Anileth and Mission, Attacking Anileth, Mission Dying
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 2
Mission swallows. "Hello, Anileth."
He had tried to say some thing clever and witty, something to brighten the thick atmosphere of loathing. Something to take the pain out of his heart. But 'hello' is all that would come out.
Mission lays his staff against the wall and moves deliberately in front of Rennick and Sa'id. Putting himself between the party and the mother of his child.
Child. . . could a child form in that loathsome belly? What kind of creature would call him father after being subjected to the twisted magics within Anileth?
His child, nonetheless. His Redemption. And Mission would have that child, one way or another.
He extends his hand to Anileth. His voice shakes from fear and emotion. He is hard pressed to say which is stronger. "Father told me pregnancy would change you. I didn't expect this."
Mission will not attack Anileth. If any of the party does, he will use stunning blow against them. If she attacks him, Mission will try to inflict only subdual damage (that's damage that will knock her unconscious, right?).
(OOC: Ty, Mission's father was named Rigor, if Anileth chooses to talk about grandaddy.)
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 2
Sa'id's eyes widen as Anileth addresses Mission and names him father of the monstrous horror in her belly. Since Anileth has ignored him, he decides to risk speaking freely.
"Mission, do you know what she carries?" He shakes his head. "Abomination."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 3
Mission can hear Sa'id speaking behind him, but the words do not register. All he can think of is what has happened to Anileth. He does notice though that he seems unaffected by the fear that has stricken all the others.
She watches him walk past her to stand in front of Rennik. "I came for you, Mission." She holds her belly, "He can feel you, you know. He could feel you come to the island. He could feel you begin moving east. It was too tempting for me to resist. Can you feel him calling out to you? I can. He is telling you his name. His name is Promise. Can you imagine? The Gods of our Path gave him a name even before his birth."
"I am going to kill you. But I wanted you to see what you had done, first." She lunges forward suddenly, with a look of rage that twists her face. "And I am going to rob you of hope," she says, as her faces shifts back to normal.
"When I left the ring, I saw all that the Gods of our Path had foreordained for our son. I saw that though they rejected me, they forgave you your pathetic weakness. They chose you over me! So, I determined to rob them and you of any redemption." She pulls back her black robe to expose her chest above her left breast. There is a terrible open wound there, ragged and dry. You can see clear into her heart, and it is not beating, though some blackish fluid trickles sluggishly through it. "If the child is dead, how can the prophecies of his greatness and your redemption come true?"
She chuckles. It is not a pleasant sound. "The Gods are not so easily thwarted, it seems. The child is filled with their power. So full, that I can not die while he lives inside me. But I have found another way..."
"I've found a new God. When he is ready, I will give the child to him. And when he devours its soul, it will be like devouring the soul of a god itself. Then, I will be given gifts beyond your comprehension."
"I had toyed with taking you to Him, so that your soul may be given him as an offering. But even that is too good for you. No, I am going to kill you, and you will die without having received your redemption. Then, whatever black hell is reserved for those who violate the Path is where you will reside. We will never meet there, because soon I will not be able to die."
She smiles a terrible smile, "Come to me, Mission." She starts to walk towards him.
(Rennik can act if he wishes. Farron returns with his crossbow and is in the hallway with it. Sa'id can see everything that is happening in the room. Mission may act or speak. Garyth and Cadfael are hiding in the bushes about 200 yards from the lodge.)
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 3
Sa'id gasps. "It's not the child, it's HER!" Seeing her dart forward, Sa'id takes a step back. Gritting his teeth and forcing his fear aside, he begins the incantation of his Halt Undead spell -- the most powerful spell for dealing with the undead in Sa'id's repertoire.
Farron hears the exchange from out in the hall, and moves into the doorframe behind Rennik, his crossbow at the ready. If Anileth attacks Mission, he will cast True Strike on himself before firing, and do his utmost not to hit her belly.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 3
"The path is not straight, nor is it soft. Hard as stone, hot as blood, it runs from me to my child," Mission says. "My Promise."
"Come on, then, Anileth. Come and kill me. If you can."
He will Tumble past Anileth and dive out the window in an attempt to draw her outside.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 3
In retrospect, my failing that saving through was probabaly for the best. I'm not around to get all huffy and religious at Mission :b
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 3
Rennik will watch Mission tumble out of the room in some confusion. If she follows, Rennik will run out of the house in pursuit to offer any aid to Mission. If she does not leave the room and turns to the halfling, Rennik will only attack if she were to attack him.
If pressed to attack, Rennik will try to take out the woman's knees and then go for her head.
From: Ty
Subject: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4
Mission's eyes betray no fear as he boldly says, "The path is not straight, nor is it soft. Hard as stone, hot as blood, it runs from me to my child. My Promise."
"Come on, then, Anileth. Come and kill me. If you can."
He takes a step forward on the balls of his feet, coiling like a spring for a lightning fast dodge past her. But before he can move [Initiative order: Anileth, Mission, Rennik, Farron, Sa'id], she hits him with an open hand punch in the middle of his chest [Attack 20 + 13 = 33, critical threat roll 12 + 13, critical hit, Damage 34]. The blow is incredibly powerful, and lifts Mission right off his feet and hurls him against the wall with devastating force. The plank constructed interior wall of the lodge actually breaks at the point of impact. He stiffens in pain, a terrible look on his face, [Fort save vs paralysis 25], but shakes off the paralyzing cold of her touch.
