Fantasy Realms of Nymserine: Main Thread [[CLOSED]]

[BugDozer73]

Roland put the woman's corpse down gently, not wanting to offend the (dead) woman by just dropping her. Verity nearly leapt into Rolands arms to avoid a stampede, but she quickly regained herself. Roland nodded at her, his mind too distracted to worry about his silver haired crush.

Both Verity and Sol went to talk to little one, who cowered backwards slightly. Roland had seen abuse before, and no doubt the death before her was disturbing to her. After her "testimonial" Roland let his hands fall to his hips, and he turned around, surveying the area, watching for any sign that the darkness still lurked nearby. By a cottage not too far away, Roland could see a body, but it was twitching, its face turned away from him. Rolands hand slipped upwards slightly, and he walked passed Pyrrhus, offering him a silent note of discomfort.

"I don't like this. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. We should take the kid with us. Would you mind grabbing her? We can drop her off within the city limits." He turned and made his way slowly over to the body, no-one seeming to notice his slight exodus. He knelt beside the subtly convulsing body, and put a hand on it, rolling it over slightly.

The woman whirled around, her eyes stone cold and black like onyx. Black lines streaked down from her eyes and an ancient laughter emerged from her tiny body as her hand caught out and wrapped its fingers around the unsuspecting Roland's neck. With un natural strength, She lifted Roland off the ground, who struggled and clawed at her grasp, his breath not reaching his lungs.

"More meat..." It whispered, as it grew and grew, a shadow consuming the women's form until her body fell away and all that was left was a leather skinned long fingered horror, snarling at Roland. With ease, the demon hurled Roland back, who flew through the wall into a burning building, sending a quick explosion of flame upwards and sending ruble crashing down on him.

The bodies all began to shake, and rise, and the darkness hiding inside them began to form and encircle the group.

 

[Lekiel]

The rolling fields of gold staggered by the rising plateaus against the backdrop of looming mountains surrounding Akron was a near surreal experience to the halfling. The rocky yet fertile terrain spread out against a limitless sky, looked as if they were chariots of fire rising up to some unknown celestial pantheon set in the highest reaches of the mounts. Barely a day in, however, all sense of euphoria was wiped from Fernwe's face from the moment she felt a change in the earth. Roland bolting off on his horse all but confirmed the sense of uneasiness within her. Somewhere close by, was a desecrated land. She could feel it. A taint. She had never felt such anguish from the lands before. This was... unnatural.

Several moments later found their little company standing amidst the still burning remains of a village. The bodies... The unusually quiet halffairy passed by the mangled and brutalized remains of the villages, eyes wide and staring. She stopped briefly by each one, as if she could not tear her eyes away from the carnage, one hand stroking a tensed up Finwinne as the feline hissed with hackles raised. Fernwe continued on, her path taking her past Soliel as he called out to someone.

Who was it? A girl? Hooves... horses? Why are there horses? Fernwe wondered. Though her thoughts seemed rather small, even in her head. Tucked into a far corner where even she could not hear herself. Finwinne was hissing louder. She tucked her closer. Hushing her furry friend with whispers from her ruby lips.

Shhh... it's okay...

In her mind's eye, she saw something else. A not too different scene, from when a young girl crawled out from burning wreckage and slaughtered men. There was blood everywhere. Torn limbs. The stench of rotting flesh. Why am I here again..? She made her way around a smoldering shell of a cottage, her companions obscured from view. She stopped by another body, it was of a woman. Her blood matted hair fanned out around her in a pool of deep vermilion. Glassy eyes stared unseeingly at her outstretched arm, fingers clutching as if something dear had been wrenched from her grasp. Dimly, she heard a commotion. They found something... I should get back to them... Finwinne suddenly began thrashing, snarls and hisses as she clawed at the corpse before her, but the halfling held the feline tighter. Crimson blood streaked across her forearms, but she did not feel it.

Hush... its okay...

Fernwe's face broke into a bright smile as the corpse staggered to its feet, twitching and cracking even as the darkness consumed it.

"Mama, you're alright..! Everyone's sleeping, I was starting to get lonely..."

 

[Purize]

The corner of Maximus's mouth quirked, he certainly would like to sleep, but there were still several things to do before he could finally go to bed for the night... Truthfully, he hadn't realized how late it had gotten. He was behind schedule. With an internal, weary sigh he nodded to Azaria, wondering mutely why she would want to go to the armory of all places.

