Re: The Aswadim, Hope and Despair IC Thread 5

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:44 pm

Colin you rush as the remaining Nephandus to drive Hannah's imaginary blade deep into his guts but as you get ready for the killing blow the man's head sort of explodes as several bullets hit him from the side blowing brains and bits of flesh and skull out the other side of his head, the man sort of staggers a step forward before his body realize that he is dead and the rumbling ground settles as the man's magick dies with him and he collapses over Colin driving himself onto the blade for good measure resulting in on, very, very dead Nephandus.

The only one of the three attackers left alive now is Diego, or at least you think the first man that went down is dead for he have not moved since he was shot. Diego though weakly mewls and Colin you who are the closest to him see that he is struggling to lift his hand to turn his own gun on himself, he know he is finished, in the dark it is hard to see just how wounded he is but there is blood everywhere and he will be bleeding out shortly if he do not get immediate medical attention, however Diego are not willing to take the risk that someone would heal him, he knows what capture would mean for him so he is doing his best to end himself.

(OOC: Well not that Nephandus had taken four health levels before plus four from Adleys gun and a few from Colin's knife, I bet sooner or later a little widderslainte will be born with some traumatic past life memories for that is an indescribably dead Nephandus.)

by Warpmind Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:04 pm

Colin lurched back to get his pistol, then over to Diego, several bits of head still dripping off his face.
Looking down on him, he briskly jerked Diego's pistol away... and pistol-whipped him into unconsciousness before wobbling back toward the tree, holstering his gun.
"With a healer, I think we might be able to salvage one prisoner. Also, I have a superficial injury, and... I think I shall take this moment to pass out."
With that, Colin collapsed like a sack of grain, resting underneath the branches of the Verbena life tree.

((OOC: Aaaaand there we call it a night. Wink

))

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:19 pm

Diago had several gunshot wounds to his upper body, one to his hip and one shattered knee, the Nephandus looked frankly terrified when Colin walks over to him but he have no strength to resist when the large Orphan who was still covered in his friend's blood and brains jerked his only means of escape from his weak, trembling fingers. The Nephandus gave a weak gasp as the handle of Colin's gun his him on the side of the head, knocking him out.

Duncan pulled his stubby fingers out of the ground and the great oak stopped moving. The Verbena shook his head a little as his senses returned to his own body then he hurried over to Colin to check on the man's injuries.

Hannah had by now gotten back on her feet, but one ankle was sprained or broken and she did not manage to put weight on it and grunted sharply when she tried.
"Shit..."
The woman muttered as she looked around.
"I grew up knowing these guys."
Hannah said sadly and limped over to Diego.
"Damned bastard..."
She said angrily then she glanced at Adley.
"If he survives I assume his fate will not be kind?"

The entity seamed to stop clawing at the barriers of the Verbena glade once Diego lost consciousness, but it did not vanish, it just seamed to completely loose interest in the four mages and while none of you looked at it you could feel it slowly begin to drift away, though that meant it was half touching physical reality and would create horror and grief wherever it went, at least it was not hellbent on getting at your group anymore.

by Adley Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:31 pm

Adley scanned the area for anyone else that was hiding and then checked to see how Hannah, Duncan an Colin were doing and if the spirit was still hanging around before lowering his weapon. There was no trace of satisfaction on his face at what he'd just done. He had no wish to bring widderslainte into the world and corrupt an innocent plus information was useful but they'd had to be stopped quickly. He had thought he'd killed Diego but Colin's words told him that he was might still live. "Duncan--" he began to say and then Colin collapsed into a heap.

"Shit," he breathed, concerned, then again when he realised that the spirit was moving off. 'It's loose now, the spirit is not bound to direct itself to us but it still needs to be banished."

Hannah said sadly and limped over to Diego. "Damned bastard..." She said angrily then she glanced at Adley."If he survives I assume his fate will not be kind?"

"He tried to kill us and put you through a caul, Hannah," he said, suspecting she was about to shoot him to prevent the inevitable. He walked closer to her and the Fallen. "And he would do it again given even half a chance. He dug up your worst parts of yourself and used them against you and now that spirit is getting loose in the city bringing its nothingness to others. Duncan, if Colin is not badly wounded we need to stabalize this man before he dies."

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:39 pm

Adley scanned the area for anyone else that was hiding and then checked to see how Hannah, Duncan an Colin were doing and if the spirit was still hanging around before lowering his weapon.

There was a sudden silence over the glade after the feverish activity with gunshots, screaming and yelling, now there was mostly quiet, you discover no one, not with your eyes, and not with magick either, if you use that to scan your surroundings, it was only you four here, Diego and the two dead Nephandi as well as the entropic entity that was now moving slowly away.

"Shit," he breathed, concerned, then again when he realised that the spirit was moving off. 'It's loose now, the spirit is not bound to direct itself to us but it still needs to be banished."

