The Fall of Su'Tek pt 1

The party is gathered, all lead by Fazahd who has been tracking down Su'Tek for months. Finally his little tower is found and now isolaeted thanks to some guild mages. Dimensional anchors have been set preventing teleportation or any kind of dimensional powers. The tower looms before you all while hide behind a nearby hill planning your attack. Will you go in heads first towards the gate, or try to sneak your way in somehow?

Well, it was some kind of a surprise to be given leadership of the assault team, but Adhar is here - in full Inquisitorial raiment - to lead the battle. He goes where Reos directs him. Here, in the shadow of the tower, Fazahd purses his lips as he looks up at the unassuming structure, arms folded over his chest as he regards it.

"I assume that it is far more than it appears," he says, "And so I must also assume that going through the front door will cause...complications. Aya? Would you be so kind as to reconnoiter the structure?"

Kiroth comes up in his magical full plate with his shield at the ready although his sword is still sheathed. "Stealth and I are not really on speaking terms." He says as he looks over the tower. "I am more then willing to go first if it comes to a frontal assault."

Aya pages: It seems that I may need a self-enabling item, afterall.

Elisabeth stands, helmet on her head, shield on her arm, and her sword, with sun imagery emblazoned on its blade, in her hand. "I am here at your request, Inquisitor", she says to Fazahd. "You lead, and I will follow, to bring Light to the Darkness. How do you want this to go down?"

"I could," Aya answers Fazahd's request, "if you would be so kind as to ask your wizardly ...friends to make their entrapment a little less stifling." She then looks to Kiroth and Elisabeth and one corner of her mouth lifts. "Fortunately for you, the Darkness and I -are- on speaking terms. Though if you want to charge headfirst to a glorious death, I won't get in your way. It might be best to know where we should charge to, first."

"Precisely why I am not simply charging in", Elisabeth says. "It's wise to allow one's allies the freedom of their specialities. The sum of what we can do, working in unison, as a team, is greater than what we can all do, working separately. I would very much welcome your scouting ahead through the shadows", she adds, clearly directing that all to Aya. "If there is any way I can asssit with that, that you are aware of, let me know."

Flicking a look at Aya, Fazahd turns his attention to the rest. "Your zeal is admirable," he says, "But Aya is correct. Charging in through the front door is not the way to go, at least at the moment. Now, shadow..." He looks up at the tower. "Can you make it up there if I were to have the wizards conjure darkness up there?"

Kiroth nods politely to Elisabeth, "Templar Elisabeth it is a fortuitous day that we can add both bring the Light." He smiles at Aya, "Any information you can gather will be most welcome. I'd rather not go in blind." He nods in agreement with Elisabeth, "Well said."

"Do you require darkness, or merely the presence of shadows?", Elisabeth asks of Aya. "If the latter, I can call forth light... which will create the required shadows. It would be a matter of proper placement."

"I don't require them," Aya explains as she gestures a hand to no one in particular, beckoning. What shadows there are in the vicinity stretch out to travel to and cling to her, dimming the area further, "but they respond when I call." Her darkened form, now more billowy than just from the oversized cloak provided by the (in her opinion) fool wizards, sudden dissipates in a pff of shade... only to reappear atop the castle.

"Ah, Aya." Fazahd only shakes his head, smile hidden mostly by the small aperture beneath his open visor. Mostly. "Right, so remember, the both of you. Su'Tek is a sorceror, and focuses primarily on mobility and escape. He is likely to be guarded by a number of demons and fallen holy spirits. I do not know about the two of you, but I have the ability to cut through their accursed defenses."

Aya will find herself standing on the top of the tower, with a single hatch that leads into the tower. So far there appears to be nobody here, not a single sentry watching the top.

"I wish you had mentioned that sooner, before I said my prayers for the day. I could have offered somewhat more appropriate prayers", Elisabeth says. "As it stands, I'll have to count on providing you and the Sunblade with what battle support I'm able, chiming in where I can when it comes to the battle."

Kiroth hmms, "I have a cloak that can do that as well." He says as he looks to the others before he tries to spot where Aya went to." He nods to Fazahd. "I am ready I have battle prayers. Evil shall not escape my sight."

Once she feels there is no immediate threat, Aya carefully lifts the hatch just enough to look down within. Her observation is brief, before she slowly and carefully lowers the hatch closed once more. Immediately after, a sudden puff of night and lingering darkness announce her return to her former location near the others.

