Lan noticed the motion and wheeled in its direction, his shaky hand still wrapped around the hilt of his dagger.  He reached with his free hand and found Ayleth's shoulder, using it to keep up with the group as he scanned the area.  As a half-elf, his vision was not as good an a full elf's, but still better than a human's.  He squinted to see through the smoke and the haze of the poison's effects.  He would have said something, but he figured it better that the group keep moving to escape the malady behind them, especially if it meant finding those still unaccounted for.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:19, Sat 06 June 2015.

Eve coughed a couple times, clinging tightly to Tora's fur. She forced herself to hold her stomach, attempting not to vomit down the back of her companion. She pulled for her scarf and wrapped it around her nose and mouth. She felt another series of rough coughs escape her.

The group managed to get down the stars as the heat lapped at their backs, but any who caught a glimpse of the fire would have a hard time seeing the grand hallway they backtracked to. It was darker than ever, if not for the contrast in lighting, then from the time of night. No longer did the lightning crash and illuminate the room, the grayed reflecting clouds passed giving way to the void dark skies.

The door that Kerath, Lan'elli, and co walked in was now closed, a dimly glowing sigel roughly etched into it. Sankt might have known what it was, had he regained consciousness, but he had already been laid gently onto the floor along with the slumbering bats.

Suddenly a creaking can be heard in a passage behind the stairs; it was too dark to see what lurked there, but there was a brief glint, like the edge of a knife.

Tora let out a guttural growl at the noise and extends the claws of her free hand. She then crouches and says a quick mystical word, resulting in her claws catching on fire. She gets ready to drop Eve if combat ensues.

Feline eyes glinted from the fiery-clawed hand of Tora's, though the sense of danger permeated more out of a defensive nature than any malicious intent. The thought of keeping up the charade for a prank at her friends' expense was overruled by what little she could see from her vantage point. Eve over Tora's shoulder, other's lying down. A part of her was thankful for the special qualities the scarf that covered her airways had. Slowly, she rose from her poised crouch, dagger glinting into nothingness as the muted sound of metal on hardened leather could be heard, if faintly.

Tightening her grip on Feliph's hand in what she hoped was affectionate encouragement, Tath emerged from the shadows, pulling back her hood as she stared at Tora, brow quirked. "I take it you've had some fun, too?" Her tone was light, airy. Joking, even, but anyone who knew Tath relatively well could sense the same underlying desperation and anxiousness - Playing it down merely helped her cope. . .If at the cost of some tactless asides.

Lan watched the exchanged with a cynical grin, privately appreciating the catfolk's light-heartedness despite the very bad day the rest of the group had apparently experienced.  He knelt near Sankt, making certain whether the angel-man himself had been affected by the poison, or if he was just exhausted from his magic.  Continuing to watch the others, Lan began to realize they'd have to leave very soon if they wanted to get some rest.

"It's been interesting. Bats, spiders, vampires, mystery voices and poison gas." She pauses and looks up the stairs. "Oh, and a fire too." She looks back and say "You seem to have been taking it easy if your roommate can still stand." Her hand drops but the flames continue to burn on her claws.

Kerath ears move slightly when he hears familiar voices of his comrades. He rise up helping with one of his spears. Kerath was still dizzy from the poison and her head hurt a little. When he realizes that they are all together... he says, his voice was almost a roar:

"We need fresh air to purify our lungs."

Kerath feel calmer to see that everybody was OK and together...

Eve coughed with a weak smile, "fire was my fault." She coughed a second time holding in the aching feeling. Her head was throbbing but she was beginning to clear her mind and think back on each of the odd events. "Let's go." She patted Tora's back, "I've had my fill of facing death for the night. To fresher air, please."

Feliph followed close behind Tath, worriedly assessing the apparent health of the others, especially the figure that was laid out. She didn't recognize him, maybe he was another castle native or something? In any case, Tora and Kerath had helpfully laid out the top priority, so she skipped a greeting and said in a serious tone "We don't need to go rushing out yet, I'll take care of the air. What happened to him?" She nodded toward Sankt, but didn't wait for an answer before waving her hands and uttering a few magic words in an echo of the air-purifying spell she'd cast earlier.

