Shadowhaunt: The Black Crusade (Part III)

[Shadow Chorus]

The ragged woman's face tilted sideways, almost in curiosity. Her shrieking sound once again begat her speech, the noise as penetrating and painful as ever.

"Usurpers, come to challenge the Vampire king's rule. Interesting. Come to strike down one of his generals to weaken his powerbase. The Fortress of screams is not easily assailed, and yet here you are. I suspect the assault at the gates was a clever diversion for your infiltration."

The Banshee queen held her arms outstretched at her sides, and wailed once more to the party. "Come then, if you wish to strike me down. We may do battle, if that is your desire."

Sun Wu and Rau were unusually silent, perhaps contemplating the task before them, perhaps waiting for their allies to make the first move. Rau's knuckles whitened as his grip on his staff tightened, sweat beginning to bead slightly on his brow. He seemed to understand just what a daunting fight was before them. Wu, on the other hand, was passive as ever, his face calm, his stance ready, serene as the still waters.

The Orcs fidgeted behind the group, grips on their weapons tightening as well. It seemed the tension was growing to the point one might even be able to taste it. Neither party seemed to want to make the first move.

[Daccio]

She listened quietly as the Banshee queen's voice shrieked out, silently grinding her teeth as the pain lanced through her being.

"Come then, if you wish to strike me down. We may do battle, if that is your desire."

She was not normally one for complete seriousness, but this moment, this time seemed to warrant it. Her spear slowly spun in a lazy arc in her hands, but with one quick snap of her arms, it was held horizontally, behind her at about waist level. The quick snap of the weapon was blindingly fast, and it stopped suddenly without waver.   In a deep, growling voice she spoke to her companions, her voice growing in power, almost enough to challenge the shriek of the queen before them.
[Battlecry]

"This queen of the damned would have us all dead at her feet, had she her way. Well let me tell you, that will not happen this day!"

She activated the ruins on her spear. Odd glyphes slunk along the spearhead as it shone with brilliant power. Lightning crackled around the blade and droplets of liquid fire dripped from the point. It was heartening to see something so powerful in the hands of a competent ally.

"We will NOT fall this day, not to you, not to anyone. We shall crush you from our path and show you the meaning of fear, queen of nothing. You, shall fear"

The last words came out in a near snarl that heartened her allies. They could feel the power of her words coursing through their veins, hopefully bolstering their resolve to win. Even as she finished speaking, however, she  spun her spear over her head in a violent whirlwind and brought it down in a crashing strike, even at this distance. From the blade came a discharge of energy that tore towards the banshee queen,  scoring the floor with gouges as it flayed its way towards her. Right behind the force attack, was Mizuki, spear spinning an arc of fire and electricity, ready to follow up. [Force dragon]

[Veldanya Venalla]

The Dulluhan stood fast against the shrieking onslaught, his large armored form unmoving as he clenched the hilt of his sword in one fist and the strap of his shield in the other.

"Come then, if you wish to strike me down. We may do battle, if that is your desire."

The floating head of the undead knight suddenly seems to drop down onto the severed neck, the heads solid black orbs sliding shut and the twisted smile slipping into an emotionless line.  Thick frigid clouds of frost begin to flow from within the corrupted warriors form as the temperature surrounding the Dulluhan plunges noticeably. Vil's raspy voice resonates from the cracked and decayed mouth as his eyes open once more, the orbs almost look as if a thin veil of frost reside on them as he glares at the banshee. [Frostbite Fortification]

"Ashara is it?  Your reign ends here....your soul....shall be judged.  HE wishes it to be so.....and so shall it be."

The frost flowing from within him continues for a moment longer, the ebony steel sheathed in a thick layer of glimmering ice, the light from the brazier reflecting off the ice crystals in an equally beautiful but macabre display as the knight sets his shield in front of him, his head floating above his neck once more.  The heads lips twist up into the normal maniacal smile as the Dulluhan's voice screeches out.

"Death comes for you.....my Queen!!"

His jaw unhinges as he suddenly charges forward, his heavy plated boots slamming into the floor beneath him as he quickly moves at the banshee.  From within his maw a screech rings out, the volume possibly even surpassing the banshee's own , the wail directed solely at the Dulluhan's target as he barrels forward.

[Kitharsis]

Keeping his calm demeanor was becoming more laboring with each shriek from this banshee queen.  But a shallow puddle Sun Wu is not.  He cracks with a wince at her last wailing speech, but his Chi lies calm and still as sheet of glass.

