Family Matters, part 7

Log Info

• Title: Family Matters, part 7
• Emitter: Thurid
• Characters: Aimarra, Donna, Ashes
• Place: The Jade Isles
• Time: Thursday, May 20, 2021, 2:01 PM
• Summary: Inside the castle, the Armour rises and starts attacking everyone, except the Mourner, who stays out of it's way. The battle continues! The Ancestral Armour clearing all the skeletons and zombies while the trio hang back. They attempt to get through to it, by reminding Lord Kiriyama about his past. A blue seal on the armour appears to have ensorcelled it, Aimarra removes it, and while the spirit explains it is resisting the control, it cannot. They must disarm him. Ashes casts some more protective spells and Donna rushes in, grabbing the spear. With the spear taken, the spirit posessing the armour heads outside, to fight the demons that have filled his family's home.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Aimarra      5'1"     128 Lb     Half-Elf          Female    Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face          
Donna        5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A black-haired human girl in black robes.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Thurid       7'1"     249 Lb     Giantborn         Female    Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Previously

The mighty suit of armor steps down from its plinth and onto the tatami floor, dust falling from its time-stiffened joints. It brings its massive spear back as though to swing at Ashes as she retreats- but something about her words stays his hand. The blue flames burning inside his helmet flare for a moment, becoming green, and then gold, before fading back to pale blue. He lets her go, but he dashes across the room towards the zombie occupied with fighting Donna. He leaps at the last moment, hefting the spear overhead and bringing it crashing down on Donna and the Zombie both- the zombie is destroyed, utterly, but luckily Donna is made of sterner stuff.

Meanwhile, the other skeleton is still taking pot shots with his bow, and still missing. It seems their orders are particularly strict- it hasn't even moved off the spot. The zombie Donna tripped slowly rises to its feet, Aimarra's sword glancing off its armor as it rises, and then it upswings its club, catching her right on the chin with it.

Aimarra says, "I said, hold still, you little shit."

"Oi!" Donna says, insulted by being collateral damage. "Watch your strikes, Lord!" Crouching, the wounded brawler charges toward the zombie, unconsciously kicking aside a sweeping spear, and turning briefly to look *annoyed.* "OI!"

Snarling, she finishes her approach, and twists her entire body around to put as much emphasis as possible on the fist that lands int he zombie's face.

Ashlee stares at the colours inside the helmet, changing. She doesn't understand, but she has inklings. Hunches that she's about to throw out when the suit strikes at Donna. Perhaps it can't see well past the mask, and while the armour's movements leave it open, she doesn't attack.

Then, it falls prone! The spear is right there to be grabbed. She's not that sort of combattent though. The Mourner prefers to stand at the back, watching, far away from blades and spears that can cut her in half. Continue with the plan, and the appeal then.

Ashlee retreats, down the side of the low table and just out of reach of the zombie. The armour's next likely target. "Feiu of the Tears, we are not ready for your embrace yet." Once more the unsettling stillness of the veil is felt. Wounds knit, death does not hurt should you choose it.

"Oshikage no Kiriyama," Ashlee calls out, "Some of your descendants have become corrupt. A second son, Goebu, slew the elder and ursurped his lands. We are vassals of the true line and work to set it right. Resist the power that tries to harness you."

Now

GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon2: (16)+9: 25
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon2-5: (14)+9+-5: 18
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d8+3: (2)+3: 5

The *crash* the thing makes as it falls is tremendous. Whatever game there was, whatever stealth was to be had - is no more, and well Aimarra knows it. Everyone within five miles probably knows something's up. A quick glance over, and Aimarra raises the blade again. "Get the spear before it kills us all! I've got this!"

Two strikes of the longsword in her hand later, and the zombie is a mess of bleeding, rotting flesh on the floor. "I said, _hold still_, you rotten son of a bitch."

<OOC> Thurid says, "Fires an arrow at Ashes"
GAME: Thurid rolls 4: (2)+4: 6

Even as Ashes cries out to the posessed armor, an arrow comes whipping past her- the last remaining skeletal archer still trying to strike down the adventurers, but having lost a couple of its fingers to the earlier wave of positive energy, its aim is not what it could be.

