Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Breadman]

"Whatever plan you have in that head of yours better be coming from you, Valeria." Theodore grumbled as they didn't have much of a choice. Tossing another set of bombs behind he followed the inquisitor to wherever this mad plan was going.

 

[KRIY]

Wesley painfully picked out the 45-75 Govt that hit him in the back and pulling out a huge piece of glass from that embedded itself into his arm and threw it at the enclosing undead horde. he then noticed Francis's angry scream. "Shut your gob old man and keep throwing!" he shouted back. he jumped back onto the carriage and reloaded his repeater before aiming at Edmond, hoping to score a hit

 

[Dmaster]

Camille turned her horse about as they made a break for the bridge, her limited amount of quills and the erratic motions of the flying vampire meant she had little in the way of attacking Edmond. She drew her rapier for counterttacking, yet kept on riding ahead.

"Even if it is the demon's plan he doesn't want to see Valeria dead yet!" she shouts back, riding toward the bridge.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister held on tight to the carriage and aimed his revolver one handed at Edmond as he moved in for another attack on the group. If he could get a few more shots into him, maybe they could slow the damnable beast down. Gods know where they were being herded to and what would happen ahead. If they could rid themselves of this meddlesome creature, then they would fair much better on the road ahead.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

As that new human that recently must have joined the Inquiry continued to slow down the horde of Ghouls with his bombs, Ser Edmond appeared on the battlefield once more. The nosferatu calmly approached Galina once again with his claymore raised, while getting shot at and seemingly unfazed by it. "Do you...see our fate yet, beán-sídhe?" He then proceeded to strike at Galina once more.

 

[Infab]

Buckshard - City Streets - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 5
Rosanna = 8 + 2 (10. Winged Fiend.) CH Roll = 3 Does 5 DMG (A Certain Kind of Horsewoman) to Ser Edmond. Ser Edmond HP = 115.
Francis = 6 + 2 (8. Winged Fiend.) Does 1 DMG to Ser Edmond. Ser Edmond HP = 114.
Galina = 2 + 2 (4. Winged Fiend.) Misses Ser Edmond.
Theodore attempts to slow the Ghoul Army. Chance Roll = 1. Roll failed. Ghoul Army unaffected.
Wesley = 6 + 2 (8. Winged Fiend.) Does 1 DMG to Ser Edmond. Ser Edmond HP = 113.
Camille = 6 + 3 (9. Winged Fiend, Infallible Focus.) Does 1 DMG to Ser Edmond. Ser Edmond HP = 112.
Aleister = 8 + 2 (10. Winged Fiend.) CH Roll = 10. Does 4 DMG to Ser Edmond. Ser Edmond HP = 108.
Ethraeil continues to charge his spell. Cannot attack.

---

Buckshard - City Streets - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 5 (ENEMY)
Ghoul Army slowed. Cannot attack.
Ser Edmond = 10. CH Roll = 8. Targets Galina. Dodge Roll = 4. Dodge failed. Does 8 DMG (Winged Fiend, Vampiric Knight) to Galina. Galina HP = 14.

------
​

The group rocketed down the street, attempting to reach the bridge as quickly as possible with the Ghouls closing in behind them. Theodore's bombs went sailing over the inquiry, into the crowd of ghouls behind them. The problem is they didn't explode. Duds. The ghouls never paused, continuing their bloodlust-filled rampage towards them. The inquiry, at the moment, had another threat to focus on instead. Ser Edmond moved in once more, targeting Galina yet again. As he swooped in with his claymore at the ready, several members of the group opened fire on the nosferatu. Rosanna's lever action clacked as usual, as she hit Edmond twice in the wings. Francis's shotgun blast ripped a hole in one of them, while Wesley also scored a hit to Edmond's torso. Aleister's shot was the truest of all, hitting the nosferatu in the neck just below the jugular. It didn't seem to stop the nosferatu, as he got close enough to Galina to swing his claymore as she fired off her own shot.

Her shot missed. His swing didn't.

The claymore sliced deep into her shoulder. Not far enough to sever the arm from the body but deep enough to cause blinding pain. As he slid the blade back out of the gushing wound, Camille lunged at his side with her rapier. She drove the blade deep, but failed to hit anything vital as he lifted away from the pair. Thankfully he didn't take her rapier with him, as he lifted back above the group.

