[NEXUS] WATCHTOWER 17: Through Cloud, Shadow, Earth, and Flesh.

[D_Lord]

Courtyard

The earth elemental just seems to smile at him then slide into the ground with out a trace.

The hand pulls it self back through the portal and Cessie finds herself under mental assault through her connection to the earth elemental.

[Reinholdt]

Ilpholin's Room

Ilphy gets by the glove and her tail wraps into it, wearing it like... well a glove. She points it at Blake and curls. He might find his throat being wrapped around by a tail and crushed in what is literally a telekinetic force choke. Courtesy of Roxanne. Of course, it might not be as effective as it normally would, since the tail is an ill fit for manipulating the glove.

Courtyard

Well the whip won't do anything just being picked up. Unless there's ill intent towards Ilpholin.

Also she's naked, glued to a devil, and being dragged along the ground by a gargoyle. Claws digging in aren't going to hurt much worse than things already do. I mean she likes it rough, but yeesh.

[Shadowcaller]

((Just a few OOC notes before I reply to your post D_lord.

The elemental Cessie summoned can't actually go through the earth like that any more than any ordinary stone can. It simply doesn't have that kind of supernatural ability.

Now I understand if the thing in the wall might have somehow given it that ability but I just thought you should know it's something it can't ordinarily do. It also can't smile unless the thing gave it a mouth as well.

In addition there is no longer any mental link between Cessie and the elemental. If the thing had tried an mental assault before it gained complete control over the elemental that might have worked but the instance it took over the connection was cut. That's why Cessie couldn't unsummon the elemental.))

Courtyard

Garn, with his increased speed, manages to drag Ilpholin and Decker into the keep without any real concern for their overall health, and that's all he accomplishes in this round.

Cessie stares at the disappearing Jeremy, what in Artaris name was he up to? The sound of him slamming into the earth gives her a clue though. Good graces, was the man insane?

Her priority right now however was to make sure Ilpholin was safe as the goal of this invasion apparently was to capture her so she was to make sure that didn't succeed. She summons a minor air elemental and orders it to fly to the control room before she makes her way towards the keep as well.

Once she was sure Ilpholin was secure inside the keep she could help Jeremy out fighting whatever was on the other side on that portal. If he could cover her she might even be able to close down that portal with some effort.

[happyturtle]

Ilpholin's Room

Spoiler

Show

Ilpholin's Room

The laser blasts hits Fear and knocks the Object out of Blake's hand. He swings the (now-free) left arm round, extending a blade from its wrist and aiming at Darcy's midriff. Her grab is unsuccessful, as Blake was expecting that move again, but stops the boy from using that arm for anything.

Ilpholin's Room

Ilphy gets by the glove and her tail wraps into it, wearing it like... well a glove. She points it at Blake and curls. He might find his throat being wrapped around by a tail and crushed in what is literally a telekinetic force choke. Courtesy of Roxanne. Of course, it might not be as effective as it normally would, since the tail is an ill fit for manipulating the glove.

Darcy is focusing on the right hand. That's where the lasers are coming from. So this time, she goes for the shoulder, which should be easier to catch, with the hopes of stabbing through the shoulder tendons and disabling the arm.

She doesn't see the left hand coming. So whether her stab attempt succeeds or not, she makes a gurgling noise and collapses to the ground, trying to hold her entrails in.

(OOC note: She could have shapeshifted to avoid taking damage, but only if she was prepared for the attack, which she wasn't. Also, Darcy is less adept at combat uses for her shapeshifting than Happy was.)

[Earl of Purple]

Ilpholin's Room

Blake starts to make choking sounds and turn blue in the face, but he quickly alters his body slightly, giving it some spiracles down his sides that enable him to keep breathing. He also tries moving Darcy so that she is between him and the robot shooting lasers at him, but it's difficult as his right arm isn't working properly as Darcy did manage to stab it and do some damage. A laser blast from the robot has also shot through Blake's rucksack, damaging the clothes inside.

[Darkcomet]

[Ilpholin's Room]

The little drone's targeting system is probably good enough to not hit Darcy, considering Blake is still having trouble there. Therefore, pew pew, lasers.

[Courtyard]

The DCdrone here...does pretty much nothing, as there is little left for it to do.

