Sinegard Academy for the Wayward

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“So we summon a demon to fight a demon?” M’Kael asked. “We’d need to summon a named one. Or a Demon Prince to overpower The Engineer.”

“From what I can see of the damage and the impact points. They may have been fighting one opponent.” Magdalena said. “A high level assassin.”

“What about the catacombs? The sewers?” M’Kael suggested not wanting to get near the Raven Queen again.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Catacombs?

“High level assassin. That is just great” Gem groaned

“I think M’Kael and Callo can check the catacombs faster than we can. But we kind of trashed it last time we were there. Magdalena, you were the last person there. Any chance someone could return and use it?” Angus asked.

“We are not splitting up again.” Gem said. “If we need to check them, we do it as a team”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“Ok, everyone.. group hug..” M’Kael joked before he shifted everyone into the shadows and dragged them along. Slipping back out they were in a tunnel deep underground. “I’ve never exactly explored or mapped this place..”

Glaring at M’Kael Magdalena said, “I don’t hug.. and you’re a pervert.”

“Takes one to know one..”​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Catacombs

Gem produced a small light to illuminate the hallway they were in. They stood in a hall that was deathly quiet, and the magical light caught the floating dust in the air. There was a musty aroma of centuries old tomes and long-dried ink. The corridor walls were stone, pierced by doorways that opened into chambers of widely varying size, some filled with books, others loose piles of scrolls or books piled on the floor. The ceiling was low and held spiderwebs.

“I can sense the catacombs dimensions and can lead us out of here” Angus told everyone. It was an inherent ability of a minotaur.

“Where do we start?” Gem asked

“I Think there should be a large chamber at the end of this passageway.” Angus told her.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Nodding in agreement M’Kael moved that way. “Yeah, it feels that way by the shadows as well.”

Turning he took a couple steps before stopping. “There’s something down here. The shadows are changing.”

Stepping forwards, Magdalena pulled her spear to the fore, ready for a fight.

Moving down the tunnel Mag moved slowly, her feet disturbing the dust, her boot prints leaving little trace. With her eyes closed she continued as M’Kael stayed along the wall, keeping to the shadows.

“We’re all going to die down here,” he whispered hauntingly.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem, Callo, and Angus

“Ohh spooky” Angus joked

“Ok, stop it you two” Gem said and casted “true sight”. The spell allowed Gem to see things as they actually were. She had truesight, noticed secret doors hidden by magic, any creatures, any traps, and she could see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.

Callo had blindsight out 30 ft and darkvision 120 ft. Plus she had the dragon ability perception anything near her.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“Hey if there is an assassin down here, we are dead, so I might as well have some fun.” M’Kael replied. “The shadows just changed... they’re invisible. I think. So, Gem and Callo are the only ones to see it.”

“Everyone be on alert, even if it’s not invisible it can still vanish right in front of you if it’s good enough,” Magdalena warned. “I’ve had the same training.” she admitted.

Moving forwards, she opened and examined each room carefully, not wanting to be taken from behind.

A soft whirring noise could be heard echoing through the catacombs for several minutes, slowly getting louder and fading, and louder again and fading, and then once more until a drone came around the corner.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem

Gem quickly fired ten glowing darts of magical force at the drone. The magic missiles hit the drone simultaneously, doing force damage against it.

Angus has his axe up and ready to do battle against the drone. Callo continued to look in the opposite direction in case something attacked from the other way.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Shaking under the barrage of missiles, the Drone pushed up against the ceiling and detonated, shattering the stone roof and bringing down a shower of rock and dirt as the cavern shook.

View attachment 2514413​

A figure stepped around the corner and fired a grenade launched rapidly before stepping back as fragmentation, shock, and pepper canisters detonated amongst the group.

And then a wall of Force appeared at the end of the hall, blocking anyone from continuing forwards until it was destroyed.

Coughing, and injured from falling debris, M’Kael dropped to the ground, cuts and bruises covering him as he seeped into the shadows and vanished.

“I can’t detect him, he has to be wearing a helm or ring of alignment.” Magdalena shouted as a glowing field covered her skin, shaking off the rocks and debris as the roof shook. “We need to go before the ceiling caves in.”​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem

Time Stop was a strange spell. Everything froze where it was when the spell was cast. This included shockwaves and debris clouds. Gem needed to become ethereal just to move around. She casted ethereal spells on Callo and Angus as well. So, they would only take a small amount of damage.

Being ethereal she was able to walk through stone to find the assassin location. She placed a series of delayed fireballs, cold blasts, ball lightning around the assassin. Then she returned to her spot and started time again.

At the same time, she teleported the group away, back to the professor’s house. M’Keal was the only one there when the massive explosion went off at the assassin location.

“What the hell happened?” Angus ask as blood dripped from his face. As he tried to wipe it away, his ethereal hand passed right through his own face. “Am I dead?” He asked even more puzzled.

“No” Gem said and removed the spell from him and Callo.

