Marry the Night

The day is slipping now into night. The day is still hazy and hot in spite of the incoming night, and the twilight which has begun to steal across the sky looks somehow washed out and is completely devoid of the usual bright colors that mark the sky. Perhaps because of the heat there are not terribly many people about, most people have retreated to cooler climates, their homes or bars which offer cool drinks to the passerby to draw in customers.

One of these figures which is walking down the street is a tall dark-haired man with pale skin and notably green eyes. They're remarkable by their brightness, and also by their intensity. He stalks down the road with ungangly motions which bring all the more attention to him. He walks around, peering at different people and shaking his head to himself, his long fingers often twitching at his side not with nervousness, but with eagerness.

A man in a cloak, with hood up, makes his way about. Merek looks about, and he sees the man, making his way to him while he shifts both hands to dragon claws, following him.

Erendriel goes into her backpack and pulls out a vial from it. Scrunching a face, she opens her mouth, tilts her head way back, and empties the vial into her mouth, then shuddering. smacking her mouth, shaking her head. Then, tentatively, she raises her hand, points it at a passing chicken, and fires a beam from her fingertip. SQUAWK! She shakes her hands and giggles weakly, though even with that happy expression, she's worn down, exhausted.

Iskandar had been in one of the aforementioned bars, but emerges now. Because they ran out of his favorite wine more than any other reason. He takes in a deep breath of the evening air and then looks around at the other passersby on the street.

Haggerty is about in silvery white tunic and slightly darker clothes for robe and thin cloak, with a chilled towel wrapped about his neck. The little dog by his side is similarly geared up. The difference? The tiny canine is much less susceptible to the temperature. There is no protection from this dastardly heat but the plain attempts at cooling. The redhead listens eagerly, but cannot quite gauge the deeper shadows with his human sight limitations. Thankfully, the tiny friend snarfles under his slightly wheezing breath. Red locks bounces when the young man gathers and steps closer to the others not to be bumrushed by something as fast as this kind of unliving. Hagg gives a pensive sigh and watches curiously.

Mikilos mutters absently to himself, glancing over a few lists he keeps shuffling between as he wanders, and slowly comes to a dead halt. Blinking a few times, the tall elf does a double take. Is his paranoia kicking in again? Nope. Pretty sure he's really seeing what he thinks he's seeing. Very deliberately, the magi puts his lists away, sparks of violet energy building as he tries to maintain his composure.

The vampire - for that is what the tall unnatural man is - stops suddenly, his head rising like a hound sensing his prey. In an instant he's dashed away from Merek, flung himself across the street to where Erendriel is standing. He had been smiling softly before, but now there's a broad grin across his features; his green eyes practically glowing. In fact they /are/ glowing. "Here is one! You want to come with me yes?" He asks the question but there's /compulsion/ in them. An echo of some kind.

GAME: Erendriel rolls will: (5)+5: 10
GAME: Merek casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 4 DC: 16

Merek makes his way towards the vampire while he lifts up his longsword from the sheath, then he swings that while he sings. A flame waves towards Kol, while he twirls the weapon, hands shifting and he's adjusting his gloves. "You," he offers. He makes his way to him, there's more in his eyes than one might normally see in a cleric. He is looking to kill the vampire as well.

Mikilos has something of a reputation. It's not entirely honest, but neither is the wholey unearned. Something about guano and a pinch of sulfur. On the other hand, it's REALLY good at getting attention. Murmuring softly, the elf gestures, a tiny spark racing from his hand, only to explode in a MASSIVE BALL OF FIRE over the heads of the street.

"Hello Kol." Raising his voice, the mage shouts. "Will everyone not a vampire or vampire hunter please run away RIGHT NOW? Thank you!"

GAME: Mikilos casts Fireball. Caster Level: 12 DC: 21
GAME: Erendriel rolls will + 2: (13)+5+2: 20

Haggerty carefully strolls to stay out of the lightning fast monster's way and get close to the half elf woman. To help. Actually, this gets him a little closer to the dangerous monstrosity. The little pooch grunts a not-bark and follows on tiny paws. A few words in Eldritch and a hasty touch to the near unknown girl, and she gets to shine with a white glow after a very pure hum announces the onset of the magic screen's manifestation delivered through a decorated metal stick of sorts. So far so good.

People... start running. In every direction. Some of them run right for Kol and Erendriel, offering them momentary cover as the general populace tries to escape from Mikilos' fireball. They get in Merek's way a bit, but Haggarty is coming in behind so he's offered some cover himself from the populace by Kol's tall form. People part around the vampire like fish around a shark without ever realizing that this is why they evade him. He grins at Erendriel. "Where you are going my friend."

