Session Start: Sat Nov 10 16:54:35 2007
Session Ident: #castlevania
<Holmes> [The party finds itself on a staircase inside the tower.
The stairs spiral up into the gloom.  Through a nearby window, a
figure in back stares at them from a nearby rooftop.  Elementals
gather below and gargoyles circle the tower above.]
* Nyyx stares back evenly, her sword in her hands and ready, but not
brandished threateningly.
<Charlotte> Hey. Who're you?
<Holmes> [The figure doesn't answer immediately.  Then, he points up
to the top of the tower forcefully.]
<Biff> Looks like we go up.  
<Biff> Nice to know.
<Charlotte> Hmph. FIne.
<Skip> I don't like standing around. Let's move.
* Skip scales the wall and begins climbing up the spiral via the
ceiling.
* Nyyx nods and glances upward toward the top of the tower. "Maybe
that's the 'lone figure' we were told about. Let's go."
* Nyyx starts climbing the stairs.
* Charlotte moves
<Holmes> [The figure strides back several feet, then runs to the edge
of the roof in a blur of motion, leaps and seems to float through the
air.  Even with its amazing leaping ability, it won't reach the
tower.]
<Holmes> [Suddenly, the figure disappears in a burst of shadow.
Several seconds later, the party hears something large strike the
south side of the tower about twenty feet from the ground.]
<Biff> Well,that was overly dramatic.
<Holmes> [As the party rounds the tower, the figure appears in a
nearby window.]
<Holmes> His Emminent Remains: "Keep running, I'll take care of the
ones downstairs!"
* Charlotte keeps running. And is kinda confused.
<Holmes> [The figure in the window is bone-thin and wrapped in black
clothing.  The party first met him in Kronnenburg near the end of
their stay in the town.]
<Biff> Onward and upward!
* Biff points the way from Nyyx's shoulder.
* Nyyx has already been going that way! :)
* Skip continues upward.
<Holmes> [As the party continues upward, His Emminent Remains hops
out of the window and onto the stairs, draws out a length of spiked
chain, and begins to walk slowly down the stairs.  Anyone watching
can see the chain writhe with black energy.]
<Nyyx> I guess I shouldn't be surprised that we'd bump into him
again.
<Skip> I just hope he keeps that chain to himself.
<Charlotte> Yeah... looks unfriendly.
<Holmes> [After about forty seconds, the party can hear combat down
below.  Suddenly, a gargoyle appears in a nearby window, fangs
barred!]
* Nyyx immediately spins toward the gargoyle and smashes her blade,
hard, into its grinning maw.
* Biff hisses at the gargoyle from his perch on Nyyx's shoulder, and
a blast of yummy light erupts right into the gargoyle's eyes.
* Skip crawls along the ceiling and takes a swing, landing a glancing
blow. "I can't seem to hurt them!"
* Charlotte fires a pair of arrows at the Gargoyle, which strike.
They bore through its tough hide, dropping it.
<Holmes> [Delayed by the gargoyle, the party can hear the battle
below gaining on them.]
* Nyyx rushes on up the staircase.
* Skip skitters along the ceiling like a cockroach. "Hurry!"
<Holmes> [The party continues to run up the stairs.  More gargoyles
can be seen milling about the tower, but something else clearly has
their attention.  The skies are growing dark outside.]
* Charlotte hurries!
<Holmes> [After another minute, the party reaches the top of the
stairs.  The darkening sky looms above.  Will our heroes find the
courage to push ahead?]
* Biff leaps out ahead, vanishing in midair, to take a look.
<Holmes> [Biff leaps up the stairs and onto the roof.  The top of the
tower is bounded by low crenelations and is roughly a 50' radius
cirle with the stairs near the north end.]
* Nyyx pulls out a small glass bottle, uncorks it, and downs the
contents very quickly.
<Holmes> [Gargoyles wheel through the darkening skies, in desperate
combat with a flight of giant eagles.  The city below watches
ominously quiet.  The most distinctive feature of the scene; however,
is the statue at the southern end of the roof.  It is a huge figure
like a large, hunched gargoyle with an overlong face carved of
gray-black stone.]
* Skip drops down to the staircase and stands next to his comrades.
He takes out a potion and drinks it. "That hit the spot."
* Biff waits for a particularly noisy bit of the battle and says
quickly over the Message spell, "holy freakin' crap, gigantic
gargoyle. it's gotta be like, forty feet across!"
* Theodore uses Blade Ward on Skip's weapon
* Theodore uses Blade Ward on Skip's off-hand weapon
* Theodore uses Blade Ward on Nyyx's weapon
* Skip takes out his last healing potion and hands it to Theodore.
"You look like you need this more than I do."
* Theodore downs the Cure Light Potion
* Theodore downs an Endurance Potion
* Skip swings around his magically empowered handaxes and stretches
out his limbs. "Well, I'm ready. Shall we?"
* Nyyx nods silently.
<Charlotte> Ready.
* Nyyx heads upstairs.
* Skip nods to his comrades and ascends the stairs.
