The Mad God's Masque and Bellicose Ball (IC) (M)

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

As his nerves re-awoke, the thin layering of stone he had wrapped himself in did little to keep out the cold. Early spring weather, but no stench of Blight........... the women would be gathering their seeds as the men yoked the draft animals, musk and warmth and fertility, at least until the Trollocs came raiding.

No, can't get lost in a past life. Focus here, now.


He turned towards the talking dog-man. He spoke, identified his name, one of his names. He was Corgatha again; wasn't he Corgatha last time? Or was it Asquiol? Vahlbag? Cloak of letters. "Baas........ Baseel, wasn't it? And yes, the sky and stone smell strange, but what are they to mind and will? Although mine would be far more pleased if they knew where we were and why here. Perhaps the castle has answers?


Feeling stronger, he turned around to regard the edifice, re-grasping the Power as he did so. Another walking animal, another canid, was approaching, with dessicated bodies risen from the graveyard moving to confront the intruder. It was already growing hard to recall the distinct incarnations, but it seemed that humans were in the minority here, which would certainly be a novel experience, he was quite sure that if it had fur, it was in the minority, or hostile before.  The slight smile eased the aching in his hips and knees.


The wolf-man withdrew some sort of golden watch from his longcoat, and although it definitely did not channel Saidin, the prickling at the back of his neck informed Corgatha that some kind of thaumaturgy was at work, at least in the instant before the arcing lightning made it apparent to even the most mundane of eyes. Briefly, he considered striking at the figure, Earth and Fire, just so; but animating corpses tended to be a foul art, and perhaps he truly meant no harm.

Smiling, and hoping Baseel had his back, Corgatha approached the wolf, forming a thin weave of Fire and Spirit. If more lightning was to be flung in his direction, he'd have a nasty surprise ready.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel left off her scanning the area for her clan members when a human woman introduced herself.  Manners were deeply ingrained despite the oddness of the situation and the dragon gave a bow between strangers. "Melodie Icewing of clan Icewing." But all further formalities were lost when she saw that the cubi was attacking Cog with abominations. Before she could do more than take a single step in that direction Cog pulled out an artifact. A dangerous artifact that folded time in ways it was not safe to do. She began a simple spell to knock the watch out of his grasp but the wolf disappeared before she could finish.

Mel approached the demon she had seen Brun flirting with earlier. "We need to contain that charm. It appears to be making time unstable."

[Boog]

Jeremiah hadn't said anything much, since climbing out of the grave. It reminded him of the last time he'd been in a graveyard. He'd been in a screaming match with Bal down by the docks, and was too tired to go home, so he ended up crawling into the shade of a nearby double headstone to keep out of the elements for the evening. The grass had been soft and warm, and the headstone had belonged to John and Marissa Clemins. Loving parents, honest business owners, devout baptists. Nicest folks he'd met all day.
His mind was wandering so much lately, as if recoiling from recent events. For all he knew, cats could be rats and snores could be boars.... Where had that come from?
Pull
yourself
the fuck
together.
Right.
They were back at the castle. He recognized some of the people present, but he was loath to talk to them. After... Whatever it was, the bloody bladed thing, had popped out of its own grave. For all he knew they'd been changed like that guy. Hell, for all he knew HE had. For all he knew he would be altered like the sunken-eyed bloody thing.
FOCUS. Right.
There was a wolf now. Jeremiah shuffled closer to the back of the group. The demon-looking fella seemed like he preferred being the first one to deal with such matters and that suited him just fine.
Wait, the wolf was taking something out. Maybe backing up wasn't wise, the thing was giving off a LOT of power... Abruptly, the scenery shifted. Like the changes in seasons viewed in a time-lapse, flowers died and regrew, snow melted, the world shifted at top speed for the apparent purpose of clearing their path.
"Fine." Jeremiah sighed. He was tired. Possibly too much so to be scared. "Fine. We get it. Or I do, at any rate."
He lifted one slender finger and pointed past the wolf to the open door to the castle, yawning open like a mouth.
"Back to the party, yeh?"
The wolf vanished. The frog sighed again and started his slow, exhausted trudge toward the doors. Where else could he go?

