Battle, Death and a Pine Cone IC Thread 18

"I will try that then." Loretta said and closed her eyes again. "It is always best to try the simple solution first."

"You said this was the prisoner's child right? The result of a ehm...usnion between her and something unholy, well if so there should be something...some symbol of that, a navel perhaps, anything that show it is such a child, that would probably be a weak point. As for the boy, not much of an enigma there I suspect he was magickally gifted and so the Nephandi sent their agents to kill his mother and take the boy, just a guess of course but that is what sounds most likely to me."

"You said this was the prisoner's child right? The result of a ehm...usnion between her and something unholy, well if so there should be something...some symbol of that, a navel perhaps, anything that show it is such a child, that would probably be a weak point. As for the boy, not much of an enigma there I suspect he was magickally gifted and so the Nephandi sent their agents to kill his mother and take the boy, just a guess of course but that is what sounds most likely to me."

Colin frowned, "Now there's something... Perhaps a spiritual link to miss Jerkins that gives it a connection to this world? If such a link would be severed...?

"You are right there have to be some reason why Miss Jerkins' patrol have produced these ehm...children with her, it is likely they have a link with their mother...I do not know how to find it or sever it but I bet Lady Crexia knows."
The Criamon declared a little existed over the idea.
"And it is likely that it will not be able to manifest if that link is severed as that thing is not meant for our world."

He grunted in discomfort as he reeled a bit from the blow, then gave Adley a grateful nod when the offending limb ceased to be, "Thank you."

Two of those fleshy, rotted tendrils shot out towards you, trying to smash you to the side or grab you. One of them got an arrow from Rosario and stopped and went for her instead while the other lashed towards you full speed.

The monstrosity screamed again, a horrid, ear splitting sound and it was clearly frustrated and weakening as more and more wounds where inflicted on it. Crexia and the two Quesitors started chanting again, this time trying to banish the child from this reality. As the Hermetics started their work the tentacles that was busy with the other members of the party let go of their victims and shot towards Crexia and the Enforcers, save for the ones that went after Adley, the thing clearly still wanted the young Flambeau dead.

You step to the side as the Umbrood's tentacle comes down towards you hard, you feel air swoosh past your face as it misses you, an indication that the tendrils where fully manifested, you see that three of the tentacles where going after Crexia and the Enforcers, Rosario who was sitting against the wall she had been thrown against fired on one of them and hit, the monstrosity cried out again, but one of the other tendrils smacked Jake across the chest and you heard the Quesitor give a pained, gurgle cry as he hit the floor and was still, he had been hit badly. Crexia hissed and pulled Udella quickly out of the way of another attack.

The other three tentacles where busy with two of them attacking you, one of those where hurt though with one of Rosario's arrows in it the last one where still petting Cara on the head to the Criamon's dismay, well at least that was busy. The tentacle that had just missed you where drawn back for another attempt at your head while the other one tried to wrap itself around your feet.

Nancy cried out and rushed past Cara towards you and begun stabbing the lower of the tendrils with her dagger, it grabbed her and threw her to the side, you her a splash as she ended up in the dirty sewer water flowing between the two raised walkways. Leon and James muttered in Latin and created spells, a fireball James and something you could not see for his brother and the tentacles sort of twisted in that direction the monstrosity wanted to fight but it also wanted to eat and for a moment it was confused.

"If we could get rid of that thing for good or deny it access to our physical reality permanently that would be best and I do not know either what trouble it might cause from the Umbra, but if we can not kill it then I would settle for it not trying to rip us apart Sodalis." Cara said.

The tentacle that had just missed you where drawn back for another attempt at your head while the other one tried to wrap itself around your feet

You manage to change the magazine, it is not easy, not while concentrating on your spell, and holding your tools and with all the fighting going on around you, but you manage and eventually your weapon are ready to fire Primium bullets with a satisfying click.

Jodelle's child stopped...stopped fighting the Gauntlet trap, it's tentacles stopped in mid motion and it seamed if possible...confused as if it for a moment did not know what to do, the right command had been spoken but it knew it was not as it used to be so Loretta's quite vulgar display had probably only granted a moment's respite.

The creature screamed in pain as the Primium hit it it's tentacles shivering in spasms, then it turned on Colin in it's anger, it was confused but at least it understood that this man was an enemy and it abandoned all other targets, save the one tentacle petting Cara, it was a child and wanted it's mother's comfort, the five others moved to hover over Colin, but the thing was still confused, still not knowing what to do the command to let those in the hallway had been given but...

As the monstrosity stopped moved Crexia and Udella begun working again, chanting quickly as their hands moved for the newer hand gestures in their effort to banish that thing, if you could only buy them a little more time, perhaps the two Spirit Masters could end this.

You manage just barely to duck out of the way of the tentacle going for your head, the one going for your feet had been halted by it's effort to fling Nancy aside. Now however it rose up again to try to hit you across the chest, you fire at the tentacle that went for your head and just miss the bullet hitting the roof, a bit of concrete dust falling down on you....Rosario was struggling to her feet she had been hurt you saw and could not put weight on her left leg, the tentacle who had flung Nancy into the water went for you again so now you had two of the things going for you but then..Jodelle's child stopped...stopped fighting the Gauntlet trap, it's tentacles stopped in mid motion and it seamed if possible...confused as if it for a moment did not know what to do

He aimed the gun at the thing as it froze in confusion, "Time for you to run home to daddy; your mum's friends are a bad influence." He squeezed off a single shot, still holding the spell in place.

