The Day of Mourning

The night is a dark one, the sky clear of stars and moon though somewhere up there it should be full and shining down on the earth below. There’s no such light tonight however, instead the streets have been lit with hanging lamps that offer their own perhaps warmer light. All of them lead to the temple of Vardama where a crowd of people have gathered. Someone has been handing out lanterns. Little paper things with tiny candles held inside them. People have been writing messages for the dead on the outside of the ones they hold.

Many are crying as they write, others are strict and solemn-faced; among them all the Mourners walk offering solace and writing utensils. There are more people inside the temple itself, making offerings to Vardama one at a time before heading inside, and this is where the lanterns are being passed out. Offerings are made and the lanterns are given to those that make them before they join the others writing their messages.

It’s quite a gathering, and there are more people here than you expected to see. It seems that tragedy has touched far too many citizens of Alexandria of late.

Merek makes his way into the place, his cloak pulled about him, star patterns upon it, the hood up. He inclines to the people he meets while he makes his way to the side, taking his time to place a few decorations of respect. The Theurge sighs a bit while he looks to people.

Casta has been curious about this particular tradition, and has come to see what it's all about. She stands on the fringes of the crowd, watching the lanterns and what the people are doing with them. She hasn't lost anyone, doesn't think she should interfere or ask questions based on the amount of people crying or grim-faced.

Pelka lurks in a corner watching. He looks particularly fierce and brooding. Previously bright tips of feathers have been somehow darkened until they are black, and its enough to turn his entire demeanor somewhat sinister. Or somber. He might also claim he's going with somber.

Iuitl stands among the gathering. Her bird, the Raven, sits on her shoulder, silent and solemn. She isn't writing anything on any lanterns. She isn't good at comfort, but she goes from person to person to offer it all the same. She speaks her condolences, and offers a rub of their arm or shoulder, asking about who they lost and trying to steer them to happy memories. She hasn't lost anyone she knows and can only try to support those that have.

Erendriel had enough bad news when the orphanage got slammed into by a dragon. But now, hearing of even more bad news, she flies out to see what's going on. Her flaming broom lighting up the sky until she comes in for a landing, and takes a deep breath as she sizes up the gathering, shaking her head and rubbing an eye.

Finally, after everyone has settled somewhat and the last of the people have made their offerings and received their lanterns, a priest of Vardama steps forward. Their robes are simple, but their bearing suggests that they are used to being listened to. Someone higher up in the order then, someone who's voice is sturdy and strangely lacking in gender. Male or female however the words are stirring. "We gather here tonight to mourn the loss of our loved ones. Those that have gone before us through the veil."

"Tonight we light these flames and send them skyward to the gods. We hope our pleas, that our messages go with them. That in these dark times these small lights can be a beacon to what is truly important. Our love and care for one another." With these words the lighting begins, and the lanterns begin to float skyward. Their haunting beauty soon begins to light up the sky.

Casta watches the sky light up with lanterns, her blue eyes following ever which one that she can and wondering who they are dedicated to. She folds her arms across her chest, making herself comfortable for this brief moment.

Iuitl pauses to look up at the lanterns. She's quiet, and easily lost amongst the crowd, but almost as still as a statue. She doesn't look at one lantern but the whole mass.

Pelka tilted his head back to watch lanterns float off. He wonders briefly where - and when - they will eventually come down. But surely these mourners know their business. They knew enough to ensure that even neighboring communities were informed of tonight's proceedings after all. And that is how Pelka came to be here.

Erendriel came late and wasn't fully aware of the situation. So she... almost starts to magic up her own lantern before she catches on. But noticing, she quietly makes her way over to accept one of the offered paper lanterns. Going into her pack for something to write with, she carefully writes something onto it, taking a heavy breath as she puts her thoughts onto it. Well, less what she thinks and more hos she feels, before her lantern joins the others. Rubbing her eyes again.

There's a well of silence growing in the empty air as the lanterns slip into the sky. They hover like a great mass and then slowly become the twinkling stars that the sky is missing. Into that silence comes quite suddenly a burning roar. A noise like fire being set off behind the entire mass of people. It's the fountain. Everyone turns at the same moment to see what the commotion is and together you find a woman standing on the suddenly frozen arch of water. She's diminutive, small enough that she might have gone unnoticed without the sound that preceded her. The ground around the fountain flashes pure gold, a strange magical circle visible for a moment before it's suddenly gone.

"So-sad mortals. I, Yukia bring you greetings from the mistress of the vampire that began your so-sad ritual." The woman flashes tiny fangs as she speaks. "You foolish little things, sending your lights to the sky when your dead rot down below." She lifts a hand and suddenly the lanterns stop their flight.... and begin to fall rapidly from the sky toward those beneath!

Casta turns her head towards the figure, and would raise an eyebrow if she actually had any. Instead she stands straight up to take cover from the falling lanterns, muttering to herself about how vampires should sparkle.

Merek pulls back the hood of his cloak, then he begins to walk towards the woman, picking up while he shifts the material to unsheath his sword, hands shifting then to dragon claws. "I tire of you all."