The bridge was fast approaching, and Ethraeil was still charging his spell as Valeria had asked. Once they were close enough to it, Valeria looked to Ethraeil. "Alright! Unleash it now!" she shouted, glancing back to the bridge. I hope this works.

---​

Meanwhile, outside the city, Blair pulled the second plunger close to her after shoving the first aside. It was time for the bigger bang! She smiled as she twisted the plunger handle and pulled it up, before moving to sitting her on her knees with her hands on it. Ready to shove it back down. "Alright then! Three...two..." she said, beginning her little countdown.

 

[joshuadim]

As Ethraeil charged his spell, the frost covering his arms turned into actual ice as his spell grew in intensity and power. As did his struggle to control it. Spells of this magnitude required a magnitude of willpower as well as strength to control and maintain, and he fought his hardest to keep it intact. If successful, it would save the inquiry from certain doom. As they neared the bridge, Ethraeil looked ahead and raised his palms in front of him, positioning the swirling mass of magic and ice in front of him. And when Valeria gave the signal, he made a quick motion with his fingers and released its contents. Large tendrils of ice erupted from the magical mass and made their way under, around, and on top of the bridge and began freezing the whole thing over as they made contact, hoping to disable whatever trap lay there.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina widened her eyes and screamed in pain. She nearly dropped her rifle because of the sudden and overwhelming pain.

Despite being in pain Galina refused to go down easily. She stared at Edmond intensly, her eyes and face shimmering until she let out a ghastly scream accompanied by a focused shockwave.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister cursed when he saw Galina get hit. His shots did little to slow down Edmond, and it was doubtful he could put the creature down by himself. There was not much he could do to help this situation. He fired a few more shots at Edmond, and then tried to heal Galina from a distance. It was so much easier to do so with his hands upon his target, but they couldn't risk losing someone now and falling behind.

Damn these fiends, and damn the gods. He immediately regretted his thoughts and shook his head, launching into a quick penitent prayer before attempting to heal Galina from afar. They needed help, dearly.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille could only manage the slightest of vertical slashes in retaliation to Edmond's plunging strike, frustrated over the situation entirely. Quickly she snapped her head back to the bridge, continuing to brazenly charge forward with her horse as Ethraeil began to freeze the bridge over. It was their only real shot for getting out of this, so she made no protest and tightened her grip on her blade as she drew closer. For now all she could do is remain on the defensive during this retreat.

 

[Infab]

Buckshard - City Streets - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 6
Ethraeil attempts to freeze the bridge temporarily. D6 used. Chance roll = 6. Chance roll successful. Bridge is temporarily frozen.
Galina attempts to stun Ser Edmond (Shatter-Wail.) D6 used. Chance Roll = 3. Chance failed.
Aleister attempts to heal Galina from afar. D6 used. Chance Roll = 5. Galina regains 6 HP. Galina HP = 20.

------
​

The large tendrils of ice that Ethraeil cast forth hit the bridge, freezing it solid in several places. The ice rapidly spread out, as the group reached the bridge and quickly bolted over it into the residential area of the city on the other side of the large river. The ghouls were quick to follow, moving onto the bridge as the group reached the other side. After avoiding one of Galina's banshee screams, he halted his advance as he watched the group reach the other side. Floating in midair, as his wings kept him aloft, he watched the ghouls beneath him as they moved onto the bridge. He then pulled back, moving backwards over the city as he watched the ghouls continue to advance. It looked as though one of Blair's traps wouldn't be set off, all thanks to the lich that the inquiry had with them.

---​

"...One...mark!" said Blair, concluding her countdown before shoving the plunger handle into the device. She paused for a moment, waiting for a boom. There wasn't one. She looked up. "What?" she said, the look of excitement on her face fading. "I'm sure I secured those cables! I double checked them! I triple checked the dynamite!" she said, twisting the handle once more and pulling it back up before shoving it back in again. Still no boom. "What in the cold abyss is going o--" she managed to get out, before the explosion she had been waiting for occurred. She sat up with a smile, and clasped her hands together. "There we go! The bridge is no more!"

---​

As the group turned back about to gaze upon the ghoul army heading towards them across the bridge, Ethraeil allowed some of the ice to thaw on the bridge. A moment later, there was a thunderous boom. A wave of pressure from the blast staggered some of them, while it knocked others over entirely. The bridge, made of stone and brick, was obliterated in a large blast which took almost all of the ghoul army with it. Edmond himself was even hit by the sheer pressure of the blast, momentarily stunning him.

