[Game Thread] Chapter 6c: A Shadow Over Feid

[Acathala]

Nallaul sighs as he sees the situation worsen. He had already had his fill of watching godlike beings fight for the day. He speaks a word of command, and black manticore wings unfurl themselves. Jumping from the building, he flies and lands beside Humility in time for her breakdown. Shaking his head, knowing he's probably going to regret what he's about to do, and this is something he would never dare to a drow female normally, he slaps her. Hard.
"Focus waele! You're no good to us like this. You heard what he said. They need a new Superbia which means their pantheon is weakened. You go with them you're making the fiends stronger. Is that what you want? Besides we have reinforcements coming."

[Makenshi]

OOC Ok, we're out of combat time for now, but if we go back in then I'll use those same initiative rolls from before.

Rhys looks a little startled by Nallaul's reaction, even raising his bow as if to aim at the Drow, but once he speaks it becomes clear what his intentions were and the soldier relaxes. "I'm not sure the slapping was necessary, but otherwise I'm with the Drow...er...the other Drow that is. If what they said is true and what Nallaul claimed about Ira is true, then the Seven are down to Five. Do you really want to make that Six? Man up and grow a pair...er...figuratively that is." It was obvious that the soldier wasn't much one for flowery words by his bunt manner,

While they were dithering Shadow decided to take action into her own hands, leaping backwards, although this time the shadow creature around her didn't follow but sprang forward letting out an inhuman chittering screech as it started a brawl with Invidia. Shadow herself turned around sharply to face them, a thin film of shadow-stuff still clinging to her and making her features completely colourless, although far easier to see than when she was within the creature. For Morgan and the others who had met Aldamil, the similarity was clear, although not overwhelming. "Would you watch more people die trying to save you from yourself, Teach?" Her voice was back to normal now. "You t-" She suddenly sputters, as if choking for a moment before growling in frustration and suddenly changing tract. "Would you really make the sacrifice of your sword-brothers mean nothing? They died so you would be free of his influences, not so that you could throw it away in a vain glorious and unnecessary sacrifice."

~MTWC

[DiabolicalGenius]

When Nallaul swooped down and slapped her all of a sudden, Humility was a little too shaken by the circumstances to react with her usual reflexes and training to evade or block it. It actually took her a full breath to actually realise what he had done. If it had been someone else who had done it in this situation, someone that she was reasonably familiar with and had some trust for, it might have had the desired effect of shocking her out of her disordered state of mind and clearing her head. But coming from the drow who she still hardly knew and trusted little, it got the rather more predictable reaction of anger and displeasure. Which was technically also an improvement over the near panic she was suffering from before, if still a rather negative condition to be in. She immediately glared at the Arachnomancer, absently sheathed the blade in her right hand and then roughly seized hold of his shirt seeming to have momentarily forgotten where they were and was considering returning the favour. Hearing Rhys' voice reminded her that this wasn't the time or the place though and she released him almost immediately. Even so she still looked hesitant about what she should be doing until Shadow somehow left her monstrous shadow behind to hold off Invidia and addressed her.

Hearing the mysterious woman's words, Humility looked stunned for a instant and then stricken. She gnashed her teeth and protested in a voice thick with suppressed emotion.

"No....no! It's not like that. This isn't the same as back then! This isn't for the sake of my stupid pride.....the whole point of this is to keep anyone else from dying trying to keep Him from me! Nobody else should have to die for the likes of me! If you claim to know of me you should understand that I've had all that I can bear of that....."

Her voice trails off as she chokes back a lump in her throat, Shadow's word's about her Swordbrothers seeming to have hit her hard when she was vulnerable. With Invidia himself right there the memories are more keen and vivid than they had been in years and she finds herself struggling with a stab of old grief and bitterness she thought she had come to terms with decades ago.

[SpatulaOdoom]

How could she not understand the purpose of keeping Invidia on the move and not fighting Shadow.
”It's not about trying to save you.” He finishes the thought through their telepathic bond. ”It's about getting him killed chasing you around while Shadow beats on him, instead of him killing Shadow and grabbing you.” The Seven, now five, were already stretched thin. His threat of calling in reinforcements was an empty one. If he did try to follow through all that meant is that those currently fighting them would follow. Well... Godly reinforcements at least. No doubt he could try and bury them in lesser fiends if he had enough available.

Morgan growls in frustration and dashes over to Humility.
”Now quit your whining, follow a damn order, and help me get this fight away from all the unconscious civilians.”
He puts a hand on her shoulder.
”The rest of you fall back until you can get our rescuees back to the temple.”
With that he barks out the words to a dimension door, sending them away from the immediate area, but See previous note about preferred locationsomewhere Invidia can still see them.