GAME: Erendriel rolls knowledge/religion: (17)+6: 23

Pelka reaches into a compartment on his bandolier. "I knew something like this would happen!" he squawks with excitement. He withdraws a weapon...and keeps pulling until an entire thunderbelcher has emerged. It's a sleekly utilitarian design. But most importantly it features a sight, which he peers through as he aligns the rifle with the woman.

Iuitl starts urging the civilians away from the coming danger, trying to keep people from getting struck in the head by the falling lanterns. If anyone gets lit aflame she'll try to put it out. She doesn't seem like she's in a rush to get into a fisticuff with the vampire just this second. "That's what the dead do," she mutters, "They rot. Or they should." <draconic>

Erendriel hops onto her broom and gets into the sky. She tries to catch a few of the lanterns as the fall, trying to keep them aloft. As she does, she calls out to Yukia. "There is a good, sweet, kind person inside Kol Demontry. I've seen it. You... you've twisted him, and I don't know if I can forgive that."

"Me? I have done nothing to him. He was twisted long ago, and our mistress saw the work finished." She has a tail, it swishes behind her now and again as she talks. Not a vampire then? Something with a long twining tail with a little hooked and jagged end on it.

A few lanterns are stopped but many continue to fall and the crowd is running away from the now-frozen lanterns. They're solid masses of ice now, and where they land they crack hard. Some land on people as they try to get away, and others hit the courtyard with loud crashes. The priest is ordering his companions into the temple, but as he does so he calls out to you. "It's a devil! Get back! It's no weak courtiour of the nine realms!"

GAME: Merek casts Prayer. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16

Merek lifts up both hands while his cloak shifts about, then he begins to call upon the powers of his as a Theurge, his amulet shimmering with power, motioning both hands while he speaks. "Eluna, please grant me your blessing and power, to all your people, and bring fury upon your foe!" He then shifts the longsword to the side while he holds up a hand to motion to Yukia, "Name yourself to me, and let us dance. No longer will I be standing by while the people are used in such a way. No matter what it calls from me." He looks to the skies, "Gods, guide your servant." The circle begins to extend in a shimmer within plenty of feet from him, assisting those that are fleeing about.

GAME: Erendriel rolls will: (4)+8: 12
GAME: Iuitl rolls Will: (12)+4: 16
GAME: Merek rolls will: (2)+13: 15
GAME: Pelka rolls will: (17)+4: 21
GAME: Casta rolls will: (20)+5: 25 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Erendriel casts Spark. Caster Level: 10 DC: 15

Erendriel tries to melt one of the iced lanterns, as she zooms around in the sky. But it goes up in flames. She winces, but at least it went up, not down to shatter.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (18)+12: 30
GAME: Pelka rolls weapon10+1: (2)+8+1: 11

Casta draws out her spear and narrows her gaze as she walks towards Yukia, one blue eye turning red as she cackles with a certain level of ominous glee. "Come come, my dear, play with the witches."

Pelka squeezes the trigger. But at the last moment a lantern falls on the cobbles next to him and he flinches. His shot zips by Yukia and creates a tiny pockmark on a wall behind her.

Iuitl keeps her eyes on the crowd, not the ensuing battle with that devil named Yukia. She wanders the fleeing crowd, and reaches out to place a hand on someone who got struck in the skull by one of the falling lanterns, which bloodied the poor fellow. The wound heals on contact, and she urges them to keep fleeing. She stays behind to make sure all the vulnerable commonfolk have time to get away from this place.

GAME: Merek casts Spear of Purity. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15
GAME: Merek rolls ranged: (10)+8: 18
GAME: Merek rolls 6d6: (19): 19
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (3)+12: 15

Merek shifts back a bit as the ground begins to change, and while it does affect him, he is fighting faith with faith in a way. He lifts up a hand while he makes a few motions. The Theurge speaks, "Golden Sun of the Dawn, Silver Moon of the Dusk!" He then shifts a hand about the spear, which he twirls then sends right into Yukia! <celestial>

GAME: Merek rolls reflex: (16)+6: 22
GAME: Erendriel rolls reflex: (9)+10: 19
GAME: Pelka rolls reflex: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Iuitl rolls Reflex: (14)+3: 17
GAME: Casta rolls reflex: (2)+2: 4
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (6): 6

Yukia holds out a hand and a blast of cold air comes forth from her, freezing everyone in front of her. The chill air literally freezes several people who are injured and have yet to get free of the combat zone. The woman shakes her head. "I am not impressed." The wound caused by the lance of light is clearly healing already, the wound closing rapidly as she looks at you. "You can have a taste of my power. A mere echo."

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+14: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Erendriel rolls 10d6: (37): 37

Erendriel gets hit by a blast of ice, and shivers. "Now it's personal! Wait, it was already personal because of poor Kol. Now it's double personal!" Out of self preservation she adds an extra 40 feet of airspace between herself and Yukia, and slams out a fireball at her.

