Chasing Godhood (Blueslime)

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 0/43, PP = 64, EP = 35/41, Status = Dying on the floor

Rolls

Spoiler

You can add the Seduction Talent to your sheet, rather than get any exp.

Perception: Enemy wins.
Attack: Automatic Hit.
Damage: 3 + 4 + 8 + 6 + 16 = 37 * 2 = 74 damage.

Demetrius length slipped easily into Nalas folds, the magically enhanced muscles of her inner walls wrapping around his member with practiced ease. Demetrius, who had already been ready to cum from Violets earlier attentions, groaned openly, and Nala felt not even a hint of resistance as her magic began to work upon the mans will. And... It actually worked! Her entropic magic worked its way into the Lieutenant Colonels mind, and his spirit, with equal ease, her threads enslaving the mans will to her own. Whatever defenses the man might have had normally were buried underneath the pleasure she was causing the man. She felt him jumping and pulsating inside of her, the telltale signs of imminent release, and even though he wasn't the most skilled, or the most attractive, or the most well endowed partner she'd ever been with, Nala felt pleasure coursing up through her body as she rode him relentlessly.

A powerful throb, a moan from Demetrius, and an explosion of heat inside of her were the only warnings Nala had of the mans release. Her talented and magically enhanced inner walls milked him for everything he was worth, and spurt after spurt of the humans seed poured up into her womb. Her magics continued to work upon him, the threads of her power and will molding into Demetrius own, until they blended in, and seemed to become as much a part of him that they seemed like they had always been there. It would take a very subtle examination of the mans spirit to even detect them, much less remove them completely.

As she pulled herself off, she felt a surge of thick, burning goo flow out of her womanhood, and drip down onto the cock it had come from. She heard Violet coo in response to her command, and the girls tongue immediately began lapping up the seed flowing out of her, while Demetrius continued moaning softly, the bald mans eyes closed tightly. As such, not a one of them heard a thing. Not a one of them got any warning, before the gun went off.

Demetrius groan suddenly turned into a scream of anguish, and an explosion of blood appeared just above his right arm. For a second, Nala wondered what had just happened, and tried to speak, only to find that she couldn't. Nor could she breath. A glance down at herself revealed a hole, blood dripping from it, just over her right breast. For a heartbeat that seemed to last for an eternity, the world was still, and Nala couldn't breath, or move, or speak. Then, her head slightly tilted upwards as a slight tinge of pain appeared in her breast, and the commander of the guards came into view from the doorway, a hateful scowl on his face. The pain spread through her chest, and suddenly she choked in a breath, a liquid gurgle coming out of her mouth, before Nala tumbled backwards off of Demetrius.

She heard the man let out a curse, and clutch suddenly at his wounded shoulder as he rose shakily to his feet. He spun toward his captain, rage apparent on his face and fire already glowing around his left hand as he snarled; "What in hells name are you doing?" The captain lowered his rifle, the unpleasant expression replaced with a neutral mask, as he calmly replied; "Saving you. The witch would have ensnared you, and fed upon you until there was nothing left." He has thought her a succubus, apparently. Which didn't help Nala, as she lay in agony as her blood flowed out of her wound. Violet knelt over her, tears falling from her eyes and flowing down her horrified face. Why was the room suddenly becoming so dark?

The shadows converged around her, and the last thing Nala saw was one of Violets eyes change colors, from brown to red. Blackness took her, and for a moment, Nala perceived nothing, and floated in an empty blackness where she could not feel, or see, hear, or remember anything. Then, all at once, muted perception returned to her, but what she saw was not the same as before.

The colors of the world were gone, and all were still, Violets head half turned toward Demetrius, who faced his underling squarely now, a lightless fire clenched in his hand. Nala could see through the flame, where his wound was half in the process of shutting itself, some sort of healing magic now doubt. The other man, the man who had killed her, was barely visible over the chair, only his face, which was still totally expressionless. Each of them seemed to glow, Violet easily the brightest, with Demetrius not quite matching her luminous being, and the last man almost completely dark. And, all around them, Nala could see creatures. A hundred thousand monsters, each one different, swarmed around her, at the borders of her perceptions, but present none-the-less. They were slowly moving inwards, toward her, and they were collected in a sphere around her, blocking off the view of things that weren't within about fifty feet of her.

A voice, low and harsh, but almost painfully deep, suddenly spoke out from above her, just as a shadow seemed to fall upon her. "She's going to kill them both." Turning her gaze, Nala suddenly realized that the pain was gone from her, and the scene enfolding in front of her was completely still and silent. She could also move more freely now than ever before, but as she spun, she left an image of herself behind upon the ground, its eyes open but unseeing, her mouth slightly parted as a trail of blood slid down her chin. The figure behind her was a man, or at least had a more masculine figure, all in pitch black. A coat fell to just below the figures knees, and though it was difficult to tell from this angle, she'd guess that he was probably about seven and a half to eight feet tall. A sword, slightly curved, hung form a battered green scabbard at the figures waist. A mask was where its face should be, but Nala had the distinct impression that it actually was the beings face, ad that it was no man standing over her. The monsters seemed to retreat away, but they still hung there, outside of her perceptions but farther than they had been.

"She doesn't have to die. None of them do. Not even you, Nala." The figures voice ground against the inside of Nalas head, the power behind it so intense that she couldn't even hope to perceive all of it. Somehow, it came to no surprise to her that this being knew hew name.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

At first Nala had been stunned to see the look of pain and anguish appear on Demetrius' face. Recognition of the blood came a split second later, and she found herself uncharacteristically stunned into apparent inaction and lethargy as he began to fall away from her.

She began to shout, found that she couldn't. She tried to move, found that her body would not respond. The world began to teeter in her vision. Slowly, her gaze swept downwards , to observe the gaping hole in her chest, where gushing blood was pouring out.

"Huh..." she thought, blinking dumbly. She felt her jaw slacken and hang open. Her eyes glanced forward again, and then her head, which felt suddenly quite heavy, tipped backwards. The captain and his smoking gun appeared in her vision. "Asshole," she thought, but it was without rage, merely an observation. He had shot her in the back, while she was making love. How long had he observed at the door, waiting with a loaded gun, for the opportunity to shoot her? Creep.

