Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Storminator" data-source="post: 4328962" data-attributes="member: 305">Seeing the sun stop on the horizon brings a grin to Tarn's face. He looks around at his companions and nods towards the sunset .... Tarn"These priests can do nothing for him," spits Davin as he stuffs the imp into a bag. " use the book."Davin"Ok, Man, but, indeed, this book is one nasty bastard. What am I going to use on anything that escapes from it? Burning Hands? Distract Assailant? This is the kind of book that takes your spells and slaps you upside the head with them. I don't know if I'm up to the task." Argus confides to Davin. "And, it's all Black Magic. We might get Luthur back as a demon or a zombie ... or worse. Let's get Walter in on this." Argus walks over to Walter and pulls him aside. "Davin wants to open the Book and see if we can find a spell to put Luthur back in his body." he says when they're out of earshot. "I'm more than a little concerned about what might get out if we open it. My job 200 years ago was to get it and get back; not to open it and start castin' spells. That ring thing for calling Crate was only good once, right? Think any of these new folks could get it to work again? I'm fishin' for alternatives here, Walt. Got any ideas?"ArgusI meditate, offering to take first watch when the camp begins to settle down for the night.KirenneLooking over his shoulder at the other group, Walter offers quietly to Argus, "I do not trust any of them...and you should not, either."  Nodding toward Davin, he adds, "I know my large and wary friend does not.  Given different circumstances I'd not mind a romp with the wench....."  Walter pauses and looks around, taking in his surrounding in full, "who knows, maybe in this place the circumstance isn't half-wrong, notwithstanding the wench's rather long and pointy looking knife......"   Walter stops, and becomes contemplative, realizing that once again, he has started blathering about wenches....Wenches....(oooh, but Walter does enjoy a good quality wench.  Nothing beats good wenching, especially as sport, particularly when immediately preceded by a very fine brandy, or two, or...) ...but Walter digresses. He hands the book to Argus with a conspiratorial smile.  "Open the book, my friend, and let's see what's there for our dead companion."   -Walter"Aw <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />!" says Argus. "Well, keep yer wits about ya. And holler at the priests if this gets out of hand. They're goody goody, but I think they mean us no harm." He turns to Davin. "You ready? Got the imp under control?" and with a nod from Davin, Argus looks over the cover to see if he can discern any traps or curses, and then gingerly opens the book...ArgusRoland and Mort wander the countryside, gathering scraps of wood and returning loads to Tarn, who tends his small fire and contents himself with some cooking. Each trip back the pair checks on the newcomers, making sure everything is well.Kirenne closes her eyes and lets her spirit soar. Once she was sundered from Areon's gifts, and the world was cold and harsh. Usually a calm sits over Kirenne, the faith that she's doing right, and doing well. Here in faeryland, that calm has been harder to come by, a struggle to find. But tonight it comes easy. Kirenne reaches to heaven, past the Veil, above, away. Embraced. Alive. Loved.Meanwhile, Argus, Walter and Davin prepare to pull Luthur back from the other side. None of them are really sure what that means…Argus opens the book and begins to read. The book is ciphered, but Argus spent weeks studying Widinow before his raid, and waves a Word at the book's defenses. The spells become transparent. Argus peruses some spells. Widinow had fascinating technique. It's easy to see why she was so powerful. She had a gift for Bindings. Argus reads a series of demon trapping spells. Interesting! But not germane! Ooh, elemental weaponry, that could be really useful. Hmmmm, an entire section on catching souls… now we're getting somewhere.Walter is bored. Argus keeps reading thru the book, and watching someone else read? Not exciting. Davin glares at Argus the entire time, completely absorbed. And watching someone glare? Also. Not. Exciting.Pease watches his friends, new and old with a detached amusement. A movement from the corner of his eye warns him at the last moment. The alley cat leaps from a bush, claws flashing. The pixie flies up, dodging. The cat leaps high in air. Pease draws his sword, and an epic battle ensues. Around the camp! Over the bridge, up the tree, around the fire! Cat vs pixie, for the ages!Roland and Mort come back to camp. Kirenne's eyes are closed, a small smile on her face. Tarn watches Bagheera and Pease battle. The men pore over a large, black leather book. Argus finds some more complicated spells. These are harder to understand, and require concentration and almost the beginning of casting just to figure out. And they're difficult. Hmmmm, and the book seems to be fighting him. Argus doubles his focus. When Argus stops murmuring, Davin watches him a little closer.Roland watches the strange book reading closely. In Roland's experience, nothing good comes out of magic books. As he's watching, he sees a small movement from Davin's side. The sack he's dumped his demon in moves. A slit forms in the side, and the imp looks out. Argus grunts and speaks an incomprehensible word, then another. Davin looks at him. Argus is working out a spell he