Trog's Tavern CCXLIX

[SpeedWitch]

"Hey, I was trying to be serious." Theris snickered, then covered his mouth until he could control himself. "Sorry... Wow, I really am a jerk, huh? Well it's probably for the best. I've only known myself for four days, and I'm not the most responsible type of person... I don't feel it now, but I can see myself getting frustrated, or simply bored with learning, or messing up a complex ritual for fun. And I really wouldn't mean to, I'd try, but I'd do it anyways. I don't have much self-control. I think."

He leaned back and looked at the ceiling, tapping his necklace idly. "You say I'm a single purpose construct? What the hell kind of purpose would I be good for, then?"

[Holy-hunter]

"Pissing people off?" He snaps back right away, "or maybe guarding? What is it you were watching over? Must have been something valuable?"

He scratches his chin as a new drink is poured. "Anyway if your still up for dying I am now very interested in helping" he adds with a horrible grin.

[Recaiden]

"Hmm, Would you tell me who you work for then." she says with a small shiver. It's very obviouse she has something in mind that she fears.

"I tumble a lot, since I need it to get home. Someone tries to teach me magic, but I can't remember how it went. And art? I never got enougth inspiration to try it."

"Oryza Biological Products. They sell rice." This is not a complete description, but it is accurate.
The winged man notices, leans in curiously.
"What are you so afraid of, all of a sudden."

"Heh. If you aren't good at much, is there something you care about? If not *shrug* we all get by."

[SpeedWitch]

"Pissing people off?" He snaps back right away, "or maybe guarding? What is it you were watching over? Must have been something valuable?"

He scratches his chin as a new drink is poured. "Anyway if your still up for dying I am now very interested in helping" he adds with a horrible grin.

Theris seemed to fall into an even deeper trance when the robed man mentioned the anubite's past, as if he had remembered something. He wordlessly mouthed "shipwrecked souls," but he snapped back to reality when grim words reached his ears. "Did you just threaten me, Mr. Fix-it? I thought you were supposed to be some brilliantly misunderstood magician who only wanted to make things better for—oh @#%$ it, I just made assumptions about morality when I'm not even sure of my own. Who's to say if your, mine, or anyone's actions are good or evil? Who's to say how many tomb robbers, war parties and ammeter sorcerers I must have killed before I came back to reality, or how many even deserved it—"

He turned his head away in disgust, then took a deep breath. "Fine, fine, I feel death and I reeeeaaaally needed to have a chat anyways, and counting all those sores and cuts on your face was starting to get real boring anyways. So please, Fix-it," Theris locked eyes with the disfigured man and spread his arms in the air, away from his chest. "Make my millennium."

[Holy-hunter]

The man chuckles briefly through a delighted sinister grin, "oh how kind I even get a free hit." He says sarcastically as he raises his hand, palm open inches from the Anubite's chest.

"Last time this made a real mess of the bar" he mumbles before his tongue starts flicking out a hush rhythmic chanting that sounded like a burning campfire.

It had been so long since he had forgone the unnecessary theatrics and wildly flairs to cast silently while forcasting an image and vibe of effortless power and great grandeur, that he had almost forgotten the true strength of the spell and the energy he could conserve by pure focus.

In his current state there was no place for vanity, and he had a feeling it would be wasted on this creature, so he takes his time gathering focus.

His hand begins to burn with a subtle dark flame as he steadies his open palm, instinctually, hovering it over where he assumes the creatures heart would be.
It begins with a sharp display of light. Then
From his hand in rapid succession burst fourth many rays of searing burning light. Blasting through the small gap of air they almost instantly hammer into their destination, each one burning with a fierce destructive force.
One after another the searing rays would litter the destined target, each heavy violent blasts ends with the explosive power to tear through concrete walls.

The offset and residue of the malevolent destructive force burns away the mans ragged sleeve, nearby mugs are pushed from the table tops and the bars wooden structure creeks under the concussive force of each shot.

((Hope I read your last post right... Let me know if not))

[Zefir]

"Oryza Biological Products. They sell rice." This is not a complete description, but it is accurate.
The winged man notices, leans in curiously.
"What are you so afraid of, all of a sudden."

