Ibi Tuskscar

Ibi Tuskscar, is a lovely half-oruch woman dressed in the finery of nobility. Her clothes are a darker shade of green than her skin is, and matched with a light goldish orange that sets everything off perfectly. Her nails are lacquered faint orange, her black hair perfectly coifed. She stands with her posture perfectly aligned and in truth, seems like the sort of person who would never step foot in the adventurer's guild.

Yet here she is, allowing her manservant Thomas to explain the details to you. The fact is, that she's been followed by all sorts of unfortunate events. The details are a little light, but he asserts that if you follow the lady Tuskscar around that you'll see for yourselves the unfortunate events which linger in her wake. She hasn't said a word personally, but observes those gathered with an air of... Disbelief.

Sometimes, you have to look outward for a solution to a curse. And so there is an elegantly dressed half-elf standing before the lady Tuskscar and her manservant. Telamon's dark, starry eyes are pensive, thoughtful, but he says nothing initially. Instead, he studies the manservant, before clearing his throat. "Curses are delicate things. You wouldn't think so, but more than one malediction has, for lack of a better term, broken because of some odd happenstance. Are you sure it is a curse, and not, per se, a person following in your wake?"

The prospect of dealing with a noble has Dolan more than a little awkward in demeanor. It's clear he's trying to be respectful, but he just stands there silent, shoulders hunched, looking like nothing more than a farmboy with a sword. This time, he leaves the questions to others, instead watching both lady and manservant carefully, as well as the area around the pair of them.

Dirk stands with his friends, thunderbelcher over his shoulder. Lulu perches atop the other, regarding the half-oruch noble with wide eyes. Blink. Blink blink. "Hoo?" Dirk shakes his head. "Nah, lassie. Dinnae think this is an Owlish curse," he says. "But aye, we need an idea of what we're dealin' with. Even better if it's summat I can shoot. Ye cannae shoot a curse." He pauses, then looks up at Telamon. "Ye can't, can ye?"

Rhar was originally at the Guild just to check on postings. Well, she or maybe the Lupine of Unusual Size upon whom she stands to see the posting board. She was also pointing at various papers (at which he also has muzzle and eyes focused on) and then speaking quietly to the wolf. One of them might be translating for the other?

Then the dirty snowball of a wolfling hears mention of weird things!

She knows weird things. She is the Baness of Night, afterall.

Rhar's head swivels around and then Gurr's trotting paws bring her near the talking guy and the quiet, shiny oruch lady. She leans forward to sniff at the bright one. Candy comes in bright colors, thus logic proposes she might smell like candy!

In stark contrast to Telamon and in a manner more in line with her beau, the Sunguard Andelena looks at the noblewoman with a steel-grey gaze that suggests one thing: 'right back'atcha'. Her armored arms are folded, her frown is light and borders on a more professional neutral line, and her stance is rigid, like just being here in the presence of nobility is /dragging/ her down.

"Yeah, what Telamon said," Andelena finally pipes up. "Curses don't like, pop out of nowhere--not often, anyway. You have any enemies? You kiss any toad princes and piss off his toad fiancee? Not that it's any of my damn business, but it's helpful to get an idea of what we might be working with here."

Zyla stays quiet for the most part. She is just listening. She really doesn't know that much about curses or things like that. She mostly decided to tag a long in case a set of fists was needed.

The woman doesn't reply to the questions, but thankfully her manservant does. "We are not in fact certain at all as to the origin of the mishaps. You see the Lady Tuskscar has paid the hefty fee for having a curse removed only for this mayhem to continue. However she is never without my presence and whoever is causing this would have to have to evade both our detection at all times. Surely that would be impossible." He draws himself up importantly and offers Andelena a short look. "The Lady has several people who would benefit from her state of misfortune, but none of them has the skill necessary to lay a curse. Nor has she... done anything unusual of late that would cause such a curse to be laid."

