Encore (Part 2)

Kol moves the last few feet to the man's side, and with a few deft motions begins to release his 'prisoner'. "I do not pretend to know what is pleasure for any man save myself save that I seek to give it." Says the tall green-eyed man. "I have known pain all my life, and so for myself it has become a sort of joy to feel."

The man falls practically, and Kol catches him easily, holds him up where his own legs could not do otherwise and the man uses Kol to prop himself up. When it happens... none of you expect it. Not even Kol. The vampire - for that's what the man is - strikes. Biting into Kol's neck savagely. Kol reacts on instinct, punching the other man in the face to back him off even as his hand covers the wound on his neck to try and forestall the gushing blood that bubbles up from under his hand.

GAME: Serene casts Knight's Calling. Caster Level: 20 DC: 23
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (15)+23: 38
GAME: Serene casts Greater Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26

"Keep him alive!" Serene snaps at the others while a slender, silver rod appears momentarily in her hand. She points it at the now revealed vampire, her shield hand grasping her holy symbol as she chants... and nothing. Her lips press tight for a second, her eyes narrowing.. then she sucks in her breath and even as the rod disappears once again, another chants bathes her in silver light, a light that coalesces into a pair of translucent wings upon her back. The aura about her strengthens and her voice takes on a slightly echoing quality as she calls Nale out, then draws her holy sword and rushes him.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (8)+23: 31
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+26: (20)+26: 46
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+26: (9)+26: 35
GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d10+7: (12)+7: 19

The vampire rears back, flashing his fangs and angling a second bite. Kol is twice as fast however, snapping his fist forward with all the gentleness of a gunpowder-powered device. His fist plows through the vampire's nose and the crack of the bone can be heard through the room. You watch the bone snap up into the vampire's head. You watch the spinal cord snap. The vampire's head sort of hangs there and yet... it's still alive. Its bones repair as you watch with horrid fascination.

"She wants you to run Kol. You know better than to defy her." The vampire's voice is thick with blood and Kol tilts his head slightly.

"I will go when it pleases me, if you had asked... perhaps, but you did not ask to bite me my friend."

GAME: Kira spends ONE use of LAY ON HANDS.

Kira looks between Kol and the now-apparent vampire... that is healing itself in nauseatingly familiar ways. "Oh no..." She darts to Kol, skirting the vampire as she's able, coming up on Kol's flank. He's not undead. He's not exactly their enemy, here and now. He's most certainly wounded. "You don't wish to die, then allow me to heal your wounds. May... Her Grace be upon you." She then touches his shoulder with his consent, imparting that Grace to him.

GAME: Kira rolls 7d6: (27): 27
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+se+haste: aliased to weapon1+charisma+1: (9)+22+7+1: 39
GAME: Seldan rolls reuniondmg+se2dmg+2hdmg: aliased to 1d8+9+16+2hdmg: (6)+9+16+2hdmg: 31
GAME: Seldan spends ONE use of SMITE EVIL.

Seldan is still preparing to talk when the battle is abruptly joined! It takes him a breath to register what just happened, as everyone explodes into action , and he raises a hand, only to realize that anything he might cast is unlikely to have any effect. "Serene, my spells will not operate in the presence of yours!" With that warning, and a thought, he draws Reunion and closes with the vampire, adding as his blade snaps out, "Enough. Your toy is anathema to Eluna, and by her grace I shall see it destroyed."

GAME: Serene spends ONE use of SMITE EVIL.

Serene gives her chin a rough, if short, jerk as Seldan giver her his warning. A word has the aura and the wings dissolving, only for it to be replaced with the light of Elune as she calls upon the moon's divine power to smite the wicked.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (17)+23: 40
GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d8+11: (10)+11: 21
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (2): 2

The vampire manages at last to get ahold of someone. Namely Seldan who he promptly bites and begins to thirstily drink down. The vampire holds Seldan tenderly in his arms, gently drinking his blood as Kol looks on. The dark-haired man takes a few steps back, watching you all engage with the vampire.

Kira is pleased to see Kol step back. While he hasn't seemed ... nice, he has been polite, and not aggressive against them here and now. He is in need of aid and so she grants it. "Healer, grant me Your Grace so that I might give rest to this tortured soul..." A diffuse glow, not unlike that from her hand, before, now spreads across her person and lingers.

GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+se+pa+haste: aliased to weapon1+charisma-4+1: (7)+22+7+-4+1: 33
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+se+pa+haste-5: aliased to weapon1+charisma-4+1-5: (6)+22+7+-4+1+-5: 27
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+se+pa+haste-10: aliased to weapon1+charisma-4+1-10: (5)+22+7+-4+1+-10: 21
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+se+pa+haste: aliased to weapon1+charisma-4+1: (12)+22+7+-4+1: 38
GAME: {*} Seldan rolls reuniondmg+2hand+sedmg+padmg: aliased to 1d8+9+2+8+8: (5)+9+2+8+8: 32
GAME: {*} Seldan rolls reuniondmg+2hand+sedmg+padmg: aliased to 1d8+9+2+8+8: (8)+9+2+8+8: 35

The all-too-familiar dizziness floods over Seldan as the vampire's teeth sink into his neck, crimson flowing freely only to melt away the moment it hits the eerily immaculate armor. "Not today, evil one," he snarls, jerking away - which only leaves more crimson to flow - and lashing out with Reunion, both hands on the blade for all he is worth. Unfortunately, the loss of blood is telling, and not all of his strikes land true, but he's making headway with the creature as the two that do hit sink deeply into eerily pale flesh.

GAME: Boshter rolls 1d20+27: (3)+27: 30

So Boshter lunges towards the biting Vampire on Seldan, making a plan of grabbing it and peeling it back from him.

Unfortunately, vampires are slippery. Must be all the sparkles, you know? Either way, he doesn't get a grip on it and actually looks quite annoyed.

GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+5+12-2-6+2: (4)+20+5+5+12+-2+-6+2: 40
GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+5+12-2-6-5+2: (9)+20+5+5+12+-2+-6+-5+2: 40
GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+5+12-2-6-10+2: (8)+20+5+5+12+-2+-6+-10+2: 34
GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+5+12-2-6-15+2: (11)+20+5+5+12+-2+-6+-15+2: 32
GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+1+12-2-6+2: (10)+20+5+1+12+-2+-6+2: 42
GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+1+12-2-6-5+2: (16)+20+5+1+12+-2+-6+-5+2: 43
GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+1+12-2-6-10+2: (15)+20+5+1+12+-2+-6+-10+2: 37
GAME: Serene rolls 1d8+5+5+40+12+2d6+12d6: (3)+5+5+40+12+(7)+(37): 109
GAME: Serene rolls 1d8+5+5+20+12+2d6: (3)+5+5+20+12+(4): 49
GAME: Serene rolls 1d8+5+5+20+12+2d6: (3)+5+5+20+12+(7): 52
GAME: Serene rolls 1d8+5+5+20+12+2d6: (7)+5+5+20+12+(7): 56
GAME: Serene rolls 1d3+2+1+20+6: (2)+2+1+20+6: 31
GAME: Serene rolls 1d3+2+1+20+6: (1)+2+1+20+6: 30
GAME: Serene rolls 1d3+2+1+20+6: (1)+2+1+20+6: 30
GAME: Serene spends TWO uses of LAY ON HANDS.

"Be ready," Serene warns, though who she is warning she leaves open as she puts her holy sword to one of the uses for which it was intended. The blade and shield work through a routine that for some might seem familiar by now... thankfully the divine assistance empowering and guiding her arms help negate whatever defence might be raised against her predictable attacks. And the moon's fury is great indeed, for each blow is delivered without mercy.. for the undead deserve none.. until at last the vampire's form seems to break apart completely into a forboding mist.

The mist moves away from you, heading for the ceiling where it might be out of reach, and Kol subtly moves toward the wall, shifting his weight as if uncomfortable. "Have you done enough now?" His tone is dry.

Kira watches the mist rise for a moment, but turns her attention to Kol at his comment and tone. "He could have killed you, and you said you wanted to live, so we helped you." Her tone isn't scolding, but is a firmly polite reminder. "Was there more that you needed?"

GAME: Seldan casts Resilient Sphere. Caster Level: 15 DC: 21

The mist quickly heads for the ceiling, but Seldan's eyes track it unerringly, and he leaves a bloodied Reunion to only one hand, instead looking up and tracing several sigils in the air. A burst of blue-silver-gold-white, and they reform as an unmoving sphere of shimmering force around the cloud of mist at the ceiling.

