One of the cultist attacked the poor Ddraig with an deadly blow to the skull from his mace. The loud sound of steel hitting flesh was horrifying to those near Gsera, such attack would have killed a normal Tuatha, but she managed to resist it, another cultist then attempted to stab her but she was quick enough to move away from the attack, sadly while avoiding her attacker, she received a cut on her left arm from a cultist she did not see approaching.

The two Imps then followed as they rush towards Syll and Gawain with voracious hunger. One of the lithe and tall creatures attempted to attack the young Hobálfar with their powerful claws that could easily gut a person open. (1d10 = 2 | Failure) But Syll was too fast for the creature, he avoided each swing the Imp made with expert finesse. "Good job lad!" shouted Bolby the constable as he watched Syll avoid the attacks. The other Imp then attempted to do the same to Gawain, flailing wildly towards the mage hoping to tear a limb it could eat from. (1d10 = 3 | Failure) But despite his state, Gawain was able to avoid the attacks of this pest with relative ease.

Watching as his human allies attacked Gsera and his two summoned slaves failed at harming the Brannorian's in the group, the Chort decided to charge against the adventurers, his eyes fixated on the second most powerful person in the group. Sentry. He attempted to grab Sentry by the neck but the warrioress quickly pushed its hand away and tried to counter attack, the Chort moved away and seeing an opportunity, attempted to punch Sentry right on her chest. (1d10+2 = 9 | Critical Roll! | 4 Damage) (Sentry HP: 6/10) The punch was so powerful that it sent the barbarian woman several steps backwards, she felt that the darkness this being carried move through her like a shockwave, it was a disgusting, upsetting feeling that she never experienced before in her life.

• Ally's Turn •​

Watching Gsera be brutalized like that was too much for the Sheriff, she was not allowing anyone attack anybody in her city. Putting her brass knuckle busters on, the Sheriff lets out a shout as she charges towards one of the cultists attacking Gsera. (1d10+2 = 11 | Critical Roll! | 4 Damage) (Cultist HP: 21/25) With a furious roar, the Sheriff punched the cultist right on the kneecap, shattering it upon impact and breaking the leg. The cultist cried in pain as he collapsed on his own leg. When one of the cultists noticed, he rushed towards the Sheriff to stab her on the head, but she turned around just in time to punch the cultist right on his crotch. Everyone could hear the loud crack that followed as the cultist's pelvis shatters by the sheer power of the punch, the cultist let out a pained gasp before puking through his hood and mask. Using his body as a jumping platform, the Sheriff jumps high enough to punch a lady cultist right the temple, another loud crack soon followed as the cultist collapsed on the ground convulsing before dying. One last cultist tries to attack the Sheriff with a mace, but in response the Sheriff simply shoots him right in the head. "Ya cheeky buggers think ya can walk on me town like this?! do what ya bloody want?! NO! THIS IS ME CITY! I AM THE LAW HERE!" She shouts menacingly and it actually intimidates some of the cultists.

Inspired by their boss, the remaining two constables look at each other assuredly before approaching the cultists, their approach is less extravagant than their bosses. Shields up and Billyclubs ready to strike at the upcoming cultists approaching them. (1d10 = 10 | Critical Roll! | 4 Damage) (Cultist HP: 17/25) Surprising everyone, the constables actually hold their ground with incredible efficiency. Sandra, the human constable, bashes one of the approaching cultists with her shield, allowing Bolby to then strike them in the chest and legs, breaking a few bones. Sandra then grabs a lady cultist with her shield arm and head butts her two times with her helmet, it was enough to knock the cultist out, meanwhile, Bolby takes down another cultist by swiping at their legs and then brutally bashing their heads with his shield. The two then take the last takedown, with Sandra punching an upcoming cultist tight in the throat with her shield, allowing Bolby to hit them in the back of the head with his long billy-club. "That's how you bloody do it!" shouted Bolby, Sandra just shouting in excitement.

It was now the turn of Alberto and his group. Kastalli and Calocis will arrive on the scene next turn. Abasi, Petrocles, #2 Grunde and Korzhev will join them in two turns.

