Tears to Thousands (Part 5)

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (14)+11: 25
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5

The twisted spirits do not give up their attack. Though fewer of them remain they reach for the living with an unnatural hunger, an unnatural rage. Glowing claws reach into Merek's chest and draw out some of his life force. Elisabeth does not suffer the same fate, but the undead continues on nonetheless.

GAME: Iskandar rolls 14+2: (9)+14+2: 25
GAME: Iskandar rolls 14+2-5: (6)+14+2+-5: 17
GAME: Iskandar rolls 1d6+9+2+2: (6)+9+2+2: 19
GAME: Iskandar rolls intimidate: (16)+9: 25

Iskandar is unable to grab Lysa's sword arm. He barely flings up his own forearm, in time to ward off Lysa's latest blow. "Lysa! I'm not your enemy! Remember who you follow! Remember why...oh hell with it." He balls up his fists and slugs her in the breadbasket, a blow meant to knock the wind out of her while avoiding the vital spots he'd target against a real enemy. "This is for your own good!" he growls at her.

GAME: Selerik casts Smug Narcissism. Caster Level: 10 DC: 20
GAME: Lysa rolls will: (11)+11: 22
GAME: Lysa rolls melee+3: (4)+9+3: 16
GAME: Lysa rolls melee+3: (4)+9+3: 16
GAME: Merek rolls melee: (19)+5: 24

Taking the punch to the gut, Lysa virtually ignores it. Sure, it stung, but she doesn't even slow down. It's scary, and she just narrows her eyes, "Master says you must die!" she says. As she steps forward to try to hack at Isk with her sword however, her boot gets stuck in the mud and she swings short, twice.. before pulling her boot free with a *SQUELCH*.

GAME: Merek rolls 3d4+3: (11)+3: 14
GAME: Merek casts Corrosive Touch. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15

Merek lifts up a hand to touch the howler which is on him, creating acid. With his dragon magic he manages to actually strike it as he shifts about.

GAME: Elisabeth rolls 4d6+8: (19)+8: 27
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (15)+10: 25

Elisabeth, still dueling with one howler, stands her ground and calls out her deity's name: "Daeus!" At the call, a wash of light washes out from her, feeling merely warm to the living... but, clearly, being harmful to the howlers, undead as they are.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (2)+11: 13

There's only one left and it seems dead set on attacking Merek. This time the man manages to evade its deadly grasp however.

GAME: Iskandar rolls 14-2+2+2: (2)+14+-2+2+2: 18
GAME: Iskandar rolls 14-2+2+2: (6)+14+-2+2+2: 22
GAME: Selerik casts Unadulterated Loathing. Caster Level: 10 DC: 19
GAME: Lysa rolls will: (19)+11: 30
GAME: Lysa rolls melee+3: (9)+9+3: 21
GAME: Lysa rolls melee-4: (2)+9+-4: 7

Iskandar trades whiffs with Lysa, his first blow going wide while the second arcs completely over her head. "Someone grab her!" he barks. "We have to stop her before she hurts one us!" He eyes the sword. "She's a paladin, she'd never forgive herself!"

And growling, Lysa turns to let her pauldron deflect one of the incoming blows while just leaning back and then moving forward once again. Fortunately, Isky is nimble, and able to duck and dip and dive away from the attacks. Or is that Dip, duck, and -then- dive?

GAME: Merek casts Corrosive Touch. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
GAME: Merek rolls melee: (19)+5: 24
GAME: Merek rolls 3d4+3: (8)+3: 11
GAME: Elisabeth rolls 4d6+8: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Lysa rolls melee+3: (16)+9+3: 28
GAME: Lysa rolls 1d10+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (20)+11: 31
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+2: (12)+2: 14

The howler manages to grasp Merek with both its hands, sinking them deep into his chest where they can drain much of the life from the poor man's body. Looking at him you can see it happening; the way that it unnaturally drains him.

GAME: Iskandar rolls cmb+2: (10)+12+2: 24

Iskandar sees the sword arm swing in another direction - at Elisabeth. Unfortunately it connects, but it also gives Iskandar an opening. He reaches out and grabs it in a vice-like grip. "No more!" he pleads.

GAME: Selerik rolls knowledge/arcana: (13)+14: 27
GAME: Selerik casts Hideous Laughter. Caster Level: 10 DC: 18
GAME: Lysa rolls will: (14)+11: 25
GAME: Lysa rolls 4d6: (14): 14
GAME: Lysa rolls cmb+2: (17)+9+2: 28

Growling, Lysa suffuses herself with healing power out of reflex, and the bruises heal under her armor. But the energy was visible there even as she twisted, writhed and ended up stomping on Isky's foot to break focus before headbutting with her helmet and knocking him away from her. Sure, it didn't do damage, but it damaged his ability to hold onto her. Once that is done, she yells at the top of her lungs, "HE SAYS I MUST KILL YOU ALL!!!!"

GAME: Merek casts Cure Serious Wounds. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16
GAME: Merek rolls 3d8+5: (16)+5: 21

Merek lifts up a hand, "Eluna!" he says, then he uses the healing magic of the holy plane on himself, while he backs up with a sound as the howler seems to be crazy about him.

