Assault on Moon Keep

Space has been put aside in the arcanist guild, one of the back rooms used for planning, stagging, and the like. the group has been directed to gather here to prepare.

Ga'Elian looks around, the place being as strange to him as he is to it.

Serene was... not precisely summoned. But she was contacted with the suggestion she might have a particular interest events transpiring this day. And when evil rears its ugly head, who is she to deny the call? So here she is, having just arrived and been directed to this back room herself.

"...sshe claims to be Ssandy's grandmother," Svarshan is saying to Serene. "The other day. Sshe threatened me with the choisse of killing children, or finding her. ..." he looks skywards. "Perhapss sshe is an evil wizarding grandmother. Sshe is also a lich."

Serene has one of those paladiny, 'you had me at lich' expressions after Svarshan's explanation. Or is it the 'why didn't you start and end with lich?' expression? They're hard to tell apart. "The choice of action seems clear to me."

Cesran nods politely to the apprentice who leads him down here. "Thank you." He looks around to see who's joined him. "Greetings thank you for coming tonight. We will be headed to hopefully end this threat to both Sandy and to the city. I have tracked her down to a small keep in the devastated country of Dragonier. I scryed on the place last night and I was able to find a place that I can teleport us to. I was able to see three rooms, a study that was empty, a bedroom that was also empty and a dining room filled with undead and the lich. I can scry before we go just to make sure."

Cesran adds, "And remember that the girl that I have seen might not be Mandy, but was definitely an undead creature who's in the guise of a small girl. I spoke with the Astral Deva before she left and she confirmed that she was evil."

Ga'Elian nods his head approvingly. "I think scrying again before we go is a great idea, and maybe we should cast our preparatory schools before we head out, too."

"...sso when we arrive, sshe will mock uss for wisshing to attack a child. Undersstood," the reptilian says after a time. He closes his eyes, and then rubs at them. "Ssa. I may have ssome itemss, as well. Cessran, were you able to get to the ring? The disspel?"

Sandy stomps in. She is looking ANNOYED.

"Well, I'm here," she announces. GRumble.

Cesran nods as he moves to the door, "Excuse me apprentice could you please bring in the gold and silver mirror I brought with me." The apprentice nods and goes to get the gold and silver mirror. Cesran focuses for a moment and holds out his hand. In a moment his staff appears in his hand and snaps. "I thought you had forgotten me." Cesran smiles, "I'd never do that, but I didn't want to answer questions about you to other curious arcanists tonight. Busy things to do tonight, busy dangerous things."

Ga'Elian counts off in his fingers as he mentally runs through the spells that he wants to cast just before teleporting.

"Never mind, one took care of the other. Thiss running around has made me tired." Svarshan flicks his tail slowly, once up, once to the side. "Peasse to you, Ssandy. Cessran tells us he can teleport us there. There are three rooms. One iss a room with a small, evil child in it. Perhapss other things."

"I realize that it is unlikely anyone has overlooked this... but I am compelled to ask regardless. A plan is in place for her eventual attempt to escape, yes?" Because it wouldn't occur to Serene that this group might actually fail.

"...you and I can...here. One meant to loan thiss to you." Svarshan takes out a ring, and rolls it across his palm. "A devisse of mind sshielding," he says, before offering it to the other paladin. "...we are focussed against demonss, but the undead? One hass few ways to lock them down."

"She'll escape," says Sandy, bluntly.

"Liches are notoriously hard to kill for good, but we can at least put a dent in her plans for now." She shakes her head.

Ga'Elian says, "The child was a Deh Mee lich, if I remember right."

"...yess, but we may have to lissten to her in the meantime. Perhapss you have become a priesst, and can ssummon the ssilence of the gods?" Svarshan asks Sandy. Hopefully. "There are fluffy, divine wingss on your back, and a halo. Pleasse tell me thiss is true."

Serene accepts the ring from Svarshan, but holds it up to her eye and scrutinzes it for a moment before removing one of her gloves to slip it on. "Then perhaps we should contain her until such a time as we can be assured of her destruction." She glances over at Ga'Elian. "Do you know what the differences are, then?"

Ga'Elian shakes his head. "Not much. Deh Mee means half, right?"