The suit of armor does indeed make a terrible crash as it lands on the ground. But it does not allow its failed strike to keep it down. It rises to a knee, setting the haft of the spear against the ground to help it rise. When it does, Ashes is speaking to him again. His bale-fire eyes fix on her, once more the pale, cold blue shifts to a more vibrant, burning gold. But the helm shakes, as though dismissing a thought.

He swings the spear overhead, bringing it to rest with the haft against his back and the blade outstretched, he starts bowling towards the last remaining skeleton- heedless to the adventurers in his way, and aparrently willing to run straight through them if need be.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Donna shouts, indignance rising, as the armor barrels past the group. She pauses, however, and takes a long, deep breath, pushing the magic down from its endless wellspring, and allowing the tiredness to come back in. "Gonna need a minute," she pants, dropping to the floor behind Ashes, and doubling over to rest her hands on her knees. "An' I'm about to cause a diplimatic incident if he runs roughshod over me *one more time.*"

The ashen Arvec assess the situation. The armour is on the ground, that would be heard, everywhere, the ursurping Lord is surely aware of their presence by now, and reinforcements may be coming.

She would definitely like to grab the spear, but that's not her combat role. As her drill sergent yelled at her, repeatedly, her job is to stand at the back, stare curses at people, and heal anyone that crawls towards her.

And mind the goblins. But there are no goblins here to mind.

"Okay," she says, in seeming agreement, to either Aimarra or the echoes in her mind. As Donna moves in behind her, she moves away from the armour and to the left of the brawler. It's someone else's job to snatch spears.

She can't even catch arrows.

Almost in tune with the others, seeing that change in color - Aimarra changes her tune. She pulls back out of its reach with the others, lowering her still-nasty-messy longsword, and watches in silence what she _knows_ is about to happen.

GAME: Thurid rolls 2: (15)+2: 17
GAME: Thurid rolls 15-2: (20)+15+-2: 33
GAME: Thurid rolls 15-2: (20)+15+-2: 33
GAME: Thurid rolls 6d8+27+12: (29)+27+12: 68

The skeleton drops its bow as a threat enters melee range to it, and it steps forwards, drawing its curved blades and swinging it towards the suit of armor.

IN a flash, the armor swings its spear around. At first glance, it seems as though the armor must have missed- nothing happens to the skeleton. At first glance.

After a moment, the katana falls in half, split by the keen edge of the ancestral spear. And a moment later, the skeleton's lower arm drops off. Then it splits, diagonally, from pelvis to collarbone. It collapses into a pile of bone meal on the floor.

The armor flourishes its spear, swinging it around overhead once more, as it turns back towards the adventurers. The haft of it strikes the tatami ground, and pale blue flames leap from the head of the blade, flowing along the ground and licking at the walls. The hall is soon awash with the cold flames of the underworld.

The armor lowers its stance, and grips the spear in both hands again, preparing to strike at the living now that the dead are gone.

GAME: Ashes rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+16: 36
GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (19)+13: 32
GAME: Donna rolls perception: (7)+12: 19

The armor is posessed, and so it is technically an undead. However, the golden light indicates the posessing spirit trying to fight its commands. The golden light felt more like positive energy, while the blue fire feels like negative energy. It might be possible to distract it by contuinuing to remind it of its mortal life and family.

"OH FOR--" Donna blurts, squeezing her eyes shut as the armor turns to ready for another fight. Holding up one hand, she lowers herself to one knee and bows her head. "Lord Kiriyama, we're here to save your entire family line from an evil that's almost wiped out your bloodline. We ain't exactly in a position to stop you murderin' us, but... Somehow that don't seem like somethin' as a good an' holy man would do."

"It is possessd, undead. The posessing spirit has a positive energy, when I saw the golden light. The blue fire, is the ensorcellment, which controls it." Ashlee states in monotone, "It killed the others to power up. It is coming after us now, unless we can reach the ancestor."