"Heh. If you aren't good at much, is there something you care about? If not *shrug* we all get by."

She leans forward and whispers.
"A bit ago, one of her kind did something to me. It was like I was in love with her, doing everything she said. I had no chance to say no or go where I wanted to." she shakes as the meories come back.

"Well, I take care about my exams. I study chemic. To live alone in a bombed-out neighbourhood doesn't leave me much time for much more. If I got a free day I often spend it here, even thought I liked to at least defend myself."

[Fenric]

Discussions in other dimensions have convinced Keiko that it's time to move on. She stands up woozily, and this makes her frown

One... two... three... that wasssh only three glassesssssh. I shouldn't feel like thisssssh... think I'm gonna go home, now...

She walks somewhat unsteadily toward the mirror-portal that leads back to the Temple, electing to rely on more mundane transportation since her usual talents just don't seem to be working properly right now.

[SpeedWitch]

His hand begins to burn with a subtle dark flame as he steadies his open palm, instinctually, hovering it over where he assumes the creatures heart would be.
It begins with a sharp display of light. Then
From his hand in rapid succession burst fourth many rays of searing burning light. Blasting through the small gap of air they almost instantly hammer into their destination, each one burning with a fierce destructive force.
One after another the searing rays would litter the destined target, each heavy violent blasts ends with the explosive power to tear through concrete walls.

The offset and residue of the malevolent destructive force burns away the mans ragged sleeve, nearby mugs are pushed from the table tops and the bars wooden structure creeks under the concussive force of each shot.

((Hope I read your last post right... Let me know if not))

((Yeah, you did, but I'm pretty sure I read your last post wrong. My brain was fried when I wrote that, and somehow I missed the subtext and latched onto a barfight idea. Ahh, well, we can just blame the ale, right?))

To say that the blasts hit would be an understatement: they tore through the anubite like butter, burning his skin and revealing what laid underneath. Blood, bone, teeth, jewelry, and two swords lost in time all went flying into the wall, if they didn't shatter into pieces. Theris was forced standing, then dancing as the magic hit him and pushed him through the air like a rag doll. He finally settled into a messy flesh pile just as the ceiling came down on him.

Silence.

And then a heartbeat.

"N-no," Theris creid, pulling himself from the wreckage of stone and wood. He angled his torn and bloody head at his chest and observed the gaping hole that was there, exposing a mess of guts and organs that were miraculously pulling themselves together, guided by a golden light. A liver slithered out from his calf and retook it's place, small intestine met their bigger brother, and his heart sucked up all the leftover blood like a sponge and renewed it's function, sending out bodily fluids across the body once more like heavy rain upon a spider's web.

"No!" Theris repeated, and promptly ripped his heart out. It slipped from his grasp in a yellow flash and went back to his chest cavity, but he expected this and blocked it with his other hand. The heart bulged and simply repelled it like a trampoline. The broken Jackel-man fought the process all he could, to no avail, all the while amber flames grew around his body. The stone quaked. The wood twitched, and then grew, branches popping out of each broken board and beam.

"No, no, no! Why won't you die you drunk sonofa—"

Theris screamed, and the bar screamed with him. Golden flames came upon him, and the wood burst into new life, trees growing wherever the light touched it, wrecking tables and barstools. A waiter dodged as a streak of flame shot towards the disfigured man, bringing with it massive roots and vines that shined like the sun—

[Fenric]

Keiko is knocked over by the blast and disturbance, and crawls the rest of the way through the portal and out of Trog's

[Recaiden]

She leans forward and whispers.
"A bit ago, one of her kind did something to me. It was like I was in love with her, doing everything she said. I had no chance to say no or go where I wanted to." she shakes as the meories come back.

"Well, I take care about my exams. I study chemic. To live alone in a bombed-out neighbourhood doesn't leave me much time for much more. If I got a free day I often spend it here, even thought I liked to at least defend myself."

The bat-man goes to pat the kitsune on the shoulder, it what's meant as a reassuring way.
"That's terrible. I don't think you can expect that from those few, though."
"An alchemist! A fine field, though I admit I never understood too much of it past crystal formations, and-"
He glances around at the starting magical chaos.
"-maybe she has the right idea, and we should duck out of here?"
Here he stands from his seat at the bar, finishes his cola, and extends a hand to the kitsune should she not want to get this close to an exciting bar fight.

