DEVIL MAY CRY
Session 14
The devil stands fiercely 7 ft tall, swinging a menacing glave through the crowds of running civilians, cutting them down. Valeria gets on roof of a shop, laying low she draws a dagger from her boot as she sees the demon carelessly spilling the blood of everyone. In one swift movement, Barnie pulls all his limbs close to his body and rolls through the crowd like a keg of ale. Once safely down the alley, he pulls out his pipe ready to summon his rats. Tauriel witnesses the Devil attack an old lady in front of her bookstore, she is horrified as the devils’ beard comes alive and strikes the old lady dead. In retaliation, she casts moonbeam onto him. A 40ft cylinder of lethal beaming light smashes down onto the monster. The books obliterate before her into fine ash, while the devil screams as the light bubbles and burns through his flesh.
Elmire immediately crouches to cover and fires an arrow at the devil. The arrow hits him, but to her surprise doesn’t seem to wound him. He is marked. Confused, as she sees the arrow still sticking out of him, she takes another shot but misses, piercing the corpse of the old lady.
"the devils’ beard comes alive and strikes the old lady dead."
Valeria; seeing the attack of old bookkeeper, hurls a throwing star from the roof at the devils face, accurately slicing of a tentacle from his beard. The devil reacts as ash and smoke pour out in front of him, the tentacle wriggling on the floor. As the devil screeches, a sound of small wings and cries are heard in the distance, approaching the market. Small imps fly overhead, their small wings beating, snarling with sharp teeth. One targets Elmire and launches its spiked tail down in an attack. Caught off guard, the barb stabs her and unleashes its poison into her. A second imp stays high above the scene, scouting.
They respond with violence to any slight, real or imagined, gorging themselves on violence as their infernal saw-toothed glaives carve a path through their foes.
Barnie pokes his head out from his tucked shape and sees the new threats. Exploding onto his stomach, his arms casting out in both directions, he casts blindness at them both. Instantly the imp near Elmire begins to erratically swipe around, now blind. The devil catches a glimpse of Barnie as he tries to roll back to hide, enough to cast an attack towards him. The devil breaks out of moonbeam and begins running towards Elmire, smacking the blind imp out of his way. His evil presence smashes down towards her, beard reaching out in an attack. Elmire resists the effects of the poison as a tentacle lash around her arm. Saliva sprays from his rotting mouth as he hisses to her in infernal ‘come to hell with me.’
"Saliva sprays from his rotting mouth as he hisses to her in infernal ‘come to hell with me.’"
Reya; with her long sword drawn, charges him with noble rage. Her history and hatred for creatures from hell obvious when she screams ‘il send you back!’. Her attacks are mildly effective against the devils’ power. Tauriel remains hidden and moves the devastating moonbeam, ripping through the street like a tornado.
Valeria's dagger
Valeria's dagger
Elmire looking down at her tentacle bruised arm she lifts her hand to heal herself and as she glances up at her companions, she raises her healing hand and shares her magic. Valeria slinks through the broken stalls and produce and finds the tentacle she sliced off the Devils face and squeezes its poison on her dark dagger. She watches as the black ink like poison seeps into the grooves of the dagger, like it was made for this exact purpose. As moonbeam moves across the street the blind imp struggling to fly in one direction is disintegrated as the light passes through him. Barnie still curled up on the ground, plays his flute and summons the swarm of rats. They begin swarming around the devils’ feet. The mass of rabid rats stink of sewage as they continue to pour around him. The remaining imps locate the rolled up dwarf from the sound of his flute and begin to attack, poisoning him with each small but lethal swipe.
Moonbeam engulfs the devil, dealing damage. But his fixation returns to Elmire and Reya. Each blow from his lashing beard misses with Elmires’ agile movements. Reya falls through the moonbeam and bursts out the other side smoldering. Franticly she pats herself down, surviving the beam of fatal light.
Tauriel laughs at the damage moonbeam causes Reya and simultaneously drops her magic. She reconcentrates as she casts enlarge on Barnie. Barnie notices the imps getting smaller and at first believes they have been shrunk. But Barnie continues to grow, until a 8ft dwarf stands before them. Maybe the biggest dwarf in the world. His new height causes him to shout at the noticeably smaller than himself devil ‘ you can call me big sexy’. While the devil is distracted watching the large dwarf, Elmire takes advantage swinging both her swords at his beard.
Imps are found throughout the Lower Planes, either running errands for their infernal masters, spying on rivals, or
misleading and waylaying mortals. An imp will proudly serve an evil master of any kind, but it can’t be relied on to
carry out tasks with any speed or efficiency.
An imp can assume animal form at will, but in its natural state it resembles a diminutive red-skinned humanoid with a
barbed tail, small horns, and leathery wings. It strikes while invisible, attacking with its poison stinger.
Imps are found throughout the Lower Planes, either running errands for their infernal masters, spying on rivals, or misleading and waylaying mortals. An imp will proudly serve an evil master of any kind, but it can’t be relied on to carry out tasks with any speed or efficiency.
Barnie and Tauriel both see an arrow whirl from down an alley, red light night flying out of the darkness and strike Reya on the back, piercing through her armor. She wails in pain.
Valeria runs behind Barnie, and in the next two steps she places a potion bottle in Barnies hand, calls to him to drink it & takes down an imp with her dagger. Barnie shrugs and drinks the tiny red potion, the liquid runs warm and burns like whisky. An intensity builds and lingers in Barnies chest and lungs. Filling him with fire. Thinking he is about to throw-up, he turns to face bearded devil. As he begins to heave, he is shocked as fire comes out of his mouth. The force of flames burst through the devils’ chest, tearing him open, killing him instantly. His body billowing smoke and ash, to nothing.
