Devil of Sanguine Fen

The sun is setting in a spill of royal bruising, and crimson that has spread not only over the horizon but over the whole of the sky. It's a beautiful night really, but perhaps a little overly warm particularly given the time of day. You've little time to enjoy the night however, as you are closing in on the location of the cult that you were told is suspected of using this fen as a location to gather.

You are pretty sure that whoever gave this information is right, as you can hear the murmur of voices from just beyond the tree line. You've managed to sneak this close because they have not set out any guards or scouts to warn them of impending adventurers. However you're wary of getting closer lest they become aware of your presence.

Cult. That's a dirty word in Andelena's book, and the redhead looks like she's ready to tango with anyone who might get in her way as they're near the tree line.

If by tango, one means 'a longsword straight to the chest', that is.

"Okay. What's the plan?" she asks quietly. "I can bless us with a prayer to the Knight and then charge in, or...?"

Sora is fairly stealthy when she wants to be, especially since she is on the small side....for a human that is. She pauses with the others when they get close enough that they are concerned of giving their presence away. She has been making sure that her greatsword doesn't catch on anything as she was moving. She glances towards the others and shrugs just a bit as she really doesn't have much of an idea as to the plan, or a plan.

Dirk wrinkles his nose, scowling dourly from their hiding spot behind the treeline. He grips his thunderbelcher in both hands, while his white-faced owl Lulu perches on his shoulder. "I know a bit o' wood-magic," he says in a quiet undertone. "It'll make the shrubbery at their feet grow wild an' catch their feet. Should slow 'em up right good an' make it easier tae mop 'em up. Just make sure ye dinnae get tangled in it yerselves!"

Dolan had been only too eager to take this job, and his jaw is set, his entire attention fully focused. He's very much in a take-no-prisoners mood ever since they'd set out. He hasn't talked much, aside from the Sunguard who accompanies him, and he listens intently to the murmuring voices.

"Who's their leader?" he growls, _sotto voce_. "Get the leader first or you'll face something you don't wanna."

Cults. Cults are bad. This one is, at least, because they said so. Even more important, cults are flammable! Just like the sky that looks like the sun has set it alight, big round ember to kindling. So Smuldur is here, skittering his way closer to the impending ignition. Wholly unsurprisingly, Torchie, The Great Illuminator and/or Immolator is ready. Willing. Able!

He looks to Andelena when she asks of the plan (deferring to proper gobber genius!) and he grins widely. Toothily. Well, there are a couple missing. "Burn and bonk!" Torchie is even wise enough to demonstrate on the air.

GAME: Dirk rolls Stealth: (20)+6: 26

Dirk leans around the tree he's tucked up against. "Let me see if I can get a better view," he mutters softly to the others. Quiet as a ghost, the old snowbeard ducks around the tree and hunkers low to the ground. He glides forward, rustling nary a leaf nor blade of grass, and perks his head over a shrub to look. Moments later, he returns, ducking around the tree. "I count thirteen of 'em," he says softly. "One leader-type, an' twelve others. They're all settin' 'round the leader. Nice an' bunchy."

"Alright, all bunched up, leader in the middle... Sounds like we've got ourselves a plan." Andelena draws her sword, and she looks to Dolan with a smirk on her face. "Let's light 'em up."

She murmurs a prayer to Daeus, and is rewarded for it by the holy aura that washes over her allies.

GAME: Andelena casts Bless. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14

Smuldur strains to try and peek, but that bush is taller than he. Also, it is moving as Dirk comes out of it. The gobber nods as he listens to the update and count, looking to his free hand, then his toes. "Each get... " some quick calculus is performed before he holds up three fingers "five! I get first five!" -Now- he starts to beat feet around the bush.

GAME: Dolan rolls stealth: (10)+-2: 8
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/religion: (2)+8: 10
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/religion: (11)+8: 19

"Fuck, yes." Dolan stands up, as quietly as he can, and reviews what he can see of the group. He shakes his head and ducks around the tree, hunkering low as he'd seen Dirk do, but he does not possess the woodcraft that the khazad does, and he's - much less sneaky. Still, he's back quickly enough, in time for the Bless, and he scowls even more deeply than he did before. "Maugrim," he snarls, softly, when Andelena is done.

Sora waits for the others to move first, she has learned in the past not to go charging in and leave your team behind, so even as she feels the blessing roll over her, she glances towards the others.