GAME: Elisabeth rolls cmb+2+2: (17)+12+2+2: 33
GAME: Lysa rolls melee+3: (18)+9+3: 30
GAME: Lysa rolls 1d10+5: (6)+5: 11

Throwing side her sword and shield, Elisabeth tackles into Lysa, though she gets punished a bit for her efforts, grabbing the taller woman around the waist with both arms.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+11: (8)+11: 19
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5

With a taste of Merek's life-force on it's fingertips the Howler continues to persue him, grasping at bits of his vite with both hands and sucking it in.

GAME: Lysa rolls melee+2: (20)+9+2: 31 (THREAT)
GAME: Lysa rolls melee+2: (6)+9+2: 17
GAME: Lysa rolls 1d4+7: (4)+7: 11

She was free for just a moment. But Lysa got a quick slice in on Elisabeth when the Cleric rushed in to grapple her. She's raging, but then she's grappled again, and is now furious... almost frothing at the mouth to a point of being incoherent. She drops the sword and scrabbles for the dagger at her waist... turning it and SHOVING it into Elisabeth with all of her strength while growling.

GAME: Merek rolls 3d6: (14): 14

"Ya, thanks guys," Merek says to the others, while he takes a moment to look at the howler. He then sighs while he lifts up his amulet and makes a motion with his palm, "Let's settle this all, I tire of this fight." He then casually shifts a hand about which waves the holy plane energies to the howler, shifting it away, and with it also it calms Lysa. He's totally playing this up, looking to them while he shifts his hair back.

Feeling that rage go away, Lysa sags in Elisabeth's grip. She shakes her head as if clearing it. Then lets go of the dagger, "Oh... what have I done?" she says... going stock still.

GAME: Lysa rolls bluff: (14)+4: 18
GAME: Merek rolls sense motive: (18)+3: 21
GAME: Elisabeth rolls sense motive: (16)+12: 28
GAME: Elisabeth rolls cmb+2: (11)+12+2: 25

Elisabeth doesn't take Lysa's word for it, clearly. She, though she's about a full foot shorter in height, lifts the larger woman bodily into the air, then turns quickly and flattens Lysa, face-first, on the ground, with Elisabeth herself on top.

GAME: Lysa rolls cmb-2: (15)+9+-2: 22

Struggling mightily, Lysa keeps trying to be convincing, "Seriously. You don't need to keep this up." And then she's smooshed into the ground facefirst, "Oh really." she mutters, the words less articulate since you know.. mouth-on-mud and all. Her face! Her beautiful face is all muddy! MUD WRESTLING?!

Merek makes his way to Lysa when he notices she still is not her own self. "My apologies, you know uh... I'm doing this because I have to, not because I like it," he says. He then takes two sets of his manacles, to place upon the hands of the woman, then her feet, which is easier with her main means of fighting kept away. He then attaches another set about the neck which assists with moving people.

This is probably pretty awkward, but he tries his best to make it look professional. He nods thankfully to the others a bit, "So, let's ask her not to try and fight the vampire when we meet him, we don't have the means to best him at the moment. The orks should be better with the howlers managed. We should learn what we can and find a way to dispel this magic. I'm not sure if my dispel can best it, but I can pray to Eluna in the night for it if no one else can manage it." He then speaks to Lysa, "We'll save you, don't worry about it," he adds.

GAME: Elisabeth casts Dispel Magic. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16
GAME: Elisabeth rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10

Elisabeth stands over Lysa, once the woman is manacled, and recites a prayer to Daeus, asking him to help free the mind of his child from the vampire's control.... but though light emanates from her and 'soaks' into Lysa, she frowns. "I don't think that worked...", she says, quietly.

Growling, Lysa shakes her head, "The master will destroy you all. The moment I am free from these restraints, I will be his hand, his blade..." she mutters.

"You are a blade of Daeus", Elisabeth replies, quietly. "Let's get her back to the city, and the temple. There, they can help her..."

"Was... get your tenses right. I -was- a blade of Daeus. Now I am the hand of the master." growls out Lysa.

Merek nods a bit, while he takes the chain of the manacle and moves with them, looking back to the orks, "You all... You shouldn't need to follow this call, fight it, work against it and know the one putting you in this position, we will win when we come to him." He nods a bit, "We'll send people to assist you," he adds. He does take a moment to read magic on the woman.

Elisabeth, picking up her own weapons, also recovers Lysa's... though she carries these herself. "You -are- a blade of Daeus. A vampire's magical enslavement changes nothing about this", she says.

Snorting, Lysa says, "You are only prolonging what could be a painless and easy death for you. Free me and I will -not- make it hurt. I promise."

Selerik leans in, resting a hand on Lysa's shoulder. "Shhh, relax. Listen, I understand, this is hard for you to understand, but you've already completed your mission. You've done what you were meant to do. Let me tell you the tale of the three wishes of Jafaden."

The oruch watch you leave, and so do the elves. Nobody tries to stop you as you take your ally away to Alexandria.

-End