[Lisky]

Baseel idly rolled the spell around in his hand before pulling the energy back into his body.  The general lack of impending confrontation, and the departure of the strange man left him with little need to burn off some of his reserves holding the magic at his fingertips.  He gave an idle nod as the man wandered off, cracking the stiff muscles in his shoulders and neck.  He relaxed his pose a bit as the wolf-man approached.  He watched in idle curiosity at the almost passive-aggressive stance he took.  As the bodies raised, Baseel considered hurling bolts of death, and not at the lone man.  The silver wolf didn't show any outward hostility... and the undead had just butchered the party, along with his favorite party-tunic.  His side was fairly clearly picked.

Suddenly his ears detected the crunch of snow growing closer.  His attention flickered between another approaching white winged creature, probably a dragoness,  and the silver wolf in the fields beyond.  The fight was over in the blink of an eye as he used some type of enchanted watch, and his attention turned fully to Mel.

Still casual and relatively relaxed, Baseel was careful turn his left shoulder, and thus shield, in the general direction of the lithe Lizard woman approaching... It was always hard to judge age... but the sudden haughty, take control of a situation and expect everyone to follow... the staple of draconic arrogance... well... certainly had that.

"It is affecting the flowers... that are growing in the middle of a snow storm.  Are you sure it's the watch that's dangerous? Perhaps it's simply a charm being used, while someone else is actually pulling the strings. "

Taking a moment to gesture towards the flowers "there's something already off about them... we should probably investigate before we destroy what could prove to be a rather useful tool.  Just because you don't trust something doesn't necessarily make it evil, and need to be destroyed.  There are worse things than wolves with watches madam... if you hadn't noticed, there's a rather pale looking tri-wing out there who looks a few apples shy of a bushel, if you catch my meaning."

[Cogidubnus]

"Without speaking, without silence, how can you express the truth?"

***

Jeremiah the Mage

The fragrance of flowers tickled Jeremiahs' nose as he walked closer to the door. They smelled like spring, like honeysuckle and something else that he couldn't quite place, something strangely harsh and grating that made you want smack your lips and suck on your tongue.

Someone was watching him from the door. Two someones. Both dressed like the wait staff from the party. He nearly said something to them before picked him up and threw him bodily into the snow, not entirely unlike an invisible linkbacker attatcking him.

Kiet'Jaer of House Ti'Paollo

Such quick eyes he had. One might have thought him a fox.

Subtle movements, quick gestures and chant, and a barrier of honeyed light formed around him. It wasn't a moment later that a long scratch was carved into it, separating the viscious light for but a moment before it congealed together again.

Another moment, a hard gesture and a sharp word, and the wolf appeared again, standing in front of Kiet'Jearl; scowling, watch in one hand and sword in the other, poised to strike at the barrier again.

He pulled back, stood up a bit straighter. He looked from one member of the group to another, and then without saying a word turned and began to run.

Melodie of Clan Icewing

Melodie was speaking with Baseel when she saw the young frog traveling with them throw bodily into the snow a few dozen feet away. Perhaps all was not yet well.

Corgatha the Dream

Saidin crackled in Corgatha's hands, writhing and dangerous, raw elemental power curdling the space around him and scenting the air with ozone. No target presented itself immediately, but from the frog's sudden situation it was clear that the wolf was still here, somehow. He may have a target soon yet.

Tinti, of House Cromwald

Tinti realized perhaps too late that this was not the time to be talking to the elegantly dressed dragon. She felt the wind grow just a little colder.

Baseel the Reaver

The flowers of which Baseel spoke tickled his nose with their scent, and he was distracted for just a moment before seeing the wolf appear again in front of the Tri-Wing he had been badmouthing earlier, shortly before he appeared to be making a break for it.

[Inumo]

Tinti was stunned into inaction when the wolf struck out with bolts of lightning, but as he reappeared and began to run, she began to act. Summoning a few small cheetah golems of packed snow, she sent them to rush ahead and trip the now-fleeing aggressor as she gave chase, preparing chains of Aether to bind him and keep him from doing anything more. The shimmer of a translucent ball of chains appeared in her hands as she waited until she was in range to throw it.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

The air smelled of crispness and the burn, remnants of the lightning strike the wolf had created. As his rock-coated feet crunched through the thin crust of snow, he gave a little wave to Baseel, hoping he'd follow at least a little behind him. Show and mummery, but they could be as important as steal and numbers. It was a lesson he'd learned late, but he was not often let out for any goal short of the complete annihilation of a foe.