[UncleWolf]

[Infirmary]

"Whenever you have time, really. I'm kinda in recuperation mode from.. Well, if I could remember it, I'd probably be able to do smonething about it but I've not had the time to really run a recovery operation seeing that I've been a bit preoccupied with shoring up a few defenses and finding a place where I'll have ready access to resources seeing that it would take a little while." Ghoul said, rather more overtly nodding to the blood pack. She was doing her best to be civil right now and was succeeding rather admirably considering the mix of pain and hunger.

Still, Cutter may be detecting a bit of an edge in her tone alongside the rather more noticeable canines that were extending like the fangs of a snake. It generally wasn't the best thing to taunt a hungry undead, after all.

Infirmary

"Ma'am? As a future note, fangs really don't scare me. I have hundreds of the damn things when I want." Cutter says with an amused smile. "Once you drink your blood, I'll get started on the first regimen and we'll go from there. Sound good?"

[Terumitsu]

[Infirmary]

A puzzled expression followed the fang comment. "The hell are you..? Oh. That. Natural reaction. Haven't quite figured out how to control it although being fed helps." the fledgling said. There hadn't been any intent to threaten anyone although that might seem a bit far fetched given appearances. "But sounds good, yeah." she said although maybe just a sliver too quickly. She was rather focused on one thing at the moment, after all, and delays were just making things worse.

If Cutter were to hand the pack over as soon as she agrees, though, then what would follow would probably be best described as the cleanest mess one might witness in the making. There was just enough restraint to avoid doing anything other than puncture the bag with teeth and, after a moment, claws but beyond that, it was a rather feral thing to watch. Still, Ghoul would look quite a bit more like a normal human rather than pale as death, at least.

[5a Violista]

[Portal between AMEN and WATCHTOWER]

A middle-aged woman wearing a bright red feathery mask comes through the portal, trying to find the people she sent here earlier to rescue-slash-capture Ilpholin. She quickly surveys the scene. Notably, weapons she has are a sword scabbard.

She can only assume that one of them is that unconscious devil glued to Ilpholin. Probably feigning unconsciousness; that's the best plan ever. Harley assumes that it's all under control, but she wonders under her breath, "Where did that other one go?"

Shapeshifting some part in her mind to find more demonic influences, she picks up a "scent" to where this Blake-guy is.

Harley runs past the DCdrone and everyone else here as fast as she can, looking for Ilpholin's Room, to find this Blake.

Unfortunately, she gets lost somewhere in WATCHTOWER's hallways, though... Man, is it confusing in here. Why can't they have big neon flashing lights saying "Go this way!"?

But then she finds out that she's not in the Courtyard, as she had earlier thought. Guess the portal was outside the gate, and not just outside the building.

[Darkcomet]

[Portal]

As the DCdrone is was not previously doing anything, Harley there may be surprised when it tries to shoot her as she runs for the place.

Pew pew, lasers.

[5a Violista]

[Outside the Gate]

Harley, (in this new post), gets hit by lasers. They feel a little hot, I guess, and maybe hurt a little, but not as much as other weapons.

She finds the DCdrone that is shooting at her, and swings her scabbard at the laser-pewing part, to get it to stop. If it hits, the voltage stored up in Harley will discharge to the DCdrone, probably causing normal electricity-related burnage. At least, that's what it usually does.

[UncleWolf]

Portal

Since the elemental is gone, before Harley can go anywhere aside from the portal and maybe hitting the drone, she'll find a tall man, easily over six feet tall, with stark grey hair and a dark tan standing next to her. Of note, he wears heavy duty boots, a pair of pants, and a tan safari style shirt that has lots of pockets and the top few buttons undone, revealing part of a broad chest. Also of note is the shotgun he's holding, pointing right at her center of mass.

It's a rather odd shotgun, made of shadow and glowing menacingly.

"Ma'am? I recommend you stop right now. Make no mistake, I will shoot." Jeremy says, a dark look to his green eyes.

[Darkcomet]

[Portal/Outside Gate]

The insignificant drone just starts moving backwards on those tiny little treads it has. On one hand, it is tiny. On the other hand, it is an outdated (by DC's standards anyway), basic drone.

So it gets zapped anyway. It sits there, smoking. Poor little mouse-sized drone. They probably aren't far from retirement, you know.

[Reinholdt]

Outside the Gate

I'm not sure it's fair to presume the elemental is gone since it sounds like there might need to be some edits/fixes.