"Make yourself at home," he said with a shrug. "Just try not to get into any more trouble." His voice was stern, but his face made it clear he was half-joking. He pointed off down the corridor and gave the half-elf a few quick directions as to how to get to the armory from where they were. He turned to walk away, but paused. "Oh, and It's probably best if you don't go snooping around anymore secret passage ways. If you end up in some other unsuspecting member's room, they may get the wrong idea," he called to Azaria over his shoulder just before slipping away around a dark corner.
Zazz

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The world was eerily silent on that ashen, desolate field. Only the wind dared whisper through the broken, smoldering buildings. A chill shuddered through Verity as the girl painted a dark picture as to what had happened to the villagers. Those yellow eyes looked up at them through dark lashes, and Verity could tell the child wasn't wholly human, but then again, neither were the rest of her companions. Verity gave the girl a sympathetic smile. They weren't going to win her trust very easily, but they couldn't very well leave her there.

Roland offered up the solution that Pyrrhus just "grab" her but Verity stood in protest. "We can't just grab her, Roland, she's already scared as it is." But he didn't seem to hear he as he wandered off yet again. She took a step forwards to try and see where he'd gone, knowing it wasn't safe for them to split up when the world around them suddenly exploded into life... or death, rather.

All the bodies spasmed and convulsed, rising in sharp, grotesque motions from the ground and forming a haphazard circle around the group of warriors. Verity choked on a scream, too horrified to even move as she watched the staggering form peeled their bruised and bloodied skin, revealing black skin stretched over gaunt bones. They grew upwards, rising like claws against the now grey sky, their eyes glowing like red orbs devoid of anything but hunger.

She was torn from her dazed terror when Roland's limp form went flying backwards into a burning building nearby, the burnt and smoking debris crashing down around him. She heard herself scream out his name, but there was no way for her to reach him, they were surrounded now.

Heat flared within her, her heart slamming in her chest frantically from a mix of fear and pure adrenaline. Her sword was in her hands, glowing dimly, though she didn't recall drawing it from her sheath. Quickly, she looked to the others around her and she spotted Fernwe, a bit further away, standing in a stupor before a demon that loomed over her. "Fernwe!" She called, not hesitating now to jump over the dilapidated ruins toward her companion.

The fae halfling didn't move. She stood there staring with a small smile and glassy eyes up at the monster as it approached. Verity climbed up a fallen support beam that leaned against the side of a building and launched off of it, bringing her blade in a wide, clean arch over her head down onto the hissing demon. It let out an unearthly wail and ichor sprayed outwards, splashing on Verity's arms. The black liquid spotted her hands, burning where it touched, making her grit her teeth, but she didn't slow as she plunged her blade in it's middle.
BugDozer73 SilverFlight Lekiel Zazz Reis

 

[SilverFlight]

"'Fingers?'" Pyrrhus repeated uneasily, wondering what sort of creatures had the strength to pierce flesh with their fingers. He started when the horses came abruptly around the corner and shot the small child a wary look.
"Are yellow eyes common in humans?" He asked quietly. When Roland told him to grab her he took a step forward to do so.
If the girl was dangerous she didn't show it, and by the time Pyrrhus could have made any judgement on the matter there was a much more immediate threat:
The corpse, that Pyrrhus had judged as very, decidedly dead, got up. It grabbed Roland and tossed him like an old sack into the burning house. Pyrrhus, blades already drawn lashed out at the thing as soon as it let Roland go, aiming a kick at it so slow its pursuit as he dashed to try and dig his friend out of the smouldering timber, ploughing through a few more of thr living dead with his sheer stength.
"Hold on Roland!" He shouted over the roar of the flaring fire.
Hooves made short work of the weakened beams but Pyrrhus had completely turned his back to the other corpses, which were now on their feet, scouring their surroundings for victims.

"Watch yourselves!" Tura warned, but in terms of help, she hadn't jumped to offer any. She stepped around the first demon, her feathers bristling, but it was only when one tried a lunge that it became clear what she had done: The unlucky monster that touched her was immediately blown backwards, trailing the scent of burning hair and ozone. The gryphon had electrified her body, fur and feathers crackling with a high charge. For now, she was untouchable, and watched her wards intently to see what they would do.
"Don't let their blood touch you!" She barked, even as Verity struck the first down with an almighty blow.
"Mind your spacing, and watch your teammates. You are fighting together!"

 

[Zazz]

The young cloaked girl flinched and huddled closer to the horse in her care, eyes darting around at the scene that was unfolding. The bodies were raising as demons clawed their way out of them. The kid shook her head; the man with the braids shouldn't have woken them. "They were napping," she sighed, watching sadly as she and the strange group were surrounded. The elf woman ran off to protect the halffairy, and the horse-man went after the dumb pirate. The girl watched with wide eyes as the great winged creature sent a demon flying. These people were strange, she thought.

A shadow creature twisted on the ground and jerked towards them, and the yellow-eyed girl brought up her hand to protect herself, palm out. Though there was seemingly nothing happening, the demon writhed on the ground with a high-pitched scream.