The vampire wraps his arms around her and whispers something in her ear before he pulls away. His green eyes blazing as he takes in the rest of you adventurers. Landing finally on Mikilos. "Hello friend. It seems that you want to play yes?" A low gravely machine-like noise rises from the back of his throat and he spreads his arms out. "Come, let me give you the most exquisite pain!"

GAME: Merek casts Create Water. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13

Merek keeps walking to the vampire, then he lifts up his sword while he calls to Eluna, "By the Moon, I call in the tide of water!" he then swings his black silver sword which creates a wave of water about Kol, in waves all about him. "Back me up!" he tells Mikilos.

Erendriel comes up very close, and is hugged by the vampire. She looks up at him, tracing her hand along his chest, and nods before murmuring an odd, arcane word awkwardly.

With that odd word, Erendriel vanishes without a trace, gone... somewhere.

Mikilos tsks mildly as Kol's chosen victim falls prey to the vampires charms. As if she hasn't been having a bad enough week already. Murmuring quietly, he starts a spell, only to hesitate as Erendriel disappears. A quick sigh, and he starts again with a different spell, gesturing towards the gutters, which starts to quiver and boil. He also pulls from his pockets a couple sharpened branches. Crude wooden stakes.

Well, 'crude' by some standards. They're a carefully chosen aspen of good gripping diameter, long enough to be effective while still short enough to be easily managed, the tips honed to a needle point. I mean, they may have been a quick afternoon of effort, but he's a -craftsman.-

GAME: Mikilos casts Summon Monster IV. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22

Haggerty gets more agitated when the situation becomes more erratic to which the little pal quietly snort-yowls. The wizard reaches for where he put the rare earth of the sparkly kind and gestures somewhat wildly, the mark of a lower circle initiate until the sparkliness races from his now free hand to pop into a shower of blinding, sticky lights after a few words in Eldritch.

Iskandar comes running by Mikilos, slowing to a stop next to him. "Stakes?" he rumbles. He quickly outs two and two together. "Do you have a spare?"

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (7)+23: 30

The glittering dust seems to have little effect beyond blinding all the people nearby Haggarty. They stagger around trying to find 'away' but end up bumping into Haggerty and Merek rather than fleeing the site as they were warned by Mikilos to do. He is however doused by the summoned water, an act which causes his smile to slip slightly from his face. He looks... rather like a wet cat like this, his fine clothing clinging to his body. He shakes his head and blaming the wrong person for the spell he flashes past Merek and slams himself bodily into Mikilos. "Friend, you have /ruined/ my outfit."

Iskandar is still holding out his hand in the hopes Mikilos will let him borrow a stake. His empty hand bounces urgently in place once the vampire rushes Mikilos' way, with the frustration of knowing he's too late. Even with his honed reflexes Iskandar can barely follow the villain's movement and it's all he can do to move forward and swing a wide punch.

Mikilos's eyes widen as the vampire just charges into him, but accepts it, a couple stakes scattering, trying to wrap his arms around the wiggly vampire and hold it. "Oh? Then you're going to REALLY hate this..."

Water boils up from the gutters in a man sized wave, far cleaner than the majority of the water actually from the gutter would be, but it's far cry from pristine... just be glad they aren't in the sewers... the wave rolls foreward, trying to engulf the struggling pair, and immerse the undead in flowing water.

Haggerty mostly looks for the half elf, but does not see her. The action turns more confusing and there is a sort of flying or vaulting fanged beast on the loose. The northman growls as he gets pushed here and there by shiny unhappy blind civilians which causes the uncanny black pawswalker to hurriedly motion to stay close. The young mage sighs and tries to get to a spot where he can cast or take other action.

Iskandar's attack goes wide as the vampire comes in and the vampire could easily have broken free of Mikilos' grasp but instead sinks into it, his fangs protrude from his mouth and strike out at the mage even as the deluge of nasty water slams into them. It's hard to tell if the water harms the vampire, but it's suspected that it doesn't. It does effectively douse the both of them in sewer water however. The smell is best left unmentioned.

GAME: Merek casts Burning Hands. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15

Merek lifts up a hand while he calls electric lightning to his fingers, then he begins to send it all into Kol, which wraps all about him.

Mikilos for his part tries to keep Kol out of his face, while still keeping him distracted, all without getting too distracted himself. It's not working very well. With a sigh... well, it's bit more of a strangled gurgle... he grabs the clasp around his neck, and shoves it in the vampires face. "Back off, bloodsucker!" A tilted hourglass, sign of Navos, the magi's patron God.

