Tales of Faerun

[Ithildin]

Seconds after Maraiel materialized, Echo fell to her knees, affected by the creature's horrific wail despite the protection afforded by her earplugs. She pulled a knife from its sheath, deftly threw it at the banshee's head ... and missed. Her intended target disappeared, and her knife clattered uselessly against the cave wall. Still kneeling, she drew out a tanglefoot bag and held it at the ready, though she doubted it would affect a teleporter.

 

Mahira had barely finished loading her crossbow when Maraiel vanished; the moment Xallistine appeared in their midst, she very nearly shot at him instead. When the spectre rematerialized, Mahira marveled at the speed with which the Ulitharid reacted. Following his lead, she fired at the enemy herself, just as Echo threw her tanglefoot bag, but neither missile was effective. How does one fight a banshee? thought Mahira, as she dropped the crossbow and drew her scimitars.

 

A sudden barrage of multicolored flashes nearly blinded Mahira and Echo both; as their vision cleared, they saw that the banshee had disappeared again, and were astonished to see a tall and beautiful stranger standing before them, holding a magical flail. Echo wondered whether those dazzling spells had been cast by the newcomer, Xallistine, or both.

 

Maraiel's third appearance came before Echo could prepare herself. Mahira took a step toward the banshee and brandished her weapons, hoping to distract it so it wouldn't attack the halfling, but she needn't have worried: Rhaine's brilliant combination of fire and holy water forced the creature to retreat once more.

[tokyobiohazard]

Ianthe clapped both hands over her ears and dizzily swayed as the banshee's mouth seemed to unhinge itself with the intensity of its chilling shriek. Staggering and disoriented from the screams and bright flashes in the dark, Ianthe swung at the air before herself in confusion, her scimitars gleaming in the faint light. If her swing would have been a second sooner, she would have hit the familiar form of Aricia as it gracefully stepped out of a portal in the air.

 

Arva and Reona twisted and thrust their katanas in perfect mirrored unison, only opposite to each other due to their difference in favored hands, as the apparition swirled into existence near them like dust motes whipped up by an air current. Maraiel vanished just as quickly as she had appeared, and with a wave of Xallistine's wand, and perhaps a few wriggles of his tentacles, several bright, multicolored flashes danced in the air. Arva recoiled, cursing his albinism as his sensitive eyes watered and sent streams of tears running down his face as his eyes stung and his head spun worse than it had when the banshee had screamed. He slumped against one of the walls, Reona's small form protectively standing over his massive one.

 

The specter seemed angered that its cries only made everyone dizzy, and completely infuriated that someone had dared cast a spell in her direction, as she seemed to be preparing to open her mouth wide again. The next thing Ianthe knew, flames erupted in the space between Rhaine and Maraiel. Projectiles whizzed through the air, and Ianthe found herself quite unnerved by the fact that she couldn't hear them before they entered her field of vision. Ianthe blindly swung once again, hitting one of her scimitars on the cave wall with a sound that she could feel, and was grateful she could not hear. Her right wrist jarred with the impact, feeling sprained or even fractured, and she shrunk against the nearest wall with her left hand cradling it.

 

The entire scene seemed like pure, disorganized chaos to a panicky Alphonse as he pulled a book out of the satchel at his side, flipping it open with clumsy, fumbling fingers. A hand gripped his forearm tightly and he turned to see William shaking his head as Ianthe's pet hamster she'd given him hopped from his shirt pocket into William's violet robe. He considered backing down as the old wizard signaled for him to do, but the red-haired youth trembled with adrenaline as he saw the girl he loved hurt herself while trying to slay the banshee.

 

His breath was just as shaky as his legs as he approached the cave's mouth, dropping his book at the feet of the withered corpse of a man in armor, not shrinking or recoiling as he normally would. In the instant after the flames Rhaine had cast evaporated, a splash of what Alphonse assumed was holy water caused the banshee to writhe in agony as water cascaded down its ethereal form. The banshee vanished, reappearing before Alphonse's eyes and unhinging its jaw as if it were a snake engulfing prey, wailing what would have been a deadly, mournful shriek into his face. He blinked at the monster and placed his hands on either side of its head, his fingers feeling cool as they dipped through its wild hair, as words erupted from his lips and a spark of lightning jolted and danced in the spaces between his fingertips.