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland sat dazed under the rubble, the heat draining him of his strength. His lungs burned with smoke, along with the hairs on his arms and in his nose. the debree of the now collapsed building pressed heavily on his chest and arms, pinning him to the ground. Through the smoke he could see a large figure looming over the pile, shouting something he couldn't hear, his ears still ringing from the collapse.

"mom?" He asked weakly, straining against the beams and burning boards. His skins did not seem to be affected at all by the fire, or at least slowing down the affects of it. His arms that were pinned under a blazing beam, for the moment, seemed only slightly warm.

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus heaved beams aside, moving them with hooves that could tolerate the intense heat. He used his knives to slash through wood that was already charred and flaking with ash. Roland became visible and the centaur was surprised to find his skin un-scorched. He lifted his friend gently and pulled him free of the ruined house just before the roof collapsed, smothering the place where he had just been.
"Roland. Roland!" He set the pirate on his feet and made sure to brace him until he could stand on his own.
"We've got trouble." He said quickly, one blade sheathed and the hand holding Roland, the other blade pointed at the demons in front of them.
A demon lunged from behind and was rewarded with a swift kick that sent it hurtling backwards to land in a crumpled heap.
"We don't know anything about these...things, but I think we should."

Tura looked at him passively. "These are in fact demons. They use black magic to disguise themselves within the corpses of the dead. They have fangs, claws, they produce deadly venom and their blood can be corrosive." Pyrrhus stared at the gryphon as it sounded like she was quoting a chapter in a book. "They will most often try and tackle you with dark magic, fear or illusion spells are a favorite. If they learn your weaknesses they can and will use them against you."
The gryphon began to walk very slowly towards the young girl, aiming not to spook the horses she had calmed.
"Stay by me," She said gently.

 

[Zazz]

The young girl stood over the writhing demon and watched as it clawed itself apart under her spell. When the beast of many feathers approached her, the little one looked up at her with big, yellow eyes. Her hood fell back to reveal little horns - nubs, really - and a face marred with scars down her right cheek. The young child glanced over her shoulder and frowned at the scene, but followed the gryphon out of the fray, guiding the grey-speckled horse along.

Nervous to be by such a fearsome creature, the girl held onto the mare. She reached into her cloak and procured a small handful of reddish powder. She rubbed it on the horse and scattered it around herself. "They don't like cinnamon," she whispered to Tura.

 

[SilverFlight]

The gryphon looked down at the small girl, taking in her stubby horns, and the cinnamon she has spread it over the horse's flank.
"Don't they?" She answered the girl in a low rumble. "Why is that?"
The creatures were wary of the gryphon now after seeing the smouldering heap that was the first would-be attacker to try her. It did not stop another from trying however and this one was dispatched with a savage rake of talons. The corpse fell in pieces before her.
"My name is Tura, we are here to make the demons go away. It would help us if you could tell me anything else you know about them. Do you know who called them here?"

 

[Zazz]

The little one flinched away from Tura's sharp talons. She clung to her horse friend, trying to be brave. "No, they don't like it. It reminds them of nice things like cinnamon rolls." Her tummy rumbled at the thought and she sighed wistfully.

She itched behind a stubby horn and pulled up her hood. Her cloak was a bit too big for her, and it was just a little comical to watch her pull the hood back over her head. "Mm, they have a tickle spot, sometimes." She lifted her right foot to show Tura. "I'm Cassia," she told the feathery creature. "I don't know who called them. I didn't hear anything."

 

[Reis]

The corpses stretched out into horrific, shadowy monsters. Having never seen this particular race of demon, Sol balked in disgust at its elongated fingers. He snapped into focus when it flung Roland aside. Such a powerful ally was handled so easily...he would have to be careful around them. But before he could help the man, he saw a demon leap from the shadows and lunge at the hooded figure. "Hey--!" He desperately started towards them. When he was sure he was too late...the demon suddenly dropped to the ground and started clawing itself apart.

...Okay? Sol wasn't expecting that, but at least the stranger was safe.

As he watched them get carried off to safety, Sol felt an overwhelming pressure come from one of the demons, inspiring a fear of death so great that he was sent reeling back. Was this demonic magic, altering the minds and souls of others with a mere glare? The young demi-god wasn't new to fear after living the life of an adventurer for years, but his mind had yet to develop a resistance to the mind-altering spells of such dark creatures.

The demon stalked towards him. It snarled with sharp fangs and held up its claws in a terrible show of its strength. He tried moving his limbs, but they refused to brandish his sword as if weighed down by lead. Even when he watched Roland soffocate in the burning rubble, even when the demons slowly stalked closer to them, Sol could barely hold his weapon in violently trembling hands. When the demon stepped forward, his shaking became worse, and a fiery heat burst through his veins at the sight of its approach.

