Darzoni/CampaignsReflectionsS8
Session 5 of Reflections.
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Here, in the jungle, the heroes of the story come across a cave mouth. Perhaps not a cave so much as an opening carved out of the earth by human hands to resemble the mouth of a great dragon, decorated with black jade fragments. There are many needles here, walls made of them.
... They resemble nests.
The Dawn Caste Solar Sarlk lumbers in stopping at the entrance, apparently, first, his right hand holding Aurora Arc with an tight grasp. The warrior looks around at the needles ressembling nests, and let out an heavy sigh. "Why did it have to be /needles/." Rynel follows, bow drawn. "I never did like needles...."
Hulen merely follows, staring at the needles. And thinking, wracking his brain for what that could mean. Serpent's Lotus is in his hands, ready if something attacks from...anywhere. The decanthrope's gotten him on edge.
"Agreed."
There are seven statues lining the avenue into the cave. They are of alien and unrecognizable figures. There is also the sense that eyes are upon the three...
From inside one can hear the quiet sound of chanting, something about praises to the Ebon Dragon...
Sarlk enters indeed, looking around, keeping his head cool and uncaring of the fact they are entering in a place of OMFG GREAT EVIL. His ears perks a bit(sort to speak), as he pick up the praises to an 'Ebon Dragon'. "...Well, at least we're sure we dint entered the wrong cavern."
There are small animals on many of the long needles.
The shadows seem deeper here, as if their power was greater here than other places in Creation. There is a pale light in the distance, but little else to guide one through the hewn caverns.
Rynel glances at the small animals. "Right, avoid big needles..."
Hulen stares at the needles in mild horror. And realization.
"More demons. Be on your guards."
Firmin. My, these cultists have a lot of demonic help. Not /surprising/, but still...also, that chant's a bit disconcerting. Worshippers of the Ebon Dragon.Darzoni/Great/.
"No shit?" Sarlk answers, peering at the needles. Yeah, likeDarzoni/HELL/ he'll touch them voluntary, and even not. The warrior turn his attention to Hulen, tilting his head and his voice low. "Sooo. What do you know of thoses freaks?" Visible ahead is a large cavern with a hundred or so people bowing to a great coiled statue of a black iron dragon, chanting to it. At the altar is a man dressed in shadows about to kill a young woman with a wicked knife.
"The demons?"
Hulen shakes his head.
"Not a lot. They're Firmin. Dangerous, like to impale things. Living, preferably. As for the cultists...they worship a being of pure malevolence, shadows and darkne-"
And there's the sacrifice coming into view.
"-but forget that now. Just break him and any with him."
Rynel suddenly goes into a crouch, pulling an arrow back on his bow. He takes careful but quick aim, and fires at the guy with the knife.
"What else is new." Sarlk mutters at Hulen as he swing his spear, peering at Rynel as he fire the bow. Yeah, it's suicidal...
For them.
Rynel fires three arrows in rapid succession at the cultist with the knife. TWANG!
The figure in black is hit by the arrow and begins flickering like a flame...
The man in black points to the rear of the room. "Attack them.", he intones solemnly. And the masses rise up... There is some strange sounds coming from the sides of the room as the porcupine-like firmin also come forward to attack the Solars.
"Oooo." Sarlk mockingly respond at the order, grinning wide as he spin his spear and hold it firmly, his feets cemented to the ground. Aurora Arc is ready to receive the EVIL. "That's aDarzoni/REALLY/ pretty malvolent aura, right there!" He taunts out.
The storyteller failed to mention that the man in black radiates evil by his very presence.
That's a lot of cultists. Well, one of the first spells Hulen learned was helpful when dealing with a lot of people...Serpent's Lotus somehow goes from in Hulens hands to wrapped around an arm, where it normally is when not in use, and Hulen starts to work his magic.
At first, his caste symbol just starts to glow. And then the magic pours out of it, streams of gold, red, purple, blue...the Essence swirls and flows around his hands as he weaves them in a complicated pattern...and as he does so, the woman from before, the woman in armor holding the balance containing the yin and yang, materializes around him. Well, perhaps materializes isn't the right word - she's also made of Essence, surrounding Hulen and towering over him, the same colors as the essence around his hands.
And then the essence leaps out from his hands, as he gestures around the room at the cultists, demons and man in black.
"Die."
And then an afterthought.
"But not you."
He points at the sacrificial victim as the essence starts streaming at the foes, turning from brilliantly-colored essence into glass butterflies which, though they are black, still seem to glow inside with the colors of Hulen's Essence, powered by it in their fast, unstoppable flight. The anima-woman surrounding him has reached a hand out to protect the victim, shielding her, despite being non-physical, as her other hand, holding the balance, swings out over the targets, blazing brilliantly in the same shifting colors as before.
The cultists and demons begin dying en mass because of the spell, but the sacrifice is untouched, and so is the man in black. Essence flares in the form of flames around the man, causing the mundane clothes and wood to wither away to nothing. As the butterflies reach his anima, explosive sparks of essence erupt and flare in miniature explosions, undone.
Now that was just plain impressive.
And by impressive, I mean shiny. And by shiny, I meanDarzoni/OW/. But that wont stop the mighty Sarlk and his trusty spear. Spinning the weapon nimbly bettewn his fingers, the spearman start dashing off to meet with the Demonicaly Tainted Exalt, an wide grin on his face. Oh yeaaaaah. Somebody that might be /half decent/ at last.
Annnnd, there's ironic clapping from behind the party. Awwww, look! Wolf learned to clap. The pirate grins, and then takes off at a dash after Sarlk. Hey, can't let Big And Pointy Man have all the credit for rescuing the damsel in distress! Of course, unlike Sarlk, Wolf's keeping up a running dialogue on the cave as he goes, seeming quite relaxed as he calls out to Mister "I know Magic and I'm EEEEEEEvvvIIIIIIL".