GAME: Smuldur rolls perception: (17)+11: 28
GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)

The cultists seem to have spotted someone moving in the bushes, or perhaps they heard Andelena's spell. Either way they all start chanting and turn toward where the group of you are currently hidden by the trees. "Eaw monasu ua vantas fo Maugrim! Eaw monasu ua vantas fo Maugrim!"

GAME: Dirk rolls Perception: (15)+9: 24
GAME: Andelena casts Weapon of Awe. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15
GAME: Smuldur RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 10 temporary HP
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+3: (12)+3: 15
GAME: Smuldur rolls weapon7+2-2+1: (18)+9+2+-2+1: 28
GAME: Smuldur rolls damage7+2+6+1: aliased to 1d3+4+2+6+1: (3)+4+2+6+1: 16
GAME: Sora rolls strike+1: aliased to finesse+3+1: (8)+11+3+1: 23
GAME: Sora rolls powdam: aliased to 2d6+3+2+1+1+6: (11)+3+2+1+1+6: 24
GAME: Sora rolls strike+1: aliased to finesse+3+1: (15)+11+3+1: 30
GAME: Sora rolls powdam: aliased to 2d6+3+2+1+1+6: (11)+3+2+1+1+6: 24

The command was given. Commands: light 'em up! scatter! So Smuldur skitter-scatters. Right at them. He starts slavering at the thought of (and announces) "BONK 'N BURN!" before Torchie the Immolator is brought high overhead in both hands to BONK a cultist. Since it is the burning end, it also singes some, too.

Andelena grimaces as the cultists begin chanting--and then her sword begins to... tremble...? It gets a downward glance from Andelena, although the glance is more like a surprised blink, but there's no time to process that. None at all.

"Bless my blade so that I may strike down the Tyrant's enemies," she declares--and the blade glows a brilliant light with her prayer. She rushes forward into the melee. It's time to fight.

Seeing the others start to run in Sora decides its time. She reaches up over her shoulder with her artifice arm, gripping the hilt of her greatsword. She pulls the blade that is almost larger than her forward and her other hand moves to grip with it, even as she is moving towards the cultists. Her movements seem almost more like dancing as the mithril blade dances around her. She gets close to two of the cultists and whips the blade around in a strike that seems more towards power than accuracy and slashes into one of the cultists, dropping them, while she continues the movement, swinging the dancing blade into a second cultist, dropping that one as well.

GAME: Dirk casts Entangle. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+1: (7)+1: 8
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+3: (16)+3: 19

Dirk watches his comrades charge forward. But as a woodsdwarf, he knows well enough to hang behind. For now, he reaches down and pulls up a blade of long grass, his gaze gaining razor focus on the ground behind the cultists. He passes the grass between his lips, running it over his tongue. "Grow, grass, grow!" he growls, flicking the blade towards the group. Behind the cultists, the ground begins to writhe as thick sedge grasses being roiling and curling. The foliage seems to have a mind of its own as it attempts to catch feet and entangle legs!

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (13)+5: 18
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (6)+10: 16
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (18)+10: 28
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9

The cultists attack, drawing swords from their robes, but _one_ of the cultists shirks his robes entirely revealing that he's not human at all. In fact he is a devil, his long scraggly beard moving of its own volition as he reaches out to claw at Sora viciously. He grins when he manages to draw blood.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1: (10)+8+1: 19
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+5+4: (4)+5+4: 13
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon7+1-1: (12)+8+1+-1: 20
GAME: Andelena rolls damage7+2+2: aliased to 1d8+5+2+2: (8)+5+2+2: 17

The devil appears, and a black chill turns Dolan's blood to ice, despite the warmth of Daeus' blessing on his shoulders and the companions by his side. He'd been right - more right than he'd known - and now, he can't get to the creature.

But no. This time, he is not helpless, and he is not alone.

What he is is focused, his world coming down to removing the barriers between himself and that _creature_. The greatsword appears in his hands, the leather harness dropping with a slither into the grass, and slams into the nearest cultists between him and that thing. The hooded figure screams and drops bleeding into the grass, a gash opened from hip to shoulder, and the inquisitor turns wordlessly to his next target.

The jeers. The laughter, they ring in his ears, but - it is not here.