Move...the fire once again boiled his blood. He thought about all the people these things killed, all the people who were in danger at this very moment. I won't...his limbs, frozen in fear, were thawed out like ice in the sun. Soon it loomed above him, its fanged-filled maw stretched in an evil grin. The demi-god felt a torrent of energy come from his wrath, releasing both his body and mind from the demon's spell.

I won't let you hurt anyone else! A wave of flames booming from his feet, Soliel launched himself at the enemy with a look of pure hatred on his face. It didn't have time to block when Sol flung his blade straight through the creature, sending gore and blood in all directions. Although its corrosive blood covered his body, Sol and his equipment took minimal damage.

Zazz @everybody

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland got to his feet with the centaurs help, dusting himself off and coughing a few times to get the dust and rubble out of his lungs. He looked around as Pyrrhus spoke, and saw the party clashing viciously with the demons. He had been tossed aside so easily, it burned him up inside. Everyone else seemed to be holding their own, but he had let his guard down.

Two demons approached Pyrrhus and Roland, each gnashing their teeth, a murderous look in their beady black eyes. Roland grimaced and reach for his blades, but neither were sheathed on his back. His eyes widened and he realized that they must have gotten lost when the demon chucked him through a building. Roland Grit his teeth and ran forward, darting with impressive speed between the pair of unholy creatures. Two swipes from their claws scraped the air above his head as he rolled past them. With a quick spring, he leapt up and send a spinning kick twirling into the back of one of the demons heads, which sent it screeching to the earth, and its blood spraying on the ground near by. Without hesitation, Roland turned and swung his arms out in an ark-ing motion, and the water in his skins obeyed, emerging and slashing in a thin line through the second demon. With a shriek, the beast split into two pieces, falling messily to the ground.

The water slipped back into his water skins, and he leaned forward, trying to catch his breath. The impact he had sustained through the building earlier left his sides in a lot of pain. It was quite possible he had broken a rib. Roland called to Pyrrhus, pointing at Tura who was quickly being surrounded by 6 demons. "HELP TURA!" He cried loudly.

 

[SilverFlight]

"It's nice to meet you Cassia. I'd like to know more about you when we're not so pressed." For a giant, feral-looking beast Tura could seem quite comforting if she wished it. She wove a very simple spell to allow her words to communicate a stronger sense of comfort than they could muster on their own.
It wasn't a moment past when Tura spotted Sol, frozen in place, staring down a demon that was approaching. It drew closer and closer and it looked like the young circle member was struck by fear.
"Sol! Watch out!" The panic for her charge broke through her usual calm and poured into her shout, however she had to shield her eyes from the searing flare and when she looked again the demon was in pieces, its corrosive blood sizzling on Sol's armour.

In the moment of her distraction the six more demons had moved to close a circle about her, the young girl Cassia and the horse she guarded.
The demons did seem to be in utter loathing of the spice she had rubbed on herself and the beast, but Tura was another matter.


Pyrrhus, once he made sure Roland wasn't going to fall over set about felling the few demons close to him, while Roland dispatched two with his water magic. One fell under hoof and was knocked senseless, the other Pyrrhus opened neatly from navel to nose in an upwards slash, taking care to sidestep the spray of blood. He minded his friend's flank until Roland gave him an order.
Pyrrhus whirled on his heel and cantered back toward the gryphon, catching sight of the six demons approaching. Before he could blink however there was a blinding flash and a crack like the sound of a whip and three of the six were down in smoking heaps, bolts of electricity, though not strong had been expertly aimed.
The gryphon stood over the girl, great wings partially unfurled and Pyrrhus realized she had used her primary feathers to direct the energy.

"I don't think the gryphon needs help!" Pyrrhus called back.
Suddenly a searing pain burned into his leg and forced him to shy. The demon he thought had been felled was clinging to his ankle. It was thrown screeching into the dust, but its claws left a bloody trail down to his hoof. Pyrrhus was upon it in an instant, taking its head in a deft swing. The wound burned badly and seemed to pulse with pain that he found was slowly creeping up his leg. He muttered a curse under his breath, but nevertheless turned to face anymore foes that dared to challenge him.

Zazz Reis BugDozer73

 

[Zazz]

Cassia examined her palms while the battle went on. She had cinnamon powder all over her hands! Frowning, she blew at her open palms and was surprised when the spicy powder ended up in the eyes and open throat of one of the remaining three demons around Tura. "Oopsie." The demon shrieked and clawed at its own face, ripping itself to shreds as the innocent powder burned. Looking past the demon, Cassia saw the brave horse-man's leg crawl with dark veins. The little hooded girl frowned, and pulled a pair of small jars from inside her cloak. Glancing up at Tura, she pointed at Pyrrhus and asked, "Is he a good guy, too?"

