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Forbidden Temple of the Great Falls

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One of the guards stepped forward, and cautiously checked through the peephole, cautious for any blade to be poked through.

He slammed the hole shut before announcing to the group,
"It's some bloke with his face covered. I think he's got a knife or a shortsword drawn."

He and the other guard drew back the strings on their crossbows.

"Easy enough to take care of, if he doesn't surrender immediately."
 
Valetni moved to the opposite side of the door, stacking up against the frame, but out of grabbing distance. He drew his crossbow and flicked the safety lever off. The sound of a spring suddenly under tension filled the room. He nodded to the two hellguards. "Zato, get the door."
 
The two Hellguards took some space back, after one shouted out to the door,

"DROP YOUR WEAPON. PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD, PALMS FACING OUT. PUT YOUR LEGS APART AT SHOULDER WIDTH. TURN AWAY FROM THE DOOR."

Zato mistook Swiftbeak for some sort of short chair up the stairs, and leaned Mary next to him, before scuffling down the stairs back into the room, past the guards, and took a place on the door, opposite of Valetni. His hand stretched out and grabbed the handle, turned, and pulled it open.
 
As Kaleed heard what was happening, the wheels in the back of his mind were turning.

Should he just run and leave this damned outpost?

A small group of the beings were growing closer.

As he began shaking his head to clear the doubts away, he heard the door swing open behind him. He had heard the commanding voice order him to drop his weapons and surrender but he deemed these special circumstances. Clenching his weapons, he leaped backwards. He refused to take his eyes off of the monstrosities, and sure enough, one was not ten feet away.

Snapping his arm up, he tried to throw one of his daggers at the thing midair. Flying from his fingers, with a sickening thud, the dagger went into the torso of the fleshless gold flecked man just below the 5th rib on its right side. It stumbled backwards, momentarily going to one knee, before it began to scream laughter and resume its stalk.

Kaleed landed with a jarring thud on his back about 4 feet inside, disoriented but gesturing wildly outside, he tried to rise to his feet.
 
Seeing how brother Zato and brother Valetni, who had left sir Swiftbeak, sister Vanessa and milady Mary upstairs under the defense of the reserve, Morr observed, along the commander and the assembled Hellguards, how the two made their communication through the door.

The tension was thick when the entrance was finally opened, just in time for a dark figure to jump through, followed by a grotesquely twisted humanoid. The clatter of crossbows intoned as dozens of steel-tipped bolts were let fly, the force of the combined impacts alone pushing the possessed, still cackling madly even as its internals were riddled with holes, back, allowing soldat Junkins to quickly close and lock the entrance again.

Two of the Hellguards immediately set their swords on the downed, apparently human figure's throat, dark-skin clearly standing in contrast to the white hair, before he managed to get up again "You! Who are you?! Surrender and speak!"

Outside, twisted screams and laughter rang out as a tide of mutated madmen ran towards the barracks.
 
Kaleed froze at the sight of two gleaming metal swords. His hands instantly shot into the air, he could not afford to be killed over a misunderstanding.

Breathing hard, ever so slowly, he brought one of his hands to his face, slowly loosening up headscarf, he pulled it from around his head. Standing up straight, he looked straight ahead at nothing in particular. He wheezed trying to fill his lungs, pushing air in and out through his nostrils.

As he straightened, the small leather pouch somehow had loosened from around his waist. He felt its familiar weight disappear as it fell to the ground and bounced a couple of feet away. A brilliant blue blazed from the small opening, instinctively, he reached for it, before remembering his situation.

He gestured towards the pieces of paper that he saw one of the monks holding, and made a scrawling motion with his hand. He made a monstrous pose with his arms, and pointed outside, then mimed eating one of his arms.

Sweat trickled down his head and into his eyes, stinging them. He glanced around the room, wondering who was in charge.
 
Urist was in his cell, tossed carelessly in there just after the call had rang out. This upset him.

He swore silently as he heard the soldiers below. I inna gettin out t'night, 'en. Un'ess...

He reason that the soldiers would be focused on their commander, for whatever this was. Late-night drills? Invasion? Urist didn't know, and he didn't really care, standing and slowly walking to the door of his prison.