“Shall we return to the catacombs?” She asked Magdalena

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“He was waiting for us,” Magdalena coughed. “Knew we’d be coming. Used drones to fucking find us.”

“That means we’re on the right track. Ravyn has to be down there.” Magdalena replied looking at Gem. “Yeah, we go back.”

“Where’s M’Kael?” She asked looking around. “Did he get left behind?”

***

Slipping from one shadow to the next M’Kael felt like he was falling though he wasn’t going anywhere.

When he did finally emerge from the shadows he saw Ravyn suspended above a pentagram, the Engineer and a dozen Acolyte in the room. Five of them were chanting a ritual that made M’Kael head hurt and his nose bleed, as the rest of the Acolytes were ready with wards and spells.

Fuck he should have studied magic more and maybe he could tell what they had going on. Laying between his sisters bare breasts was a Diamond that had to be worth a million dollars. Flawless and large it was turning pink as energy was stripped from Ravyn.

Turning he ducked and fell into the shadows as the assassin’s darts sank into the wall behind him.

***

Rolling out from underneath a bed in a dorm he started clawing at his arm. It burned for a moment before going numb.

A razor thin scrape showed where the dart had caressed his skin. Twitching in pain he ground his teeth, He’d suffered worse in the Abyss. Reaching out with the power he drew it into himself, the shadows filling him until his eyes were black and not even a glimmer of light escaped.

Standing up he looked more like a solid shadow than a living man. Walking over to the door he stepped into the doorway and out of the upstairs bedroom of the Professor’s house.

Walking down the stairs the man shadow continued absorbing shadows leaving everything a pasty-gray hue.
​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem

“Where’s M’Kael?” Magdalena asked looking around. “Did he get left behind?”

“He went into the shadows. I figure he is still down there somewhere.” Gem answered

Gem was getting ready to teleport everyone back to the catacomb, when the walking shadow showed up.

“M’Kael… just in time. Do you need any healing?” Gem asked

Pentagram Room

No one had noticed the fine water droplets on Ravyn’s body. Or maybe they had noticed and thought she was sweating. Given what she was going through, it made sense. But sometimes the most logical explanation was not the right one.

Angela had become mist. A form a vampire can hold indefinitely. She could even hide inside Ravyn’s lungs if she needed to be completely hidden. She was waiting for the right moment to break the pentagram which was made of salt… or tip over a candle… or kill an Acolyte before they finished a spell. She just was unsure when to act. She knew she needed to do it soon based upon the color of the diamond.

She had to reveal herself to take an action. She might stop what they are doing to Ravyn, but she’d be quickly destroyed and then they could restart. She needed to do it at the critical moment. That way all hell would break lose. That might be literally what happens… as the hell demon inside Ravyn might destroy all the people on earth.

“What are you waiting for Angela, you are already dead.” She said to herself. Then she saw something… a shadow… it was gone in a split second. Could it have been M’Kael? She decided to wait just a bit longer.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Shaking his head no, M’Kael stood as the shadows faded from him, until he was in his armored form.

“Ravyn’s down there. Some ritual a big diamond. The Engineer is casting a ritual and he’s got a lot of magical allies.” M’Kael reported to the group. “The walls are covered in runes or something. Probably anti-good or wards or fucked up spells.”

“Getting in will be a war.” He warned.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Help Wanted

“I think we are out of allies” Callo commented

“No more Dragons?” Angus asked Callo. The shadow dragon shook her head no.

“Well, I might be able to add a few constructs” Gem said “What about you, Angus?”

“I could ask a few members of the football team… they would use guns, no magic” Angus replied.

“We need some magical firepower… M’Kael, Callo, Magdalena?” Gem asked “Other ideas?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

M’Kael shrugged. “Ravyn is the magic user, and our mother.”

“We may need to use more conventional means,” Magdalena said. “Guns, grenades, etc. As for any more allies, I would normally call the Inquisition. But it would take days for them to get here.”

“And I don’t have spell capability, Just prayers,” Magdalena informed them. “And the Holy Lance.” she added gesturing with her spear.
​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem

“Well, I have plan… but it is risky. Angus, forget the football players, I don’t think we have the time. Grab all the weapons we have remaining… give them who ever needs them. M’Kael, Callo, and Magdalena. I’ll be back in 5 minutes. Then we attack.

Gem teleported away.

Angus walked over to the remains of the professor’s house. Picking through the wreckage. He came back with two M4 carbine with grenade launch tube (one grenade each), one belt fed 50 cal, two land mine/explosives, and a few hand guns.

“Anything you guys and gals want?” He asked “I figure I should carry the belt fed 50 cal”

Gem popped back holding a strange silver crystal ball.

“My plan is simple…” She said explained to everyone what she was going to try.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“I’ll take the land mines. I’ll slide them into some critical area’s and hopefully take some villians out. And one M4 and one hand gun.” M’KAel said grabbing the weapons and making sure they were ready to go before slinging them onto his body.