Telamon raises a hand. "I presume the cursebreaker was not some dilettante. The lady is obviously of quality and would not stint on such measures." He pauses, considering his words. "Then what you may face is not necessarily a curse at all. And while I am sure you are attentive and loyal, sir, there are ways both mundane and magical to evade detection."

Tel offers the manservant a charming smile. "If you are comfortable with discussing it, what form do these mishaps and ill fortunes take? Any scrap of lore, no matter how odd or apparently inconsequential, could be the key to unraveling this unfortunate situation."

GAME: Andelena rolls Sense Motive: (20)+11: 31
GAME: Telamon rolls Talky: aliased to diplomacy+8: (5)+24+8: 37

Watching Dolan is a touch odd, because while his hunched shoulders say he wants to crawl in a hole, he's still wordlessly watching the pair of them, only his flesh eye blinking from time to time. Finally, for the first time, he pipes up. "I'm not sensing evil, Tel, Andie. Maybe it's a magic effect that shows up at random," he suggests quietly.

Gurr bends forelegs to lower his head. If this is to facilitate Rhar hopping down... well, no one told her. Instead, her interest perks up further as she crouches to listen. "Oooh. Curse! Does it burn? Does it itch?! Does it-" She stops suddenly, braces with hands on fur, and lifts her right foot to scratch behind her right ear with her toes. All important questions! Until she was distracted. After that is taken care of, she suggests, "Hit curse with stick? Stick fix many thing."

Andelena measures the manservant a little visually, steel-grey eyes slightly narrowing--but then she nods. "No evil, got it," she murmurs back to Dolan. Seeing Telamon work his metaphorical magic (rather than his literal), she stands down and just offers Dolan a little bit of a knowing smirk.

Dirk peers between Dolan and Andalena. "Well then. If it's nae an -evil- curse... could this be the work o' the fae? Sounds like summat they'd do, dunnit?" He sighs sadly, shaking his head. "Shame Missus Cor'lana isn't here. -She'd- know if this was fae shit." Lulu twists her head to look at her master. "Hoo-oo." Dirk rolls his eyes. "No, lassie, I'm -quite- sure this isn't an Owlish curse. Nice guess, though. They'd never see -you- comin'." He gives her head a little pat. Lulu is appeased. For now.

The manservant seems uncertain for a moment, but shrugs. "The curse takes the form of mishaps. Fruit that the Lady walks by turns rotten, people who are normally pleasant to deal with become irritable. Food that she orders goes stale before she can eat it. The latest incident which brought us here was a wagon wheel which popped off its axle and killed some poor man that it ran into. If it was one thing, it would be ignorable, but these things happen constantly. All day. Every day."

A short look is given to Rhar. "No. There is no burning or itching. Just mishaps. Now would you kindly move back? Several feet if you please."

Zyla continues her quiet looming. She doesn't have anything to add and intimidation probably isn't a good tactic to use right now.

Telamon gives Rhar a quelling look, before turning to Dirk. "I... you know, that's not a terrible thought. Though again, one wonders who the lady could've offended to draw this severe a response -- assuming it was something she did at all." He considers the manservant's description. "Those are... unusual mishaps. Hmmm. Some of it sounds like what a friend of mine does, tweaking fate, but others seem fairly... arbitrary."

GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/religion+3: (4)+11+3: 18

Rhar does, indeed, move back... though purely due to Gurr respectfully padding in reverse several steps because he has several feet. At least one of them has manners; to wit, he did genuflect previously. Rhar just nods. Burning and itching are bad, so none of those is good. They never did mention if they tried hitting things with sticks, though. Their loss, since that leaves that option for her! She gives some further thought. "Wheel fall off every day and kill people, should get new wagon. Or not ride one." That wouldn't fix the fruity part, though, hmm.

