[Closed] Foul and Corrupt Are They

[judgemewhole]

WHO: James Norrington, Vivienne, Adelaide Le Blanc, Garris Vakrie, Emmie Courtenay, Fenris, Lynette Valkyrie
WHAT: Field trip to the village of Montemps
WHEN: Second week of Guardian
WHERE: Montemps
NOTES: Extreme violence and bloodshed, cursing, Norrington losing his damned temper. Taking place after this message

Riding into Montemps

The ride is a short, three hour journey southwest of Sahnaria. Norrington had encouraged everyone to ride on horseback - the better to get there and back within the day. He honestly didn't think they were going to find anything except either hedge magic, which Adelaide and Vivienne could 'talk' to the individual well enough.

If there were Red Templars, well, then it would be a simple matter of finishing off more of them. Securing the area, perhaps seeing if there was something in Montemps worth trading with the Inquisition to see it got further protection.

Meanwhile, the trip up was the perfect time to speak with one another, and to plan as well.

Montemps

It is the smell of burning flesh that will assault all their noses first, and the horses will start to act nervous. Norrington will recommend going on foot from there, as it will only get worse for the animals. It will be eerily quiet, as if there is not another animal within five miles. If asked, Norrington will state that blood magic tends to send animals scurrying away. They could sense evil much more clearly than humans could, after all.

However, nothing could prepare anyone, even Norrington, for the carnage that would be displayed when they crested the last hill and saw Montemps for the first time. Over fifty bodies littered the ground, some templars who were clearly in the early stages of red lyrium poisoning, the rest were villagers. The village itself was a shell of empty houses, many of them burned down to the ground. In those, one would find the rest of the villagers, putting the death count at around sixty villagers and thirty odd templars.

Investigations
(or things your character can find/comment on)
- The villagers were a mix of men, women, and children.
- There are signs of shade influence, as well as people turning against one another. Many bodies are from the fire or smoke inhalation, and all have been set on by scavengers.
- On the hill, there will be templar cages, similar of what they found in Sahrnia. There will also be bodies of Avvar in the cages.
- It will be clear by journals that the villagers were working with the templars to save themselves.
- There is a full birth/death record in the mayor's house.

Comments

[middle_of_calibrating]

At the shout about demons, Garris cursing under his breath, turning back towards where he hears Norrington. It would figure that when they all started to spread that something would pop up. Looking for possible survivors would have to wait.

Bow already out he finds higher ground, climbing a half destroyed house. At her perch Garris takes note of the shades that have appeared.

His gaze quickly finds Emmie, trailing her movement for a bit before drawing his bow and readying a shot.

[madame_de_fer]

The directions given are solid and Vivienne agrees with them. She's not afraid to jump into the fray of a fight, but with only herself and Adelaide present for magical backup, her spirit blade will not be as needed. Mindful of the flanking tactics being employed, she casts Barriers on the melee fighters for their added protection before locating a sufficiently distanced location to begin her offensive magic onslaught.

To aid them with corralling the demons, she throws out a wall of ice as a perimeter barrier. To get around it and after her, the creatures would have to go around and leave their backs exposed.

[fleurdesel]

With Vivienne minding the space between them and the skirmish- there was time and space enough for rapid casting that might stack the odds in their favor.

Adelaide drove her staff into the ground before her, ice coiling up to keep it upright while her hands snapped out in intricate gestures, power roiled in the air around her. To Norrington that same Heroic Aura, to Garris the golden lines of Haste slowing the world about him till the count of Thirty. To Vivienne, a green glowing wisp circling her in a constant bob and weave to provide supplemental mana. To Emmeline a coil of frost that encircles her weapons to slow those she strikes.

[aggregiopavali]

Fenris had moved before he even thought about it, using the power granted in his brands to fade, ghost like. Flanking tactics were something he excelled at, harassing the demons from the sides, corralling them ever inwards. Every time one of them took a swipe at him, he side-stepped it easily. There was magic in the air all around him, he could feel it through the lyrium, but he concentrated on what he had to do - getting the demons to a point where they could be destroyed.

[lennethvalkyrie]

Lenneth eyed the battlefield, the forward surge of the warriors, and was glad she'd thought to bring a bow. She was loathe to leave the mages, lest another contingent of demons appear--or the blood mages themselves. She took the hill behind them at a run, ignoring the ache in her thighs from the hours of learning to sit a horse for the first time, until she had the elevation to see beyond the wall of ice, then nocked an arrow, ready to catch any strays.

[judgemewhole]

James shifted, so he, Fenris and Emmie formed a triangle around the demons. His shield went up, and shoved it directly into the first demon, raising the sword to shove into the first demon he could get his hands on. He could feel the spells sinking into his skin, felt his body heightened. Feeling stronger, harder to hit, he let his rage focus into his fighting.

He wanted to get them centered, well and truly in the middle of them, before he released any of his abilities.

i'm so sorry this is late!!

[aestimo]

Her eyes focus on the shade in front of her, and when it swipes, she ducks, sword arm lashing out with her ice-imbued weapon. All she has to do is manage to not get hit and they'll survive the day. Her arm comes down again, slashing with all of her might to push the shade away.

[middle_of_calibrating]

He'll have to thank whomever for the spell later as the world around him slows. Garris has only been under the effects of Haste a couple times in the past to know what it is, and Maker did he wish he had someone around to cast it more often.

The count of thirty is soft on his lips as he searches for stragglers, setting an arrow in the head of one that wasn't quite moving into the triangle the warriors were setting, bringing it to the ground. Probably not dead just yet, but certainly haven't issues getting back up. Three more arrows find their marks on other Shades, backing up Norrington, Emmie and Fenris as they took the enemies head on.

[fleurdesel]

Another breath, another series of spells. Tapping into Compassion's power for this is straining the bounds of what their contract allows- but to protect those slaying the demons, to slay the demons themselves? It is permissible. Blue light coils in her hands before she turns, launching it in a tightly bound mist for Lenneth. A variation on Heroic Aura and rejuvenation intertwined- for the ache, for her accuracy. Something to make the snow less blinding, the aches of the day distant.

For the warriors, those she could see- Fenris, Garris, and Emmaline- the air around them warps and ripples subtly- sharpening into a barrier. The migraine from this rapid casting will be intense- but worth it.