Finding the door rather sturdy and somewhat locked, he withdrew his new hammer.
 
Valetni hobbled over, cane in one hand and papers in the other. He cocked his head curiously as he studied the stitches cross the man's face.

Interesting.

Valetni slowly extended the papers to the intruder, wary of any sudden movements.

The exchange done, Valetni stumped over to the fallen pouch. Reversing his grip on the cane, he hooked the pouch to pull it towards him across the floor. His first thought was to order one of the hellguard to fetch a containment vessel from his trunk, but he recalled at the last moment how that would be an impossibility.

"I'll take possession of this for now." He rasped, "I am used to handling potentially hazardous materials."
 
"Hazardous? Valetni, don't tell me that something toxic has been released again so soon after the last incident." Zato said, stepping away from the door.

"What is it? Cyanide?" the old man asked, still oblivious to the new arrival.
 
"Not Yet," Valetni replied, squatting down to better observe the pouch and its glowing contents.

"I couldn't tell you what it is, but right now we have more pressing problems." He said as he stood. "I would advise that everyone be kept clear of this for now."
 
Kaleed took the papers that were handed to him, and went to one knee. His head bent as he began describing what he had seen outside, and the massacre of the guards and horses. After a few sentences, he inspected what he wrote and nodded satisfied that he had accurately portrayed what was happening outside.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure seemed to crush his entire body. After an instant it dispersed however.

Looking up, eyes wide with suprise, he watched in as the older monk inspected the pouch that contained his control sphere.
The magics that guided the bonds between him and the sphere were vague due to the fact that he was originally expected to pass hands between masters.

If anyone claimed possession of it, unknowingly or no, they in-turn could order him to do anything save for killing himself.
The monk had not actually touched it, however, the enchantments had not been fully activated. He would probably be compelled to follow this mans orders, but if he resisted enough, he could disobey.


He pulled himself to his feet, walked shakily to the monk who was bent over the pouch. Quickly adding that the pouch was of no consequence, and that it was a keepsake of his, he held the papers out towards the man.
 
Valetni inspected the papers, eyes scanning along the lines as he read.

"I have some questions for you, particularly about this." Valetni said, toeing the pouch but not actually touching the contents that lay inside. "A keepsake you say?" He was interrupted by a moment of coughing. "By what method does it produce a light such as this? Some pact with daemons?" He demanded.

"And what happened to your face?" He said, before handing the papers back to the stiched man.
 
While several crossbows were still aimed at the newcomer, the sounds outside intensified, the screams and laughter growing louder yet, the noises of gold-plated fists, crudely cobbled-together weaponry and even mere massive frames throwing themselves against the building growing in volume and number as the attackers attempted to carve their way into the building. Though the wood was sturdy, even it would have to fall under the inhuman strength amplified by utter madness eventually.

With the situation growing more intense, Morr approached the ongoing 'exchange' between the two older monks and the newcomer, retrieved the parchment, read it, before handing it back "While questions remain as for your origins, " the knight adressed the dark-skinned man "We have no time for this, currently. If it is your wish to help, as I understand from what I read, then I implore you to do so."
 
The urge to take the papers and answer overwhelmed him. He shakenly began to reach out a hand, when another man addressed him.

He shook himself off, clearing his head.
Gathering his willpower, he fought to face his body towards the man who seemed to be in charge. Looking straight into the mans eyes, he nodded curtly. He held a hand over his heart for a moment, and spun back towards the door.

Looking at his dagger in consideration, he sheathed it. With so many other allies here, the problems close quarters combat loomed formost in his mind. Having so many enemies ready to burst through the door, the ensuing fight would be chaotic. He decided he would use his skills in Omato, a fighting style that used enemy momentum and blind spots, and throws to win fights. Knocking one of the monstrosity's down by force would be a folly, but he imagined, he could use their massive bulk to get them to the ground almost effortlessly, and have the guards hit with their crossbows.

Moving to the forefront of the small crowd, he planted himself about 15 feet from the door.

Assuming the horse stance, he bent his knees slightly, each planted about 3 feet apart side by side. Inhaling deeply, he held his arms out, one high above his head, and the other low just above his waist. He concentrated on his breathing, and tried to concentrate on surviving the night.
 