"The topmost room appears to be a laboratory of some kind, with a lone man working within. If this wizard is like most others, he feels compelled to seem taller or larger than anyone else."

Elisabeth sheathes her sword and pulls out a pair of rings, simple but made of platinum. Slipping one onto one of her own fingers, she offers the other over to Kiroth. "Put this on, Sunblade. It will allow me to call Daeus' blessing down to shield you from harm when the battle comes."

Kiroth watches as Aya comes back, "Of course he does." He chuckles a bit, "I have a cloak with similar properties for those enemies that feel compelled to stay at a distance." He looks over to Elisabeth and he bows his head. "I will use this to protect the others."

Fazahd looks between the two holy soldiers beside him - and then at Aya when she reappears at their sides. "Right. Kiroth? du Leoncorte? You stand back and prepare to back me when I knock at the door. Aya? Be prepared to go down through the top and flank whatever he's got inside there. A bit of a standard tactic, but if we buy into his expectations that we will be a brute-force sort of group, we might get the drop on him after all." He looks to Aya. "Do you concur?"

"The one in the lab could simply be an assistant," Aya rolls oe shoulder, "but I'd need to go through him to continue on, regardless. If he happens to be this Su'tek, then he's a bigger fool than I expected, and will fall even faster." She looks to the holy soldiers, then Fazahd and considers. "If he expects the righteous to storm his gate, who are we to disappoint him?" Now both corners of her mouth lift in a smile.

Elisabeth nods her heads at what Fazahd says, then places a hand on Kiroth's shoulder, offering a prayer. "If we separate by more than about 45 feet, the protection will cease", she says to him.

Kiroth looks over at Elisabeth, "Thank you." He nods to her and looks to Fazahd, "I'm ready." He says as he hefts his shield and he makes sure that his sword can clear his sheath.

Kiroth after he puts on the ring Elisabeth gave him.

Elisabeth reaches over to lightly touch Aya's shoulder, also, to offer a prayer for Daeus' light to shine in the eyes of her enemies and cast shadows fortuitous for the woman.

Elisabeth pulls out a small pearl, and holds it in her hand as she repeats the prayer said over Aya while touching Fazahd on the shoulder. "Let's proceed", she says, putting the pearl away.

The party has full surprise on the group of barbarians, a cleric, and some statures in the lobby of the tower. THey were drinking, gambling, and having a good time. The statues though react immediently having been nothing more then magical guardians but the rest are starting at the broken door with a look of "Oh crap."

The righteous and holy have made their presence known. Now it is Aya's turn to make her presence felt, though preferably not conspicuously known. She appears at the hatch once more and opens it to quickly drop into the laboratory below.

The door explodes, and Fazahd, wielding a great black sword in one hand and a shield emblazoned with the Forgefather's seal in the other, enters clad in armor made from steel and arcane machinery. << BEHOLD, THE LIBERATION OF YOUR WICKED SOULS IS AT HAND, >> bellows the Inquisitor through amplified channels in his helmet - and as he does so he steps in to slash across the torso of one of the animated status. The black metal of his sword bites deep and easy, spalling chips of stone across the floor as he damages the construct, and prepares to strike again in terrifying fashion.

The statues quickly come to alive, the whole building suddenly going up in a screaming alarm that could probably be heard for a mile. One of them takes a swing at him the fist missing with a powerful whistle through the air.

Kiroth looks around and he spots the cleric. He draws his sword and he holds it high above his head. "Shining Knight bless my blade. Lend me your power to light this darkness." He says as his blade does start go glow with a white holy light.

Elisabeth, upon seeing an enemy priest, calls out a prayer to Daeus to withhold sound from the area about the enemy. Then, the prayer ended, she calls out her god's name... and the iconography of Daeus on the face of her shield glows for a moment.

Aya would see the man working the labratory glance up at the sounds of the alarm, and with a frown chants something under his breath, and then lets out a string of curses in about eight different languages.

Bellowing like a bull through the apertures in his helmet, Fazahd savages the statue trying to engage him - slashing chunks away with his sword, the metallic rattle of stone spalling away against his armor like strange music as he works to take apart the sentinel in earnest.

The two statues raise their fists and slame them them towards Fazahd. The one he had been attacking missing by a wide margin, but the other one hit landing true and offering a good thud from the strength of the impact.