Still, there was no sense in being careless, and Corgatha spun the threads of Fire and Spirit, hovering just over the watch in case further attacks were coming; the fighting between the wolf and the raccoon-man could spill over at any moment. Odd, truly, the interaction, or perhaps only seeming so from his lacking of important pieces of information. As much as he didn't wish to step between two theurges fighting, it seemed necessary.

The wolf was faster than he was, with his damaged legs, so releasing his previous structure, he spun out Earth, coiling up the ground beneath him and riding the moving column of dirt and clay to  circle the fleeing figure. Dropping himself close to his target, but between him and the ringtail, he shouted at the wolf in his best sergeant's voice, re-weaving his dissolvers in case hostilities re-erupted.


"That is enough! You two can blast each other into ash for all I care, but by the light, I am going to have some answers, and you,", pointing at the wolf, "are going to give them to me. Now I care little for the cloak of letters you have thrown across your shoulders, so you are going to tell me who you are, and why you two are so intent on breaking one another. I've only been torn out of the weave once before, and if this isn't an emergency, I am going to be very, very upset with whomever took me from Tel'Aran'Rhiod."

[Boog]

Jeremiah thought he recognized one of the wait staff. An ostrich who he'd avoided more so than most out of principle. Nothing personal, just an unnerving funny eye. He briefly remembered the horned toad girl, and considered turning back... But back that way was the wolf. He'd seen the other staff at the castle behave dangerously before, but that guy seemed dangerous right now. He could hash out the details later.
"Nigel, right? Pleasure to see you again, how is everyHURF!"
A hand under each armpit, the world flying sideways and suddenly Jeremiah was in the snow again. The frog blinked twice, attempting to process the situation and coming up with nothing. Frankly, he was amazed his brain could still process complex plans, rather than attempting to express itself in basic shapes. We just got thrown like a sack of trash, square triangle bumblebee. Was a bumblebee a basic shape? FOCUS. Right.
Jeremiah sat up and shrugged out of his coat, revealing the castle livery he was still wearing, and cave his coat a hard flap to get the snow off.
When the snow was off, he put it back on, and cleared his throat.
"Something the matter, gents?"
He could hear the hubbub of the wolf reappearing behind him, but was pointedly ignoring it. One damn thing at a time.

[Azlan]

Having gained enough distance, Kiet wheeled around drawing the Casull (or Casaul as you called it) he acquired in town on the day after he arrived for this disaster of a
ball.

The ringtail now sported a fine red duster and large brimmed chapeau.  He gave a sideways glance to over where Mel and Baseel were, "I rarely just choose to start attacking random lupines... there was enough hostility and malice dripping from him that even all of you should notice."

Giving the wolf his best Alucard sneering grin, he unloaded his .454 in as rapid a succession as it would allow at the watch-bearer.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course being demon, male, and canine he had to turn hello into a dominance fight. "We know there are major powers involved, we were both at the ball where my grandmother was attacked. But first things first and time running out of order is first in my book. I am a maker of enchanted objects and it is my informed opinion that the watch is dangerous. The wolf is someone I know, a swordsman with an affinity for charms. He might have picked it up unaware that it does very unpleasant things to time. Perhaps we can..."

Before she could finish her sentence everyone seemed to go completely insane at once. It was almost like the ballroom massacre was happening again. The frog went flying through the air; Cog reappeared, fighting his way out of a cage of magic that seemed to emanate from the cubi. The human male and the tattooed female both started towards the wolf with magic ready. Mel wasn't sure if they were attacking or defending her friend. But the most shocking was the cubi pulling a gun and shooting while claiming that this, his third attack on Cog in a mere handful of seconds was self defense. She contemplated her own spell casting options and decided there were too many magic users on hair triggers already.

[Cogidubnus]

A suspicious mind is a healthy mind.

"My...name?"

The fleeing wolf paused, feet spraying snow forward as he came to an abrupt halt and turned to face the pursuing Corgatha. The pocketwatch dangled from a chain attached to his waistcoat, and his sword glittered wickedly in the flame-tinted moonlight.

"Many names have I. But call me the damn dog." the wolf replied, no longer smiling, except in his eyes.