At the sound of the louder banging, Zato decided to back away from the door. Heaven knew he'd be of no use in a large battle like this. He made his way back past the crossbowmen and halberdiers, and found the stairs, and began to climb them. Like it or not, there would be a large battle in the next few minutes.
 
Valetni gathered up the pouch, he carefully picked it up and hung it from his harness before following Zato to the top of the stairs where he turned to face down them.

Let the others assume he was putting himself as a last line of defense for the noncombatants, if they wanted. Valetni just knew most poisonous gasses were heavier than air, hence his desire for the high ground.
 
Morr joined the line of swordsmen and halberdiers, though currently every single Hellguard had their crossbow at the ready, aimed at where the beasts outside would break through, the splintering of wood becoming more audible by the second. A sort of barricade had been erected through use of overturned tables in hopes of slowing the creature's advance if only for a few seconds.

With a thunderous roar, the first creature, the most massive in structure with its arms so bulging with muscles that its legs were rendered insufficient, broke through, pulverized wood flying everywhere, to be followed by the familiar clatter of dozens of crossbows, the thing's skinless flesh incapable of withstanding the steel-tipped projectiles as it was riddled with holes.
Screaming in pain and wordless hate, it tried to charge, made several steps, before stumbling and falling over dead.

After it, more of the wooden walls were crushed apart, while through the hole the creature managed to open more of its kin followed after, flooding in like a tide of bloody flesh and shimmering gold, individuals screaming often with more than one tongue, maws filled with knife-like teeth.

Screaming and cackling, the horde was met with a volley of bolts, dozens falling, ignobly trampled over by those following them, the bloody tide soon clashed onto the lines of the Hellguards.
Where normal men would have given in to their fear, right to feel before such nightmarish foes, the Hellguards stood fast, knowing that it was either death or fighting against creatures like this. There one saw a Guard ram his shield directly into the twiste visage of a foe, before tearing its torso open with his sword.
There one saw one of the beasts topple another Guard, its claw-like hands desperately seeking to tear through the man's armor even as he impaled it on his blade, it finally tore off his helmet, sinking its maw into his throat.

Almost above the chaos seemed the massive frame of Morr, standing as tall as even some of the biggest of the mutated madmen, his blade's wards alight as his sword, wielded with both hands, struck down again and again, he himself remaining utterly wordless amongst the shouts, cackles and cries battle.

Another section of the wooden wall broke away, more of the madmen storming in, charging at the dark-skinned fool that so seemed to prefer to stand in front of the line of Hellguards.
 
Vanessa heard the screams of men dying and something that stroke fear into her. The heavy scent of blood filled the air. she wanted to run down the stairs and help but she stayed put. She pulled her dagger closer to her.
 
Kaleed stood with a blank face, as the walls literally crumbled around him. He glanced behind him, seeing the massive figure who had spoken to him earlier, laying about him as if the massive sword he held was a stick.

He turned his attention back to the wall and door he had entered from. Trusting that he wouldn't have to worry about his back, he waited.

Closing his eyes, he retreated into the crevasses of his mind. A giant resounding crack, followed by a whoosh of air told him that the evil had broken through.

Ready, Steady.........Go

Eyes snapping open, he instantly noted a horde of 4 huge monstrosities coming toward him.

He exhaled, and as the first reached out with its massive muscles, he deftly twisted his legs, pushing one forward, and the other back. Clamping down with his arms, he grabbed the arm as it was reaching for him. As soon as he felt the creatures momentum pushing against him, he moved and twisted, flowing with the creature and in turn making it flow with him.

Holding on for dear life, he spun on the heel of his back leg, watching the creatures tiny legs lift off the ground. Swing the massive creature around, he let go just as he completed a full circle. The massive creature flew back the way it came, crashing into two others. They went down in a pile, and in the confusion, tore at each other.

On his left another creature reached for him. Swaying, he ducked the arm, and in a flash brought his dagger out and over the creatures wrist.

As quick as he could, he dragged the dagger back, trying to aim for the tendons in the creatures hand. As blade cut flesh, the creature seemed to smile at him, and casually backhanded him.