The two barbarians let out feral screams and charge up on Kiroth swinging their heavy two handed axes at the man. One of them goes wide, while the other slames the axe down next to Kiroths foot.

The Cleric lets out what might be a curse, as he turns around and runs straight for the stairs booking it out of there.

Kiroth raises his shield as he wards off the blows from the barbarians and he responds with two slashes of his own. His glowing blade cuts deep into the barbarian as he moves around. He blocks another attack from the barbarian that he left.

Elisabeth taps her heels together as part of stepping over to stand side-by-side with Kiroth... and unleashes a flurry of slashes at the enemy he's already blooded, drawing MORE blood with each strike. The iconography of Daeus on the face of her shield momentarily glows... and then the face of Kiroth's shield glows as if in answer, too!

Su'Tek was not expecting to be gut punched like he was out of nowhere, he stumbles back and winces, "Damn it all the plan is coming apart..." his cofindence shaken. He turns and glances at Aya, and his eyes go wide, "That cloak..." a wry smile. He holds out his hand as he steps back from her and points, "Give it to me." The magical influnce taking a hold of Aya as the Dominate Person spell is cast over her.

"May your blades dull in the Father's sight," roars Fazahd as he brings his blade about, and clips the statue's head off in with the black sword's whistling arc. Mourner is living up to its name tonight, it appears.

Su'Tek was not expecting to be gut punched like he was out of nowhere, he stumbles back and winces, "Damn it all the plan is coming apart..." his cofindence shaken. He turns and glances at Aya, and his eyes go wide, "That cloak..." a wry smile. "My way out of here." He chants quickly one hand weaving and he vanishes from the air as he steps back to prevent Aya from getting a strick in and vanishes from sight. Though his voice can be heard and a moment later another spell is thrown out in a quickened state, a blinding spell. Seems he really does not want to get hit again by this monk.

The status does as it is programmed and swings again at Fazahd missing him. Meanwhile the barbarians see their cleric running away and one of the statue drop. Even in full rage they are not blinded to a lost fight. The badly injured one withdraws to the back of the room and drops down his weapon, "I surrender." The other one hesitates and backs up only five feet and holds his weapon low in a defensive position and nods, "I surrender as well, give me your word we will not be harmed futher and I will drop my weapon as well."

Aya doesn't fear the dark... though she is acustomed to being able to see. The searing flash blinds her, but it does far worse.

It pisses her off.

Worse for the wizard, that is.

"You vile piece of filth. I will make you suffer!" Every word is punctuated by a sharp movement of her body. A palm strike followed up with an elbow, momentum carrying her into a sweeping kick, followed by a spinning backfist. If one cannot pinpoint their enemy, then fill the area with death.

Su'Tek takes several blows pretty hard, but is a very tough man it appears and is still standing. He is actually laughing from all the pain, "Oh I was worried, but the plan... the plan is still in motion..."

Kiroth looks at the pair of barbarians, "Throw down your weapons then and I guarantee that you will leave here alive. It is only the wizard that we have come for." He glances over at Elisabeth, "I'm going to help Fazahd, if these two prove to be untrustworth let me know and I shall be back over to help you." He goes to help Fazahd with the statue using his blade to slice a chunk from it."

The other barbarian drops his weapon.

"Your surrender is accepted", Elisabeth says. "You will never again work for this sorcerer. If you break these terms by again working for him or by returning to attack us on his behalf, your lives are forfeit. If you accept and understand these terms, take up your belongings and leave", she adds, pointing with her sword at the two axes on the ground... and stepping slightly to one side to make room for them to pass out the door.

The barbarians are quick to reply, "Right lass, agreed. Easy job, good pay, buy time, sound alarm, surrender at end. Contract we had and all, no hard feelings aye? Oye, our friend who ran upstairs will surrender as well, tell him contracts fullfilled, we did our job." they are quickly grabbin their things and heading for the door.

In the meantime the statue is quickly dispatched with all three of them attacking it after. Leaving nothing but marble rubble where the two statues once stood.

Elisabeth says, "If he, too, surrenders, he will be shown the same mercy as you. Go, now... and be gone!"

In the meantime things are not looknig so good for Aya upstairs. Su'tek being invisible and Aya blinded means he can move around now without her really being able to fight back. He walks away from her, his confidence returning as he rumages through a few things in the labratory and then turns around and says, "I surrender, take me to your leader."