The Eye of Anubis: Book Eleven

Rock of the Fraternity · Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:14 pm

(OOC: Right you are, and so she is ..)

"This," Lia says, "is going to be an interesting experience. For me. Kuzan, thank you for the healing. As for the other Kuzan ... die."

The wizard starts to run across the battlefield, skirts hoisted up in her hands, until she comes to a skidding halt next to Lily. Sparing her erstwhile apprentice not a glance, she takes a bead on the darkling cleric and the glittering figure beyond him, breathes in ... then breathes out, banishing the din of battle from her consciousness for the moment. She breathes in again, and words spill from her mouth:

"Magistra clamoris sum! Vox mei vox mortis est. Vox mei vox interiti est. Mille voci mecum cantant. Milliens clames. Semel moris."

For a moment, nothing seems to happen. Then Lia breathes in again, and when she breathes out, her voice is a terrifying shriek. Instead of weakening, the cry grows louder as it scythes across the battlefield, finally to hammer at the shadow of Kuzan and anything else standing between the wizard and the shadow priest -- not to mention beyond, as the deadly shriek plows into the shadow-Lia, outlined in glittering dust!

(OOC: Moving to R5, then casting Maximized Resonating Bolt to the end point of roughly F8, catching shadow Kuzan, shadow Jervis and shadow Lia in its path. 40 Sonic damage, DC 19 Reflex save for half.)

Isabella · Post by **Isabella** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:35 pm

Shadow Kuzan saves, Shadow Lia does not.

DocBeard · Post by **DocBeard** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 4:20 pm

Tomas deflects swing after swing, trying to defend himself against Guy's gruesome specter, attacking him on top of Guy's body! He is again thankful for the enchanted shield given to him back in Barovia, shoving away Guy's own shield and trying to get his footing back...

Wow, Tomas thinks, Sam's lost it, and then he promptly stops thinking because Shadow Guy has shoved an axe into his neck. Tomas's eyes widen as he gurgles, his life only saved by the heavy armored gorget he's been wearing; it's still a mess, as gore and blood drip from Tomas's neck and down his chest, and the shell shocked warrior is unable to speak, unwilling to risk clogging up his wind pipe with the blood and bile the axeblow has caused.

Wind whips around Eisenwald as he struggles to stand, eyes flashing defiantly at the abomination before him. If he's going to go here, he's taking one of these things down with him. The wind lashes harder, palpable and unignorable now, as Tomas raises the faintly glowing Ivorsen and moves faster than humanly possible...

One strike goes straight for the Ranger's chest, Tomas trying to stab Guy's heart out. Another goes to the side, falling on his shield. Tomas spins around from this, pulling Ivorsen up and smashing towards Guy's unarmored shoulder, before pulling back and making a swipe at what his blurring eyes think is guy, but is in fact a pile of silver coins with cheerful pictures of a duck on them.

(OOC: Full attack. It's sort of a mixed bag. Here's the math.
Attack 1: 19+16+2+2+3-4: 38
Crit Check: 11+16+2+2+3: 34

Damage: 5+5+11+2+2+4: 29
Damage: 6+5+11+2+2+4: 30

Attack 2: 6+11+2+2: 21

Attack 3: 20+6+2+2-4: 26
Crit Check: 10+6+2+2: 20

Damage: 4+5+2+2+4: 17

Attack 4: 1+16+2+2: 21

Total Damage: 29+30+17: 76. I am assuming attack 3 hits because of the natural 20, if I am wrong just subtract the 17 to do 59 points of damage.)

lostboy · Post by **lostboy** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:41 pm

Watching his shadow melt away, Sascha roars in triumph, relief and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Casting around in the grip of red fury he looks for the next victim to deal pain out to. His eyes fix on Kuzans shadow, half remembering the urgings to kill the priest.

Stepping quickly forward he grabs the shade roughly by the collar, "It seems your luck has run out" he hisses. Pausing for amoment before using the extra leverage to thrust the sword right through the spectre's body.

[OOC: moving to O6 and getting all up in shadow Kuzans face

to hit: 12 + 19+2 rage +2 IC + 2 flank (michel) -3PA = 34
46 on the miss chance

damage: 10 + 15 + 6 = 31]

The Whistler · Post by **The Whistler** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:35 pm

Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, shoot a caster with a pistol.

I'm sure that's not the way it goes.

Killjoy. Next thing you'll tell me that--

...The gunsmith paused mid-sprint as *both* shadowy spellcasters summarily exploded.

...What.

Plan C!

Violating any number of probabilistic models in the process, Otto stopped on a dime, reversed course without actually turning around, hand-vaulted over a slavering werejackal, caromed off of a priceless Akiri funerary urn, momentarily faceplanted into a knee-high pile of platinum coins, and somehow used the momentum to fire a behind-the-back shot into Guy's shadow doppelganger while inexplicably landing on his feet.

