Gates of Hell- IC

[the Frogman]

It is a fine typical day in the Eglon kingdom.

No.

Actually, it is not.

For the first time in this great kingdom's history, an election to determine the next heir to the throne will be taking place today. Celebrations have been held all across the kingdom for weeks in anticipation of this monumental event. Banners and colorful flags line the street, as an aura of joy permeates from the many townspeople. Grown men frolic from building to building like a child, each voicing excitement about casting his vote.

You find yourself next in line to vote at your voting station. As you eye the voting booth ahead of you, your mind focuses on the canidates.

First, Marseilles Maroon. This man has been a part of the royal court for the better part of thirty years. His gray hair shows not only his longevity but also his wisdom. He played the part of advisor to the previous king, the great Onri himself, among other roles. He has made mention countless times of his desire to lower taxes for the good people of Eglon.

The other man, Alexander Stone, has created quite a following as well. The leader of the Eglonian military, Alexander has brought peace to this great kingdom for his entire tenure. This square-jawed man has a rough exterior that is sure to intimidate foes. He has focused his canidacy on military efforts, stating a desire to build up the kingdom's defense in any way possible.

As the sun hangs brightly in the sky, the person at the voting booth waves you over.

It is finally time.

It is your turn...

your chance...

your opportunity...

to make history.

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton cast his gaze about then pointed a finger to the center of his chest before walking over to the voting booth. He figured lower taxes would be good, not that he paid taxes anyway, and if they wanted to increase the military, he might get drafted, which he didn't particularly want.

He cast his vote for the old advisor Maroon.

Exiting the booth, he looked around for Lara. Perhaps she was nearby.

[Amaril]

Cass inclines her head politely to the attendant as she approaches the booth. Stepping up to the podium, she takes a ballot from the top of the stack and picks up the quill. Her hand hovers over the paper for a second, as she once again finds herself struck by the strangeness of the situation. Voting for the next king...who ever would have imagined it? She chuckles to herself and shakes her head, turning her eyes down to the names of the candidates once more. Without hesitation, she checks off Lord Maroon's name, as she's planned to do since she first heard the choices. Lord Stone may be a good man by all accounts, but she can't understand his need for an even stronger army--why bother, when the kingdom hasn't been threatened for as long as she can remember? What they need is someone who'll look after the people first.
She folds up her ballot and drops it in the slotted box next to the booth, confident in having made the right decision. Then, she turns her eyes back to the crowded street. Now, where has Dev gotten to? She'd told him to go and cast his vote first when they'd gotten to the front of the line, but in all the hustle and bustle, it seems she's already managed to lose track of him...

[Ardurious]

By the time Nole arrives at the voting station things seem to be in full-swing. People are lined up at the various different tables, waiting to cast their vote for the next ruler of Eglon. Nole swallows thickly. He can't remember ever having been around this many people all at once. He adjusts his pack on his shoulders and steps quickly to the end of the shortest line he can see.

He stands in line for what seems like hours, looking down at his feet and shuffling forward every so often as another person moves up to cast their ballot. People begin packing in behind him, as well as swelling from other lines to the sides. He begins to feel more and more uncomfortable as the wait wears on. "It's all right. don't worry. You'll be back on the road home soon," he mumbles under his breath, "All by yourself."

Finally, as his composure nears its end, Nole reaches the front of the line. He breathes a quiet sigh of relief as he shambles away from the mass of humanity behind him and up to the voting table. A man seated beside it hands him a quill. He nods in thanks, careful to avoid making eye contact.

He stares down at the ballot. The characters on it mean little to him - he'd been illiterate his entire life - but he immediately recognizes the seals of the two candidates. He quickly places a check beside Lord Stone's name. He had heard many things about the Eglonian general from his uncle, and the prospect of a stronger military excited him. Perhaps if more soldiers were recruited from across the kingdom, he would be among them.

He hands the quill back to the man beside the table before hurriedly wandering off. He stops upon reaching a secluded area just beside the town square. "Time to be back on the road," he mumbles, looking off in the direction of his farm, "If I start back now perhaps I can make it by supper-time tomorrow."

[bryn0528]

Patience Stormwater

The large bustle of the city was really no place for a young gnome girl, such as herself. Yet should found herself here, on the day of the election, caught along a sea of shuffling knees. She came along with her father, and a small contingency of his fellow logcutters, all praising the merits of Alexander Stone. She felt that name well deeply in her stomach.

Finally, after hours of standing in line, it was her turn. Her father and his companions had already wandered off, votes cast and talking excitedly. He knew his only daughter would be fine by herself, nearly a woman now, and he trusted her to follow his lead--vote for Alexander Stone.

But the two names sat blankly in front of her. Truly, she did not want either man to be king, and her hand hovered over the box with Stone's name. She bit her lip, and against her father's wishes but in her own decision, checked the box next to Marseilles Maroon. She quickly cast the ballot into the box, and before she could stop herself, rushed off into the flow of the crowd....

And directly into the back of the knees of a very tall woman, which knocked Patience right off her own feet.

"Ow... bugger."

[The_listener]

Alex hated crowds, there was always someone bashing into him or throwing him off balance as he walked. Today had been no different. So when he finally reached the ballot boxes his face was the perfect picture of annoyance.

When he reached the front of the line and some rakish young man held the curtain open for him, a muttered thanks was all he received as the middle aged surgeon made his way inside. Closing the thin red fabric behind him Alex breathed a sigh of relief, even in this tiny space he felt his movements less restricted than out in the crowd.

Placing his walking stick to the side, Alexander steadied himself and looked over the ballots. Maroon was an idealist, drunk on stories of a perfect kingdom. But at least he knew what to do to get a step closer to that goal. Stone on the other hand, well Stone was a complete and total ****. As Alex made his mark by Maroon's name he remembered the day that Stone's orders had him "Honorably" discharged from the army.