"Oh well, it's not really of any use." Her words came crisp through her mind, even as her body was caught up in the futile gurgling for some last instinctual attempts to pump air up to her brain. The world was starting to grow a little dim. She heard Demetrius make his accusal and the captain make his claims. Ah, had he thought her a succubus? Should she take that as a compliment? "Ah shit... this is starting to hurt," she thought as her awareness of pain took over her consciousness, only the adrenaline of shock having made her ignorant of it in the intervening seconds.

The pain grew and then the darkness overtook it. The last thing she saw was Violet's face, twisted in anger and sorrow, and looking half demonic in the process. What a lovely creature Violet was... what a pity the two of them had had so little time together. "Such is life," Nala pondered as the shadows gathered around her. "Went out with a bang... heh... in more ways than one..."

Darkness slid across her thoughts, and then there was no more.

A second or an eon later, she perceived a motionless, colorless world again. One that began and ended with the room in which she had died. There was Violet, half turning towards the two men. Demetrius, rage on his face and a ring of fire in his hand. His wound was in the process of knitting closed. She had pegged him as a mage almost as soon as they met, so it wasn't that surprising. She saw the man who had killed her, his face an unfeeling mask. He'd killed a lot of people before, what was one more succubus to someone like him? Nala wondered if she'd been brought back to haunt him. That'd be a fun way to spend the next fraction of eternity.

But her eyes went back to Violet. All three individuals were glowing, though the killer least, Demetrius a little, and Violet most of all. There was some power in that girl. Wonderful power. Frightening and exhilarating to see.

Her vision expanded to take in the edge of her new world, and she saw the thousands upon thousands of hungry monsters collected there. They were moving towards her. Slowly, but surely.

Then the voice of a man, low and harsh, spoke to her. "She will kill them both."

She spun, and as she did so, she left behind her mortal shell, now a lifeless body with an unfortunately stupefied expression upon its murdered face. She supposed a decent burial with honors would be out of the question. How sad. Would her mother mourn her?

She turned to the speaker, tall beyond what was normal for anyone she had ever met, dressed in a dark cloak and armed with a dangerous blade at his hip. His face, literally a mask, looked down at her, peering at her. The monsters retreated from his presence. What did that mean?

The figure, perhaps not even a man though it certainly had no womanly voice, spoke again, telling her that none of them, including her had to die.

She responded. "Have I not already died? Strange. Something very much like death seems to have occurred..." she indicated the dead body staring lifelessly forward, the one that had been her.

"Why should Violet die? Why should I have any say in it? More importantly, who are you and what are you trying to tell me I should do?" Nala was confused and she didn't like it, not even when she was little more than a spirit. She wished the creature would answer her and make its meaning clear.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 0/43, PP = 64, EP = 35/41, Status = Dying on the floor

The being shifted slightly, an arm rising, and suddenly Nala was at eyes level with him, her being floated ethereally, inches from fingertips that Nala now noticed were seemingly made of some sort of worked metal, iron claws that still had the dexterity of fingers. "You have died, but you may yet live. Life is a fickle thing. Your body may be healed, and your mind and soul reunited with it, if you so choose. Or......" Nala felt her gaze directed towards the monstrous beings that still surged around the edges of her perceptions, like so many cockroaches. "It would not be a pleasant end to your existence. Your soul would be torn apart, and divided amongst the first of them to reach you. I could consume you myself, of course. It would also be an end to you but a much more merciful one. Those, too, are choices. But, I think that one such as you would much prefer to be, than to not be. Am I incorrect?"

Without even waiting for her to answer, the being continued; "Who I am is unimportant. And you should know what I am by now, or at least have guessed." It paused a moment, and cocked its head, as if waiting for something, but then continued on; "The other, lesser daemons were drawn to this place because it will soon become a place of death. Yours was only the first, but all who now drawn breathe within this camp will soon fall to oblivion, just as you almost did. I am here because you can change it. All of it.

"Violet will use the power that she has suppressed for the last half decade to kill Demetrius and his captain, the only two who might retain order amongst the humans here. The goblins will break in, and begin murdering the humans, until Violet joins the battle. Most of both sides will die, though I suspect that the humans will win, due to superior firepower. Amanda and Charlotte, along with most of those you have tried to protect, will most likely be caught in the crossfire. Those left will be in the middle of picking up what's left when a being will float over the wall, accompanied by a small army of beings that will Arrive approximately one hour from now. Whoever is left will be taken, their souls consumed and their bodies subsumed into the invaders, and that will be that. That is... If you do not intervene."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Nala listened to the being... a demon of some sort she guessed by its appearance and mannerisms, though she had to admit, her direct contact with such beings was limited to their lesser thralls. Everything she did know of them was by way of second hand descriptions and her studies of contraband books in the temple at Ch'hiesol. Nala never had a great desire to meet with one of them, and certainly not on these present terms.

She eyes the gathering horde of hungry demons, all of them waiting for the chance to feast on her soul. Was this the way of all death? Or was there just a special reason why she was denied a peaceful afterlife.

"No... the idea of oblivion does not appeal to me. And yes, I would like to intervene and save some of these people. There is a lot more work to be done. And if what you say about this imminent invasion is true - and I have no reason to believe otherwise - then I of course will try to thwart such an attempt, if I were given my life back."

She eyed the demon with a mask for a face.

"What is your interest in this?"

That seemed to be the pertinent question. There were others, but unlikely to be answered by this one. They were silly questions such as 'Why me?' or 'What is this power that Violet has?' They were questions whose answers wouldn't affect her decision. She needed to know what this demon wanted out of all of this.