 

[Breadman]

"Right in the tit, huh?" Sentry grunted out in pain as she got up from that punch. As unnerving as the chort was, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of showing fear. The stone form was already taking shape as she got up. "Alright then, since we're going to play rough, let's get rough!" The barbarian readied her sword for a swing at the demonic creature.

 

[joshuadim]

Gsera had remained in her panicked state which only worsened with the arrival of the Cultists, the Imps, and their demonic master. They were here for her, and that prospect terrified her as her mind broke out of its safe space and raced: Ishould'vestayedhomeIshould'vestayedhomeIshould'vestayedhomeIshould'vestayedhome she yelled internally at herself before feeling an impact whack her on the head. She was forced to her knees as she felt blood trickle from the back of her head down to her neck, face and body while her vision blurred and ears rang from the force of the impact. The taste of blood was also overwhelming as she felt a bit well in her mouth as the fighting began. She managed to barely scramble away from the cultist's follow up stab, more so out of panicked luck than anything as she scrambled on the ground.

She couldn't afford to not do anything, especially in a situation like this, and tried to stand only for the world to feel completely unbalanced under her feet and her knees shook as they were unable to properly pick her up. Get up! GET UP! she yelled again inside, trying to force herself to stand. She wanted to do what she did with the bandits and entangle some of the cultists that had been surrounding her, but she quickly realized she had no ability to properly concentrate for such a task. She also knew that given the distance between her and the cultists she had no time even if she was in the condition to do so. Yet one advantage she did know is that they were gunning for her and so she quickly focused as best as she could and summoned vines and roots to surround her in a protective wall around her to try to make it as hard as possible for them to hurt her.

 

[Dmaster]

Even as the Chort made its approach and spoke to the company in its infernal language, Gawain kept his stance as more and more electricity leaped off of his arms. Arcs of blue energy danced and dragged about the street below as his fingers curled and twitched as they held the charge. So focused on the battle to come and making sure he was casting perfectly, the skeletal mage hardly noticed the cultist sneaking up at him for a stab. Fortunately, the sheriff intervened and his would-be aggressor dropped dead. Ever so slightly he turned his head and his burning blue eye sockets to the sheriff, nodding with approval.

"You are mistaken, Hel-spawn." Gawain spat, his spread arms pulling inward as he pulled and pushed on the electricity he was manipulating as if each bolt were strings on a harp. "I am no pawn. I make pawns."

As he made that clarification, an Imp attempted to swipe at him and he quickly side stepped the attack, glaring at the creature with hateful intent. "Speaking of..." he said as he looked to the wraith that had been lazily circling about his person up until this point. "Keep these damned creatures off of me!" Gawain ordered.

The wraith paused, gnarled hands slowly reaching up to its spectral cowl of a head as they trembled with what looked like pain. After a few seconds of its ghostly form convulsing it throws its hands down and bellows a ghastly wail, a pained battlecry of eternal unrest as it charges at the Imp that attacked its master with its claws bared.

Finally Gawain's hands were brought directly in front of him, his spell so charged that wind was whipping through his robes as he focused his intent on the Chort. The lightning began to form a circle before his curled fingers, and his whole body was becoming consumed by the charge. "And you... are not welcome here!" he roared, all of the electricity condensing into a solid, blinding beam of raw electrical energy that pours from his palms. Its diameter was as wide as a person, and it seemed as if it could disintegrate anything it touched!

Special Rule: Catalytic Casting​

 

[Roda the Red]

Before they could realize, a towering demonic being appeared alongside at least a couple dozen cultists, it's glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness of the night, and it's perverse smile caused shivers through the hobalfar's spine. Things then took a turn for the worse as this Chort summoned a pair of imps, ruthless demons that only existed to follow orders and take lives.

One of the imps quickly closed its distance with Syll, a disturbingly long arm armed with vicious claws flailed at his direction, but fortunately Syll was quick enough to move away. In this close-range situation, the elf's spellcasting would not be a good idea, so instead he raised his battle axe and attempted to cleave the imp's left shoulder. He may call himself a mage, but there was no denying that the strong blood of great warriors flowed through his veins, and he was not about to let such a gift go to waste.

