Snack Talk (part 4)
Log Info
- Title: Snack Talk (part 4)
- Emitter: Braelnoir
- Characters: Karasu, Lysos, Elena, Sabina, Bannon, Ashes
- Place: RPTwo: Vorhearst Estates near the Village of Mornhaven
- Time: Saturday, May 16, 2020, 6:47 PM
- Summary: The battle continues between the adventurers and the baetriov vampire, Lady Ellastra. She trades blows with Bannon as farm hands approach the house, followed by Karasu. Inside, the cleric use spiritual attacks, Lysos uses a hydraulic push. Ellastra retreats into the kitchen as Sabina disguises herself as Ellastra, and convinces the farm hands that things are fine. The adventurers follow the battle, and the vampire is not doing well. Ashes suggests she give up her life to save her daughter, and this coincides with Sabina's channel and the vampire perishes. The adventurers search the house and find ample evidence of her crimes.
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The Vorhearst estate continues with it's morning routine, apparantly ignorant of the heiress apparant's plight. Hogs are slopped, some larger and more feisty than others, seeming more eager to take a snap at someone who gets too close. Chickens cluck and scratch, and in general, by weather, it's a beautiful day, perhaps ill suiting to face the suspected horrors that transpire within.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Karasu 5'9" 125 Lb Human Male Clearly a man of Xian decent with dark hair and eyes. Lysos 5'6" 105 Lb Human/Tsuran Female Dark eyes, dark hair, olive skin, a jotun-sized chip on the shoulder. Elena 5'6" 125 Lb Half-Elf Female Half-Sil Cleric with a neat, disciplined appearance. Sabina 5'4" 130 Lb Human Female Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes Bannon 5'9" 195 Lb Human Male A shorter man of Tsuran heritage, with a thin moustace and goatee. Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Braelnoir 5'11" 2146 Lb Chimerarilith Female Four armed, silver snake woman w/black hair. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The visit to the Vorhearst estate went... well, it went.
After some disarmingly bipolar avenues of conversation, the adventurer's intent on proving one way or another the involvement in the Vorhearst matriarch's involvement in the Mornhaven mystery, were granted an audience. Join in turn by a Seer of Eluna come seeking material support for victims of the plague.
Interestingly enough, the interior of the manor was not the gothic dungeon of depravity one would expect, but the home of a long established family. The lady of the house, also began the conversation rather amicably until certain religous invocations stirred the pot.
The good news? You now KNOW she's undead.
The bad news? She's decided people need to die.
Alright news? So far, Erol and Deke, the two senior hands who came in with you are currently neutralized, Bannon has been holding his own admirably, even frightening the Baetriov some with his prowess as they traded viscious wounds. Wounds, like everyone elses, that seemed to leak a lot more than one would expect. The vampiress looked into the swashbuckler's eyes and, still frightened, implored him to 'Protect her' with her enchanting gaze, though it didn't take....
Meanwhile, outside:
Karasu's skulking investigation of the grounds while the others handled the personal skills turned up little of import on the surface, though, as shouts of dismay erupt, muffled some, from the manor, he, and one of the senior farmhands outside playing boss turn toward it, the oblivious farmhand moving at a dead sprint for the front door...
GAME: Lysos casts Hydraulic Push. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+3+4: (18)+3+4: 25
Lysos looks at the face Ellastra is making at Bannon.. then up at Bannon.. then back at Ellastra again and scowls. "Because of course.." she mutters to herself, then raises a hand towards the vampiress, four fingers together and extended towards her. "Soakus mostus!" she intones, and a blast of water with the force of a butting ram splashes into the manor's lady.
Outside, the sound of struggle... a disturbance in the genteel atmosphere... maybe a supernatural communique.. makes John, the lisping farmhand with the lopsided face, charge toward the manor's front door, pulling a hatchet from his belt, "Thomeone get the guardth!" And the sudden excitement stirs up the swine. Lots. Of. Swine.
The sounds of fighting draws Karasu as well, the xian man drawing his dagger and holding it half-hidden by his wrist. He has no idea what's going on, but he intends to be prepaired for it.
