CHOCOLATE DESTINY, ARC 3

Amos and Touka hear faint whispers while conducting their own, as well as brief creaking that sounds like it came from right outside the stable.
"I SEE YOU, TRESPASSERS. NOTHING ESCAPES PAPA LEGBA'S EYE."
The cloaked figure on the wall suddenly multiplies, becoming two, three, four, and then...none? They seem to have disappeared into thin air.
"PRESENT YOURSELVES AND OFFER TRIBUTE, AND I MAY ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE MY DOMAIN WITH YOUR LIVES!"

"Should we come out? I have a couple of bottles of mead we can preset as a gift."

"Might as well."

She hands Amos one of her bottles of mead. "After you."

Amos takes the mead in hand and tumbles out from the stables into a standing position. He looks around to find papa Legba and face him.

Amos exits the stable. Four cloaked figures glide over the ground to meet him.

Amos holds out the mead in his hand and does his best to hide the growing terror he's feeling. "This and a few more bottles like it are what we have to offer."

The cloaked figures move with no effort at all, surrounding him.
"YOU MOCK PAPA LEGBA WITH THIS PALTRY OFFERING.
BEGGARS HAVE GIVEN MORE! PAPA LEGBA WANTS MORE!"
A muffled groaning can be heard coming from the crypt.

"AND WHAT OF FOREIGN SORCERIES! WOULD SPELLS OUTSIDE THE REALM OF YOUR EXPERIENCE BE TRIBUTE ENOUGH?"

There is a short pause. The cloaks move back slightly.
"YES, I'M INTERESTED IN THE SPELLS OF FOREIGNERS. NO MAGIC IS UNDER MY STANDARDS. HAVE YOU ANY THAT CAN INDUCE DURESS?"

"ONE THAT CAN BE MADE TO WEIGH DOWN ON A SOUL WITH THE INEVITABILITY OF THE WANING MOON. THEIR LIFE WILL WAX AND WAYNE AND FINALLY BE CRUSHED WITH THE NEW MOON."

"EXCELLENT! PLEASE, DEMONSTRATE. SUCH A SPELL WOULD BE A GREAT HELP TO ME."
More moaning and thumping can be heard from the crypt.

"The incantations of the first wolfram require preparation. Be still for a moment and I will demonstrate for you a completely new and foreign magic to you." Amos kneels down and retrieves the parchment, inkwell, pouch of glass dust and writing implement from his bag. He chants while he writes and creates an article of particle cloud dispersion. Finally when the article is finished he puts everything save the article and the pouch and stands upright. "Now Legba! at your command I will demonstrate the spell for you."

[When activated by the trigger gesture from his glove the pouch will expand and swirl in a thin but dense spherical shell in a radius around Amos (specifically whoever wears the glove). With the second trigger the article will be dispelled and the glass dust will fall to the ground.]

The cloaks split, two positioned to either side of Amos.
"YES, IN THIS YOU SHALL SERVE. SHOW ME THE SPELL. PERHAPS IT IS WORTH KEEPING."

Amos draws his sword and makes as if to plunge it into the parchment. Before he brings down his sword on the parchment he gestures with his hand to activate the spell. Instead he of finishing the downward stab he swings his blade up to the ready and snatches the paper with his open hand. In the next moment he slashes at one of the images to his side, praying this highly touted vane will phase the apparition in some way.

The dust flies into the air, and Amos blinks momentarily to protect his eyesight. He swings at a cloak. Upon contacting the edge of the vane, the entire figure's image seems to bend around it, then flicker out of existence as the rest of the blade passes through.
"What the- " an oddly high pitched cough follows, "YOU DARE DRAW YOUR WEAPON? STOP THEM, MY SERVANTS! SNUFF THAT SPELL OUT!"

Touka sees one of the black cloaks enter the stable.

The member 'Corenat Rovarnus' has done the following action : Dice Roll\'d

'fudge' :

A glint of steel, and Touka gets hit in the side by a small throwing knife.

Amos rushes for the keep door while shielding his eyes from the glass dust. If it goes according to plan the spell should last at least until he can sprint to the keep door.

After pulling the knife out of her side, she runs after Amos taking her club off her back and looking out for more attacks.

The duo moves into action, and unseen forces do so as well...

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#1 'fudge' :


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#2 'fudge' :

As Amos runs, an arrow pierces the cloud but flies past him to hit the ground harmlessly. Touka narrowly avoids another throwing dagger from behind before joining Amos in his mobile cover. Seconds later, they hear the twang of a bow.