"Banish away, I have no idea how to banish it."
Hannah said as she pointed her gun at the wounded Diego, though she did not shoot him yet and she hesitated.
"We could try a banishing used for a regular Umbrood I guess, do you think that would work?"
The Orphan asked.

"He tried to kill us and put you through a caul, Hannah," he said, suspecting she was about to shoot him to prevent the inevitable. He walked closer to her and the Fallen. "And he would do it again given even half a chance. He dug up your worst parts of yourself and used them against you

"Yes that he did...and I am not denying that he is a ripe bastard...but while I am angry as hell that do not mean that he deserves...that."
Hannah said and she aims her gun in on Diego's head but her hand shakes and she do not pull the trigger.
"The Traditions took my lover you know, two years ago, that is the first thing that bloody Spirit's Resonance forced me to relive, that he had just been in a Seeking and was out of it and he wanted to leave the Labyrinth...and I let him go...if I had not let him go, if I had blocked his way, hit him over the head and forced him back to his room...then he..."
Hannah swallowed hard and a few tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Why should I let the Traditions take another member of the Labyrinth I owe you guys nothing...you took my Felix from me!"
The Orphan hissed angrily her gun still pointing at Diego's head.

and now that spirit is getting loose in the city bringing its nothingness to others.

"You are right...we need to stall...stall that spirit until the man you and your friend have been talking about can get here so perhaps he can deal with it, we have to...stop it from getting into the city and harm the Sleepers."
Hannah muttered and she looked at Diego again, hesitating, still not sure if she should not just kill him.

Duncan, if Colin is not badly wounded we need to stabalize this man before he dies."

Duncan nodded he rises and hurry over to Diego.
"Yes Colin is not badly hurt, his wound need to be taken care of, but it will not kill him and even with mundane means, barring infection, he will be fine, mostly he appear to be mentally exhausted."
The Verbena said then he looked over Diego.
"This man though...he is a bit more of a challenge, so if the young miss is not going to shoot him in the head, I better get started."
The healer muttered giving Hannah a bit of a nervous glance.

(OCC: Had Colin given the Primium bullets back or where the bullets he shot at the Nephandi Primium or normal for that will really determine if Duncan can heal him or not.)

by Warpmind Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:25 pm

((Nope, Colin had not requisitioned Primium for this one - that was standard over-the-counter ammunition. I think the last we saw the Primium rounds was during the incident with the Marauder, the vampire and the apprentice... Adley brought the gun to Morgan while Colin checked the retreat and hid in public for a bit, then Colin retrieved his pistol after Morgan had unloaded it. Also, it wasn't Colin who shot Diego.))

by Adley Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:37 am

"Banish away, I have no idea how to banish it." Hannah said as she pointed her gun at the wounded Diego, though she did not shoot him yet and she hesitated. "We could try a banishing used for a regular Umbrood I guess, do you think that would work?" The Orphan asked.

"To me, that would make sense. But I do not have the capability to banish spirits completely at my disposal." If he had, he would have tried that, not just called in for help. Then as she raised her gun and aimed at Diego, he said in a warning tone, "Hannah..."

"Why should I let the Traditions take another member of the Labyrinth I owe you guys nothing...you took my Felix from me!" The Orphan hissed angrily her gun still pointing at Diego's head.

"You don't owe me anything but I am trying to help you and protect the city. Beyond that, I do not think you wish to send his corrupted soul into an innocent, please Hannah lower the gun. Help me stop the spirit..."

"You are right...we need to stall...stall that spirit until the man you and your friend have been talking about can get here so perhaps he can deal with it, we have to...stop it from getting into the city and harm the Sleepers."

"Yes. Please Hannah....help me protect the Sleepers," he said as earnestly as he was able. He did not want her to shoot the man for many reasons. Still, what the spirit had caused to rise up in Hannah could cause her to turn on them and he was aware of it. "We could try to hamper its movement, slow it down...But I need your help to do that. Please, lower the gun."

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sat Oct 31, 2015 3:22 am

Hannah hesitated her hand shook as she pointed the gun at Diego.
"If I shoot him, it would be a mercy, if he is allowed to live then one thing is that he will be tortured for information, that he deserves but after that he will be...and while this man is about as bad as they get, you would not believe the things he do to his own apprentice..."
The Orphan said in a disgusted tone of voice.
"Do anyone truly deserve what the Traditions will do to him?"
The young woman said then she whispered.
"Felix did not deserve that, he wanted Dscension yes but he did not main and kill and hurt just for the fun of it...not that the Traditions cared when they took him..."
Hannah muttered.
"Not that he cared when he...surrendered to them, fuck I should never have let him go he was in an Epiphany and I should never have let him leave but I believed him when he said he only wanted to get some air...and by the time I got back to my room and found the note he had left for me...it was to late. Later I found he had surrendered to a large Hermetic Chantry in the city and he was never seen or heard from again by us."
Hannah said then she raised her voice again.
"He was just a kid, we where seventeen years old back then...he was just a kid and the Traditions took him anyway."

