Goriel and beyond, part 3

[Jack Rothwell]

'Link's dying...' (OOC use a fairy!/OOC)

The silka froze in the act of preparing to hop up a stair, as before the color drained out of the creature and it crumbled into dust. The half-elf came fully back to himself and sat for a moment reflecting on what he had learned from that tedious experience. In short, not a lot.

He picked himself up and dusted off, then began heading to the rendevous point he'd arranged with Brother Tim, hoping that the priest had fared better.

[Alberich]

Eli met Tim, all right. The young priest looked agitated, and glad to see him -- maybe the only man left alive who was glad to see Eli, but so it was. He was very ready to get back to what little shelter the Yurkashev compound offered. Yet he'd be glad if Eli talked first.

* * *

Later in the morning, far to the north, Udo was lighting a light, and setting it on the ceiling above them. An unpleasant sight greeted him, Jamie, and Tamina (for Rip and Shorty were nowhere nearby, nor would they be showing up here) --

The cave before them was very large, and vaulted. Not a natural cave - no beautiful rock formations, nor stalagmites, nor stalactites. The far sides couldn't be seen in this light (yet the other exits would proved to be blocked with metal gratings that couldn't be opened with ease). Debris littered the floor, and there was no sign of recent mining activity. No sign of life either except the monster that was approaching.

Six feet high at the shoulder it was - but its heads made it much taller. Its legs bent out something like a lizard's and its heavy clawed toes dragged the floor with an ugly scraping sound, as did it heavy tail (it was nearly twenty feet long if you included the tail). Its thick, scaly hide was an unpleasant mottled gray and its body was bulky. Above each shoulder and hip was mounted a thick neck-stalk -- four in all -- and each of these was another six feet high, and ponderously flexible. Atop each stalk was a hairless oversized humanlike head, facing out from the monster's middle. Each was bald with red eyes, a flattish nose, and a disgruntled expression.

"Oh, fuckweave," said Udo - "It looks like Sergeant Orimoto!"

"Who's that?" asked Jamie.

"An asshole!" said Udo. And then, a good thirty yards away, the creature stopped and opened fire.

A mouth opened and there was a WHACK!!!! on the floor nearby as it shot a missile at them (it would prove to be a bony flechette tipped with metal of some kind - lots of stopping power if it hit, though this monster wasn't the much of a marksman). Another head twisted around, looked right at Udo, and fired -- he jumped out of the way as its next round hit, WHACK!!!!

Well, Jamie knew what to do about that. Her rifle shot to her shoulder, and crack! crack! crack! crack! - she put a bullet between each head's eyes. The eyes glazed, ugly tongues came out, the heads split open, the monster's knees bent, its body strained and shuddered as if taking a big ol' monster poop....and then with a nasty, ichory split, four new heads forced their way out of the thick stalks and began to fire again. The three adventurers spread out to give it more isolated targets.

The rate of fire was slow enough, especially as two of the heads had to twist far to aim at them. The shots were telegraphed and easy to dodge. But if you got tired or it got lucky -- one hit from one of those would put you down. And then you were doomed.

Well, Udo wasn't taking that lying down. He'd lost his staff, but he drew a sword and charged with a "Hyaaaaaaargh!!!!!!" - jumping aside as the monster fired. Running close by its side, he hacked at its right hamstrings, tumbled over the tail as it tried to sweep him, then hacked at the left hamstrings as he ran back, zigzagging to dodge its parting shots. None of his blows had any effect; while its scaly hide wasn't completely bladeproof, he'd need to spend serious time standing in one place hacking away to get at anything vulnerable. And this monster would not give forgiving time. Udo was puffing a little as he got back. "Woulda chopped its dick off," he said, "but I didn't see one!"

Jamie'd only been shocked for half a second. Her usual "one shot - one kill" method wasn't going to work on this thing, and there was no obvious spot to put it down with a bullet. Or ten. Or even her whole stock. If Udo's sword couldn't pierce it easily, that meant Tamina's teeth and claws would have a hard time as well. At the same time, the monster was itself an ugly, powerful, magical weapon, and in the midst of her tactical and safety concerns, there was one thought, however fleeting, that couldn't escape a girl like Jamie --

"I want one of those!"

[OOC: Tim told Rose about the book here.]