Seven shots rang out, a bullet landing in the wolf's shoulder, chest and stomach, knocking him over and spattering blood on the snow in a gorgeous spray of red. The other two did not hit, as Corgatha was in the way.

* * *

Jeremiah the Mage

Nigel gave Jeremiah a horrified look and pulled him bodily through the threshold of the door and spinning him around the corner, so that there was a good, solid wall in between him and the insanity occurring outside.
"Jeremiah! My god! What...where have you been? How...when did you...are you alright? Who are they?"

The other individual, an old female lion in castle livery, was still looking outside with the grim expression that only someone who has experienced more than fifty very cruel winters can give. There was a fire poker in her hand, the bravado ruined slightly by her slight trembling, making the pointy end zig-zag in a figure eight. The name clicked into place a moment later - Ni'ase. Everyone called her Nia. She helped the head butler coordinate staff, made sure the fires were going, and lend a hand when it was needed.

* * *

Corgatha the Dream

There it was - an answer of sorts.

He knew before the gun was fired that his life was in danger - the tone of the ringtail's voice carried with it that subtle, slick tone of Murderous Intent.

The gun fired seven large-caliber, silver-plated shots, in rapid succession.

* * *

Kiet'Jaer of House Ti'Pallo

Kiet's frustration was undoubtedly severe. His allies did not seem to be familiar with the term 'line of fire', or how to stay out of it. How many adventuring parties had been taken out by a foolish warrior running into a fireball's killzone? Or a ill-timed blast of dessication that managed to suck the moisture from friend and foe alike.

The dream-creature had practically run into his line of fire, and was talking to the mad beast! Clearly he didn't recognize the dire situation they were in. If that watch started working, he might kill them all before they could think about a countermove.

He aimed carefully, but that was on gurantee. By the time he could have thought of not shooting, he had practically already done so, and thought he did hit his target, numerous other bullets streaked for Corgatha instead.

* * *

Melodie of Clan Icewing

Mel watched. She smelled the scent of the flowers around the castle, insistent even in the biting cold - but she barely felt that cold in any case.

Cog, running, then shot. A fight seemed to be brewing between Kiet and the new creature from the dream. She could smell honey, and blood too. And cloves. The snow seemed to sparkle so brightly here. And yet, it seemed somehow gray.

* * *

Tinti of House Cromwald

By the time Tinti had thought of throwing her magic, it was too late. The wolf appeared to be shot, and it appeared as though one of her allies had been caught in the crossfire.

She could see Corgatha and Kiet, and the wolf laying on the snow, bleeding from his wound, as well as the frog she had met earlier and two others who appeared to be from the castle staff, at the castle entrance - they appeared to be talking to each other. Melodie appeared to be holding back for now, and so far the shirtless demon had done nothing useful.

She took a breath. Cloves and cinnamon spiced the air, almost thick enough to make one sneeze.

[Lisky]

Baseel wasn't particularly attached to anyone here.  The human was closest thing he had to an ally as the ice-dragon made her counterpoint. His retort was cut-off mid thought as the wolf reappeared.  Many things happened, and didn't happen, at once.  First of all, Corg started to try and halt the conflict. The wolf ran, the tri-wing took aim, Corg trapped in the middle.  The triwing fired, and the heavy caliber slugs took flight.  Several punching into the wolf and the human. 

With only a rudementary knowledge of healing magic.  Baseel's first thought was to perhaps try and stabilize one of them.  The wolf looked hit bad, while the human seemed less so. 

The demon bolted towards the fallen swordsman, and watchbearer as he collected the spell to his hand, and prepared a stun spell as well as a healing spell.

He was planning to try healing first, and if the wolf struggled, Baseel figured he'd knock him out long enough to at least stop the bleeding.

"Gahhh... Why couldn't we have handled this -civilly!-"  He shouted as he started his sprint.

[Inumo]

Stopping, the Aether chains still in hand, she turned and threw the spell instead at the one with the pistol. "What was that for?!" She shouted. "Have you no sense of civility in you? Would you at least care to explain why you senselessly endangered the life of another? Yes, whatever he was up to with that time watch was dangerous, but did you not see that he was running? Did you not see the two others already attempting to apprehend him? There were other options!" Her rant finished, she ran to the fallen man after seeing the wolf under the ministrations of the shirtless demon. Mixing Life with some Land for guidance, she formed a healing golem and allowed it to do its job on the poor fellow.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

The wolf-man smiled and non-answered his question, a piece of threat and madness dancing in his eyes. He was going to follow up, but a cracking report barked behind him, and Corgatha spun around as fast as he was able.