The Lady Dragon rallies them, and Wu feels the effects of her words.  It was all he needed to regain his placid composure.  He notices her gesture, and slips silently to the side.  She and the Horseman charge forward, and Wu is not far behind.  The Current flows through him as he performs a series of quick, powerful punches.  Using the Molded Chi technique the punches project forward, slipping past his companions by mere centimeters as they aim for their target.

He is expecting an ear piercing - no, ear exploding - wail coming from the banshee queen in retaliation.  Wu begins preparing a barrier of Chi around his head in the hope to mitigate it.

[Radobe]

Others might not have understood it, but the priest did. What they were facing was not a queen. A meager tittle given by mortal men. This was much more, the Morrigan was much more. Through out his reading Rau has found many mentions of the Morrigan. Most superficial, and not worth mentioning, but all had a thing in common, where the phantom queen went, death followed. Right now he recalled a few of the works he had read and the words that formed on his lips were the ones those few had shown him between their pages. "Goddess of death."

Facing another general, Rau's wound ached. A painful reminder to the parties encounter with Darkraven. Frozen by fear and pain, the priest stands still. His thoughts running wild with the notion of fighting a goddess of death. Her wailing piercing him like no other weapon could. Shaken to the core the holy man stood in the chamber engulf by the suffocating and overwhelming presence of the queen.

As suddenly as it came the presence of the queen was pushed away and now he felt a hot wave wash over him. No doubt an action taken by one of his comrades, the priest now free of the initial paralyzing fear takes action. While whispering a quick chant, Rau barely lifts his staff of the ground and then slams the butt into the floor beneath. Two interlining strings of white and golden energy race towards each member of the party. The familiar holy energies and aether blessing the parties armaments.

[Shadow Chorus]

The banshee queen's head tilts to the side, her eyes downcast, almost in regret that it would come to this. As the initial bursts of energy from the Dragon warrior and the Dullahan crash against her frame, her body shudders as her head tilts back. When her mouth opens, the ghostly faces at her side join her in unleashing a shattering scream. The very walls begin to crack slightly under the force of the sound, and the wind is enough to slow the warriors' advance towards the queen. Sentences began to pour forth, each face speaking simultaneously through the screams as the sound reverberated through a chamber designed to echo and make her sound even more painful.

"You speak of fear, yet know not true pain. You have not seen your people and your home ripped from you by a madman."
"You speak of judgement, yet you are no innocent. You serve the reaper's cold scythe with no remorse."
"There is no peace in this land, only pain. I have been here so long, and I have seen no hope for the future."
"I was once a queen of a beautiful people, and now I wail alone in the dark, haunted by the ghosts of my past as I serve the lord of vampires."

These sentences all pour forth at once, making it difficult to discern any one, but each sentence seems more significant to at least one of the listeners. The Orcs behind the group gripped their ears tightly, their teeth gritted and their eyes shut tight as blood began to drip from their noses. Grakul loosed his grip on one of his ears long enough to grab the pistol at his side and fire a shot at the Banshee queen. The blasting sound of the weapon discharging battled the shrieking noise for a moment, but after the bullet had connected and the Banshee queen's shoulder had been blasted by the impact, her body twisting, but seemingly unaffected by the pain, the sound continued.

[Kitharsis]

Sun Wu was grateful that he prepared a defense against the ear shattering scream from the Banshee Queen.  His body seems to ripple from the intense sound waves washing over him as he employs his defense.

The Banshee Queen's remarks seem more full of regret than malice.  Wu winces as her words hit home, even his defense wavers at the assault.

He screams as loud as he can manage, "You may have lost sight of hope, but we bring the it here with us.  We only judge those who would bring harm to our own.  Why serve the lord of vampires and turn your back on your past?!  Serve your ghosts and give them rest!  The tide will always change, and we ride the waves of that change!"

He does not move to attack further, hoping his words of reason are able to pierce the through Banshee Queen's assault.

[Veldanya Venalla]

The Dulluhan's floating head lets out an angry and pained hiss as the wave of sound crashes against him, a singular sentence seeming to slip through the cacophony of sounds.

"You speak of judgement, yet you are no innocent. You serve the reaper's cold scythe with no remorse."

Vildavyin frowns at hearing these words as he glares at the banshee queen, his words likely being swallowed by the scream but he says them anyways.