The force of the blow threw Kaleed back into the crowd of combatants. He landed on his side, and rolled to a stop. Groggily, he came to one knee. A discarded ax, gleaming with blood, lay next to him. Snatching it up, he picked himself up and charged at he beast. Again it tried to smack at him. Kaleed ducked at the last moment, and went to his knees, using the blood and muck of the floor to slide. Bringing the ax to bear just over the creatures knee, he crushed it into its flesh as hard as he could. The creature wobbled and went to one knee. Dancing out of the way of another couple hands that shot out at him, he sprinted the bit of distance back to the creature who had just gotten acquainted with the ax. Leaping up, and setting his hands around its neck, he flipped over its head, and using his body as a counter weight, managed to throw the creature straight towards the wall. With a giant wet sounding splat, it connected head first, and fell to the ground with a thud.

He spun trying to see who he could help take down next.
 
Zato heard the clanging of the battle down below, his face solemn with focus. He was of no use here, in a group battle. If he were to swing a sword or axe, he'd be far too liable to injure an ally. The constant buzz of battle, though.... it reminded him of his younger days, when he would wander the globe, spreading the word of Buzziah. He was much more limber then, and met a variety of people.......

But this was no time to reminisce. His attention returned to the battle below, trying to make out the shouts enough to determine who had an edge.
 
For Valetni, the question was a simple one, with a difficult answer.

When was he so threatened that he would be forced to gas the area in self defense? His fingers reached inside his robes, to grasp one of the jars that hung against it, his fingers brushing past the gas protection apparatus as well as the stranger's pouch. The jar held more than enough to reach a deadly concentration within the confines of such a small building.

Valetni withdrew his hand, once more snagging on several items on his encumbered harness. Instead, he took up his cane with his right hand, feeling the heft of it. Gassing the area would be an absolute last resort.
 
"YES! YES!! REJOICE! REJOICE!! REVEL AND REJOICE IN THE CARNAGE!" Golden eyeballs alight with glee, hammer raised in excited hand, another of the mutated attackers ran in, clad in broken and rusted chainmail, the faint traces of ash clinging to the skinless flesh as he charged in "LET THE LIFE-FLUID HIT THE FLOOR!"
Licking his blood-less lips, he searched for where he could die a good-slaughter-happy death. Seeing how the Hellguards actually managed to hold their own against the mutated madmen, he, grinning maliciousely, waved for the massive frame that by all rights should never have managed to fit through the well.

It seemed like a mountain of tentacles, an uncountable number of fanged, golden maws lining the flesh, every single one in the form of an agonized face, each screaming out in pain and despair with a viscious fluid running out of every pore, the thing, defying any sort of physics, managed to move forward steadily, encroaching slowly upon the Hellguards, prompting those not yet in melee to solely concentrate their fire upon this beast, bolts soon raining steadily upon it, only for the volume of the cries emanating from its thousands of faces to increase, making it move at an ever increasing pace.
If one would have looked at where the thing's 'saliva' hit the ground, one would have clearly observed how they fluid ate its way into the stonefloor.

Cackling again with glee, the madman with the hammer resumed his search for targets.

His gaze first fell upon the dark-skinned figure actually managed to take on some of the faithful with his bare hands. While he already began running towards the dark-skinned, his gaze casually wandered further, till he saw the massive frame of Morr.

Stopping mid-pace, for the first time, the madman's facial expression changed from delight to utter and total hate "YOU! YOU! YOU YOU YOU!!! YOU- YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!" Uncaring for the dark-skinned one, hammer raised, he instead charged at the knight, who was still busy with another beast, not noticing the running madman.
 
Vanessa could not take the screams no longer. She ran down the stepps dagger drawn. She found another one laying beside a fallen knight and picked up with haste. she then ran for the ugly beast of a monster going for sir Morr.
 
Valetni watched as the cook ran down the stairs. "Be a shame if she died." He say aloud, his hand absentmindedly resting on the pouch.

He shook his head, and then grasped removed two jars, one after the other from his robes. "Brother Zato, you couldn't happen to have a spare container, would you?" He glanced at the monstrosity, shaking his head in disgust. Such a thing was clearly not of the natural order of the world. It should be removed, and if burning hadn't been sufficient, Valetni had one thing in mind that surely could.
 
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