Anyways, Stu dives out of the portal after Harley. He intended to use her as cover against Greg's assault. This unfortunately totally backfired and now puts Stu as cover against Jeremy's shotgun threat, standing between the two as he is.

"I am no ma'am *******! You take that back!"

Ilpholin's Room

"DARCY!"
Oh that's it. Ilphy is officially pissed off now. Having managed to just now get to her feet, she steps up and performs a powerful pirouette. Only with her tail extended such that her metal glove should literally backhand Blake's face with enough speed and force to possibly knock him out. The force choke thing stops though. It's hard enough to pull off these maneuvers without doing two at the same time.

[Earl of Purple]

Ilpholin's Room

Blake was paying too much attention to his feet, trying to unstick them from the floor. So he's struck and knocked out by Ilpholin's blow, crumpling over backwards. His blades retract into his arms and the breathing holes he'd opened in his chest close, and suddenly he looks like an unconscious dark-skinned ten-year-old human, with no signs of being anything else.

Also, Blake isn't technically a demon, but has spent the last several thousand years in their company; a longer period of time than he ever spent with his own kind before he Fell.

[happyturtle]

Ilpholin's Room

Darcy is breathing in little gasps and very slowly raises her eyes to look at Ilphy.

"Love............ you........."

Then her eyes roll back in her head.

[5a Violista]

[Portal/Outside Gate]

Darn it; she didn't mean to completely burn out that DC-drone. That's why Harley doesn't like electricity: it's very hard to control and measure out exactly how much you need to use. Fire is much more controllable.

It's unfortunate that Harley lost all the charge on the DC-drone, as well. Now she doesn't have any to shock the tall, dark, and handsome man with the gun. Sure, she automatically begins recharging the electricity inside her, but if she touched anyone, it would only make their hair stand on end.

Fortunately, though, Stu has followed her through. That's nice. When Jeremy calls Stu a "Ma'am", she also objects. "Hey, just because he's wearing a power suit doesn't make him a woman. Just let us through and rescue our associates, please," she responds forcefully.

[UncleWolf]

Portal/Outside Gate

"You're right. He's too young and pretty to be a 'Ma'am'. " Jeremy says about Stu, still keeping his eyes and shotgun on Harley. "Now, Ma'am, while I might not agree with this entire ordeal, let me lay something out. Neither you two nor I are capable of getting inside at the moment. The walls are too damn high, too damn thick, and the gate is sealed from the inside. Which leaves a few options. A) We duke it out here, and none of us are likely to leave unscathed. Which'll suck. B) You surrender, but that's not likely. C) I surrender, which probably ain't happening. Or D) You just go and plot revenge elsewhere. Turn around, I won't fire and will make sure no one else will. As long as you're walking away. You don't even have to go back through the portal. Just go. I'll even make sure that whoever's trapped here is alive and well and a message sent back about maybe bargaining."

Infirmary

Cutter tosses over the blood pack and even fetches a second for her. "Feed, then we'll talk some more about it."

[Terumitsu]

[Infirmary]

The second pack wasn't quite so vigorously consumed as the first had been, at least. It was fully drained just as quickly, though, and the dark, chitinous claws that had once been fingers seemed to be the cause of this as Ghoul was not drinking quite so greedily from it as before. She looked like a perfectly healthy human upon draining it dry although the small droplets around her mouth might throw that image off a bit. A forked tongue quickly lapped those up, at any rate, and her fingers returned to being simple digits rather than long knives. It seemed like that was another natural reaction, though, as there didn't seem to be any effort made to shift them between states. Still, the face she made upon finishing was indicative of just how appetizing it had been. It was more or less the same face one made when encountering hospital 'Salisbury Steak.'

"Not the best tasting meal I've had but I'd at least be willing to drink the stuff that's about to expire so it doesn't go to waste as long as I'm hear." she said, noting that the headache seemed to have receeded just a bit more now that she wasn't feeling half starved. "So what were you going to say, now?"

[Reinholdt]

Outside the Gate

Stu snorts. "We should listen to this fugly pansy and just go someplace else." Stu says, turning to Harley and offering his free hand.

Inside the Keep

Ilpholin sits, glued in many places.

Ilpholin's Room

Ilphy scurries forward, dropping to her knees beside Darcy. "Nononono... Medic! I need a medic!!". Ilph takes Darcy's pulse with her tail, her head leaning close to look for breathing signs. "Keep breathing. You've got to keep breathing. Come on..." Ilphy pleads with Darcy.