 

[Auda]

"...Grunde! Tell Cécilia of our situation now!"

"Ser Alberto and others in danger! Demons. Cult. Need help!" Not wasting a moment, the mini-Grunde in Cécilia's party relayed the information. The slime hoped the message was clear and their voice was loud enough that it reached the others. Immediately after passing the message, they focused back on the fight that's currently happening to see both Gsera and Sentry suffer an injury.

Unfortunately, the slime can't do much, with their body being split into two along with their capabilities. Grunde didn't have enough mana to cast any offensive spells and if they tried, it wont have much of an effect. Hopefully the other members of the company will appear any second now with the second mini-Grunde at hand. But they had to do something, anything that can help the others even just a little bit. Eyes on the imps, Grunde raised their hands towards the demons and asked the winds for help. The slime hoped it was enough to push some of them away, lessening the pressure, or to at least redirect the demon's attention to them.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

The combat raged on, allies and enemies traded blows and luckily for them, the constables and the sheriff proved to be invaluable in the battle. However, Sentry and Gsera were in great danger now and Alberto was not going to let them harm them any further. "We will stop these knaves!" he shouted as he rushed towards Sentry, avoiding the attacks of a few cultists before reaching her. "Do not worry madame! I'll be right here!" He said while putting his shield over Sentry as she was casting her stone armor and preparing her attack on the Chort. Alberto will protect Sentry for two turns, taking damage directed against her.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

• Player Turn •​

After their allied constables defeated a number of cultists, this gave the party breathing room to attack back. Sentry started by using her natural abilities, casting her stone armor that covers all of her body, while that armor provides much needed protection, she was still wounded from that punch. (Sentry HP 11/15). Now with her armor and Alberto at her side, she took the opportunity to charge at the Chort, swinging her blade with a wide arc. (1d10 = 3 | Failure.) The attack hits and Sentry sees the demons black blood hit the ground beneath, but when she looks at the creatures face, he simply smiles at her. "C̷a̸n̴ ̵y̵o̸u̵ ̶k̴i̷l̴l̷ ̸s̵o̶m̶e̴t̸h̵i̸n̸g̷ ̷t̴h̵a̶t̵'̴s̴ ̷n̸o̵t̸ ̴t̶r̷u̶l̵y̷ ̶a̷l̸i̷v̷e̸?̵" His uncanny grin grew larger as he readied himself for another attack.

On the other side of the battle, Gsera felt panic rushing through her body as she looked at all the cultists surrounding her. They must know of her nature and that's why they were surrounding her, there was no other explanation. Using her Druidic powers, Gsera tried to summon nearby roots to protect herself from the cultists, but in her panicked state she was unable to see that there were few trees around her. (1d10+2 = 10 | Critical Roll!) But that did not stop her at all. Eyes glowing green, a surge of Mana emerged from her, expanding to the nearest trees, that started to grow bigger and bigger, catching the attention of most participants on the battlefield. Their now engorged and heavy roots started to move under the ground, some breaking the tile work of the sidewalk before bursting out of the ground to surround Gsera. Gsera is now protected by these large roots, giving her a -2 penalty points to attack rolls done against her.

While some of the cultists watched as Gsera, others continued their battle against the company. Having avoided the wide swings of the hungry imp, he commanded his undead companion to attack, or at the very least, keep these vermin away from him. The condemned wraith, without any choice of her own, charged towards her new masters attackers. (1d10 = 3 | Failure.) But her cold and terrifying grasp did not manage to hurt any of their enemies, as they moved to the side, avoiding her grasp. Gawain feels his Wraith is loosing their semi-material form, next turn she'll temporarily banish from this plane. But Gawain is not letting this momentary setback interfere with his spell. (1d10 = 8 | Success | 5 Damage.) Everyone watched as arcs of electricity emerged from the undead sorcerer, his eyes started to glow as he started to control the Mana in his body before firing a powerful arc of electricity towards the Chort right as it was about to attack Sentry. (Chort HP: 15/20) Gawain watched his spell connect with the creatures body, he could not see the damage however, as it was obscured by the brightness of his spell. "B-Bloody Hel!" Shouted one of the constables as they watched the beam of lightning. When Gawain stopped casting the spell, he watched as the Chort slowly raised from a kneeling possition, his skin was heavily charred and had many open wounds with steam coming out of them, yet the demon kept smiling. "...Irrelevant" it said with a ghastly and deep but clear voice, before turning his attention back to Sentry and Alberto.