Two impacts; hard. One on his side, and another one at his upper sternum as he turned towards the projectiles. Smaller than an arrowhead, but they were hard enough to stagger him, and he had a hard time keeping his balance. Didn't seem to get through his rock-skin, or it would have hurt a *lot* worse. Still, he was pretty sure that his ribs were cracked at the least.


Kiet'Jaer stood some distance before him, holding a smoking metal instrument, his projectile thrower almost certainly, in his hands. A flash of red across his vision, and Corgatha fought down his anger at being attacked. Shouts from the periphery of his awareness, as Baseel and a woman he didn't recognize moved onto the scene. He didn't entirely trust himself to speak, so instead he spun Earth; metal wasn't quite as easy to grasp as stone, but it was still something within his strongest element. He split his flows, looping skeins of Earth with just a touch of Air around both Kiet's weapon and the damn dog's watch, and yanked. He wanted the toys away from these two loonies, and the opportunity to study them both.

He worried though; something in Kiet'Jaer's gaze said that he wasn't about to back down, and he might have more tricks up his sleeve.

[Azlan]

Kiet had genuinely thought he had gotten a hold of the use of this modern firearm, but its mechanical form held an inherent chaos that led to these type of miscalculations.  He was forced to take his attention away from the wolf and Corgatha to deflect the Aether chains with a shielding burst of primal quintessence from his off hand.  

Gesturing to the wolf with wing tentacles as Baseel complained, he replied, "handle this Civilly?  I dinna think he'll listen, lad."    

He attempted to raise his gun skyward just as the skeins closed around it and pulled, shredding the barrel of the weapon into a fine mist of indiscernible metal shavings rather than pulling it from his grasp.

The ringtail was back to his normal attire as he looked at the back end of the destroyed weapon, "tsk, this kind of thing never happens to Alucard.  That was somewhat of an accident and miscalculation."  He crushed the remaining bits and empty clip into a single chunk of metal and tossed it to the side.

Keeping a defensive stance between Tinti and Corgatha, the ringtail held up a hand as if to signal that he had enough, "I could try to explain myself, but I really don't think you all will listen or believe me.  After all, a mad wolf, with sword drawn approached our gathering.  His intent, mind you I can see surface thoughts, was to kill the first person that asked him a question... ignoring that, the simple fact of a drawn weapon means intent to harm, especially where a sword like that originates.  His name is..."  Kiet thought back to the party where he had met the wolf before, "Cogidubnus Mithlome, there is little left of his mind to reason with."

Despite what some have said, talking didn't seem to take no time or be considered a free action, still he relented whatever aggressive action he could of taken to soliloquy and magical defense preparation.  He waited for the obvious 'score evening' that this violent and unstable grey man had in store.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel moved closer to Cog, prepared to supplement the healing spell the demon was readying. "How wonderfully convenient to be a cubi. All murders are self-defense based on your completely unverifiable say so. You even consume the souls afterwards to make sure no necromancer can question the spirit."

She cast a binding on the injured wolf. It would keep him still during the bullet removal and afterward if need be. "If he survives your rather interesting take on mental illness treatment we can ascertain if the problem is the wolf or the artifact."

Thinking of the artifact, where had it ended up? Hopefully no one was handling it. It was powerful and ought to be in a containment box. Unfortunately her nearest containment box was in her bag which was presumably still at the Firebloom Inn with Walter. If there was still a Firebloom Inn and a family retainer after all the craziness of the day or perhaps days.

[Cogidubnus]

There is nothing here so frightening as the falling snow, the scent of blood, and the howling, frantic wind.

The Reaver King

With each running step snow kicked up behind him in a spray as Baseel ran to the wolf's side, the demon skidding a ways as he dropped to his knees next to the injured wolf. He checked the wounds - one in the stomach, one in the shoulder and another in his chest, all on the left side. The blood was flowing very quickly, especially from his chest - it was too high to have hit the heart, but if the bullet had pierced the arteries above the heart...

While Tinti's healing goldem was busy trying to heal Corgatha, the wolf moved from stillness, gurgled something, and grabbed at Baseel's neck, trying to pull himself up. He gurgled again, blood dripping from his mouth, pulling while he tried to speak. "Help..."