Hannah lingered with her gun pointed at Diego for one moment longer than she lowered it.
"I am not letting you have him out of any fondness for the Traditions but because of what he have done, and what he continues to do to June, his apprentice."
The young woman said as she put her gun away.
"Let us slow that fucking spirit down then we will see..."
Hannah was clearly deeply affected by what the entity had shown her and caught on the notion that this boy named Felix that she said the Traditions had captured two years ago, that his misfortune was her fault for not stopping him.

Duncan got to work, he took his knife and cut a few strands of Diego's hair before he took some earth damp with the Nephandus blood and quickly kneaded all of this into a doll figurine that he begun to bury.
"I doubt you need to stall that thing for long, my children have seen the Chief, or what they tell me, a tall human male with dark skin, hair and eyes moving quickly through the forest in our direction, he is recognizing my children and are following them, he will be here in three to five minutes, if you can manage to stall until then."
Duncan said as he worked though his voice was a bit far away as he communicated with his owls.

(OOC: Ok thank you. Then chances are Duncan will be able to keep the Nephandus alive, not that he will appreciate it much.)

by Adley Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:10 am

"If I shoot him, it would be a mercy, if he is allowed to live then one thing is that he will be tortured for information, that he deserves but after that he will be...and while this man is about as bad as they get, you would not believe the things he do to his own apprentice..." The Orphan said in a disgusted tone of voice..."I am not letting you have him out of any fondness for the Traditions but because of what he have done, and what he continues to do to June, his apprentice." The young woman said as she put her gun away. "Let us slow that fucking spirit down then we will see..."

He could see that she was conflicted - she'd grown up with these people and even now, especially now with that spirit...just like the press of guilt on him for David's death, for all of his perceived failures. For her, it was her lover, now worse than dead. In the end though she didn't shoot Diego for reasons that were sound and her own. Adley felt himself breathe again as she put the gun away and then nodded. "Yes, let's."

"I doubt you need to stall that thing for long, my children have seen the Chief, or what they tell me, a tall human male with dark skin, hair and eyes moving quickly through the forest in our direction, he is recognizing my children and are following them, he will be here in three to five minutes, if you can manage to stall until then."

"Good, thank you, that does sound like him," he said to Duncan. "Be careful just in case." Then he turned his attention to trying to figure out which direction the thing had gone based on its resonance and how far it was.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:20 am

"I will be careful."
Duncan muttered as he worked, he begun to softly chant in German as he buried the small figure he had made of dirt and Diego's own blood and hair, already the Nephandus was breathing a bit easier as the Verbena worked to keep him alive.

It is not hard to find out where the entity went as it do not move quickly, you can feel it moving in the direction of the werewolves Node, the Gauntlet would be thinner at a Node, it would be easier for it to break through.
"So what do we do? Toss something at it and hope to make it made enough to follow us instead of going wherever it is headed?"
Hannah suggested.
"If this man you call the Chief is on his way and we can get this...thing to follow us we can run towards him, shorten the time we need to keep it occupied. Or do we try a regular banishing and see if that works, though I can not really banish anything to powerful."

by Adley Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:03 pm

"It's going for the node, in the center," he said loud enough for Duncan to hear. Yes that made sense with its way of going for weaknesses to get through. That was it seemed it's natural instinct part of what it was...as much as a spirit of nothingness was something. Then they would either have to make the area around the node stronger so it didn't want to take that path, or weaker somewhere else..."We cut around in front of its progression to the node, make the Gauntlet thicker, as if we were folding it in a blanket...hamper it...push it back towards the Chief," he suggested. "It might see us as a more likely exploit than the node once we step outside the circle...and if so, if it follows us we can run towards the Chief. Final stand, we try to banish it, if we can get its attention long enough."

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:26 pm

"That could work, it seams to act almost like a natural force, so if we make a wall of strengthened Gauntlet in front of it there is a chance it will then turn and look for a weakness somewhere else."
Hannah said.
"Then we need to hurry to get in front of it and have time to do the working."
The Orphan said she glanced at Duncan.
"Is it safe to leave him with Diego alone though...if he wakes up then he will do whatever it takes to kill your friend there and escape, and Colin do not seam like he will be much help at the moment."
Hannah said. Duncan looked up from his work.
"I am not defenseless young Miss, but I will do my best to keep his man unconscious until help arrives."
Hannah nodded then she turned back to you.
"So the plan is to strengthen the Gauntlet right in front of the entity, and hope that either let us push it back towards this Chief person and if not hope that we piss it off enough to follow us and then lead it in that direction...nice and suicidal, just the way I don't like my plans but it could work."

by Adley Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:42 pm

"Duncan, once he is not dying tie him up, make sure he can't speak or make hand movements, even if you think he's knocked out. Take his tools. Keep the perimeter scouted with your children, send one if you need help," he said. "Colin has a mobile phone in his pocket if you need to use it, push the battery on the back in."

