Demons in the park

[From the Darkness He came] It started out as any normal day for everyone else. The weather was strangely warm this time of year for Chicago, but then, Global Warming was a slight issue. Kids were out on Spring break, and either already out of town, or enjoying the beaches around the lake.

But what drew our friends together wasn't the weather or the vacation time, but the shrieking sounds in Lincoln Park ad the growing black void of nothingness that were making people run.

[Emily Littleton] ((Awareness))
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Nathan Spriggs] [Perc + Aware]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Emily Littleton] She had just moved into a small flat not far from Lincoln Park, and Emily was using one of her last free days in the city before Easter to explore the neighborhood and the expanse of lake-front parkland. It's unseasonably warm, which delights the Orphan, and she's wearing a sundress and sandals. Her messenger bag's strap is slung shoulder-to-hip like always, and her fair skin is just barely starting to pink under the sun's rays.

By now she ought know better than to head toward screaming. Maybe it was a drive to protect (or further investigate) her new home-town, or something pulling at the edge of her Awareness, that drew her in.

[Nathan Spriggs] It was a fairly hot day today, so much so that Nathan actually considered leaving his usual brown trench coat at home. He thought better of it in the end, now the man found himself walking through the concrete paths of Lincoln Park. The cries and howls of animals still hadn't faded as he put distance between himself and the Zoo, having been checking on some leads for an investigation. Instead of heading back home, he decided to take a walk around the park.

A walk which was interrupted by the sound of screaming, and people running everywhere. Instead of following them, however, the man sped up his pace in the opposite direction, spreading out his senses to feel out his surroundings. Searching and scanning for something out of place, something unnatural.

[From the Darkness He came] A black void, a doorway Nathan knows all too well when his girl has one of her fits. But this time, it was open much larger than anything she could pull off. Both see a shadow of a figure inside it, large and a bit intimidating to say the least. At first, he looked normal by way of his shadowy silohuette, until 2 large wings seemed to spread out then close back up once more.

That wouldn't be so bad, except, who or what ever it was, had also let 4 small strange creatures into the human world. No more than 2 feet tall, purple skinned, tiny horned, tails and claws, they were bouncing around running after the screaming people. A crawling feeling comes over Nathan and Emily as they feel words form in their minds. Not their words, but from something else. "Find her, my pets, find her and we shall be free of here for good."

[Emily Littleton] It's a sucker punch to the gut (someone walking over your grave [moonlight glimped through a soot-clouded windowpane] midnight in a crumbling abbey) and Emily comes up short, just to where the intangible inky black oozes around her feet and threatens to swallow up her ankles.
There's a coldness to her features (fear [hesitation]) and not for the first time, she wishes she were more. More than just an Apprentice, more capable of fielding situations like this. But the last time, when they were Called to the Chantry, there had been others. So she looks around, hopes and prays inwardly to find a face she recognizes in the crowd.

"Nathan!" Emily shouts, and for a moment their differences (whatever they might be) are inconsequential. The Orphan is hurrying toward him now, wide-eyed and worried, pushing her way past screaming bystanders and desperately trying to avoid purple minions. "Nathan, what the hell is that?" she asks of the elder, hopefully more experienced mage.

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan came to a sudden halt at the feelings assailing him, the sensation was all too recognizable, and unpleasant. A deep, calming breath to stop himself from shaking too visibly, he scanned his surrounding for a second. Then suddenly, out of nowhere a familiar face, Emily the Orphan, someone he'd had difficulties before but this was not the time so the thoughts were snuffed. "I have no certain idea. But it's an Umbral being of some kind, if I had to guess. A very bad one. It must've found a way through the shallows." His tone conveyed that he was almost as lost as her on the matter, and definitely worried.

Meanwhile, his right hand had already instinctively drawn the Five-SeveN from his pockets, both hands holding it and trembling slightly. Still, he knew he couldn't run away, not now. A second later, he set forward again, albeit at a much slower pace, more calculated and careful not to run amok of anything and in case Emily decided to tag along for whatever reason.

His mind was elsewhere in the meantime, his thoughts were on the universe, how Quintessence flowed through everything like the blood vessels of reality. The flow of those vessels and the nudge necessary to alter that flow. He was concentrating on the gun held in his hands, altering his own flow into the runes carved on the grip, into it.

[Prime 2, vulgar; diff 6 (-2 Resonance; -1 rote)] WP
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 3, 7 (Success x 3 at target 3) [WP]

[From the Darkness He came] These purple imps are clawing at the people, biting them and so on. No one is paying any mind to the 2 mages that now stand amidst the chaos. Again, a low, truly eerie voice flows through their minds, obviously directed to the minions he is controlling. "My patience is getting low, my pets. She has ignored the calls. Find her!"