The other hand came up and slipped a beautiful, thin silver dagger up into his stomach, and then up and through his diaphram and through one lung.

The wolf laughed, wet and rasping.

***

Melodie of House Icewing

Melodie finished the casting the binding spell, and as the white light settled onto his immobile form to keep him that way, she turned to finish berating Kiet for shooting first and asking questions later.

Baseels sudden cry of pain made her turn around again. Around the wolf's wrist, the charm Winter Moon glowed white, a sign of its powerful protective magic that sheilded the wolf from hostile magic. Cogidubnus shoved Baseel off of him, and tried to stand, only managing to bring himself to his hands and knees.

He panted, and then, with a sickening crunch, his back arched violently, throwing his head up so quickly his neck snapped and his eyes rolled.
There was the sudden sound of tearing meat, then silence. Blood pooled on the ground.

A sudden explosion of chains shot out from the wolf's back, wreathed in ghostly blue flames, bladed and writhing like snakes. A spirit of dancing, ghostly fire, crawled out from Cog's body, nearly tearing the husk in half as it emerged, and like living whips of iron they arced for every person that was close - five chains stabbing viciously at Baseel, ten or twelve arcing for Kiet and Mel, and more attempting to skewer Corgatha and Tinti. Jeremiah was much too far away to be in danger.

The creature did not stop there, the chains like a snake attempting to constrict Corgatha and Baseel. The red flowers in the snow died all at once, even as the creature screamed into the skull of everyone around a psychic aura of pain. Melodie felt the aura hit her like a mental railroad spike going through a block of cheese, bringing everything into an immensely painful and nearly paralyzing clarity.

Tinti of House Cromwald

The healing golem shattered, the Ghost-creatures aura of psychic pain far too powerful for the little ball of light to survive. Blood poured from her ears as she tried to think or something, anything, to survive this.

Corgatha the Dream

Corgatha had gotten the watch from the wolf, and Kiet'Jaer's gun had disintigrated in the ringtail's hand before he would let it go. The ringtail had spoken, and then suddenly Baseel had cried out in pain - by the time Corgatha had turned around, he found himself attacked from all sides - the snake's nest of dancing blades, the chains that were trying very hard to bind him immobile, and the agonizing, insane screeching in his mind.

[Inumo]

All Tinti was able to do at first was curl up into the fetal position, clutching her head in her hands. It was hard to think through the pain; it came in spits, only a few words at a time. Chains. She tried to roll to a position where she could see the source of the psychic scream. Aethiric metal. Fire. Land. Aether. What perfunctory knowledge she had, she used. Creating a primitive spike made from raw Fire, Land, and Aether, she took the rod out of her bun and pointed it at the chains, hurling her spell with it. Break.

[Lisky]

Baseel's eyes flickered with recognition of the sudden emotional change a fraction of a second too late.  The blade glimmered on some faint source of light, then disappeared into his flesh.  A groan of agony as fire shot through his tummy.  He could feel the blade shift in the wound, as a ragged breath was forced from his chest.  He stayed stunned for a moment, shocked and pained as the wolf shoved him over onto his back. 

Shield instinctively moved to cover himself when the wolf left the dagger in the demon's belly, Baseel kicked at the thing as it lurched and shredded what was left of the wolf.  He cast a barrier spell to further add to his protection as his shielded hand started focusing on the knife.  The fire is his belly tore at his attention, and what should have been an ear-splitting and debilitating headache was rendered a dull buzz, as if he had needles had replaced the railroad spikes, uncomfortable and sharp... but not nearly as terrible as the shock his system was enduring thanks to dagger wound.

If he survived, perhaps he'd thank the once wolf, now spirit for the trauma to block out it's follow-up attack... that is, before tearing it's head off, and devouring it's dying soul.

As it's chains lashed forth, Baseel kicked at the ground beneath him, throwing himself as hard as he could, as far as he could.  His shield hand kept the wood and steel between himself and the beast while his free hand collected raw, arcane energy.  He didn't have the focus for anything but simple spells, and so that's what he was resorting to, hurling an exploding bolt of energy at the chains, trying to cleave them from the beast before they could finish what the wolf had started.  He had to act fast, because every second he'd grow weaker, loosing more blood with each pump of his heart.