GAME: Telamon rolls knowledge/arcana: (5)+13: 18

Andelena scrunches her face up in thought. "Yeah, no, that just... *is* weird. If it's not a curse, and if there's nothing evil... Bizarre. I'd almost say it sounds like a Tarienite, but I don't think a Tarienite would sabotage a wagon wheel like that. They're all about, y'know, good-natured jokes and pranks, not 'life endangering situations'."

Dolan's shoulders are starting to relax as the focus shifts from _noble_ to _task at hand_. "It probably isn't something like a ghost," he offers. "A poltergeist usually settles in a place, not on a person, and if it were a ghost, I'd've sensed it." Again, the words are almost shy. "I'd guess magic more than a creature."

GAME: Dirk rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (6)+3: 9

Dirk tugs at his beard, frowning dourly. "Someone's already died from this," he says. "So we need tae get this sorted afore someone else gets hurt." He looks back to the manservant. "Most o' the incidents seem tae have to do wi' food," he says. "Is her ladyship takin' her meals at the same time an' place?"

GAME: Telamon rolls knowledge/nature+4: (13)+11+4: 28

"Arbitrary?" For the first time Ibi Tuskscar speaks up for herself, her dark eyes on Telamon. "It has made enemies of my friends, ruined my ability to eat. It makes my life a living catastrophy. These things are far from _arbitrary_." Her manservant pats her on the shoulder gently.

It's he that answers Dirk's question. "No. We tried secluding her in her home for a time, but no matter if she's there or if she is somewhere eating out... the results are the same."

GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/the planes: (14)+10: 24

Telamon raises his hand again, regarding the woman. "Random, then. But..." His eyes fix on Lady Tuskscar. "This is not just happenstance. Someone is -doing- this. You have enemies; do those enemies have arcane skills, or contacts beyond just the noble salons here in Alexandria?"

His dark eyes glitter. "There are always those who through blood, or luck, are owed a -favor- by certain... let's call them entities. They could call that marker in, if they were sufficiently motivated."

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (2)+10: 12

When Telamon speaks, Dolan's head abruptly snaps to face him. "Maugrim's sweaty balls," he swears. "That wish-granting demon that got loose in the city. Who'd it get?" As if by magic, the man's demeanor - entirely changes. Gone is the awkward farm kid, hunched shoulders, silence, and all. The man that stands there now is tall, strong, and focused, balanced on his feet, eyes sharp and flashing. "Bet it got someone with a bone to pick with Her Ladyship."

Zyla looks back and forth amongst the others for a moment, just watching and listening.

"No... There's no one like that among the Ladies' enemies." The manservant replies, thoughtfully, but the Lady Tuskscar is thinking herself too.

"There is one who hates me enough to contact someone untoward to cause me trouble. She wouldn't try to kill me; it'd be too obvious that it was her that did it. But a mysterious set of events that might end in my death by accident? Yes that sounds like her."

"No, not even she-"

"Yes she would Thomas. Yamenia Sweteloue. I beat her in a beauty contest not long ago and she had some very unpleasant and unkind words for me in the aftermath. She hates me. Hates me more than anyone else."

Dirk quints over at Telamon and Dolan. "A demon? There's' a wish-grantin' -demon- runnin' about?" He harrumphs, beard bristling angrily. He turns his gaze upon Her Ladyship. His beard bristles even more. "A... a -beauty- contest? This dozy bint's put this curse on ye over a bloody beauty contest? Great Gilead's -Ghost-!" He looks back over to his friends. "Well, I'm loaded up on cold iron shot. If it -is- this demon, as ye say. I'm nae sure how I can track a creature who goes about invisible, though. Does it even -leave- tracks?"

Telamon lets out a hiss at Dolan's words. "There is that. And this sort of thing does have that kind of malign feel to it, doesn't it?" He tilts his head at the Lady Tuskscar. "But does she hate you enough to traffick with the forces of darkness? Don't answer swiftly, my lady!" Tel holds up a hand. "Be honest. Because this is -not- an accusation to make lightly."