After that spectacular arcane display from Gawain, Syllannan knew he had many questions to ask the old undead sorcerer, but now he needed to concentrate his efforts against the Imp that was now swinging its claws wildly at him once more. Syll might be a mage at heart, but he isn't defenseless and the Marley clan taught him many things during his youth. Axe in hand and courage in his heart, Syll charged the Imp with a determined look in his eyes. (1d10+2 = 12 | CRITICAL ROLL! | 5 Damage.) (Imps HP: 5/10). Seeing the Hobálfar charge prompted the Imp to use its tail to push the adventurer away while also swinging its claws, but Syll masterfully avoided both attacks, now as close as possible, Syll swinged his axe at the demon with righteous force. The Imp coughed dark blood as it felt the axe cleave right on its rib cage, dark blood oozing down the blade and handle before Syll pulls the axe back, the Imp them tries to attack Syll again, but is promptly stopped with a swiping kick to the legs to throws it off balance. Using this chance, the Hobálfar swinged his axe twice, the first swing hacking the Imps arm, but the Imp didn't flinch but the second swing, carrying all of Syll's strength, cleaved through the Imps neck, severing the head of the demon. "Nicely done lad!" Shouted the Sheriff as the Imps body started to dissolve in a pile of dark ooze, leaving behind some sort of organ.

After seeing Sera's strong druidic magic and Gawains powerful spell. Grunde could feel the mana flowing through the air, perhaps that's why they felt confident enough to cast an spell despite being in such small state. Anything to help their companions, anything to help their friends. They knew their current state wouldn't allow them to cast their strongest spell, but they had to try something! (1d10-1 = 8 | Success! | Imp stunned for 1 turn.) But by a miracle, or perhaps due to the large amount of Mana in the air, Grunde was capable of casting a powerful gust of wind that sent the remaining Imp backwards several feet away from the battle and temporarily stun them. "Way to go Grunde!" shouted Alberto with a proud look in his eyes.

Right as the enemy started to gather their force again, another person arrived to the battle. Having heard the gunshot miles away, the weakened but battle ready Kastalli made her way to find her allies in danger! But she wasn't alone, perhaps unaware or well aware, she was followed by the stranger that saved her life. Calocis had followed the strange woman that seemed to be involved in some way his religious quest, what he saw shocked him, as he was now seeing members of Cult of Nyarlaexedum - but not the same cult as the one back home or in the other Dökkálfar, he recognized the symbols carried by the zealots attacking the strangers friends, but their uniforms, hoods and cloaks were foreign to him. Were they allies of his? or dangerous zealots of a different pantheon?

Upon seeing Kastalli and the distant Calocis, one of the cultists shouted to the highest rank cultist among them. "More people are coming sir!" She shouted with a panicked tone. "It doesn't matter, as long as we get the Runeseeker and the Ddraig, KILL THEM ALL! U̵R̴N̴G̶ ̴I̸L̶E̷N̵ ̷S̷O̸L̷I̷T̴E̴S̸ ̴O̷R̵ ̴E̵X̶E̶D̶U̷M̴!̷" He shouted while speaking a demonic language, rallying his cultists and the demons against the growing company.