[Holy-hunter]

Unphased by the display the man stands to watch the Anubite, grinning with a sick satisfaction, he was finally beginning to feel a bit more of his old self again thanks to the surge of magic, chaotic destruction and people beginning to flee.

"What is that?" He says as the golden light and wooden debris stream towards him. Deciding not to find out yet, in an instant he is gone, his physical form gently bursts outwards dispersing through the air as multiple fine, cloudy, streams of dark unholy mist that swirl around hatefully seeking its way to a spot nearby but behind the wild Anubite.

His dark energies continue to grow even as he streams through the air in mist form, evidence of this manifesting hauntingly around the chaos of the bar.
A chilling breeze sweeps across the floor rattling windows, doors and all loose object. With the sudden cold snap the shadows not near the Anubite's light seem to thrive growing deeper and darker and somewhat restless.
And for what mundane items are not touched by the magical healing growing light instead suffer from the poisonous contagion within the shadows, and are slowly stricken by vile spreading mould that leaches life from all that it touches as it pulsates and crawls along causing a trailing sickness of wither and decay.


The man intends to attack the Anubite from behind having quickly vanished before him and appeared behind. He aims for the healing or now healed hole in his back but doesn't strike with a weapon or a fist but the stub hanging from his shoulder of his missing arm.

He will attempt to endure whatever pains are brought to him as he tries to drive and hold it there.

[SpeedWitch]

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!" Theris wailed as the darkness swirled around him, but he was oblivious to it all, lost in his own mind. He would have stayed that way if his choice was free, demanding the universe to answer his questions or listen to his screams until the stars went out. However, he had no choice when it came to his physiology; instinct kicked in, and he found himself turned around completely and facing the shadow man, Khopesh in hand and blocking the assault. It wasn't enough, though--the barb his opponent had slid past his blade and would have went into his neck, had a certain necklace not been blocking the way.

A necklace which had been glowing as brightly as the flames around the bar until now. The instant the armless man drove his weapon against the glowing gem which was the centerpiece of the collar, it went out. And for a moment, so did everything else.

Fire was still there, but life wasn't. Plants withered and the leaves of the trees imediatly vanished. There was only the cold, the dark, and the blazing inferno, which flickered a demonic red within the flames and behind the yellow eyes of the anubite. The beast took everything in, looked at the man with a hatred that matched his own...

And then everything was alive and golden again. Theris blinked, as if waking from a dream, then stuck out his other hand. Flying out of the pile of tree and stone, his second Khopesh returned to him, and with it he slashed at the man, the necklace now glowing brighter than ever...

A hit upon the darker figure could not be confirmed; almost nothing could beyond the flash of gold that streaked across the tavern and filled every space it traversed with new plant life. Only Theris was visible, with a divine light that outshone the flames consuming him and the room, leaving an improbable silhouette that quickly changed from an attack position to a guarding stance. Was the creature searching for it's enemy? Or was he still there, in the barbecue of the gods?

[Holy-hunter]

It hadn't worked... his soft flesh of his short crippled arm came into direct contact with what seemed to be the source of the power and still none of that rejuvenating magic seemed to wear off on his injury.

His dissapointment only fueled his rage as he was engulfed by the majestic light. Hidden amongst all the brilliance and light a sinister vile darkness crept into the material plane, seeping through from a deep distant layer of hell.

Finally once the display is over, standing in the shadowed cripples place an intense battle of will had taken place, eventually the remaining creature looks more demon then man.

Eyes burning malevolently like hot coals, a powerful demonic arm replaces the missing one.
Two small horns sit prominently exposed through the skin on his lower forehead while further back are two larger demonic ones. His jaw is deformed and opens extra wide revealing rows of uneven deadly horrific teeth.
His skin, no longer loose, seems tight fitted to a new fierce bone structure and has a red hue and scaly impression of the demon hide scarcely hidden beneath it. He is quite taller and far more muscular than before, strips of human flesh hang from his back where large demonic wings have now torn free.