<Holmes> [The party steps out onto the roof of the tower and surveys
the battle raging overhead.]
<Holmes> [After several seconds, a pair of ravens swoops down toward
the party.]
<Holmes> Statue: [Gravely, booming voice] "What is your business
here?"
<Charlotte> Investingation.
<Nyyx> If you've been causing the plague in this town and sending
gargoyles and elementals after us, I think you know.
<Holmes> Statue: "Invaders then?  You should have left well enough
alone.  I'll give you one chance to leave my city peacefully."
* Skip steps forward defiantly, "We're not going anywhere."
<Skip> But we are not opposed to talking this out.
* Biff whispers over the messagelink, "...we're not?"
<Holmes> Statue: "Curious.  State your terms."
<Skip> Tell us why the people sleep and do not wake up, and how to
cure them. Then, take your vermin and leave this place.
<Holmes> [The ravens land near the party.  Cromwell steps forward]
Cromwell: Master Worst sent me ahead with Isabel here.  Our Druid
friend Sirrus is holding the gargoyles back for now and said she has
arranged a little help that's on the way."
<Charlotte> Ooh.
<Holmes> Cromwell: "The camp is going nuts.  No one expected you to
pull something like this."
* Skip keeps his steely gaze fixed on the statue. "What is your
answer?"
<Holmes> Statue: "Vermin!?  We are no vermin!  The people are ours!
We will leave, but not yet and not for good reason.  I WILL NOT COW
TO THREATS!"
<Holmes> [The tower begins to shake.  The sky continues to darken.]
<Charlotte> Why are they yours?
<Holmes> Statue: "THIS IS OUR CITY!  YOU AND YOUR FOREIGN GODS HAVE
NO PLACE HERE!  WHY SHOULD THEY BE ANYTHING BUT OURS?  WOULD YOU
CLAIM THEM INSTEAD?"
<Charlotte> Why is it your city?
<Holmes> [The statue flexes and shakes loose gravel from its form.
Its small eyes glow fiercly red under its overlarge brow.]  "This is
where we lair."
<Charlotte> Huh. So you must have been here for a lot of generations,
theN?
<Holmes> Statue: "Yes.  A very long time."
<Skip> Then you have roosted here long enough. You can leave under
your own power, or ours. But you will be gone from this place! These
people belong to no one!
<Charlotte> How did your city become so heavily populated by
humanoids if you were here for so long?
<Holmes> Statue: "You ask for parley and then make only threats.
Beasts have more civility."
<Charlotte> That's him, not me. I honestly want answers.
* Biff is somewhere on the roof, and may or may not have just done
something.
<Holmes> [The statue twitches.]
<Holmes> [The battle below is growing closer and louder.]
<Holmes> Statue: "You want answers, but can you give anything in
return?"
<Skip> What is it you seek?
<Holmes> Statute: "Wealth, power, freedom.  Can you offer these
things, halfling?"
<Nyyx> Freedom? How are you not free?
<Holmes> Statue: "I am still hassled by creatures such as yourself."
<Charlotte> We're really only here because of the plague.
<Holmes> Statue: "Plague.  Is that what they call it.  I call it a
gift.  One dragon's dirt is another's meal, I suppose."
<Nyyx> Why a gift? What benefits does it give those afflicted?
<Holmes> Statue: "Whoever is doing that should try harder, by the
way."
* Biff is still out there somewhere, presumably. Whether he has the
patience to endure all this talk is... debatable.
<Charlotte> I don't know. Your people seem to be doing a good job
spreading it around.
<Holmes> Statue: "Afflicted?  I have no idea about that, but it is
giving us a new chance in this world."
<Holmes> [The battle grows ever closer.  The party can hear
shattering stone and showering dust.  The battle above has become
more aggressive as well with lightning arcing across the sky.]
<Charlotte> What is it doing to them, exactly?
* Biff curses a little, under his breath, and then a sickly green ray
shoots out of nowhere and slaps the gargoyle upside the head.
<Holmes> [The statue shudders and shakes its head.]  Statue: "Well
done."
<Biff> By the way, guys?
<Biff> Now'd be a good time to ATTACK
* Theodore casts fireball at the statue.  somehow it partially dodges
the full brunt of the attack
* Nyyx springs forward suddenly, bringing her sword down across the
giant gargoyle's body with unbridled force and sending stone chips
flying.
<Nyyx> This conversion was quickly going nowhere, but you might find
freedom after all.
* Skip springs forward, brandishing his twin handaxes. As he moves, a
black glow surrounds one axe. He brings it down on the monster's leg,
sending dust flying into the air.
* Charlotte darts around next to where Skip used to be. She fires
three arrows in rapid successsion.
* Charlotte lands one of the arrows, which hits in a particularly
weak point. The entire thing sinks in, for massive damage. THe other
two go off target.
* Biff sends a wave of despair rolling across the battlefield and
over the gargoyle from hell.
<Holmes> [The statue rears back and unleashes a line of scorching red
light from its maw.  Nyyx and Charlotte are caught in the blast.  The
light continues past them and finally crashes into a building in the
city below.]