The Mourner is uncertain, what to do, how her Goddess feels about this, and ways to reach the spirit. There's something which might work, or make things worse. She stares, drawing on the energy of death to impart a protective curse, a ward. "Help him resist." She prays, touching the holy symbol on her breastplate.

In clear tones she calls out, "Lord Kiriyama, we know of a ritual to free your family fortress from this curse. We are honour-bound to stay to do this. Fulfill your duty to your descendants, allow us to aid you in clearing your house."

It's a stretch, but if there's anything an Arvek Nar understands, it's duty and following orders.

GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon0: (5)+8: 13

A flash of _something_ as it turns, and Aimarra is unsure of its meaning - why would paper be glued to the back of a piece of armor? And then, Ashes explains. Brown eyes light up, and her features take on a positively feral, predatory cast. "Very well. I think I know how to break it."

She doesn't explain, just switches her sword to the other hand and bursts into a run, dashing - towards it? No, around to its side, and behind it. Running feet, the whisper of paper whipped from - something, and Aimarra has whatever was attached to its back in her hand. It appears to be a strip of paper with arcane symbols written down it.

GAME: Aimarra rolls reflex: (20)+7: 27 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Thurid rolls 1d6: (3): 3

The armor's eyes flare again at Ashes and Donna's words. It takes one lurching step towards them, as though it is fighting its own movement. And then the slip of paper is torn from its back. The paper bursts int flames, quickly burning away to cinders in Aimarra's hand, though she promptly drops it and saves her fingertips from too severe a singing.

The suit of armor stumbles forwards, dropping to a knee, and again supporting itself with the help of the haft of its spear.

Blue flames pour from the back of its armor, where the seal had been removed. And with them a horrible wailing, like the souls of the dead themselves escaping. This continues unabated for several long moments.

The suit eventually rises again, looking towards the others. "My will is not my own." a disembodied voice echoes from within its helmet. It takes a halting step towards Donna and Ashes, but stops it again.

A sudden crashing against the double dalls of the hall draw everyone's attention. Though they are barred from within, it seems like the unholy forces without have finally had their attention drawn to the noise. A crash again, and the wooden bar across the doors creaks and begins to split. It will only be a matter of time before they make it through.

GAME: Donna casts Thunderstomp. Caster Level: 8 DC: 13
GAME: Donna rolls acrobatics: (3)+13: 16
GAME: Donna rolls 1d20+8+3: (3)+8+3: 14
GAME: Thurid rolls 7: (12)+7: 19
GAME: Thurid rolls 2d8+7: (9)+7: 16

"Okay so how do we get your will back?!" Donna shouts, throwing herself back to avoid an oncoming lunge... And stumbling over a pillow to earn herself a deep cut on her side. "Cos we need you *helpin'* not.... RRGH!" Tired, angry, and more than a little worried about her life, Donna lifts a foot and *slams* it to the ground, causing a wave of pale-blue force to streak out from the point of impact... and crash helplessly against the armor's greaves.

GAME: Ashes casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
GAME: Thurid rolls 8: (12)+8: 20

Ashes also takes a step back. She's right beside the door and it's splintering bar. This could be a concern. For later. Right now, there's the giant suit of armour, the deadly spear, and a vast lack of ideas on what the best approach is, on her part.

She holds up the red cord she was given by Lord Hiei, displayed towards the armour. "This is the token of your descendent to show we are in his service, so your loyal retainers would recognize us, Lord Kiriyama. I would free your will."

She touches her holy symbol, prays loudly, "Feiu of the Tears, free the mind of this bound spirit, so in undeath he is not forced to tarnish the honour he acheived in life. Protect him from evil."

And her silent prayer, please work, as the dark bands of the Grey Lady surround the armour to protect him.