[Acathala]

Nallaul looks more amused by the reactions of Humility and Rhys than angered. If he was seriously going to attack Humility, he had spells. Hell he even had a sword, though frankly if he was using that they were definately in last resort territory with no better option. Humility doesn't so much release Nallaul but is forced to let him go when his greater blink kicks in.
He doesn't have anything to add except a mocking salute to Morgan when he issues his commands. The arachnomancer follows through the dimension door.

[Makenshi]

"What else is the belief that only you can save us all if not pride, Teach? Even if this time your pride stems from your worth to them. Even if you get Invidia to agree to leave everyone alone, all he has to do is call in a sibling or a follower to finish it for him, and that's assuming that you word your agreement without any loopholes he can abuse." Shadow turns sharply to look at her own shadow brawling with Invidia before looking back and echoing what Morgan said, albeit unintentionally (not being privy to their mental communications). "Help will soon be on the way, whether in the form of the Archgates or my own allies - people like me between whom we have managed to kill two of the Seven so far. Please, just get away from here, enough at least to be at less immediate risk."

~MTWC

[DiabolicalGenius]

Humility wavered as Morgan reprimanded her before turning to Shadow as the former was running over, listening to her call her current behaviour pride. As she listened to the mysterious woman talk she shook her head and protested weakly in a tone that sounded unconvincing even to her own ears.

"No it's not....I'm not....."

She couldn't think of the words to properly express her feelings on this, and cursed her lack of eloquence. She had never been a debater or a speaker in general. She felt far more at home practising the sword and guiding other in it's use than she did trying to piece together words to paint a picture that would bring other around to her line of thinking. Now that she listened to Shadow and Morgan, she began to wonder if she really was making a sound judgement. Perhaps they were right after all. She still didn't think she was being driven by hubris, though she couldn't find the words to convince others of that. But it did dawn on her that she might be letting her fear of history repeating itself undermine her judgement. The loss of her Swordbrothers had effected her deeply, leaving scars that were clear even then and there. The very thought of other dying in front of her eyes trying to prevent Invidia from taking her was enough to make her forget logic and try to blindly avoid it however she could. It was making her irrational. At Shadow's final words about strong allies being on their way and her plea for Humility to get away, the fight seemed to go out of the drow Child, her shoulders slumping wearily as she hung her head.

She didn't know herself what was right any more. The determination of the other to have her vacate the area or her own feelings of wanting to avoid a situation where others were defending her. Finally she just let go and decided to trust them. When Morgan reached her side and ordered her to go with him as he cast the spell, she didn't oppose it. She just silently goes along with a troubled countenance.

[Makenshi]

Shadow looks on with relief as everyone gathers around Morgan to be transported away, but just as she turns to focus her attention back on Invidia her head snaps back again, looking to Didina. "You want me to wh-" She suddenly stops, eyes glancing behind her, before continuing in a less obvious manner. "I'll see what I can do. Just get her out of here and keep her safe."

Once they were safely away, on top of a four storey building a couple of hundred feet away Didina explained - not having wanted to delay their departure any further. "Zilira is trying to arrange for some support, but she can't leave Halva to transport them so she asked me to see if Shadow would be able to contact someone to help."

The new building that they found themselves on was sturdy, an inn judging by its height and design, with a flat, railed roof-top that seemed to have been converted into a makeshift balcony area to look out at the red roofs of Feid. A quick search yielded tables bolted to the roof (but not chairs) and a padlocked door built into the floor that presumably led into the inn proper.

As well as giving them a decent view of Shadow's shadow brawling in the square with Invidia, they could also see a good distance away in every other direction, with the one bad point being that they were very exposed on top of the roof unless they ducked behind the railings of stripped wood or perhaps under the tables.

After conducting a very quick look around the rooftop, Rhys turns his attention to the skies, and immediately spots Mirik. "Well, there's your answer to that question Morgan." He points to the north, where they can see a silvery dragon weaving around and occasionally other dragons which appeared to be harrying the Silver Bard along with a pair of Balors and a host of less powerful aerial Fiends. It was the three Dragons that appeared to be truly stalling him though, being able to keep up with him and, combined, being able to hold him off. More worrying was Rhys' next observation. "I think someone is healing those dragons attacking the Archgate, that or they have some form of supernatural healing." He turns to look at Morgan, although as with everything before it, the soldier shares the question with everyone else. "Is that a Dragon thing at all? Healing by themselves that is."