 

The banshee vanished again with a shockwave of air radiating from its body and sending Alphonse flying into the ironlike bark of an ancient tree more than thirty feet away. Pain erupted from the back of his head, and his consciousness faded into black.

Edited January 2, 2013 by tokyobleach

[mythicdawnmaster]

Greatly surprised at the sudden explosion of flame, and the gleam of holy water, Xallistine recoiled slightly at the bright light, his tentacles writhing like snakes. As the Banshee vanished once again, he looked around once more, only to see Reona standing protectively over the crumpled form of Arva. next it was the huge crackle of lightning, and the loud thud of bone against bark that caused the Ulitharid to turn his head. This truly was pure chaos, However the banshee had exhausted her cries, at least, he thought he had counted three. Unsure on whether to take the role of healer or to attempt to slay the banshee with barrages of magick, his mind was quickly made up as he saw the glowing form of Aricia make her way over to the young red haired boy.

 

The Archfey looked at the lad as his consciousness faded, and cast upon him a spell of healing. As she got to her feet once more, she stood protectively over the brave lad, her flowing robes moving like seaweed in the cold air, one hand ready to cast protective spells on the boy, and the other menacingly twirling her flail, ready to bear the banshee some injury.

 

As Xallistine saw the banshee once more, appearing from her little vortex of rippling energy, he made sure to warn everyone of what he was about to do, despite their inability to hear, he could penetrate their minds with his words "Everyone! Cover your eyes!" He bellowed in the minds of everyone there, hoping to give them enough time to shield them before he let loose his spell.

 

There was a nova-like burst as the small golden ball that had formed from Xallistine's wand met the banshee, a celestial light burst through the area, destroying the mist as it's divine light battled the evil energies of the cave, The banshee wailed not her deathly cry, but instead a melody of pain, as her ghostly eyes were blinded in the wonder of Blinding Glory.

Edited January 2, 2013 by mythicdawnmaster

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine shielded her eyes just in time to avoid the blinding light of Xallistine's spell. When the power dissipated, she found that Maraiel's eyesight had been severely hampered. Her form flickered wildly as she attempted to blink back to the Ethereal Plane. The Doomguide was furious...she had not yet glimpsed Nawen, and now both Ianthe and Alphonse were hurt. It was time to end this, and she knew just how to do it.

 

Calling upon her specialized magics, she drew divine power forth from her soul, lavender-tinted white energy swirling down her forearms and manifesting into a sphere of light. This Ethereal Purge she hurled at Maraiel, tearing her earplugs from her ears in anger and shouting, "You cannot escape your Judgment, spirit!"

 

The sphere expanded upon impact with the banshee, forming a trapping bubble around the elf hag and forcing her to remain on the Prime. All of her ghostly qualities were stripped from her, turning her wispy outline into a startlingly solid form.

 

Now her friends' attacks would find their marks.

Edited January 2, 2013 by AurianaValoria1

[Naktis]

The sound of crunching leaves brought Nawen's attention. "Someone's approaching." She thought as her hand slowly moved to her blade, laerothil. The crunching sound stopped; it was quiet again.

 

"Who are you?!" Nawen quickly jumped to her feet with her blade pointing at the Eladrin in front of her yet even with a blade pointed at him he did not seem scared. His attire was a mixture of leaves and scraps of clothing and his skin was of light grey color.

 

"You have excellent senses, ranger. I am impressed." The strangely dressed man spoke and stepped closer. Nawen stepped back.

 

"Who are you?" She repeated the question. "Is this man a banshee?" She thought. "Can a banshee change forms?"

 

"I am not a banshee." The elf said. His eyes focused on the drow. "You called for help and I answered. I must admit I did not expect to see a Drow." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. Especially when he addressed her by her race.

 

"I'm not like the others." Nawen replied both surprised that he could somehow tell and annoyed that the only person who came to the clearing obviously hated her kind.

 

"We shall see." The elf said as he looked at Nawen's blade as if showing that there is no reason for her to feel threatened by his presence. Not yet, at least. The drow sheathed her blade but still watched the Eladrin cautiously. She didn't trust him. Just because he doesn't look hostile at the moment, that doesn't mean he won't attack her at all.