Aimarra contemplates those blue fires ... what will happen if she puts one out. Can she even do that? They aren't hot, so who knows. It's too big to stomp it out, it's the size of a medium sized fire. She could pillow beat it out, if she had a pillow, if that ever works. The fire is climbing the walls, like fire does. Nothing is being charred, so not like a normal fire. Possibly, not of this plane, it isn't interacting with non-living materials.

The armor's eyes turn gold again, burning with real fire rather than balefire as Ashes' spell of protection takes hold. "You will have to defeat me, or take the spear from me. I cannot break free on my own. I turned my wrath on the undead first to afford you opportunity to strike at me, but I am compelled to attack all invaders. I am sorry. The shrine is holy ground, it may afford you some protection." and then he stands up again and gets ready to attack.

He literally spells it out for them.

GAME: Donna rolls 1d20+8+3: (10)+8+3: 21
GAME: Thurid rolls 9: (14)+9: 23
GAME: Thurid rolls 2d8+7: (15)+7: 22

"....Oh," Donna says, staring up at the armor as it lays out the conditions necessary for its freedom. "Well that's simple, then..." Lunging forward *into* the armor's reflexive stab, she grits her teeth as the spear bites deeply into the hands she brings up to catch it. With a twist and a pained yell, she wrests the weapon free of its owner's grasp.

As the spear is taken from the armor, the fire leaves its eyes and the various pieces of it collapse into a pile with a series of loud clangs and clatters. The blue flames in the room lose their hue- and turn to normal fire, which now begins to bite at the woodwork of the grand hall, peeling laquer and charring wood beneath.

The ghostly figure of Kiriyama stands before the adventurers, over the collapsed remains of his armor. His spirit, unless it is exageratted by ancient memory, is every bit a giant of a man as his armor would indicate- with great bushy eyebrows and a large belly. He turns his attention towards the door- its bar splintering with each heavy strike, and then rushes towards and through it.

The flames follow him, surging through the door and to the unseen far side- though the noise of shatteirng skeletons and burning zombies can be heard. The pounding against it stops, for now, and they are left in the dark once again.

Ashlee watches, as Donna grabs the spear, as the spirit appears. She gives him a deferential bow, stepping out of the way as he rushes through the door. The sounds of distant vengence on the undead is satisfying.

She looks at the heap of armour, and removes some things from the satchel she keeps at her side. Her light crossbow. Her Healer's kit. Her thanatopticon. Objects, at least the crossbow and the kit, which are much larger than the leather messenger bag. She approaches the armour.

"It's too big, but I can carry most of it." Kneeling, she takes the greaves first, on leg at a time, then the breastplate, the sabatons. Most of the armour, a little over two-thirds vanish into the weatherbeaten bag she carries. "Someone will have to take the rest."

She raises her skull face to look at Aimarra, then around, "Should we try the shrine for the ritual first?"

"I've got it." Aimarra's eyes go apprehensively to the cracked and splintered door. "Do we really have time for a ritual? We've got to get out of here, the alarm has been raised."

The demons remain bound by some sort of ritual. The spear of Lord Kiriyama is now in their hands. With this spear, he held back the forces of hell single handedly. His honorable spirit still lives within the spear, and with it they are now able to disrupt the ritual.

Once they find the ritual site.

After which, forces loyal to Lord Hiei will move to reclaim the castle proper.

Technicall it's a glaive. A really large one.

"...Well okay," Donna says faintly, hissing as she works the blade free of her gauntletted hands. "Two birds-- augh! --one stone. Nice." Shaking her hands, she looks from Ashlee to Aimarra, giving the long-bladed polearm a few experimental swings. "...I would *not* say no to a nap and a meal... But if y'all are still ready to finish this, we got a *great* distraction outside."

"The shrine is just up those steps," Ashlee points at the south eastern part of the room, "Lord Kiriyama will buy us a little time, if that's the correct place to disrupt the ritual. Success there might be all we need."

She glances back at the door, back at the direction of the shrine, "If it's not the right place, hiding until it settles down could be a better option. It's a risk either way, when the armour is found missing, they defenses will increase."