No, he -didn't- like leaving him and Colin alone, not even for five minutes in the safest place in the forest. Not even if he could make a tree fight for him. And the fact that she voiced it made it all the harder to leave them...he wanted, needed to stay and protect them...But if that spirit got to the node it could do more harm to the city never mind piss off the werewolves to boot. The longer they waited the further away it got. Right now, there was a chance to get back to help Colin and Duncan if they needed it. Much longer...

"So the plan is to strengthen the Gauntlet right in front of the entity, and hope that either let us push it back towards this Chief person and if not hope that we piss it off enough to follow us and then lead it in that direction...nice and suicidal, just the way I don't like my plans but it could work."

"If you've got something better I'm listening," he said, searching for would-be attackers that were laying in wait for them to leave and then preparing to do just that.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:19 pm

"Duncan, once he is not dying tie him up, make sure he can't speak or make hand movements, even if you think he's knocked out. Take his tools. Keep the perimeter scouted with your children, send one if you need help," he said. "Colin has a mobile phone in his pocket if you need to use it, push the battery on the back in."

"Yes I saw him use hand movements during the fight."
Duncan said.
"I have never tied someone up before though but I am sure I can figure it out."
Then he nodded.
"My children is already watching and I will send one of them if I have any problems."
The healer said as he worked.

Hannah hesitated then she looked down.
"Securing Diego's hands will do nothing, it is his fingers...he was a Verbena Spellweaver once, he is a energist and use finger movements to focus on how he shifts those energies."
The young woman said then she shook her head.
"Damned it but I feel like a traitor."
She muttered and looked away.
"Diego is a asshole and a sadist but...I grew up around him, I could have saved him and I am giving him to you, I could say I do it for June, his apprentice but she will not fare to well either will she if your faction get their hands on her?"
Hannah muttered angrily.
"Fucking Traditions, let us just try to do what we can to stop this thing, before I change my mind and head of."
She said as she begun to quickly walk through the forest towards a good spot to try to cut the entity of, now and again she winced as she stepped on something sharp but she could still move quicker in her stockings than on high heels, it was clear that she was upset and conflicted and angry.

"No I do not have a better idea unfortunately, let us just hope it works."
Hannah muttered. Stepping outside of the protective wards of the Verbena's glade meant being affected by the entity again, not as strongly than before but still those gnawing doubts increased, those self destructive thoughts swirled trying to make the two magi think they where nothing, trying to make them nothing and wost of all the entity was not even attacking, it just existed and the wrongness of that existence caused this.
"I am really starting to hate that thing."
Hannah muttered as she got to a good sport some distance in front of the slow moving presence.
"Alright then Traditionalist, we do not have much time to do this, you lead and I will follow your cues."
The Orphan commented.
"Let us piss of Cthulhu's younger cousin."

by Tane Karyak Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:05 pm

Tane Nodded to what Cita said. OK, i can do that. Then I'll bring you the photo. Tane said, ading it to his To Do list.

What happened yesterday? somethign besides the Beatrice incident?

((PX is the Experience Points, yes Ah, great!))

((It said "they're not monsters for what they do or because what they eat, but for what they are". so i asked him what was he referring to))

by Adley Sun Nov 01, 2015 12:05 am

"...My children is already watching and I will send one of them if I have any problems." The healer said as he worked.

"Securing Diego's hands will do nothing, it is his fingers...he was a Verbena Spellweaver once, he is a energist and use finger movements to focus on how he shifts those energies." The young woman said then she shook her head. "Damned it but I feel like a traitor..."

"You are preserving your own avatar, and that of another innocent who has not yet been born, Hannah." He did not thank her though, figuring she would not want to be thanked. And sure enough she went on to talk more about Diego and how she'd grown up with them, and June his unfortunate apprentice. Christ but the Nephandi were all she knew and yet she's managed to stay out of the caul, somehow. It hadn't improved her disposition of the Traditions in any way but for some reason she hadn't bothered with him - or had she? "Secure his fingers then," he said, knowing that Duncan would do his best to do that once he had the opportunity.

He -still- did not want to leave them...his pater's words were loud in his ears to protect them but so were the other voices inside of him. And knowing that the imminent threat needed to be stopped before it compounded further. But then Hannah was striking out to stop the Spirit and Adley went with her, as quickly as he could. The moment he stepped across the threshold of the grove, doubts about leaving them behind began to grow by leaps and bounds. Equally there was the fierce fires lighting again inside of him.

"I am really starting to hate that thing." Hannah muttered as she got to a good sport some distance in front of the slow moving presence. "Alright then Traditionalist, we do not have much time to do this, you lead and I will follow your cues." The Orphan commented. "Let us piss of Cthulhu's younger cousin."

"You aren't alone in that."

Adley wasted no time in setting himself to work, trying to harness the desire to get rid of the damn thing to the best of his ability. He couldn't banish it but if they could move it along, hold out...just a few minutes...(get back to them, you're leaving them alone, you should be over there protecting them...but you can't be everywhere, can you - well, that's not true...that was fun, wasn't it? All of that...how about before, throwing up on the carpet for ten minutes straight while your friend needed you...you weren't there for David and now you're not there for Colin...for Duncan...) ~~GETRIDOFITNOW~~...he began to gather the Words...gesturing at the thin air...