"No....I am not innocent, nor could I ever make such a claim.  Don't you dare speak as if you are the only one haunted by ghosts and decisions of the past.  You have no idea what I suffer for!"

The knight sheathes his sword and grabs the twisted whip dangling at his side.  Bringing his arm back he cracks the weapon forward, aiming to wrap it around the banshee's throat and silence the defeaning scream.

[Daccio]

As her weapon spun to strike and her initial strike smashes into the banshee queen, the shattering scream of the the queen struck her, slowing her advance. She grunts as the force of it hits her, her armor and clothes pressed back against her, the sounds of the metal of her armor scales grinding against itself drowned out as sentences eek out through the painful noise, one standing out among the others.

"You speak of fear, yet know not true pain. You have not seen your people and your home ripped from you by a madman."

She grits her teeth against the pain and balls on of her hands in a fist, pressing it against the seal on her armor as she pushed further towards the queen. A growl forms in her throat as a green energy begins to form around her, taking some of the pain of the scream from her. The green energy pushes out further from her body, almost forming a shield in front of her, the energy buffering it as she activates her [Earth Dragon] strength.

She begins to build power, in prep for a strong attack as soon as she gains the power.

[Radobe]

The Banshee releases an ear-splitting scream, almost deafening the priest.

"There is no peace in this land, only pain. I have been here so long, and I have seen no hope for the future."

The barely audible words revibrate through the priest. As he screams back, anger threatens to flood the holy man's mind. "You have not seen hope? You who brings death and despair, you who has caused more pain and misery than you have witnessed!" Grinding his teeth and tightening the grip of his staff, he manages to pull through the pain. "I will tell you what is hope! Every man, child and woman, every living creature. All those we have left behind to come here. They are hope, their lives, the lives they will bring are the hope for the future!" Instead of spreading his energy to augment the weapons of his allies, Rau focuses it to the tip of his staff, crouching low he launches himself forward towards the banshee queen. Should he reach her, he will unleash all of the energy into her.

[Shadow Chorus]

As the Dullahan's whip lashed at the Banshee queen's throat, her mouth slammed shut almost in surprise. The wailing stopped for a moment, and as she saw the oncoming attacks,  her eyes seemed to focus on Sun Wu. There was almost an inquisitive gaze to her face. As Rau's staff connected with her chest, the burst of holy energy blasting into her, her gaze seemed to ask Sun Wu what there was to be done if this was their fate; eternally battling, even should some of them crave peace, as the remainder seek conflict. Her body is launched backwards, her lower half crashing into the brazier as her torso bent at an unnatural angle, her back turning almost a complete quarter-circle into the brazier's flames, an angle that would've snapped any living man's spine. As the purple flames licked at her torso, she closed her eyes for a moment, her face set in a wistful frown. Then, in a moment of sudden, rapid movement, her torso snapped straight once more, and her mouth opened inhumanly wide, the noise from her even greater than before, the flames on her body extinguishing as the force of her sound began to tear up the floor beneath the group, stone tiles lifting from the ground and slamming against the back wall.

"THIS WAR HAS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG. THERE IS ONLY PAIN LEFT, AND NOW YOU EXPERIENCE MY ANGUISH!" the sentence is loud, blasting across with the scream, and even those who can discern it from the noise find it only amplifies the sound. Her arms are outstretched, her hands curled into claws, as her tattered robes flutter in the force of her scream, her hair blown back as if in strong winds. This was the unleashed force of the Banshee queen's killing shriek.

[Daccio]

As the Banshee queen's mouth snapped shut in surprise at the whip's attack, she was given the opportunity to fully slide her Earth Dragon shield into place in the brief lull of the attack, allowing her to focus all of her energy into building a massive attack.

The banshee queen almost seems to ignore her as she builds her energy. The queen was thrown back by a massive burst of energy from Wu's staff. Her body twists in ways that no mortal would ever see and survive, but she seemed mostly unhurt.

Tile rose from the ground as the banshee unleashed her killer scream, the noise deafoning and pain bringing. Fortunately for Mizuki, she had had time to get her shield into place. Tiles battered her shield and bounced off in dust and the scream that was digging into the brains of others would likely be an angry buzz to her. She pressed forward, the shield absorbing the brunt of the attack.

She did not even bother with speaking as she closed, but she took a deep breath. The energy she had spend gathering the past few turns coaleced in her lungs as she brought the oxygen into her body. For a second, as the shield she had formed seemed to waver ever so slightly in the onslought, she held her breath.