~MTWC

[SpatulaOdoom]

As the group splits up after the teleport Morgan pauses a moment to give Humility's shoulder a comforting squeeze.
”I know everything seems insane right now, and in many ways it is, but it isn't the end of things. Be a leaf on the wind. Ride it out and you'll adapt and get your feet back under you before long. In the mean time, please listen to the guy you agreed to work with, and remember what I said. None of us are expendable.”

Without being asked Eloise heads for the padlocked door, to pick it assuming it isn't some extra good/special lockin a thrice and giving them another avenue of escape.
”No Rhys, regeneration isn't normal for dragons. Please keep an eye on Invidia and let us know if he starts coming this way.
Anyone have any bright ideas on how to give that cloud of gnats up there a little trouble?”
While he thinks Morgan drinks down a minor healing potion.

[DiabolicalGenius]

Humility just stares stares blankly at the scene in the square below as Shadow continued to hold off Invidia, her face slack with mental exhaustion and despondence. She no longer had the spirit left to show any emotion, like she had been scraped out and hung out to dry. All those intense emotions had collided and left her feeling burnt out. All that anger and hatred opposed by fear and trauma surrounding Invidia in her heart, had all been left bottled up with nowhere to go. It might have been different if she had had the power to face the Lone Lord herself, if she had the chance to unleash her regret and outrage on him, to conquer her fear and release everything. She might have been able to move on then. But helpless to do anything but retreat left her bitter and exhausted. Coupled with the shame and regret she felt from being a burden on the others by being Invidia's target, along with having failed so splendidly in her bright idea to divert the dracolich, she was quite a mess. She hardly had the will to keep going, moving forward only on automatic with her training keeping her from collapsing. It just wasn't supposed be like this. Imagining what she would do if she could confront Invidia again one day, she had never thought it would end up being so....futile. Something was meant to happen when she came face to face with him, a grand confrontation, her being able to say everything she had been holding on all this time and somehow finding a way to strike back against him. She was meant to have some closure. Not like this. Not so impotent and insignificant and encounter as this. She look any more. She turned away and hung her head in a leaden fashion. When Morgan put his hand on his shoulder and tried to encourage her, she glanced at him for a second then just dully shook her head without replying. She didn't think he was wrong nor did she not appreciate the effort. She just couldn't find the strength to agree with it or feel anything but hopelessness.

When Rhys pointed to the sky and noted Mirik's situation, she turned and looked obediently enough. Half driven by the part of her that still remember where she was and what she was supposed to be doing, but at least as much if not more simply going along with everyone else without resistance and letting herself be diverted from her inner melancholy by whatever was available without really caring what it was. She didn't know Aheka and it's Gods very well, but since arriving there she had been given a basic run-down on how things worked there. Enough to know what an Archgate was and why Mirik could make all the difference against Invidia. Her spirits were still low, but the part of her that had worked resolutely and unwaveringly to improve herself all these years whispered she could still help to oppose Invidia even if she couldn't face him herself. Even if it was in a small or indirect manner. It didn't cheer her much, but it motivated her enough to give voice to her thoughts. When Morgan asked for suggestions she spoke up after a slow breath to gather her energy. Though her tone was still sombre and leaden.

"If those dragon's aren't healing themselves then someone must be doing it for them, right? We can't do much about the enemies in the air, but if can stop whoever or whatever is healing the dragons, then Mirik should be able to deal with them himself before going to help Shadow with that sneering bastard down there. I guess. Most of my experience with healing involved the caster having to be very close, but if it's being done outside Mirik's attack range then perhaps it's on the ground? On top of one of the buildings maybe? If we get closer can one of you wizards detect where the magic is coming from? How close does Didina have to be to communicate mentally? If she can get in contact with Mirik he might already know where it's coming from but not be able to get past the fiends to stop it himself. In any case, we need to know what's doing it before we'll know if we can do anything about it, right?"

She speaks for a while, but there isn't much life in her tone. She doesn't look around trying to persuade anyone, but keeps staring at Mirik's battle as though talking to herself. Her spiritless tone goes on as though just giving voice to her thoughts without much concern for whether anyone will agree or not, just grasping on to the problem as a way from escaping the hollow melancholy dominating her heart at that moment.

[Acathala]

"I agree with the waele. Mirik has been fighting them longer than we've been here, children. He likely knows whom is doing the healing. We find them and murder the bastards or bitches, Mirik can likely dispatch his pursuers and join the fight against Invidia." The more he thinks on it, the more angry he feels with Humility. The arrogant fool had nearly gotten them, and more importantly him, killed. Plus her much vaunted weapon skills seemed to only be of use when the enemy was knocked out and needed finishing. If she was an example of the Elite of the Children in the Dark, the Drow needed have worried.

