Old World Monsters Act One: Of Pagans

[Marcao]

The scream in the distance was very satisfactory. Still, he did not allow himself the time to enjoy the sensation as it rippled through his body. There was no guarantee that his spell had indeed slain his target and there was something about the scream itself that was instinctively not human. It was then that his attention was drawn elsewhere. The unnaturally quick movements immediately brought a thought above all others.

Vampires.

He was not terribly fond of the creatures of the night. How could he be when they recoiled from the lord’s touch and were enemies of the very Sun? He watched the struggle ensue between these two new adversaries and considered the best approach. He felt remarkably little when one of the mercenaries appeared to have been shot, his eyes did not even linger on the figure for more than a moment. All mercenaries knew the risks, he had not become attached to the individuals fighting alongside him in the defense of the town. God helped those that helped themselves.

It was with that thought in mind that he twisted the spell he had already been working on before the vampires had breached the perimeter of the town. Originally, he had planned for some persistent fire effect on the land bridge that had invaded the town. Now, he was leaning towards far more direct means. Fire was the easiest of his powers to manipulate, the desired spell appeared on his mind and he meticulously crafted it. In a few moments it would be ready and then? Well, if the lord approved then one of his enemies would perish spectacularly…

[Shark Bait]

OOC: sorry this took so bloody long, O-chem.

As the trees fell Per ran across the land bridge, he had to take out the cannon he held his shield close ready to block anything that may come flying at him. He heard a yelp of pain through the crashing and headed in the direction of the sound unsure of what he might find. He heard a challenge spoken in his native language, this spurred him to move faster now almost certain of what he might find. As the palisade was slammed with another stone cannonball Per entered the newly formed clearing and saw an all too familiar form standing there holding the cannon which had pummeled the town.

[Norse]OLD WOMAN[/Norse] Per yelled as drew himself up to his full towering height, he was a bit taller than the attacker but that did not necessarily mean anything. He banged the flat of his blade against his shield twice in formal challenge. [Norse] Tell me your name that I might pay your blood price once your gone! [/Norse]

[Marcao]

He condensed his power harnessing and shaping it to his desire. Each individual strand was weaved into another in a complex tapestry of might. Fire was the only element that he could directly harness, he could perceive the others but they remained out of his reach. Even though a part of his mind was concentrating on the task of forging his spell, he was anchored in the real world and very much aware of what was occurring around him. Still, being in his current position allowed him a few luxuries. He was not nearly as extravagant as Manfred and through the usage of common sense and cover, had so far eluded most attention. He was certain that his luck would not hold thus for long. In a few more seconds in fact, and he was all but certain that his presence in the town would no longer be easily overlooked.

His eyes slid like those of the angel of death seeking who would live and who would die. He had seen two vampires before and it was the creatures of the night whose unholy flames he sought to extinguish. They were after all merely shadows residing on the edges of God’s light. Feeding on the blood of God’s children, they were an affront to creation itself. Their loss would not be mourned, their presence would never be missed. His eyes fell on those of a mercenary engaged in close combat with one such creature. The temptation to lash out was a strong one, but the man seemed to be holding his own. That was unusual, maybe there was something else beneath that façade?

His eyes forced themselves away from the melee and were drawn to movement in the periphery of his vision. It was then that he caught sight of the exchange between the other vampire and another supernaturally fast creature. That was interesting, he was quick just like his adversary. Words were exchanged but the distance between himself and the conflict was just enough that he was unable to discern the words. It mattered little, they had made the decision for him. His spell was finished.

It was a pity that his target and the other such creature had separated. While it was true that the separation allowed him an opening to properly utilize his spell having taken down two vampires in one fell swoop would surely have pleased the creator. Still, maybe it was a sign.

Would it really matter?

The voice spoke truth Francesco admitted. For the moment, it seemed that the other was on their side. Once its usefulness was over however its time of reckoning could be brought about. Right now, he had a creature to kill. He could feel his might within him, the finalized spell singing softly in his ears as it awaited release. His eyes focused on his target and his will expanded, space was harnessed and utilized, space folding itself as his spell was released and swallowed into nothingness. A fraction of a second later, space twisted next to the vampire who faced the other. The spell manifesting into existence shortly there after before exploding.