The being tried to push forth from the void, but finds he can not. As if some barrier keeps him from entering our world.

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan's steps came to a halt again, he turned to Emily. After the woman at the park, the Virtual Adept and everything else, he'd made a resolution to never let anyone die in front of him if he could avoid it. Suddenly, the Five-SeveN was turned around, barrel pointing downward and grip towards Emily. "Take it. You might need it," his tone was grave and serious, like he wouldn't take no for an answer. Not to mention the Resonance around the gun made it clear he'd done something to it, an improvement of some kind?

At the same time, his left hand dove into his pocket and took out the Glock 29, this was one of the reasons he always kept two handguns on himself at all times now. His concentration went off again, the same as before, this into the Glock's runes. He'd been smart enough to carve them out with time in case he ever needed to do this.

[[Prime 2, vulgar; diff 6 (-2 Resonance; -1 rote)]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 4 (Failure at target 3)

[Nathan Spriggs] [Prime 2, coincidental; diff 6 (-2 Resonance; -1 rote;)] WP this time
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 1 (Failure at target 3) [WP]

[Emily Littleton] Umbral. Emily filed this word away in her things to ask Ashley about bin. There were so many new words, and most of them meant Big Bad Thing, and she wasn't quite up to speed yet. The Orphan followed Nathan, keeping a healthy distance behind the guy with the gun. She wasn't sure what to do, but she was sure she didn't want to be separated from the only person she knew, the only calm presence in the park, just now.

When he stopped, she came up beside him. Her expression was grave but attentive. Something in the Orphan had hardened since they met last. It was clear from the way that she accepted the firearm that she had little to no training (beyond point, hold your breath, and shoot), but she would try.

"Cheers," she said, but her teeth were clenched a little too tightly for it to sound pleasant. Emily bowed her head for a mouth, dragging out a pattern in the grass with the toe of her sandal. It wasn't clear to anyone else what she was drawing, but it let her focus and reach out to find any weaknesses in the pattern of the portal before her.

((Entropy, dif 4, extending to next round))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3 (Failure at target 4)

[Emily Littleton] ((Extended, Entropy 1 + WP))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8 (Success x 2 at target 4) [WP]

[From the Darkness He came] Their magicks caught His attention. And a feeling of sickening evil crawled over their skin. His voice was heard breaking into their minds, making them want to fall to their knees but strength of will keeps them standing, barely. "You! I want the Baruti! Bring her to me at once! Or I will have my pets kill everyone in this park!"

[Emily Littleton] There's a growing sense of Reverence building around the younger mage, at direct odds with the malicious swirl of magic around them. This Reverence reaches out from the core of her, thrums and sings and holds back against the darkness. It is a static thing, protective and pure. Calm.

"Nathan," she says, her voice calm and mildly distracted. It must have seemed odd, considering how taut and tense her body language was. Emily's eyes are focused on a point in the void swirling around the maleficent presence. "There's a weakness, there," she does her best to describe it's location, and points (letting the firearm fall rest in left hand only, and always pointed down and away from the people around her). "If we force it, maybe he'll go ..." Away? Elsewhere? It seemed the most expedient answer.

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan glanced toward Emily for a moment and nodded ever so slightly. He seemed the polar opposite of her, something had shaken him up very badly, the thing's... words or thoughts or something. Now he knew roughly what they were up again. The decision between worrying for their safety or not sharing the information was hard for him but logic came through in the end.

"This thing is from the Dead Lands. I'm certain. Remember how I've said the reason Kaya was so... psychotic was because evil spirits were haunting and trying to control her?" He paused there, gulping at the realization of what he was about to say.

"That's the one, Kaya's the Baruti. As she drew away from his influence with my help, it got pissed, and now it found a Shallow to sustain it for a while so he can come and haunt her. I think... so she can break it out for good." His voice shook with barely controlled anxiety and terror at the thought. Spirits were not something he was good with, and this one was... pure evil. Almost literally. "We have to take our chances and destroy the weakness. If not, I'll hold this as long as I can and you get out and get help."

Still, afraid as he was, his focus was amazing, a part of him remained on focusing, forcing his will on the flow of Quintessence into the gun still.

[Prime 2, coincidental; diff 6 (-2 Resonance; -1 rote;)]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 7, 7 (Success x 2 at target 3)

[From the Darkness He came] "Kaya. Yessss. That's the one. Bring her to me! And you can go in peace!" Two of the imps have stopped and moved to in front of the void, staring down the two mages before them. "Do it, and I might actually let her live when I am through with her."