GAME: Elena spends ONE use of HAND OF THE ACOLYTE. GAME: Elena rolls 1d20+5: (3)+5: 8
Elena flings the mace once more, trailing magic behind her. But yet again, it manages to miss the mark, the cleric mouthing silent admonitions at herself as it flashes back to her hand instantly.
GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged-2+1+1: (5)+7+-2+1+1: 12
As Bannon is implored to protect the Vampire once again, he looks towards Lysos, grins quickly, then looks back towards the vampire with purely malicious intent. He simply laughs, stepping off the table non-chalantly and falling to the floor. With a slash of his sword, Bannon whips the sword around into a circle and then lunges forward with a broad smile, the tip of the rapier sinking into the wall behind the vampire.
The ashen arvec continues to watch the battle between the matriarch and the swashbuckler. Her head is tilted forward, her eyes burn deep in their sockets. She has an angry glare that focuses on the baetriov's weak spots. Perhaps her erstwhile 'suitor' will find a nice ungaruded spot to stick his rapier in. Wouldn't that be nice. Otherwise, she's standing there. She doesn't even shift her feet as some of the water from the spell spreads her way, and around them.
GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Sabina casts Disguise Self. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14 GAME: Sabina rolls disguise+10: (16)+3+10: 29
Hearing the stamping of running feet outside the room, Sabina turns her attention towards the doorway. "Don't attack me!" she shouts out to the party, her only warning as she casts a prayer to Tarien. "Oh Lord og tricks grant me thy altering boon." Her face and form alter as do her clothing, becoming more and more like those of the vampire the group attacks near the wall.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+11: (11)+11: 22 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+2: (13)+7+2: 22 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+1-2: (2)+7+1+1+1+-2: 10 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13
Mrs Vorhearst's imporing look, focused so on the Swashbuckler that's pressing her so hard, doesn't catch Lysos hurling forth a summoned blast of water from between his feet anymore than she had the aspergillium whipping by behind her, and actually flails and gurgles some as the spell slams her bodily agaisnt the wall. A wall that soon tastes Bannon's wrath. She blinks once, then gives up on trying to claim his will and opts instead to remove him. Twice her dagger trails a warm streak of reflective candlelight as the sopping wet vampiress tries and fails to stab her current nemesis, first by the prowess behind his deft blade, and the latter his defensive footwork and she lets fly a slightly shrill, unladylike growl of frustration!
GAME: Elena rolls Perception: (14)+6: 20 GAME: Bannon rolls Perception: (10)+7: 17 GAME: Ashes rolls perception: (8)+3: 11 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+4: (5)+4: 9
Meanwhile, outside, while the pigs is all stirred up, an' several of the hands're in the bad position of tryin' ta wrangle them rascals, John, the senior, still oblivious to his armed shadow, reaches the manor door and opens it to move in, "Hey'th everything alright in here?" he calls, not quite to the dining room, yet.
GAME: Lysos spends ONE use of TOUCH OF DESTINY.
Lysos clenches her fist, watching the melee exchange between Bannon and Ellastra.. but she has no real urge to get close to the vampire. So she turns with a sweep of her skirts and scampers over in Elena's direction, brushing the woman's shoulder with her hand. "This should help!" she tells her, and a small feeling follows the touch... almost like a pull, like something WANTS Elena to succeeed.
Karasu keeps pace with the farmer, stairing at the room beyond and the... chaos that has erupted inside the house. In truth he's not sure what's going on, so he keeps his dark eyes on the man at his side and readies his dagger in case he should have need of it.
GAME: Elena spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Elena rolls 2d6: (8): 8
Elena holds the mace in her hand, but instead of flinging it again, she starts chanting. Loudly. "And the light of her face burned away the darkness and corruption, for she tolerates not such wickedness in her sight..." A blast of pure white light, like fire, erupts from the cleric, washing over everything in the room.
Erol is still kind of wobbling there, but his eyes are dilating properly now.
And Deke? ZZZZZZzzZZZZzzZZzzzZzZZZZ......
GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+1-2: (9)+7+1+1+1+-2: 17 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d6+Dex+3+2: (5)+Dex+3+2: 10 GAME: Bannon rolls Intimidate: (4)+9: 13
As Bannon is repositioning, the vampire he is embattled with turns on him and tries to take the dagger to him. One of the slashes just simply has his number, and at the very last moment, Bannon catches the silver dagger on the forte of his rapier. With a slight shift of his weight forward with just the briefest bend of his knee, Bannon is able to power forward and slide the dagger off and away from him. He twists his arm, bringing the point of his rapier lower and stabs for the vampire's head. This finds no purchase, but leaves him in a decent position to just parry away the second attack from the vampire. The Airman takes a step back, repositioning with a clearing and meaningless slash of his sword, which turns into yet another thrust. This one sinks into the flesh of the vampire, at which Bannon gives a triumphant yell.
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d6: (5): 5
Ashlee looks around the room, taking in the condition of the others. Bannon and Lysos, unlucky Lysos, seem to be slightly injured. She holds her holy symbol, a small set of scales and sets them rocking with a whispered prayer, "Fieu of the Tears, it is not their time," and a shake. The symbol makes a little 'tink-tink' noise.
Except for Bannon, and Lysos, who hear church bells tolling for thee.
That effort done, the arvec takes a step backwards so she's not in the line of sight of anyone coming through the door. Hopefully, Sabina-as-Ellastra will be spotted first. And with it, a monotone annoucement, "Someone is coming."
GAME: Sabina rolls bluff: (15)+13: 28
Sabina (who now looks almost exactly like the vampire) steps forward with a look of seething rage on her face. A face she's already seen on the vampire just moments ago. She grabs hold of Erol by the arm in a vice-like grip and pulls him teoards the doorway where she shoves him out and towards the incomming farm hand. She then points at Karasu. "You! Get in there and assist your friends deal with that imposter!" Then the finger points at Erol and the other hand. "You! Take that idiot and go get the guards and headman! And for the love of all quiet down those pigs!"
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+13: (10)+13: 23 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d4+3: (3)+3: 6 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+8: (7)+8: 15
Madame Vorhearst is not having a great night. The invocation from Elena causes some of the skin of her cheek to rapidly dessicate and flake away in places, seeping dark blood underneath, the damage already starting to mend even as she flinches from the effect. Growing more desperate, she thrusts again at Bannon, scoring the swashbuckler on her first stroke, though the second goes wide and, she begins edging back along the wall toward the door Mayble departed through before the festivities began.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20-1: (12)+-1: 11
The lopsided face of John gapes for a moment as the lady comes out, and he stammers, "Y-y-yeth, mithtreth!" in bewilderment as he takes Erol by the arm, "I dunno what you did, bothth, but the'th thure pithed at you...!" he murmurs, leading the seniormost hand outside.
GAME: Lysos casts Hydraulic Push. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+3+4: (11)+3+4: 18
Lysos grits her teeth, watching the lady head towards the door.. and liking, quite frankly, how she is out of reach. She looks at Sabina, though, and then nods her head, coming to a decision. She darts towards the door and with another "Soakus mostus" she throws another stream of water into Ellastra's face in an attempt to push her back.
GAME: Karasu rolls 1d20+4: (16)+4: 20 GAME: Karasu rolls 1d4+2: (2)+2: 4
It's a complicated fight going on inside, but Karasu quickly determines that if Bannon is trying to attack the (second) image of the woman they'd come to talk to that he's seen in the last few seconds... it's probably for a good reason. The dagger flips in his hand and he throws it across the room to bury itself in the woman's body. He shakes his head slightly and moves further into the room. "Anyone care to explain what is going on in here?"
GAME: Elena spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Elena rolls 2d6: (2): 2
Elena keeps up the chant, reciting some piece of holy verse or another as that fiery light continues to pour forth out of her, filling the room though it seems to shed no real illumination. It seems that she's got a fair decent section of this one memorized.