GAME: Casta rolls weapon3: (12)+3: 15

Casta reaches under her cloak and takes out her crossbow, aiming it at the woman and...just as she's about to pull a trigger, she is jostled by a member of the public, causing the bolt to go wide. Meanwhile, somewhere down the road, a man's window shatters as the apple in his bowl is suddenly pierced by said bolt.

GAME: Pelka rolls craft/gunsmithing: (11)+9: 20
GAME: Pelka rolls weapon10+1: (18)+8+1: 27
GAME: Pelka rolls 1d12+1: (1)+1: 2

Pelka lowers his weapon, which seems to be smoking and emitting sparks from the spot where he would normally load it. He holds it sideways and digs a taloned fingertip into the breach and then flicks out a wad of scorched material. Just like that it's back to normal and he raises it and sights again. This time he fires and grazes Yukia. "The next one's through her eye!" he shrieks.

Iuitl feels cold slam into her, and sees her familiar just kinda flop off her shoulder. She gathers up the bird and just starts running away from the conflict as quickly as she can, not wanting to get killed by some random devil. Panic sets in for her.

GAME: Merek casts Lesser Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15

Merek begins focusing upon the divine, while he shifts both hands about. The magic draws upon the celestial features he already has, his golden-like eyes becoming a little bit extra luminescent while there is a motion offered, "You come and fight me!"

GAME: Erendriel rolls reflex: (7)+10: 17
GAME: Aftershock rolls 3d6: (14): 14

The demon chooses to ignore Merek, flying upwards and sending another cold blast of air in Erendriel's direction. "Something to cool your bones dear?"

GAME: Erendriel casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 10 DC: 17

Erendriel shivers as she's SLAMMED by more ice. Brrr. and Grrr. She can feel it in her scar. Well, anything that can eat a full blast fireball and not even blink isn't getting hurt by her, so she casts another spell, to disappear from plain sight, and just keeps swimming... er, flying.

GAME: Casta rolls weapon3: (10)+3: 13

Casta aims upwards to fire another bolt, but with the flying and movement and the ruckus below, she can't seem to find her target. Meanwhile, down the road, a woman screams in terror as her pet parrot is run through with a bolt.

"You people are trouble magnets!" he squawks at Casta, the only adventurer still on the ground apparently. He spreads his wings and takes off into the air, immediately veering onto an intercept course with Yukia. When he's almost there he reaches for a contraption on his belt, timing the action so that it activates when he's directly above her.

GAME: Pelka casts Strong Wings. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15
GAME: Merek rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
GAME: Merek rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4
GAME: Merek rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5

Merek shifts to look as the woman begins to fly, and lifts up both hands towards Yukia. He then begins to speak in an arcane language of Celestial Draconic, while the Theurge begins to gunsling his magic missile!

GAME: Merek casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15
GAME: Pelka rolls reflex: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Erendriel rolls reflex: (13)+10: 23
GAME: Aftershock rolls 3d6: (8): 8

The demon takes off after Erendriel once more, ignoring Pelka... sort of. It's hard to ignore the black gunk that comes vomiting forth from his mouth and spewing out toward her. She evades it as best she can, but the magic she's using makes it grow larger... and larger. It lands on the ground suddenly quite large and wobbles. Reaches upwards toward the magic it can sense. The devil flies further away and blasts more cold air as if it knows exactly where Erendriel is…

Erendriel holds onto the invisible handlebars of her invisible chopper with her invisible hands, and after ducking a third ice blast, just keeps on flying as fast as her invisible broom and its invisible flames will take her. At least she hopes she's invisible to Yukia! Better to waste shots at the fleeing Erendriel than to use them on the people below... right?

Casta lowers her crossbow, looking around and realizing this fight isn't for her. She wraps her cloak around her and makes for the nearest dark alley and retreats from the fight to live another day.

Pelka hacks and coughs a few last bits of goo. He wobbles in mid-air and starts to lose altitude. His innate Egalrin instincts lead him to spread his wings and glide for a bit, rather than crash headfirst into the ground. Finally he seems to catch his breath, banking and wheeling and staring at the ooze briefly. "That didn't work...as planned," he says in a slightly subdued tweet. Then he begins flapping his wings and chasing after Yukia. He returns his rifle - to that compartment on his bandolier that seems much too small to accomodate the long weapon - and withdraws an even larger looking weapon from the compartment next to it. "Come back!"

GAME: Merek rolls 6d6: (22): 22

Merek looks to the ooze when it comes to the streets of the city, then he calls upon his powers to wrap the place in a fire. The flames are shifted above it, instead of looking to cast it on the ooze, he is looking to sear it away with the flames from the magic.

GAME: Erendriel rolls reflex: (17)+10: 27

The demon is chasing after Erendriel and nothing seems to be distracting her from that endeavor. She casts another spell, but seeing her quarry getting away she won't be casting any more so as to keep close to the invisible sorceress. It's a flight over Alexandria that lasts... quite some time. Even with someone shooting at her she doesn't do more than occasionally glance in that direction, healing as fast as she's injured it seems. Then quite suddenly... she's gone. Vanished without a trace.

-End