thinks might work! He's got it… The imp looks at Roland and winks. Its long tail lashes out at the book and flips the page in the middle of Argus' spell.The spell on the new page seizes hold of Argus' mind. Black magic rolls out of Argus' mouth. Kirenne slams back into her body riding a tempest of celestial energy. Pease disappears and Bagheera bolts for the underbrush. The sun winks out. Gouts of fire blast from the earth and rivers of molten fire flow forth. The wind howls across the desert and sand scourges the camp. A white hot rift forms in the air. An inky shape stalks out of the void and settles in Luthur's body. The jerky automaton motions and the insane glee in Luthur's eyes make it clear no human soul inhabits the flesh. Lightning strikes. The sun blazes forth. Trumpets blast over the desert. The hill, the pond, the dry creek bed filling with lava, the stone bridge, all are ringed with ancient oaks. The wind flays the leaves from the trees. A bell tolls.Actions?DM Out"oh <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ....." Tarn jumps up from his tea and begins to summon Areon's hounds as fast as he is able.TarnArgus snaps back from his concentration on the spells. "<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />!" he yells. "Davin you said you had the imp under control!"  He slams the Book shut and dives for Luthur. He slams into him headlong to knock him off his feet. Argus pulls the containment ring from his pocket and attempts to stuff it on Luthur's hand or his thumb or anywhere it will fit and hold it on with both of his hands, screaming "Walter! Tie up the Book! Davin! Kill the <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ing imp!" Then, Argus hangs on for dear life and tries to remember the demon trapping spells he just read.ArgusI leap forward, blade singing free, the exultation of my Lord's affection still burning bright within me. I skewer the imp first, then turn to aid the men with the real threat.KirenneDavin first body checks the Paladin then lunges at the Imp barehanded, intending to rend it limb from limb.DavinNot having a real weapon, and seeing everyone springing into action, Roland realizes there isn't a heck of a lot he can do at the moment."Mort, watch my back, I'll watch Kirenne's.  Keep an eye on Tarn too.""Pease, no time to rhyme!  Just help!"  Roland grimaces as he realizes he rhymed anyway.Roland attempts to stay close by Kirenne, guarding her flank and ready to heal her if necessary.RolandSeeing the lady paladin lunging for the Imp, Walter pulls free his puny sword and moves to prevent her from doing any harm (careful not to leave a mark!). -WalterRoland remembers that the group has an iron knife...somewhere. "Mort?! Where's that knife?"It's obvious that these new guys aren't going to be appreciative of Kirenne's actions, but Roland has also seen first hand that the lady can take care of herself. Even so, he's still watching her back, and will yell a warning, and attempt a block, of anyone trying to strike her, imp or otherwise.RolandA cacophony erupts. The bell tolls again. Distant trumpets blare. The wind howls so fierce words can scarcely be heard. Roaring lava fountains into the air. Thunder rolls over the desert.An icy haze fills the camp area. Tarn begins to call Areon's Hounds. They instantly crystallize from haze, as if they were there all the time. The Hounds leap forward. A column of holy cold climbs into the sky.Near the book reading, everyone springs into action. Kirenne's sword flashes free and she charges. Walter's sword comes out a fraction of a moment later. Walter flicks his sword between Kirenne and the imp. The two square off and eye each other, trying to figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, Argus leaps forward to wrestle with Luthur and Davin begins to rip the imp in half with his bear hands. The imp screams and lashes Davin with its barbed tail.Luthur is inhumanly strong and he locks arms with Argus. The pair deadlock, pushing each other back and forth. Luthur tries to drag Argus towards the glowing rift and Argus is having none of that. The book is kicked into the sand.Mort tosses Roland the iron knife, and Roland runs to Kirenne's side brandishing his weapon. Walter thinks that for once, his sword isn't the puny one.With all the rassling and scrapping between mortals, Tarn can't help but think folks are missing the bigger picture -- the sky is the purple of twilight despite the sun burning in the sky; lava gouts from the earth and is pooling in the low places; Areon's might is physically coalescing around the fight; a rift to Hell sits over yonder and a forest of ancient trees rings the battle. Tarn looks up and sees the solitary bird that that's been following the band for days. It's plummeting down.Suddenly lightning strikes the center of the camp. Everyone is blown off their feet by the shock of thunder. Roland, Walter and Kirenne fall in a heap to one side. Davin, still crushing the life from the imp rolls away towards a small stream of lava. Argus blasts one way and Luthur another. Tarn falls backwards while his two Hounds crouch down to avoid the blast then rise again. The lightning blinds everyone for a moment. The searing after images fade to reveal a huge dragon standing on his hind legs, wings spread for balance. It roars and drops to all fours. Its long serpentine neck swings side to side as it eyes each sprawled person in turn. "Who cast the spell?" it demands. Actions?DM Out</blockquote>

Verification