Cassia left the safety of the cinnamon, wiping the remains of what was on her hands onto her cloak, and weaved through the shadow creatures. She was pretty calm, considering the situation. "Horse-man! Horse-man!" Cassia called, clutching the two little jars. When she reached him, she patted his equine shoulder timidly. "Mr. Horse-man, you gots poison in your leg." She promptly sat in the middle of a battlefield and rubbed some sort of brownish-yellow mush into his wound.

 

[Lekiel]

"Momma-?"

The grotesque creature let out an unearthly wail as it split in two from the strike. Black ichor sprayed outwards and splattered all over the halfling causing her to start. Hazel warmth returned to her once glassy eyes as she took in a sharp intake of breath, finally free of the demonic thrall. She felt the burning sting on her cheek and heard a caustic sizzling as the demon blood burned against her robes. Fernwe stumbled backwards letting out a startled yelp as she thought the blood would burn through, but the enchanted whitewood of her bodice held, albeit with blackened char against its once smooth surface. Quickly, she realized her folly even as Tura's voice cut above the din and roar of battle. Finwinne had bolted from her grasp during the scuffle, but the halfairy had no time to seek her companion out.

"I-..." She was surrounded, separated from the group as more of the demons closed in on them. Fear gripped her spine, once again threatening to paralyze her into inaction. But a shimmer at the corner of her eye caught her attention. The silvery locks of her errant savior. The young elf, blade drawn and gleaming as she stared fearlessly at the unknown foes bearing down on the two of them. She was a Princess, was she not? It was an odd thing, that the elf's standing had never struck any impact on her all these while. Or perhaps it was because she had subconsciously refused to acknowledge her presence because of some past hurt that her kind had done to her. But if being next to the Princess had taught Fernwe anything, it is that Verity was nothing like her- no... those people.

"Verity." She said the name out loud. It rang odd but not unkindly, and never a truer smile was ever etched on the hafling's lips. Emboldened, Fernwe let out a giggle as she deftly tossed some seeds into the ground, a sonorous chant echoing in her child-like voice.

"Ettul`ninya nilme, varya`ninya ettelë!"

The ground trembled, before dozens of tough wiry roots burst forth from the ground catching three of the demons mid-strike. The first two attempted in vain to scratch and hack at the tough woody bindings, but for every root they slashed, more came up to twist against their elongated limbs. Fernwe's eyes flashed with emerald light, as she twirled and danced, the wiry roots twisting and binding as if they were connected to their mistress by some sort of marionette string. Just a few seconds after she began, Fernwe suddenly stopped in the midst of a twirl. Bringing both palms upwards with fingers curling, she grasped the air... and twisted.

A hair raising wail pierced through the smoky air as the demons were wrung dry of their dark ichor, as if they were but wet cloth. They struggled and thrashed, but with a sickening snap, the roots tightened so harshly that the writhing demons were dismembered in a spray of dark liquid.

The halfling had no time to celebrate, as Fernwe quickly realized the third demon had managed to break free. The desecrated ground was too tainted for her enchantment to work properly. With a snarl, the demon lunged at haflfairy but only managed to claw nothing but air.

"Over here!" Fernwe taunted the creature. She swung her hands through the air as if flinging an invisible lasso, as another wiry root burst from the ground. Letting out what could only be a wicked cackle, the demon deftly dodged the grasping root before lunging forwards at the diminutive halfling.

Purize

 

[SilverFlight]

"Good work Cassia." Tura said as the demons writhed. She made a note of the spice's potency. Then the young girl inquired about the centaur.
"Pyrrhus? He fights with us yes."
Tura was about to call after Cassia as she darted away but a snarl from her left brought her attention around to still more foes.

Pyrrhus jolted when he felt something take hold of his leg, but he froze mid-strike when he caught sight if the girl.
"Hey--what?"
Poison? He held still while Cassia treated the claw wound with the salve. The cooling effect of the medicine was almost instant, combatting the burning sensation trailing up his limb.
"Its dangerous here." When she was finished he made to pick her up and put her on his armoured back.
"We should get to Tura, it's safer to stay as a group."
Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Back at headquarters, Azaria found the armory and slipped inside. She did not bother the man puttering around in the back, and instead quietly examined the various weapons along the wall. Spears and arrows and scimitars and axes lined the wall, with open crates of throwing weapons scattered here and there. She turned into a doorway and was greeted with a training room. Weights and targets, and scaleable walls. Obstacles. Her green eyes glittered in the light of the torches, and with a quick nod she made her way over to the weights.