// Adley will use 2 Quint from the tass he got for this one as promised from before; first Arete roll is 8,4
Also I will be going out later this evening, just FYI. Happy Halloween/Samhain from my Time Zone = )

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Nov 01, 2015 3:09 am

Tane:

Tane Nodded to what Cita said. OK, i can do that. Then I'll bring you the photo. Tane said, ading it to his To Do list.

"Thank you Sir, I appreciate it."
Tobias said politely.

What happened yesterday? somethign besides the Beatrice incident?

"Well it is the general Nephandi situation which keep everyone busy, the Fallen is extremely active right now and then add that to Beatrice's situation and well the situation around young Tobias here then that do make for one busy Chantry."
Cita said and sigh.
"This includes finding the daughter of one of the Nephandi and being attacked by a Master Marauder who had been tricked by them. However I do not have all the details as I am not a member of Steelhaven, I came to do a simple examination and then got caught up in all of this and now I have patients to treat."
The woman said and Tobias looked down.
"Sorry for being a bother Ma'am."
Cita patted the boy on the back.
"You are not being a bother kid, do not worry about it."

Your Avatar is silent for a moment then it said.
"I am not sure, but I just know that the beings you refer to as vampires are wrong on a fundamental level, everything that make a mage full of light and potential are in them twisted and obscene, I do nto completely know how, but I just know it."

Adley:

"You are preserving your own avatar, and that of another innocent who has not yet been born, Hannah."

Hannah sigh and nods.
"Perhaps...I guess that is the only reason I never joined my Mother, my Avatar do not want to, it speaks up against it every time to topic comes up...that and Felix...surrendering to the Traditions did not exactly make me want to go through the Cauls to say it like that."
The Orphan muttered sadly.
"I still feel like a traitor though."

"Secure his fingers then," he said, knowing that Duncan would do his best to do that once he had the opportunity.

Duncan nodded as he works.
"I will see what I can find to secure him, if I do not find anything suitable I will break his fingers."
The healer said calmly, it was clear though that the idea of hurting someone, even a Nephandus did not sit well with him.

Hannah begun to follow your movements for your working, she picked things up quickly and working with her went more smoothly this time, still it was a hasty rote, un elegant and crude but it worked, the veil between our world and the Umbra hardened, became less flexible, and that presence stopped, for a moment it hesitated then it begun to move in the opposite direction, like if it was not thinking, just reacting and trying to find the simplest path to get into physical reality.

Hannah gave you a slight smile.
"I be damned it worked!"
She muttered.
"We should keep our distance but make sure it continues in the direction we want it to."
The young woman said...but that did not end up being necessary...

You hear your mentor's words echo in the forest.
"I destroy this foul creature of spirit. By my will so it is done!"
The Chief sounded like if he had been running but that did not change the command in his voice. The presence stopped dead in it's tracks and then it screamed. The sound where horrible, it was not a sound but rather an experience uttered in the air of pure despair and destruction. Hannah who stood next to you covered her ears and her eyes widened. That thing screamed again and now you can see your mentor, he stood in the dark forest, you can only see his silhouette though but it was enough. His hands where held in the signs for Perdo and Vim, he was not banishing that entity, he was destroying it, ripping it apart and it was not going down easy, trying to attack the Master of the Art in any way that it could. Around the Chief where several birds flying in the air, they made sounds showing they where upset and could probably feel the battle going on at the moment, they where Duncan's children presumably.

In either case you and Hannah had managed to buy the Chief the few minutes he needed to get here, and he was apparently not planning on letting the foul thing go anywhere. It was not often you had seen your Mentor actually hurt a spirit, you had only seen it once, with that Paradox Spirit that attacked Narim Sharaya and even that was done reluctantly...this thing however he appeared to turn the full force of his considerable might to rip to shreds.

(OOC: Happy Halloween/Samhain to you guys as well.)

by Tane Karyak Sun Nov 01, 2015 5:08 am

Sounds like you could take a break. Tane said pitying her. Is there anything i could do for you?

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Nov 01, 2015 6:23 am

Cita smiles a little.
"I am fine Tane thank you."
The Virtual Adept muttered.
"I am not used to having two patients that are this ill, seriously wounded Avatars are not common after all, but I will be just fine, but thank you for asking, this is my job, taking care of Avatars I mean, it is what I do."

by Adley Sun Nov 01, 2015 7:52 pm

Duncan nodded as he works. "I will see what I can find to secure him, if I do not find anything suitable I will break his fingers." The healer said calmly, it was clear though that the idea of hurting someone, even a Nephandus did not sit well with him.

"Very well." It was what he might do if he had to - better that then giving the Nephandi another go at them.