The last imp disappears when seeing the devil killed and Valeria can hear faint flapping as the now invisible creature retreats.
Barnie takes advantage of his magical size and tries to help Reya. He grabs her other shoulder and pushes the arrow out the other side of her armor. This movement with the arrow burns his hand, as red lightning runs up his arm. The lightning scars his arm as he throws it away on the ground, still crackling.
While the magic cast on Barnie remains intact he seizes the opportunity and grabs the chest Lorcan has been loyally protecting. Lorcan growls as the big dwarf snatches up the chest and rests in on his shoulder.
"flames burst through the devils’ chest, tearing him open"
Valeria ducks under Reyas’ shoulder to help stable her as the group try and hide. The Flaming fists begin flooding the scene, scattered around helping people and killing rats. One guard finds the body of the imp and stabs it until is falls to ash. Barnie moves deeper into the dark alley mazes and investigates where the arrow came from, but no luck. The group decide to disperse back to their base as the streets fill back up with more people.
The group successfully sneak away from the night market, leaving a scene of shattered shops, festering rats, lifeless bodies and the ashy remains of evil. On the way past a once bustling square Valeria notices the guy she punched nursing his swelling cheek. Lorcan; who has returned to his weasel self, receives looks of admiration from some patrons as they pass. Barnie gives the chest to Tauriel and Valeria as he lingers back to check on Elmire.
Scalm Shilvin, a neutral male deep gnome, is Eastway Expeditions slick, tail-coat-wearing proprietor.
Scalm Shilvin, a neutral male deep gnome, is Eastway Expeditions slick, tail-coat-wearing proprietor.
Thirst and pain strike them as they pass a small bar, their bodies tired and heads thumping they decide to take a moment and numb some pain. Reya, Valeria and Tauriel take a seat and order a round of ale. Valeria kicks up her boots on the chest & Reya pours some of her drink on her wound, looking back for the others.
Barnie and Elmire whisper between themselves and instead of joining the others at the bar they loiter around the side of a familiar building. Barnie helps Elmire disguise herself into an ordinary commoner. When Elmire is ready Barnie swings his head around the corner and casts an illusion in the street. A terrified young woman appears, screaming ‘ Stop! Stop! Can anyone help?! on a loop. The loud screaming alerts the guards in front of the shop.
From across the street Valeria and Tauriel give each other a look as they each take a swig of the sour ale.
Elmire walks into the shop. The guards buy her presence but Scaam doesn’t as Elmires performance wasn’t convincing. The front
guard leaves his post to search for the woman screaming. Barnie, indiscreetly hidden against a wall with his hood down watches
his plan unfold. His plan to disobey General Zodge & not pay back Scaam.
Elmire runs up to the counter and gets the attention of the inner guard, rambling and pretends to trip smashing her oil bottle
beside the counter. Barnie moves the illusion of the screaming woman deeper down the alley to lure the guards.
Tauriel concentrates for a moment as she tries to predict an omen. She asks if the oil gets set on fire what happens to us
all’ and her visions result in both good and bad results could have effect.
Elmire asks the guard if he can hear this woman in danger and runs out in the hope he will follow her and aid. In the darkness
of the alley, the illusion of the woman fades and attempting to save the plan Elmire faints in the arms of the guard. Lorcan
quickly slips past the guard and bounds out of the alley. Barnie manipulates his energy as he casts another illusion of a
disheveled lower class human man presenting blood covered hands. The guards are actively confused with the drama unfolding.
Lorcan hops up to Barnie and begins nipping his boot. Barnie, magically speaking with animals impatiently grunts, ‘what is it
you little shit? Lorcan grabs his pant cuff and pulls him towards they alley and Elmire. Barnie shoots a flame into the sky as
directed by Lorcan and all the guards, including civilians within the block are alerted to the surge of flame seen over their
rooftops. Elmire caught up in the adrenaline of the attempted robbery and arson grabs the guard and kisses him, while the magic
keeping her disguised disarms. A puzzled guard now staring at the beautiful wood elf. Quickly Elmire props up, dusts herself
off and runs out of the alley. Her eyes meet with Lorcan and Barnie and the three exhale with disappointment as they join
the others on the walk home.
"Elmire caught up in the adrenaline of the attempted robbery and arson grabs the guard and kisses him"
Home
As soon as Valeria enters the main room she kicks down a keg and makes a bath, eager to clean her gear. Tauriel and Elmire
also clean and takes stock of any damaged gear from the battle. Barnie cannonballs into a quickly fashioned bath keg and
erratically scrubs himself clean. Reya slowly takes off her armor, wincing at both the damage of her chest plate and the
pain in her shoulder.
Finally the group all take a seat at the long table. Barnie isn’t sure if he is just over tired but notices mugs floating
over towards the counter, each mug hovers under a tap a few seconds and then joins four more in a tray and floats over the
center of the table. The group is stunned. Valeria flips a coin onto the tray and the mugs gentle land on the table in front
of each member. The tray returns to the bar and the group watches as the coin is deposited behind the bar.
Barnie throws his soap bar at the kids to wake them. Without even waiting for a question, they all say, rubbing tired little eyes ‘ it’s just Liff.’ Exhausted, the elves and Reya retire to their rooms and Barnie stays up a little while longer, creativity firing in his mind about the establishment he could host.
To be continued..