Pushing the small piece of paper into place, Alex pulled his walking stick back to himself and adjusted himself. Looking over the small wooden box holding all the votes of his fellows, a small smile played on his lips and he turned to leave. Chuckling to himself as he walked past the attendant,

"As long as neither of 'em make health care free."

[White_Knight]

After a long wait, it was finally Nathaniel's turn. He stepped into the voting booth, and eyed the piece of parchment in front of him. He held no allegiance to either side, but was quite interested in seeing the final results of this "election". "Politicians. Yeah, right. They're merely actors that play the roles of leaders." he thought to himself. "Oh well. I must admit, they always put on a show ten times more interesting than anything I could hope to perform."

He took the quill, and put a small check next to Maroon's name. He then left the voting booth, and began to mingle with some of the other voters that have arrived.

[the Frogman]

Anton:
You cannot seem to find Lara... where is she?


Cass:
In all the hustle and bustle, Dev is nowhere to be found. However, you do feel someone bump into you. Someone small...(Patience)


Patience:
In all the running about, you did not see the tall female ahead of you. You bump into her (Cass)


As everyone tries to go their separate ways, there seems to be a commotion of sorts taking place at the city square. From your vantage point, you cannot see over the many people in your way. A crowd has already gathered at the square, but larger crowds seem to be going in that direction. It doesn't take long before voices grow louder and louder, echoing throughout the streets. If you look around, you notice the other streets are nearly empty.

[Amaril]

Straining to see over the crowd, Cass is caught off-balance by something bumping into the back of her legs, nearly dropping the heavy scroll cases she carries under her arm. She scrambles to hold onto them as she turns around. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry!"
For a second, she thinks it's a child lying on the ground at her feet--then she realizes it's an adult gnome woman, small even for her own race. No gnomes live in Blackriver, but they come through town every so often on various errands, and Cass knows enough to tell them apart from halflings. She leans down and extends her hand to help the woman up. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, I should have been paying attention, I didn't see you there..."

[bryn0528]

Patience Stormwater

Patience took the woman's hand and stood up, which required little effort for such a small person. She is dusky skinned, and covered with several tiny freckles. Her large, almond shaped eyes are bright green, and her hair uncharacteristically light, is almost blonde and done about in many fine dreadlocks, which are currently piled on top of her head. She has clearly made an effort to not quite so look like a country bumpkin on her foray into the city, but which she quite clearly still is, on account of her heavy accent and that gnomes don't usually live in the city.

"S'okay, ma'am," the young woman said to the even younger woman. Gnomish aging was notoriously difficult to understand, and though Patience was nearly twice Cass' age in actual years, she was clearly much less mature. "I'm used to it by now."

Patience brushed her hands off on her pants, which left long dirty streaks. She frowned, but otherwise the commotion garnered her interest.

"What's going on? I can't see nothing." She craned her neck to get a full look at Cass. "Hey you, giant. Tell me what's going on. I can't see nothing."

[Amaril]

"Oh, er...alright, hold on..." Slightly taken aback by being addressed as "giant", Cass stands up on her toes and cranes her neck to see where everyone's moving. "Looks like everyone's heading for the square...can't make out what's going on, though." She glances around again to see if Dev is nearby, but it seems he's not to be found. He must have been caught up in the crowd...silly boy. She turns back to the gnome. "Well, er...sorry about that, again" she says with an embarrassed grin and nods over towards the square. "Think you'll be heading over there?"

[bryn0528]

Patience shrugged. "I could see that much from down here, and all I can see is a rather unfortunate amount of rear ends." She thought for a second, before pointing back at Cass and trying to get her attention in the surge of the crowd. "I shall go to the square. Lead me there, giant.... I don't want to get knocked down again."

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

After a few moments of poking about, Anton noticed the streets beginning to empty, with everyone moving towards the town square. He wandered over to try and get a better look at what was going on.

[Amaril]

"Well, I can understand that" Cass says with a chuckle. "No need to call me giant, though. I'm Cassandra, of Blackriver." She accompanies the introduction with a polite curtsy. "Call me Cass." Shifting her grip on her cases, she gestures for the gnome to follow and turns to join the tide of people.

[bryn0528]

"You a giant, that's for sure, just as the days are long and rain is wet and a friend will betray you in the end. Ain't see nobody tall as you before, especially not a woman. Met an elf folk, while back, always thought them was tall people, that's what everybody says, at least. But I think you human folk is taller still. How you get so tall and what for? You eat trees or something? I never saw no sense in eating no trees. You get so big, you have to eat more and use more and things like that. How you ever going to be sustainable when you go around eating trees. I'll never understand it."

Patience shook her head.

"My name's Patience, by the by. Patience Stormwater, ma'am. My pa owns a sawmill out west of town. We ain't ever give it a name or nothing. Most of us we just call it the Ol' Pond."

[The_listener]

Alexander raised an eyebrow at the commotion, turning on the spot and following after it. Making his way through the crowd with an occasional curse as someone bumped into him, Alex headed directly for the front of the crowd.
"What's going on here?" he asks a random person, not sure what to make of the situation.

[Ardurious]

Nole is shaken from his thoughts by a commotion off in the direction of the town square. He looks over to see a crowd of people huddled near the center of town, growing larger as more wander over to join them. One such individual catches his eye. He mistakes her for a child at first, only coming to realize that she is in fact a young gnome woman after she turns her head to survey the scene around her.

"Odd," Nole mutters. He watches her a moment more, being led along by another woman who must be at least as tall as he is. They make quite the peculiar pair. He shakes his head, distracting himself from the sight. A rising curiosity wars with his desire to be away from the crowded town streets. "You need to get home," he tries to talk himself into leaving.

After a long moment, he instead turns towards the crowd and begins slowly approaching. It has grown to include most of the people in the immediate area. Voters have left their tables and even the man who had handed him the quill has abandoned his post to join the commotion.