[OOC2: Edited to make clear it's a four-legged, big-bodied sort of creature]

[Jack Rothwell]

it didn't take long for Eli to inform Tim of what he'd learned, the 'stones', the people who were at or mentioned in the meeting and the ominous allusion to some plan entering it's second stage. The half-elf spoke in jerky, halting tones as he tried to shake off the effects of summoning the little herbivore.

"So what did you learn?" He asked the priest.

OOC Whereabouts is the other elf btw Drusia?/OOC

.........

Tamina first run at the hydra-esque beast had been ineffectual, to put it mildly. A speed run and a lengthy rake of her claws down the side of the monster which had left scratch marks but drew no blood. Her second attempt involved stalling long enough to focus her mana into a kick to one it's knees which used enough force to actually knock the thing to a kneel.The kobold pumped a fist in the air and cheered.

"Ha! Not so tough, you-"

The humanoid's victory cry was rudely interrupted as the creature righted itself and twisted sideways with a vicious headbutt that lifted her clean off her feet and deposited her some dozen feet away with a broken rib. Tamina drew a ragged breath and let it out in a whimper, which turned into an alarmed noise and she was forced to scuttle backwards to avoid another salvo.

"Gonna skewer us with the sharp things!"

The panic which was threatening to infect her turned the last sentence into a mantra in her head.

'Skewer us.... sharp things... skewer us... sharp things... (OOC Nera needs braces./OOC)'

"OH! Ow..." She clutched her side momentarily as the bone grated from the chest hitching movement. "Jay-me! Oooh-doh! Use it's sharp things! They're sharp!" She clarified.

OOC Edit, to take the monsters size into account./OOC

[Alberich]

Tim was puzzled by the talk but maybe a little too rattled to focus on it. "So they didn't come out and say, 'We knew about the Yurkashev attack in advance?' Too convenient I guess..."

"So what did you learn?" He asked the priest.

"There was a bunch of Yurkahsevs hiding nearby - they didn't see me. They saw some Zukalins on the outside and swooped down. It was a massacre. Of them! Some others came out - I think their leader knew the Yurkashev leader - he was cutting them to pieces. I think he was using magic. But you couldn't prove it. I don't think they had a scout to watch. I think they don't know their raiding party got killed. Except the ones who got captured. I think we're the only ones who can tell them right now. Want to tell Argus first. I didn't join in. We're not on a side here."

He wasn't exactly being clear here, but Eli had seen a little himself and had some clue as to what it meant. He could draw out more meaning if he wished, or simply get it with the others back at the compound.

[Drusia]

Rose nodded. "Right on the mark. Tim has been bugging me to do something to 'rescue' Eli from the thing, or at least rescue his soul." There was a trace of bitterness in her laugh. "Considering my role in the church, I don't think I'm as good as rescuing souls as I ought to be. But yes, it's probably time to do something to get that thing away from him ... before he's the possession and it's the possessor. If it's not too late already."

So. Executing prisoners, obsessed with a magical necklace, the necklace found near where my great grand nephew died, which may be controling him. And Tim, whom I have not met, has been asking Rose to save Eli's soul.

"Is there a reason you've waited so long to take action?" I ask dryly, "Or was Eli's slide into faux-Errantdom not a major concern for you? Or I should say, for anyone besides Lillith?" I give her a nod of appreciation - out of everyone here, she seems to be the only one who understands the gravity of the situation.

Rose is about to get defensive - before she can do more than open her mouth, I cut her off.

"Never mind. What's done is done. The issue now is how we handle it. And, remember, I have another Peregin here to juggle." I shake my head. It would have been so much easier if they'd dealt with this before now. Then my companion and I could have just stamped everyone A-Ok and been on our way. Now things are complicated.

"The fastest way to settle this would be for me to take my companion and hunt Eli and Tim down," I say matter of factly. "Unfortunately, that is also the scenerio most likely to end up with Eli dead. I'd... rather that not occur, if at all possible. The other option is I simply inform her that Desiree isn't staying here, so we will need to observe her separately. That might distract her long enough for the rest of you to act - tonight, say, or tomorrow morning. Then, if simply removing the pendant cures him, our later observations will uncover nothing to arouse suspicion. However, if he is as dangerous as you fear, then you might need my help to stop him - help I will be unable to provide if I'm distracting my companion."

I shake my head. "Both plans are flawed. And I don't see an option that allows me to both help and keep the situation under our control." I look around the room, meeting the gaze of Rose, Argus, Lillith, and Brad in turn. "Thoughts?"

-- Drusia

OOC: The other elf is waiting outside the Yurkashev compound, waiting for Drusia to come back.

