To Stalk The Fiend

Lupecyll-Atlon home, evening

The wind has died down, allowing the mist to pool and thicken in lower areas, making it difficult to see more than one's hand in front of one's face. The snow just adds to the mood.

From this mist and snow rushes a small form, her armored feet clanking and rattling along through the Noble Quarter. The noise continues right up to Telamon's doorstep. And then the knocking and bellringing begins.

Whomever it is... is very insistent.

"Ni'essa's light, just a -minute-!" Telamon comes downstairs, having been engrossed in study. A book tucked under his arm, the sorcerer doesn't even use the last few steps, jumping off and landing remarkably well (to be fair, it wasn't much of a drop).

"That better not be that lad from up the street or I'm hauling him home in a telekinetic sphere to chat with his parents," Tel growls, as he undoes the lock and pulls the door open with one hand. "WHA-- Simony?"

The Goblin's weapon is in her hand, the silvery fire lighting up the darkness just a tad. Panting, her expression is full of concern.

"M.may I come inside, Telamon? I believe it is of the utmost urgency, else I would not be uh... making a fuss."

Telamon stares at Simony, bemused, before peering outside. "Well... come in, gods know there's been enough fuss of late." He beckons to her, backing up so she can come inside.

Once she's stepped inside, Telamon notes, "This home is hallowed, so I seriously doubt any fiend can bother us. If you need further security, I can set up a couple things." His dark eyes are gentle. "I've been researching a few things, while Lana's out and about."

The Goblin clanks and jangles noisily, her armor on full display once more.

"I understand that your home has been fortified magically. But, I know that you're working on uhm eliminating a few problems and I think... this fiend I've been hunting may be involved in that. It... perverted my celestial ally, and the celestial tried to kill me. Harkashan slapped the fiend back to hell, but, it was not the fiend we were hunting. The ally said they were following the fiend in question in the noble district."

She pauses there for a moment, to let it settle in. "I am going to kill this thing or die trying."

Telamon stares. "It -corrupted- your celestial ally?" He actually looks revolted. "Damn it... alright, time to start pulling out the -nice- toys." Tel scowls. "Does this fiend have a name, something to identify it? A title?"

He looks at the book in his hand, and sighs. The book is titled 'Strange and Benevolent Denizens of the Outer Realms'. "Guess I'm gonna have to put this aside. I won't call something just so it can be warped into something awful."

Simony nods emphatically, "The celestial said that they felt a great evil, and then came back to itself after Harkashan yelled that god-awful word." She lets out a breath, "Koz'gon."

She gestures with a hand. "I am merely a small priestess, Telamon. My spells are not the most powerful. The ally I summoned was a uhm... small one. You, I suspect, could bring about more powerful extraplanar allies, that fiend may not have as easy a time with yours than it did with mine. You should still try, but.. you are forewarned, yes?"

The Goblin rubs at her neck. "It tried to strangle me to death... my God's strength saved me once more. Though, I am sure I was in good hands with Verna and Harkashan there, but I feel more confident of being able to handle myself."

Telamon's eyes narrow. "Koz'gon," he says, his mien suggesting a hunter marking a new quarry. "I think I shall look into this fiend first, to make sure I do not call something that might be vulnerable to it. Then I will decide what will be appropriate. There are powers and entities beyond those of merely deific servants, after all." He cracks his knuckles.

"That being said, I don't think you're 'merely' small. You can stand as tall as you need to be. And the fact you've survived says something, too." He taps his fingertips together. "I think this calls for something extraordinary. Ni'essa blessed me with the Trance Dream -- I will use it to see what I can unearth about your persistent fiend and his location."

"I honestly did not wish to ask you in on this, Telamon. But it was found messing around in your backyard, so to speak. You should at least know about this, and take some extra precautions. It may not be a danger to you directly, but it uhm... has proven to be dangerous, and a real pain in the behind."

Simony lets out a breath. "I know Verna and Harkashan are powerful, much more so than I, but you bring a different sort of powerful to the table." She rubs her face and makes a sound of frustration. "At some point I'll be able to solve these problems myself."

Telamon shakes his head. "Do not sell Verna short. She grasps both arcane and divine magic, and I have no shame in admitting she makes -me- feel very inexperienced sometimes. Even now." His eyes twinkle. "And that's not just because she is my sister by bond. She's always impressed me."

"And Hark? Don't be fooled either. That old makari is clever and tricky. I suspect it's Rune's influence on him -- for a servant of Vardama he can be very flexible in his tactics and strategy."

Tel growls a bit. "But yes. This little bastard is piddling in my lawn, and I think I've had enough of it. Time to teach him what it means to cross an archmage."

"No no, what I mean is... she is powerful, you're a different sort of powerful. Different flavour of magics. We will need different angles to deal with this fiend." The Goblin steps forward to hug at the man's waist. "She's a good woman, and I am happy to have had her at my side in all of this. Also, I did not realize she was your sister."

