Whom the gods would destroy...

[EchoMirage]

He contemplated the sunbeam, tempted to bask in it for a while longer, the strange dream already half-forgotten. Slowly, he stretched, rolled around in the pillows, then finally, he assembled enough willpower to leave the warmth of the charming ray. Carefree, as one can only be after a good rest, Kyrian donned his shorts and strolled downstairs, lured by the voices.

As he entered the study they came from, the vision came back to him in stern clarity, as vivid as the blood of the old wizard, flowing over those ancient robes.

"d**n" was all the eloquence he could muster.

'Helfen, wehren, heilen. Yes, I will help the boy finish this.'

[Murometz]

Attack!

At the very same moment Adan smashed his fist into the table, the rather large, arched bedroom window beside Denhane’s favorite chair, smashed into thousands of pieces and thousands of shards, great and small, erupted inwards, into the bed chamber, momentarily stunning (figuratively) Kadarin and Adan. Mouse let out a small scream, but it was not heard over the deafening blast of glass and splinters.

Moments later, a foul aroma in the nostrils, and then a hellish creature landed in the room, smashing everything in its path (some chairs, another small table, a chandelier, the bed…). Its wings, impressive in size, seemed nevertheless palsied and putrefying. Its black tongue lolled over razor-sharp fangs in its ebon mouth, its sickly green feathers glistened in the reflections of the flying glass. The creature let out a great shriek, and proceeded to rip into Denhane’s already exposed belly with its talons, ultimately seeking the heart with its teeth.

[ooc]Rolled surprise and you were, except Kyrian who hears/sees the crash just as he enters the study. The Peryton’s attack focuses on ripping Denhane’s heart out with its teeth and swallowing it. Now we roll initiative. Try to beat this…[/ooc]

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d10 : 4, total 4

[Murometz]

[ooc]fyi, above die roll not tampered with, the text was.[/ooc]

[Adan Hellschwert]

For precious seconds, Adan recoiled from the crash of the daemonic thing through the windows, the seconds it took the foul beast to sully the corpse of his relative. Still, things were not without hope. It was not his blade that the half-armoured knight clutched at, but rather he brought his heavy shield to bear, bringing it around in front at him, as he shouted, "Fall back, and to arms! We are besieged by devilry!"

Fully meaning to cover a retreat for Kadarin, at least out of the study, a plan began to form in Adan's mind. His own arms would be useless against this beast, but the Carmine Rose might not be, and it's reach was long. He could grab another shield from the walls, and form a wall with them in the narrow halls, while kyrian stabbed at it with his greatblade, a phalanx which could not be outmaeuvered in the tight halls of the corridors. "Grandmother, lend us your strength!"


Initiative: [blockquote]Rolled 1d10 : 8, total 8[/blockquote]

[EchoMirage]

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 12, total 12[/blockquote]

[Murometz]

[ooc]8? oh lordy. Due to Kyrian's dexterity he actually gets simultaneous initiative with the Peryton. Go great dexterity, go!".[/ooc]

[ooc]Echo, we can use that d20 roll you just made for your hit roll, in which case you would HIT[/ooc]

[EchoMirage]

[ooc]Hit it with *what* exactly? I described myself as going downstairs in shorts, meaning I can slap it across the forehead with my penis, tops.[/ooc]

"By Shar-Sanya's silv'ry sheen! Why do foes and fiends find it fitting to fly through windows at me when I'm but in fur?"
Also, it was not the sexy kind of demon, one where being half-naked might prove from slightly advantageous to greatly beneficial, depending on the visual appeal of the nakedness and the distractibility of the fiend.

"Keep it busy!" Kyrian yelled as he ran off with long bounds, to grab his trusty steel.

[Murometz]

Hit it with *what* exactly? I described myself as going downstairs in shorts, meaning I can slap it across the forehead with my penis, tops.

[ooc]my apologies. Good point. It registered when I read it, but in the heat of initiative, i forgot the swordless shorts  . Aborting assumed sword hit....[/ooc]

[Murometz]

Having gobbled down Denhane's pulseless heart, the daemon turned to Adan and Kadarin, charging across the tile, like an excited dog upon a slippery surface. Bloody drool sprayed from its mouth as it came, its outstretched wings buffeting its rush. It slammed its own body, talons first, against Adan's risng shield...

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20 : 4, total 4

[Murometz]

...the shield rose in time, and somehow Adan found the strength and balance to deflect the brunt of the creature's charge, though he was driven back with considerable force.

[ooc]Adan and Kadarin's turn. Kyrian will arrive in 1 Rd, with sword, or 2 rds if he throws on armor too[/ooc]

[EchoMirage]

A sommersault through the door of his chamber later, Kyrian tore the Carmine Rose free of its scabbard, and caught the morn's light on the blade. Awakened, its petals flared to life, expectant of carmine dew to come, the energy running through him sending ripples along their delicate shapes.

As he charged back towards the fray, his legs' claws tore at the expensive carpet, shredding it in places - but who cared?

[ooc]Can't imagine putting on full plate in less than five minutes, so I just grab the sword and run.[/ooc]

[Adan Hellschwert]

Slammed backwards through the door, Adan scrabbled against the walls, reaching at last a second great shield to pull into his right hand, and present the foul creature in front of him with a wall of steel. "By the name of Alys, I abjure thee, daemon! By the name of Trigu, I command thee! Begone!"