[Emily Littleton] No, Emily did not remember, but that was beside the point. Nathan got a quizzical look from the Orphan. It didn't last long, couldn't last long, because the voice in her skull was reverberating awfully. At least this one did not come with searing pain and dizzy spells. One could be greatful for the little blessings, surely.

"We're not giving it her," Emily said, her expression hardening angrily as her gaze quickly snapped between the advancing purple things and the swirling void beyond them. Now both hands came back to the gun, trying to steady it. And she pointed it at the closest purple things.

She would not, ever, hand another person over to such evilness. No matter how much chaos and heartache they had caused. Emily was too idealistic, too hopeful, for that.

"You tell me what to do, and I'll follow directions as best I can. Okay?" she said. Clearly not leadership material. But it didn't take much training and resolve to figure out that working together, and planning, might help here. "The gremlins first, or the weakness? I'm afraid it'll get shored up if we wait too long." Or that the mini-demons would chew their limbs off, if they didn't take care of them first.

Yes, her voice was less calm, shakier, now. But Emily hadn't run away screaming or ducked behind something tall and shelter-like just yet. Clearly she wasn't leaving Nathan to fend for himself either.

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan gazed at her over his shoulder a moment, a slight smile curling in his lips at her words and a momentary nod. Then he turned back to the monsters and the main event, the thing behind this. He had a plan, it wasn't the smartest but if it worked, that was all they needed. "Unless you can do more with a gun than point and click, you know where the weakness is. Take it out. I'll take out the moving targets and that... thing if I can." Now he sounded more confident, afraid and a bit terrified, but confident.

He decided to explain a key detail, though she might have felt it already. "These guns have Quintessence injected into them, theoretically speaking they should affect Patterns as well as physical forms. Long story short, we can kill spirits... hopefully." With that, he separated from her slightly, going towards the gremlins which continued their attack. The gun was leveled and with a squeeze of the trigger, a single shot went off toward one of the gremlins that was just clear enough to avoid friendly fire.

[Nathan Spriggs] [Dex + Firearms - 2 body armor]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Nathan Spriggs] [Dam + Suxx]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin A Soak 1d
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4 (Failure at target 6)

[From the Darkness He came] Nathan lets off a shot, and it hits Gremlin A in the shoulder, throwing it back a bit. It falls still to the ground, unmoving.

-He- is pissed. Letting out a scream of rage, his wings out full. "You dare to fight back! I offered you an out! But now, it is OVER!!!"

Roll inits

[Emily Littleton] ((Init: +6))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5

[Nathan Spriggs] [+4]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin B +3
Gremlin C +4
Gremlin D +3
Gremlin E +5
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5

[From the Darkness He came] Emily 11
Gremlin E 10
Nathan 9
Bremlin C 9
Gremlin B 8
Gremlin D 8

declare in reverse

Gremlin D
1a) flank mages
1b) Claw Nathan

Gremlin B
1a) move to guard void

Gremlin C
1a) close in on Emily
1b) Claw Emily

[Nathan Spriggs] [1a. Shoot Gremlin D]

[Emily Littleton] Declare: Shoot Void Weakness + WP

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin E
Protect void

[Emily Littleton] ((Dex(3) + Firearms(0), dif 6 + 1 (firearms 0) +2 (called shot)))
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 1, 7, 10 (Success x 1 at target 9) [WP]

[Emily Littleton] ((Damage, base 5 + 0, dif 6))
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 5, 5, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin E just stares down the mages

[Emily Littleton] ((Additional damage die))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3 (Failure at target 6)

[Nathan Spriggs] [Dex + Firearms -2]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[Nathan Spriggs] [Dieeeeee. Gremlin D!]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin D soak 2d
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin C
1a) move to Emily
1b) Claw Emily 4d
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 7 (Failure at target 7)

[From the Darkness He came] Gremlin B is guarding void entrance

Gremlin d
1a) move to Nathan
1b) Claw Nathan 3d diff 10 due to body armour
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 8, 9 (Failure at target 10)

[From the Darkness He came] Emily took the shot, and something happened, she could see it. Whatever it was, it made Him scream out in rage again. Gremlins B and E close in to guard their Master. Nathan took his shot as well. He hit, and it managed to stagger the imp but the imp got right back up again, and tried to claw at Nathan's eyes, missing horribly. Gremlin C tried as well, to claw out Emily's eyes, and it failed as well.

-His- voice is felt on their minds again, almost sickening to them. "Last chance, bring me the Baruti before I destroy this park, and you in it!"