"And what must I do to stop this being and its army?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 41, Status = Good as New

"My interest in this.... I am fulfilling my purpose, Nala. As I did in life, and for the last few thousand years, and as I shall continue to do. I had thought that purpose fulfilled two years ago but..... I was quite mistaken. You will know why, soon enough. I have found that my earlier approach was a tad... Heavy handed, and so will try to rectify that. So, I suppose that my interest is also... Academic." The beings words were thoughtful, and its armored fingers drummed on the hilt of its sword. The other, lesser daemons all retreated further, until Nala could just barely sense them. "I will not require any payment from you, if that is a concern to you. Except, perhaps, that you be yourself, just as you were before you were shot. I think that should be sufficient to rally those around you, mortal or otherwise." The daemons voice was light, not mocking, per se, but perhaps a little teasing, a tone that was very odd given his low, gravely voice.

He became serious again, however, as he continued; "The things that come are not of this world, or any that this world has known of in the recent past. They are older even than myself. In order to face them, you will need all the strength that you can gather around you." He tilted his head backwards, and Nala had the distinct impression that he was staring at the captain of the guard, who had only moments ago murdered her, before he looked back at her. "This is a place of evil, as some would put it. Its energies reek of violence, despair and death. You have the power to change that. You can make of this place, a sanctuary. And, if you succeed, it will be one step closer to preserving your world."

The figure lowered his arm, and Nala suddenly felt herself being tugged down, as though she were floating in water and a hand now gripped her ankle. The figure above her began to fade, and the world once more took upon its natural colors as it began to move once more in slow motion. As it sped up, and the images she'd seen faded out completely, she heard the beings voice one last time; "Good luck."

Her vision suddenly swam, and Nala felt herself cough once, a sputter of warm fluid covering her lips and face while a coppery taste fell upon her tongue. The pain was gone, as though it had never been, and the only sign that her injury had left upon her was the blood on her chest and face. No eyes were upon her, as the captains was on Demetrius, Demetrius was staring at the captain as he shouted; "So you shot me!? You couldn't have moved a foot to the side!? And how can you be sure the other girl was telling the truth?" The other man was about to respond, but then he caught sight of Violet, who was rising, a golden glow suddenly surrounding the corrupted girl as light began to coalesce around one of her fists. The rifle in his hands started coming up just as Demetrius was turning to see what the glow was, and Nala knew that if she didn't do something immediately, only more violence would ensue.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

The daemon's story was intriguing, little clues suggested that there was much more to this being than met the eye. When he referred to his purpose being fulfilled two years ago, there could be no question as to what he was referring to. Even though she had been cloistered away in Ch'hiesol at the time, she was aware of the demonic invasion and the ensuing struggle in the human lands to close the portal.

She had heard rumors of a powerful being that had helped the mortal defenders. Could this possibly be the same one? She had no way of truly knowing, and it seemed to suit his purpose to be mysterious about the matter, so she did not press him to explain further. She simply nodded and waited for him to continue.

She was doubtful of his refusal to ask for a real payment. One does not simply give back the gift of life. Nala comforted herself with the thought that perhaps stymieing these ancient creatures by making Nala his pawn was the daemon's goal. If that was the case, the night elf witch didn't mind being used as a playing piece, for the time being at least.

A tug against her spirit-form began to drag her back into the mortal realm, and she stared back at the daemon as she sunk away. He wished her good luck, and she smiled ruefully at that then blew the creature a kiss before her form faded completely back into her body.

Her eyes opened and air struggled through her throat in the form of a rasping cough. She felt healthy and free of pain. Her left hand went to her breast, where there had been a gaping, gory hole not moments before. The skin was bloody, but only on the surface. No scar, not even a telltale blemish remained to suggest that a shard of man-shaped metal had torn her heart asunder.

Nala's attention moved to Violet, now beginning to glow with a golden aura around her fist. What a surprise this lovely young creature was turning out to be. There was something beautiful in her rage, and Nala was touched that a little thing like her own death had been the catalyst for this resurgence of latent power. But she could not allow the violence to get out of control. No more blood must be shed.

"Enough! Peace!" Nala shouted as she lunged herself in front of Violet, using a greater manipulation of Force magic to point the captain's gun away from either Violet or herself, aiming the gun upwards instead. She spoke quickly to defuse the situation.

"We are not here to harm anyone! Violet dear, calm yourself!" Nala embraced the girl, holding her tightly and protectively, nesting the girl's head in her right arm. Over her shoulder, she spoke to the men.

"Demetrius, call off your captain, the fool doesn't know what he's doing! If I don't tell you what I've learned, your lives will all be in true danger - and I'm not talking about goblins!"

She held her breath, hoping her spell and voice had bought her enough time to bring a pause to both sides, enough for a proper conversation to ensue. Her body was between the men and Violet, hugging the girl and trying to calm her with her voice and presence. "Shhh, it's all right... it's all right my pet."

If Demetrius and his captain were willing to listen instead of shooting blindly at them, Nala would continue to dominate the conversation before either of them could speak. Holding up a hand she would interrupt them.

"I don't care what you've been told or what you think is going on here, but we don't have enough time to talk over one another and you need to hear what I have to say, all three of you do." There! That should make the men think a moment or two.

"Most of what I told you was true - save that I allowed myself to be captured by the goblins so that I could free the girls from their clutches. My methods were unorthodox but effective - I killed their leader and claimed control over the tribe. I intended to use your forces to slay the goblins by leading them into your gun line, but I had to be certain that you humans were trustworthy and not just a gang of slavers who would hurt the women further. I tested Demetrius about whether he would set free the girls, and his words rang true. I was about to inform him of the imminent goblin attack when I was rudely shot dead."

Again, Nala held up her hand to interrupt any words trying to get in edgewise. "No, I'm not demonic, nor a succubus, nor am I some form of undead creature. I was brought back because if I'm not here to save all of you, this entire complex and everyone in it will die or meet a worse fate at the hands of a creature that will be here within an hour. "

Nala stepped away from Violet and walked towards the men, her hands up in a non-threatening manner. "I've been sent back to save you," she tilted her head and stared at the man who had murdered her, "Even you, captain. But to do so, we're going to need to muster ALL the strength we have available, mortal or otherwise, and we're going to need to learn to trust one another - quickly."

