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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Storminator" data-source="post: 4328966" data-attributes="member: 305">Tarn's spirits are lifted immensely with the knowledge that his celestial benefactor has answered the plea for help .... He commands the hounds to engage the approaching demon and readies his sword to charge.TarnI charge with the Hounds, my sword ready, joyous cryfilling the air. "For Areon!"KirenneRoland looks down at the tiny knife in his hand, glances balefully at Mort, and shrugs. "Not much good we'll do in this battle, my friend.  But we can try to keep them alive."  He motions toward Kirenne and Tarn.  "Come on, let's stay close." Roland will guard the flank, ready to bestow healing on Kirenne, Tarn, Victor, Mort, or Pease should they need it.  Walter, Argus, and Davin?  Well, perhaps if the mood strikes him...RolandArgus draws his sword, screams at the top of his lungs and rushes his demon. When he gets close enough, he feints right and dodges left in an attempt to slip behind the demon whereupon he casts burning hands on the spell book.ArgusIn a trance like state Davin tosses away the mauled devil, finally noticing the oncoming demon. Without missing a beat he leaps headlong at the large demon with axe and dagger.DavinWalter considers his options carefully.......Rule the world with the hot, demonic dominatrix......or die here with a group of goodie-goodie strangers and their misguided beliefs in a fiery ball of discomfort.   Hmmmmmm.. Slowly (and sadly) Walter caresses Widinow's side, down to her backside.  Ensuring she's otherwise distracted, he then reaches around to his belt and slides out his dagger.  With a sigh of regret (and missed opportunities) he brings the dagger around the small of her back and drives it home.-WalterThe fires of Hell and celestial cold battle for control of the very air. Lava wends across the land. Ancient trees ring the tableau. Day and night struggle to banish one another from the sky.Widinow stands with her back to the Rift. On her left hand a massive demonic bodyguard advances on a formation of Kirenne and the Hounds, with Tarn, Roland and Mort providing a second rank. To her right the second bodyguard squares off against Argus and Davin. With the demons under her control, the dragon above tethered to her scourge and Walter on her hip, Demon-mage Widinow is clearly the center of the world.Argus screams and charges one of the demonic warriors, only to shift and slip-slide away at the last second. Leaping high into the air he aims his sword at the hovering dragon and fire flows from its point. The dragon shrieks and flails while trying to put the book up out of the flames. Widinow yells "stop him!" and the demon warrior closes on Argus, firesword slashing. While Argus twists and defends himself, Davin charges. With a mighty swing Davin buries his axe in the demon's side, right where its kidney would be on a man. The demon roars in pain and stares down at Davin as he wrenches his axe free, "that actually hurt you little maggot!" the demon barks and shifts its stance to face Davin.Roland and Tarn hope to form an organized front against the second demon but, as so many times before, that plan goes out the window in a blaze of Kirenne's glory. The paladin spurs Victor into a headlong charge, Areon's Hounds at her side. Roland, Mort and Tarn can do nothing but rush forward to aid. One Hound pulls ahead of Kirenne at the last moment, drawing the demon's firesword attack and disappearing in fiery conflagration. Kirenne scores the demon across its armored chest, white sparks flying from the contact. The demon howls from the pain and flips its cloak of darkness over Kirenne, blinding her to all the fight. Mort, Tarn and Roland rush forward, only to be met by a wall of flames that rolls off the demon and separates them from their friend.Widinow grins and points a taloned finger at Kirenne, preparing to blast her to cinders when Walter's knife strikes home. The demoness snarls at Walter, a look of pain and disbelief quickly playing over her face, when the scourge snaps. Walter's blade broke some magic of Widinow's, and the whip no longer holds the dragon back. The huge beast vaults higher into the sky and Widinow is yanked right off the ground. With her tail wrapped securely around Walter, he too is ripped up. He flips end over end in the air, unsure for a moment which way is up. Widinow's tail comes free and Walter sails higher. He reaches the top of his arc, feels he's about to fall to earth, and the dragon comes up under him. Walter has spent years climbing the rooftops of Glimmergos and he knows the one rule about sliding off angled roofs -- pound your climbing tool into the roof. In this case the tool is a bloody dagger and the roof is dragon flesh, but the principle holds. Walter uses his dagger to climb back to the dragon's centerline. The dragon pivots its sinewy neck around to glare at him. Walter grins back. Then he glances behind himself to see Widinow clawing her way up the dragon' back as well. Both are glaring at him with murder in their eyes when the angel forms from nothing right in the dragon's flight path.Actions?DM OutRoland stands dumb-founded, absolutely amazed by the scene before him.When he comes to his senses, he realizes Kirenne is in terrible danger.Wracking his brain, he realizes only searing light might have some effect on the monster.  