Nole stays among the outskirts of the mass of pushing, shoving bodies. He stands on his toes, attempting to see over the heads of those in front of him. Being of only an average height, this does little to help.

[White_Knight]

As the various crowds moved towards the town square, Nathaniel followed. At this point, he was stuck so far into the crowd, he wasn't sure that he could fight the flow of traffic anyway. He tried to peek up above the heads of the other people in the crowd, and try to see what they were walking toward.

Not sure if I need a Spot roll for this but...

[roll0]

[Amaril]

Cass gives Patience a sidelong look as they wind their way through the crowd, starting to suspect that she's either somewhat mad, or has fewer social graces than anyone she's ever met. "Well, I can't really say why we're as tall as we are, except that the gods made it so" she replies. "I'm quite sure I've never eaten a tree, at least...well, my brother did dare me to take a bite of a piece of bark once, but that doesn't really count." She laughs at the memory as they reach the crowd in the square. Straining over the sea of heads once again, she continues looking for Devan. "So, this is your first time in the city as well? Did you come here with anyone?"

[bryn0528]

"Oh, you one of those? Gods this and gods that? That's okay if you are, I'm just asking. We gnomes ain't got no time for no gods. Always asking around for worshiping and prayers and stuff like that. I mean, we know they there, but it hard to come by that some god going around making everything." Patience looked upwards at the sky, ready to jump aside for when the lightning bolt dropped. She cleared her throat and went on to answer Cass' question. "I've been to the city before, but it was a long time back. Came up with my pa then too. We all here from the mill today on account of the voting. You human folk always get all excited for a new ruler. I guess it's cause you all live for so little a time."

As she scanned the crowd again, she found Nole looking at her. Patience made a face and called out to him. "What you over there glaring for? You ain't no sight for no sore eyes either."

[Ardurious]

Nole flinches when the young gnome addresses him. He had been watching her weave her way around the outskirts of the crowd out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't realized she could see him. He turns halfway towards her, placing his hands in his pockets and fixing his gaze to a spot in the dirt by her feet.

"Sorry, miss," he mutters sheepishly, barely audible over the din of the crowd, "I've not seen many of your kin around before. I was just curious, is all. No harm meant."

[the Frogman]

As you make your way towards the commotion, you can begin to discern the voices. Before long, you are able to see the scene for yourself.

Brightly colored flags wave above the courtyard, where a lone man stands on a create. His silver hair hides most of his face. He raises both hands as he continues yelling.

"The end is near! The prophecy has been fulfilled! The end is near!"

After a moment, the frail man locks gaze with Cassandra. He pauses briefly before pointing a boney finger to her.

"You! Cassandra! Come forward!"

[bryn0528]

Patience leaned forward, interrupting Nole's view of the dirt in front of her feet. Her tone changed quickly, becoming sweeter. It was obvious she never had any kind of significant interaction with humans before, and her rude behavior was perhaps a preliminary defensive reaction. If you're small, you had to act big or else you got stepped on.

"It's fine, I accept your apology. Nice meeting someone around here what's got some actual manners." She cleared her throat and gestured to Cass. "Come on, come on. Meet my friend here. Says her name is Cass, what walking around with papers all in her hands I have no idea. She's one of them godly folks, though, so don't I say I didn't warn you."

Patience turned around to find a parted crowd. "Huh. Well there goes my theory."

[Amaril]

Cass steps forward and gives the man another curtsy as Patience introduces her. "Oh, what, these?" She shifts her grip on the scroll cases--they really are annoyingly heavy to carry around. "These are just some paintings I made. It's just a hobby, but I figured I might try and find somewhere to sell them if I was going to be in the capital. Anyway, pleasure to meet you, ser."
Suddenly, she hears the sound of someone calling her name. Turning to the center of the square, she finally notices the old grey-haired man standing on the crate, pointing unmistakably at her. "Wait, what?" She glances back and forth uncertainly at the rest of the crowd. Realizing the old man really does seem to be waiting for her, she reluctantly moves off closer to the center. "Er, I'm sorry, ser, but what's this about exactly? And how do you know my name?"

[Ardurious]

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well . . . Cass," Nole moves his gaze off towards a tree in the distance, avoiding the young gnome's eyes, "My name's Nolan. Nole, if you prefer. I'm sorry, I'm not much of a godly man. I . . . " He is cut short as someone from the center of the crowd begins hollering. He immediately turns to look. Through a slowly widening part in the huddle he sees a frail-looking old man pointing a gnarled finger in his direction. He instinctively shrinks back.

[The_listener]

Unsure of what was happening Alexander placed his weight on his walking stick and watched. Quietly lighting his pipe as the older gent started declaring the end of the wields with a sigh.

Another doomsayer, It was getting sad now. So many of these types come crawling out of the woodwork these days. It was all he coulddo to pity the man.

[the Frogman]

The old man remains emotionless behind his silver hair. The crowd begins to yell, taunting the man.

The man lowers his finger and speaks just above the roaring of the crowd.

"The gods have chosen you, Cassandra."

[Amaril]

Cass raises a quizzical eyebrow at the old doomsayer. He doesn't appear to be dressed like a priest of any god she knows of, but the certainty apparent in his voice, and the fact that everyone seems to be paying him so much attention, has her somewhat curious. "Really now? And what, might I ask, makes you say that, ser?"

[the Frogman]

The crowd goes quiet as the man stares blankly at Cassandra. A section of the crowd splits as guards storm towards the man.

"Under order of the new king, I hereby place you under arrest for disrupting his day of coronation!"

The man hold up his hands in protest as the guards close in.

"No, you don't understand! I... Cassandra! Cassandra, I'm so sorry..."

A guard approaches Cassandra and her new friends. His square jaw clenched. A sword gripped in his right hand, glistening in the sun.

"You Cassandra?"

[Yas392]

Hey, what's going on here? A man with lean physique yet physically fit with casual wears of green and white enters the fray. He is off-duty today from the military. He could not help but to be curious of what this is all about. As with the vote, he voted for taxes with the prospect that a military commander is better off in the fields.