Nala stopped and stared at the two men. "Before I was shot, everything I was doing has been an attempt to save the lives of those women and bring about the death of slaving rapist demons. In dying, I was made aware that everyone in this place, goblin, human, elf, and whatever she is -" Nala indicated to Violet with a nod of her head, "Everyone dies in a little over an hour, unless we learn to fight together against a common enemy. I know you are not the trusting sort, captain, but you cannot afford to be wrong about me twice. Demetrius, I have sensed that you are good man, I hope that you will sense the sincerity in my words. We have very little time to organize - but if we three can get on the same page now, our subordinates will hopefully be able to follow our lead before it's too late."

Spoiler

Cast Greater Manipulate (leve1 2 Force spell) to disrupt the captain's possible attack while Nala tries to calm Violet.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 39/41, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success.

All three of them stopped in their tracks at Nalas words, and Demetrius and Violet turned to stare in wonderment at her. Nalas spell immediately gripped the captains rifle and wrenched it upwards. It discharged into the ceiling, and the man cursed as he tried to yank it down again, but the effort was clearly half-hearted as the man had paled visibly, his dark skin going several shades lighter as he stared at Nala expressionlessly. He suddenly snarled; "I killed you!" Demetrius glared at him, but Violet was still staring awe-struck at Nala, after her mysterious rise from death, and her call for peace. When she moved to comfort Violet, the girl actually recoiled, and spoke in a completely normal tone of voice; "How in heavens name are you alive!? He just shot you!" She was aghast, but Nala was likely just as surprised when the girl formed a complete sentence. The glow faded from Violet, however, and she at least seemed to have calmed herself down enough to hear Nala out. Demetrius then said; "How are you standing there? That bullet hit you right in the heart!"

After her next few words, Demetrius cast his captain another glare, but the man was clearly too stunned to have considered trying to free his gun from Nalas spell anyway. Fear seemed enough to keep him from lunging at Nala, and using only his hands to finish what his rifle had started. All three listened to Nala, and any word in that any of them tried to get was immediately silenced. Demetrius tried the most to interrupt her, and gradually grew more and more antsy, while Violet remained completely silent, not once trying to interrupt, and fear and anger were the only things she got out of the captain. Until she was finished, of course.

Demetrius spoke immediately, his voice tinged with frustration; "What in the hell are you talking about? How are you even alive!? What's supposed to be coming, anyway!? You're not making any god-damn sense, Nala!" Violet, however, simply nodded, her head lowered slightly. She looked like she was praying, actually, and not the lip-service Nala had given, but genuine prayer. When her gaze rose up, she simply said; "You have not yet led me astray, Nala. I will help you." Her voice was tinged with an almost frightening amount of confidence and conviction, and Nala wondered just who exactly Violet had been, before she'd been grabbed by the goblins. The captain looked between her and Demetrius, scowling darkly, but then simply said; "I will follow orders, so long as they do not lead to the deaths or my men. His orders, not yours." That was probably better than she'd expected from the man, at any rate.

Now, only Demetrius needed to be convinced, though Nala still felt the spell she had weaved upon him, the threads of her magic intertwined within his soul. And while the bald hairy man looked very confused, he hadn't disagreed to aid Nalas plan. He was a wizard, after all, and Nala knew all too well how frustrating it can be to be one of the wise, and be presented with something that one simply couldn't understand. She had only to get him past that, and he would go along with her willingly.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

The complete personality change in Violet was the biggest blow to Nala's confidence, though she hid it well by simply gliding over it with her words, trying to get what needed to be said out there. The captain acted as well as could be expected. It was Demetrius who was to be her main concern. His cooperation was the lynch pin.

"How I am alive is a story for another time. You must trust me when I tell you that there is something very dangerous coming our way, and if it gets here with us being unprepared or at each other's throats, then we will all die, and if you believe nothing else about what I say, believe in this - you do NOT want to die in this place, on this day. There are things that dwell beyond the veil of death. Things you will not wish to meet."

She turned to speak directly to Demetrius. "We must ally ourselves to one another. I can control the goblins who would otherwise attack you and reduce your forces. I do wish them dead, but unfortunately, I honestly think we might need the demons' help, and to get it, I need your trust and your permission. The creatures that are coming towards us are enemies of demon and mortal alike, and they will not negotiate. If we can convince the goblins that they stand a better chance of survival by helping us, then they'll be trustworthy."

She offered her hand to Demetrius. "In a way, it was fortuitous that your captain killed me, if only just so that the knowledge I gleaned from dying can now be used to save all our lives. But there's still work to be done, and I'll need freedom of movement and the ability to make command decisions." She glanced at the captain. "He doesn't trust me to take my command, and that might get him and perhaps more importantly, the girls I'm trying to safeguard killed. If he's only going to take orders from you, I'll need you with me, Demetrius, if only so that we can confer and get orders followed. I am not demanding that you give up command, I am asking you to join me in rallying the defenses, which will be tested to their limits very soon. I am asking for your help... and some damned clothes as well, if you please."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 39/41, Status = Fine

Demetrius listened quietly to her, his scowl gradually turning into a mere frown, and a thoughtful one at that. He didn't interrupt her, either with words or with gestures, and he stared at her offered hand for a moment. It was when she said that she would not take his command that finally seemed to win the man over, and he even managed a very brief grin as she demanded some clothing. He took her hand, and said; "Very well. An alliance, until things can be more... Thought out. Now, I suppose I'll have to have my men watching the forests for signs of oncoming goblins, and telling them not to shoot?"

The captain was scowling darkly, but he also threw a pair of simple white robes at Nalas feet, which had apparently been folded and hanging from his belt. Violet was fairly expressionless, but it was not the blank look she had grown accustomed to anymore, instead a grim almost-scowl. Indeed, everything about her seemed different, from her stance, to her expression. The girl remained a total mystery, for now, as she bent down and picked up one of the robes, and donned it casually, apparently not really caring about her nudity and donning it as a formality instead.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Nala looked sidelong at the captain. "There's no need to be rude." She stooped and donned her robe as well.