"Wonderful set up! I love what you've done with the place! It's so...so...Evil! And the damsel, /very/ nice touch! Still! Hope you don't mind if we kinda, y'know, killed all your minions. And are then going to shove several feet of enchanted metal through your guts till ya stop moving!"
"Yeah!" Sarlk adds on after Wolf's rambling. Darzoni/Really/ awesome malvolent aura, like I saide! I'm gonna try to get myself a lamp that get the same light show effect in my manse! But too bad you will have to be very intimdate with Aurora Arc!" The large warrior says as he stride accross the room. He bring the dire spear high above himself like an vaulting pole.
And use it like one. The weapon dive into the ground as Sarlk use the gathered momentum to propel himsel in the air(and keeping the mighty spear still in his hand) and dive down at the Akuma. His form begins to swirl with essence, gathering into the golden weapon as he dive like an arrow on his unfortunate target...spear first. Spear that will sting twice.
Now insert that cool summoning pose I did last time back in here again. That was an awesome pose, wasn't it? Anyway, the five winds coalesce into a wolfhound the size of a horse in front of Staren, and she climbs on and points at the cultist. "Get 'em!"
The daggar hits the shadowy cloak the man wears and does no apparent harm to him.
And, with Sarlk attacking from above, it behooves the Wolf of the West to attempt to strike from below! The pirate goes into a full sprint, blade still sheathed, one hand on the blade, the other cheerfully held up in an hand gesture that, in the West, is usually followed by a duel to the death. "Foul creature...I'll show you why they call me the Wolf of the West!"
With a cocky smirk, the Wolf barrels in at the Akuma, his anima flaring out, then pulling in. The Zenith's normal burning white anima pulls into a tight form around him, the edges burning a dark seablue, then flaring into the form of a man-sized wolf, streams of ethereal water trailing around it, as it lunges for the Akuma's throat, a clawed foot tearing at it's gut as well as it passes through him. And, then, the anima dissipates, to a degree, as the Wolf of the West stands up, turning to the Akuma, Daiklaive held behind him.
The man in black melts into the floor as Wolf strikes... apparently out of the way for now.
The sacrifice is unconscious, by the way.
Sarlk lands on the ground, smoothly, spinning his spear thriumphantly, peering at Wolf a moment. "Oh yeaaaaah. That was just plain /awesome." He let out, sheathing his spear right on his back again.
And now...the nekkid damsel. Poor girl...At least, he think 'poor' girl.
There are documents and notes scattered about the complex.
Hulen walks over to Wolf and Sarlk.
"Good job. She's alive."
He then turns to gathering the papers. Dealing with people /isn't/ his strong point. Plus he has a hunch that Wolf won't let him.
Rynel puts his bow away and searches the room.
Rynel mutters, "Better make sure theres no unexpected suprises...."
Hulen says, "Oh, gather up some Firmin needles for me, will you?"
Rynel says, "Huh? Why?"
Annnnnnd, The Wolf of the West snorts in annoyance as the Akuma melts away. "Cowardly barnacle buggering son of a mermaid and a tavern whore." The pirate's anima beastie snarls in annoyance at the location of the former Akuma, then subsides, following along behind Wolf as he takes a look at the damsel in distress, then casually tugs off his shirt, leaning down and buttoning the large, baggy garment around the naked woman, idly checking her for tatoos, signs of EVIL, and whatnot, afore scooping her up and casually chatting with Sarlk, the anima wolf sniffing at her hair curiously. "...What, you think I was bluffing when I told people to fear the Wolf of the West?" Mind, Wolf /is/ snickering the whole time.
Hulen says, "They're strong. Good for craftwork."
Rynel nods. He goes to collecting carefully for Hulen.
A minute later, the statue of the dragon transforms suddenly into a huge humanoid mecha thingy. "The will of the Ebon Dragon will be made apparent to the dogs of the Unconquered Sun when the stars are right. Five years, Anathema. Five years." A dark sounding voice comes from the Warstrider. It begins moving towards the exit.
Hulen stares at the Dragon Warstrider.
"...more prophecies, now from big metal things. Wolf? Sarlk? Are you capable of stopping that?"
Calm, yes. If only because his daily allotment of shock and fear have been used up. Plus the adrenaline rush of the Death of Obsidian Butterflies is still there.
Rynel just kinda... stares. He probably hasn't seen one of those before, but even if he had, it doesn't look like they could take it.
Wolf pauses from his banter with Sarlk, and glances at the girl. Then at the mecha.
"....Yeaaaaaaah, my old captain always told me this old bit of wisdom: He who fight giant metal golem end up like small pasty ball of dough unless they have giant metal golem of own. Good advice, I always thought." The pirate, his anima banner having subsided, eyes the giant mech, then snorts and shifts the girl into a more comfortable carrying position. "Asides. I've done enough heroing for one day. Y'know. Rescued the damsel, showed off, yadda yadda. And now, I'm all for heading for home."
"Hey, I've got to admit you that itDarzoni/WAS/ pretty damned impressive." Sarlk says, watching Wolf do his...work. And be surprisingly gentlemanesque! But, alas, the damn thing had to speak up and be all ominous on their asses. The Dawn Caste Solar blinks to stare at the huge mecha thing...starting to stride away.
He remains silent for a moment, before declaring. "....Did that statue just told us 'Five years, Anathema, Five years' and moved away?"
Staren nods. "That is a warstrider, and... you do _not_ wanna take one on." She walks over to the naked girl, "Would you like to borrow my coat?"
Hulen nods at Staren.
"Warstrider. Right. Okay, I think we'll let it go, yes? Wolf...I think you can take care of the girl. I'll get the papers."
And he does.