[Makenshi]

Although she is able to unlock the door itself, Eloise soon finds that it is also on a latch, or perhaps padlocked, on the inside as she can only open it a little. The door itself was not exactly sturdy though, so breaking in probably wouldn't be difficult if they needed to - just noisy and inelegant.

As Rhys keeps an eye on the fight between Shadow and Invidia the others speak their own pieces, prompting a response from Didina after the Tiefling has had a little time to think and reflect. "That depends on if and how quickly we can re-join with Misa and the others. If we're going to go hunting for potential clerics hiding about then between myself and Misa we stand a much better chance of finding them, especially if there's Fiends with them."

"Why does that make it easier?" Rhys asks, almost absent-mindedly.

"For the same reason that I knew Humility wasn't a 'true' Drow, even if I would never have guessed her origins. Outsider blood isn't exactly abnormal among the Children though and my senses are limited only to broader definitions of 'race'. I couldn't tell the difference between the Succubus and a Tiefling for example, and I can't tell a Halvan from a Sharakan." Once that matter is settled she changes the subject by looking to Nallaul. "I don't suppose you're a diviner at all?"

~MTWC

[Acathala]

"No I am not. Arachnomancy is my speciality." It doesn't look like he's going to say anymore. Nallaul has had enough of sharing secrets with the surfacers and getting scant in return other than a vague promise from Zilira to help him with Tel'shar. For all he knows the new and improved Zilira could be an act. Nallaul is well versed in Drow history and remembers a lot of things that Minloth Zilira did back in the slightly badder old days. He doesn't wish to share the fact he has spider senses that may or may not help find people. Until he remembers that while he's with Humility, he may as well have a gargantuan golden target sign on him. Through gritted teeth he admits "I have spider senses that allows me to know where people and creatures are, regardless of race. It only works if they are on the ground."

 

Nallaul is talking about the constant 30ft tremorsense he gets as part of the partly customised for Aheka, DotU Arachnomancer.

[SpatulaOdoom]

"Well then, it could be some supercharged equivalent to the Vigor spell." Morgan holds up the empty potion bottle that had once contained said spell. Eloise takes the opportunity to 2x cure light wounds

Dice Roll:

2d8+2

(5, 8)+2

Total = 15

drink a couple of her potions as well, since the time seemed opportune. "Or it could be healing at range. Di, do you feel like checking in with Mirik to see if he can point us in the correct direction?"
Morgan shades his eyes, looking at the city laid out below them, trying to spot anything out of place.
"I wonder where Selene is."

[Makenshi]

OOC I'm going to skip thing forward a little bit, though feel free to act/react to anything that happens. I just want to try and move things along.

Rhys shakes his head at Morgan's suggestion. "No, not if that's the one that heals over time. It's coming in fits and bursts."

At the suggestion of contacting Mirik Didina raises an eyebrow. "As impressive as my telepathy is, he's beyond my range at the moment, so we'll have to get closer if we want to-"

Shadow's voice suddenly cuts in. "Tell your friends that a name that Morgan may remember from their conversation with MaskAirin will come for them in a few moments." A quick look in the direction of the voice reveals a relief image of Shadow's face within Didina's own shadow, which earns a slight frown from the Tiefling when she notices. "A blond man with many intricate scars upon his skin and likely looking as if he has had the beating of a lifetime, knowing him." With support apparently coming sooner than they expected it seemed sensible to wait a little longer, with Didina activating a few psionic powers in the meantime, although true to Shadow's word, they did not have to wait for long until Airin appeared with the others.

Airin, who did indeed look like he had had the beating of a life-time, had short blond hair and was nursing a number of bruises and cuts while also moving with a pronounced limp and cradling one arm against his body. At first it was difficult to see the scars they were told of due to the blood and bruises, but on his face - only the right side of which was swollen and bruised with a gash just above the eye - they could see the thin, intricate marks arranged across his face in asymmetrical patterns, from his cheek to his forehead to around at least his blood-shot left eye (it was difficult to tell with the right due to his injuries).

Airin casts a quick look around at everyone before turning his gaze towards the fighting between Shadow and Invidia. "Good, Gula has not joined the fray yet, so there is time enough to heal your wounds at least." A warmth spreads through them, healing everyone of any wounds they had taken and any ailments set upon them, including the draining of Rhys' life by the Brachina. Although curiously, just as they feel refreshed, if anything Airin's injuries grow worse and he even seems to gain a few - mirror's of those Didina received in the fighting. He grimaces only a little though, despite his condition. "I suggest you find a safe place, or at least somewhere safer than the rooftop of a tall building."

~MTWC