Ga'Elian prepares to shoot his bow.

A scene unfolds before Cesran, a little girl humming to herself a old nursery rhyme. She is playing with blocks spelling out various words, like "Death", "Pain", "Suffering", and "Mama". The tune is commong, but twisted, "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, who shall I tortue today." The zombies around here are the cheap weak kind, and seem more intent on watching the child. Nearby, a pool of blood can be seen with broken glass around it.

"...what iss the saying of bookss and coverss?" Svarshan asks as they stand near Cesran's mirror. The paladin takes a step back just in case. "Thiss one'ss book doess not match. Itss cover."

Ga'Elian looks a touch confused. "How should the cover look to match its book?"

Cesran leans against his staff as the scene unfolds. "Wonderful." He says as he peers into the mirror and he tries to swing the sensor around as he can show anything with within chamber so see if the study would be clear.

"It meanss sshe iss older than the child sshe appearss to be. That iss no child. I am ssure sshe will...there will be liess. Perhapss liess with a token of truth to them, to draw our ssympathy. But a creature ssuch as that?" a flick of the tail. "Hass made itss choisse." Svarshan keeps his voice low, and he faces away from the mirror, giving distance between him and it. "Ready when you are, wizard," he says sadly.

WIth a sigh, Sandy nods towards Svarshan. "You're probably right," she grunts. "Shapes like this are used often to play on our innate natures and desires to protect children. Which I DO NOT HAVE." She gives Svar and Serenme dirty looks.

"Myrana alsso possesses. Motherly hipss," Svarshan says wisely to Serene. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.

Ga'Elian handwaves the comment. "Oh, yeah. She already betrayed her nature the last time we met her.)

"Ssa. It essplains. Many thingss." Svarshan takes out bits of silver and mithral, and after looking at Cesran to be sure they are ready to go, he begins setting his own prayers, in conjunction with Serene.

Serene doesn't move her head, though her eyes to shift to regard Svarshan. And maybe, just maybe the corner of her lips twitched. Or maybe it was a trick of the light. "Well. Whether we destroy her or not.. this encounter should at least prove educational." And, as with Svarshan, she joins in with the prayers and protections, blessings and wards, placing them on Sandy, Ga'Elian and Cesran.

"...one may have mentioned the. Pajamass to Kisa," Svarshan says, as he prepares to pray. Juuuust loud enough for Sandy to hear. To Serene, "I ssuspect we will end up in a lot of. Pain," he says, solemn.

Cesran finishes with his last preparations. "Be careful she is a powerful spell caster. I know she can cast spells from the 9th circle. Be ready this might be a trap." He says as he prepares the spell an with a word he casts greater teleport to put them in the room that he saw before.

The teleport is moved with woosh and suddenly you are all in the room to a much surprised little girl, and several zombies who could care less beind mindless and all. she stars at you jaw droping.

Svarshan looks towards Serene and then nods. He steps ahead of their mages but far enough away to keep them from being caught in a general blast. And then he calls on the Dragonfather, filling the room with holy light.

"...welp," says Sandy.

"Time to play it a little safe." And she casts a spell thereafter, weaving her hands through the air. There's a flicker of energy around he.

Safe? Pssht. Serene barely pays the disintigrating zombies any mind as she allows Elune's blessing to fill her.. then she summons up another blessing, imbuing her shield with the power of righteous vengeance.

With intense focus, the wolfy-elf looking ranger clicks the heels of his boots and lets a volley of arrows erupt from his bow, his hands blurring with speed as he releases 7 arrows in only 6 seconds. All of the shafts find their mark, turning the girl-appearing lich into a pincushion. When he?s done and sees her carcase on the floor, he blinks as if stunned by his own results and says, "Um, was that too easy?"

The room has gone quiet, leaving nothing more then a pile of ash with raggedy clothes the girl was wearing. The pool of blood suddenly begins to fizzle and glow, then quickly burns out as you hear a girls scream of agony, unable to return to her destroyed phyactory.

"...we prepared. It iss the nature of warrior-casste to prepare. ...when we do our job well," Svarshan's muzzle twists. Self-conscious, maybe. Old thoughts, or old memories. "I for one, thank the Dragonfather that we did sso..." and then there is the scream. He inhales, deeply...and calls upon the Dragonfather. Please, he asks. Another, golden wave of energy hits the room and he goes quiet again. Listening. "Sserene?"