[Ardurious]

"I should've just gone home . . . " Nole mutters to no one in particular.

[White_Knight]

Nathaniel was on edge. It seemed that the guards were beginning to show early signs of violence. He reached into his pocket, and grabbed one of his daggers, not yet drawing it, but preparing for the worst.

"Wait, the next king has been decided already? We've only just left the booths. Either this kingdom has some of the fastest counters I've ever met, or something is wrong here." he thought to himself.

"Well, I suppose that there might be some form of magic involved with the voting process, but I still don't like this guard. Arresting a crazy man causing a disturbance is one thing, but verbally assaulting the woman he was raving to just isn't right."

Nathaniel slowly began to fight his way through the crowd and towards the disturbance, at a rate that he hoped would not bother many pedestrians nor draw too much attention to himself.

[Amaril]

Cass glances nervously down at the guard's unsheathed sword. This situation is rapidly becoming far more confusing than anything she expected to see in the capital. "Er...yes, that's me" she replies with some trepidation. "Milord, if you don't mind me asking...do you know who that man was? He knew my name, but I...I swear I've never seen him before in my life..."

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton watched the scene unfold impassively. He was not sure what was going on, but he certainly didn't want to get involved if the guards were arresting people.

[the Frogman]

The guard smiles at Cassandra.

"That man? Probably just a crazy loon!"

The guard turns to look at the man, but his smile quickly disappears. A dark portal opens behind the man, bringing a deep humming noise with it. The crowd around you begins to panic and run in every direction.

The old man turns to observe the strange portal. As he turns, his silver beard is ripped from his face, leaving a surprised naked face. As a wind rushes out from the dark portal, the man turns to face Cassandra. A teary eyed Devan stares quietly as the portal grows behind him. An Imp pops out of the portal, landing directly on Devan's shoulder. It takes a vicious bite from Devan's neck, shooting a crimson blood stream from the put man's neck.

"Cassandra run!"

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton's eyes widened at the supernatural scene unfolding before his eyes. Then he saw a gush of blood, surely the man would die. He turned, and sprinted for his life.

[White_Knight]

"Yep. Totally called it." thought Nathaniel, as the portal opened. He fully removed his dagger from his pocket, as it was far past the time for subtlety.

He momentarily considered retreating along with the rest of the crowd. He was but a simple performer. What assistance could he offer? Perform the creature to death?

...Well, why the hell not?

He walked even closer towards the disturbance, stopping approximately 10 feet from the imp, and pointed his dagger at it. Shouting with a courage he did not truly possess, he shouted "Beast, if thou have a reasonable motive, speak and let it be known! Otherwise, return to wherever it is you come from!"

Nathaniel doubted he could truly fight this creature, but maybe he could distract it momentarily, long enough for someone to pry its new snack away and take him to safety.

[The_listener]

Shock struck first, for a moment Alexander just stood and watched. Then what remained of his training kicked in and he did what all good medics did, he assessed the situation.

Firstly, that man was dead. His carotid artery had been torn in two, if he was lucky he would pass out before death.

Secondly, the girl the guard was speaking to was in very clear danger.

Finally, Demons are ripping through a portal. That was the most problematic at the moment.

Options were limited, but Alexander would rather leap through the portal himself than let someone else die. As quickly as he could he hobbled over to the shocked youth, pipe still clutched between his teeth.

To the assembled group, Doctor Grimhilt appears as an aged man in his late 30's, short grey hair and trimmed beard framing a world worn face. His dress mirrors that of a military man, sharp and fuctional, a pair of leather gloves tucked through his belt. An old hickory walking stick bears the majority of his weight and nary a weapon is evident on his body.

When he arrives before them, a soft but swift tap with his cane to Cass makes his presence felt.

"You lot after an early death? Move! " with that he turns and makes for his clinic with all haste.

[bryn0528]

Patience Stormwater

At first she wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Then the chaos fell into place and things started to make even less sense. She stared, doe-eyed, as Nathaniel tried to bay the beast. It took a knock or two from the doctor to spurn her into action. She turned on her tiny heels and ran...

...and ran...

...and ran.

Patience ran long and fast, until she saw spots and felt such a terrible pain in her chest that she just had to stop. She gulped in air, it felt like her first breath in ages, and realized she had held her breath the entire way running. She turned around, confused, still, and found herself only at the end of the street.

"Oh, curse these short legs!"

[Yas392]

Lo walks to the distraught woman. Cassandra, is it? Leave it to the guards! We need to flee now! Lo beckons her to the danger. Unsheathing his kitchen knife, his stance shifts to prepare to fight the imp just to buy her time to get over her turmoil over her dead husband and make for safety.

[White_Knight]

"Another brave warrior now stands by my side! Back, beast!" shouted Nathaniel towards the imp, desperately hoping to scare it off before he was forced to make his retreat.

Then, in a much quieter voice, and far less noble tone, he said to his new ally "Got any fighting experience, man? I sure as hell don't. I'm usually more the "moral support from a reasonable distance" kinda guy."

[Yas392]

Frankly just little, "moral support from a reasonable distance" guy, I have skills but I am more off a "flanking, stabbing, run like hell" type guy. Today is my lucky day. I am off-duty otherwise I might join them...Lo points at the guards, barricading the civilians from the lunging demons...in their heroic sacrifice.

If all fails, there's always my secret weapon. Lo turns to Cassandra. What are you waiting for? Go!

[Ardurious]

These people are insane. The thought crosses Nole's mind as the two individuals stare down the creature that had just torn out of a hole in reality itself. One holds a dagger, the other a simple kitchen knife. Nole shakes his head. The heavy length of knotted wood - the only thing he owns outside of his farming implements at home that even resembles a weapon - hangs from his pack, forgotten.