[Boog]

"Ah- CHRIST!" Jeremiah had been about to answer when the gun started going off. Six seconds later it seemed like the heavy magic was coming out, chains flying hither and yon. "I've been, ah, away, tell you later." He flinched a little further into cover, gesturing Ni'ase to do the same. He remembered her vaguely as one of the few castle attendants who seemed to have their shit together. "I THINK they're all from the party. I recognize the dragon, I think..." The glittering ballroom gown-clad saurion seemed like a memory from months ago, but the woman outside bore more than a passing resemblance. "Oh, and the demon! Where'd he go, he's definitely-!" The frog's searching finger found and pointed at Baseel right as the blade slid into his belly. "Oh. Well fuck. I've met the grey guy too, dunno much about him, I THINK they're all from the party. Got anything nastier than a poker on hand?" Alright, what can hold this guy off long enough to get everyone inside? Jeremiah was no soldier, and tended to assume ahead of time that whatever side he was on was outclassed in terms of power, but this time it seemed fairly reasonable. Time-watch or no, though, the castle represented safety and seemed nigh-impenitrable to a lone man.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

As the watch snapped into his palm, Corgatha turned back towards the wolf-man, standing as he did so, just in time to see the odd creature drive a blade into Baseel's chest. Blood and fire. Too many things to do at once.  He was in the middle of wrapping Spirit around his head and knotting it off, the counter against the ringtail's boast of telepathy, when an apparition of some sort erupted from the wolf and started flinging chains every which way.


Corgatha didn't know what they'd do to him, and he wasn't overly interested in finding out. Splitting his weaves, he spun a tiny gateway, enough that he had to drop to a crouch to get through, and stepped out some sixty feet ahead of where he was, but facing back towards the wolf's supine force. And the mind shield is up too, although I'll have to watch things when I sleep.

Roaring at the buzzing in his mind which didn't seem to fade much from proximity from the chains, he formed Spirit and Fire into a blade, and slashed at the ghost and the chains, hoping he could cut whatever insubstantial form it represented without resorting to using Balefire in tight confines like that.

[Azlan]

Kiet appreciated the wolf's use of an old lure, and the tang of the demon's pain, but the psychic scream was just over doing it.  If not for his handy strengthened mind shield, he might have missed Cog's grizzly ghostly chain attack.

An experienced campaigner, the General expected an attack, but from Corgatha not the seemingly downed wolf.  Still it came from the same direction he expected.  The ringtail incubus exploded into action, a trio of wing pairs sprung into being from where ever they were magically concealed.  Draconic headed wing tentacles, a dozen, matched the lunge of the ten chain blades.  Where the ghostly blue fire would be countered with aquamarine etheric shields.

The cubi did not stand still during all of this, instead he dashed backwards while still facing the onslaught.  The technique was called many things, flash step, shadow stepping, zanzoken, flicker, celerity, but it amounted to one thing, moving very, very fast.  Kiet blocked a few chain lunges before he reached a range length limit.  While the various tentacle heads stuck their tongues out at the looming blades, Kiet shouted at Cogidubnus, "noob drop aoe and aggro whole mob, hax!"

Drawing his Tekka, the ringtail ignited it as he flourished.  He however did not move forward to attack and instead layered another shield of spirit and force to his rather comprehensive defense model.  The Tekka energy sword aided in supporting his enchantments.

Let's see how this lot fairs, I doubt they want my help anyways.  I suppose I will have to give it as unwelcome and unappreciated as it is.  Best get ready.  The area around him darkened as palpable waves of energy gathered.  He would not waste his time as he observed, he "powered up".

[Mel Dragonkitty]

To say the attack had caught Mel flatfooted would be an understatement. This was her friend, welcome guest at the Icewing table. Luckily enchantments know no sentiment. The design overlaid onto her wings before the ball flared as a blue-white light ran rapidly across patterns, spots here and there remaining lit until the protective design hidden amongst the lacy image was revealed. The split second before the pain subsided gave her the time to get angry and push her into action. She dumped the prepared healing spell onto the demon. It freed her hands and he needed it.

Mel wasn't a fighter, she didn't have fancy moves. But she was a metal smith and knew enchanted metals. She simply slammed downwards with power, slapping all nearby sword-chains into the ground with enough force to deform and flatten.