GAME: Smuldur rolls weapon7+2-2+1+1: (19)+9+2+-2+1+1: 30
GAME: Smuldur rolls damage7+2+6+1+1: aliased to 1d3+4+2+6+1+1: (2)+4+2+6+1+1: 16
GAME: Sora rolls strike+1: aliased to finesse+3+1: (14)+11+3+1: 29
GAME: Sora rolls powdam: aliased to 2d6+3+2+1+1+6: (7)+3+2+1+1+6: 20

"Ahh!" Smuldur is either eager that the one he bonked fell down, or momentarily worried about the one dropping his robes. Either way, he steps up to bring Torchie to bear against the next one in line. He remembers there are five for each of them! And that was only one. *BONK* When that one falls, now it's three down for him! Only one more to go!

Sora really did not like being hit like that by the devil. But at least it was a devil, she was really worried when the robe came off. She whips her blade around her and then slashes at the one that hit the devil, cutting deep.

Andelena, meanwhile, has her blade out, bathed in light--and when she looks at the devil that's disrobed, her eyes go wide again. "/Fuck/, and I thought for a moment we'd finally get even on the "weird naked men on jobs" thing, Bry!" she calls out to him. Somehow it's the first thing that comes to mind in the heat of battle.

She turns and she brings her blade down on another hooded figure. There's a moment where the light on the blade pulses, which gets another /look/. There's still no time to inspect it.

GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged+1-2: (6)+7+1+-2: 12
GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+3: (3)+3: 6
GAME: Smuldur rolls weapon7+2-2+1+1: (10)+9+2+-2+1+1: 21
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon7+1-1: (18)+8+1+-1: 26
GAME: Andelena rolls damage7+2+2: aliased to 1d8+5+2+2: (4)+5+2+2: 13
GAME: Smuldur rolls damage7+2+6+1+1: aliased to 1d3+4+2+6+1+1: (1)+4+2+6+1+1: 15
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1: (17)+8+1: 26

Dirk's eyes get wide and his face pales as that devil reveals himself. As if wights and lycans weren't bad enough, now he's dealing with the literal spawn of Hell. "Blessed Dana defend me," he whispers tightly, swallowing hard. But his friends aren't letting their fear get the better of them. He may be a woodsdwarf from a fatherless clan, but he's still a woods-dwarf-. Clenching his teeth, he swings up his thunderbelcher. He draws a bead on one of the cultists entangled in his magicked grass and pulls the trigger. CHK-BOOM! The bullet flies true, punching a hole in the man's robe and bringing up a well of blood. Looking back towards the devil, he whistles sharply through his teeth, three times. "Go, Lulu! Harry 'em!" Lulu fluffs up her feathers and takes wing, soaring over the melee and wheeling around. She starts fluttering at the devil, hoo-hoo'ing and baring her talons. Not really the most -impressive- display, but the distraction might just give Sora an edge.

GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+5: (7)+5: 12
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (15)+10: 25
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+2: (1)+2: 3
GAME: Sora rolls fortitude: (16)+5: 21

The cultists flee off to the sides - being unable to run away to the back. Which leaves the devil which grabs Sora with both hands and... shoves his beard into her face. It's... disgusting.

GAME: Dolan casts Align Weapon. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon7+1-1: (9)+8+1+-1: 17
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon7+1-1: (9)+8+1+-1: 17

Cultists fall around him, and finally break and run. He slashes the one facing him as they scatter, dropping another into the grass without mercy. The memories boil inside, just beneath the surface, but every line of him, scars and all, speak of absolute focus. The gibbering panic can talk later. Now, it's time to fight, and he turns towards the creature savaging his companion. "Holy Daeus, guide my blade with Your will and bless it with Your light, that I may see this abomination gone from Ea!"

The last few words are raised in a shout to the heavens, and sunlight flashes down the blade beneath a darkened sky. He takes off running towards the devil, shouting, "Some days I wish it was just weird naked men, Andie. Hands off of her, you little shit! I'm going to kick your ass all the way back to the Iron Gates!"

GAME: Smuldur rolls weapon7+1+1-2: (4)+9+1+1+-2: 13
GAME: Smuldur rolls weapon7+1+1-2: (19)+9+1+1+-2: 28
GAME: Smuldur rolls damage7+2+6+1+1d6 fire: aliased to 1d3+4+2+6+1+1d6 fire: (2)+4+2+6+1+(4 fire): 19
GAME: Sora rolls strike+1+2: aliased to finesse+3+1+2: (14)+11+3+1+2: 31

Andelena feels the pressure of the moment--a combination of seeing Sora being attacked in such a disgusting manner and in seeing the cultists flee. She managed to bring down one as the cultist attempted to flee, but the devil remains.

