Goriel and beyond, part 3

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
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Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Alberich »

Tim thanked Rose and went to his room - a little surprised she'd said nothing harsher. But he had no thought to put an uncharitable cast on that.

At least he was prepared for the surprise of having a tired and bored getera waiting for him in his room. And he did something that may never have happened in the history of this household. He asked for one blanket, and commanded her to take the bed - alone - and sleep in it. She'd had stranger requests in her time. She obeyed.

It was true he was tired, but once she was rolled up in bed, he drove himself further - there was one thing yet he had to do. There was no way he'd sneak out to the inn tonight - with elves on the prowl, he'd simply lead them right to Eli. But he still had a symbol that'd been drawn for him, and when the getera was asleep - as soon she was...

Some little while later, a silka sneaked up to the inn where Eli was staying. Tim hadn't really thought of how it could warn him - maybe dip its nose in ink and write a message? - but maybe its presence would be enough. But when it arrived, it was far too late for any warning. It could only observe.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Mnd putting this on hold for a while? Just waiting on something./OOC
Last edited by Jack Rothwell on July 2nd, 2012, 3:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Sareth
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Sareth »

[OOC]Another wild one I missed over the weekend. I need to stop having weekends! Anyway, I'll stay out of it until we know just what is what with the main party. In the mean time, however...[/OOC]

Jamie, of course, is always fond of mayhem and violence. However, this was beginning to reminder a bit much of a previous fight she'd had which had proven troublesome. As such she decided she had, quite simply, had enough.

Dashing forward she did her deadlevel best to avoid the plethora of spiky protuberances the creature bore. She would only find out later that she had not, in fact, been successful, but the strategically placed clothing damage revealing portions of her posterior, short and curlies, and just not quite manly enough chest to actually be feminine chest was not an attention getter for her at that moment.

What was an attention getter was the fact that the injured and quite outraged creature had a spot of clear vulnerability, and a spot that gave it pain. If she combined the both she might just have a chance.

Even as the last of the more protective parts of her garments gave up any worth to random spikes, she pulled a pistol in one hand. She literally shoved one into the injury Tamina had opened up in its side, the touch of cold metal on traumatized nerves driving pain into the creature even before she fired a shot into the gory mess blocking the barrel. Then, as it opened its mouth to bellow in pain, she shoved her arm into it's mouth, the gun barrel pressed up against the soft pallet.

"No spiky armor here, bitch!" she called, and squeezed the trigger.
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Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: There are no spiky protuberances on the creature. It shoots them out of its mouths and it seems to have an unlimited supply though not a great fire rate, and it telegraphs its moves so that it's pretty easy to dodge - until you tire out or get wounded. There are four heads, each on a long, thick headstalk, all mounted on its big, ungainly, wounded body, and each firing these nasty flechettes.]

The bullet in the wound - the creature definitely felt, at least enough to make its heads scream in anger. When one of the heads came down, Jamie slew that head by firing through its mouth into its tiny, useless brain before it could shoot her - but a new head promptly regrew, splitting the old one with a slimy mess, same as before. Running back, dodging shots, Jamie thought she might have to take the mayhem to a whole new level. WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! came the misses. At least this way it wasn't turning it attention to the wounded kobold, who might otherwise be easy prey.
Last edited by Alberich on July 2nd, 2012, 7:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Okey-doke, good to go./OOC


"The necklace is gone! If you're still in there, stand down. I don't believe you're an Errant, but if you fight, you won't leave me any choice."


Eli backed away a few steps from the elves with a snarl of pain etched onto his features. He clamped a hand onto his shoulder and cast a spell to repair the damage.

Around him, his dismembered bodyguards crumbled into dust. Worse, the amulet had fallen somewhere. Without it, he had no way of knowing when the cavalry arrived, and running with no destination in mind would just get him run down in the street by Drusia and her companion.

The only solution was to kill time while he waited for Gabriel for arrive.

'So talk! Before one of them gets bored and tries to run you through!'

"Am I still in here?" He echoed, stealing a brief glance from his intruders to search for the dropped crystal. "No." He said flatly. "A great demon has taken possession of my flesh in his infernal crusade to conquer the world. Of course I'm 'still in here'!" He finished with a shout. "What is this violence about Drusia? Errants? You think I'm some mad dog with foam on my mouth and shit drying on my hocks? How dare you!"

A glint from the shadow under a corner table snagged the edge of the half-elf's vision. He began drifting sideways as he spoke, one hand holding his sword, the other glowing with mana.

"Errants!" He spat. "Don't try to pretty up your suspicions and have me come quietly before you stick a blade in my back. Not when you use that word. The most convienient label for any troublemaker, any defect, any chance your precious superiority could be compromised! What gives you the right? You throw us a cage and call it safety. Does it ease your guilt, elf? Putting us in storage and leaving us to measure out our lives in teaspoon portions? I want my freedom! I want freedom for the people you cage, and I will have it! And I'm in the wrong for that? Fuck you!"

Eli accompanied the last word of his rant with a sideways roll and a sweep of fire magic between him and his opponents. Sending the carpet between them up in localised bonfire that bought him enough time to snatch the fallen artifact. The half-elf retreated to the window, preparing to do something stupid.