"As for the goblins, hmm, no not the trees... they'll be almost finished tunneling through your mines just about now, and if I don't go and intercept them, their standing orders were to release your prisoners and overwhelm you with numbers. Captain, if you have no objections, we should probably head over to the mine entrance with some armed men, Demetrius, I'll probably need your presence as well, since you are the leader here. I shall go out in front of you all and talk the goblins down and inform them of the new plans. Try not to shoot me in the back as I do so."

Nala turned to Violet, her expression changing from hard to simply cautious. "Violet, I learned something of you while on the other side of the veil, but not nearly as much as I would like to. Please, continue to walk by my side. If nothing else, it will convince the goblins that I am still in a position of unchallenged authority."

Nala offered a smile and lifted a hand, palm upwards, to beckon the girl toward her. "We can keep one another safe."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 41, Status = Fine

The captain glared silently at Nala in response as she dressed herself, but didn't speak. Demetrius was staring at her cautiously, and Violet was staring off into space, not looking at anyone or anything in particular. "Right. Just... Let me get dressed." Demetrius said, and quickly donned his robes again, after Nala had explained to him her plan regarding the goblins.

Violet turned to Nala as she addressed the girl, and nodded. Her only verbal response came as Nala raised her hand, at which she smiled wryly and quietly said; "Yes.... I suppose that we can."

Without further ado, the group left, mostly as Demetrius walked out of the tent, the captain on his heels reloading his rifle, and Nala had nothing to do but to follow. Violet walked beside her, silently, the now robed girls eyes perpetually straight ahead, similar to how she had been, but also different. They were no longer vacant, for one, and now they seemed to take in every detail of what lay ahead of her. Any questions directed at her regarding her origins were responded to with a quiet; "Not now. Later."

Their timing proved to be almost perfect, however, as they arrived at the door into the mines just as a series of bangs were sounding from the locked door. The chains over it rattled steadily, the tempo rapidly increasing in pace, and Demtrius's guard who had fallen in around him all aimed their weapons at the door as it shook. The captain had parted ways, and come back with more men, bringing the total number of riflemen around them up to an even dozen, and Demetrius turned quickly to Nala and said; "You want to be up front. Go right ahead, I'll make sure that nobody shoots you in the back, if things go South."

Nala approached the doorway into the mines, Violet at her side, and the two of them waited together for the goblins to get through the door. After about a moment of waiting, Nala was just wondering why there were so many bangs against the door, knowing that even with the goblins diminutive size that they would be very cramped together, and that the rapid tempo of the rattling of the door seemed more panicked than should be appropriate, when the door exploded outwards, link of shattered chain and rocks flying outward as the wooden seal was smashed outwards and a group of goblins charged and flew out of it. Or, rather, ran half mad with fear out of the mine, while some of their companions were thrown physically, blood that was black in the night flying alongside them as it leaked from rents in their flesh.

Behind the three dozen demons that were fleeing for their lives, and the trio who had already lost theirs, three figures came charging out of the cave. At first, Nala thought that they were hellhounds, from their size, their canine shape, and their shear size, but that image was swiftly dispelled. Firstly, they were completely and utterly grey in color, and hellhounds were normally black, and secondly, they had no facial features. Their faces were the right shape, but they had no mouths, no noses, and no eyes, instead being a vaguely canine shaped head. The lack of a mouth only lasted for about a second, however, as the three came bounding out of the mine, as all three of them opened their mouths, which went all the way down to their necks, and screamed a high, piercing cry that almost caused Nalas eardrums to burst.

As the shrill cries went silent, and the near panicked mercenaries behind her took aim as two of them circled around to either side, Nala heard Violet mutter; "Oh... Shit...." The third monster, who had been in the center, was coming right for them, its jaws unnaturally wide as the vile grey-skinned thing bore down on them, barely more than twenty feet away from the two of them.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Nala didn't have any questions for Violet right at the moment. Observation was enough to suggest a heightened level of cognitive functioning. There wasn't time for discussion about it and no one knew this more than Nala. She had to concentrate on what she would be saying to the goblins when they broke through the mines. Whatever she said, she must somehow prevent any quick or desperate reaction from the goblins or the human guards. She didn't want the goblins immediately retreating down the mine shafts. That would do nothing to shore up the defenses here.

As it turned out, these particular worries were for nothing. The roughly three dozen or more goblins would not be joining the humans in any orderly fashion. On the plus side, they would take little convincing that there was a nastier, eldritch enemy desiring to kill them.

The three dog-like creatures broke through the mine entrance running after the goblins.

"Rally to your mistress!" Nala shouted before summoning the dark forces of entropy around her. It was quite easy to do in this place. The Daemon had not been kidding when it had spoken of the pall of death in this place. The air was thick with the essence of impending demise. She drew on these magical threads, thrust forward her hand, and lanced out with an Agony Beam, centering it on the approaching enemy. Her evocation techniques would make the lance of dark energy extremely potent. She anticipated that this creature, whatever it might be, would suffer a most unpleasant death.

When the creature fell, she would point to the other two creatures. "Destroy them! Fight, or suffer my wrath!" Her eyes would still crackle with entropic force, and her visage would be both beautiful and terrible to behold. These grey creatures would suffer for throwing her plans into disarray. As would the captain, in good time, but his suffering would be of a much more productive sort.

[Cast Agony Beam on the central attacker. (1d6+9)*5 damage, plus half that in EP damage.]

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 35/41, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 2 + 9 = 11 * 5 = 55 - 12 = 43 damage.
Also, 22 EP damage.

Attack (4x Goblins) : All Hit.
Damage: 8 + 7 + 5 + 12 - 12 = 20 * 4 = 80 damage.
Attack (4x Goblins) : All Hit.
Damage: 4 + 10 + 7 + 12 - 12 = 21 * 4 = 84 damage.
Attack (12x soldiers) : All Hit. 4 on each of them.
Damage: 4 + 1 + 1 + 8 - 12 = 2 * 4 = 8 damage apiece. Wow.

Attack (The Captain) : Hit.
Damage: 2 + 6 + 4 + 10 + 16 - 12 = 26 damage.