The poison hadn't noticeably reached the lower floors at that point, but the spell managed to take away the smell of smoke in the air, letting the living in the group breath a lot easier. Zigor just shrugged, "I guess the lad isn't as used to the real word as you are. Bloody priest types; always the first to fall on the battlefield, never with a spell worth a lick in a fight... Not that there was much of a battle to be had, surely I'm as cursed as the rest of you lot, bored out of my mind while excitement is abound in every other room."

The knight complained, stepping towards the door to check on the rain and the state of the roads. "Oh, and look at this, another cute little spell to keep the wind out, eh?" The knight stabbed his sword into the runes on the door and it, along with the arm touching it went flying across the room, narrowly missing Lan'elli's head as it disappeared into the next room. "Agh! Industria!" The spirit slid back into a defensive position, shakily looking around for an attack.

"Oh, so NOW you leave? After ruining my work, slaughtering my flock, and ignoring every offer of mercy... You should have listened to the human, poltergeist." A voice filled the room, echoing from every angle, yet none; it would have been a voice familiar to those in the room that had dealt directly with the spiders. "Please forgive me, but no, I cannot let you go, not yet, and not all of you." A figure entered the room from the kitchen, his long robes seemingly floating across the floor; his presence seemed dark and fleeting, like a shadow.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:23, Thu 11 June 2015.

Eve tapped Tora as to tell her to put her down. The sickening feeling was wearing off until the voice had come back to them. Had she heard a voice in the passage before she got sick or was she imagining things. She figured at least standing on her own two feet she stood a better chance at helping than being dead weight.

Tora gave the man an irritated look. "Let?" She then lets Eve down and places her close enough to the wall that she could support herself if needed. "So just who is it that makes demands of us?" She crouches and looks like she's ready to pounce.

He steps forward, closer to the group and the light of the flames.

"I am Arach, just a simple monk sworn to protect the travelers of this region. I mean no harm... I merely do not want any of you feeding the beast that lurks these woods. If you leave into the dark and treacherous weald she will hunt you down one by one. Nothing but husks will remain by day's break. Hunt her first, behead her. I would myself yet I am forbidden to kill. Only then will these lands be safe!" He sneers, a crazed wrath fills his eyes.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Thu 11 June 2015.

Tora chuckles. "No, your order never does the dirty work themselves. They just encourage others to commit atrocities against those you deem too inhuman. You seem to think that the blood isn't on your hand if you don't directly do the deeds."

She snarls and sniffs the air. "I'd be tempted to give you up to her as an offering but that doesn't seem likely. You have no scent, so what trickery are you up to? Are you actually here or is this just some illusion?" She glances around to see if there is anything she'd missed.

"Let the monk speak for himself.  His eyes are not those of a liar.  Besides, I think I'd sooner be rid of a blood-thirsty beast than a monk."  The half-elf's words were measured, as if he were trying to soothe a wild mare.  Lan removed his gaze from the were-tiger and took a step toward the monk, outstretching a hand in a gesture akin to a call to parley, "Tell us more, monk -uh... Arach, right?  What do you know of this beast, and how can we hunt it down?"

Kerath Taliss was watching the new man who spoke them. He said he was a monk, but ...he always thought that monks were pacifists beings confined to their ideals and cults. Arach, The Monk, did not inspire much confidence. Kerath was certain that the rest of the group felt the same.

Kerath, with his swords, ready to be brandished, came to Tora and whispered something in his ear.

"Turns out, she's just as useful as she is cute." She'd replied in kind to Eve and Tora's musings, winking, though she let the matter still as the newcomer arrived.

Tath was never one to follow the sword, first. She'd always thought violence was a last resort, to be used when every other Ace up the sleeve had been emptied. Still, such philosophy didn't keep her from looping her thumb in her belt, hand mere inches from her blade as she gave the rest of her party members a lingering glance, before slowly stepping forward. Her lips quirked downward into a sneer of disdain, obscured by her scarf though they were.

"You seem to have an interesting view of the situation, friend - Say, I've an interesting notion." She folds her arm, one hand rising to tap at her chin idly. "Unless you've coin to put in my hand within the next ten seconds, I'm afraid we've no obligation to listen to you. And mind you, it's a steep price we'd be asking. Though, since I can't smell you. . .I can't help but think you're nice and safe somewhere else, sitting on your laurels." She chortles out a catty chuckle.