...I like Plan C.

In short! Moving to V11 between Guy and Chaz' threat ranges, and shooting at Guy: 32 to hit, 26 regular damage and 3 fire damage.

yalenusveler · Post by **yalenusveler** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:41 pm

Now that there was significantly...less threat to worry about, it was time to bring one of the two remaining back down to something resembling manageable. Or at least TRY. Andre began to chant, focusing on Otto's dark double, trying to strip away some of the layers of magic swirling around the thing. It was a long shot, but stranger things had happend before.

OOC:Targeted Dispel on Shadow Otto, 17 vs Bite of the Werewolf, 28 vs Haste, 25 vs Mass Conviction, 19 vs Recitation. Should bring down the Haste and the mass conviction at least.

Isabella · Post by **Isabella** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:58 am

The Tomb of Menetnashte
August 30th, 761, 1:31 PM; Day 165 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Kuzan casts Close Wounds on Guy and then heals Andre, Lia, Jervis, Khalil, Sascha, Lily, Otto, Kuzan for 30 hp.
Charles runs his shadow self through the heart.
Lia casts Resonating Bolt, hitting Shadow Kuzan, Micheal, and Shadow Lia. Micheal soaks all the damage, Shadow Kuzan makes the save, and Shadow Lia is shattered.
Tomas full-rounds Shadow Guy, knocking him down to one hitpoint.
Sascha impales Shadow Kuzan, killing him.
Andre Dispels on Shadow Otto, stripping Haste and Mass Conviction.
Otto shoots Shadow Guy and kills him.

Andre's shadow flared its eyes as he watched the battlefield before him. Most of the shadows were dispersing, collapsing into a heavy fog that roiled across the ground before melting away in the sunlight. The shade lifted its hands in front of him, cupping them as if to hold water within them. Mist began to pour forth from them, flowing over his hands like a fountain, filling the area from the bottom up. The heavy fog settled behind the invisible wall, the entrance vanishing behind the eerie gloom - and the shadow vanishing with it.

The shadows all fell, save for the last one - the one trapped behind Lia's magic. The conspiracy watched the wall warily, counting down the seconds that it remained. Jervis tensed in anticipation, waiting for the moment when he could charge forth and put an end to the professor's shade. The others shifted about the makeshift battlefield, preparing themselves for the assault that would come when the mystic force had vanished.

It never happened.

Jervis frowned, stalking forward and shielding his eyes against the heavy mists. He proceeded forward without concern for counter-assault, poking his sword this way and that, testing the fog for any sign of his foe. A slight click told him he'd reached the wall - Jervis followed it, his spiked gauntlet sending up sparks as he trailed it against the stone. He reached the door a second later, grunting in annoyance as he looked at the fog-filled portal.

The shadow was gone.

Shadow Andre casts Obscuring Mists, flooding the area behind the Wall of Force. Because there are actually mists there, True Sight cannot pierce them - you can no longer see where he is.
Shadow Harris and Shadow Otto make a valiant effort to kill Jervis, but don't quite manage it before the conspiracy dogpiles them. Given that Shadow Otto's AC is 31 it takes a lot of rounds running around after him while he shoots bullets like a Hollywood shootout scene, but they eventually get him down.

So, barring any of you attacking the heavily injured conspiracy, Congratulations! This fight is over!

The room seemed lighter now, the sparkling sunlight from above now seeming brighter in the stone chamber. The heavy, oppressive darkness was gone, all of it, even where it should have been - you could barely see the shadows beneath your feet. The only blackness remaining was the shadow within the eye, glaring down at you with its baleful light. The feeling of madness and despair had been lessened, if only slightly, and just for a moment.

Khalil sighed, sinking to the floor - without the urgency of battle, his injured leg gave out on him. He knelt with his swords touching the ground, his head bowed. The massive jackal-man that had been Fassahd crouched back down on its haunches, his claws clicking on the floor. He did not transform, instead watching you all warily. Jervis, seeming slightly mollified by the wanton carnage, pushed past you all, shoving his way to the center of the chamber. He reached up over his head and lifted the half-frozen crow from where it had fallen, smoothing its feathers almost gently. Speaking in the gentlest tones you had ever heard him manage, he muttered a few encouraging words to the wounded bird. It croaked softly as it began to stir, tilting its head to look at him.

Sam stared at Guy's fallen form as Loup nudged it, whimpering. The Borcan's face was livid, the dagger in his hand starting to tremble uncontrollably. Micheal sidled past Jervis to try and reach his fallen friend, but the expression on Samael's face gave him some pause. He backed up a few steps when Sam looked his way.