* Theodore casts scorching rays at the statute.  both rays slam into
its sides causing some burning
* Charlotte somehow manages to evade the damage completely.
* Nyyx swings twice more at the statue, and her blade manages to
cleave into the stone once.
* Skip leaps into the air, attempting to attack from above, but slips
on the dust shedding from the creature. Upon landing, Skip rolls to
the side and scurries down the wall and out of sight.
* Charlotte repositions herself and fires. THe shot doesn't quite
make it.
* Biff can't be seen, and now Nyyx can't, either!
* Nyyx chisels invisibly into the gargoyle as it moves.
<Holmes> [Seeing Nyyx disappear, yet still sensing her, leaps into
the air and lands on the fighter and a hidden Biff Mouser.]
<Holmes> [The battles around the party continue to rage.  The tower
continues to shake.]
* Theodore casts scorching ray at the statue.  one ray misses its
target and the other fails to penetrate its spell resistance
* Skip wants to be invisible, and his cloak makes it so. He strides
up to the monster unseen by both friend and foe.
* Biff is trapped beneath the bloody fatass dragon with Nyyx, and
takes this opportunity to cop a fee-er, cast a spell on her, and
suddenly she's ethereal, and totally free.
* Nyyx runs out, invisibly from under the statue's claws.
<Nyyx> ( add another comma after the invisibly :P )
<Holmes> [With a roar, the statute runs toward the invisible fighter,
throwing her from the tower in one monsterous slam.  In the same
instant, Theodore weaves desperate magics and slows Nyyx's fall.  She
floats to the ground unharmed.]
* Theodore casts an immediate featherfall on Nyx
* Nyyx drifts 60' toward the ground.
* Theodore casts fireball at the gargoyle.  it manages to avoid the
brunt of the attack, but still get burned by the exposion
* Skip runs at the monster and attempts to get its attention with a
leaping attack. His jump, again, lacks the usual finesse, and his
attack falls short.
* Charlotte darts away from the dragon. But perhaps a little
carelessly.....
<Holmes> [The statue turns and bites Charlotte as she runs past.]
* Biff has apparently brought the Kitty Kannon into play, as a ball
of sound comes rocketing past Skip's head to slam into the dragon
with a wail like a deflating accordion.
* Charlotte takes the hit. SHe fires an arrow and misses.
* Nyyx catches herself against the wall after 60' of slowly falling,
and she scurries up 40' up the tower's side like a spider.
<Holmes> [The statue turns to try to flee, but Skip is too quick.
With feral quickness, he lunges and catches a deep cut on the stone
hide of the creature.  It falls dead.]
<Biff> LADY BE BLESSED!
<Holmes> Statue: "Father....."
<Biff> I thought that thing would never give up the ghost.
<Biff> Excellent shot, Skip.
<Holmes> [The statue melts into stone of the tower, pulling nearby
bricks down with it.]
* Nyyx climbs the rest of way up the tower and swings onto the
rooftop. "I owe you one, Theo."
* Skip falls backward, as the force and shock of the final attack get
to him. "Thanks."
<Holmes> [The shaking is constant now and the gargoyles are
screaming.]
* Biff lays some invisible healing paws on Nyyx.
* Skip gets to his feet and moves away from the gargoyle's remains.
<Biff> Uh... guys?
<Nyyx> I'm thinking we should get out of here.
<Biff> We need to get out, NOW.
* Skip nods, "Right! Anyone who has to, get out. I can take a moment
to search through the rubble."
* Skip begins searching the area for anything of importance.
* Biff starts searching as well.
<Biff> I'm with you, Skip!
<Holmes> [The battle below has apparently stopped, but there is no
sign of the skeleton.]
* Charlotte looks around... quickly,
* Nyyx runs for the staircase, heading for the window where the ropes
are tied.
<Holmes> [Amidst the lighning and summoned allies, Sirrus has put the
gargoyles to rout.  The stony monsters fall to earth with sharp
crashes, collapsing roofs across the city.]
* Charlotte moves to get out of here.
* Biff makes like a tree and leaves, following Nyyx down the outside
of the tower.
* Nyyx climbs quickly, head first, down the side of the tower, then
across the ropes.
<Nyyx> Thanks for healing me earlier, Biff. I appreciate it.
<Biff> Heeeey, you did a hell of a lot more good than I did, in that
one.
* Nyyx shrugs. "Only up to the part when I went flying over the edge
of the roof."
* Charlotte flies away from the tower
* Skip follows Biff and Nyyx down the side of the tower.
<Holmes> [The party flies from the tower between dying gargoyles and
alternatively creeps down the side of the edifice far faster than is
normally possible.  They reach the roof to which their line was
tethered as the tower collapses inward.]
<Holmes> [The tower continues to collapse below street level, leaving
a pit into the earth and a rising cloud of dust that chokes off
sight.]
<Holmes> END OF SESSION
Session Close: Sat Nov 10 22:14:48 2007