For the briefest of moments, Dolan has the grace to look embarrassed, and he coughs. "Sorry for the language, m'lady," he offers. "Anyway, it wouldn't take a lot. It's not invisible. It'll show itself, and it wants to lure people into making deals with it. There were two, I heard one got caught and crushed. This might well be the other one." Satisfaction rings in his tone. "It's got to be somewhere in the vicinity, whenever one of these mishaps happens, I'd think. Look," he goes on, turning towards the manservant. "If I can find it, a fight's going to start. If it does, I want you two to run, all right?"

Andelena's eyes are wide--both at Dolan's words and at the noblewoman's revelation. "What Telamon said," she says with a nod, "although I wouldn't put it past a jilted beauty queen to get petty vengeance."

She frowns and sighs. "Alright. If we have a demon on our hands, at least you've got some experienced demon hunters right here in this room." Yes, those are words of consolation for the noblewoman. "Bry here's /really/ good at killing them."

Ibi Tuskscar looks at Telamon steadily. "She called me a half-blooded cur sir. I've found that the sort of hate that leads someone to hate something that is intrinsically a part of you - leads to darkness. She is the only one who would dare something so bold. The only one with enough hate in her heart to do it." She nods to Dolan, but offers a faint smile. "You owe no apology. It reminds me of my father."

"Lady Tuskscar!" Thomas looks at her in aghast that she would say such a thing, and she merely remains smiling faintly. "We are in your hands, particularly if this is a demon, we will follow your orders."

Something passes across Telamon's face at the 'half-blooded cur' remark. Icy, and hard. "I see." he replies after a moment. He takes a deep breath, pasting on a smile. "Well, milady, as another 'half-breed', I don't particularly like such remarks either." Another breath, before he looks to Dolan, Andelena, and the others. "I think we may need to sweep the household first, to flush it out, before we make any trips to inquire after this Lady Sweteloue."

Ah-hah! Now there might be an answer. It isn't faerie stuff. Nor owl stuff. It could be demon stuff! Rhar breaks her silence with a sudden short howl. "We find! Hit with stick! No more miss chaps!" As suspected, stick-hitting is always a valid solution.

"I say we start by getting rid of the demon." Dolan cracks a small, nervous smile at the oruch lady, a gesture that touches only the soft side of his face. "Time enough to find the one who set it on you when it's gone." Clearly, this man has a one-track mind. "It's not stupid," he goes on. "It won't show itself or try anything if it sees her surrounded by the likes of us. I say we follow her, but not right around her. In the crowd. A little distant. Blend in. Make sure it doesn't realize we're after it when it shows itself."

Zyla smiles a little as it sounds like the have something to go on now, soon might get to smack some heads around.

The 'half-blooded cur' remark gets a wince from Andelena, and she shakes her head. "You know, there's sure as shit some people out there with ugly-ass words coming out of their mouth, and I should know, because I swear up a storm half the time I talk," Andelena says. It turns out she and this Lady Tuskscar have more in common than she thought.

"I mean, Bry--what if we bait out the demon by, you know, doing a search of the household," Andelena suggests. "It's kind of a nice fantasy, but you never know."

GAME: Dolan rolls reflex: (12)+5: 17
GAME: Telamon rolls reflex: (15)+7: 22
GAME: Andelena rolls Reflex: (5)+3: 8
GAME: Andelena rolls Reflex: (17)+3: 20
GAME: Rhar rolls reflex: (11)+13: 24
GAME: Zyla rolls reflex: (2)+8: 10

The manservant points out that it will be necessary for the Lady Tuskscar to be escorted home, and that if you do so, you can effectively kill two birds with one stone. Namely, you can look out for the demon while you make your way to the house to search for it. With this agreed upon, you begin to make your way out of the guild hall. However unexpectedly, the chandelier lighting the hall falls from its moorings and crashes into the ground - where you all are standing!