The half-elf strapped herself into a pair of leg weights and ran laps around the room. She pushed herself until her legs burned and her lungs fought her for air. But she was not finished; she then proceeded to climb one of the walls, right to the top, even though her legs trembled, begging for rest. She could tell that the ceiling in this room was level with that of the second floor; her sense of direction and spatial awareness had yet to be questioned.

Finally, when she reached the floor again, she sat leaning back on her hands, peering up at the ceiling. More specifically, the rafters. If only she had a rope long enough... Another day, she told herself. Her legs started to ache as she rested them. Azaria hauled herself to her feet and went to take a bath.

 

[Purize]

Chaos exploded around them, ichor falling like rain in wide arches that splattered over the dusty ground. They were everywhere. Like a swarm of locusts, they kept on coming, rising like endless waves. In reality, there weren't that many, but to Verity and her small stature, they were numerous. And terrifying. Claws and teeth flashed out, catching the light of the dying embers of the desecrated village, and amidst all of it, the warriors fought, driving the demons back.

Verity noted with a silent thank you to the Gods that Pyrrhus had managed to get Roland out from the wreckage safely. He looked a little worse for wear, but he was alive and fighting. The pair of them had managed to break the circle of monsters that had enclosed them, giving them a bit more mobility in their makeshift arena. Sol, the new wizard that Verity had yet to really meet was a blazing glory at the edge of the group, felling demons with a wave of sizzling, fiery magic. She was too preoccupied to take in much else of the scene around her, but the main take-away was that her friends were alive.

Her split-second distraction was interrupted by a shallow cut across the face. Verity stumbled back and wiped around just in time to duck a second in-coming blow of another demon. She barred her teeth at the thing, letting out a feral snarl of anger, very un-lady like in retrospect, and ducked under it's malformed figure. She rolled underneath it's legs and popped up with amazing speed behind it before punching it, square in the spine with a glowing, blue fist. There was a sickening crack and the demon folded in half backwards as it went sailing forward through the air and falling into a messy, crumpled heap on the ground several yards away.

She whipped around to check on Fernwe and only had a moment to sigh in relief that she was fine before she took out a few more demons that cornered them. She slashed her way through the spindly middle of a fourth one as the little half-fairy viciously twisted two demons and threw them aside like dolls. The scene made Verity feel sick but she didn't have much time to recover before another demon escaped and make it's way expertly and nimbly towards Fernwe. It wasn't like the others... it had a sort intelligent glint in it's eyes. It was cunning and calculating where the others were blind with savage hunger and the incessant need to kill.

Fernwe narrowly missed it's first attack but as she tried again to deflect its advanced with her magic it dodged them and lunged towards her. Verity was already sprinting towards her. Just as she was only a few feet away her whole body glowed with mana and like a blink, her body shifted forwards, covering the distance in a millasecond and Verity brought her blade up to slash at the creature. It turned just as her sword was coming down upon it and it grabbed the metal in it's tough, leathery hands and yanked it upwards.

By some miracle, or serious misfortune, Verity actually managed to keep hold of it and her shoulders were nearly jerked out of their sockets as she was hoisted upwards, her feet dangling above the Earth. It made a cruel grin at her, it's mouth of red, pointed teeth showing like jagged needles and then with it's other hand it grabbed her face, and ripped her sword free of her grasp. She struggled, clawing at the hand on her face, her eyes blazing with seething anger. She knew she ought to be incomprehensibly and senselessly horrified, but her blood boiled and her body trembled in pure fury.

Verity turned her burning blue eyes to Fernwe who still stood behind the demon and with all the strength she could muster, she gave the fae a small nod.

Lekiel @everyoneelse

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland smiled as he saw the low level demons falling one by one to the warriors. While they had been fighting, the rain had started to fall, turning the ground to mud and letting small cuts turn into running wells of crimson. Despite his previous mishap, only 6 remained, a few surrounding Tura, one or two running around here and there, and one bigger than the others with....

"VERITY!" Roland cried out, anger boiling over in him. Her head was locked between the creatures spindly fingers, and its teeth growing ever closer to her were bleeding red.

Keep her safe She had instructed him. She was so far away, to far to get there in time. Roland looked down at the knife she had put in his hands, feeling the weight of the world closing in on him. But his eyes shot open in a blink, an Idea forming in his mind. He couldn't throw for his life, but he could send water with his will. Quickly he moved his hand over the small blade and coated in it water, then with a spin and a flick, he sent the water covered blade hurling at the demon. The edge drove itself deep into the back of the creature, who screeched and looked back to see who had interfered with his attack.