Serene's eyes tighten momentarily... as hardened as she may be, it's a little girl's scream after all. It takes a second to remind herself of the lich's guise. "Perhaps it is over, then," she says. "But I would not rule out trickery."

"Do you hear anything elsse?" Svarshan asks Serene and Ga'elian. His tail flicks, flicks at the end of it. He then looks over at where the blood had been, and begins to slowly walk along the walls. Symbols, wards, marks?

Cesran nods as he starts to look around the room with his arcane eyes to see if anything stands out. "Give me a moment to see if anything stands out.

Sandy flinches after the girl falls. She moves towards the fallen form, though, and says, "If there's.... something that can be done to erase what was done to her, I'd like to try." She lets out a sigh, "Expensive as it might be.," She looks sick to her stomach, frankly.

Ga'Elian reaches out and grabs a little book and looks at the front cover. opening it carefully he reads aloud, "Dear diary..." He turns around toward his companions and says, "Somebody want to examine this?"

"It may take. A miracle," Svarshan says with honesty. He lets go a breath, quiet, thoughtful. "A miracle...and ...ssa. Pleasse, pass it here," he says, holding out his claws. "I will take the bite, if there iss one. Then, hand it to you," he says to Sandy.

Ga'Elian hands it off, quite readily.

Svarshan takes it in his claws, and carefully, begins to look over it. He leans in, scenting. Turns it this way and that to look for wards.

Sandy waits, of course. She is patient.

"Perhaps we should burn it," Serene suggests, ever helpful.

"...in my limited. Ability, I do not ssense anything. It sseems to be the diary of a ssmall girl," Svarshan says. He hands the book over to Sandy. Sandy takes the book and begins going over it. Slowly. She looks filled with dread.

Cesran nods, "I don't see anything magical in here, but I'd like to look around the rest of the keep."

The Journal: Day 5, I have been sent to a orphange, my parents died. Some mean person killed them, people seem nice here, but sad.

Day 15, settling in ok, made a few friends. This lady comes by, everybody calls her sandy, she gives me candy. Oh that rhymes!

Day 23, a new person came by. Noticed my hair color and had me do a few things, turns out I am magical! Some kind of angelic blood line or something. Says it is magic, I don't understand. I have always been able to do tricks, seems natual to me.

Day 42. I got adopted! By a nice lady called Mandy, says she is taking me north to a new ome!

Day 48. I hate it here, she keeps doing things to me, I can do more and more tricks, but it hurts a lot. My blood is everywhere, I want to go back to the oprhange

Day 82. I found my journal again. Mandy did things to me, I lost all my flesh and skin, but anything she tells me to do I do. Says I am a lich now, a tool to help her annoy a friend. I don't understand what that means.

Day 85. I failed! I was supposed to set some stuff up for her friend, but I got caught. I came back and she was furious, so angry. She took this bottle of blood out and dropped it, and it hurt. IT was like a part of me died.

Day 86. She is having me wait here, says I will understand what to do when the time comes, that I will have friends visiting.'

"...whatever wass done to her. It could not have been cured on the mortal plane. Not without intervention from the godss," Svarshan says in low tones, as Sandy reads. "Where sshe is now, with the Gray Lady. Sshe has that chansse. I am ssorry. I am ssorry there iss this villain with no imagination and. Ssuch cruelty."

"....yeah, okay. Mandy is getting thrown into the Void," says Sandy.

"Cesran, the rest of you, please stand back." 

She produces a single very, very, very expensive looking diamong from her spell components pouch and then breaks it with her...claw? She has a claw? Yes, apparently, she does! 

Either way, SHE IS APPARENTLY CASTING MAJOR MAGICS.

Svarshan looks to Serene. He takes a step back.

Serene is not afraid. She's seen Sandy magics before. The fact that she, too, is stepping back is merely to... get a better look at the rest of the room.

