Option Number 1 (Part 2)

The hyena jumps forward, but its fangs miss the man's leg entirely. Instead the man looks down at the canine as though it has done something rather interesting. As to the rest...

GAME: Mal'Thael rolls melee: (20)+5: 25 (THREAT)

The sheild goes out, and slams dead into the center of the chest of the tall thin man who steps into the attack rather than allow it to hit Stena. He makes a soft sound as it hits him; not exactly pained, but a sound nonetheless. His bright green eyes look at Mal'Thael. "Why would you attack her? Give /me/ your pain, yes?"

GAME: Mal'Thael rolls melee+2: (12)+5+2: 19
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4+2: (8)+4+2: 14
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d8+2: (7)+2: 9

Despite his companions refusing to attack at first, Mal'thael presses with his own attack, burning through the man with his flame sword, and his Hyena biting at his legs. The latter is quite ineffective though....

Stena is heading north, of course. Wandering that way. Is something going on? Apparently not so far as Stena is concerned.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+17: (15)+17: 32

The man seems unswayed by the attack, his expression warm and smiling even as he wraps his arms around Mal'Thael. "Come now, come now..." His voice lowers into a whisper. "Is this what you really want?" Those long arms feel like vices around the other man's body.

GAME: Darius rolls weapon1-4: (5)+0+-4: 1

Darius seeing this is going downhill fast decides to leave the whatever the heck the thing is that's crushing Mal'Thael and runs and attempts to tackle Stena out of the way. The problem is he's clumsy and so ends up tripping and goes faceplant beside her.

GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4+2: (20)+4+2: 26
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4+2: (16)+4+2: 22
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 2d8+6: (13)+6: 19
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4: (12)+4: 16
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls melee+2: (2)+5+2: 9

The guy wraps his arms around Mal'thael and the Oruch doesn't seem phased, even at the whisper. "YOU TRIED TO SPIRIT ONE OF MY COMPANIONS AWAY, AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT! I AM MAL'THAEL OF THE EARTH WARDERS! AND I DON'T FIGHT ALONE!" It's only then thae the Hyena finds a REALLY good hold on the man's leg and tries to drag him away from Mal'thael, but it's not strong enough.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+17: (4)+17: 21
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (2): 2

Blithely unaware that anything is wrong, Stena continues to wander northwards! No problems here, no sir.

The man's crushing grip seems as though it will never cease, and he laughs a weird grating laugh in Mal'Thael's ear. "Such passion..." And then without another word he sinks his teeth into the oruch's neck. Blood pours free into the man's mouth, sucking the very life out with it. The man - clearly vampire - makes a pleased noise and then suddenly releases the hold allowing some blood to spill out. "Good, but not as good as /she/."

GAME: Darius rolls weapon5+2: (6)+12+2: 20
GAME: Darius rolls damage5+2: aliased to 2D6+10+2: (4)+10+2: 16
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4+2: (12)+4+2: 18
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d8+3: (7)+3: 10
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4: (20)+4: 24
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls melee+4: (16)+5+4: 25
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d8+2: (8)+2: 10

Darius seeing that Stena is safe for the moment, turns, charges and slashes at the vampire and says, "Let him go!"

The Hyena manages to get a firm hold on the Vampire's leg and drags him down to the ground, thanks to help from Darius. Once the Vampire is face down on the ground, Mal'Thael stabs the flame sword right into the vampire's back. "WHISPER SWEETLY AT THIS, BLOODSUCKER!"

...aaaand Stena is, you know... still... walking northwards. "I think I left the tea on. Oh well," she muses.

Still heading north, in a trance. Almost trnace.

GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4+2: (6)+4+2: 12
GAME: Darius rolls weapon5: (11)+12: 23
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls melee: (14)+5: 19
GAME: Darius rolls damage5: aliased to 2D6+10: (6)+10: 16
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+17: (20)+17: 37
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (2): 2

Like a puppet drawn up on strings the vampire rises from the ground. You watch as you realize that his shirt is torn to shreds by your attacks, but that his skin is almost perfect. The wounds are healing with little hisses of steam rising off of him. He uses Darius's own thrust to draw the other man close. Close enough that they're breathing the same air when the vampire bites down and drinks his blood. Again he lets it spill, sighing happily to himself. "Still not as good, but closer; sweeter. My passionate friends."

GAME: Darius rolls CMB: (13)+10: 23

Darius is bitten and ughs and uselessly attempts to break free, "Get off me, you filthy undead creature of the night!"

GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4+2: (19)+4+2: 25
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d8+3: (5)+3: 8
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls 1d20+4: (2)+4: 6
GAME: Mal'Thael rolls cmb: (4)+5: 9

The Hyena keeps biting at the vampire as Mal'thael tries to get the bloodsucker off of Darius. "Once you're free...run, Darius."

Stena's /still/ movin' north. And possibly east. Moving on up to the east side. Either way, she's a wanderer! A rambler! Whatever you think.

A tower appears like a mirage before Stena, the door opening without a sound. It's not a terribly tall tower, a mere two stories tall and pure white. The chill that surrounds it fills the air with a distinct bite. The opening is directly north, and Stena steps into it thoughtlessly.

At the same time the vampire goes rigid and smiles. "My mistress calls." He takes a step back from all of you, releasing Darius and becoming a vapor.

Darius tries to slash the vapor to no avail and then says, "Damnit! I REALLY HATE VAMPIRES!!!!!" He then snarls, "I'm going to ******* kill that ******** bloodsucking son of a llama's *** *****, stake him out for the ******** ******* sun and then when he's ash I'm going to..." Darius trails off then into more obscenities as he yells at the vampire tower. His eyes are red and he turns to Mal'Thael, "We get a cleric or paladin, and then we EXTERMINATE HIM!!!!"

Mal'thael looks to strike again until the vampire turns to vapor and disappears. "Shit." And his sword disappears from his hand. he then looks at Darius. "No. WE will be heading back to report this to the guild....and WE are going to go recover while the extermination squad comes here to rescue Stena. Unless you have a different memory of how effective we were against it....."

Darius growls and touches the fang marks on his neck and then ROARS, "<SEXUAL EXPLETIVE>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He then turns and says, "Fine... let's go, before I change my mind and chase after that lich!"

"You chase after it and I will begin your epitaph upon returning to the forest." Mal'thael says softly. "Come on Trakker. you did better than us today."

-End-