"I be damned it worked!" She muttered. "We should keep our distance but make sure it continues in the direction we want it to." The young woman said...but that did not end up being necessary...

Against the thrall of thoughts and feelings he could feel that it was working. Hannah was fast at learning and it seemed much easier to work with her now than it had. He nodded, feeling a measure of confidence and self control assert itself against the tide at their success. But he was still -very- relieved to hear his pater's voice booming out of the dark forest. The scream of the spirit put all his hairs on end and a shudder ran through him but the chorus inside of him grew louder again as if cheering his mentor on getting rid of the damnable thing. As Hannah cringed back though he put out an arm towards her to steady her.

His voice sounded strange even to himself; the urge to get rid of the thing and get back to protect the others while his more human self and thoughts were struggling in the mire of the spirit's presence. "Hannah, it will try to escape through the weakest points. We need to keep it there, then get back to the others--"

// If it looks as if the Chief needs some help holding that thing down Adley will help so they can get back to the others asap! If it looks like it's done though then he'll just be quite glad to see the end of it.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Sun Nov 01, 2015 10:07 pm

"Very well." It was what he might do if he had to - better that then giving the Nephandi another go at them.

Duncan nodded, he was a kind man that was clear from the way he looked at the Nephandus who had tried to kill them not five minutes ago, there was compassion in the Verbena's eyes, but he would do what had to be done to keep himself and Colin safe and also to secure the prisoner and prevent that a widderslainte was born when this man died, they where all soldiers in a war, and in war sometimes one had to do terrible things.
"I can probably stop the pain if I have to break his fingers, prevent him from feeling it."
Duncan muttered, more to himself than to Adley.

The scream of the spirit put all his hairs on end and a shudder ran through him but the chorus inside of him grew louder again as if cheering his mentor on getting rid of the damnable thing. As Hannah cringed back though he put out an arm towards her to steady her.

Hannah jumped when the Traditionalist touched her, then she took a deep breath and calmed himself and gave Adley a nod, she would see this through to the end.

His voice sounded strange even to himself; the urge to get rid of the thing and get back to protect the others while his more human self and thoughts were struggling in the mire of the spirit's presence. "Hannah, it will try to escape through the weakest points. We need to keep it there, then get back to the others--"

The Orphan nods and she prepared to help Adley with another working to hold that Spirit, or strengthen the Gauntlet, or whatever else was needed, but then suddenly there was a final soundless and still reality shattering scream from the entity, and then that oppressive feeling vanished like mist on a hot summer day, yes the feelings it had stirred up did not just go away, but suddenly you feel the calming presence of the Verbena glade nearby and can appreciate the beauty of the moon and the stars that shines down through the treetops at young. It feels like if you had been pressed down by large rocks pressing you into the ground, and those rocks where now suddenly gone.
"Hot damn, I think he ripped that thing apart like a kid with the wrappings to his Christmas presents."
Hannah muttered quite impressed.
"A Master of ehm...it is Spirit you Traditionalists call it right?"
The Orphan asked.

Jeffry Morgan put one hand against a nearby tree to steady himself and he was breathing heavily both from the feelings the presence had stirred in him but mostly from effort, to destroy a Umbrood single handedly was no easy task.
"Are you harmed Adley?"
Jeffry asked as he stood up straighter then he gave Hannah a slight nod of his head.
"You must be Miss Larson, I am Jeffry Morgan Hermes bani Flambeau, at your service madame."
The old mage said and Hannah nodded.
"Hannah Larson I guess than by you Traditionalists way of looking at it I am an Orphan."
Jeffry nodded.
"Yes that is right, well Miss please forgive the shortness of these introductions but I would like to get back to Mr Wainwright and Mr Ackerman and then get us all back to the Chantry."
The Security Chief said and Hannah hesitated.
"I guess you will not let me leave if I want to Mr Morgan?"
She asked and your mentor nodded.
"No Miss Larson I will not, however I would prefer to bring you to Steelhaven as a guest and not as a prisoner and you have my word you will not be harmed, and once the situation with the Nephandi are resolved you can leave if you want to."
Hannah raised an eyebrow.
"Not be harmed Mr Morgan, not even to try to force information out of me?"
The young woman asked skeptically, she had no love for the Traditions and did not trust them. Jeffry sigh then he shook his head.
"No Miss Larson, I desire to win your trust, I can hardly do that with torture, will you be questioned yes, pressured yes, but no magickal or physical violence will be inflicted upon you, it is my hope though that once we have the time to sit down and discuss this that you will offer the information willingly."
The old mage said then he added.
"Now if you do not mind, there are a Orphan like yourself and a Verbena healer who might be in danger, can we continue this discussion in a more secure location and go get them now?"
Hannah sigh, she glanced around the forest but clearly decided that she had very low chances of running away from the old Master of the Art and that for now it was in her best interest to cooperate or perhaps working with another uncorrupted mage had caught her interest.
"Very well, I will come with you Mr Morgan let us go."
The young woman said. Jeffry nodded and gave a slight smile, though his face looked as grim as it usually did and his eyes was still pained from whatever that entity had stirred up.
"Thank you Miss Larson."
He said and begin to walk back towards the Life Tree in a brisk pace.
"Bring up the read if you will mea filius and keep your eyes open."
Your mentor ordered you as he begun to walk.