He watches a moment longer - until the tiny creature turns its blood-smeared head - before taking off down the street. He passes the young gnome after a moment, gasping to catch her breath. It is in this moment that he does something quite unlike himself. He stops.

"Are you alright, miss?"

[bryn0528]

Patience looked up at Nole, her eyes wide. She tried to speak, but the only sounds she made were heavy gasps and high pitched keens. What she tried to say is this:

"What's going on? I don't understand what just happened. That man is dead, he is definitely so very dead. I've never seen nothing so dead before in my entire life. Do you think he's going to make it? No, there's definitely no way, no how that boy is going to make it."

What came out was this:

"Huh...? Uh... no, no, no, no. Not... huh-uh, ehh. Ah! Haha, no. Nope. No, no no. Aaah!"

[Amaril]

For a long several seconds, Cass simply stands stock-still, watching the silver-haired man bleed as the demon hangs off his neck, oblivious to the surrounding panic. Her scroll cases fall from her grip and clatter to the ground, but she hardly notices. Shock, fear, and confusion all struggle for control as her head spins with questions. It can't be Devan...he was just here...just a minute ago, I saw him just a minute ago...his hair is different...he can't have gotten there that fast, he was just here...
Through the shock, she realizes people are screaming for her to run away. Struggling to think through the panic, she looks around at the fleeing crowd, fighting to get away from the demon and the portal. For a second, she steadies herself to flee as well...then she looks back at the grey-haired man with blood running down his side from his wound. Her logical mind says she must be wrong, that there's no way he can be Devan, but she knows there's no mistake. And besides, if no-one helps, the demon will rip him apart for sure.
She thinks of her sturdy walking stick, strong enough to use as a quarterstaff if the need arises--leaning against the wall back at her room in the inn, along with most everything she brought to the city with her. Attacking the creature without some sort of weapon would be futile and foolish. She glances down at her feet, at the heavy, cylindrical scroll cases she'd been carrying all day...heavy enough to do some real damage if swung hard enough. Cass raises her eyes back to the demon, eyes narrowed in newfound anger, gritting her teeth and steeling herself to move fast. Not taking her gaze off it, she reaches down and picks up one of the cases, holding it like a club.
"Get away from my husband, monster" she growls at the demon, and charges towards it...

Making a charge attack using one of the scroll cases as an improvised greatclub. With a +2 Strength bonus, a -4 penalty for non-proficiency, and a +2 to attack for charging, the bonus works out to flat 0.

[roll0]

[White_Knight]

Uh oh. This likely wasn't going to end well. In fact, t was the exact opposite of what Nathaniel hoped the woman would do.

This really isn't the best idea, Miss... began Nathaniel as Cass rushed past him, but she was quickly out of the range he could speak to her without the creature being able to hear. "Okay, playtime's over." he thought.

"Miss, I understand that you're upset, but the three of us probably can't take him alone." he yelled towards Cass. "We need to fall back."

Then he turned towards Lo, and said "How about we test out that "run like hell" tactic you mentioned?"

He tossed his dagger in the direction of the demon, then took off. The man with the walking stick seemed to have a safe spot in mind, so he decided to follow him. Not to mention that he appeared to be a doctor of some sort. If any more of those things came out of the portal, many of these people were going to need a doctor. It made sense that Nathaniel should help the man try to get to safety.


Throwing dagger at demon, with a -4 to not hit Cass, and +1 from Dex Modifier:
[roll0]

Damage:
[roll1]

Then, moving my speed of 30 in the direction of the rest of the retreating group.

[Ardurious]

"No, no, no, no, this is bad. Very bad," Nole mutters, watching the horrific scene unfold some yards away. He watches as the woman - Cass - strikes out at the little imp with one of her scroll cases. One of the men offhandedly hurls a dagger at the creature before turning and sprinting in the direction the older gentleman had walked earlier.

"Just go home, just go home, just go home," Nole chants under his breath, his eyes darting from the scene before him to the open road behind. He takes a step towards the road, then stops. His eyes fall to the gnome. She is nearly doubled over trying to catch her breath. They next move to the young priestess. They'll die. They'll all die . . .

He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. What he does next surprises him. "I'm sorry, miss," he says to the gnome, then reaches down and scoops her up in one arm. Steadying himself he heads in the direction the older gentleman had as fast as his legs will carry him.

[the Frogman]

The Imp dodges both the charging female and the dagger with swift maneuvers. The little creature's beady red eyes dart around the open square before fluttering off after the dispersing crowd. The Imp lets out a high pitched shriek before disappearing over a rooftop.

As the group begins running from the portal, more shrieks begin to echo down the street. Should anyone turn around, they would see a wave of Imps fluttering out of the portal. As the Imps flutter about Eglon, bloodcurdling screams echo from street to street.

As you run, you find yourself at a crossroads. You see a guard member on the street to your left and a bridge to your right...

[Ardurious]

Against his better judgment, Nole stops a moment to catch his breath. In his haste to get away from the portal he had lost sight of the older man and the dagger-thrower. A glance over his shoulder shows a stampede of the beady-eyed little demons pouring from the portal, flitting off this way and that to pursue the panicked crowd.

Nole's eyes widen and he searches around for a way to escape. His eyes come to rest on a bridge off in the distance. He makes a move towards it, then remembers the gnome. "I think we'd be best getting out of here," he says, "You can stay if you'd like. Looks like one of the town guard made it. Maybe more."

A pang of indecision pierces his mind. Would we be safer with the guardsmen, or out on the road by ourselves? Damn.