He releases a blood curling shrill as his excitement, uncontainable now, grew and manifested into a physical static energy present in the air around him, it wavered, snapping and sparking in a hallucinatory like heat that enveloped him.

This was clearly like a drug to him, the addictive and clear rush brought on by opening up to darkness and unleashing the long dormant ancient powers evident by the proud glow emanating from his entirety. He burned with a forgotten freedom, it now seemed containing his bloodlust, taking away his long lost freedom, re-caging the beast would be a daunting favour to ask.

Presumably he dodged the attacks from earlier and retaliates with two swift claws tearing at the Anubite's chest.

[SpeedWitch]

Customers and patrons alike hurried away from the destruction as life and death clashed. Those who remained were either blinded by the immense light or the freezing darkness, the later of which was quickly making headway in blackening a path through the illumination. Vegetation froze underneath the demon's wings as it dived toward the anubite, claws outstretched.

A sickening sight finally reached the eyes of the monster of the light, and he was caught off guard by the spellcaster's sudden transformation. That's how the first blow pierced his skin. As the claws passed through him the life-giving flames at the edges of the newborn jungle wavered and bent back into the center of the blaze, leaving what lay outside to crumble and die. Theris's wound was deep, cutting into his right side and spilling a river of blood—which immediately fled back into the body in swift spinning circles of crimson as the fire intensified. The wound, still open but closing, blistered the skin in an unusual way, something the anubite's magic could not completely heal, but Theris didn't feel it's severity until after he caught the second blow by the claws with his right Khopesh and sent the other blade on a collision course with the demon's arm.

The cut then made itself known to Theris as a cold, but burning sensation seeped into his body. This served to strengthen his anger as he spun and slashed one, two, three times at his unholy opponent.

[Artemis97]

Sornnolu Xar'Cha shakes off the cloud of deadtime that had settled around him and takes a look around the room from his seat at the bar.

[Rebonack]

Sorn suddenly has company.

"Hahaha, you gettin' a load of dese guys?" the speaker says as she (possibly) ends up leaning heavily on the drow. "Dey's been goin' at it like its goin' outta style! Man dat's some crazy stuff, ain't it? All dat flashy magic and shlock's just like... like pew pew PWEEEEM!"

Who's harassing Sorn?

Why, she appears to be an equestrian!

A pegasus, specifically. A dull brick-red color with a short-cropped purple mane. She has that weird angular look of those weird unliving ponies that have been poking around the Nexus of late, no doubt one of their number.

And no doubt here at Trog's since the tavern is one of the few places that sell beverages that can get things that aren't alive sloshed.

Sunder moves to throw one 'arm' and one wing around Sorn whilst gesturing at the fighters with her free-hoof. Her breath smells heavily of hard cider. "Just look at dat. Free entertainment right dere. I'm betting on dat... dat dog-head guy wit..." she counts again, just be sure. "tree heads..."

She probably means 'three heads'.

But he doesn't have three heads.

And it's worth noting that Sunder is surrounded by an almost palpable aura of spiritual serenity in spite of her drunken state AND the chaos in the tavern. The clashing forces of life and death can't seem to draw near enough to harm her, and by extension the drow she just plopped down next to.

[Artemis97]

Sornnolu lets out a heavy grunt when the pegasus leans on him, and the drow reaches for his staff for support. Talking magical horse. Drunk talking magical horse. Oh dear. Goddess lend him strength, this thing was heavy. There was a slight magical hum from the staff and the Archmage sat up a little straighter under the weight of the pony. Ah Bull's Strength, certainly a blessing. Cast silently, however, to not offend the creature that currently had its limbs about him. Sunder was far too close for Sornnolu's liking. It was almost obscene, but this was how surfacers were, free to mingle and hug without fear of being stabbed or strangled.

"Ah, I suppose, in the spirit of things, I shall bet on the other." The drow decides. "What is the wager?"

[Rebonack]

Yes indeed, a drunk talking magical horse.

Just don't call her a horse to her face.

Equestrians take that as an insult.

She would probably also take being stabbed as an insult, but less of an insult than being called a horse. Some things are just obscene, y'know? But a good honest stabbing is something Sunder can relate to. Regardless, she begins rubbing her chin with her free hoof as she watches the demon... thing... and the jackal thing go at it. Both things.