Body parts from the ghoul army began to rain down onto the group and into the river, along with debris from the bridge itself as what remained collapsed. "Good gods..." muttered Rosanna, as she sat up from where she had fallen off Rayham. "...Excellent work, Ethraeil." said Valeria, whom also sat up nearby and looked over to the lich.

 

[K0mori]

Francis could barely believe the group's providence. He had nearly been knocked out of his seat, but held on, turning to watch as the debris and carnage flew through the air, peppering the city and the river water with bloody mess. He slowed the carriage, breaking into a fit of combined laughter and triumphant shouting. "What now, Miss Witlock?" He asked when his exuberance had given way to a more serious expression. "Shall we focus on the monster, now? Or shall we keep running?"

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil had been drained by the time his spell ended and the Inquiry had crossed the bridge. As such, he was in no condition to contest the force of the ensuing explosion as it's shockwave sent him flying off the carriage and caused him to tumble and hit a nearby wall with a roll. Ethraeil could only pick himself up weakly and sat his back against a wall as the ghoul limbs and bridge pieces rained downwards around them.

"I'm going to kill whoever made these damnable traps myself." Ethraeil muttered.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille pulled her horse to a stop once they went over the bridge, looking over her shoulder just in time to get rocked back from the expanding pressure of the bomb. As they were showered with gore and debris she scrunched her face in disgust and discomfort. She turned back around to face the road ahead, surveying how the rest of the group was faring after such a harrowing experience. "At this point we have no choice but to go for him." Camille says aloud to Francis. "He'll just keep sending this foolish opposition to us until we confront him. Not that I was all that discouraged to face him in the first place."

 

[K0mori]

Francis gave a gritty smile. "That's what I'm hoping to hear," he answered back, intending to influence the Senior Inquisitor's opinion.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

The force of the explosion was a friendly reminder that he should avoid any future battlefields. It was unpleasant enough as it was now, and he would have hated to have to be subjected to the drum fire of hundreds if not thousands of blasts. Once the shock wave washed over them, he glanced up and over the carriage to examine the damage done. Had the lich not done his magic, it would have been the end of the inquiry. Just like that. Taken out by a mere bridge rigged with explosives. It would have been a poetically ridiculous ending after they had dealt with purebloods and necromancers.

Hearing the others wish to fight the flying creature gave him pause. Certainly there was truth to the fact that they needed to kill it eventually, if not sooner. But perhaps it would be better to gain some distance.

"I rather not dally. Whoever the people are who placed these traps, they may already be preparing another circus for us up ahead somewhere. If we can get ahead of them, we can put them on our ground. Perhaps even ambush them. If the flying beast gives chase, we'll fight him on our terms, not his."

 

[K0mori]

Francis wheeled around, looking infuriated with Aleister's input. "Do you consider yourself lucky, parasite? We just won the damned lottery when it comes to that bloody ghoul army, and you want to waste this chance in hopes we get a better one later? And while we're running away with our godsdamned asses exposed, we're not just risking them creating another undead mob, we're guaranteeing it. Let's kill it now!" Francis roared, adrenaline coursing through him. The terror which gripped him had clearly dissipated now that he had experienced the thrill of survival. How such a man ever became a schoolteacher was an ever-growing mystery. "Unless you consider all those people he turned into fiends to just be an acceptable casualty for your own unholy perpetuation... I, for one, welcome the risk! Bring on the monster!"

 

[EdwardDewey98]

After the momentary stun from such a powerful explosion, Edmond looked to see that the inquisitors had survived the ordeal. He could feel their auras just past the bridge. He landed on the ground where the remaining surviving ghouls were feasting on the charred meaty remains of a few dead ones, making guttural sounds as they cleaned down to the bones. Edmond wasn't surprised that the inquisitors would find a way to survive the night, yet he had made an oath. He had taken desperate measures, but in the end, it didn't matter. He let out a sigh of frustration.

"All these souls I just reaped... for nothing... I don't know what...I expected." He let out a wheeze, before raising his hand and making a gesture. Suddenly, the surviving ghouls began to twitch. Some started to puke a black bile into the ground, eventually collapsing into the ground. Dead. Edmond promised to free these souls after the ordeal, and he kept his word.