"Let's try it. Either way, we haven't got a moment to lose." Aimarra shoots another look at the door, but hefts the rest of the armor. A look at Donna, though, and a wince. "I've a few potions in my pack, if you are in need."

"Trade you potion for weapon?" Donna says, raising an eyebrow. "I know it's likely a lil' large for you, but, thinkin' as you could use it better'n I even still."

And unhesitatingly, the weapon is proffered, held in blood-slick fingers. "Sound thinkin' though; use every resource we got to us."

<OOC> Ashes says, "well touch Donna for the CMW"
GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+8: (5)+8: 13

"Okay." Ashlee heads away from the door, stops after a couple steps, "I have a Magic Circle against Evil I could put here."

Which might stop things coming through. While the Mourner thinks this over she also reaches out, lays a cold touch on the Brawler's shoulder and her injuries don't feel so bad any more.

GAME: Aimarra used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Aimarra used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Aimarra used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Aimarra used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Aimarra used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Thurid rolls 2d8+2: (9)+2: 11
GAME: Thurid rolls 1d8+1: (7)+1: 8
GAME: Thurid damaged you for -8 points. 34 HP remaining.

"Thanks," Ashlee drinks several potions down and feels a lot better.

The glaive is definitely way too big for Aimarra, but she takes it gingerly nonetheless, and the diminutive half-sil is barely visible under the weight of her burdens, but she does turn so that Donna can fish the potions from her pack. "You're the magic expert," she tells Ashes.

"Thanks," Donna breathes gratefully as she fishes the potions in question out of Aimarra's pack. "Seriously, y'all're both literal lifesavers. An' Ash, if you think it's a good idea, do it. Then let's go get this sonovabitch."

GAME: Ashes casts Magic Circle Against Evil. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

"Meet you there." Ashlee says, taking out a piece of chalk from her Satchel. She quickly draws a circle and marks it with the Grey Lady's symbols, "Feiu of the Tears, protect this place against evil."

That's it. It's pretty quick! The trap version takes forever and rarely works, but the little chalk marking in front of the door should keep out any summoned evil and maybe give regular evil a thought or two.

"I'm coming." She turns to follow the pair. Watching Aimarra struggle with the glaive she says, "I forgot to ask for Enlarge Person today."

When the doors for the shrine are reached, they have a multitude of those seals on them- though they are easy enough to remove, they don't actuallly stop the door from being pushed open, tearing in the process. Inside, the room is well lit- braziers burning alongside the sides of the room, each bearing representations of various gods of the Light and Grey Eidelons- those of the Dark are not represented. Deus gets a place of honor, a larger shrine, at the far end of the room, behind a thick red rope which acts as a barrier (if not a particularly effective one) to entry to the back area of the shrine.

Ashes will sense readily that the shrine is consecrated- holy ground. An unholy summoning ritual taking place here seems unlikely. The evil forces that have taken over the castle have yet to infiltrate this far.

GAME: Ashes rolls knowledge/religion: (10)+16: 26

The seals may have been part of the local priests' rituals, but any power they had is gone.

There is a box with a slotted top, similar to alms collection boxes, as well as a heavy bell with a cord hanging down in front of the main shrine at the end of the room.

"The seals were the local priest's, but they have lost all power. What remains comes from the consecrated holy ground." Ashlee explains in monotone, sharing what she sees and senses. She moves up to the red rope and halts. She's about to lay her hand on it, and halts that action as well.

Looking past, she notes the bell, the cord, the box.

"An offering might strengthen this. I'm not sure what is best. We could ask back in town, it might help us on the return." She glances back at the other two, "Or it might be destroyed by the evil forces, even though they haven't gotten this far yet."

The Mourner is also uncertain her presence won't interrupt the sanctity of the shrine. She's not the right priest to be performing rituals for Daeus.

Combatty

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |     Name      |  CHP (T) |  HP  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 | Aimarra.......|   41     |  55  |
 | Ashes.........|   34     |  41  |
 | Donna.........|   32     |  61  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mrn4bou0r8h