Closed Mission: The Cult of the Red Glowing Thing

[sorcerised]

WHO: Arohaerd, Teren, Isaac, Connor 60, Anders and Merrill
WHAT: Project: Red Lyrium. On the outskirts of the Fallow Mire is a group of cultists who are worshipping a rather large chunk of red lyrium they discovered hidden in the area long after the Inquisition left it. They've gotten away with it for so long because it's a remote area after the mire was abandoned due to corpses. But a passing caravan ran afoul of the cult, who are all in various stages of transformation, and only one person made it out alive to tell the tale. The group has been ordered to kill these cultists and destroy the red lyrium.
WHEN: Shortly after the rescue of captives from Minrathous.
WHERE: Fallow Mire, Ferelden
NOTES: Violence and death, burning of infected corpses.

Prompts in headers.

Comments

[chainlightning]

Oh, dear.

[ The cultists look horrid. Merrill shakes her head, even as she readies herself. Anders has cast his own barrier - and by the Creators, has she missed fighting with a healer - and Arohaerd has lightning. Merrill- well, Merrill has something else entirely.

A cloud of chaotic energy seeps onto the field, targeting the main group of cultists. If they're very lucky, they'll all fall asleep - or be stunned, or slow down. All, however, would require a great deal of luck, and Merrill will settle for one or two. At least it'll mean less backup for the one Connor is getting ready to trip. ]

[doneisdone]

"NO MAGIC," comes Teren's gruff bark as she embeds the blade of one dagger in one cultist's neck, slashing at a second with the other moments as they approach. Some people like buffs or on-the-spot healing, and Teren is not one of those people. How in the name of fucking Maferath does she always end up surrounded by mages?

A shock of lightning zips through the damp mud and gives her a jolt, causing her to send an accusing look Aro's way. don't get cute

[justice_is_blond]

"Last time I didn't put barriers around everyone someone got their throat slit," Anders says, sounding entirely unrepentant. "Yes, some magic!"

He twirls his staff, blade sticking in the flesh of a cultist before he sends straight force magic down the staff and into the cultist, rather effectively turning the man's chest into what might pass for pudding. With a jerk he gets the blade free and he turns, looking for the next target, as the cultist's corpse crumbles.

[connorrk800]

As the cultists move in- and are efficiently dispatched by his allies- Connor sees the area around the outcropping of red lyrium gradually clear out of cultists. It would seem they were not anticipating anyone would target it, or over-estimated their abilities to kill any who would dare.

He sweeps the feet out from under the foolhardy cultist, making him faceplant neatly into the mud. Someone else will take care of him. Connor ignores him completely as he regards the trees ringing the hideout. After a moment's hesitation, he springs onto the gnarled roots of a great oak, sprints up its trunk and hunches on one of its great branches all in one fluid movement.

[sorcerised]

Aro sends a grin in Anders' direction when the barrier goes up. He won't be complaining about that. He has a shield of his own, but it can't shield multiple people, and this means it doesn't need to. Instead his hands crackle with electricity which shudders through every cultist that touches him. Iessa flaps her wings and soars skyward, before letting out a high-pitched cry and breathing a cone of lightning all around the enemy.

"You sure about that?" he asks Teren, as Iessa's breath blasts a cultist away from him. That leaves him free to chase after Connor, while the dragon distracts any that try to chase him. The electricity disappears from his hands as he looks up into the tree.

"It'll let you breathe lightning, like her," he says, nodding at the dragon. "Do you want it? Your choice. You seem to have things under control, anyway."

[connorrk800]

He looks down at Aro, glances over at his creature as he balances, cat-like, on the tree branch. It surprises him slightly how little trepidation he has about emitting lightning. When it dawns on him that, once, currents of power had been to him as natural as the breath in his lungs he quirks a grin.

"I do."

[sorcerised]

Aro gives him a quick, sharp grin. He'd honestly expected everyone to say no, given this world's strange wariness of magic. He reaches up, needing contact for the spell to work.

"Well then. Grab my hand!"

Assuming that Connor does, he'll notice the pendant around Aro's neck beginning to glow. Soon, that glow will spread to their hands.

"Darastrix Frahr," he murmurs, under his breath. The glow spreads to Connor, and Aro lets go. Stepping back, he reaches for his crossbow again.

"All right. All you need do is open your mouth. Close it to stop the spray. Make sure you aim it at them!" Which is probably obvious, but it bears saying, anyway.

[connorrk800]

Connor eases back down the branch and reaches out to Arohaerd. He watches with a surprisingly childlike wonder as the glow spreads from the mage's hands onto Connor. When he lets go, he doesn't doubt that he can do as the small dragon does. "Thank you," he says shortly then scrambles back into the branches like he was made to traipse about on tree tops, like he's half-squirrel.

And with one smooth movement he launches himself across the clearing, barely making contact with the branches opposite before springing onto the weighty trunk of another tree. A few cultists dizzily whirl around in an attempt to follow the movement but he's already on the other side of the compound and his allies are pressing their attack.

One hapless cultist stares a challenge at Connor as he races to intervene between him and the lyrium. Connor fixes his gaze on him and opens his mouth. The cultist doesn't even scream, which pleases Connor. He leaps down nimbly and draws the staff from his back.

"Mission: accomplished," he says as he winds up to smash the lyrium.