With no meaningful weapon, yet still far enough forward to be in front of the magi in the narrow corridor, Adan braced himself, doing his best to lock the shields into an immobile wall. The need to keep it's attention, however, stayed foremost, and it was with flame in his eyes that he drew back his face, and -spat- at the demon.

[ooc]
 Adan is going total defense mode, basically everything he can do to be a wall. Somewhat like dodge, but probably more effective. [/ooc]

[valadaar]

Init Roll [blockquote]Rolled 1d10 : 10, total 10[/blockquote].

[valadaar]

<ooc -I think that was good. Casting Web upon the thing.  Floor to ceiling centered on it.</ooc>
 
Kadarin quickly produced a strand of spiderweb, and chanting the distinct, yet oddly emphemeral language of magic, cast it towards the thing.  As the web flew, it grew and stretched to tremendous size - a wall of webs from the floor below the creature's feet, to the ceiling above, and many feet wide.

<ooc - spell description is oddly described, using those special 1" = 10' indoors, 10 yards outdoors. Am trying to make a 10'x10' column centered on the critter to the ceiling...>

[Murometz]

[ooc]plenty enough to snare the Peryton, but because the creature's effective str is 16+, it will be able to break free of the webs in 2 rds[/ooc]

The Peryton rushed to follow Adan toward the hall, but Kyrian cast his spell from the doorway, before backing up. A thick, goopy column of webs greeted the Peryton's second rush, snaring the creature, and stopping it dead in its tracks. The peryton howled and snorted its displeasure, struggling to free its wings of the clutching, gooey strands. It may as well have been flailing to escape quicksand. The beast was stuck, though its urgent lunges seemed to indicate it could eventually break free.

Standing by the door, watching the fell beast struggle, Adan, with two shields in hand now, and Kadarin could see Kyrian, racing down the hall, nearly naked, but Carmine Rose in hand. He was back!

Then they saw something else. A second peryton, entered the bedroom from the same, now open window, landing amidst the glass and broken wood of Denhane's chamber with a sickening thud. It shrieked as had the last, a piercing demonic noise, then slowly advanced, mindful of its struggling fellow creature. Spying the pair in the doorway leading to the hall, the thing shrieked again.

Just then a second thud, a booming sound that seemed to indicate another peryton had landed somewhere on the roof of the hunting lodge. This creature could not yet be seen.

[ooc]Initiative roll. Kyrian is back. There is 1 peryton stuck in the middle of the room, in a rather large webbing. There is 1 peryton who just arrived trying to figure out how to circumnavigate his fellow peryton, and attack you guys, without getting caught up in the web. A third has apparently landed above somehwere, out of the action for the moment. The webbed Peryton can be attacked with a +2 on all hit rolls. P.S. webs are highly flammable. [/ooc]

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d10 : 8, total 8

[valadaar]

Not wishing to tangle with the beastly creature's horns, Kadarin reached for his rosepetals and cast them towards the other Peryton.

It might work, he thought as he spoke the words of magic...

[valadaar]

..And was rewarded by the bestile creature stopped dead in its tracks, and toppled over.

"If you have a magic weapons somewhere, now is the time to get it. It may be possible to strangle the thing, but I doubt it."

Kadarin fished again into his pockets, preparing a second casting should the third creature appear.

[Adan Hellschwert]

"I fear I've nothing, but mayhaps the Carmine Rose can pierce their flesh. " Adan's voice was grim as he stepped further into the room, his shields held at the ready in order to intercept and defend wherever it was required.

[EchoMirage]

Unencumbered neither by his armor nor by a low ceiling usually found in lesser abodes, Kyrian vaulted over Adan, mane flying behind him like the fire behind a runner's torch. With a feral roar, he swung the thorn of his rose at the vile beast. "The cavalry to the rescue, Adan! Cover me!"

[Adan Hellschwert]

With grim resolve, Adan stepped forwards, the barest distance ahead and slightly to the side of Kyrian, his shields still held high, in the shield-bearer positions of old. It may have been many a year since it was last used as a technique, but here.. Here it would have to serve.

[EchoMirage]

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 17, total 17[/blockquote]
[ooc]I roll to dispense pwnage upon the webbed doom-elk-chicken, please[/ooc]

[Murometz]

Like a knife through clotted cream, the Carmine Rose cuts through the webbing and putrid flesh alike. With a stroke, Kyrian has nearly severed the wing of the stuck creature. Black blood sprays everywhere as the peryton lets out a dying shriek.

----

moments later, Kyrian butchers the sleeping peryton as well, quickly ending its life.

All queit now, except for some involuntary twicthing on the parts of the dying beats. Adan's shields are both black with blood.

[EchoMirage]

"This was some rather merry smiting, sir Adan! Yet it is to continue with greater fervor, for more of them abound" Kyrian flashed him a smile, then approached the window, ready to roll aside.

"Here, chicky chicky, I am still uneaten and tastier than ever!"

[Murometz]

Kyrian could not see any creatures in the skies outside the window, or below on the grounds. There were some unpleasant noises coming from the roof however, as if more beasts were up there, looking for another way inside...

[EchoMirage]

"They are as deaf as they are vile!" he cursed, then turned to his allies. "Aid me in donning my iron carapace, for this dance is far from over. Then, we shall give them a way inside, and make sure it is thorny." Reminiscing of the strange nightly ephemera, he gestured towards *that* mirror and instructed Kadarin: "Look there, beyond the truthful glass, for anything that may be of use."

The knight wiped some of the blood off his fur with a nearby blanket, then strode off towards his steely attire.