[happyturtle]

Ilpholin's Room

Darcy still has a faint pulse, and is breathing shallowly. There seems to be less blood from the horrible gut wound than one would expect.

[Shadowcaller]

((D_Lord, can you please address my OOC points before you reply next time? Since it's very important that I know what the elemental is doing right now.))

[Inside the Keep]

Once Cessie have reached the keep she slams it's door shut and locks it as well. She couldn't have any distractions when she freed Ilpholin from the glue. Garn let's her and the goat woman go as Cessie kneels down. "Keep very still now Ilpholin I'm going to attempt to burn away the glue, but don't worry. I have a very keen precision at such close range. That's how I keep my clothes from catching fire." She explains.

She will then move her hand towards an area where the glue is and basically burn it away with intensive heat focused with extreme precision. To keep your clothes from being affected by your own eldritch energy was sort of a coming of age test among Hestopian sorcerers called "earning your robes". Since while the sorcerers themselves were immune to their own energy their clothes were not. So young students only use protective clothing until they had proved they could keep themselves from damaging the more traditional robes the adult sorcerers wore.

A test Cessie had made very sure to pass. After all, she didn't want to repeat the many incidents of "wardrobe malfunctions" many other fire focused sorcerers had to deal with. Or that infamous scene where a sorceress attempting to fly after a spirit instead ended up reenacting the scene that in another world would be connected to the name "Marilyn Monroe" in the middle of the town square. She could never live that down.

So Cessie makes sure to only focus the fire on the glue itself as surely as she keeps her own clothes from catching fire while summoning a flame shield.

[D_Lord]

Ok, so no mental attack and yes the earth elemental got twisted so it can do that now and what it is doing it's just siting in the earth under WATCHTOWER.
Courtyard
Something invisible walks through the portal heading for Ilpholin's Room


If he gets there Ilpholin's Room

Spoiler

Show

Do you need help?
Looks like someone slipped into the Watchtower. Then again when one can go invisible it's easy to slip into places. Huevo Portero still with that that barely a smile on his face. Then again how much is it a smile if it never changes.

I'll be 'happy' to asset you if you wish it.

[Shadowcaller]

Outside Courtyard

The invisible figure won't get to Ilpholin's room as the portal is outside the courtyard which is surrounded by a 12 meter high wall. The gate is closed and covered with strong enchantments so unless he can walk through the walls he won't get in.

[D_Lord]

Outside Courtyard

Huevo can, walk through walls. He can't attack on his own, but he can get to places. So he still is heading to Ilpholin's Room.

[UncleWolf]

All through Watch- Jeremy's Magic

The wards mentioned aren't likely to be anything the invisible figure is likely familiar with. The wards come from a series of foreign lettering that is written around the edges of the Gate's doors(the entrance Gate, not the Portal gate) and are even written along the inside bottom edge of the entire wall. It all seems to be the same ward, though the Gate's is many times stronger. If his senses are able to pick up such, the invisible stranger will likely sense that there are more such concentrations waiting within the actual buildings of Watch as well.

It had taken a lot of water-proof markers to write it all.

The wards are simple in purpose, but not quite so simple in and of themselves. They don't seem to be linked to anything divine or arcane as most magic, nor of anything psychic. More of a powerful concentration of the world's energy itself, twisted towards the purpose of driving off malignant metaphysical entities.

Demons and Devils and such will feel a slight tingling, but nothing else.

Those that have possessed people on the other hand would feel a very painful burning agony as the magic, such as it is, attempts to force them out of their hosts. If they are able to summon a physical form, they may be able to do so, but if not, the wards will attempt to burn away at the being until it is obliterated, even as it moves to shut down the ability to possess beings. If they turn physical, they'll find the wards attempting to keep them from turning back again.

The same goes for other incorporeal things like spirits, ghosts, and wraiths. Any that have a hint of perceived darkness to their soul, or a sense of malice, will quickly find themselves being burned away and slowed down by the wards until they flee.

Finally, when dealing with beings from Other Dimensions, such as Elder Things, Old Ones, The Thing From Beyond Time and Space, and the like, aside from the above effects, the wards respond much like a weak Elder Sign, giving off a strong sense of repulsion and suffocation. While the beings can move through such, it'll feel like they're moving through thick pudding that's constantly shrieking at a deafening for them to leave. Even so, the wards were not designed specifically with such beings in mind.