 

"Can you at least tell me who you are?" Nawen asked again.

 

"Fenmarel Mestarine; or rather the avatar of The Lone Wolf, if you wish more details." Her mouth opened. She tried to say something but couldn't find any words fitting for this moment. She had heard of this name before. Her guardian, Calendil once bought her a book about the deities of Faerûn. Fenmarel Mestarine is the deity of feral elves and outcasts but why would he show himself to her of all people?

 

"I've heard about your hatred towards my people. Why would you care what happens to me?" Nawen finally spoke.

 

"I don't." He replied. "Give me the reason to care, prove that you are worthy."

 

There was a long pause after his words. Nawen again did not know what to say while the avatar of Fenmarel simply stared at her, patiently waiting for her to say something.

 

"How?" She asked. "Through simple tests." He said. "Inside the banshee's cave your friends are fighting Maraiel. You said you are not like the most of your kind, prove to me that it is not a mistake to trust you. Go and help your friends; this is going to be the first test."

 

"But I can't even escape this damned clearing! How am I suppose to find my way back to the cave?"

 

The Eladrin extended his hand. An oval shaped pendant with a pair of elven eyes and a simple leather strap lay in his palm. "Take this. It will show you the way." Nawen took the amulet and with that The Lone Wolf disappeared. She quickly put the amulet on and started walking. She did not know what kind of enchantment the amulet had but it felt as if she was walking down the road she walked many times before. Now, Nawen knew exactly where she's going.

[Ithildin]

Echo reacted instinctively to Xallistine's command, turning away from him and his target. The unearthly brilliance of his spell threw shadows of his tentacles across the cavern walls. Combined with an overwhelming fear for her injured companions, the ineffectiveness of her weapons and her inability to hear what was happening behind her, the dank walls and slithering shadow-serpents coalesced into a waking nightmare for the halfling. Unheard by anyone wearing earplugs, she shrieked and ran blindly from the cave; her feet carried her across the grisly webbed carpet, past the inert form of Alphonse and well beyond the outskirts of the clearing, where she tripped over a gnarled tree root and fell flat upon her face.

 

After lying in the undergrowth for some time, she rolled onto her side, and suddenly realized she’d lost all sense of direction: no landmark was visible, and she could not tell one mist-enshrouded oak from another.

 

* * *

Heeding Xallistine's warning, Mahira had immediately protected her eyes with her forearm, and saw neither the radiance of his Blinding Glory nor Echo's headlong flight from danger. When the Calishite finally uncovered her eyes, Rhaine had initiated her Ethereal Purge; forgetting that the banshee's wail was no longer a threat, Mahira was horrified to see the Doomguide remove her earplugs.

 

As Rhaine's Judgment trapped the monster, Mahira desperately lunged forward with scimitars raised, preparing to slash across its torso. In the same moment, the banshee threw its wrathful gaze upon her, raised its arms and invoked Gust of Wind; the force of the spell launched the Calishite headfirst into the cavern wall, knocking her senseless and scattering her blades.

[tokyobiohazard]

Ianthe's eyes widened as she watched Alphonse essentially almost sacrifice himself for the sake of the distraction that they had so desperately needed to weaken the banshee. As Aricia neared the bloodied youth and cast a spell of healing, Ianthe breathed a sigh of relief while covering her eyes as she was instructed, all in the same instant. She had nearly been bumped into by Echo as she rushed out of the cave, disappearing well past where Alphonse lay.

 

Arva covered his overly sensitive eyes with a forearm at Xallistine's warning, taking the opportunity to stand up while the spell was blinding Maraiel. When he was sure the spell was over, he peered out from the blackness of his arm pressed against his face, only to see Reona's white-blue eyes drilling holes into his head for scaring her. At least, that's what the look on her face said. He clutched at his heart to signify that her gaze had frightened him in turn.

 

The raven-haired elf shot him an annoyed look and nodded toward the clearing, where Alphonse lay slumped against the tree, free of the wounds he'd received, but still covered in blood from them; a scene which she regarded as being valiant and noble, but her real concern was that Alphonse had proved more useful in the past three minutes than she and Arva had ever been to the group.