GAME: Dirk rolls Reflex: (8)+10: 18

Well, that escalated quickly. Although that instantly answers the question of 'how much it follows Lady Tuskscar around'. Telamon flings himself out of the way as the huge, elaborate chandelier comes crashing down on the others. "Gods and stars!" he yells. Scrambling to his feet, he looks around. "Andelena, can you get that thing levered up and off them? Or do you need help?" He looks to Rhar; maybe the furry little lucht has the muscles to assist?

GAME: Dirk rolls Strength: (18)+1: 19
GAME: Dolan rolls strength: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Andelena rolls Strength: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Zyla rolls strength: (4)+5: 9
GAME: Telamon rolls strength: (15)+1: 16

Rhar and Gurr follow along, sniffing all the way. Discreetly. Sort of. Gurr yelps and sidesteps. Rhar yelps and blinks. "Sky falling! Sky falling!" Once she realizes the sky looks heavy and landed on part of the pack, she growls and urges Gurr back by his ears.

Then she steps onto his head to help with the moving. Which Gurr also assists with.

Dolan had held back, just a little, intending to trail a little further back. "One - plus two -" he begins, and is about to move when-

• • • • • CRASH!*****

He hits the floor instinctively amid the crashing and tinkling of metal and glass, and when he looks up - it's on top of him. He pushes up at it, trying to assist those attempting to lift it, but it slips from his hand, and succeeds only in landing _on_ him. "Damn! Andie, I'm pinned."

GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21

"/Shit/!" is the first thing that comes out of Andelena's mouth, as cussing comes to her as instinctually as anything else. Once she's realized what's happened, she nods to Telamon and bounds over to the chandelier, grunting as she tries to lift the huge structure of gaund glass up--

And with a grunt, she succeeds, smiling brightly at Dolan. "/This/ is how you fell in love with me, right?" she asks cheekily. Strong woman.

Dirk trundles along after the others, glancing around the fine estate as they enter inside. But he's completely oblivious to their danger until Lulu leaps off his shoulder with a panicked hoot. "Lassie? Wha--" WHAM! CRASH! THUD! Dirk goes down with a tumble of limbs. "GWAAGH!" His thunderbelcher goes sliding across the floor as he finds himself pinned under the ornate chandelier. "-Owww-..." With a grunt, he plants his hands on the twisted frame and heaves with all his strength. "All together, friends! One... two... -heave-..." It takes some doing. Fortunately, he's not trying to lift the whole thing alone. Eventually, he manages to wiggle free. He gets to his feet, brushing off his breastplate. He pats atop his head, realizing his tricorne went flying when he was hit. "Oh, piss up my arse," he grumbles, looking around. Lulu comes fluttering back, holding his hat in her talons. "Hoo."

Zyla is not really in a good position to help but she does try as they are trying to lift it off.

Notably the Lady Tuskscar and her manservant are fine, though both are semi-huddled near the door in surprise.

Telamon brushes himself off after the chandelier is pulled away. "Well," he comments to the lady and her servant, "you weren't kidding about the 'random bad things happening'." He murmurs a short cantrip, and begins to turn in a circle, looking around carefully with eyes narrowed as well.

GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (7)+13: 20
GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (14)+13: 27

Rhar gets some extra drool from Gurr on her hands for extra grip. Gurr already has plenty since he uses his teeth to help with the lifting and moving of the fallen sky. Once people are un-skyfalled, she nods four and one-half times at Telamon in agreement. "Missed chaps quick!" Then she starts looking around. Maybe because others are. Maybe worried that something else might fall on them. It could be the ground, next!

Dolan is the last person to roll out from under the chandelier, and rolls to his feet, immediately looking around with sharpened eyes, scanning the area, ignoring the glass and metal shards in his cloak, in his loose hair, in his clothing. "There! Out the door! Come on!" He wastes no time in bolting out of the door, the noble and her manservant seemingly forgotten.

He'll remember when the demon is gone.