All he saw was a fist with wispy blue-green mana rocket into his face, the impact of the blow landing with such tremendous force that for a moment it blew away the rain. The demon sailed back, releasing Verity and tumbling through the mud, barely catching itself on its feet and sliding back several paces. But in a rage and a blur of unnatural speed, Roland seemed to appear by the demon, sending another fist into his gut, bring the demon skywards, followed by a quick kick to the knee and a follow up side winder sending the demon sprawling and bleeding, face first in the mud. Roland stopped and watched as the demon lay their still for a moment, trying to comprehend silently the speed and strength he had just used. The demon didn't stay down long. It's body convulsed and it turned its neck around in a horrific manor, grinning at Roland as if it had finally found a match. It began rising to its feet, screeching and calling out into the rain. One of the demons ran over and grabbed hands with the first one, and the two began to shimmer, then fade into one another. The beast was now several feet taller, with four arms and four sets of eyes, rippling muscles and bone spikes protruding in jagged, uncomfortable rows down its back, parallel to its spine.

Roland wiped the wet hair out of his eyes and cracked his knuckles, ready to find out what more he could do.
They took off towards each other, each a blur of speed, and Roland sent his first hurling at blinding speeds towards the demons...

Fist? Roland stared at his hand stunned as it struggled to get passed the meaty fist of the beast that stopped him cold. With a roar, he hurled his left fist towards the side of the best, only to meet another catching hand. The demon let out a deep grumble that resembled a laugh, and like screeching steel, the creature began to speak.

"You dabble in affairs you have no comprehension of. You bring the power of a god before us, but we have been made complete by a higher force than even your precious gods." In a flash of speed, the demons other two hands rocketed several times into Rolands sides, and he hurled the demigod back, who flew 30 feet and landed in the mud, rolling several more before coming to a stop.

"Roland struggled to get up, but his body screamed in agony, and his lungs had no air left. He gasped at the ground and held his center, tears forming at his eyes as he struggled desperately to inhale.

The demon laughed his thunderous booming laugh, and a third demon merged with him quickly, giving the demon more height, bulk, arms and eyes, until it was standing at 15 feet tall, with 6 arms and eyes, its body straining to contain its massive bulk beneath its read and black leather skin.

 

[Lekiel]

The halfling met Verity's gaze with her own glowing emerald orbs. The demon had Verity in its grasp, but it was also now distracted, and vulnerable to harm from either of them. Her hand shot out towards the demon, in almost the same moment, tendrils of roots burst from the earth eager to rip the demon to shreds...-

Only to miss entirely as a blue-green pulse of energy sent the demon flying to the far side. Fernwe saw the demon release Verity, and the halfling's attack faltered. At the last moment, she willed the roots to shift into a loose pile to steady the elf's fall; not that she was that high up in the first place, but you never know. She turned and saw Roland warping (it looked that fast) from one end of the battlefield to engage the demon in a melee.

"Urgh... You could've just killed it, instead of knocking it away if you could move that fast! Besides... we totally had that!" Fernwe whined in annoyance, although Roland was probably too far to hear her. The emerald light faded from her eyes leaving them back in the soft hazel hue as she approached Verity. She fumbled at her belt finally producing a couple of small ampoules of murky green liquid. Breaking the top off one, she emptied the contents down her throat and grimaced.

"Munkweed Juice. Helps dull pain and heals you while you stand!" She tossed the other ampoule at the elf before turning to look for the center of commotion. Suddenly remembering something, she turned back briefly to add, "oh! I also added troll piss. I find that it gives that little extra bit of.." Fernwe made a fist pumping motion, "boost."

Hearing a shout, the halffairy shifted her gaze only to find that the demon had suddenly grown much larger and was now sporting six hands, and had managed to toss the pirate away into a jumbled heap.

"By Erebus' jewels!"

Purize

 

[Zazz]

Azaria rose early the morning of her trial; as expected, she only managed to sleep for a couple of hours before her mind began to attack itself awake. Sitting up suddenly, she shook, weilding the dagger she had kept underneath her pillow. It had been a habit for years, since she was a young halfling. Briefly, she wondered what her mother was up to in her absence from her birthplace. Azaria did not know if she would ever return to Shylanora, the elven city whose princess was a fugitive. A brave, beautiful, loyal fugitive. It would be strange to go back. What purpose would it serve, anyway? Unless she were returning Verity to her rightful place on the elven throne, she saw no reason to return. Except, perhaps, for the cranberry wine.

The half-elf brought out Roland's gift and frowned over it, thinking. She took the early hours of the morning to fashion the belt into something of a sash, wrapping it around her waist at the end to keep it in place. It was long enough, at least. With some fabric she found in the drawers - okay, so she ripped up a sleeve - she padded in the vials in order to keep them quiet. And finally, she sewed onto the corner a wave pattern in black thread. Finished, Azaria ran her thumb over the thread, praying that Adamine keep her group of strange friends safe.