[Amaril]

As the little demon dodges out of her way and flies off, Cass finds herself nearly overwhelmed with frustration and anger--watching it disappear over the top of the buildings, she wants nothing more than to chase it down and break open its vile little skull. She looks down at the heavy case in her hands as she catches her breath, letting the rage slowly ebb away. Empty night, what was all that? She can't remember ever being that angry before...
Suddenly she remembers Devan. Turning back, she realizes the demon apparently brought company--more like it are pouring in through the still-open portal. Dropping the scroll case, she glances around to find the best way to run, and sees Patience and a few others heading for a nearby intersection where there seem to be more guards. "Come on, Dev, we have to go" she says as she bends down to pick him up. His whole side is soaked with blood, and he doesn't seem to be moving...swallowing down her fear, she drapes his arm over her shoulders, hoists him up off the ground, and stumbles off to follow the group.

[bryn0528]

Patience, small as she is, was easily whisked into Nole's grasp. Carrying her probably didn't even slow him down that much. She even tried to climb his shoulders a little higher, to get a better look around the world. "Oh no, no, no..." she chanted from her perch, seeing a swarm of imps emerge from the hellish portal.

"Cass!"

Patience routed herself from Nole's carrying arms, and pointed to the woman. "Nole, you've got to help her with him. She can't do it on her own!" Patience ran back a little further, closer to the growing chaos. She whispered softly into her hands and felt her eyes roll gently back into her head. A faint buzzing shook her teeth, and four tiny orbs of color danced from her fingertips. She threw the tiny sparks, madly spinning, into the oncoming wave of imps, in the hopes that, while the lights are utterly harmless, they will afford some distraction from the beasts. "Move, move, move!" she yelled back. "Go for the bridge! Get out of the city!"

Patience uses her Gnome spell-like ability to cast Dancing Lights, thus exhausting her daily use of it.

[Ardurious]

Nole curses under his breath as the little gnome deftly slips out of his grasp. He turns in time to see her hurl a cluster of tiny colorful lights into the mass of sharp-toothed little monsters. He then sees Cass attempting to drag the old man's body away from the portal. "What in the gods' names . . . ?" He mutters, dumbfounded.

He looks to the bridge again. He is barely twenty feet from it. He could cross the distance in an instant and be away from this horrible place. He swallows heavily around the growing lump in his throat and takes a step towards the bridge.


"Nole, you've got to help her with him. She can't do it on her own!"


The little gnome's scream nearly causes him to jump. He looks back to her. She is frantically pointing at Cass, who is continuing to drag the old man. She is attempting to stand him up, but he isn't moving. Nole grits his teeth, glancing longingly at the bridge before cursing again and sprinting towards Cass.

He passes by the little gnome and reaches the aspiring priestess in little over a second. He quickly bends and hooks one of the old man's arms over his shoulder. "Come on! We need to move!" He hefts as much of the man's weight onto himself as he can. It takes a very real effort not to look over his shoulder at the portal. I'm going to die. We're all going to die.

[White_Knight]

Nathaniel was keeping his eyes on two people carrying the injured (and likely dead) man away. More importantly, he was keeping his eyes on the portal behind them. Imps were pouring out of it at an alarming rate, and he feared that one would see the three of them as an easy meal. He drew another dagger, and prepared to toss it at any nasties that were following them.

"Across the bridge, hurry!" he shouted to the gathered group. Then, turning towards the guard, he yelled "What are you doing, watching? Should I get you some popcorn? For the love of whatever you deity you worship, help us!"

[Amaril]

Cass looks up ahead as one of the fleeing men--Nole, she remembers his name--runs back towards her and steps in under Devan's other arm. Relief washes over her terror; with both of them carrying him together, they might have a chance of getting away. "Oh gods, thank you!" With his assistance, they manage to carry Dev much faster.
Unable to look back, Cass is forced to simply listen to the shrieking of the monsters as they flee the site of the portal. "Empty night, what are these things doing here?"

[The_listener]

Alexander grunted through his exhaustion, the old wound in his leg flaring up as he exerted himself. Whatever was going on here he needed to get back home. When he left, his aide Charlotte had been left in charge, not just of the office but of the patients he was treating. His mind was afire with panicked illusions of the worst, images of his lively-hood burning and the screams of those who depended on him echoed through his mind.
Try as he might to focus on the here and now, there was only so much he could do. But triage was something he had mastered years ago.

Alex moved over to Cass and Noel, just faces to him, and raised a hand in good faith, "I'm a doctor, let me help." he doesn't even wait for a reply before checking the mans breathing and inspecting the wound briefly, looking for any sign that he could be saved.

A quick heal check just to see how dead this chap is, may be or could be [roll0]

As he looks the man over he quickly looks over his shoulder to the man shouting at the guard, "We should head left, my clinic is that way!" A slight quiver in Alexander's voice belies his panic at the situation, his eyes flit from the man to the portal beyond, at the hell that was pouring into the city.

[White_Knight]

"Does this clinic have any defenses? We might be able to barricade ourselves in, buy some time. Then again, I don't know how long these things will keep spilling out of the portal. It might be safer to just run."

"Then again, we can't drag this guy around forever." Nathaniel said, pointing to Devan. He looked around desperately, hoping someone else in this group would have an answer. "I am so in over my head right now. I'll follow you guys, whatever you decide to do."

[The_listener]

"Four stone walls and a thick door sound good>" Alexander replies, quietly unsure of what good they would be against hell's own forces.

[Amaril]

Cass frantically sends thanks to every god she can think of. If there was one thing she needed, it was a physician. "Nole, come on, help me with this!" she hastily says as she turns to head left. She glances over her shoulder at the healer. "Please, ser, show me where!"

[Ardurious]

Nole nods tersely, hefting the old man onto his shoulder again. He tries not to think about the bridge, or the road, or his farm. I'm in over my head now. There's no turning back. He helps Cass haul the man after the physician. Stone walls and a thick door don't sound quite as good as miles of distance, but putting anything between himself and that portal sounds good to him in the moment.

[Yas392]

His objective complete. Lo's legs takes off after Nathaniel, constantly under vigilance on the status of Devan and Cassandra. If anyone's shoulders are numb carrying that man, we can switch.

Lo counters as he caught up. Don't go all out defence. Surely, you have something other than a thick wall that could be of use to fend off the forces of hell.