You fired at the tentacle that would probably go for your head once the thing finally snapped out of it's confusion, your aim was true and the Primium round severed that tentacle neatly and it fell to the ground as rotted ooze as it's horrid owner screamed again and flailed about, the thing was suffering now and it mewled wetly and petted Cara more intently, it wanted comfort from it's mother.

Adley fired at the one that was coming for his chest as it paused in confusion. The token the Nephandus offered...the token or 'gift' to appease it was the missing piece. The creature was waiting for it's treat, and was confused that it couldn't eat it. Though the rote had bought time. Then all the tentacles screamed as Colin found the center of the damn thing and hit it but good. As the spirit writhed towards his friend, he took his cue and tried to hit the center of it as well, hoping it would leave Colin alone.

You fire off a shot at the tentacle that had gone for your chest before it paused, and you hit it, if barely, you do some damage though and that tentacle gets blown off earning you a shower of rotted flesh and a scream from the half manifested monstrosity. You fire at the central mass but as your bullets are not Primium and the thing is not manifested enough other than it's tentacles it do not get the same effect the thing flail about a bit, but that is pretty much it.

The tentacles started moving again, but there where fewer of them now, three of them hammered down on you. At the same time you heard the two Spirit Masters finishing their Banishing rote, you could not cast magick that advanced but you had observed it enough times to know they where nearly done, a few seconds more, all you had to do was get through this onslaught and Crexia and Udella might be able to get rid of that thing.

You manage to roll out of the way of one of the tentacles while the other two hit, your kinetic shield proves to be a lifesaver though, probably literary, you feel one of the things hitting the shield hard, it propelled you a few steps forward but not enough of the force was transferred to you to really do any damage, there was only the unpleasant feeling of that dead flesh that should not be touching you across the shoulders, but by the time the tendril reach you all of it's kinetic force are absorbed by forcing it's way through your shield so it is just that, a wet, slimy caress.

The second tentacle get through your shield with more force and hit you at your lower back, this impact hurt and you suspect you will get quite a bruise, but you do not think any real damage was done, you have had worse bruises after sparring matches with your Mentor, the three tentacles now seam to have discovered your kinetic shield though and decided it was more interesting than you and you could feel it weakening, they where...consuming it.

Then you hear Crexia speak the final words of the banishment rite, one with quite a bit of kick to it and that foul monstrosity screamed, it twisted and howled as it was stuck in the Gauntlet and as the Masters' rote took effect it was ripped apart as it was forced out and yet was prevented from going. The noise was horrible, deafening, like if a pack of dogs where murdering the inhabitants of an orphanage...and then there was silence, that creature and in's tendrils was simply gone from this reality, only some go on the floor was left and the corridor was in silence safe from the sounds of the party's own steps and some sighs of relief.
"How are everyone? That thing...should be gone know...I do not know if it is dead, but it is gone."
Crexia said. Cara rubbed at her skin and hair in a vein attempt to get the foulness from that creature off her and groaned.
"Yeah...thank you my Lady..."
She muttered.

You see Rosario kneeling by Jake's side, she took her crossbow and aimed at the wall, a small, tiny mark there, probably her marksmanship was one of her keys to get into a trance just like her dancing was. Loretta stood guard over her student. Udella was still bleeding and she looked rather tired where she stood by Crexia. Nancy was wet as a drowned cat but she grinned to you and seamed to be fine. Leon and his brother where unhurt and they ended their rotes and seamed relieved.
"That is quite some guard dog they have."
Leon muttered.
"Damn..."
He said as if he suddenly realized just how dangerous this mission really was.

Then you hear Crexia speak the final words of the banishment rite... "How are everyone? That thing...should be gone know...I do not know if it is dead, but it is gone."

(Colin)"I'm unharmed; the swat just grazed me, no harm done." He turned to look at Cara and gave her a sheepish, apologetic look, "Er, yes, so... would you like to keep that dagger for protection against those things? I don't know how many more there are - but miss Jerkins did say that her patron gave her children, plural, and I've seen two thus far..."

"That is quite some guard dog they have." Leon muttered. "Damn..."

He frowned, "Yes, they've got a pack of the Dunwich Horror stalking about... Hum, I wonder..."He picked up the flashlight again and started to examine the ground...

Then said, "I'm okay," he said. "To answer your question, no it wasn't just for them," he said to Colin.

"Good, if you could have a look around Mr Wainwright just to be sure we are in the clear."
Crexia said as she turned to help support Udella and have a look at the old Guernicus's wound.

Cara looked at you wide eyed and held the dagger out to you.
"I...will be fine Mr Wainwright, then again, when it is an enemy where magick is not to effective I am rather lost, magick and enigmas and puzzles that is what I am good at, everything else, not so much."
The Criamon muttered she still looked rather disgusted.
"Perhaps holding that and getting between our more useful party members and those things are the best I can do, though I do not and let me emphasis that, not like to be...touched by those abominations...how on earth can they be the children of a mortal mage...no wait do not tell me...I do not think I want to know...gah!"
She exclaimed...
"Now how is everyone?"
She asked in a worried tone of voice and looked around.

You find your Primium bullets and the bent and broken regular bullets you had fired on the ground, the Primium ones was still pristine, they where covered in rotted meat and slime though, but pristine.

"You got hit Sodalis are you sure you are alright?"
Cara asked as her eyes went to Nancy and Rosario first, members of her own Cabal then the others and she frowned when she saw Jake.
"We need to keep watch while Rossy try to heal Mr...ehm...damn I have his name at the tip of my tongue...he is the Senior Quesitor over at Detroit."
She muttered.