The magics take hold, swirling around both the blood and ash. With arcane energes massing around and then forming into a nakeed 8 year old little girl, with stark blue eyes and blond hair. A angelic heritage easily seen in her features and eyes, she blinks and looks around, then turns and stares at sandy, only to start balling. "You..." sniffle sniffle, "Saved me!" Running over and hugging Sandy, latching on so strongly it would take another wish to get her to let go.

"... ... ..." and then. Then Svarshan has the dopiest, happiest look on his face. "Ssa," he says. "Ssa. Thiss is. Wonderful. Myrana will be sso happy, Ssandy." He looks like he could cry, if reptiles had tears.

"Shut up, SVarshan. Not a single wordo ut of you or anyoine else." And then she's hugged. "GAH," she yells.

The girl keeps on crying and holding onto Sandy, not letting go.

"...no, sshe is yourss. By divine grant. ...sshe jusst makess fasses," he explains to the child. "But you can ssee her heart. Sshe cared enough to. Bring you back. Ignore the grumpingss. Sshe ssaved my life onsse too, you know." To Cesran, "Do you think you could. Take uss to the Fernwood? Ssandy's new daughter iss probably. Hungry."

Cesran nods his head, "Yes, but I'd still like to check out the keep to see if anything is in here."

"...One will bless this binding in the name of the Dragonfather," says the Divine Champion Paladin. He looks to Serene, "Will you join me?" he asks the other Divine Champion Paladin. "And bring Eluna'ss blessing to thiss. Miracle?" He thumps his tail towards Cesran.

THe girl sniffles and steps back and perks up a bit, "Fernwood? I know where that it!" With a few quick chants she cast a greater teleport, and suddenly you are all in the Fernwood. The little girl knows some very powerful magic.

"...of course. Of course," says Sandy, rubbing her face. "Of course."

"Of course I will join you, Ser Darshan," Serene replies... though she is momentarily stunned by the quick, and unexpected, return home teleportation. "Ah. Yes. This child surely needs someone such as Sandy to guide her and teach her. It is a great responsibility, Sandy. But I know you yearn for the challenge."

"...she'll need more than me. MORE. SO MUCH MORE. HAHA. WE"LL MAKE SURE SHE GETS ALL THE EDUCATION SHE NEEDS! WHY, MAGUS CESRAN, WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY"

Svarshan thumps his tail. He stands with Serene, and, spoiling the child with all the food ever, offers the blessings of the Dragonfather, and the Moon Dragon, on this adoption.

The little girl digs into the food, "I missed this! Want some." The girl hestiates a moment, "Mommy?" glancing to Sandy, "Oh my name is Avelia!" Going back to happily munching on food.

Cesran looks around, 'I guess we can always come back here later." He hmms, "Eluna and I...well...I believe in the gods and I respect and give Eluna my worship, but well I mostly try to stay out of her way."

"One hass ssome treatss I can give you," Svarshan is saying to Sandy. "And I will sspeak with the tribess about an egg tender. You have helped our own children. Sso much."

Sandy's child-bearing hips are being recognized. He looks over to Serene, and grins, before looking back. "Avelia iss a good name. You are a very good. Ssmart girl, miss Avelia."

Avelia giggles and grins to Svarshan, "Thank you uncle lizard man!"

"Ssa," Svarshan says, happy. He loves kids. He really does. And all is at peace with the world, and is wonderful. This is wonderful.

He is so happy.

He is already planning presents. "Myrana will be sso happy," he says to no one in particular. The magical fuzzy pajamas worked!

Sandy looks unhappy. Her smile is very not happy.

Svarshan drops a hand on Sandy's shoulder. Then, hugs both demon and child. He waves to Serene and Cesran. Everyone hug! "Everyone ssaid. Becausse they were both female there would. Be no children. But you ssee what miracless have. Wrought." GIANT PALADIN HUGS. "Ssandy, you have a wife and. Family now." Isn't this everything she could have wished for and more?

Cesran is hugged and he looks around at the others, 'IF anyone wishes to go back with me I'm going to go back to the keep to research it."

"I sshould sstay to guard Ssandy and her. Ssmall one. But perhapss warrior Sserene? Or we will take turnss, sshe and I." Svarshan seems unwilling to let the new, tiny family go unguarded. Warrior-caste. "At leasst until one. Can arrange warriorss for their. Home."