Purize

 

[SilverFlight]

Tura made short work of the remaining demons around her, and by that time Pyrrhus had brought Cassia safely back to her.
They watched together in growing horror as the bigger demon began to merge itself with the smaller.
"Its speed and strength will increase with its size," Tura warned.
When it caught Verity's blade Tura swore quietly. She watched it toss Roland aside like a scrap of paper and then she began to act.
"I'll see to the water mage, Pyrrhus, hold the demon off if you can but be careful."
Pyrrhus nodded gravely and reared as he pivoted towards the monster.
"Here beast! How about you pick on someone your own size!"
With that the centaur charged, loosing a savage war cry, his blades flashing in the driving rain, hooves pounding he muddy earth.

Tura was calling Roland's name. The healing spell she had already cast, though it would take time to do its work.
"Get up!" She snapped urgently.
"Your friends need you!"
With a talon she grasped him by the shirt collar and hauled him to his feet.
"No sleeping on the job! Come on now!"

 

[Zazz]

Left alone with the horse again, Cassia sighed. She pet the animal, keeping her more or less calm. The demon grew bigger and bigger. Cassia went back into the mess with her jar of cinnamon and quietly went around the big demon and the group, enclosing them in a sparse circle of the spice. That way, the other little demons would leave them alone.

The little girl stepped inside the circle and looked up at the demon. It towered over them all. Cassia removed her hood, showing her face and her little stubby horns as she approached the beast. "Mister demon, sir," she called up at it, craning her neck. "Why are you here?"

 

[Purize]

For a moment, the world spun and flashed to black as her head hit the earth. She sat up quickly, swimming colors slowly coming back into focus. The demon went flying backwards and Roland came running over to them and then the thing start to combine with other demons? Did she hit her head that hard? She didn't have time to worry about it as Fernwe was suddenly at her side. She gave the elf a small vile of some sort and Verity looked at it inquisitively as the halfling explained it's contents and took a swig of her own bottle. Verity almost uncapped it before Fernwe announced the additional ingredient with gusto. Verity did all she could not to wrinkle her nose and handed the vile back to her with an uneasy smile and got to her feet. "I'm fine, but thank you Fernwe."

The words had just left her mouth when Roland went flying backwards. Again. In any other situation, that might have been comical, but as it was any comment to tease her pirate friend was lost. Tura picked him up, roughly standing him on his feet one more. Verity took a step forward towards the warped monster when she realized she was missing something. "My sword!" She said, her voice coming out a bit too shrill. She couldn't find it. The demon had ripped it from her hands and tossed it aside like a stick. Verity whirled in place, scanning the ruins for her blade. Aside from the necklace she wore, that sword was the only thing she had left of her mother. Her uncle had made a point in cleaning out all of her other belongings while her father was deathly ill and unable to wake.

Her heart clenched in grief and silent panic, but she had no time to sift around the rubble to look for it. Her magic would have to do. With and icy glare, she refocused her attention on the abomination, it's glowing eyes staring back at them mockingly.
@all present

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland felt his bruises warm as Tura worked her magic, but she left him no time to rest: with one talon he was hauled back onto his feet. Roland half jerked away from her, trying to get back at the demon, a little rage pouring from his heart. But he knew that that demon could match him punch for punch, and it had four more arms than he did. Like the monkey, they would need a plan.

The demon watched with a grin that beamed with evil intentions, and he laughed.
"Horse meat, you stand to giants." With a wave of its dark hands on its left side of its body, a shadow lunged under Pyrrhus, and dark tendrils began to reach upwards, grasping at his legs, trying to ensnare him and bring him down. Small creatures began to rise from the darkness, blind and furious, and bound to the shadows. At least a dozen small grell emerged from the earth and rushed pyrrhus, their fangs and claws bared.

Roland saw the demon begin weaving it's spells at Pyrrhus, and grimaced, his teeth grinding and a tingle running down his spine. His skin was now arking with electricity, and his glows were beginning to flutter slightly. "The thing is too big.. What do we do?" For the first time since he had left his ship, and walked behind the Elf, he felt like there was a possibility they- HE would fail. And something inside him began to strain.

The demon turned to the little girl and leaned down, making sure not to look her in her eyes. "We are here for you, little wretch." And with that it snatched her up in its arms, holding her tight and using two hands to cover her eyes. The demon began to step back, using its other hands to send dark spells out:

Shadows began to rise, covering its retreat, each with a pair of soulless, pale green gleaming eyes. The ground began to tremble under the force of its manipulation, the golden wheat beginning to wither under the poison.

"NO!" Roland cried as it grabbed the girl. He took off, running past the others, throwing out his arms and willing all of the water out of his skins, and he began to pursue the beast, sending his water around viciously slicing through shadow after shadow as they covered their masters escape.