"In which case, we've no obligation, either way. You want a beast killed, kill it yerself...oh, but wait." She snaps her fingers, gasping as her expression turns derisive. "No killing. Hrm...That is an issue, and let's see here. . .An issue, coupled with intruding on a group's private affairs, not to mention the lack of any offer whatsoever to help keep us safe or tend to our wounded." She swept her hands outward in an indicative gesture. "I think you misunderstand this entire situation completely. You better have some serious incentive to compel us towards doin' yer bidding here, else..."

A rather dangerous gleam appears in her eyes. "We might have a problem with a simple, nosy little monk like yourself. Might even have to pause our journey to seek ya out to show ya just how much of a problem yer makin' this." She shrugs, before relaxing. "Ya got two choices, a third if yer feelin' cooperative. Pay us, and my friends here can decide the price, leave us to our devices and make it a habit to stay out of our business. . .Or find a way to defend us from this oh-so-very-scary monster as we stroll away on our merry journey."

Lan'elli's shoulders slumped.  Somehow he feared someone would have reacted in the way Tath had.  Lan'elli, having never dabbled in the assassin's trade, found no use for intimidation.  He found it brash and useless when a window escape was a perfectly good alternative.  Besides, thief or not, Lan couldn't help but get the feeling this man ought to be heard out.  With an exasperated sigh, the half-elf removed his hands from his weapons and stood upright.  He walked past Tath and cast her a baleful glance before standing between her and the monk, "We'll hear you out, monk.  We're in no shortage of funds," he said, again glancing at Tath, speaking of the coin he'd 'found' in Grhinat before.  He faced the monk, holding out his palm.  "Tell us about the beast and then we'll decide which is a greater threat to us."  He cast a final glance at the rest of the group, praying to whatever god may be listening that the rest of the group had enough sense to at least let the monk talk.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:02, Sat 13 June 2015.

The monk glared at the female feline pair in turn as they made their remarks, but then smiled peacefully as he turned to Lan'elli. "I'm afraid that your... -pet- *ahem* allies- are right." He bowed apologetically and touched the Elvin man's hand, only for it to pass through without feeling. "The creature here knows my scent, and it would hunt me down relentlessly if it caught it in the air. For that is its foul nature, a predator that sees anything with red in its body as nothing more than food."

"It knows no mercy, no reason, and to put it down would be the best for not only you, but for the wrenched and warped creature herself. I will do what I can to help you form here; as we speak my spiders are etching runes like the one on the door, if you can push the vampire into them they should do some damage. Just know that the monster is powerful, fast, and extremely resilient, but it can be harmed or turned away with certain materials; silver, fire, sunlight, and holy spells work the best, but certain woods and herbs can also protect you. I shall make sure that you all get what you deserve too soon enough; the order compensates our friends generously for their merits..." He smiled joyously at the group.

"That voice; healer, is that you?!" A rage filled voice came from the stairway above. "Where are you hiding, miserable cur?" The countess looked down at the group, her eyes as red as the flames, baring fangs as sharp as spears in a contorted grimace."There you are... No... you've just sent some thugs, haven't you?" She seemed much more aware than when she had met Tora and Eve, having just been asleep in the room when Sankt cast his cure.

She started to decent the stairs, her claws tearing through the handrail like it was sand in a playpen. Slowly, she punctuated each step with a word. "What. Have. You. Done. TO. MY. FRIENDS?!" He eyes were focused on the unconscious bats as she shakily made her way towards the group. She seemed very angry and just as hungry.

Understanding hit the half-elf like a ton of bricks.  Wheeling to face the Countess, Lan'elli wasted no time in nocking an arrow and training it on the space between the woman's eyes.  Keeping the arrow perfectly still, the half-elf glanced sidelong at his allies.

Eve groaned at the sight of the countess. "Her?" She nodded in understanding, leaning heavily on the wall. She had been threatened enough by this woman before and nothing good had come of it. She could still see the burning blanket that had started the fire in the room they had long since left.

Lan kept his arrow trained on the Countess and stepped to the side, carefully cradling Zigor's lost arm on his foot and kicking it, which still held the blade Industria fast in its grip, towards the knight with a nearly-amused grin.  "Take up your blade, knight.  It would seem your boredom has lapsed!"