Ash helpfully explains. She gestures with her holy symbol towards the Ellastra fighting with Bannon, 'tink', "That's the real lady of the house." She reverses the gesture towards the second Ellastra, 'tink', "Sabina."
GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+3-2: (12)+7+3+-2: 20 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d6+Dex+3+2: aliased to 1d6+Dexterity+3+2: (5)+4+3+2: 14 GAME: Bannon rolls Intimidate: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d6: (4): 4
After which, the ashen arvec nar returns to glaring at the real vampire. Wishing her ill will, and perhaps an accident. Setting up for his next thrust, Bannon is caught by the silver dagger, which he recoils from. The act of recoiling leaves him in an advantageous position to dodge the next attack that comes in. When he turns to reengage, the vampire has stepped away. Bannon leans back slightly and then dives forward in a lunge, the new position leaving him at a much lower level, which allows him to easily reach out and score a touch with the tip of the rapier.
Flummoxed, Erol staggers out the door as John leads him out, "Ah, huh, what... but... whu'appen....?"
GAME: Sabina rolls knowledge/religion: (12)+9: 21 GAME: Sabina casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Sabina rolls melee+wisdom: (17)+2+3: 22 GAME: Sabina rolls 1d8+1: (5)+1: 6 GAME: Sabina rolls melee+wisdom: (20)+2+3: 25 (THREAT) GAME: Sabina rolls melee+wisdom: (2)+2+3: 7 GAME: Sabina rolls 1d8+1: (8)+1: 9
Sabina-Ellastra glares at the retreating servants until they're gone and then quickly shuts the door and turns to take in the sight of chaos. Her hand moves to raise her holy symbol and prays aloud. "Oh laughing god, grant us thy weapon to strike at this foe!" And above the vampire's head a mystical shortsword with the pomel of a coyote appears from nothing and swings down apon Ellastra.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20-1: (14)+-1: 13 GAME: Bannon rolls Will: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d6: (3): 3 <OOC> Braelnoir says, "3 pts of nonlethal" <OOC> Braelnoir says, "so -2 to attack rolls, saves, damage rolls, skill rolls and ability checks"
GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+3-2: (11)+7+3+-2: 19
GAME: Bannon rolls 1d6+Dex+3-2: aliased to 1d6+Dexterity+3-2: (5)+4+3+-2: 10
This isn't how her morning is supposed to be going! She was balancing her ledgers! Ellastra, her body seeping dark blood from an array of wounds, thrusts out her hand again at Bannon, again the color dies around her outstretched digits, and, all at once, for the swashbuckler his nerves are alive with the sound of the lay of his clothing against his skin...
... the touch of gravity
... ... the ripple of his heartbeat
... ... ... the breeze of motion tousselling his hair
and so much more... all combined into brilliant spectrum....
A thousand subtle shades of pain.
The vampiress chances the effect taking root, from the reflexive change in the man's expression and withdraws, though she cries out in pain as both Bannon, and the holy incarnation, lay into her flesh on her retreat, and so she bounces staggeringly against the door jamb into the kitchen beyond.
GAME: Lysos spends ONE use of TOUCH OF DESTINY.
So, juggling relief and regret at the same time is something Lysos discoveres she doesn't like. Relief at not being attacked, regret that it seems like the evil creature is going to get away. "Stars stars stars.." she mutters to herself, then quickly moves to Bannon's side. She looks at his face, frowning.. "Hey.. you don't look so good..." then grips his shoulder for a second. "You've got to go after her."
Karasu notices the woman trying to get away, and for many reasons he takes chase after her, not willing to let her get out of sight.
GAME: Elena casts Bless. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Elena rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6
Elena wastes no time. She's moving toward the swordsman, reaching out and putting a hand lightly on his shoulder, a healing warmth spreading through his body -- even if it doesn't manage to get the worst of it, the flow of blood staunching a bit. She nods in the direction the vampire just left. "Let's go."
GAME: Bannon rolls Acrobatics-1: (13)+9+-1: 21 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+13: (16)+13: 29 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d4+3: (1)+3: 4 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+4-2: (6)+7+4+-2: 15
Ashlee follows as the vampire flees. Not swiftly, but at a stroll, enough to reposition herself so she can catch sight through the doorway of the woman in the other room. She keeps up her careful glare, thinking about all her tender weak spots. She has an intense, unsettling stare from her skull face.