"Yeah," Andelena agrees with Telamon, huffing a little as she catches her breath when she lets the chandelier go back down to the ground--/gently/, so that some poor bastard isn't sweeping up even more glass later--

And then Dolan finds the demon. "Okay, no time for fucking around, let's go!" Andelena commands, charging after Dolan and drawing Deliverance off her back.

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (20)+10: 30 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Andelena rolls Will: (18)+8: 26
GAME: Dirk rolls Will+2: (15)+4+2: 21
GAME: Telamon rolls Will: (20)+12: 32 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Zyla rolls will: (20)+7: 27 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Rhar rolls will: (11)+11: 22

Ahead of you, running down the street toward the market district is what is CLEARLY a demon. It's got four arms and a horrific appearance. In fact... you're not entirely sure why people aren't screaming and running in the opposite direction. They aren't. The demon actually has to claw (sometimes with vicious results) through the folks standing in the way to get them to move. Even after being injured most people are confused as to what just happened to them. Holding onto injuries that drip blood and looking around in confusion.

GAME: Telamon casts Haste. Caster Level: 12 DC: 20

Telamon runs out, anger and concern lending his feet speed. Seeing through the illusion, he realizes something: if it outruns them, they'll NEVER catch it. And so his fingers curl into the practiced motions, and he chants, "Lukas, sa-i'iz!" A flash of silvery light expands around him, then begins leaping between the members of the party. Dolan, Andelena, Dirk, Zyla, Rhar, even Lulu and Gurr find their movements quickened as he calls out, "Faster, friends!"

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+2+1: (16)+9+2+1: 28
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+2+2d6: (9)+6+2+(10): 27

Dolan fairly tears out of the adventurer's guild, covered in glass and metal shards, the leather harness holding his blade falling unheeded to the cobblestones as Telamon's magic takes hold. "Clear out, in the name of the Sunlord! A demon is among you! Now stand still, you little shit." Magic-fueled speed allows him to catch up in the blink of an eye, a flash of sunlight catching the blade as it slams down onto the creature. "The holy Knight's wrath guide my blade," he snarls.

GAME: Rhar spends ONE use of CHALLENGE +4.
GAME: Dolan spends ONE use of BANE.

Rhar sees it. Sees it hurt others. Sees pack run after it. "Go!" She urges Gurr forward, the lumbering lupine light on his paws thanks to MAGIC TELAMON. This proves very helpful as he uses this nimbleness to weave through confused or startled crowdspeople. The demon may want to step on people; Gurr does not. A sharp, shiny stick is drawn and pointed at the miss chapping creature. "Rhar!" (it's polite to introduce one's self even to enemies) "No go! No hurt more! Stop now! Pack stop you!"

GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+1: aliased to Melee+1+1+1: (20)+14+1+1+1: 37 (THREAT)
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+1: aliased to Melee+1+1+1: (2)+14+1+1+1: 19
GAME: Zyla rolls first: aliased to 2d8+10+1: (10)+10+1: 21
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+18: (13)+18: 31
GAME: Zyla spends ONE use of STUNNING FIST.

Zyla surges forward with all her speed, including the boost from haste and throws her fist at the demon. She hits though she fails to stun it, she did smack it soundly.

GAME: Andelena rolls weapon12+1: (14)+11+1: 26
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon12+1+1: (10)+11+1+1: 23
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (8)+10: 18
GAME: Andelena rolls Will: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (18)+10: 28
GAME: Rhar rolls will: (16)+11: 27

Andelena goes into action. Aided by Telamon's quickening magic, her steps carry her through the crowd. "Holy Knight, may I be the servant that delivers your judgment," she utters in a prayer as she approaches--

And her beautiful blade ignites into silvery flame, holy power flowing through the Sunguard. Andelena's eyes go wide as she lifts it up into the air and sees what's happening. "What the--"

Her swing goes wide on the demon from sheer surprise. In the seconds after, she looks down at the blade and says, "Deliverance, what...?"