• Enemy Turn •


• Cultists of Nyarlaexedum •
Cultists: 17/25 HP • Special Ability: Unnerving Fervor, for each downed enemy, the cultists gain 1+ bonus to their attack roll. This bonus is cancelled when 50% of the cultists are dead.
Imps: 5/10 HP • Special Ability: Avaricious Hunger, Imp's can use a turn to mark an enemy and in the next turn they'll be able to attack twice against said enemy.
Chort: 15/20 HP • Special Ability: Tool of War, they receive a natural +2 bonus points to their attack roll. Chorts are completely immune towards invasive status effects.​

The cultists charged towards the company, clashing blows with Syll, Alberto and the constables. (1d10 = 2 | Failure.) But the company holds their ground well against the onslaught of attacks from the cultists. "Fuck off you wankers!" Shouted Sandra, the lady human constable as she blocked an upcoming attack from one of the cultists. The surviving Imp, unable to attack due to the fact Grunde had pushed them away, regained the composure and were ready to attack next turn. While his employers unable to deal a decisive blow and one of his lackeys dead, the Chort decided to attack Sentry once more. (1d10+2 = 9 | CRITICAL ROLL! | 4 Damage.) The Barbarian Runeseeker was ready to block or parry the upcoming attacks, but the Chort was ready for a brutal fight, he kicked Sentry in the leg with his hooves before swinging his fist for another powerful strike. (Ser Alberto HP: 8/12) Alberto jumped in with his shield up to take up the blow. The old knight watches as the punch bends his shield and sends a shock wave of dark energy throughout his body. "D-dear Gaia!" He shouted as he looked at his shield. "I won't let you hurt my friends, demon!" the Chort smiles at Alberto's words. "...the deceiving knight speaks?" Alberto's eyes widened a bit as the Chort looked straight into his eyes. "I don't know what you are... looking at you fills my heart with dread, but I'll put you down! for my company, my friends and Waterham!" He shouted in response.

• Allied Turn •

• Constables of Waterham •
The Sheriff: 5/5 HP • Special Ability: Callous Defender, the Sheriff does an extra +1 bonus damage against enemies that downed/incapacitated/killed an ally.
Constables Bolby & Sandra: 7/7 HP​

"I don't know what you are... looking at you fills my heart with dread, but I'll put you down! for my company, my friends and Waterham!"

The Sheriff smiled upon hearing that. "You heard the knight! FIGHT THESE HEATHENS!" She shouted before rushing against remaining Imp. The creature was still a bit dazed but it swinged its claws against the Sheriff as she approached it. (1d10 = 5 | Success | 2 Damage.) (Imp HP: 3/10) But as short as she was, she was also resistant, she managed to tank one of the Imps swings before punching the demon right on the leg, it was a strong enough to harm the imp, that was now unable to use that leg properly. The constables followed the offensive, attacking the cultists around them. (1d10 = 4 | Failure.) But the constables couldn't deal with the cultists, they simply swinged their weapons against each other, only dealing a few, minor blows. "KEEP FIGHTING!" Shouted Alberto. "WE WILL PULL THROUGH THIS!" He said while looking at the demon looming over him and Sentry. He hoped that Cécilia would bring most of the company with her. Abasi, Petrocles and Korzhev will join the battle next turn.

St. Berthana's Plaza
Cécilia continued to hear the distant sounds of chaos coming from the southern region of the city. She and the rest of the company heard a few gun shots. "A gun... must be the sheriff's, they are very rare outside of Hamala." said Cassandra while looking at the griffin riders in the sky. Suddenly, the mini-Grunde in Cécilia's arms jolted with energy.

"Ser Alberto and others in danger! Demons. Cult. Need help!"

Cécilia's eyes opened wide with panic. "Dear Gaia, NO!" She shouted before running away. "PETRO! ABASI! KORZHEV! FOLLOW ME!" She shouted while running towards the Griffin Riding Academy, thinking that they were around that area. "H-HEY! W-wait for me!" shouted Cassandra as she ran after the her fellow scholar. "F-fuck... uh, guys you drag the tengu, put ours in a bed and put the other with our prisoner cart!" said Paulin to the other members of the company as Petro and Abasi started to run after Cécilia. "..u-uh... w-what else... OH! drag the redcap dude to the constables!" He said before running behind Petro, while also making sure poor Korzhev didn't fall down.

"Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!" shouted Cécilia while looking around the streets. "Mom... mom I know you hear me, please help... p-" she murmured before noticing a man running towards her, she recognized the man as a constable of Hobling origin, a half-Hob. "OFFICER! Where is the commotion?!" asked Cécilia in a panicked state. The constable stops running to look at her for a moment, seemingly recognizing her. "Hmph... 'tis nearby lass!" he said while eyeing Petro and Abasi that just caught up with Cécilia. "Come! I am tryin' to find the sheriff and help her out!" He said before leading the way.