Angry things.

Trying to do each other in for some reason Sunder didn't quite grasp, but she found absolutely hilarious.

A wager.

What is she betting if she loses?

Hmmm...

In a flash of drunken insight, it comes to her! "If I lose ima teach you how to fly," she says with a sagely nod.

[Artemis97]

"But I haven't any wings, my friend." Sornnolu explains. "I can levitate. And flight can be achieved by a spell. Truly flying, though? I'd need help there. Or a riding bat."

"And should I lose? What would you desire from me?"

[Rebonack]

"Pfwah! Dose are tec... tenic... fiddly things and stuff!" Sunder grunts back, not at all concerned with minor details like the drow's complete lack of wings. She'll figure it out! She's sort of good at flying! And if she's sort of good at it, then she can show someone else how to do it. Easy peasy.

When Sorn asks his question Sunder waggles a hoof at him. "Nope! Dat's not how dis works! You gotta... gotta bet sometin! You just pick a thing yous gunna do if you lose, den you gotta do it if you lose, we tidy?"

Hopefully they're tidy.

Though...

Given the weird nature of time in the Nexus, there's no telling how long the battle is going to last.

Sunder is squinting at them right now, wondering why they're moving so slow all of a sudden.

Is it because she drank too much?

Or because she drank too little?

Sunder wobbles a bit, grabbing at the drow for further support. Just imagine if his sisters could see him now!

[Artemis97]

Sornnolu wobbles a bit too, but stays strongly upright, thanks to his earlier spell. "I could teach you a bit of basic magic." He offers.

[Rebonack]

"Haha! Heh... Pegasus learnin' magic... Sure, why the buck not?" the pegasus replies. She raises one hoof toward Sorn in a fashion that might remind him of the sorts of motions the humans use for offering a handshake.

But she doesn't have any hands.

Since, y'know.

Magical talking horse.

"Name's Sunder. Who're you?"

[Artemis97]

"My name is Sornnolu Xar'Cha, House Wizard of House Xabaresh Chaeron." The drow introduces himself. "Well met."

He's not entirely sure what Sunder was doing with his hoof. Handhsakes weren't something he was too familiar with. Rather, He holds up a loose fist in a mirror of the pegasus'.

[Holy-hunter]

The Khopesh struck deep into the demonic arm, although it was no buttery flesh, even once the demonic hide had been split it battled with the blade the whole way down to the bone.
There's a roar of rage as his arm is freed from the blade. Theres no floating blood returning to the wound, it drips heavily to the floor as expected, quickly pooling, running down his arm to the point of his elbow.

However the wound does beggin to close, much slower then the Anubite's might but still at a visible pace.

With a fluttery snap the tough sineuy spines of the bat like wings lash out and around the half demon, defensively parrying and deflecting the ensuing Khopesh attacks, ensuring he dosent suffer another wound like the one before. Even with the wings assistance he twists and weaves to avoid the path of the deflected blades, even if only just, sustaining some slight minor slices and cuts that will quickly heal away.

His hands both free, trail behind the last empty strikes to lash out at the Anubite's wrist. He has that challenging glare on his face and determination in his sickly grin as he eyes off his opponent attempting to pit his strength against Theris's.
It's however a ploy as silently a spear tipped boney barbed tail slithers around the two. Crawling just above the ground it raising up like a charmed snake behind Theris's back.

[Rebonack]

Sunder gently bumps her one finger against the drow's many.

Yeah.

They're cool.

This was all going great. No responsibilities. No one expecting her to know what to do. No requirement to stand around looking all regal all the time. Just like it was before... well... before everything started happening. The only thing that could have made it better? Having some more of her friends hanging around. Maggie was hilarious when she got sloshed.

Bob...

Not so much.

Bob didn't really drink what with being made out of water and sand.

Elementals are weird, Sunder concludes, nodding absently to herself as the nearby battle continues to rage without signs of winding down any time soon. Maybe if things got really bad she should jump in? She's pretty sure one solid sucker-punch would take that demon-thing down. The other guy though? He's got that weird regeneration going. How's that work, anyway? Little bits of him just jumping back on? Has he got... like... little magnets in him or something?

"Hehe... magnet jackal..."