GAME: Aftershock rolls 5d8: (26): 26
GAME: Zyla rolls will: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)

The demon takes a half-step backwards, waving it's hands in an arcane gesture and grumbling something in a demonic arcane tongue. The result is a blast of energy that leaves everyone feeling aches and pains. It's an unpleasant reminder that the demon is not only capable of slashing and cutting, but doing other things as well.

Meanwhile the crowd, terrified of Dolan's bared weapon, runs in the opposite direction. "Why are they attacking that little old lady? SHE'S NOT A DEMON!" People seem a little restless, and even a few look like they might intervene.

GAME: Telamon rolls talky: aliased to diplomacy+8: (13)+24+8: 45
GAME: Telamon casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 12 DC: 23
GAME: Telamon rolls ranged+1: (19)+8+1: 28
GAME: Telamon rolls sorcerer: (12)+12: 24
GAME: Telamon rolls sorcerer: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1+2: (15)+11+1+2: 29
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1+2-5: (20)+11+1+2+-5: 29 (THREAT)
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1+2-5: (3)+11+1+2+-5: 12

"Look around! Look at all the people that 'old woman' ran past!" Telamon's voice rises up, clear and compelling, like the moon blasting through the clouds. "That is no 'old woman', but a demon in disguise, wounding you as he tries to flee his just reward!"

With that, Telamon begins chanting, energy building up as he incants, "Ilim sugzag, gu ubri sahar!" A greenish-blue lance of light stabs out from his palm, striking the demon dead center, but dissipates harmlessly. "Son of a...."

GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+2+4+2d6: (10)+6+2+4+(6): 28
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+2+4+2d6: (10)+6+2+4+(2): 24
GAME: Rhar rolls weapon6+1: (2)+20+1: 23
GAME: Rhar rolls companionmelee+1: (15)+15+1: 31

Meanwhile, Dolan is absolutely single-mindedly focused on the task ahead of him. This isn't going to be easy, and he knows it, especially after the spell washes through him and leaves him aching. He follows the demon back, shouting, "Then why are you bleeding?" he shouts, his only attention spared for the crowd. Two more strikes, quick and sure, follow, leaving the four-armed creature before him with wounds of his own.

GAME: Rhar rolls gurr damage: aliased to 1d8+10: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Rhar rolls 1d20+17: (7)+17: 24

With the crowd dispersing, Gurr and Rhar can now finish moving around and to the creature. The lowering crowd is good as Gurr may slow some from the aches and pains suddenly appearing in old wolf joints. "Rhar say no!" She swings her sharp stick at its eye, but to no avail. Gurr snaps at the fiend and gets a nibble, but not enough to hold on.

GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+1: aliased to Ranged+1-3+1: (8)+12+1+-3+1: 19
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+1: aliased to Ranged+1-3+1: (11)+12+1+-3+1: 22
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+1-5: aliased to Ranged+1-3+1-5: (17)+12+1+-3+1+-5: 23
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg: aliased to 1d12+1+6: (9)+1+6: 16
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg: aliased to 1d12+1+6: (3)+1+6: 10
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg: aliased to 1d12+1+6: (9)+1+6: 16

Dirk narrows his eyes as the demon is revealed and engages with his friends. He may not have powerful magic on his side like some. But he -does- have his trusty old thunderbelcher. He swings the weapon up and sights down the barrel, eyes narrowed as he draws his bead. "-Smile-, you son of a--" CHK-BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The weapon bellows, hastened by Telamon's magics, and three cold iron bullets find their way into the demon's accursed hide. "HAH! How d'ye like -that-, ye sheepfucker?!" he growls with a savage grin.

GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (13)+14+1+1: 29
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (20)+14+1+1: 36 (THREAT)
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (5)+14+1+1: 21
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed-5: aliased to Melee+1+1-5: (13)+14+1+1+-5: 24
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (14)+14+1+1: 30
GAME: Zyla rolls first: aliased to 2d8+10+1: (7)+10+1: 18
GAME: Zyla rolls first: aliased to 2d8+10+1: (7)+10+1: 18
GAME: Zyla rolls 4d8+14+2: (20)+14+2: 36
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon12+1+5: (19)+11+1+5: 36 (THREAT)
GAME: Rhar rolls weapon6+1+4: (13)+20+1+4: 38
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon12+1+5: (16)+11+1+5: 33
GAME: Rhar rolls companionmelee+1+4: (7)+15+1+4: 27
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+1+5+2: (16)+11+1+5+2: 35
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6+2+2d6: (9)+6+2+(9): 26
GAME: Andelena rolls damage12+damage12+4+2+1d6: aliased to 1d8+5+1d8+5+4+2+1d6: (1)+5+(2)+5+4+2+(5): 24
GAME: Rhar rolls damage6+cavalier: aliased to 1d4+5+cavalier: (4)+5+14: 23

Zyla moves just a little bit forward. She got hurt by the demon and she wants some payback. She loses blow after blow at the demon, two hitting, one of which hits quite hard, and the rest miss.

/There/. An opening. Zyla's hard strike into the demon gives Andelena what she needs to see and strike true, her blade blazing with silvered flame as she drives it into the demon--

At the same time that Dolan and Rhar strike the demon, a threefold death to send the demon on. It explodes into a flame that burns quickly down into the ground, leaving behind only a scorch mark and injured bystanders as souvenirs of its infernal presence.

Telamon's eyes widen as Andelena's blazing sword carves into the demon, and between Dolan, Andie, Rhar, and Zyla, they literally pulverize the thing into a smoldering crater. "...Gods," he finally says in surprise, approaching closer now, looking at the smoking spot in the street where a demon once stood. "...Well, I guess we'll have to check with Lady Tuskscar, see if her troubles have started to ease now."

Dirk relaxes from his stance as the demon goes up in a blaze of glory. "Is it -dead-?" he asks, eyes wide. "Och, by my father's beard, I'll -never- get used tae fightin' demons. Give me a plain ol' deer any day!" He trundles over to join his friends. He looks up and around at the others, hefting his thunderbelcher up over his shoulder. "Aye, Telamon's got it right," he says with a nod. "Need tae see if the curse is broken. 'cause if it -isn't-... then we've got more'n just a frisky demon on our hands."

The heat of hellish yellow-green flame that burns into the ground is both reward and warning in its own right. "Got you, you little fucker," Dolan snarls, then turns to Andelena. "What was that on your blade, baby? Hell of a trick. Well done," he nods to the others as well, then turns to the crowd. "Anyone hurt?"

There are honorable warriors. Then there are those that win more often. Rhar is a bit of both and encourages everyone else the same. When Zyla strikes hard enough to briefly unbalance the demon she darts in with her sharp stick, "Go! Easy prey!" Rah rah Rhar! Its not the size of the stick; its how many of them everyone can jab into the evil things at once. She may lose a bit of eyebrow, bang, or toe-fur with the sudden WHOOSH of the fiendish flaming finale, but the important thing is that it's gone.

Oh! Right! There is also the whole curse thing, too. She looks to Telamon and Dolan, wondering. "All gone?"

Andelena watches the silvery flame lick out from her blade in sort of an awe before it winks out. "I have no clue," she replies to Dolan, softly. But there's a smile on her face. "Deliverance, you /are/ full of tricks, huh."

Clearly, the Sunguard has some investigation and research to do.

The Lady Tuskscar's manservant politely - very politely - requests that you escort her home. Just to be sure that the curse is gone. Thankfully nothing terrible happens to her, or even around her on the way back. It seems that the demon was indeed the cause of her misfortunes. Which does beg the question as to why the demon chose to attach itself to her. Perhaps a questioning of her enemy is in order. But for now, the Lady is safely at home, and the demon safely dispatched. All in a day's work.

-End