 

[Dmaster]

Gawain's arms slightly shook after his beam of energy dispersed, staring through the chaos to see the effect of it on the Chort. Even from the distance between them the wizard could see how the creature's skin was burnt and crackled, and while it did not seem to be in pain the mage knew that his blow was significant. "It's okay to admit that one hurt." he called back to the Chort, only to glance at his shoulder to see how his wraith was failing to connect its attacks. Even its spectral form looked to be flickering more prominently than normal, telling him that its time on this plane was growing shorter for now.

He snapped his fingers, pointing at the imps yet again. "Keep it up! Do not relent until they are nothing but their constituent parts!" Gawain ordered, the wraith giving another horrifying wail as it attempted to rake its claws through the demon.

From there he clasped his hands together again, almost in prayer before he started to spread them apart and his hands stretched their fingers toward each other as they pulled away. The space between his fingers was becoming bitingly cold, freezing mist conjured between his hands as he started to wave his palms about in and out of that space. As the cultists surrounded him he allowed the biting frost to build to greater intensity before he quickly knelt down and pressed his palms to the ground. A spreading sheet of ice flared out from his position, starting to erupt with frozen spikes that were as thick as blades and quite long. Gawain's intent was on all of the cultists, hoping to skewer them on the ice before they overwhelmed the group!

 

[Woffy]

Cécilia continued to hear the distant sounds of chaos coming from the southern region of the city. She and the rest of the company heard a few gun shots. "A gun... must be the sheriff's, they are very rare outside of Hamala." said Cassandra while looking at the griffin riders in the sky. Suddenly, the mini-Grunde in Cécilia's arms jolted with energy.


Cécilia's eyes opened wide with panic. "Dear Gaia, NO!" She shouted before running away. "PETRO! ABASI! KORZHEV! FOLLOW ME!" She shouted while running towards the Griffin Riding Academy, thinking that they were around that area. "H-HEY! W-wait for me!" shouted Cassandra as she ran after the her fellow scholar. "F-fuck... uh, guys you drag the tengu, put ours in a bed and put the other with our prisoner cart!" said Paulin to the other members of the company as Petro and Abasi started to run after Cécilia. "..u-uh... w-what else... OH! drag the redcap dude to the constables!" He said before running behind Petro, while also making sure poor Korzhev didn't fall down.

"Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!" shouted Cécilia while looking around the streets. "Mom... mom I know you hear me, please help... p-" she murmured before noticing a man running towards her, she recognized the man as a constable of Hobling origin, a half-Hob. "OFFICER! Where is the commotion?!" asked Cécilia in a panicked state. The constable stops running to look at her for a moment, seemingly recognizing her. "Hmph... 'tis nearby lass!" he said while eyeing Petro and Abasi that just caught up with Cécilia. "Come! I am tryin' to find the sheriff and help her out!" He said before leading the way.

With a bit of pain Abasi let cassandra help him with his tail , he just told her to give it a light push and with a pop it was back in place making the cat boy do a strange groan that leaves cassandra with a surprised face "H-heh..you can let go of the tail now...unless you wanna keep holding into it.." Cassandra let go of the tail and abasi moved it a bit to check if it was indeed back in place "Now we should catch up to the others , lets go" he said while joining the others in a run his wounds already not bleeding as much

"So anyone wanna...fill me in on what may be happening with the others ? I feel like that redcap knew more about you all than I do" said abasi grinning a bit tho it was clear he was in a slight pain , but nothing he had not endured before

 

[Breadman]

C̷a̸n̴ ̵y̵o̸u̵ ̶k̴i̷l̴l̷ ̸s̵o̶m̶e̴t̸h̵i̸n̸g̷ ̷t̴h̵a̶t̵'̴s̴ ̷n̸o̵t̸ ̴t̶r̷u̶l̵y̷ ̶a̷l̸i̷v̷e̸?̵

"First time for everything." Sentry spat out as the creature just shrugged off the blows. It moved again to attack her only for Alberto to come to her aid and take its attention. Brave old knight that one. She didn't hesitate and took another swing at the demon.