He then extended his wings once more, and flew back into the air. Departing the area for his companion. Soon, he found Blair listening to music and eating what looked to be a piece of cake. Edmond was slightly disturbed by this, and wanted to say something about it, but shook his head in shame. He was in no place to berate her now, after what he had done tonight. "Your... traps failed... The lich used his magic." He looked at the road nearby. "They... will start to move soon."

 

[Dmaster]

The huntress simply shook her head at the exchange between Aleister and Francis. Edmond didn't really worry her, and the 'monster' she had thought Francis was speaking of had actually been the Duke. "We let him come to us and fight him on our terms as Aleister said." she interjects, starting to move her horse down the road. "The only monster I care to pursue above all else is the Duke. If that flying beast wants to try his hand at actual battle later, I welcome his attempt." Camille concludes, finishing her piece.

"We have little time. It's on us to finish this."

 

[K0mori]

Francis grunted dismissively, disappointed in Camille's input. "Oh, dear, and I thought you were a hunter," he grumbled. "It doesn't matter whether you're hunting vermin or hunting vermin," he mused with a glance at the vampires in the party, "if your prey picks the time and place of the battle, then you're the prey. Let's carry on then, go take care of Duke Ashwood while this abomination wreaks havoc in our wake. Maybe he'll even drop into Westerly and pay my wife a visit!"

 

[Dmaster]

She straightened up on her horse as her hunting caliber was put into question, not moving her head to look at Francis as he critiqued both her and the inquiry at large. "I wish we had the time to put him down, I really do." Camille admits, hands tightening on the reins of her horse as well as her blade. "Yet the Duke poses a threat that we cannot ignore for even a half hour, let alone for however long it might take to track down and kill that beast."

"If you worry for your wife, turn back and go defend her. Part of being a real hunter is understanding that you cannot possibly save everyone or stop every beast lurking in the shadows - we do the best we can and fight for what we believe is most important. The unfortunate truth is whatever that monster can do only pales in comparison to what Ashwood intends, and he is a top priority. I deeply regret the lives I cannot protect, yet the Duke threatens all of those and the world over."

Once she was finished speaking she hopped off of her horse, pulling the steed to a stop to walk back toward the blown apart bridge. She had heard the clanging of metal against the wall in the aftermath of the blast, and she had reason to believe it was the only being in the inquiry wearing heavy metal armor. Camille's suspicions were confirmed once she saw the struggling lich, and she drew quite close to extend a gloved hand to help him up. They would all be dead if it wasn't for Ethraeil's intervention, helping the ancient undead up from his spot was the least she could do to show her thanks.

 

[K0mori]

"Sure, sure," Francis mocked as he dropped his shotgun back onto the floor board of the carriage. "Make it someone else's problem. I wonder if your answer would be the same if we were in Escaria, a day's ride from your home town. But maybe it would be. Something tells me you've not got anyone waiting on you, like I do."

 

[joshuadim]

"In any case... some of us are not in fighting shape at the moment." Ethraeil interjected as he grew annoyed by the ever continuing arguments among the inquiry. "That Edmond is after us, not anyone else specifically. So we should move towards to Duke and recuperate elsewhere where there aren't any traps lying in wait for us."

 

[K0mori]

Without looking at the wretched creature, Francis acknowledged his point. "The lich makes a better argument than either of you," he said, referring to Aleister and Camille. "Perhaps I don't have to worry for my dear Dorothy just yet, although I stand by my opinion that the monster will attack us again when we are least prepared." He took a satisfied breath of cold night air before allowing a smile to come over his lips again. "Miss Witlock, it doesn't really need saying, but I now agree with the rest of our troupe."

 

[Dmaster]

Camille helped Ethraeil up from his position before striding back to her horse. She figured there would be room in the carriage for him to ride now that his horse was dead once again. As she hopped back onto her ride she made note of Francis' opinion, implying thay she were some kind of hypocrite. She said all that she had to, if they were in Escaria and her family was threatened she would fight where she thought she was needed the most, be it by their side or against some tyrant. Complicated as her relationship to her family was at the moment, she still wanted them all to be safe.

"They may wait for me, but I will not return to the life they chose for me." she muttered quietly to herself. "If you worry yourself about that flying parasite so much feel free to throw me at it next time he attacks us." the huntress said, raising her voice.