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan didn't look to Emily, the thing's reaction was all he needed to know it'd been a successful attempt to destabilize the portal. Whatever Emily saw was just the spot, but monsters came at them now. One of them tried a sneaky little attack on him and he glanced to it and backed off, turning to the main monster. Then, his gun was lowered a bit, he merely looked at it.

Then he spoke, it was calm and collected, cold even. Everything he wasn't feeling right now, but he was a damn good liar. He could act the part. "Take the gremlins back. Now. And you'll have your Baruti. She'll be here in thirty minutes. I promise you that. She's not worth dying over."

[Emily Littleton] Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Emily kept the gun trained as best she could on the weakness in the portal. Even as Nathan tried to barter with one of the devil's own. It turned her stomach, but she'd agreed to follow the other mage's lead. If it showed any sign of noncompliance, disagreement, if the hell-thing so much as sneezed at the wrong moment, she would shoot at the weakness again, try to close the portal before she lost sight of the rift in its margin.

Nathan got a cold glare, for a moment, then a curt nod from Emily. Then it was back to watching, waiting, and the adrenaline fueled readiness.

[From the Darkness He came] -He- was quiet for a moment. Then he raised his hand. The 2 imps that were attacking, fell back to stand with the other 2. Four imps lined in front of the void entrance now, one with a hit to the stomach.

"You have 30 minutes. Bring me the girl, and your lives are spared." His voice in their minds made them want to vomit, and it took effort not to. But Nathan seemed to have gotten the Nephandi's attention now.

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan stared at it for a moment, as though contemplating it. Then he took a step forward, sneering at the thing's words. It was just as expected, it seemed blinded by greed. Still, he kept himself steady. The lie had to hold up, even if Emily hated him for it. "Our lives are spared? We could fight these minions of yours and defeat them. I didn't call a ceasefire for that. No. I have something I want."

Another step forward, he was steadily approaching the void, the thing to be exact, steadily and calmly. He had to keep the conversation going, maintain the illusion that he wanted to negotiate.

[Nathan Spriggs] Addendum: Meanwhile, the gun was pocketed again, though his hands remained in his pockets just in case.

[Emily Littleton] It was hot, almost swelteringly so, between the nervousness, the adrenaline, and the unseasonable warmth Emily was uncomfortable even in her lightweight dress. She had to consciously remind herself not to lock her knees, or clench her jaw so tightly that she started getting a headache -- both bad habits seemed to keep recurring in her, now, with everything swirling around them.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" she hissed, keeping the firearm trained on the growing rend. Emily's teeth caught the edge of her lower lip, bit down nervously. She held the gun in her left hand, still pointed where it needed to go, and started to fish her cellphone out of the messenger bag. It was something she could do without looking, without thinking. It was a practiced thing.

[From the Darkness He came] Four sets of imp eyes watched Nathan approach and they tensed up. The being in the void stood there, and folded his arms across his chest. As they drew closer to the void, they could feel His resonance, a feeling of hatred, anger and corruption. His voice came across their minds once more. "Tell me then, little man, what is it you want?"

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan stopped there, five feet from the thing. They were now more or less face to face, he could feel himself shaking, but he willed himself to stay steady. He had to stay cool, stay collected. Emily's question went ignored, she'd know soon enough. Hopefully he'd buy her time to escape and get help if this failed. Again he sneered at it's words. "This is what I want--"

Then, a hail of bullets ripped through his coat pocket at its body, that was the advantage of of the large pockets. He could move his hand and objects around inside them without much hint otherwise. It had been too greedy, too trusting in someone's ability for treason. Meanwhile, he shouted something that seemed like "I'd never betray an ally!"

[Nathan Spriggs] [Dex + Firearms -2, diff 6 - 2 range] WP
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 7, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 4) [WP]

[Nathan Spriggs] [Dam + Suxx]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[From the Darkness He came] A hail of gunfire it was, pouring from Nathan's coat. He seems to go through alot of them lately. And they hit true, rippling through the shield of the void and into the Nephandus before them. -He- cried out, in surprise, maybe fear, but definietly pain and rage. The wounds across his chest made his stagger away from the entrance, horribly wounded. He had enough left in him that he rose his hand, and the void closed itself, but not before sucking in the remaining imps that were seconds from jumping the two mages. One last sickening thought went through Nathan and Emily's mind once more before they felt relief, and calmness in the Park once more. "This is not the last you will see me."

[Emily Littleton] The void imploded, taking the umbral creatures with it, sweeping across their senses with one last sickening twist. The Orphan's hands trembled, even as the bright, hot sunlight burnt away the last tendrils of ethereal inkiness, but she did not drop the gun down. It was pointed at nothing, but she couldn't lower her arms just yet.