“I’ll take two handguns,” Magdalena said grabbing said weapons and affixing them to her gear. “At least I’ll be able to put the gun-Kata training to use.” She added as she checked the condition of her blades and spear.

“I’m gonna need to pray before we go.” She told the group shrugging. “All the help we can get, right?”
​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem

While Magdalena was praying, Gem cast protection and inspiration spells on everyone. Then she cast invisibility on everyone.

“Time to go” she told everyone. As Magdalena finished her sacraments. Everyone was teleported into the catacombs.

The passage they had been in when attacked by the drone and assassin had collapsed. But not the way forward. Gem had placed the team at the of the collapse. They all knew that because of this, there was no retreating. There was no way out, but by rescuing Ravyn.

There were now also duplicate and visible Gem, Angus, M’Kael, Callo, and Magdalena heading down the passageway in front of the invisible one.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

As they rounded the corner they could see a static cloud of mist grayish-green in color. A stinking cloud…

The illusions wouldn’t be affected but the invisible group would be. There were also runes on the walls, floor, and ceiling.

“That’s a ward vs Good.” Magdalena commented. “I know I won’t be able to get through.”

“And it looks like it’s tied to something else as well. Probably a trap or explosive. Maybe acid?” M’Kael commented softly.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Gem

The illusions stopped before the cloud and huddled. The invisible team members also huddled.

“We have a few options” Gem whispered “We all become Ethereal and walk through the wall. However the wards might stop us. M’Kael and Callo uses their shadow ability and we enter the room that way. Same problem with the wards. I try to remove the ward with dispel magic, problem is I might not be powerful enough to do it. We become Gaseous Forms… same ward problem. Lastly we place the mines against the wall… and blow a hole through the wall.

Any other ideas? Anything you like best?” Gem asked.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“From experience the wards don’t care what form you’re in.. you can’t pass over, under, thru them.” M’Kael reported as Magdalena nodded.

“Ward are designed that way so they can’t be ‘fooled’” Magdalena said. “We’ll have to use the mines to blow a hole through the wall, and thus break the wards.”

Confused M’Kael looked at the group. “I managed to get in there before.. just a little while ago, where the wards not up then?”

“Probably not, because of your shadow skills they indubitably took precautions to prevent such an event happening again. And it’s probably well lit as well.”​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Callo

Callo grabbed one of the mines. M’Kael the other

“Give us some cover fire.” She asked as she vanished into the shadows.

“Ok… Let do it” Gem said. Suddenly, a fog cloud filled the passageway. No one could see anything. Gem launched a fireball towards the stinking cloud. There was a nice explosion, but they could not see anything with the exception of a firey glow.

Callo popped out of the darkness and placed the mine against the wall. Then she was gone again.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Pushing through the shadows M’Kael planted his device and flicked away. Noting that the Ceremony Room had been filled with lights, hence removing any shadows from it at all.

Magdalena walked forwards, her skin burning and peeling as it charred, the Wards were painful as hell as she pressed through them. M’Kael would be able to pass through with ease she figured, though she wasn’t sure about the others, or how many different wards they had.

She could hear the chanting from the Dark Acolytes and their Master reverberating and echoing through the passage. Stumbling as the pressure released, she realized she was on the far side of the Ward versus Good. Hopefully that was the only one.

In the light of the glowing walls – a result of Gems Fireball spell – she could see movement, but she didn’t have Dark vision so couldn’t tell what it, or they, was.

“We’ve got company!” She called to the others. “But I can hear the chanting!” Readying her spear she prayed over her blade, not that it really needed it, but the act was comforting.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

It’s On

Out of the darkness the sound of a 50 cal fired at the creatures. The rounds that did not hit the creatures impacted the wall. Large chucks of stone added to the hail storm of bullets.

One of the wards were dispelled. It surprised Gem, she had been able to bring one down. But she was happy that magic barrier was gone.

Callo had followed Magdalena into the ward. Since she was not a “good” creature that ward had no effect on her. she too could hear the chanting.

Inside the chamber

Magdalena and Callo could hear chanting. Angela could hear “We’ve got company!” she decided the time to act was now.

Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, Angela was standing next to Ravyn. She grabbed the diamond gem. It was beautiful, large, and a shade of pink from the energy being stripped from Ravyn.

“Ta Ta” Angela said to the engineer and she disappeared with the diamond.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

As soon as Angela appeared the Engineer looked confused, and then horrified when she grabbed the gem. And then she vanished and several things happened at once.

1) all the Acolytes turned inside out but remained alive for several minutes.

2) The Walls turned to molten rock and oozed upwards towards the ceiling, or sideways, or in on themselves.

3) all the sigils on the walls failed instantly.

4) A gelatinous cube filled the hallway, summoned from some place in the prime material plane.

5) the Cube the Engineer always carried vanished.

6) an individual appeared in the room sitting on a throne/great chair.
​