"Sam," Lily said, firmly. It was a quiet word, but it carried a command in it. "There's no one left to fight."

Sam stared at her incomprehensibly. Lily sighed and tried again.

"Everything's alright, Sam," she said. "Everyone's alright." It was quite an accomplishment that she said it with the cool aplomb that she did - Edmund and Guy certainly didn't look alright.

Sam didn't respond, staring at the bloody stiletto wound in her chest. Lily sighed again and stepped forward, deftly plucking the knife out of his hands. He watched her blankly as she did it. Lily then unfolded a large sack, unadorned, but bearing the telltale signs of enchantment, and tossed it for Tomas to catch.

"Since you'd rather not have us do it... Tomas, dear," she said, almost wearily. "Put the Eye in the bag and let's see about getting out of here."

lostboy · Post by **lostboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:53 am

Danger past, Sascha takes a deep breath, cooling the fire inside and bringing forth his rational mind. As he does so fatigue and pain rip through his body, forcing him to lean heavily against the marble behind him, and making the knight feel every one of his 42 years.

A seconds rest is all he gets, pushing away the pain and fighting back the urge to close his eyes, he staggers to his feet and moves across the room.

Kneeling close to Harris and Guy he takes a moment to look both over. "I am afraid he is beyond my meagre help" he says softly to Samael, "perhaps Kuzan....."

Then quietly with little ceremony he lays his hands on Harris shoulders, whispering "nehmen Sie mein Leiden für diesen Mann. Come back to us captain."

[OOC: using hair shrt of suffering for 21 hp healing on Harris as Im not sure if Guy is dead or whether Kuzan did close wounds before it, either way someone else is better qualified to sort it out.]

Isabella · Post by **Isabella** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:03 am

The Tomb of Menetnashte
August 30th, 761, 1:31 PM; Day 165 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Bone and flesh knitted back together. A thin, fragile layer of skin began to pull itself across Edmund's exposed ribs. Breath returned, the captain's chest rising and falling once more. The ragged edges of his torn breastplate cut into him; Micheal, having skirted around Sam's vision without attracting further attention, helped removed the scraps of armor, letting the captain breathe without obstruction. Edmund ironically looked even worse for having been healed, as his heart began to stir in his chest once more - blood began to pour again from the unhealed wounds he still bore, and there were many. Still, he was alive.

But for the moment, he did not wake. His eyes fluttered, before closing slowly. Since the day you had left Kamarn-Quse, he had not slept. Magic had pushed back his exhaustion until some later date, just as it had pushed back the terrible wounds he had taken, the scorpion's poison, the fatigue of battle, and even death itself. Now, it seemed, the exhaustion had finally caught up with him. Edmund slept deeply, oblivious to Sascha's call. And from the soft smile upon his lips, perhaps he dreamed as well.

lostboy · Post by **lostboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:29 am

Sascha closes his eyes and mutters a short prayer of thanks as Harris' breathing returns to normal. "One less casualty of this foul place at least" he whispers looking sadly over at Guy. "Thank you for your help" he adds softly to Michel.

Kaitou Kage · Post by **Kaitou Kage** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:51 am

Kuzan broke and ran across the coins and gems to Guy's side as soon as the shadows vanished. He knelt beside the fallen warrior. You are not dying on me here. You are not.

The priest uttered a prayer and Vishnu appeared again, laying all four hands upon Guy. The warm, sea-blue glow surrounded the ranger, then seeped into his body.

"Wake up," he whispered harshly, "Wake up."

Cure critical wounds. If you really need me to roll, I will -- otherwise I figure just a big blast of healing since the fight's over.

When Guy began to stir, Kuzan exhaled in relief, then stood up. He glanced at Harris only for an instant, then looked immediately away, as if wrenching himself away from some horror. The priest traveled the room, laying healing hands upon everyone that needed it -- except Jervis. He looked absolutely exhausted, ready to topple over any moment. But he kept going, using every last ounce of divine energy he could muster to make sure everyone was whole. As he passed Sam, he offered a mumbled apology. Finally, he came back to Harris.

And Kuzan broke.

He collapsed on the treasure-strewn floor beside the Mordentishman and broke down. "Edmund, you idiot," he sobbed, "You dumb, lovestruck idiot." Here was an ailment, a wound that Kuzan could not cure, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Wake UP, damn you," he cried, "Wake UP! This isn't done! Come back to us!" The priest pounded a fist into Edmund's chest, then slumped. They had gone for so long, traveled so far, and he'd managed to keep everyone afloat. But now, he'd lost Ed, lost him to that thrice-damned curse. It pained the priest worse than any knife, and because it was Edmund of all people, it felt like the knife twisted in his gut over and over and over. So he did the only thing he had enough energy to do and sobbed pathetically.