He prays to Areon, hoping the spell will work....RolandTarn summons the power of his Lord Areon to cloak himself from the flames and enters the fray with the demon, intending to beat it brainless.... "Let her loose foul beast!"TarnTrusting in Areon to lead Victor and me to our adversary, I continue my attack.KirenneArgus comes up behind the demon while he's distracted with Davin and hacks straight across the demon at knee level to take his legs, if not off, at least out.ArgusDavin drops the dagger hefts the Axe two handed and swings with all his force at the demon (power attack).DavinWalter takes a shot at Widinow with his crossbow in an effort to keep her from climbing any closer.  He then digs in and holds on. -WalterDavin swings for all he's worth on the monstrous demon. The demon steps into the blow, catching the haft of the axe on his forearm. The combined power of the block and the blow shudders down Davin's arms, and then the demon catches him full in the face with a right hook. Both the size and the strength of the fiend's arm resembles a battering ram, and Davin hits the dirt and digs a small furrow in the ground. Davin slides back almost to one of the streams of lava. Heat rolls into his face, and he scrambles back just as the lava breaks into the furrow. Molten rock flows back towards Argus and the devil. Argus takes advantage of the demon dispatching Davin and lays his sword across the outside tendon of its knee. Unfortunately, it's as hard as iron. While a normal man would go right down, the demon just turns and grins. "Feel the fires, wormfood," the demon snaps. The firesword slashes back and forth. Argus tries to parry, but there's nothing solid to deflect, and he can only retreat. The demon advances, swinging the sword faster and faster. The firesword is a sheet of flames reaching for Argus, and the demon suddenly exhales hard into the flames -- fanning them -- and an inferno reaches out for Argus. No more fighting retreat, Argus simply runs away. He leaps a lava stream, lands on a small island of rock and sudden, bone-deep, cold flows over him. A column of freezing air descends from the sky, a pillar of snow and sleet. The flames of the firesword extinguish; the lava freezes to basalt. An angel forms of frost directly between Argus and the demon. Roland prays for his enemies' pain. His prayers are answered, literally. As if the spell was a sermon, the forming angels shout "AMEN!" at the prayer's crescendo. Radiant light pours over the demon, burning its evil flesh. Fire flashes from the demon's eyes and for just a brief moment Roland recalls Eladrin, the angel from Three Sword Keep, opening his eyes and fire rolling out. The moment passes, and Roland returns to his ordinary fear for his life.Tarn wraps himself in Areon's grace and stalks into the demon's fires. The hungry flames leap at him but slink away like beaten dogs. Tarn wades thru fire to his foe, swinging the applewood staff. The demon would parry, but his firesword might as well not even exist against Areon's Warding. The staff strikes: once, twice, thrice. At each attack the scent of apple blossoms rises off the demon. Tarn smiles. The demon steps back suddenly, its long stride pulling it out of reach for a moment. The firesword quenches, it puts its palms together, closes its eyes, and pain wracks Tarn's every muscle. No more thought of fighting, no more apple blossoms, nothing but pain and darkness.Kirenne wheels and charges, completely blind, trusting the Lord to guide her sword. Victor leaps into the flames surrounding the demon, the one remaining Hound right behind him. The smell of burnt hair and singed flesh fills Kirenne's nostrils. Kirenne swings and her sword scores the demon's armor again. But this time the demon just grunts and shrugs it off. Kirenne rips the cloak off her face. The cloak floats over the fire and settles on the demon again.A delicate tracery of ice grows down from the storm above. Building and building upon itself, the gossamer strands spin into a woman's form. Long hair flows down her back and the ice forms into armor. A long tendril of frost grows up out of her hand, a spiral sword. She stalks into the demon's fire aura, steam hissing into the air.While the battle rages below him, Walter notices a great, great tragedy. Widinow's perfect legs have transformed into monstrous bird feet. Her giant talons sink deep into the dragon's flesh as she clambers up its hindquarters towards Walter, fury in her eyes. Walter plinks her with his crossbow and turns back towards the dragon. The dragon pulls back its lips. Sparks flash between its teeth. The enormous jaws part and lightning arcs down the dragon's spine to its barbed tail. By instinct (and probably panic…) Walter leaps off the dragon just before the blast hits him. He is transfixed midair by the bolt. Every inch of his body explodes in pain. The dragon continues to fly, dragging Widinow up to Walter. Just as Walter smacks into Widinow the dragon smacks into the angel in front of it. The angel grapples the dragon's head, stopping its momentum cold. The beast, bringing Widinow and Walter and the angel, begins to plummet to earth.Actions?DM OutTarn attempts to shake off the pain and continue his attack .....TarnRoland feels elated that his spell worked and caused the demon some distress.  