 

[joshuadim]

Gsera had strained herself physically in a significant manner as she gritted her teeth to let her spell do its work to the closest nearby trees. It was in her panic and desperation that she managed to not only summon the roots to her but also impact the size of the trees she was calling upon to protect her. She gritted her teeth as she put all her effort into summoning it with what appeared to be outstanding results as the roots now surrounded her and made it much harder for anyone to really hit her. With that bit of breathing space bought she was then able to properly gather her thoughts in the moment and figure out her next move. The pain in her head still radiated to the rest of her body and she continued to feel blood ooze out as it dripped down onto the street below her.

Her ears rang from such a hurtful head strike and her vision was somewhat blurred in her periphery but she still managed to get a decent idea of what was going on. Kastalli arrived once more, although she looked worse for wear herself, along with a stranger that she couldn't recognize. She also saw that Sentry and Alberto were fighting the larger demon while Syll had managed to defeat one of the Imps. She then decided to focus on the Chort who had been pummeling both the old knight and the Runeseeker, her friends with another spell of her own. She managed to get one leg off her knee but struggled to lift herself up with the second, but it was enough as she began to whisper into the wind. It her tongue she asked the insects and bugs to distract the Chort's ability to fight as they began to conglomerate nearby into a small swarm and flew straight towards the demon!

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Petro jogged along with the others, his hammer resting on his shoulder with both hands firmly grasping the shaft, ready to swing it at any foe keen on ambushing them. It sounded like there was quite the fight ahead of them, and he couldn't imagine how troublesome the cult and demons would be to deal with. His fighting experience was limited to brawls with other bulls back home, and dealing with the occasional wild beast - past that, his only combat was on their journey here, fighting off the wicked bandits. Zealous cultists and strange demons made his teeth go numb at the thought.

"They will not know we are coming," he reasoned, glancing around at the others to make sure they were keeping up. Endurance was not only bred into his being, but the make of many years of working at the quarry, breaking stone larger than him into pieces one could hold in the palm of their hand. "If we hit them hard from behind, they will not know what to do, and we shall have our victory."

 

[Beann]

Although the stranger had generously closed her wound and prevented her from bleeding out, Kastalli had to grit her teeth as she walked down the streets of Waterham. That berserker sure was relentless with his axe. She brought a hand up to her torso, wincing in pain as she touched her lower ribs. Bruised? No, no. It hurt much, much worse than that. She considered returning to the tavern, seeking aid from a proper mender but before she could come upon a decision, a gunshot in the distance caused her ears to perk up. That...sounded like it was near the Griffin Riding Academy! Fearing that her friends might be in danger, she breathed through the pain of her injuries as she took off in a sprint towards where she last left the company. She prayed that they were all okay, if anything had happened to them...she would not forgive herself for taking off for her own personal reasons.

It wasn't long until she arrived on scene, breathing heavily as her eyes darted from Alberto, to the Sheriff, to...what the fuck was that? A demon? Two? Her clothes were stained with dried blood, a mixture of her own and the berserker she had killed, and her hair was a complete mess as well but the adrenaline that pumped through her veins forced her to stand tall in confidence. She gripped her spear tightly in her hands, looking between the demons and the assumed cultists. Instead of charging right in, Kastalli decided to yank her bell off from her belt and flicked her wrist sharply. For anyone who had heard her play a tune with her bell before, they would immediately recognize the source but it was an entirely different tune. Rather than the usual calm and soothing sound, she channeled her energy into striking a sharp and disorienting tune in the direction of the cultists.

 

[Auda]

To be quite honest, Grunde didn't expect his little spell to do anything but be a slightly intense breeze on the imp. It came as a shock when the said imp was thrown multiple feet away, incapacitating them for a little bit. That, accompanied by Ser Alberto's praise bolstered the slime's confidence. Maybe they can do this after all. Grunde can also feel the other part of him getting closer, it wont be long until they're whole again and be more of a help. But for now, what they're doing will have to suffice.