The explosion was certainly impressive. Francesco had not embraced madness for the sheer sake of power, he did not have Manfred’s raw ability for power but he was strong nonetheless especially when dealing with enemies of God real or imagined. When dealing with humans, he had a tendency for holding back but for such creatures he held no mercy in his heart. The explosion was frightening to behold, designed not to merely kill but to consume flesh and bones. It was as if a pocket of hell itself had been transplanted into the a radius of five feet around his target, in this case the vampire in question. Orange/Blue flames of seeming liquid fire were clearly visible for seconds after the explosion itself, the air around being pulled into the core of the inferno as to prolong its life.

There. That should do it.

Francesco watched the explosion for only a moment after its initial flash before letting his eyes move elsewhere.

Who else do we want to kill?

[Charon]

Manfred was able to free himself and get into the air, but that did not seem to be enough to keep himself away from the earth as egg sized chunks of rock and dirt began to shoot up at Manfred, many missing, but those rocks that hit were enough going fast enough to be felt though they did not bend his armor.

John's attack on the creature made a loud screeching noise as sword blade caught metal and rent it apart, bits of metal rings flew into the air as John's blow struck well, but not deep. The creature's own sword came down hard again, this time striking at John's exposed shoulder and breaking through the chain, the blade did not bite deeply though.

The creature that Agrilos faced laughed as he attempted to show bravado, but was paused when Per made his arrival. Agrilos could not help but be struck by how similarly monstrous the two looked.

[Norse]Ha! Young whelp, go back to your mother's teat and leave battle to the warriors. I am Hrothgen the exiled, who struck down Ragnild the Wolf and fought at the battle of Jottenheim where I and my kin were beaten by Rurik, for daring to oppose him we were cast from the mountain. Who be you, pup?[/Norse]

Francesco's explosion lit up the sky and filled the air with a sudden and intense heat, but he had been off his mark. Two guardsmen that had surrounded the fight went down screaming as the heat drew the air from their lungs and the fire set their clothes alight. Three other guards quickly grabbed their compatriots and attempted to douse the flames as the remaining men backed away from the fight as far as they could without creating too large of holes in their defense, it was clear to those who could pay attention however, that their courage was hanging as a string far too close to the flame. To Francesco's eyes however, the fireball had struck it's mark perfectly and the accursed undead was burning in this world as it would burn in the next. The Italian wizard could tell however that some powerful magic was effecting him, though he could not determine what kind of magic or what it was exactly doing to him.

The creature Francesco had targeted had caught some of the fiery explosion and with angry Romani curses it ripped the dark cloth from it's body and stepped away from it, revealing the chain mail armor that had sat underneath. The vampire turned and looked at Krystyna, who had herself shied from the flames, and grinned. Then in a flash it struck, the axe coming down for her head as the sword came up for her chest.

[Rukia]

The face was familiar, but she couldn't place it.

She let out a loud hiss exposing her own elongated canines as the explosion caused her to reset her fighting stance. Before she had the chance to regroup her assailant had begun his attack. His speed nearly matched her own and she was not able to use that to her advantage. However his attack was not without its flaws, he was fully committed to the attack and left his defense down. She was able to step back with no time to spare. His weapons clanked together and while his arms were still fully extended she made another advance.

Going first for the exposed wrist intending to take off the hand something made her stop and disarm the short sword from his hand instead. She immediately took the end of her dagger and pushed it into the soft flesh of the wrist, down to the bone.

[Shark Bait]

The creature that Agrilos faced laughed as he attempted to show bravado, but was paused when Per made his arrival. Agrilos could not help but be struck by how similarly monstrous the two looked.

[Norse]Ha! Young whelp, go back to your mother's teat and leave battle to the warriors. I am Hrothgen the exiled, who struck down Ragnild the Wolf and fought at the battle of Jottenheim where I and my kin were beaten by Rurik, for daring to oppose him we were cast from the mountain. Who be you, pup?[/Norse]

Per could see that the older troll was hurt something had injured him, Per knew the wolf family he disagreed with his father’s decision to simply exile the traitor. [Norse]TRAITOR, I am Per son of Rurik, I will proudly take your head home with me to Alfsgr the widow of Ragnild. I will not permit you to live as my father so graciously allowed.[/Norse] Per stepped forward and readied himself for battle eager to kill the betrayer.

[The Silence and I]

John's attack on the creature made a loud screeching noise as sword blade caught metal and rent it apart, bits of metal rings flew into the air as John's blow struck well, but not deep. The creature's own sword came down hard again, this time striking at John's exposed shoulder and breaking through the chain, the blade did not bite deeply though.