Bannon straightens up out of his fighting stance as the vampire makes a break for it. He looks towards Lysos, grinning quickly in spite of his green tinge and then demuring, "You should see the other person..." His eyebrows are drawn together as he's given the touch of destiny and then healed, nodding once towards Lysos and then once towards Elena as the healing takes over him, "Indeed." He takes off towards the door of the kitchen, turning the corner and running towards the vampire. He turns to the side, taking a dive and attempting acrobatics to get past the vampire and place himself between her and the door. While making it to his goal, he catches a dagger in the side for his trouble. He lands on his feet, turning to face the vampire, "We weren't done yet!" Lunging for the vampire, he attempts to pierce her with the rapier once again, though the attack goes wide.
GAME: Sabina rolls melee+wis: (14)+2+wis: 16 GAME: Sabina rolls 1d8+1: (8)+1: 9 GAME: Sabina rolls 2d6: (9): 9
The fake vampire Sabina steps lightly after the true vampire and lines her up in her sight, watching as the floating shortsword flies in after her adn smacks down apon the vampire yet again. She lifts her holy symbol again and calls out to her god. "Tarien! Again I ask for your aid to see the end of this undead creature!" A pulse of silver engery tingles across the room and burns the vampire when it touches her.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d6: (4): 4 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+13: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d4+3: (4)+3: 7
The kitchen beyond is not overly large insofar as walking space, though without the shelves and stoves it would be a good sized living space for a modest family. The lady of the house, flesh and garments in battered shape, and the healthy flush of her features faded for her blood loss, is fast running out of options as she is newly pressed by the dark fellow, in addition to the magic sword and swashbuckler. She thrusts at this new interloper, though her haste renders her attack for naught, then she manages not to drop the knife, and stabs again at Bannon, who seems to heal even as she does before edging back, looking very much as a mortal staring into an oncoming stampede.
GAME: Lysos spends ONE use of TOUCH OF DESTINY.
"So.. we're doing this..." Lysos says as people rush past her into the other room to chase after Ellastra. So she takes a deep breath and follows, doing her best to squeeze past arms and door jams and cupboards and counters. She gets close enough to reach out and touch Bannon again, proving that destiny will find a way.
GAME: Karasu rolls acrobatics: (3)+7: 10
Karasu doesn't hesitate, he's short enough that he knows that he can stand on the counters without scraping his head on the ceiling, so he puts a hand on the counter and hoists himself up. As quickly as he can manage he sprints across the stove to try and block the last exit out of the room.
GAME: Elena spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Elena rolls 2d6: (4): 4 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+17: (17)+17: 34
Elena is already running as well, squeezing after the woman as far as she can. She takes up that incantation again, "And when her holy light had banished the darkness, the people wept in joy!" That fiery light erupts from her again, filling the room, scouring away bit by bit.
GAME: Bannon rolls Ranged+MW+WF+2-2: aliased to Ranged+1+1+2-2: (17)+7+1+1+2+-2: 26 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d6+Dex+PS+1-2: aliased to 1d6+Dexterity+3+1-2: (6)+4+3+1+-2: 12
Through no small amount of fancy footwork, the stalwart swashbuckler matches the vampire step for step, waiting until she's good and trapped between himself at Karasu before he lashes out with a thrust of the rapier, his lunge quick and snake-like as he dips the rapier into a very sensitive place before raising back up to quite nearly his full height, preparing his next attack.
Ashlee follows Elena and the others into the kitchen. While the fight is dramatic, energetic. She walks at a deliberate pace, seeming more curious than engaged. The hobgoblin keeps her eyes on the vampire though, a withering gaze that focuses on the injuries she's received so far. A few more pokes and the Queen of the Dead will be satisfied. Ash herself is content to lurk out of danger range behind the others.