In a great roar, akin to that of a full grown dragon, Lady Yukimura exhales, unleashing with it all of the energy in a massive storm of fire. From her mouth, a great gout of flame, searing and burning, scouring and terrifying. The tiles left on the floor would crack and pop as  the stone baked and melted and for but a moment, no one could look, the illumination of the dragon flame too bright. [Fire Dragon, Charged up for a post]

[Veldanya Venalla]

As the banshee's wail blasts forth once more, the Dulluhan's floating head flies backwards, the armored form stumbling for a moment before it raises its shield against the sonic onslaught, the steel boots digging into the floor as he braces against the waves of sound.  As the attack washes over shield and armor the faded emblem on the front seeming to almost fade more as if its literally being blasted off by the scream.  Anger and pain are clear on the disembodied head as it floats down behind the kneeling armor, eventually floating in between the shield and his armored chest.  Left with little options available, Vildayvin remains in this position as he "weathers the storm" so to speak, hopeful that the great flames unleashed by the female soldier will be enough to silence, even temporarily, the banshee so that he can move in once more.

[Kitharsis]

Their eyes meet, and Sun Wu perceives an inquisition from the Banshee Queen.  Their brief moment of connection is severed by his companions' attacks.  So close to shore, the current pulls away any chance of diplomacy.  The tide of war is relentless.

He meets her final gaze with a look of apology.  As she lurches back into the brazier, Wu allows the current to wash over him.  He finds the calm of a placcid pool, endlessly deep.  The Banshee Queen snaps straight, unleashing the deathly force of her shriek.  Wu's body rides the waves of the sound.  He focuses on the calm of his chi and allows the sound to wash over it, reducing the impact on his body.  The air around him wavers as the sound waves dissipate through him.

Lady Yukimura roars in flames, expelling a massive storm of fire.  The flames are blinding, and yet Wu seeks to take advantage of them.  With chi filled steps propelling him through the oppressing force of the Banshee Queen's shriek, he tucks in behind the tail of the Fire Dragon.  His aim is to follow up the Fire Dragon with a torrent of Water Style strikes on the Banshee Queen.  Each blow landed, even if blocked, will increase the power of the next.  This will continue until the force of the blows overpower the shrieking Queen, unless Wu's attack is mitigated somehow.

[Shadow Chorus]

As the flames leave Yukimura's form, they briefly take the shape of a roaring dragon, surging forth and blasting through the Banshee queen, blinding light washing over the area. All goes white for a moment. The sound of the screaming ceases.

As the fire clears, there stands the Banshee queen, robes smoldering at the edges, black marks marking her sallow flesh, but still whole, and still standing. Her mouth is clamped shut, no killing sound to be heard, but her eyes tell of pain as as she drops to a knee. Sun Wu's rush forward is halted by a shimmering barrier. As he brings his fist forward, the barrier cracks, then shatters, but repulses back, shoving him away from the undead woman.

When she opens her mouth, the shriek that emerges is not as painful, only as shrill and loud as her earlier conversation had been.

"This battle will go on forever. You may battle and bruise me, but you lack the power to kill me. What will you do? Will you fight me until the end? Until we crumble to dust, our souls to be claimed by the black lord of this land? Will you insist upon this war that wages eternal? Our fight is but a microcosm of this great war. An impossible struggle with neither side giving way, always pushing, always destroying each other while the Shadowy leaders laugh from afar at the lives being lost."

Her eyes are downcast as she speaks, the fire from her previous assault burnt out. She stands and turns back to her brazier before she opens her mouth again. The noise being directed away from the group makes it less painful.

"Continue to strike at me if you must. Perhaps you will find a way to strike me down. I cannot see it, however."

[Kitharsis]

Sun Wu's fist meets the solid barrier with perfect form.  Chi builds up behind his fist, and as he shifts his body to throw a follow up punch the barrier shatters and throws him backwards.  The Banshee Queen makes no move to attack.  Wu takes stock of her posture, seeing the change in her demeanor.  He opens his fists and shakes them off, allowing the built up Chi to disperse.

He feels a moment of regret, watching her turn back to the brazier in contemplation.  Facing his companions behind him, Wu shakes his head.

"Make no move."  He states, before turning back to the Banshee Queen.  As he looks at her, his eyes a filled with an apology for the assault.