Her breathing was shaky, now, now that there wasn't any real threat, any clear and present danger or need for that readiness. She pressed her eyes shut, swallowed hard, and slowly let the arm holding the imbued weapon drop down until the gun was held at her side and pointed toward the ground.

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan stumbled backward and fell on his ass on the grass. The look on his face was neither joy, nor relief, simply surprise. Surprise that he hadn't been ripped to shreds, surprise that his gamble had worked, that the portal had been closed for now at least. Still, the Nephandic spirit worried him, it was gone but not for good. Kaya was in danger, and now that he knew exactly what was after he, he was afraid. For her and for himself, since now it'd be gunning for him too.

After a few seconds of staring into space blankly, hoping the portal didn't reappear, he slowly got to his feet. Looking around at the park and up at the bright sunlight in daze, it was like a brand new day. Waking up from some horrible nightmare. For now, he turned to Emily, walking towards her slowly, his legs were shaking and he felt like he'd stumble at the slightest thing.

"Are... you okay? I'm sorry I didn't warn you..." His voice was as shaky as he looked, now all the fear and anxiety over what he'd done came over him, he realized what a stupid move it'd been. Still, there was also a hint of happiness about the fact it was over, and that it'd worked.

[Emily Littleton] She was in shock, plain and simple. The too-pale skin tone (lightly pinked by sunburn already) and the wide-eyed look denoted shell-shock if nothing more. Emily was no more okay than Nathan; they were both shaken and reeling from the realization that they were, indeed, alive and well.

She tried, so hard, to make her mouth work into a smile. It never made it past a tight-lipped line that twitched upwards in the corner. "That... was... either bloody stupid or brillant," she said, her voice coming out a hoarse whisper until she coughed a little, and it moderated back to her usual (if too tight) tone.

"Since we're alive... I think I'll go with brilliant."

It was the closest thing to a compliment she'd given him. Ever. And it might just be because Emily was horrified by the alternatives. But one took compliments where they could get them in this town, didn't they?

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan simply stared at her, a barely visible nod at her doubts on whether it was smart or not. Still, he took the compliment with a smile that was only slightly more successful than hers. Cold sweat staining his shirt, front of the coat torn up, he looked like hell even without all the fear in his eyes.

"I don't drink anymore, personally... but I'll buy you a drink. You were marvelous." He sounded better now, that was one of his specialties, even if he wasn't honest better, he could act it. Make others feel better, or make them confident when he was actually terrified. For now, he extend his arm towards her. He settled for just making Emily feel better after this whole mess, any possible antagonizing that had happened between the two was forgotten at this moment.

[Emily Littleton] "I..." Emily starts, but then swallows back the words. Her mouth purses a little, her brows creases. Worry. There's a shudder, as the adrenaline leaching out of her bloodstream seems to leave her all at once. (Falling [Fallen] crash). It's a ripple, sliding over her features like a shadow, leaving something younger and less confident in its wake.

"I've a friend who lives not far from here. Owen?" She pauses a moment, waits to see if there's recognition on Nathan's face for the name. "I'd rather go there than a drink," she says. Perhaps she hasn't the stomach for alcohol just now. Perhaps also she knows that she won't stop drinking if she starts. "He'll know what to do. We can't--"

Again she faulters. "Kaya, he can't get to her." There's pleading in Emily's eyes. She knows what it's like to have your demons come home to roost, at least in figurative terms. "I don't know her, just of her." (I don't know what to do to make her safe.)

[Nathan Spriggs] Nathan watched her, an expression of concern on his face, when she mentioned Owen, his memories of a young man at the park a while back came back. She mentioned going to his place, he responded with a nod, not ready for words yet.

Then her concern for Kaya, his expression turned grave at that for a fleeting instant, but then back to normal more or less. Better than anyone he knew that thing couldn't find her, that he had to stop it no matter what. For a moment he wants to comfort Emily and tell her it'll be alright... but the words are stuck in his throat. Even he can't bring himself to say such a bare faced lie. "We'll go to Owen first..."

He decides to address that first, from there they can discuss and plan what to do. "After that night... when I first met her... She's been living at my bar, in the apartment upstairs, I've been looking out for her since I knew something bad was affecting her..." Again, he feels a lump in his throat, he can't bring himself to say the last few words but wills it anyway. "...I didn't think it was so horrible... No matter what, I won't let it get her... but for now we need to figure out what to do... I hurt it but it... won't be gone for long... We need to take decisive action, that thing can't be let loose." Even with all his panic and worry, the last few words come out confidently, and not the fake kind either, it even took him by surprise.