''s there!'

'Fucilious?'

'Gabriel's outside! Move!'


Eli parried the lunge of Drusia's companion as she finished getting past the fire and jumped backwards with the sound of shattering glass and tearing cloth.

The half-elf's fall slowed only momentarily before he struck the ground to buy himself extra time. He stood up with a wince and turned back with the amulet in his hand glowing like a beacon. As his pursuers jumped he shot a much larger stream of fire directly into the front of the building. More windows shattered. The people inside screamed. Eli staggered backwards to avoid a killing thrust from Drusia as a voice spoke from behind him.

"Trouble?"

Eli didn't have time to reply. Gabriel was by his side in an instant, parrying a sweep and shoving him towards the street as the second elf hit the ground, ready for combat.

"Nagishima street!" He shouted, lunging at Drusia with the ringing of metal. "Number 12! Use the amulet!"

Eli didn't need to be told twice, he took off in the direction the man had shoved him. As he fled, he heard the first bang as the flames reached the barrels behind the bar.

OOC When all else fails, use fire!/OOC
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Drusia
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Drusia »

"Am I still in here?" "No." He said flatly. "A great demon has taken possession of my flesh in his infernal crusade to conquer the world. Of course I'm 'still in here'!" He finished with a shout. "What is this violence about Drusia? Errants? You think I'm some mad dog with foam on my mouth and shit drying on my hocks? How dare you!"

I blink. Whatever I was expecting, that wasn't it. I'm honestly unsure if that is just normal, upset Eli being sarcastic, or crazy Errant Eli being, well, crazy. I hesitate, letting him continue.

"Errants!" He spat. "Don't try to pretty up your suspicions and have me come quietly before you stick a blade in my back. Not when you use that word. The most convienient label for any troublemaker, any defect, any chance your precious superiority could be compromised! What gives you the right? You throw us a cage and call it safety. Does it ease your guilt, elf? Putting us in storage and leaving us to measure out our lives in teaspoon portions? I want my freedom! I want freedom for the people you cage, and I will have it! And I'm in the wrong for that? Fuck you!"

He's hinting about the existance of Snamish in front of another Peregin. That's not just insane, that's putting the lives of everyone I care about in danger. I lunge - and then draw back as a wall of fire erupts in front of me. Shit!

My companion raises her shield and charges through. Damn it - I concentrate on another gate, but I've used too much magic thisevening and I'm too slow. I watch my companion strike at Eli, but without my support he deflects it and flings himself out the window.

My companion moves to follow - I reorient my spell and send myself outside to the street below.

I arrive to find Eli torching the inn. "Monster!" I shout, lunging at him. Eli throws himself away from me, and my companion is too far behind me to take advantage of his stumble. I run forward - only to have my thrust parryed by a stranger. A big man, squarejawed, and with several inches on me (and about as tall as my companion) carrying a sword and a gun. Is he Gorielian? Maybe... not? Whomever he is, he steps between the two of us and Eli.

"Nagishima street!" He shouted, lunging at Drusia with the ringing of metal. "Number 12! Use the amulet!"

Steel sword verses a Durus blade - not smart. My Durus just turned his sword into a dagger nearly as ugly as it's owner. Of course, I doubt this bruiser is familar elven weaponry. Who the hell is this guy, anyway? Whatever - he's associated with the people who did this to Eli. Speaking of Eli, he's running the fuck away.

"After him!" I shout to my companion. She starts to run after Eli -

- and the ugly guy with the scar turns and shoots her. Her barrier is too slow to stop the bullet - she goes down with a cry of pain. Damn it! I lunge, but he blocks me again with his ruined sword. My Durus doesn't have an angle to cut and screeches off the side instead. He brings his gun around towards me.

Adrenaline gives me the strength to gate again, and quickly. I appear behind him, the bullet meant for me wizzing harmlessly through the space I just recently occupied. I lunge towards his back.

He's fast. He drops his dagger and spins, grabbing my Durus blade with his hand. He's been trained well. However, again, techniques that work against steel don't work so well against Durus blades. His fingers part cleanly from his hand and my Durus blade burries itself in his crotch. I throw myself to the side, just in case he has any more surprises, dragging my blade with me. It slices cleanly through his hip-bone, taking his leg and one buttock along with his wedding tackle. Unbalanced, he teeters and falls, his intestines spilling across the street.

I kick his gun away from him. Then I reach into the bloody mess and pinch shut his femoral artery. I cast a tiny healing spell - enough to seal it shut and prevent him bleeding out while I'm otherwise occupied. Then, leaving him to his agony, I walk over to my companion.

She's sitting up, casting a healing spell on her leg. I sigh in relief - I don't have many elven friends left - and kneel to help her.

"Shield saved my life," she says roughly through the pain, "But the bullet did it's job. We lost him."

"Not yet we haven't," I tell her. I nod at ugly. "I'm hoping he can answer us a few questions before we let him die."

She nods. Then, she looks over at the burning inn. Screams still issue from within. "Can you do anything for them?"