"We do not insist on endless war and toil.  We insist on ending this conflict with your dark lord.  If you choose to support him in his malicious efforts, then we will continue trying to strike you down - you and whoever else stands in the way of peace."

Wu folds his arms in front of him.  He has no intention of attacking unless provoked.

"You are correct that this is but a microcosm of the war, a mere drop of rain.  Yet, each drop of rain on its own does not make a flood.  Combined, the storm overwhelms even the sturdiest of obstacles.  Will you be overtaken by the tide?  Or will you add your own drop to the effort?"

[Veldanya Venalla]

The Dulluhan watches as the Banshee Queen seems to falter and then cease her screeching assault.  While his eyes still flit about and his lips are twisted in their macabre smile his head seems to tilt slightly as if an indication of confusion and perhaps surprise at this sudden turn of events.  His gaze focuses on the monk as he directs them to make no move, Vil's grin twisting down into a jagged half-frown.  His sword still gripped in his gauntleted fist his gaze shifts between the monk and the Banshee as if he ponders something.  Then he suddenly thrusts his blade down into the tiled floor, his fearsome strength forcing the enchanted weapon down into the floor as he slowly proceeds forward.  As Wu finishes speaking, Vil's raspy voice is heard, rattling out of his decaying skull.

"The monk speaks the truth, though in more flowing eloquence then is necessary.  I stand before you as a fellow creature of darkness."

His gaze seems to shift off to the side as if he recalls his past and how he came to be the undead warrior that he is now, his words continuing after a brief moment.

"It may be hard to believe but there are other options then dwelling in sorrow and doubt.  Join us....fight against the black lord and his army."

The dulluhan extends his right hand, clenching it tightly.

"Help us bring down his tyranny of destruction and terror...."

His hand opens up as if offering to take the womans hand in his own.

".....and you shall see that there is still light in this world.  That there is still hope.....but we need all the assistance we can get to reach it."

Vil's eyes cease their erratic behavior and gaze at the woman in front of him, his face no longer a crazed smile but more of a neutral gaze as he waits to see what the Queen will say or do.

[Daccio]

As the flame burns down and the banshee queen seems to halt her atack, yukimura takes a step back, her Spear spinning slowly. she notes the smoldering robes and burnt flesh and the pain in here eyes tells much.

"This battle will go on forever. You may battle and bruise me, but you lack the power to kill me. What will you do? Will you fight me until the end? Until we crumble to dust, our souls to be claimed by the black lord of this land? Will you insist upon this war that wages eternal? Our fight is but a microcosm of this great war. An impossible struggle with neither side giving way, always pushing, always destroying each other while the Shadowy leaders laugh from afar at the lives being lost."

The banshee stood and spoke away from the group so as to not hurt them.

"Continue to strike at me if you must. Perhaps you will find a way to strike me down. I cannot see it, however."

She listens as her companions make their speeches, listens as they attempt to appeal to her. Finally, she speaks up, her spear slowly spinning, then finally stopping, the lightning and flame crackling around the edges calming.

"My companions speak true. We shall remove the dark lord from this land, and you can be a part of bringing light back to where it seems so bleak.

[Shadow Chorus]

Ashara glances over her shoulder at the group, looking at each of them before she returns her gaze to her brazier. There is a long pause before she speaks again, her gaze downcast.

"Dracula owns my soul. I cannot directly move against him. I will do what I can, but I suspect that if he does not know what has transpired here, he will soon learn. My actions will be seen as failure if not treason. I am likely not long for this world. Go now. I will ensure that you are not seen as you leave. Remember that not all who serve do so willingly."

As she finished speaking, Ashara reached down and gripped both sides of her brazier with her long, thin hands. The spirits that had been present when the group had entered the room returned, singing softly as the Banshee queen stared intently into the flames. Grakul and Orgarash behind the group finally spoke up.

"Perhaps we should be moving then." The larger orc said as his smaller companion looked outside into the hallway.

"We should make the best of her efforts." Grakul agreed, spinning the chamber of one of his weapons as he scanned the hallway for potential danger.

[Veldanya Venalla]

The Dulluhan's head slowly shifts about as he listens to the banshee's words.  The undead knight can sympathize with her but at this stage there is little else he could do.  Reaching down he grasps the hilt of his blade and effortlessly wrenches it free.  Turning he moves back towards the door at the orcs suggestion.

"A sound suggestion. Let us be on at once."