(OOC: Nope Jeffry managed to take care of that spirit on his own, a few lucky rolls and some Quintessence. Oh and sorry for my late reply I have been out playing MtG for 10 hours straight today.)

by Adley Sun Nov 01, 2015 10:59 pm

Hannah jumped when the Traditionalist touched her, then she took a deep breath and calmed himself and gave Adley a nod, she would see this through to the end.

He hadn't meant to startle her, that was clear. He put both his hands up to show that he hadn't meant any harm and then nodded back. When his pater destroyed the spirit and the calm glade's influence took it was almost a shock. He'd been leaning on the anger that the creature manifested in him and when it was gone, when all the dark corners of his mind recessed back to their normal scope it was enough to make him mentally lurch. "Thank the gods," he muttered, clearly relieved. The space was soon filled with the need to get back to his companions and protect them alongide the remaining bloom of his headache.

"Are you harmed Adley?" Jeffry asked as he stood up straighter then he gave Hannah a slight nod of his head.

"No, but Colin was injured and there is a Nephandi knocked out at the site; we need to get back as soon as we can." It was clear that he didn't want to leave them at all, not for a moment. When they started with the introductions he got impatient, making waving motions and seeming like he was about to turn them both around and push them towards the Verbena glen. "We need to go!" he interjected impatiently.

"Now if you do not mind, there are a Orphan like yourself and a Verbena healer who might be in danger, can we continue this discussion in a more secure location and go get them now?" Hannah sigh, she glanced around the forest but clearly decided that she had very low chances of running away from the old Master of the Art and that for now it was in her best interest to cooperate or perhaps working with another uncorrupted mage had caught her interest. "Very well, I will come with you Mr Morgan let us go."

"Good," he said, relieved. "Thank you," he added, trying to regain some of his composure but he was still sounding impatient yet relieved. No, he hadn't wanted to chase Hannah down and he did want her to go willingly.

He said and begin to walk back towards the Life Tree in a brisk pace. "Bring up the read if you will mea filius and keep your eyes open." Your mentor ordered you as he begun to walk.

"Yes, sir," he said, falling into position and glad to be moving. He remained as alert as he was able, given the circumstances.

// No worries, hope you had fun (and won!) ; )

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Mon Nov 02, 2015 1:52 am

"No, but Colin was injured and there is a Nephandi knocked out at the site; we need to get back as soon as we can."

Jeffry nodded he clearly did not like the news that Colin was hurt though he was relieved that Adley was fine.
"We will go to them."
The old mage said calmly.
"How badly have Mr Wainwright been hurt?"
He asked.

When they started with the introductions he got impatient, making waving motions and seeming like he was about to turn them both around and push them towards the Verbena glen. "We need to go!" he interjected impatiently.

Jeffry gave his apprentice a bit of a worried look, usually the young man was politeness itself, he worried his impatience was Resonance based but seamed to decide that with all that had happened Adley's reaction and need to protect his companions was perfectly reasonable so again he just nodded.

"Good," he said, relieved. "Thank you," he added, trying to regain some of his composure but he was still sounding impatient yet relieved. No, he hadn't wanted to chase Hannah down and he did want her to go willingly.

Hannah just grunted at that as the three of you begin to move back towards the glade, she did not sound to pleased about the situation but she did not protest.

"Yes, sir," he said, falling into position and glad to be moving. He remained as alert as he was able, given the circumstances.

The three of you encounter no difficulties as you move towards the glade. Once there you see Diego laying on his side, his hands is bound behind his back with what seam like some sort of plant, and more of the stuff are wrapped around his torso and his ankle, his fingers though are curled at a slightly unnatural angle and they appear to be broken. The Nephandus is still unconscious though it seams. Duncan was now kneeling by Colin's side and was busy burying something in the dirt, another doll probably which was used to heal the Orphan.
"I could not find something thin and strong enough to bind his fingers. I could make some plant matter to do so, but the more I make the greater the risk of serious Paradox. I have numbed his arms though, the prisoner will feel not pain before we get him to a place where he can be secured more humanely."
Duncan explained. Jeffry glanced at the prisoner.
"He uses his hands for his foci?"
He asked and Hannah nodded.
"One more thing I took the prisoner's things and put them over there."
Duncan said and indicated with his head where he had put the items while he worked.
"He did not have much but he did have a phone and there arrived a message on it while you where away."
The Verbena said then he glanced at Jeffry.
"Good evening Master Morgan."
He said politely and Jeffry smiled.
"Good evening Adeptus Major Ackerman, how are Mr Wainwright doing?"
Duncan looked down at Colin as he worked.
"He was shot in the shoulder but the bullet went right through, it is easy to heal but he is exhausted and needs rest."
The Verbena explained.

by Adley Mon Nov 02, 2015 2:43 am

Jeffry nodded he clearly did not like the news that Colin was hurt though he was relieved that Adley was fine. "We will go to them." The old mage said calmly. "How badly have Mr Wainwright been hurt?" He asked

"He was shot but Duncan said it was not serious." Still, he had been -shot- and there weren't any particularly good places to be shot, just some that were less lethal than others, so he was concerned for him. That and he'd been exhausted even beforehand. He was relieved to find that Duncan and Colin were not in any trouble when they got back, listening as the Verbena explained what had happened while they'd been gone.