And then everything's sparking and tastes like batteries.

Kol's body jerks against Mikilos, clutching the mage closely as the electricity sweeps through both of them. The vampire makes a small noise that isn't exactly pain in Mikilos' ear, then the mage is shoving his holy symbol at Kol. Instantly the vampire releases Mikilos. His face contorts into something... else. It's terrible to look at suddenly and just for an instant. Then it fades, and he snaps his too-long teeth at Mikilos.

Haggerty kneels cautiously yet basically counts in his mindful all black friend's huge eyes to watch out as he kindles a rune decorated candle and whispers at the thing. The fetish is the mental lense which sees a blue legless corgi coalesce next to advanced mage and leeching brute. Boing!

Mikilos doesn't get much breathing room when the vampire backs off from the holy symbol, but he doesn't need much. He was ready for it, a rapidly spits a quick spell. So much preparation, so little actual payoff... unless this actually works, in which case the payoff is awesome…

The vampire seems to regain himself as the mage casts his spell, preparing quickly to attack, but instead he cocks his head to the side. "/Now/?" His voice is a warm growl, the slowly growing smile on his face going askew. His green eyes bore into Mikilos. "Show that passion of yours to your friends yes? I must go." With that, he takes a step and disappears.

GAME: Mikilos rolls will: (10)+10: 20

Mikilos wobbles, off balance, drained, and then with a voice inside his head. A really loud voice. One that drowns out all the regular voices that say things like 'this is a bad idea', 'Consider the consequences', 'You don't really want to hurt anyone'. The mage murmurs sleepily, and gestures to the people who were all lined up to attack the vampire. A thin steam of electricity arcs from each of the mages hands to the far sides of the line. It tickles a little. And then, with the end points established, the world explodes with lightning.

GAME: Mikilos casts Lightning Arc. Caster Level: 12 DC: 23

Merek looks to the vampire, and seems about to reach for him, then he looks to Mikilos, lifting his brow a bit. He has to do something, he takes ahold of the vampire and goes with him also.

Haggerty knows not the bubbly words so the freckled man concentrates, okay ponders feverishly, to let the blue, legless entity bounce and flop into the giant elf's hands when the much more skilled colleague lines up the magics of great and utter toastiness. The next action is to scream a warning of "Ruuuun!". Should there by any chance, the paler redhead will dive for cover as he yells.

The vampire is gone, and thankfully... most of the people who were blinded by Haggerty's spell have fled by now. Those that do remain are lucky and narrowly evade the line of lightning by running when Haggerty screams. Thus Mikilos' amazing spell manages to kill nobody. Meanwhile Merek has traveled with the vampire and is nowhere in sight. The rest of the civilians flee, finally broken out of their blinded stupor and more than happy to get out of the havoc caused by Mikilos. The question then is...

Is Mikilos really /friends/ with any of these people?

Haggerty has a 'fro now. He stumbles to his feet. The cute little watery pal poofed, or...? The very poofy black miniature bulldog snorts indignantly, and casts big eyes of sadness at the Stormgardian whose nice clothes are now soaked. Hagg carefully crawls to his feet to inspect what is going on now.

Haggerty quickly wonders, "Where's the little half-sil?"

Mikilos blinks slowly, the afterimage still burned into his eyes, and turns slowly, frowning mildly. "...maybe up at the house..." Wobbling a little, the elf starts north towards the mountain road, not even cleaning himself up.

GAME: Haggerty rolls Sense Motive: (18)+1: 19

Haggerty hurriedly glances here and there, quite hectic to seek help. There are a high ranking wizard and an unknown invisible person about town, both not in control of themselves! Pug pick up and it is away for the young spellcaster who has to alert authorities and also let others, particularly those of Merek's faith, know the man vanished with the vampire.

Merek has appeared with the vampire, and looks to it a moment. He then seems to consider, while he holds up his amulet of faith, then nods to Kol a bit as well. "Listen, you. If you want to eat me, go ahead and do all that, but you have a lot better things to do than to bother with me, and a lot easier meals that probably taste better." He waits to see what he will do. He does seem to think. If this is also where he's making his stand, he will likely be in a position to do a lot more, in a way. Still, no use not doing what he can as well.

The vampire is momentarily repelled by the holy item, but that fades quickly; leaving him grinning at Merek. "Oh no, nothing better than you my friend. You smell /divine/, and I am /so/ hungry." He stalks closer and closer to Merek, leaving the man with his back against the wall and the effect of his holy item quickly fading. Kol's green eyes spark and glow. "Besides, you will enjoy this."

-End