In the more heavily reinforced areas like the Gate and the doorways throughout Watch, these effects are increased to where physical manifestations of Alt-Dimensional Beings, Ghosts, Spirits, and the like (but not devils or demons or their ilk), might feel like they're hitting a stone wall that burns on contact.

So, depending on what Heuvo counts as and how he moves through Watch, the above might happen to him. However it works though, he'll sense all the Wards seem to be actively watching him and anything else that enters the place with a clear sense of hostility. While not truly intelligent, the wards are certainly not pleasant things.

Even so, it should be noted that the wards were not designed with Eldritch Evils/Beings/Elder Things/Etc in mind. While the "screaming pudding" might happen and grow in strength with every ward he passes, it is entirely possible he can shatter the wards if he chooses to expend quite a bit of power to do so, even though he'd have to do so to every single one he comes across.

(Keep in mind, this is just what Jeremy himself has added. I don't control any of the other defenses or wards if there are any)

[5a Violista]

Outside the Gate

Harley, who is wearing a mask that magically makes her face harder to recognize when she wears it, thinks through those options he gave logically. First, option A: That can't suck nearly as much as he suggests. In fact, dueling is probably one of the least-sucky ways to solve conflicts. Very honorable, too.

However, Harley imagines that this guy here sees himself as a hero. Otherwise, he would have been hiding inside the tower. That almost will certainly mean he doesn't duel honorably. Bringing a knife to a gun-fight, so to speak. Or is it a gun to a knife-fight? It has to be that one; this guy already has a gun. Metaphors aside, Harley can almost guarantee that this guy won't fight fairly, so option A is out. Option B is probably the most logical, actually. If she surrenders, then, by law, she's required to try to escape (so long as she doesn't try to kill anyone in her escape attempt). Also, by law, she has to try to help out her fellow captives. If Harley surrenders, then that would give everyone the biggest chance of escaping safely. Keeping this option in mind, she goes on to the next one.

Him surrendering. Why not? If he thought this out logically, he would surrender, too, as soon as he thought of it.

But, turning around? That's the least logical solution. If she turns around, then there's a 99.7% confidence level that he'll just shoot her in the back. That's pretty much guaranteed to happen, unless his gun misfires or something. I mean, he didn't even give his word that he wouldn't fire - he just said he wouldn't fire. But, then again, even if he did give his word, there would be no reason to trust him, anyway. These kind of people always go back on their honor.

She's about to tell Jeremy the most logical answer. However, before she can get to the punch, Stu has grabbed her hand using her free hand. This reminds her that logic isn't very fun to follow. "Ha," she says to Jeremy. "I know what you're going to do and what you're planning. It's so obvious that you're lying. However, just to spite you, I'm going to turn around and walk back into that portal," she says, seriously ready to go back through the portal with Stu. "You're not going to trick me that easily."

[D_Lord]

While Heuvo isn't an Elder Evil, his body is made of the flesh of one. So it's slow pudding.

Oddly Heuvo has no feeling of hostility or about any feelings. He wasn't made to cause any type of physical damage, and has no desire to hurt anyone.

(Not to say that things wouldn't happen, but then if your dealing with something that grants wishes there is a chance someone could get hurt.)

[UncleWolf]

Outside The Gate

Jeremy just shrugs. Harley didn't know it, but he really is a man of his word. "Whatever suits you two. But thank you all the same." He says with genuine honesty. Surprisingly for them, he doesn't shoot them in the back.

Huevo

In that case, it is the Screaming Pudding, but whenever he turns incorporeal to pass through walls or the like, he'll feel the effects like a ghost and the wards will try to force him into being physical.

Infirmary - Before the attack

"I can get fresher blood if you like." Cutter points out. "As for my question, I'd like to know if I can do some blood testing on you. Get a basis of what exactly you are."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Wards]

There are no other wards in place besides Jeremy's that would have any effect on eldritch beings trying to pass through the walls.

[Ilpholin's Room]

When PCs don't respond to cries for help, who you gonna turn to?

Convenient NPCs of course! Turns out those semi-incoporeal tower servants are responsive to desparate cries for help, and two of them are coming in, probably to take Darcy over to the hospital to be treated by medical drones. Watch's one undeadtimed doctor is kinda elsewhere, after all.

((They can be here, or they can not be here if that's more dramatic. Godmod them, or whatever.))