Casting (Demetrius) : Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 2 + 3 + 6 = 11 * 3 = 33 - 12 = 21 damage.

Attack (Violet) : Hit.
Damage: 6 + 4 = 10 * 6 = 60 - 12 = 48 damage.

Nala gains 2 exp.

Nala's beam of potent dark energy struck the charging monstrosity cleanly in the chest, but even though it dug out a furrow of grey meat and caused the thing to shriek in agony as its spirit took similar punishment, it still kept charging on right toward her.

Only a handful of the goblins immediately heeded Nala's commanding words, and turned to press their spears against the creature's chasing them. The behemoths screamed in pain as they were stabbed by repeatedly by the lesser demon's spears. A chorus of rifles thundered behind her, and pinpricks of flesh exploded from the things hides, as the rounds impacted, but the behemoths barely seemed to notice as they continued toward their prey.

The captains rifle sounded almost right next to Nala's head, and the creature on her right hand side collapsed after half of its head quite literally exploded. The being on her left side took an orb of flame, shot at it from Demetrius' hand, which burned a hole the size of a cantaloupe through the creatures rib cage, or at least where the rib cage should have been. As far as Nala could see, they had no bones or organs to speak of, and were merely lumps of animated flesh. Regardless, the goblins who had previously been retreating and immediately surged back to cover the bestial creatures in their green-black bodies as weapons fell repeatedly.

The last of them was now surrounded, and facing a veritable firing line of magic and firearms, but if it noticed that, it didn't seem to care much. Instead, the furrow her spell had torn into its chest still leaking grey fluids and a tight grouping of tiny holes in its head where the shots from the men behind her had struck it, but it simply charged toward her blindly, slavering and shrieking like a banshee. Violet stepped in front of Nala as the grey beast leaped toward her, and sent a ray of white light through two of her fingers. She dragged the beam from right to left, cutting the monster clean in half as it flew through the air. The top half of it sailed right over their heads, while the bottom half flopped to the ground and slid, coming to a halt at their feet.

The immediate threat dealt with, tensions immediately spiked back up as the goblins turned toward Nala and the line of men behind her. They most certainly hadn't planned for whatever had occurred in the mine, and now they were faced with their mistress, who now stood in front of them with their enemies at her back, and a Violet who could cut a monster in half in under a second to boot. They were in a very loose formation, and Nala could hear the clicking of bolts as the men behind her worked the actions on their guns, ready to fire. She and Violet were alone up front, with 36 armed goblins standing before them, and fourteen men standing armed behind her. Still, the goblins weren't charging, and neither Demetrius nor his lieutenant had given the order to fire yet. She spotted Grabbik among the goblins in front of her, the only completely familiar face among the demons, though she had known each and every one of the goblins a night ago.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Nala was mildly put off that she had not been able to fell the beast with her initial blast, though she was certain she had damaged it terribly. It seemed she would have to take that into account when she stood against the larger fighters - for these things appeared to be mere soldiers, rank and file.

Nala let the waves of entropy magic simmer across the surface of her skin and glow at the edges of her eyes. She stepped towards the goblins.

"Grabbik, by my side," she said curtly making it clear that it was an order. "The rest of you, sheathe your weapons. The plans have been altered. Those things we just fought are but the first of many. If any of you are to avoid a painful death followed by a short but excruciating rending of your soul in the hereafter, you must follow me and do as I say. I will brook no objections. The commander of these humans has given his support to me. His people are at just as much risk as you. This makes us allies of convenience. Harm no human and fight by your mistress' side."

Nala finished her approach so that she was now among the goblins. She then turned so that she was with them, facing Demetrius and his humans. "Whatever defensive contingency plans you have for this place, you had better enact them now. The mine must be closed off or defended as it is another access point."

She glanced at Violet. "Violet, your prowess is impressive. Join me." With a grin, Nala added, " I'm certain these demons are happy to know that the guest they've been treating so nicely before I came to them is a potent force in combat." She chuckled darkly. The thought that disobedience to their mistress might lead to some alone time with an empowered and violent Violet would certainly cause the goblins to cling all the more desperately to Nala's good graces.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 35/41, Status = Fine

The goblins remained cautious as the magically glowing Nala stepped forward. Despite the demons clear trepidation, Grabbik moved to stand near to Nala as she addressed her minions. They sheathed their weapons at her command, and though they certainly looked like they didn't much like the idea of fighting alongside armed humans, they were still loyal to their powerful mistress. It seemed likely that the fear on their faces was more from fear of her than from the death and eradication that she promised might come from their foes.

As she turned around, she found rifles still pointed at her minions, but Demetrius and his captain both looked eerily calm. At her words, Demetrius said; "There's a problem on that front. The only seal on the mine was that door, and it's been smashed. It could be repaired, but I don't think there's going to be a lot of time. The men won't work near the goblins, and many of them are needed to guard the walls. As we don't know precisely where the attack will come from, we need to have men watching in all directions. We're stretched thin."

Violet stepped up to stand next to Nala at her request, and smiled wryly at her words. "I'm quite sure that the ones that had me before their leader claimed are proud to know that their conquest was so mighty."

The crisis averted for the moment, all that was left now was for Nala to prepare herself and her allies as best she could. Demetrius had already sent the captain and half of his escort away, the mage clearly unconcerned with being almost alone among Nala, Violet and all of the goblins whom offered her their fealty. Preparations on his end were seemingly already under way, but there remained what to do with her goblins, and the girls she'd left in the hands of the slavers. What had happened to them, she had yet to actually find out, though she supposed that she could ask Demetrius. She could likely command the goblins through Grabbik, who stood by her side, awaiting her orders silently.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Addressing the matter of the girls, especially Amanda and Charlotte, was the next priority on Nala's list to things to do. She made sure to make her inquiry about them while the captain was still in earshot.

"The girls that came with must be kept safe and I would like to speak with them to let them know what to expect in the near future. I trust that this won't be a problem, Demetrius?"