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'fudge' :

Amos estimates they have another fifty paces to go.
Another arrow passes through the shell without hitting a mark.
Forty...
New voices can be heard yelling outside, without the boom of Papa Legba.
"They're onto us!" "Wake up!"
Thirty...
"Dispell the-whatever it is! We need sight!"
Twenty...
No more projectiles seem to be coming through.
Ten...the two slow their pace and-
The sphere suddenly parts in front to reveal only smooth red stone wall. It seems this castle's architects designed well, as there does not appear to be any direct access to the keep from this area.

"Touka we need to get into that keep. At least in there we can get substantial cover. Got any rage mode left in you to bust through the gate? Also, the spell is due to fail at any second."

Amos continues edging along the wall to keep himself a more mobile and difficult target. As soon as the particle screen drops he is going to sprint behind the nearest piece of cover.

She simply nods. "Just stay behind me." She starts circulating her berserker chems as well as strength enhancers through her system and after a few moments she starts attacking the gate with her club.

The sphere wavers, loses shape, and then the particles drop to the ground. Amos is surprised to see the bailey remains deserted, but this does not mean the danger is gone. He dashes behind a small shed near the servant's quarters, out of view of the keep and the yard.

Under the influence, Touka runs up to the inner wall's gate and begins wailing on it. It shudders with every blow, but its sturdy construction slows her progress.

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'fudge' :

Around 30 seconds into her intense banging, another knife strikes Touka in the back.

Amos looks over to Touka and rushes any enemies that are behind her.

The drugs pumping through her system cause her to ignore the pain, if anything it makes her go even more berserk against keeps doors. She continues pounding against the doors, pumping even more kinds of instant strength enhancers to fuel her blows.

Touka can almost feel something splintering, about to give way.
Amos does not see anyone immediately behind Touka, so he steps out from the shed to get a better view.
About fifty feet away stands a gruff halfling wearing a black cloak and leather boots, about to throw another knife. Seeing Amos he switches targets and throws.

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'fudge' :

The knife clips Amos in the right shoulder. The halfling immediately turns and runs towards the outer gate.

Amos clutches his shoulder. The halfling is already a ways away and knows the terrain. Instead he continues to stay on guard for Touka as she thrashes at the gate.

"They're breaking through! What are you doing?!" a voice shouts from the keep.
The halfling stops running, grumbles, then turns around with three knives in each hand. He throws one at Touka and another at Amos.

Amos holds the vane-blade in plow guard in an effort to deflect the knife aimed at him. After that point he bolts forwards towards the halfling.

Seeing that the door is soon to break, she delivers one last powerful blow to the door in an artempt to send the door flying off the hinges or shatter it causing splinters to fly throughout the room

Amos stands his ground as the knife spins towards him.

The member 'Corenat Rovarnus' has done the following action : Dice Roll\'d

#1 'fudge' :


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#2 'fudge' :

He swings, misses, and his torso catches the knife below the solar plexus.

The member 'Corenat Rovarnus' has done the following action : Dice Roll\'d

'fudge' :

Touka gets hit in the back yet again, her regeneration still working on closing up the first wound. Her strike breaks in half the bar holding the gate closed, and the doors slowly drift open.
"It's open! Shift over!"

Amos tries to stumble into the keep.

"ROLF! Ugh, where is that bastard when you need 'em?"
Taking care not to agitate the knife still stuck in his body, Amos proceeds through the doors with Touka presumably following.

To their dismay the gate does not lead into the keep, but into the inner bailey. It is populated by several buildings including what looks like a forge and granary. To the left the keep's tall red face sports more windows, arrow slits, and a balcony, then curving away to hide the other side from view. It is a veritable gauntlet through which an invading force would have been thoroughly riddled by projectiles by the time they reached this point if all the posts were manned. Back home Amos heard much talk of "the monumental fortress cities of the northern kingdoms", and now he is experiencing one such fortress' majesty firsthand.

Four black cloaks glide into view around the curve. They flicker, and become eight.

Amos coughs up flecks of blood. "...the healing draught..."

Wordlessly she takes the healing potion out of her pocket and hands it to Amos, as well as taking out the regeneration potion and handing it to him as well. "Drink." She looks around the room for anything that can be used.

Fearing rightfully for his life, Amos quickly quaffs both potions. A surge of strange sensations sweep through him as they take effect, invigorating him with vim, vitality, and...a little mean-spiritedness? His skin begins to prickle all over. The cut on his shoulder closes up instantly. He feels pinching in his abdomen and removes the knife. Astonishingly the bleeding tapers down and stops altogether, and the pain starts to fade away.

"Fucking powerful stuff." Amos wipes away some of the blood from his mouth, though it only smears it across the left side of his face. "And now more of these strange magic forms appearing before us. Some sort of illusion being maintained by a sorcerer elsewhere in the keep." Amos readies his vane-blade with an invigorated zeal. "Let's do away with these pricks."