Grunde once again had their eyes locked on the imp. They can already see the demon recovering from the previous gust of wind, preparing to jump back into the fray. With the lack of options on what to do, the slime decided to stick on using the same spell they casted previously. It worked well enough the last time they used it. Hands forming a familiar gesture, Grunde directed another forceful gale towards the imp as it was standing up. If the slime can't use their more offensive spells, they'll make sure that the imp won't be able to harm the company as well.

 

[Roda the Red]

The otherworldly flesh of the imp was tough, far more than most bandits Syll had encountered before, but despite this he followed through with his attacks with as much force as he could, eventually finding an opening on the creature's neck which he did not doubt to cleave into. Syll let out a sigh of relief as the lifeless corpse of the imp fell on the ground, well it's not like they were truly alive to begin with.

He then took a moment to observe his surroundings for a better understanding of the situation to act acordingly. Sera had been hit but fortunately she had summoned thick vines to protect herself, Syll thought he probably had to go to her aid. Sentry and Alberto dealing with the Chort, and thanks to Gawain's powerful spell, they probably had a good chance to deal with it by themselves. The Sheriff was fighting the other imp and the constables were dealing with some cultists. He then noticed Kastalli had returned, since it was dark he couldn't quite see if she was fine or not, but considering she was standing he guessed she was mostly okay, which he found to be a great relief, also a man was near her, a dokkalfar perhaps? Syll wasn't quite sure who he was but hopefully he was good news.

Before Syll could go to help Sera, a group of cultists rushed to attack him. Helping the others wouldn't be easy without protecting his own life first, thus he parried the multiple strikes from the cultists, compared to the Imp these guys were a lesser challenge. the Elf turned the side of his axe and striked the cultists with the hammer end of his weapon.

 

[Elenion Aura]

Sticking close to the comfort of shadows, Cal followed the strange woman—and now the sound of gunfire—until he came upon a scene. He was not sure precisely how to describe it. He felt the presence of his Lord—come in the shape of His dark acolytes, a Chort chief among them—but also something more. He realized then, with mounting dread, that there were several more figures here bearing a familiar pale, moonlit glow. It was the same halo of light that had drawn him to the wounded woman in the alleyway. The courtyard was practically alight with the number of them. He could hardly ignore this sign. Not to mention... He very much doubted he would be welcomed by his fellows should they win the skirmish.

“Zotreth seke.”

With conviction only achievable through faith, Cal sealed his fate, flinging his Dark Blessing toward the three nearest who bore the glow (of which the woman from the alleyway was one), taking the form of inky shadows in the dark, intent on bolstering their next attack with eldritch power. The three shadows lingered there, even after their purpose was seemingly fulfilled. They hung like wisps of black clouds, patiently waiting.

Trait: Blessing of Shadow​

 

[EdwardDewey98]

With the party starting the counter offensive against the cultists. Alberto watched as his companions started to fight the enemy, but also noticed that Kastalli had arrived. "Kastalli! Thank the Gods!" He shouted, genuinely relieved to see the cat woman was okay, even if she appeared to be slightly wounded. He then noticed the strange man standing behind their companion, his skin was as dark as the night sky above and seemed to be casting a spell of some kind, he was close to Kastalli, Alberto assumed that this stranger was from the company, even if he didn't remember recruiting a Dökkálfar. "Come now! Give 'em everything you got!" Shouted Alberto before thrusting his spear against the Chort, aiming to the demons heart.

 

[FloweryMuffin]

Once Korzhev climbed down from the building, he returned to a panicking Cécilia, the little Grunde having issued a warning he’d barely heard the end of. Abasi was also injured. Regaining his breath, he spoke to Cécilia in a gentle tone,

“Now, now madam, you can’t see the sword ready to slash you up if you panic like this! The head’s rather useful and I’d be quite happy you didn’t lose it, will you? This isn’t how you jump into a fight.”

With that he tried to pick up the pace a little, while telling his other company members, “Lads, no charging headfirst, yes? Expect the unexpected!” the last part was said with a big smile, as an encouragement, but it was debatable whether or not it had that effect.