GAME: Sabina rolls melee+wisdom: (1)+2+3: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Sabina spends THREE uses of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Sabina rolls 2d6: (8): 8
Bina-Ellastra moves into the doorframe as the flying weapon swings one final time. It's blade striking the wall with a sreeching sound before bursting into silver dust and vanishing. The Tarien priest raises her symbol again and calls down the grace of Tarien again. The silver burst flowing over each thing and person, burning the vampire.
Ellastra is lashed over and over with positive waves from the clerics (always, wit dem positive waves) nimbly evading some attacks then eating a couple of others, her wounds spread along her frame, and even as they knit, they still obviously hurt. "Wait...!" The vampiress starts, turned somewhat to keep the men in her line of sight with a frantic, harried look, "Please, wait.... m-my daughter.... Liatris.... there was... what.... what did you do to my daughter.. is... is she....?"
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d6: (5): 5 GAME: Karasu rolls weapon1+2: (14)+2+2: 18 GAME: Karasu rolls 1d4+2: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Karasu rolls 1d6: (2): 2
Karasu doesn't hesitate to sink his blade back into the vampire. It is - however human seeming - an undead abomination. "Find well your final rest. Those living will be cared for by the living." It's neither comforting nor infomative, but it's more than the quiet man has offered in some time in the way of words.
GAME: Elena spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Elena rolls 2d6: (12): 12
Elena hesitates as the woman starts to speak. But Karasu and Bannon still seem to have her cornered. Instead, she changes the verse that she speaks. "And when the darkness was gone, the people were made whole once more..." That light takes on a different quality. Misty. Soothing. It reaches out around them, flowing into the gaps created, leaving them energized, focused. Feeling healthy and hale.
GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+MW+WF-2: aliased to 1d20+Ranged+1+1-2: (18)+7+1+1+-2: 25 GAME: Bannon rolls 1d20+Ranged+MW+WF-2: aliased to 1d20+Ranged+1+1-2: (1)+7+1+1+-2: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Bannon rolls 1d6+Dex+PS-1: aliased to 1d6+Dexterity+3-1: (4)+4+3+-1: 10 GAME: Bannon rolls Intimidate: (5)+9: 14
Bannon seems to be stuck going back and forth between agonizing pain, healing damage done by spell and dagger, and attempting to bring justice to the vampire for what it's done to the residents of the town. As the vampire starts to talk, Bannon is quick to interrupt, "She's trying to stall and regenerate!" Punctuating his own sentence, he takes a half step back to get back to his perfect fighting distance, plunging his sword into the body of the vampire with precision motion.
Ashlee moves a little closer to watch the proceedings. Lurking. Her hair forming a nice mop that resembles a cowl on her head, when she tilts just right. The hobbo's eyes bore into the vampire. She's almost glowing with eagerness at a thought that crossed her mind. Despite this, her words are simple and without expression. "Ellastra, if we don't return, Liatris dies. If you live, Liatris dies for helping you. If you care for her, and die, there's a chance she'll live and inherit the mansion to carry on your line. All your crimes can be placed on you. So lie down and die."
GAME: Sabina spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Sabina rolls 2d6: (12): 12
Sabina-Ella looks at Ellastra with a sad but stern look. Like looking into a living mirror. Or a doppleganger. And so Ella stares down Ellastra drawing up tall and proper. "She lives. She is in custody unharmed. It is as Ashes has said. Go to your final rest and face the judgement of the gods." She lifts her holy symbol one last time and prays quietly to Tarien. The silver burst forms and washes over everyone, burning only the vampire. "Sleep now."
"Well that..." Lysos says, having inched her way back away from the dying Vampire, ".. was terrible. And terrifying." As she backs completely out of the smaller room, she smacks her elbow on the doorjam and stifles a yelp. Then she remembers the other farmhands, the one Sabina directed away. And she sighs.
Bannon lifts his sword, about ready to jump in with another thrust of the rapier, but then the vampire simply falls. Bannon straightens up for a moment, talking a look left and right before lowering his sword and sinking it into the corpse of the undead. He withdraws the sword and then returns it to the scabbard, looking towards Ashes and shrugging, "All yours then." Taking a few steps to extricate himself from the kitchen, he asks, "Anyone seen my hat?"