He then turns his attention to Kol, the crimson of fresh blood overlaying the layers from earlier. "Did you wish to be a vampire, Kol Demontry? Damned for all time? There are other feelings besides pain, that make life worth living."

"...Punching mist is not fun," grumbles Boshter, as he observes it.

Then he turns towards Kol, curious. His eyes narrow.

"Do not be a vampire," he advises. "I am very good at punching them."

A pause.

"Usually."

Serene snaps her blade to the side, flicking off some, but not all, of the dead blood drawn from the vanquished vampire, then looks up at the sphere holding it prisoner. Briefly, to be sure it isn't leaving within the next few moments. Then she turns to regard Kol thoughtfully for a number of seconds, making no secret that she is using Eluna's grace to read his aura. Then, adding to Kira, Seldan and even Boshter's admonishments, "That path does not end well for you. Neither does your allegiance with the faerie witch."

Kol eyes you and then finally gives a little noncommittal shrug. "I have said, I have no desire for death. You are right my friends. That there is more to life than one thing, and it is after all /life/ that I seek." He glances toward the mist. "Tell her that I refuse her offer. However pleasurable the service might be, I am not willing to die for it. Not yet."

Kira may be mussed and dirtied from their battles to get here, but a blossoming smile cuts through that just the same. To light upon one she didn't previously expect to see, much less smile at, five minutes ago. "There is much joy to be found in life. I truly hope that you will discover all of it." Even if she fears he ultimately won't, it isn't an empty wish.

Seldan, too, smiles, at least a little, and he, too, finds himself surprised by that. "Then I wish you much joy in the discovery of all that life is, but I offer you also a warning. Would you evade death, you will avoid the kingdom of Alexandros and its capital, Alexandria. A previous you was caught within her service, and committed atrocities there for which its people will see you dead on sight, do you be recognized. There is much of life outside its borders."

"Two warnings, Kol Dementry," Serene says, notably lacking the smiles her compatriots offer, some small or slight as they may be. "This other you... do not make the choices he did." A hard promise in that statement. Then she turns away from him to regard the entrapped vampire mist again, scowling.

Kol smiles an odd smile, though in truth he has never really ceased smiling at least a little. He rolls his shoulders in another shrug. "Having never known this 'other' me, I can make no promises to keep from making his choices." He motions to his head. "What about her?"

"As for her ... tell me," Seldan begins, by way of answer, "do you bear upon you the mark of a snowflake, anywhere upon your person?" He pauses, waiting for the answer, impassively and neutrally.

A pause.

Boshter is frowning. Most of this is in reference to things he has only marginally heard of and he's clearly willing to let it stay in the realm of those who know better.

"Let me know if I need to punch him," he remarks to Seldan and Serene.

Kira pauses at Seldan's very pertinent question, though adds, "You've already proven that she doesn't control you. You aren't forced to do whatever she asks."

"No, there is no such mark on my body." Kol seems quite certain of this, though curious as well. "Why, should there be? All I bear is her voice inside my head."

"I do not think you will need to punch this one, Boshter," Serene replies to the arvek pugilist, eyes still on the sphere containing the vampire. "Not today." The snowflake talk she leaves to the other paladins, those who have had far more experience.. and knowledge.. with the brands.

Seldan nods, as if the answer satisfies him. "Were you truly in her service, or one she claims as hers, you would bear such a mark. Those marks permit her to do many things, including see through your eyes. It is good that you do not bear one such. You need not do as she asks, although were I in your shoes, I would search for a means to banish that voice entirely. For in the seeking of answers to mysteries, and in the facing of obstacles, does one also find life." He stops, and tilts his head as if surprised. "As have I found."

Boshter looks disappointed. There is to be no punching. His face screws up a bit. "Very well! But I promise I will punch the next vampire *very* hard and then one of you can explain to me all of this."

This answer seems to satisfy Kol, at least enough for the man to turn and make his way for the exit. There are no further words from him. Nor from the vampire. A search of the room will help you locate his coffin, and with its destruction, the cloud of vapor will dissipate leaving the vampire himself quite dead.

-End