faderift | ↠ WHAT PRIDE HAD WROUGHT

ooc | one thread only, but anyone is welcome to participate

When reinforcements arrive in the outer grounds, a knot of Red Templars and Venatori is clustered around a blasted crevice in the ground already slipping, one after other, through the narrow hole and into the crypts below. Jumping down directly behind them—trickling one at a time, into the dark and an unknown number of enemy assailants—would be suicide, and others remain above ground and need to be handled first anyway. But fifteen minutes later, when the situation is in hand, they can be pursued.

The crypts are dark, damp, and twisting, but the voices from ahead echo indistinctly. Forced-open gates and bashed-in walls as trail markers. Finally, closing in, there's light, faint and red—the glow wisps and of lyrium that's replacing limbs, chests, shoulders—illuminating passageways and casting shadows in the gloom ahead.

Edited 2019-07-21 00:17 (UTC)

Underground pursuit, surrounded by the glow of red lyrium, is a proper Warden's bread and butter these days. Less so dealing with Templars or Venatori directly, but there's a first time for everything.

Grasping the opportunity as soon as it's viable, Teren is off and seeking out the enemy, moving rapidly and keeping to the shadows so as to scout ahead for her allies behind, and to remain unseen as she investigates what lies before them. Her blades are out, and she's resolved to not be caught flat-footed.

Naturally, it has to be another dark, dank enclosed place. What else would it be? By now, Kain has long been resigned to this fate as a Warden, though he's still especially on edge about that familiar red glow. Still, he trudges along, sword drawn as he eyes the area warily. The glow at least makes it easier to see than it would be otherwise.

He's not far behind Teren, focused on watching and listening for signs of the enemies's presence. "We're closing in," he murmurs, preparing himself for the inevitable battle ahead.

What lies before them is a horde of monstrosities that grows smaller, one or two or three men at a time, shedding sentries where it's wise to leave them: before a bent gate, after a narrow passage. A surprise beyond a locked door. The Red Templars are powerful, fearsome, thankfully not invincible. Where the route has been blocked with a barrier, a blade will not suffice—those without magic will have to find another way through the ancient maze.

Some ways are more pleasant than others.

Fog crawls low along the wet stone floor, two or three inches of water spanning the middle third of the corridor. By now the Riftwatch party has heard the hollow, panting breaths, the occasional grunt or hitch of pain, and now they've come upon the source. On the other side of the pool are two misshapen bodies bristling with thick red crystals, lipless mouths full of teeth, eyes glowing like cinders.

Beyond them, in the shadow of an alcove, less visually intimidating but no less a threat: a mage, robed in the Venatori style.

Waiting.

Edited 2019-07-24 13:00 (UTC)

"Mages," Teren hisses through her teeth. It's not because there's more than one mage: it's because she fucking hates fighting mages. She also hates fighting with mages, but they're often a necessary evil in these matters.
Looking back to Kain, she presses her back against the wall and beckons him forward.

"We won't beat them alone," she whispers, "best chance is for a few more of us to draw the big ones away so we can take out the mage without being seen." Her eyes shift back to the corridor's opening, hoping for reinforcements.

He'd hesitated in the pursuit. It's something he'll have to think on later, when there's not a mess ahead of them, but thankfully he hears Teren muttering about mages and that means he's not too far behind.

Anders sighs as he joins them, catching what she's said. "I'm good at running." Does he like being bait? Absolutely not. But it's needed.

"Now, Anders, it coulds be worse," Barty tells him, with a conciliatory pat on the arm as he comes up aside him, "Not entirelies sure how, at the moment, but we gots a good fightin' chance, just the same."

There there, son. You'll be alright. Barty's confidence is clear in every motion as he steps back, and takes up an axe in each hand.

"Off you get. We'll haves your back, soon as we can."

"Of course it could always be worse." Let's face it, thinking of the worst case scenario is something Kain just tends to do. The whole place could be swarming with darkspawn, or there could be a cave-in, or... well, who knows what else? Mages are a real point of frustration. Even if they do tend to be physically weaker than other fighters, the problem always came down to getting close enough to stab them.

He shifts grip on his sword. "I can aid in taking on those warriors."

"Go on then," Teren whispers, glancing nervously to the behemoths, hoping they haven't been noticed yet. "Barty and Kain, draw them off the mage. I'll try to come round."

She points lightly toward the center of the room, gesturing them forward. Go get 'em, lads.

He gives Barty a slightly aghast look at the implication he should run off alone with them following him; if they retain anything at all of their past selves he's the one that would get hit by Smite, but then Teren and Kain seem to have his back. Anders exhales and nods, leading the way around a couple of rocks so they can emerge from a spot Teren is not. Then it's unfortunately time.

"Oops!" he yells. "Didn't see you there! Bye!" And in case that's not enough distraction, he waves as he runs, letting lightning jump from fingertip-to-fingertip to make it even more obvious that he's a mage. Should they be able to tell from robes and staff? Yes. Could any Kirkwall Templars figure it out? No.

He's a helper.

Edited 2019-07-25 22:45 (UTC)

"Right then, shall we?" Barty clonks Kain companionably on the nearest bit of armor, every bit as if they were just stepping out for a nice lunch, "Don't mind me."

...and makes his own dash for it. Experience has taught him that very little attracts attention like a mad wee man trying to take chunks out of your knees— so he does that, best he can.

And then he legs it, puffing in an admirable zig-zag to dodge the inevitable long reach and heavy fists of the owners of said knees. Given any opening, he's got an arm like a blacksmith and aim like an archer, but he's no shield-arm and little enough room to aim. Back him up, Kain!

"Yes, let's have at it." Kain even manages a small smirk at that, feeling that thrill of a battle about to start. It's been a while since he's taken down some of these hideous brutes, so he's more than ready for it. They can surely manage this between them, they've got a good Warden team here, a mix of strength, sneaking, and, of course, magic.

While Anders does that flashy mage thing, Kain lunges into battle alongside Barty. He's a tall man in comparison to the dwarf, which means that these brutes will be dealing with attacks coming at them from all angles. He brings up his two-handed sword to fend off one of their attacks, cutting in with a heavy counter-strike in return.

↠ WHAT PRIDE HAD WROUGHT | NPC LOGS

BOSS FIGHT

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