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton skidded as he turned towards the bridge. He chanced a glance back and saw more winged creatures pouring from the portal. Panicking even more now, if that was possible, he put his head down and focused on not stumbling, adrenaline giving him endurance and speed he didn't know he possessed.

[White_Knight]

Nathaniel stared at Lo, trying to decide if he was serious or not. "I have four daggers left. That is the entirety of my offense. If those are all that's standing between me and and the end of the world, I'd be quite grateful for a few sturdy walls. Lead the way, doctor."

[the Frogman]

Anton:
As you leave the imps, the dying man, and the rest of the city behind you, you find yourself facing freedom. Open air now rests ahead of you. You hear a bird chirping in the distance, and there are no signs of any Imps...

Alexander:
You make a quick check on Devan, but it does not take a doctor to realize that Devan has passed on. Several arteries are shredded, and blood continues to pour from the wound. That being said, thanks to some incredible medical procedures, you have managed to extend his life a couple of minutes. Perhaps Cassandra can get in a goodbye thanks to your quick work.

Everyone except Anton:
As you wander through the maze of streets, all while trying to avoid the countless Imps hovering over you, you find a drab gray building. In large, bold letters, the word MEDIC is painted on a window. You hear a scream come from a street away as you close in on the building.

[The_listener]

Wiping the sweat from his brow Alexander looks up to Cass, his eyes mirroring his apologetic tone.
"I've done all I can, but he's not going to make it. He's got a few minutes left, at best." He reaches out and places a hand on the young woman's shoulder.
"If you want to say goodbye, now is the time. I'm sorry."

With that he turns and continues down the street, picking up the pace as he see's his office. Banging on the door as he reaches it, his heart in his mouth as the demons of his imagination paint a picture of horror in his mind.

"Charlotte! Open up!"

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton's steps slow, chest burning with exertion and legs with exhaustion. He finds a tree to use as cover and looks back at where he came from, looking for signs of pursuit, eyes scouring the buildings for some indication of what was going on in the town.

[Amaril]

The physician's words reach Cass' ears, but their meaning fails to make it to any important part of her mind. She fixes the man with as steely a gaze as she can manage. "Ser, not to be rude, but shut the hells up and open that thrice-damned door so I can get him inside. You are going to continue helping my husband, and with every god in heaven as my witness, you are not going to stop until he's safe." Then, paying little mind to Nole, she lengthens her stride to match the doctor's and waits beside him at the building's door. "It's alright, Dev, this man's a healer, he's going to help you, alright? You're going to be fine, I promise..."

[Ardurious]

Nole is forced to quicken his step to keep pace with Cass as she strides purposely toward the healer's place of business. He casts a sidelong glance at the man they carry. Why are we doing this? Why am I doing this? He shuts his eyes a moment. I don't want to die here. Not for a dead man and his wife. Not for anyone.

Despite himself, he trudges ever forward.

[the Frogman]

After a few long moments, the door flies open and a woman stares at you. She has soft blue eyes that are puffy and red. Her lip quivers as she looks at Alex.

"Alexander! You're... You're safe..."

[The_listener]

Alex only offers a brief smile "You shouldn't be so surprised." with that he moves in, hobbling past his assistant and waving the others in, he then turns his attention back to the girl.
How is everyone, how are you?"
When Cass enters be points her at the closest un occupied bed.

[the Frogman]

The woman's eyes quickly shoot to Devan. Her mouth opens slightly as she shakes her head.

"Alexander, what is this? Don't you realize what's going on out there?! Now is not the time to play doctor!"

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton steadied his breath. He had half a thought to keep running all the way back to his cabin in the woods, but curiosity was beginning to get the better of him.

Oh no, Lara!

Was she safe? He couldn't simply leave her to her fate if she was in trouble. Anton tried to stay low and get a better vantage point as to what was happening in the town, without drawing attention to himself.

Try to stay behind cover of trees if possible, or low in grasses/shrubs if they're available. Anton will make his way back towards the town, staying on this side of the stream for now.

[Amaril]

Hauling Devan over to the bed the doctor indicates, Cass sets him down on the mattress as gently as she can, trying not to open his wound any further. "Ma'am, please" she implores the protesting nurse, "my husband was attacked by one of those things, he needs medicine now! Anything I might help with, anything you need, I'll do it gladly, just please don't let him die!" She looks down at his face again, ashen with the loss of so much blood, and feels the sickening rise of panic returning from whatever corner she'd stowed it in. Merciful Pelor, lord of light and protector of all that walks in the sun, she prays silently, I beg of you, hear my prayer and save my husband from this peril...

[White_Knight]

"It's going to be all right, miss. We're safe for now. That's what matters." said Nathaniel, putting his hand on Cass' shoulder. He didn't believe that their troubles were over for a second, but this woman needed comforting. Then, he knelt down by the bed of the dying man. "Hello, Sir. My name is Nathaniel." he said in his most soothing and caring voice. "I don't know if you can still speak, or if you're even aware of your surroundings. But I need you to concentrate right now. You obviously know something about these creatures. I need you to tell us as much as you can. And no pretending to be someone you aren't, no riddles, no ranting prophecies. Just explain to us what you know. If you don't tell us now..." His eyes drifted to Cass, obviously not wanting to complete that thought in front of her. "...There's a good chance that you may not be able to later." he said.

[The_listener]

Alexander ignored Cass and the others for now, keeping his attention on Charlotte and his other patients. Moving over to her he lowers his voice, whispering into her ear.
"Do I need to remind you what we do here Charlotte? Regardless of what the world throws at us, our job is to make sure that everyone around us keeps breathing." he casts a quick look over the assembled trio at the bed and sighs,
"As much as they don't want to admit it, that man is dead. I did all I could but he's beyond help. But there are still others who require our help. How many patients are still here?