The sword pulses in Andelena's hands again, and Andelena winces, almost, as she tries to bring the sword down on the infernal creature. Her strike goes wide. "What the fuck is going on?" she grunts, looking down at her sword with an incredulous glance.

GAME: Sora rolls powdam: aliased to 2d6+3+2+1+1+6: (7)+3+2+1+1+6: 20

Smuldur delights in watching the cultists flee. Especially the ones that get bonked down in the process. "Ha!" Then he turns to see the weird beard and... ew! "Not on first date!" Does this thing have no culture? No pride? No- whatever, it needed to burn anyhow. Smuldur scampers over and stops before the leader. As he rears back Torchie over his head and all the way behind him, the grunt of of effort is joined by... a reverberation. This release only causes Torchie to flare to life threefold more before it is brought down at the big, weird, creepy cult leader devil thing.

Sora is really not doing the best as the devil has been laying into her. She keeps up the struggle trying to take it down as she whips her blade around dancing with it and lashing out with another powerful slash cutting into her foe.

GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged+1-2: (4)+7+1+-2: 10
GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged+1-2: (12)+7+1+-2: 18
GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12+4: (5)+4: 9

Dirk sweeps his thunderbelcher across the battlefield. Most of the cultists are dead, dying, or run off at this point. There's only one target left. He snaps his bead to the devil. He pulls a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Gilead, guide my hand," he whispers before pulling back on the trigger. CHK-BOOM! The bullet smacks into the fallen celestial. "Hah! That's what ye get fer havin' a beard like -that-!" he snarls, racking the slide. He quickly lifts his fist to his mouth, blowing a soft hoot through his fingers. "Lulu! Come!" The owl gives a great sweep of her wings (well, as great as a petite little thing like her can, anyway), fluttering back to her master. She perches on Dirk's shoulder, drawing herself up tight and thin as she assumes her vampirowl shape, glaring owlish daggers at the fiend. Anything you can do she can do better, Mr. Devil!

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+10: (14)+10: 24
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+4: (4)+4: 8

The devil turns it's attention on Dolan, trying to clear out some of these pesky beings that surround it. It manages to draw blood again, and utters something that sounds insulting even in Infernal.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1+1: (9)+8+1+1: 19
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+5+4: (5)+5+4: 14

Then, when Dolan strikes it, it begins to slowly disintegrate.

Sora blinks and cocks her head to the side, "Do they normally do that?" she asks as she looks around at the others. She looks a bit worse for the wear, after all she did lose most her health.

GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/the planes: (2)+7: 9
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/the planes: (10)+7: 17

"GET BACK, ANDIE!" Dolan's flesh-and-blood eye goes wide, and he roars, grabbing for Sora's bloodied arm without warning and yanking the both of them out of the way as quickly as he can. "IT'S GONNA BLOW!"

Andelena reacts similarly, steel-grey eyes wide as she runs on Dolan's command, eventually diving for cover behind the tree line and hoping that's enough. "Everyone OUT!" she yells to the group. "GO!"

Sora lets herself be pulled back and then moves back on her own as well, rather than letting herself just be dragged.

Smuldur blinks as the thing doesn't fall down and die and instead... starts melting?! "Ooh!" This is even better! See?! He KNEW cultists were combustible! He blinks again when Dolan yells and starts pulling Sora. And then Andelena is running and yelling, too... He starts to step after, then pauses. "Blow... Blow UP?!"

This is very, very important distinction. If it is going to explode... he stops to turn back to watch.

Dirk hears the warning from his comrades. Fortunately, he's a good distance away. But he takes no chances. He drops to one knee and turns his thickset frame, sheltering Lulu behind his burly torso. He braces for impact, clapping his free hand over his tricorne to keep it from blowing away in the oncoming candescence.

The resulting conflagration comes as warned, a small explosion of flame and unholy energy that shoves everything away from where the devil was. It's devilish grin is the last thing before it goes up in smoke. Thankfully everyone in the group is far enough away to avoid taking further damage, but it's a near thing. If not for Dolan's warning... Someone might have been grievously wounded.

-End