He's even happier to see Tarn's staff is somehow hurting the demon.  He rushes to Tarn, hoping to aid his friend and his attack.  Roland prays to Areon to end Tarn's pain (cure serious wounds), and then says to him, "This is the only other help I can give you," and prays again (death ward).  After that, he can do nothing but try to help Tarn with his cold iron dagger (Roland will lend Aid to Tarn's attack, rather than attacking himself.)RolandArgus shakes off the cold and the pain, and races to where it looks like Widinow will land, loading True Strike into his sword, ready to run her through when she hits the ground.ArgusThough Davin should be completely amazed by the spectacle of beings (and his smashed face) he notices nothing but his foe distracted by the Angel. Seeing the opportunity he again swings overhand with all his might at the demons head.DavinHurt, not only from the lightning blast, but also from the vision of Widinow's newly acquired chicken legs, Walter musters the strength to turn and push HARD off Widinow into midair, relying only on fate, good looks and his featherfall bracelet to carry him safely to the ground (without further incident). -Walter  Seeing the lack of effect, I turn my attention to what I hope will be more effective targets. Any joints (knee, elbow, shoulder), where the armor is weak or non existent, so that the throat is closer to my hand.KirenneDavin charges his demon while it confronts an angel. Flames roll out from the monster just before he arrives, but he leaps into the inferno, axe swinging free. The ringing of axe head on armor chimes clear over the roaring flames. On the far side of the demon, hidden from Davin by the devil's girth and cloak of darkness and fiery pain, the angel sings of death and vengeance and sorrow. The demon roars in response, a counterpart of pain and hatred. Davin realizes there's a battle going on in a whole other plane, and hopes his side is winning.Roland rushes up to Tarn, braving the fires of Hell to heal his friend's torment. By the strength of Areon's gifts Tarn comes back from the brink. The pain is still there, but it's no longer paralyzing. Grimacing, Tarn advances again, this time with Roland and Mort with him. Only Tarn is immune to the demon fires so the others pay for their bravery.Tarn, Roland and Mort close with the demon, hoping to flank it while it confronts the lady angel. Fire and ice crash together and a blast of steam rolls out in all directions. With the flames momentarily suppressed, the three men rush forward, sticks and blades swinging. Mort's simple club catches fire on contact and he throws it away. Tarn's staff beats a tattoo on the demon's hide. Roland tries to hinder the beast with his short blade with uncertain success. Suddenly Victor and Kirenne burst thru the flames and darkness again, hacking at the gaps in the demon armor. The demon shakes his head in fury at the combined assault and then raises his arms overhead. A concussive blast throws everyone, including the angel, away from the demon. Tarn, Mort and Roland are thrown prone, and Kirenne is unhorsed as Victor rolls. The angel is flung backwards into a stream of lava. The angel's legs dissolve in the molten rock, and the half destroyed angel floats forward on laboring wings, sword still at the ready. The demon laughs.There's a bird, a seagull, that lives on one of Glimmergos' towers. Walter sometimes sits on one of the ledges and throws it scraps of food. The bird has a gift for unerringly swooping on the scraps and snatching them from the air. As Walter floats above the battlefield, watching Widinow and the dragon and the angel plummet to earth, he thinks of that bird… Argus races across the roiling terrain, leaping rivulets of lava and widening cracks in the ground, dodging burning bushes and falling trees, on a collision course with the impending crash landing. The grappling dragon piles face first into the ground, burying the angel in an explosion of rock. As the rest of the dragon plows into the dirt Argus leaps over its outstretched fore claw, over its wing, onto its back and plunges his sword perfectly into Widinow's ribs. The demoness shrieks in agony. Argus would be happier about that if it looked like she was going to die anytime soon…As Walter floats back to earth he sees even more trouble -- a man step out each tree ringing the fight. They have swords out and purple robes and long, scraggly hair and they start running towards the middle of the fight as soon as they appear. Just what this fight needs, thinks Walter, another side.Actions?DM Out</blockquote>

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