Anileth screeches like a wounded animal, and yanks back her hand. Her right hand has been burned as if by fire, and is now just a blackened and shriveled claw. "They protect you from me?"
Even as she speaks, Rennik screams and swings his axe in a powerful blow aimed at her knee. The blow strikes home [Attack 20 + 10 = 30, critical threat roll 5 + 10 = 15, critical failed] and on any normal creature would completely remove the leg. However, on Anileth, the blow bounces off; leaving only a shallow wound that heals closed even as Rennik watches in shock.
She hisses and backhands him [Attack 9 + 10 = 19] across the room. He strikes his head on the wall, [Damage 17] and bounces off. He too grimaces as her ice cold touch tries to freeze his bones [Fort Save vs paralysis 28], but he shrugs off the affect and doesn't even drop his axe.
Farron moves into the hall next to Sa'id, and Sa'id can hear him uttering a quick charm. Once he finishes the spell, he takes careful aim into the room with his crossbow. (can fire next round)
Sa'id reaches into his robes, and pulls out a pinch of sulfur and garlic, mixed together. He hurls them into the air as he loudly speaks words of power. The mixture flares as it strikes Anileth, and there is a sound like a thunderclap. She pulls away with a wooden slowness, and for a moment Sa'id thinks he has her. But her eyes flash with hidden reserves of power [Will save vs hold 24], and the enchantment is shattered with a sound like distant glass breaking.
Anileth backs further into the room, set upon by the four party members. As Mission bounces back to his feet to press the attack, she says, "Maybe the Gods protect you from me, and maybe not. Death has taught many new tricks." Then, clutching her withered right hand, she springs into a dark corner of the room and vanishes with a pop.
As soon as she disappears, the ground begins to shake...
(Rennik is fully recovered from his fear. He and mission are hurt, but still active. Sa'id can act. Farron can act, but if he doesn't fire this round, he loses his true strike bonus. Garyth and Cadfael are both past the panic phase, and are now just shaken [-2 to actions]. They can both act, and can begin moving back to the lodge if they wish. [I overstated how far away they had run. Garyth is 240 feet from the lodge in his hiding place. Cadfael is 160 feet away. They are both 2 rounds at a dead run from the lodge])
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 addendum
Actual, if Cadfael removed his armor (as it appears he did) then he too is 240 feet from the lodge, still 2 rounds away at an all out run.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4
Garyth huddles in the brush, quivering. He has never felt anything like the blinding terror that gripped him when he entered the room. He had to get out, to save himself from the horror in that room.
Now, the fear begins to fade, and he comes back to himself. He looks down at his still shaking hands, and is overcome with shame. And finally realization comes that his cowardice may have cost his companions their lives. Resolve returns, and despite the quailing in his heart, he rises to his feet and runs back toward the lodge.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 addendum
OOC: By "disappears," do you mean she's gone? Or that she's invisible? Would I be able to tell the difference? Does Farron have nothing to shoot at now?
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 addendum
Disappears with a pop of inrushing air. Sa'id has heard this sound many times before at the College. It is the sound usually heard when a being teleports, gates, or dimension doors to another location. His guess is that she has used some means of magical transportation to move to another physical location.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 addendum
(OOC - Combat has started and where is Cadfael? Why, several rounds away from combat, of course! I hope this becomes a habit ;)
The icy tendrils of fear detatch from his mind as he puts more and more distance between himself and the creature until he finally finds his feet slowing. Gingerly he puts one hand up to his head, his mind still realing from the assault it took from the Detect Evil spell and the subsequent mind-numbing fear. He takes a moment to get his barings, then grits his teeth and begins making his way back to the lodge, offering a silent prayer that he may be able to get there in time to aid his companions.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 second addendum
After Anileth leaves, Mission looks back at the rest of you, his eyes roll up in his head, and he collapses. You are not sure what brought him back to his feet the first time, but the blow he was struck nearly killed him. He is in the process of dying right now. (-2 hp)
[Sheesh, I hafta keep better records. My HP note for mission was actually Garyth's HP. Mission only has 32. sorry about that guys]
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 second addendum
Rennik rushes to Mission's side and asks if either Farron or Sa'id have any skill at healing... the healing draught won't have much effect, he doesn't think, unless Mission can swallow it.
If neither speak up, he will attempt to stabilize/recussitate the monk himself. (no ranks in Heal, or any Wisdom bonus, but he has to try something).
(OOC: Hm. Well, next he'll set about wiping up the monk juice likely oozing out of Mission's body somewhere)
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 second addendum
Mission sends 'hurry-up thoughts' out Cadfael's direction. . .
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing 4 second addendum
Neither Farron nor Sa'id have any healing skills (OOC: AFAIK; if Farron does he'll use them). We'll help Rennik try to staunch any bleeding that's going on until Cadfael gets here. Sa'id now regrets having used his Prestidigitation spell to dry off, since he could be using it to keep Mission's blood in his body... (OOC: If Mission's going to be dead in two rounds, it might be Fate Point time, but IIRC it's -1 HP per round and you die at -10, so he'll only be at -5 by the time Cadfael arrives.)