As he talks, Alex pulls a large bag from the side and starts packing medical supplies within. Moving to a nearby water basin and washing his hands as he asks his final question.

[bryn0528]

Patience Stormwater

She scooted in last, panting and heaving. The imps were everywhere now, and she really wished they had all taken the way out of town. But otherwise, she was glad for the walls that surrounded them now. She sidled up to the window, and stood on her toes to look out it currently. She wondered only idly about her father, sure that he would be safe with his regimen of fellow workers.

Out of some respect for her new companion's loss and a sense of shock, she found little to say. And so she simply stood there, looking out and contemplating her near future.

[the Frogman]

Anton:
As you make your way around the outside of the capital, you have a good view of the terrorized city. You first notice the portal. The dark hole into a curious abyss continues to glow a dark hue and releasing dark fiendish creatures onto the hopeless town. The Imps have cleared out from the portal however, making way for a larger creature. Taking a moment to look, you see shadows coming to life and escaping the portal!

Looking around more, you see the strange doomsayer, that "Cassandra" woman, and a small group making shuffling their way into a small building. It is just a few blocks from the portal, but they enter the building anyway and close the door behind them.

The longer you look, the more you realize that Lara is nowhere to be seen...


A hacking cough from Devan's bed interrupts an otherwise quiet moment. Charlotte glances over at Devan before looking back to Alexander. She shakes her head in disbelief.

"Most of the patients left as soon as that... portal thing appeared. We only have three patients anymore, and they are only here because they were too sick to move. Well, three and that man you just brought in. I understand that you are hard-headed Alexander, but you will not be helping anyone if you stop breathing yourself! Those little devils have ransacked this entire city, and it's only a matter of time before they make their way in here. You need to leave the capital at once if you wish to truly fix this problem. Now please go!"


On the other side of the room, Devan offers another vicious cough. His eyes open slightly as his soft eyes settle on Cassandra. He begins wheezing as words escape his lips.

"You... are... gorgeous. I... have always... believed in you. I believe... the gods... have something special... for you. My... little act... was... to encourage you to... go and acheive... what Pelor has... for you."

Devan lets out a slow exhale as his eyes close and his head falls limp onto the bed. As screams and screeches linger on outside the small clinic, a quiet peace settled inside.

[Amaril]

For a few seconds that feel a lot longer, Cass just stands there, staring down at the bed.
"D-...Dev?" she finally finds her voice, surprised at how faint it sounds even to her. "N-no, hang on...no, you're not...he's going to help you...you're going to get through this, you...oh gods..."
Swaying dizzily, she leans against the wall and slowly lowers herself to her knees beside Devan's head. "Y-you were just there...just a second...where did you...you were j-just waiting until I was..."

[The_listener]

Alex nodded as Charlotte spoke, bitterly agreeing. Even as he did so however his mind was afire with plans of how to get as many safely from the city as possible. He stared at Charlotte for a while, raising a finger to silence her when she inevitably asked what he was looking at.
It only took a while for him to mull over a few ideas, until one stuck. Suddenly he smiled and turned on the spot, his eyes falling upon the stronger, younger men who had followed him here.

"You!" He called out, pointing at them, "Are any of you any good with a horse?"

[Thundercracker]

Anton Daaz

Anton attempted to try and figure out what the imps and others were doing, without being seen. If he can creep closer under cover to get a better view, he will do that.

[bryn0528]

Patience Stormwater

She snapped out of her dream-like state when Alexander burst out. She smiled, slightly, but then realized he wasn't even acknowledging her. She crossed her arms. "I have riding experience," she said. Although, honestly, she had never rode a horse, for they were too big, but he didn't need to know that at the moment.

[The_listener]

Alex's attention darts to the gnome, slightly surprised. But he shook his head and limped closer.
"Excellent!" He smiled, happy to hear a small amount of positive news. Stopping he then leaned on his cane and looked around, "Anyone else?"

[Yas392]

Lo watches the scene with no words. It simply tugs his heartstrings when somebody is trying to deal with moments like this. At Alexander's questions, he shakes his head in dismay.

I have tended to animals but riding is the least experience I have.

[The_listener]

Alex furrows his brow as he speaks, making sure all of his plan plays out the way he hoped it would in his mind. "That should be more than enough..." Hobbling over to the window he continues, "I have a plan, of sorts, I'm not even sure it will work but we have little more choice now."

[White_Knight]

"A bit of an explanation, Doctor? I'd like to know what we're signing on for. I have zero experience with animals, but I'm a fast learner." said Nathaniel, backing away from Devan's bed to give Cass some space. "And I suppose some introductions are in order. I don't believe I have gotten anyone's names yet. Though I suppose when running for your lives, formalities aren't at the top of anyone's priorities. I am Nathaniel Undash. A traveling performer, of sorts. Though, I suppose that if this really is the end of the world, I'll need to find a new profession. Not much need for an entertainer after the curtain has been lowered, after all."

[the Frogman]

Charlotte shakes her head as Alexander speaks about "a plan".

"Alex, what do you have in mind?"

There is a loud bang on the glass as an imp flies into it, leaving a decent-sized crack in the glass.

[The_listener]

Leaning on his walking stick, Alexander looks back worried as the glass cracks.
"Well I think it's a little late to just saunter out of the city. However, there's normally a carriage outside, but no horses..." his face contorts, in annoyance.
"However, there will be some close by. If we can bring them back here..."

[White_Knight]

Nathaniel jumped as the imp collided with the nearby window. "Huh. That would have been hilarious if it wasn't so terrifying."

"Steal some horses? Not exactly the most original escape attempt, but I do have a thing for the classics." said Nathaniel, once Alexander had explained his idea.

Nathaniel looked at the patients in the clinic. "Well, the man we brought here is dead, no doubt. But are the other patients worth taking with us? They'd likely only slow us down." he thought. "Maybe it would be best for those of us who can still move under their own power to just take the horses, and leave the cart behind..."