She turned to the mine door. "If that was the only seal you had to defend the mines with then it's obvious that it wouldn't have been enough. My goblins will defend this choke point. It would be best if some sort of gunpowder weapon could be aimed at the entrance so as to maim the first attackers before they spill out into the main yard. And... I hate to mention the obvious, but your prisoners are potential bodies when it comes to defending this camp. We will need more numbers, because, as you say, we are spread quite thin."

Nala waited to see what Demetrius and his captain might say to all of this. She realized that she had to convince them to let all but the most unreliable of prisoners fight. They would be extremely wary of this, but Nala saw no other choice about the matter. She was thankful that the three beasts had shown up, lending strength to her dire warnings. An army of those things would require them to throw every body they could muster at the defenses. She had to get that idea through to them.

And she also wanted to see Amanda and Charlotte. She was somewhat concerned that one or both of them had said something that had led to the captain shooting Nala in the back. It would remain to be seen if that was the case.

At least Violet seemed to be in good spirits despite everything. She had a humor to match Nala's own, and that in turn gave the night elf witch something to smile about amidst what was otherwise a very bothersome evening.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 35/41, Status = Fine

Demetrius turned around at Nala's words, giving her his full attention, which caused his captain to glare at the man in open contempt. In response to her words, he said; "The girls you came with should all be wherever they ended up. Captain, if you would be so kind as to get them all into the same cabin while you're getting everyone up and moving, and then take Nala there once everything else is taken care of. Also, send two squads here. Eight rifles should be enough to hold the mine." He frowned before he continued; "As for the prisoners.... I would rather not take that risk before it becomes absolutely necessary. Those men.... As able as they might be in battle, not a one of them is trustworthy. Letting them out would be a greater danger than leaving them in their cages."

The captain left as Demetrius finished speaking, going off to deliver orders. The goblins around her were already hesitantly organizing a defense of the mind, forming the broken door into a partial barricade that would narrow the point of entry even further. Hopefully, that would be enough.

Violet remained next to her, but she looked slightly troubled by the mention of Amanda and Charlotte. A frown replaced her smile, and she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as she stood next to Nala.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Nala noticed the change in attitude with regards to the other women. Once both the human soldiers and the goblins were busy organizing themselves into a defensive posture, Nala found the time to have a quiet word with Violet.

"Something seems to be bothering you, Violet. Something about the other girls. Care to share your feelings with me while we have a spare moment?" Nala crossed her arms and tapped her fingers along her slender biceps. "There certainly won't be enough time later. And we must check on them before the battle begins in earnest."

Nala was concerned about Violet's newly rediscovered intuitions, but she was also worried about not using the prisoners as added muscle. Should she believe in Demetrius' assessment of their danger? Or was this really just a fear of what such men might do to the jailers once the real battle was over. Nala resolved herself to not ruling out that source of manpower, but would have to go through other means to free them than Demetrius or his trigger happy captain.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Spoiler

HP = 43, PP = 64, EP = 35/41, Status = Fine

For a moment, Violet looked confused at Nala's words, but then, she sighed, and paused a moment to look away, not meeting Nala's gaze, before saying; "It's nothing really.... The rest of the girls won't care... But, Amanda and Charlotte... They only ever saw me like I was when they were captured.... Broken. It could be odd... Awkward. Heheheh, talk about role reversals.... Except for you, they were the only ones that treated me like...." She trailed off, staring off into space, but after a few seconds, she turned back to Nala, looking her in the eye, and finished; "We should go and see them. Make sure they're all alright."

Violet started off, softly tugging Nala along with her, and was met not ten paces later by a squad of eight men carrying rifles. They all looked tired, but they stopped and saluted to Nala before one of them said; "Ma'am. The women you arrived with are safely sequestered in cabin seven. They await your inspection." With that, they saluted again, and then fanned out around herself and Violet, taking up positions to watch the mine.

They proceeded through the camp, soldiers nodding to them as they took up positions around them, until they found the appropriate cabin. Without even hesitating, Violet stepped inside, her stance guarded and defensive and her hands glowing softly. A quick glance around, and she stepped inside with a quick nod to Nala. That was almost certainly something that had been trained into her, clearing a room like that, and Nala once more was made to wonder just what Violet had been prior to her time with the goblins.

Regardless, she stepped inside the cabin to find a fairly familiar scene. The remains of what could only have been an orgy, judging by the amount of discharged semen covering some of her girls, the scent of sex, and the number of them who were contentedly snoring in groups or alone, though many seemed to be cuddled together in groups of three or more. None of them had the look of one who had been violated. Every one merely looked.... Content, as they rested after the nights events. There was only one wrinkle. Amanda and Charlotte were not here.

Muted sobbing came from across a door in the back of the cabin, followed by a soft voice. Without hesitation, Violet crossed the floor, silently as a jungle panther, and pulled the door opened. A pained expression crossed her face, and she looked to Nala and beckoned her over.

Within another room, this one smaller but with far fewer beds and much more open space, Amanda and Charlotte waited. Charlotte knelt next to her sister and had her arms wrapped around her sister, tears streaming down her face, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. Amanda had been beaten. Badly.

She was sobbing and shaking softly, but her eyes were glassed over and empty. Or, rather, the one eye that was still open. The other was swollen shut, and Nala though she could see burns on the skin around it. Her cheeks were covered in bruises, and her lips were covered in dried blood. Her nose was bent slightly, and had a depression on the bridge, where it had quite obviously been broken from repeated blows from some narrow, hard object. There were not only bruises, but slashes and punctures along her abdomen, causing tiny trails of blood to run down her body, though none of them looked bad enough to be lethal. Blood, a great deal of it, was steadily leaking from Amanda's badly abused womanhood, and already coated her inner thighs.

Charlotte looked at Nala helplessly, tears in her eyes.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nala (Blueslime)

Nala patted Violet gently on the shoulder. "I'd imagine that Amanda and Charlotte will be relieved to see you as you are now. They'll be surprised first, but probably only for a moment, as I was. The gears will turn and they'll say, 'Ah, so this is Violet,' and life will go on. I anticipate little awkwardness. And besides... I'm sure I treated you differently than those two girls." Nala brushed Violet's cheek with her fingers and smiled mischievously. "Nice to see you're such a good sport about it."