Eallastra Vorhearst, matriarch of the line, lady of the house and abomination of means, screams in animal fright as she's pierced over and again, her hand raising, "Stop! PLea-aaaahh!" as the power of life, anathema to the proxy of her continuance sears her unholy flesh. She barely has the strength to hold her feet, perhaps pinioned upright between dagger and rapier, blood seeping from her every lingering wound. The skull faced Arvek Nar answers the mother's plea and, despite her agony, her very mortality reasserting itself, and even as the dagger falls, chin dipping in assent, another, final wave of holy light sears her to a smokeless cinder statue, clad in a fine, if ravaged silk gown.
Elena looks -- unhappy. The vampire falls, yes. But then she's looking at the others. "Someone is holding this woman's daughter? Threatening her?"
Bina-ella shakes her head. "She assisted her mother in her evil. There is a chance she did not fully realize what was going on. She is convinced that people gave themselves willingly to her mother. But chances are she was tricked by magic just like the people were. The daughter is being held in custody and is unharmed."
"Oh, she listened." Ash seems quite pleased with herself, even if it isn't audible in her voice. She moves over to Elena, "The town Headman, all the townies, have restrained her for helping bring victims to the vampire. She should be safe until we return."
Next, Ash turns to face Sabina-Ellastra, "Tell the farmhands it's been resolved and to go back to work. We can lock the doors. Search the house. Find evidence and living victims. Then return."
Karasu bends over, picking his weapons up from the ground and replacing them in their hidden places. He looks at Elena, noting her unhappye expression before rising to his feet. The others have more than explained the situation however, so he does not add anything to their statements beyond meeting Elena's gaze with his own dark eyes. Then, he glances once more at the remnants of the body that was once Eallastra and moves to head out the door she tried to escape through. "Someone should inform her people. Determine if they were being mind-controled or were complicit in her crimes."
Lysos folds her arms.. something about the situation seeming to bother her. She keeps looking back towards the room where the vampire was slain, but just bites her lip while plans for the aftermath are made. The search for other victims, or at least evidence of their murders. Investigation of the house staff. Telling Liatris they killed her mom...
The lingering agonies of Ellastra's insidious powers finally brings the valiant swashbuckler down some while after the vampiress's gown drags the cinder statue to powder. There is the sound of quiet, frightened sobbing in the servant's quarters, as the woman identified earlier as Maybel is huddled with two others, younger maids of strong resemblance.
The search of the house reveals generations of history, bric-a-brac and for the most part, nothing particularly sinister. Until one nears the master bedroom, near the newer construction and Ashes finds, through a gentle waft against her skin, a secret stairwell that leads down into a rather simpler chamber than appeared in the Arvek's dreams. It lacks embellishment, though there is a bathing apparatus as well as the sacrificial table that swivels into place over the blood bath itself. And there it rests, reeking of fresh blood despite the passage of days. A most unholy thing, this. After further searching of her room, Sabina finds the diary of the bard, Liatris, who in family portraits seems so much more vibrant and cheerful than the nihilistic rebel she was presenting in the inn. Troubled by the bizarre malady that troubled her mother, and, after a missing page or two, though her thoughts grew darker and darker, they never descended to malice, and she was astounded and grateful for those who gave themselves up. Meanwhile, Elena finds several loose teeth and strands of hair tucked in near what could only be considered a butcher's counter in a secondary room from the bath, while Ashes, indifferent to touching the sanguine humor within the foul vessel immediately senses the yet lingering presence of the undead within.
Karasu's people skills reveal that only the three farmhands that met the adventurers to the start had any particular shadiness to them, an obsessive loyalty to the mistress, and active at long hours, and when they feed the pigs no one else is around. The rest just did what they could, working a good job for a fine family to feed Mornhaven.
The preponderence of evidence convinced the Headman to proceed, though he confesses that he is still torn over the fate of Liatris, and so must commit to allowing the summoned Truthspeaker to decide as to her guilt or innocence.