[Alberich]

Udo, taking Tamina's advice - and not wanting the creature to be able to concentrate on her - grabbed up a couple of its mangled flechettes. Yelling his fool head off, he ran to one of its sides and hurled them both. They bounced off. They were nasty little weapons for sure, but he didn't have the A-game high heat to get them through its scaly hide.

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC K, k, let me know if this post is cool. I'll retcon if not. just putting a few words in Tim's mouth here./OOC

As the pair were on the approach to the compound, Eli saw something which stopped him dead in his tracks. Tim marked the fear which spread across the half-elf's face in the the widening of his eyes, the shake in his hands and the cold sweat suddenly beading on his brow.

"What?"

Eli didn't reply, abruptly he seized the priest by the arm and walked him hurriedly to the nearest dark corner. He spoke in a half-babble, struggling to keep a tremor from entering his voice.

"There's an elf! There... tall woman near the entrance, don't look!" He hissed, redoubling his grip. "She could be here hunting for my kind or... here because of Drusia, or the magic i used or..."

The half-elf ceased his talk and slapped himself across the face. He shook his head and forced himself to breathe normally.

"They could be here to talk to our companions..."

"No! No... Tim... Brother." He said, leaving the meaning of the word deliberately vague. "I need your help. I can't go in there, I don't know what she'll do or what's waiting for me inside." In the half-elf's head, visions of an entire elven hunting party were dancing in vivid technicolor. "I need you to check out the situation. Please. I'm begging you. The Valahiri inn is five blocks that way, I'll hide there... just... please, check the situation out and let me know what's going on, I don't want to die in this shithole of a city Brother, help me!"

The half-elf stared at Tim with wild, pleading eyes.

[Alberich]

Tim was jarred, surprised, and hopeful.

Jarred out of the funk he was in - So you saw a nasty fight between nasty people in a nasty country. The world revolves around you? This man needs some help!

Surprised at Eli's tone - So it's not all swagger, all the day?

And hopeful for the same reason. If Eli could still feel fear, knew that something was stronger than he was - then the demons didn't have complete hold of his soul. He might still be saved - but I can't do it alone; I need help; Rose is a dithering fool 'til we get her medal for her - though there was no guarantee.

Firmly he clasped the half-elf's forearm in friendship. "I'll do it!" he said. He'd face elves and worse for the sake of this man. Would the child-slaughterer attack him? If it did, then it did, but he'd at least throw up a barrier and get out a yell.

Alone and boldly, he made his way to the door.

[OOC: Am I right that the elf will just spy on him without making her presence known? If so I can carry him inside.]

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli gave the Brother a grateful nod and took off down the side street as fast as his legs would carry him. Through panting breaths he reached out to the amulet around his neck.

'Fucilious? FUCILIOUS!'

For a terrible moment there was nothing, then the effeminate voice of his benefactor rang blessedly in the half-elf's mind.

'What is it?'

'The... worst may have happened.'

'... alright. You have my attention.'

Eli ran on, explaining as he went.

[Graybeard]

Uncharacteristically, Sister Rose found herself bristling at Drusia's criticism and choking back a sharp retort. Luminosita's Nethers, Eli's weird behavior had only started three or four days ago! Sometimes it seemed like they'd all been traveling together for months, but really, the half elf had only joined them when they left Snamish, not even two weeks ago, and he'd been behaving normally for most of that time. (Hadn't he? Yes, he and Desiree had been coupling like cats in heat, but that wasn't that unusual for Snamishites, Rose thought lewdly.) Besides, there was a mission to do! Could she possibly be expected to concentrate on that, the overriding reason for her (and the party) being in this disagreeable place, and still deal with the possibility of her colleagues starting to display signs of psychosis ... or worse?

...

Well, actually, yes, I can.

Part of leadership, Rose was well aware, was looking after those led -- a thing that often separated the good leaders from the not-so-good ones. She'd allowed herself to think that that meant being a comforting presence for the less, well, "experienced" in the party in unfamiliar and difficult surroundings. That was part of the picture, but another part was being on the alert for signs that problems were developing ... and moving as aggressively as necessary to deal with them. She'd already figured out that Eli qualified.

So deal with him.

"I think you've summed it up pretty well," she said slowly. "We just don't have many options. Unless ..."

"Yes?" Brad asked, when no one else would.

"Unless we can find a way to scare him out of it." She looked speculatively at Drusia.