She let the smile melt away as the present circumstances demanded she not push her flirtatious advances towards this new Violet too heavily. "So yes, let's go see the girls. Hopefully Amanda and Charlotte will have followed my advice. But I didn't really have the time to train them properly. If only I could have met you all at the Ch'hiesol temple... I had privacy and ample space there... and a growing stable of potential partners..." Nala let the words trail off as she was partially led by Violet along towards the cabin indicated by the passing soldiers.

She was amused and satisfied to observe the salutes from the human soldiers. It was good that they recognized her as being a commander of rank. At the very least, the word would have been spread that she was a powerful sorceress. That alone should make certain that they didn't balk at her commands if they were swiftly issued in battle.

Violet stepped inside the cabin and cleared it swiftly. It was like watching an expert bodyguard at work. Nala admired Violet's efficiency. Beautiful and skilled... such an excellent combination. Nala felt a new attraction to Violet, budding from respect as much as her natural lust. It was a much rarer feeling for the witch elf, and not at all unpleasant to recognize.

"Thank you, Violet dear," she said as she passed the guardian by and entered the cabin. The room smelled of sex. Some might be repelled by the smell, strong as it was, but not Nala. She rather enjoyed it; it was part of her element. But as she looked around the room at the content and satisfied women who were sleeping off what had appeared to be a healthy and fun filled orgy with many sexual partners, she was concerned to see no sign of either Amanda or Charlotte.

Then there was a soft cry, and Violet was quick to cross the room to a far door that Nala had not immediately noticed. When Violet opened it, Nala could tell instantly from the way her expression fell that there was bad news, but at that moment she did not fathom how bad it might be.

As Nala strode to the doorway, the image before her became all too real. Few things in Nala's life had made her blood run cold or cause her to lose sleep. She had lived what many might consider a life of relative privilege. Only her early mistakes in the study of entropic magic had ever left her with horrible nightmares and painful agonies that taught her valuable lessons and helped to shape her into something other than a spoiled noble brat. She had been thankful for that sort of pain. It was self-inflicted. Her own fault, but she could learn to forgive herself.

But the pain she saw now, etched across Amanda's body - that sort of pain was most certainly not self-inflicted. This was brutality on a scale that went beyond what even demons might readily do. Whoever had done this to Amanda was quite simply evil.

Nala crossed silently to Amanda's side, opposite from Charlotte. She laid a palm gently over the more serious puncture wounds on the abdomen, while her other hand rested just above the girl's bloody, swollen eye. She called upon the power of Nature, feeling the magical threads of Life working their way out of the ether and flow throughout Amanda's body. In that instant of healing, the entirety of Amanda's injuries were made clear to Nala, and the knowledge of the internal injuries as well as the external made the witch elf wince in empathy.

She cast her spell and watched as the wounds knitted themselves and the inflammation around her eye went down. If one casting was not enough, she would cast it again, until the girl was physically healed of all her wounds. Nala was not foolish enough to hope that such would be enough. There were mental wounds that might not heal unless Amanda's will was strong enough.

"Who did this to you, Amanda?" Nala said, surprised to realize that hot tears were brimming in her eyes, even as she set her jawline into a locked position, gritting her teeth, and feeling the rise of temperature in her blood. Her heart rate quickened as thoughts of rage flung themselves across her mind, nothing specific, but all jumbled together the mass of visions represented a primal yearning for violence. It was only tempered by the knowledge that patience would be needed. Patience. But not mercy.

Nala knew why she felt such rage. She blamed herself for this result. Amanda had trusted her to protect her, and instead this had happened. There had been no heroic intervention. The night elf mistress had not been here in time to rescue one of her flock from the wolves. And now there would never be enough trust left in Amanda to have any bond with Nala. An unfeeling part of Nala's consciousness merely nodded its head. 'You learned long ago to rely on only yourself, Nala. Now Amanda has learned this lesson as well.'

But it was her own failure that hurt the most. It was an iron lump in her heart, causing her chest to heave with roiling currents of emotion. She needed to excise this pain. It wouldn't make things right, but it was all she could do, now that the initial healing was over with.

"Charlotte... I need to know what man or men did this to your sister," Nala's tone was flat and tinted with all sorts of controlled violence. It would be obvious to Charlotte at that moment that Nala was asking her for a death list.

Once Charlotte or Amanda had told her who it was, Nala nodded once to indicate that she had heard and internalized the information. She spoke up once again:

"There have been several new developments that you both need to know, but Charlotte, you especially, since you will need to be here for Amanda every step of the way. I have sensed through arcane means that there is a force of beings marching through the jungle right now. These beings are enemies against all mortals and demons alike. Already their scouts have attacked the encampment, and the true force will be here soon. I have convinced the humans and the goblins to work together to defend. There will be a battle soon, and many people will die. I need you to keep the girls together and out of the way of battle, okay Charlotte? I am going to help fight these creatures off. If I don't fight, then we'll all be dead or worse off than even now. It's hard to believe, but this is the safest place for you to be right now..."

Nala motioned for Violet to come over. "If things in the battle turn for the worse, either Violet or I will come and find you and we'll try to all escape together. Hopefully, that won't be necessary. Hopefully we'll drive the attackers off and then... I promise you this... what happened to Amanda will be addressed. I'm going to make the man who did this wish he was never born."

Nala's eyes flashed with an arcane crackle of energy that dried her own tears. She felt a certainty within her. She would be an all new sort of Hell to pay. Those things beyond the veil of death would quake to be before her now. Nothing would stop her from exacting vengeance. And now that initial thoughts of simple painful murder had passed, she was free to understand exactly the sort of poetic justice she would meet out to this man. And any time she would feel a pang of sympathy for what it was she would do to him, she would just remember the image of Amanda, burned, broken, and bleeding in Charlotte's arms. There was a doomed man out there tonight, whose only hope was to die and have his soul rended by reaper daemons.