Simony grins, "So since I am here, would you like me to get some tea started and you can talk about that book? And I can talk a little more about the fiend."

Of course, he hugs Simony back. "Indeed! It's... well, it's not that complicated. Auranar was adopted into our family -- she is now Auranar Lupecyll-Atlon. And since she wed Verna, so too Verna is a Lupecyll-Atlon. I joked about having my family grow and Lana and I haven't even had any children yet -- not that we're avoiding the prospect." He grins impishly.

"Go ahead. Once the tea is started, I'll explain the book." Indeed, once the teakettle is on, Telamon explains, "Everyone knows about angels and archons. There are also the free-spirited azata, who are thought to be related to the fey in some ways. But then there are entities and powers which serve the gods of light but don't fit into the usual taxonomies." He pulls the book out and opens it to a specific page, depicting a strange creature. Where a werewolf is a twisted, aberrant blend of wolf and man, this creature seems to be a seamless, harmonious blending of humanoid and long-haired hound. "The moon dogs. Servants of Ni'essa."

The Goblin knows the kitchen decently well, and chooses a fruit-flavoured tea. While waiting on boiling and steeping, she listens to Telamon, chuckling at his expanding family, and gasping lightly at the moon dog. "Awwwww, adorable!"

Her grin's broad then. "The servant I called for had the body of a man, but the head of a raven. An interesting being, I feel for them, I got the feeling that they believed they had failed, and let me down. I told them they had actually succeeded, and despite the fiend abusing them in such a manner, the fiend had... erred. Multiple times."

She rubs at her chin, and lets out a huff of breath. "So basically angels and demons, and all the other flavours of extra planar servants of the gods, are one and the same. Just different uhm... outlooks on everything. In a way this makes it easier to understand, but also, very unsettling."

"It's important to codify things. What can be used to convince an archon to follow your lead might not work for an azata." He flips over several pages to show a strangely elven-looking fellow. "Regardless, though, we will need the right ally for the job. I have no intention of calling forth something that might be abused. It'd be wrong, to put it mildly."

"Besides, there are many mortals across Ea, who are good and true. Why should there not be many forms of goodly celestial? Sadly, there are many forms of fiend as well, just as there are many villains scattered across our world."

"And of course, those who dance on the line, neither good nor evil. Just as there are those who flirt between chaos and order." The Goblin begins to pour tea. "The oldest fights."

She presents Telamon with an aromatic tea, its tanginess evident in its smell. "So what would work then, Tel? Whom or what would you request aid from, to contend with this fiend that seems capable of corrupting even celestials?"

Telamon hmms, "A good question." He takes a sip of tea. "I would seek an ally to harry and watch the fiend. To monitor it, and draw me to its locale so that I might dispose of it. If you cannot simply strike a foe down -- assuming, of course, you've exhausted peaceful options -- then opt to grind away at it. Force it to worry, to expend resources evading you, disrupt its plans. If you can keep it off guard, your eventual telling blow will come all the more accurately."

"Hence my interest in the moon dogs. They harry the minions of the Iron Hells when they stride the Ethereal Plane as well as Ea itself, and while they are not creatures of the city, I suspect they would be willing to assist me in driving the fiend like hounds flushing a boar from the brush."

Simony sips at her tea while Telamon talks, adding nods here and there, a light smile forming as a possible plan is laid out.

"For the love of all the Gods, Telamon, I want to be there to watch it die. I would want to strike it a blow, at least. It has been tormenting my friend and his family, and it has crept into my head and lived there rent-free. I would see it gone, I would .."

In a smooth motion, the Goblin's warhammer is pulled from it's loop, and firmly placed upon the table, the blunt 'business' end showing, the tilted hourglass of Navos engraved there. "I would see his form branded on his hide. Let HIM have me living in his head for a time."

Telamon chuckles softly. "That's the spirit. Don't let him get in your head. Make sure he's in fear of -you-." He sits back. "However, while I won't fault your sentiment... don't let it get so personal that it gets in the way of -ending- him. If you destroy him, so be it; if I destroy him, so be it. Better that he is ended, rather than who gets the pleasure of the job well done."

He taps his finger on the book. "There are other entities we might seek out, but in honesty, I suspect moon dogs might be a good start. I will need to compose an appropriate appeal, and ponder what they might desire in recompense for their time. I have no desire to run out on such creatures -- if nothing else, I'd never get a good night's sleep ever again."

"I want to see it done, it matters not who strikes the final blow. It is my duty.", the Goblin states firmly, a hand pulling back the hammer. "It is not pleasure I seek, simply the comfort of knowing that he is done. Like the other fiends before him that have tormented us of late." A longer sip of tea is had, Simony setting down her empty cup. "I aim to be more active now. I will be the thorn in its side, so that it focuses on me and not others."

"I don't see you running out on them, but I do see you calling a retreat, for all, should it be required. It's reasoning I expect from you. Fight the battles on your terms, not theirs. Find ways to tilt the odds in your favour. Such as your choice of moon dogs to hound the fiend."