Turn 31
[Alexander: 2 -1, Mutilated zombie: 6] Peasant tried to finish off the undead with a strike to the head using his wood axe, but he missed. Mutilated zombie immediately grabbed Alexander's hand and was just about to bite, when suddenly someone ran from behind the corner, shouting:
Finally found you! - a tall, old man with unkempt dark hair, wearing a black hard leather armor with red cape approached them. He had a blood soaked cloth wrapped around his face, which made it surprising that he was able to find anything - it clearly wasn't possible to see through those wraps.
[Unknown man: 6, Mutilated zombie: 3] Stranger grabbed the undead by it's arm and tried to pull it off the rotting body. The joint wasn't rotten enough and he could only dislocate it, but the corpse bit him at his foot!
You son of a.... Wait, you can't bite through steel plates! - the man shouted in anger.
yirah, Mi'lady, perhaps it would be best for you to stay with Seymour and conserve your strength while we deal with the keep's problems. It would not do for you to die or lose your link with your father because you wanted to aid us, noble as it would be. Besides, I have a feeling that retrieving your father's spear may be far more difficult and dangerous than what we encounter here. Undoubtably we will need you then. - inquisitor advised.
[2]
This won't solve the problem. Even deep ungerground the link weakens. I must act, but I won't be able to do it alone. - demigoddess replied.
Alternatively, if we are all in agreement, we could split our party and have a few of us go with you as retainers while the rest deal with the keep. It is a matter of what would be deemed highest priority. - Reynald told Lyirah about a second option.
[3]
This idea sounds better, but we will need to maintain a good balance when splitting, so both groups are equally strong. - she replied.
[3] With that settled, inquisitor decided to check corpses for anything valuable. He only searched the knight - the armor was completely damaged trash, weapon not that much better, but the knight was wearing a key on his neck just like an amulet.
[2] Aaron decided to loot corpses as well, but everything he found was useless junk.
Ow. Well, let's go exploring! - Dennis said while Aaron and Reynald were still looting corpses.
I will go with you, peasant guy. - Pguhyuh said with complete disregard for his acquired noble title.
Mind if I tag along? - Vivian asked, then said:
My combat skills are not up to yours but I can make things if we find ingredients. Demonologist tried to keep alchemist's mood up:
Hey, Its not like I have any combat skills, I dont even have a weapon. Other than my mind and knowledge. And magic books. Okay maybe magic is a weapon, but I have no combat training. Lysander thought that exploring the keep was a good idea, so he said:
I have never reason not to come as well, demon, come with me.[6] When he was done with checking bodies for valuables, Aaron sat down on the ground and rested. Suddenly he received a vision! Fortress, high up in the mountains, surrounded only by mountain peaks and ravines. A dragon fortress! But it was surrounded by demons and their infernal siege machines! Lords from the pits made a breach in a high wall and they charged against numerous draconians!
Lyirah, before you leave, what do you know about the nature and origin of arcane magic? I know that demons and amethyst are related to it, and I could sense huge amounts of arcane energy from you. What exactly is the arcane magic? - Pguhyuh asked.
[6]
The nature and origin of arcane magic is unknown even to gods. It surely played a big role in shaping the world during it's first few seconds of existence. Demon lords should know more about it, since demons were born first and received most wild and primal charges of arcane energy. Then came the gods and other beings, with each being in the chain, the energy being weaker. For reasons unknown even to a daughter of rock giant, amethyst are able to produce and gather arcane energy. - Lyirah replied.
[1]
Fzbxr, how much do you know about arcane magic? - Pguhyuh asked, but scanning at the same time through his mind, he quickly found out that the demon doesn't know anything more. In fact, Smoke's knowledge of arcane seemed to be quite lacking.
From what I've been able to figure, arcane magic is the magic of those who fell from grace, either falling to the pit or the earth, it doesn't matter. Demon's fell, from the grace of the gods, and arcane magic is theirs, demigods fell from their parents and they have arcane magic as well. But that is just my theory. - Lysander shared his fascinating theory with others.
Dont think of gods as omnipotent and perfect, everything has their faults and we know even gods can die. I think the arcane is something beyond them. - Pguhyuh started an argument.
The arcane is not the will of the gods, it is what godly energy becomes when it is forcibly torn from a body. When the first devils were thrown to the pit, their godly energy came off them as they fell and became arcane. - demonologist said.
I dont think they "fell". The demons were already there, and the gods just opened the doors. Maybe we are the monsters to them, maybe they are forced to fight us. Of course, these are just theories. - Pguhyuh stated, but Lysander still tried to convince him:
Believe me, the first demons fell, hard. This slightly irritated demonologist:
There is no way for us to know that. Anything related to the origins of demons is probably from many eons before humans. - he said angrily.
Not all that was long ago is lost to the sands of time. - Lysander said mysteriously.
[4]
I think you've got it wrong, as you mistake arcane with dark. First demons didn't fall, they were the firstborn children of arcane forces, but shortly after something snapped and changed within them. It happens to this day, as arcane that gave them life back then was, and still remains wild and primal. Gods were born from arcane too, but when that happened the energy itself was much different than during first millenia. Arcane is the basis of godly powers! - Lyirah explained.
[2] When everyone was about to finally move on, a long horrifying scream came echoing throughout whole keep from halls deep down below it. It sounded like a tormented and damned soul getting free.
The scary woman! - horned demon shouted in terror.
Mutilated zombie: -15 HP [15/30]
Unknown man: Fighting mutilated zombie
Aaron: Well rested, received a vision!
Reynald: Found a key
OOC
Tomorrow is now....