"Thank you Duncan," he said to him.

Jeffry glanced at the prisoner. "He uses his hands for his foci?" He asked and Hannah nodded

"His fingers," he clarified.

"One more thing I took the prisoner's things and put them over there." Duncan said and indicated with his head where he had put the items while he worked. "He did not have much but he did have a phone and there arrived a message on it while you where away."

"Good thinking, we should see what it says," he replied, thinking of the car approaching or perhaps even a missed check in which would alert the rest of the Nephandi what had happened. "We're going to need to get everyone out and clear this up."

"Good evening Adeptus Major Ackerman, how are Mr Wainwright doing?" Duncan looked down at Colin as he worked. "He was shot in the shoulder but the bullet went right through, it is easy to heal but he is exhausted and needs rest." The Verbena explained.

That was one of the better places, at least. He was glad to know that Colin would be okay as soon as he was clear and had some rest. Not that there was time for said rest...gods but he was tired too. Everyone was. But they had to deal with what was going on and while he was still standing, there was more to do.

by **Anja Rebekka Schultze** Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:24 am

"He was shot but Duncan said it was not serious." Still, he had been -shot- and there weren't any particularly good places to be shot, just some that were less lethal than others, so he was concerned for him.

"That is never good."
Jeffry said and he looked concerned.
"Still Adeptus Major Ackerman is a good healer, I am sure he can take care of it."

"Thank you Duncan," he said to him.

Duncan nodded as he worked and the wound in Colin's shoulder slowly begun to close.

"His fingers," he clarified.

"Good work then."
Jeffry Morgan commented, he was not one to mistreat prisoners and if Diego and bed screaming in pain over his broken fingers he might have had some reservations against keeping him like that but when the man felt nothing he had no problems with it, and besides the old Hermetic always did what had to be done.
"Let us keep him unconscious though many magi can do at least some willworking without using their foci, or might have several foci other than their preferred one they like to use."
Your mentor warned.

"Good thinking, we should see what it says," he replied, thinking of the car approaching or perhaps even a missed check in which would alert the rest of the Nephandi what had happened.

"If you check the text message Adley I will keep watch over Mr Wainwright and Mr Ackerman."
Jeffry said he would be the best both to keep watch and to deal with any threat at the moment.
"Also collect the prisoners things, you never know what can be useful, but before we take them to the Chantry do you remember the rote I showed you? Make sure we do not lead our enemies there as well."
Your mentor instructed.

"We're going to need to get everyone out and clear this up."

"As soon as I am done with this healing work Mr Roth Hicks, I will take care of that, these men where Nephandi right but their blood and flesh will still feed our tree."
The Verbena said calmly, he was a kindly man but he was not squeamish and once someone was dead and had to be gotten rid of they might as well be put to good use.

That was one of the better places, at least. He was glad to know that Colin would be okay as soon as he was clear and had some rest. Not that there was time for said rest...gods but he was tired too. Everyone was. But they had to deal with what was going on and while he was still standing, there was more to do.

It was as if your mentor knew what you where thinking, though more likely he just saw a fatigue on your face.
"We are going to have to risk some Paradox for one of our members."
The old Hermetic said, even if it was just you here he did not want to say the name of the mage with enough knowledge to Time to do so in front of the prisoner, just in case. The Nephandi did seam to know about him already but better safe than sorry.
"Several of our member needs rest now, powerful as we might be we are still human. I have a short list of people that are going into a time bubble to get a few hours rest before dealing with things tonight."
Jeffry said again he did not want to mention the car specifically.
"You, Mr Wainwright and a few others are on that list, well if someone can tear our man healer from his apprentice's side to spend an hour to get a good night's sleep that is, I have a feeling you all but have to drag him out of her room by that blond ponytail of his and time him down with it to do so."
Your mentor said with a wry smile.

If you read the text the Nephandus got on his few generations old Sony Erickson, it said the following.

"Master please do not hurt me for leaving the Labyrinth while you are away but Master Jace is sending me grocery shopping and he outrank us both I can not say now, so please it is not my fault. I did want to ask if you wanted me to pick you up anything while I was out though. Also I got two orders to pass along to you, these are his words, not mine, I am not trying to order you around Master. First of all he wanted to know how the situation with Hannah is going, and secondly he want you to join the welcoming party for the tass transport tonight."

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