Healing everyone back to full. I figure this'll use most of my healing for the day, so whatever works. If I have to roll anything, I will, just let me know.

DocBeard · Post by **DocBeard** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:26 am

Oh shi-

Or not. Tomas gives a weak thumbs up in Otto's direction, then sheathing Ivorsen. He starts to undo his gorget when Lily tosses the bag over to him; the Lamordian catches it, holds up his finger to say 'one minute', and finishes the task, revealing some of his chest. Tomas then pulls black string out of his coat, the same color and consistency as the thick black sutures that mark most of his body, and with all the skill of someone who's had to do this irritating chore for much of their life, starts to sew his neck closed.

"Aah." Tomas tries, a few minutes later, and nods as the remains of Shadow Guy's savage blow, a thin black suture gently gliding up his neck from the base of his shoulder, does not burst open under the pressure. Re-attaching his steel gorget, Tomas doesn't bother explaining, assuming that Samael and Lily probably didn't even see, as concerned with themselves as they are, and picks up the bag.

And even if they did notice, Tomas reflects to himself as he walks towards the statue for the second time, it's not like I can hide it anymore.

Rock of the Fraternity · Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:32 am

"Well," Lia says as she stretches her newly-healed hands, checking whether each finger moves as is proper, "that's that, then." There is no sarcasm in her words, just ... just the acceptance that a nasty job that needed doing has been done.

The mage pulls the cane out from under the straps of her pack and walks over to Andre, the metal heel clicking sharply against the tiles of the last chamber. "What do you think the chances are of your opposite coming back?" she asks him in an almost conversational tone of voice, keeping her voice soft so as to keep this discussion between the two of them for the moment. "Unless he dissipated, he might be plotting to attack us again at a later date. And if he knows everything we do, well ... Odds that he'd offer to cooperate with Cavendish?"

After Andre has replied -- or not, as the case may be -- Lia makes her way over to Charles, one red and wary eye out for the huge jackal-beast that is Fassahd. Again keeping her voice low, she speaks to the secret agent: "Seeing as the fiend is so fond of using shadows as its tools ... Do you think it would be a good idea to put your everburning torch in the sack with the Eye, so as to deny it tools to work with?"

Again, after Charles has given his answer - or not -- Lia makes her way over to Tomas. And just stays at his side. Without saying a word, she loosens the felt mask from her belt and starts to tie it back on. A moment later, she's tugging the gloves out of her belt and snugging them onto her clawed hands. It seems the time for public displays has come to an end ... Especially since the next destination would seem to be the outside world.

With the mask and gloves back in place, Lia gently addresses Kuzan: "How is captain Harris? Will he not ... rise, soon?"

Kaitou Kage · Post by **Kaitou Kage** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:53 pm

"He's gone," Kuzan blubbered, "He's--He's out. He's not waking up. He can't. He told me. He can't go to sleep. He said he can't. He said he won't wake up. Not since the city. Oh gods, Harris. Wake up! This isn't over! We still need you!"

The priest sat and sniffled for several moments longer. Here was something he couldn't fix and it ate him up inside. He'd struggled for so long to make sure everyone was okay, and he didn't fulfill his promise and keep Edmund going until it was all over. "I could've saved you," he whispered. "I could've helped you. Why?"

He sniffled again and wiped his nose and eyes on his sleeve. "Someone shoot a gun," he said with a pained voice, "Or scream. Or something. Make it seem like we're under attack again. It worked last time. Gods. It worked. It woke him up. He still wants to help us. Dammit, Harris! Someone do something!"

The priest held his head in his hands. "He told me this would happen. He told me after we left the city that if he fell asleep again, he would never wake up because in his dreams he'd be with her. And he would not leave. And I tried to help him. I did help him. But it wasn't enough. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't..." Kuzan broke down again and sat in a daze, staring blankly, exhaustedly at the guard captain.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Rock of the Fraternity · Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:49 pm

"Capital idea," Lia says, as she sticks her cane back into her pack. "Let's give it a try. Ahem." The wizard clears her throat, then shouts out loud: "'You dirty rat, you've had this coming ever since Dementlieu!'"

Without further ado, Lia draws her pistol, slowly, carefully and very demonstratively aims it at the grate letting in the daylight -- and pulls the trigger. "'Die, you piece of dog muck'!" Lia roars.

(OOC: Visually, Lia is making it very, emphatically clear that she's not aiming at anyone in the room. Vocally, a Bluff check to indicate homicidal rage at someone in the room (take your pick): 4. Rats. Let's hope the gunshot does the trick, shall we?)

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The Eye of Anubis: Book Eleven