She would have to go back eventually, though. Obviously. She couldn't just bail on everyone at Shadowood. She's pretty sure they would get along fine without her. But she still has to go back eventually. They are kind of her responsibility. Even if she isn't super-responsible to begin with. Man... too bad Punch isn't here. It's been too long since she saw Punch. Maybe she should call her?

Yeah!

That's what she would do!

Punch would love seeing her again!

Her drunken wobble no less than it was a few moments prior, Sunder reaches into her saddlebags and pulls out smartphone. The device just kind of... sticks to the end of her hoof.

Somehow.

Magnet hooves, clearly.

"Call Punch," she says, doing her best not to slur too much.

[SpeedWitch]

Falling back on defence, Theris raised his sword to block the incoming attack, and stepped ba--

Theris's eyes widened.

The flames dimmed.

One hop later, the tail that had been launched at the anubite's abdomen found itself logged in his right hand instead. The Egyptain had purposefully dropped the weapon in his right hand and moving the limb out of the demons reach while sidestepping and replacing the tail's target, resulting in an awkward battle stance. He grimaced with pain, then looked up and locked eyes with the demon once more.

And then the grimace turned into a smile. The air seemed to thicken, and the fire grew to an enormous size right behind the spiny tail. Trees, wind and seemingly the fire itself exerted an enormous force upon the tail. The anubite's palm blistered from the taint of darkness, but glowed brighter than the rest of the divine creature for a moment--that was when Theris jumped up and corkscrewed around the tail (his toasted hand-flesh raining upon the tavern, taking a slightly longer return trip to their point of origin) before landing on it, raising his remaining Khopesh for an attack while life itself tried to impale his foe with the devil's own limb.

[Zefir]

The bat-man goes to pat the kitsune on the shoulder, it what's meant as a reassuring way.
"That's terrible. I don't think you can expect that from those few, though."
"An alchemist! A fine field, though I admit I never understood too much of it past crystal formations, and-"
He glances around at the starting magical chaos.
"-maybe she has the right idea, and we should duck out of here?"
Here he stands from his seat at the bar, finishes his cola, and extends a hand to the kitsune should she not want to get this close to an exciting bar fight.

"Alchimist, may be the wrong term, but your right. We should go elsewhere to avoid this chaos." she finish her drink as well, leavin enougth money for it. She takes the hand and follows the bat man.

[Holy-hunter]

No sooner had the Anubite released his weapon, the demon found it in his own hand and heaved it upwards towards his opponents arm. Muscles surging with demonic strength.

This had left him no time to block or doge the life energy hurtling towards him carrying his own barbed tail.
In the final seconds he attempted to dematerialise, with a sharp fiery outward burst his body began forming into a black shadowy mist, his tail melted into the rest of his form but before he could disperse around the room the light caught his shadowy sillouet, seemingly forcing him to partly manifest as it slammed his partly formed body through the nearest wall with a thundering crash.
He skidded along the floor coming to a grinding hault in a cloud of dust.

"Yeah, hate to break it to you but this might be why you're still alive" a dark ominous voice chants from the dust cloud.

[Lost_Deep]

On the Phone

The phone rings for an oddly long time, and then Punch picks up. "Yeah?"

[Rebonack]

"Hey Punch!" Sunder calls over the phone, a slight slur in her voice. Punch should be able to hear the sounds of combat in the background pretty easily, all but drowning out the usual din of Trog's Tavern. "I'm over at the tavern! I got dis sweet disguise from my new pal Gilded Caravan so I could go and have a little me time," she explains. "And I didn't bail on my little ponies, if dat's what yous tinkin'. Myrrh Balm's got me covered. She knows I'm out doin' stuff."

Sunder is pretty glad to be out doing stuff.

She's been cooped up doing the whole princess thing for way too long.

"So I was wonderin' what yous up to, yeah? Maybe stop by here and have some fun? Dere's dese two schmucks here kicking the buck out of each other and I'm tryin' to decide if I should step in and clock oneah dem or if I should just sit it out and watch the fireworks, y'know?"

Sunder isn't even trying to use that proper, regal accent.

Not even a little bit!

She sounds just like she did when Punch first met her upon getting blarged into the Nexus.