I shake my head. "I don't think I can even get us out of here. If you can't walk, I'll have to carry you."

"Fuck," she sighs. "Then let's not make this for nothing. Carry me over there and get on with the questioning. Someone's going ot be here about this fire soon - I'll keep healing my leg and hopefully we can run when we need to."

I nod and pick her up. She grits her teeth, but doesn't make any further sound as I carry her over towards ugly. I set her down well away from the blood and shit and bile. Then, sacraficing my boots for the greater good, I walk back over to him.

I pick up a coil of his instestines and give them a good squeeze. He does me the courtesy of screaming.

"Here's how this is going to go," I tell him. "You're going to tell me where to find Eli and the person who gave him that pendant. If you do, I'll cut your throat and end things nice and quick. However, if you don't tell me... well, I'm not the best healer, but I know enough to keep you alive like this. Indefinitely." More like a few hours, tops, but he doesn't need to know that. "And while I do, I'll think of all sorts of creative ways to make you hurt more. So. Start talking."

-- Drusia
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"He... has no... name." Gabriel whispered through gritted teeth, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. "So has been known... by many. And he's already... taken Eli beyond your reach."

Gabriel screamed and thrashed against the street floor, understandable, given the circumstances.

"The street's that way... residential district... very near by... you'll not catch him. The Ralkin... have him."

The man's eyes fluttered, his mouth slackened.

"Cut my throat and be done with me."

......

Eli skidded to a halt at the sound of Gabriel's scream. He froze, the agony of indecision on his face.

'Gabriel!'

'He's taken care of half-elf. Escape.'

'He's a dead man!'

'He's not.'


The absolute certainty in Fucilious' voice was not enough to disspell his doubts, but it was enough to keep him moving. A minute later the half-elf found himself passing through a stretch of claustrophobic houses, most were run down, barely standing in a state of shoddy disrepair.

OOC Thought I'd name drop the Ralkin to Drusia. The arrogance of the guy in charge of the group demands that the name be known and feared. Btw, holy shit on what happened to Gabriel (a 'yeesh' moment if there ever was one), you almost feel sorry for him... umm... anyone?/OOC
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Graybeard
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Graybeard »

Sister Rose dropped the Damping spell in time for Kirassia to come into the room; that was one of those things that it really wouldn't do for a getera to be aware of. Besides, whatever she and Argus discussed with the young woman would have to be done in a way that allowed the conversation to be quoted later by Kirassia. That was one of the things about the geteroi, Rose realized: they would serve as information sources and sympathetic ears, just the kind of thing that contributed to greater trust between the clans than they'd otherwise be capable of, but there would be limits.

To her surprise, quite a bit of noise was audible outside the walls now that the spell was gone. "What's the commotion about?" she asked the young woman, ignoring for the moment any nuances of conversation related to their respective stations in life.

The young woman nodded, dropped her head modestly for a moment, then realized that she too could be more direct than usual. "My lord, my lady, there is apparently a fire in town, not far from here," she said. "The strong men of the house are debating whether to go to the town's aid. Our resources for fire fighting are, I guess I would say, modest."

Rose nodded, remembering the fire that she, Argus and their party had fought in Homontel. They might be able to help here ... but unfortunately, that wouldn't do, for a number of reasons. All present knew it (and if Kirassia suspected that her masters for the evening might have fire-fighting skills beyond the ordinary, she kept it to herself). "I -- will pray for the fire fighters, and for the health of those who might be hurt," she said; that would seem like a nice, wifely thing to say. "At least this one doesn't seem to have anything to do with us. Now, if we might discuss events of the day ..."

Of course, she was wrong about a rather important part of that assessment.

[OOC: Note that this places Kirassia in Rose's and Argus' room, for whatever happens next.]
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Drusia
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Drusia »

"The street's that way... residential district... very near by... you'll not catch him. The Ralkin... have him."
"Cut my throat and be done with me."


I do so. He makes a gurgling noise as blood and air make a red foam. He shudders and slumps forward.

I stand and walk over to my companion. Her leg is mostly healed. I offer her a hand up. She takes it.

"Can you run?" I ask.

"Yes," she replies.

We run.

Minutes later we're passing a collection of run-down houses.

-- Drusia

OOC: I leave what they find up to you. Not sure if you want Eli to get away clean, or have a talk, or what. If you have a question about Dru's tactics, just PM me.
Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 3

Post by Alberich »

Not far from the gruesome death scene at the inn, a tiny silka, unnoticed by all, winked out of existence.

In one of the better bedrooms of the Yurkashev compound, Valentina awoke to some discomfort of her strange "lord." She wasn't the most tenderhearted of the geteroi (the lead contender for that distinction was lying in Desiree's arms in the Duravsky compound), but she thought she ought to offer him some comfort. He was emphatic that she should stay there and go back to sleep. She found this easy to do. She held a privileged position (relatively speaking) in a violent and dangerous country, and was inured to much stranger sights than this. Each man had his own little ways, and if this one preferred sleeping on the floor and vomiting into a chamber pot - well, what of that?

[OOC: I'll be a little unreliable these next few days - not vanished but not posting as often or as long as before.]
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