 

Ianthe turned her head to the side and watched as Rhaine performed a complicated-looking bout of magic and snatched out her earplugs. The banshee's form suddenly morphed from a body made up of something akin to tendrils of smoke into a solid, definitive shape. Knowing just how reckless she was being, Ianthe ripped the wax from her ears as quickly as she could manage with one hand, before sprinting outside the cave and through the clearing toward Alphonse, leaping over the old bodies in her way.

 

As Mahira rushed into the fray of the battle, and was just as quickly thrown against the cavern wall, Arva and Reona sprang up and ran to her side. Arva was comforted to see that she was still alive, but still kept his eyes trained on her as Reona's keen eyes darted around the cavern, looking for the gleam of metal blades on the dark cave floor.

 

After bounding over the third body she'd passed, Ianthe stopped in her tracks and her heart seemed to erratically lose its rhythm as a horrid idea crept into her mind.

 

"Rhaine!" she called, leaning over to pick up the book Alphonse had dropped earlier, "She can't raise these dead soldiers, can she?"

 

Her question was answered as a bony hand curled around her ankle.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine stood tall in a state of victory as Maraiel's sight was destroyed, he revelled furthermore in fascination as Rhaine's spell diminished the banshee to a solid form. It was simply a case of finishing the vile creature off now. He looked around to make sure that no-one was blinded by his spell, and gave a nod to Rhaine, seeing that she had now removed the wax from her ears. His brow furrowed as he gazed at Arva and Reona tending to a now unconscious Mahira, the woman must have been knocked off her feet by the Banshee's defences. At hearing Ianthe's valid question, his attempt at reply was cut short, as a Skeletal hand wrapped itself around the ankle of the nymph, Xallistine cast a quick, wordless spell, almost instinctively, that turned the hand to a pile of dust. "It seems we will have to take the banshee out quickly, if we are to avoid summoning more of her minions, Try to Get Mahira off the ground!" He warned, not at all wanting the brave warrioress to be dragged into the dirt by the skeletal servants of Maraiel. he advanced upon the banshee, casting a series of flame spells at the blind killer.

 

As Ianthe came over to check on Alphonse, Aricia removed the plugs that were in her own ears, she looked at the nymph with her usually stone gaze, and said "He should be fine, nothing i can't repair once we are out of this mess." She turned, and released the shielding spell she had ready for the unconscious boy, should Ianthe have to fight, he'd at least survive any hits that she couldn't defend him from.

 

The Matron rushed into the battle, smacking the banshee with her flail as she passed, and engaging skeletal knights that began rising near the cave.

 

-------------------

 

Ravenna replied to Aedan as they made their way from the cave, heading towards the banshee's lair; it would take them at least another hour or so to reach it. "It simply... fuses together, no ritual required i am glad to say. There is but one final ritual i must perform, but that shall take place once we reach Sune's chapel."

Edited January 3, 2013 by mythicdawnmaster

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine snarled at the banshee, "I have had enough of you!"

 

She called a Bond of Fatal Touch, the lazy green flames springing from the crossguard of Touch of Death. The Doomguide could not approach the evil hag for all of the spells being cast, but she didn't need to. She hurled her bastard sword at Maraiel, the blade tumbling hilt over tip.

 

With an earsplitting shriek, the banshee took the blade straight to the heart, the pre-existing enchantments on top of the Bond too much for Maraiel to handle. The green flames engulfed the elf like tinder, and in seconds, the banshee's centuries-long reign of terror came to an abrupt end.

 

The necromantic energies no longer animating them, the corpses sank lifelessly back into the cobweb-laced earth.

 

It was over.

[Ithildin]

Echo sat up and looked wildly about her. No cobwebs to be seen ... but was there a path? She rose to her feet and wandered in what she thought was the right direction. No path anywhere. She put her hands to her ears and removed the enchanted wax, willing to risk hearing the banshee's deadly wail, so desperate was she for any sign of her companions. The only sound was her own heartbeat.

 

She turned this way and that, disoriented, letting her feet carry her in an entirely new direction. She walked as silently as ghostwise halflings are wont to do, torn between the strong desire to avoid detection and the longing to shout until her companions found her. But no, they're still wearing earplugs, she thought despondently. They'd never hear me.