John staggers back, clearly in pain, deliberately moving his sword arm very little and only stiffly then. He raises his shield in a more defensive posture and shakes his head slightly as if to clear it. He starts to move his shield arm as if to feel his injured shoulder but catches himself and maintains his guard. He does not attack but instead waits for the creature to make the next move, his sword tip all but dragging on the ground. He looks around at the guards surrounding him, taking his eyes off the creature to do so, as if searching for some kind of backup.

[Comrade Tortoise]

manfred was somewhat annoyed by the rocks. But was in the air, and landed on a rooftop. It would be somewhat more difficult for an earth wizard to make him sink into the ground at this point. The mad wizard took stock. In order to block his water-spell, the earth wizard would need to have been able to see him, or have access to divination. Still, that mattered less than one might imagine. Of course, the question remained, why he restricting himself to air and water magics? Earth magic was just as deadly, and it would serve to test the relative ability of the two mages.

He opened his soul to magic, letting it flow over him, trying to trace the strands of power to fine his opponent. And also using the channel to gather strength and marshal a store of power he would be able to release with speed. But as he did so, he began to lose his grip on reality. Viewing those below as mere puppets... puppets to be played with.

[Marcao]

Something was wrong.

He could feel it against him, could feel it all around him but he could not quite discern its nature. The feeling that passed over him was disconcerting; he disliked not knowing the answers at moments like this one. He was certain that he had annihilated his target. He had after all seen the end result and he was confident in that no Vampire living or dead could stand to such a display of raw might. His attention flickered once more towards the remnants of his spell, seeking to determine if the other creature whom he presumed to be a Vampire as well needed to be ushered into the afterlife.

Surprise slid into him like a stiletto, twin emeralds widening in shock at what he saw before him. The Vampire still lived?! His eyes stared at the creature in disbelief before the screams from the two guardsmen caught his interest as their friends sought to extinguish the flames that licked at their bodies.

“Impossible!â€

[The Village Idiot]

As the bullet rended armor and flesh, Visira staggered back. Gripping his daggers tightly, slumping over like a dying man, he let his head hanging low. "Shit... hell of a way to start this out... ending up dead!" A soft chuckle escaped him as he focused the strands of life around him into himself, he would need to patch up some of this damage if he is going to continue at his peak. The battle raged around him as he worked his magic. John and the creature came crashing together, drawing his attention quickly. And then it happened, the creature landed a solid strike to Johns shoulder. He could tell it didn't bite to deep, but he was definatly wounded. As John began stepping back, looking for help, Visira knew it was time to strike. The creature should be focused on the wounded John, looking to finish him, that should afford him just the blind opportunity he could exploit. He lunged forward, moving as fast as possible towards the creatures back. Using his momentum to help plung both daggers deep into his back.

[Charon]

As Krystyna made her move the vampire suddenly sped up again, faster than he had been just moments before. Krystyna could feel something enter her mind for just a split second, long enough to befuddle her actions and then it was gone. The vampire's hands pulled back away from her own daggers as they reached desperately for their targets and then in a flash he was upon her, shoving with his full might and speed into the woman and sending her flying through the air to smash into the overturned cart. The weakened state of the cart combined with the force of the blow caused Krystyna to go through the cart, tearing through her clothing and leaving her dazed and bloodied. One of her daggers had caught the shoulder of the other vampire but his own armor had apparently held.

As Per spoke the anger in Hrothgen's eyes, even in the dark, was visible. [Norse]Than I shall have the greatest of pleasure in removing your head and bringing it to your father![/Norse]

The thick troll turned and stuck something into the barrel that sat beside him, then he brought his torch to the fuse and hefted the barrel into the air towards Per and Agrilos. The barrel hit the ground infront of them and rolled, giving them only a moment or two before the fuse ignited the gunpowder inside.

From the shadows of the woods another figure appeared close to the injured Troll, completely encased in full plate armor and wielding a large warhammer.

John was not looking well in this fight and as the creature moved to attack it's weakened foe Visira came up behind it. Almost seeming to sense that there was something behind it the creature turned and it's blade caught Visira in the gut and pulled up into his chest, the mighty strength of the beast being enough to either push or break the weakened chainmail. Visira's own daggers did not do as well, one cut deeply into the exposed forearm of the beast as the other struck against the chainmailed chest of the creature and did not penetrate deeply, John was given an opening however.

As Manfred and Francesco openned themselves up to greater power, they were left open to attack as their attention was fully on the act of gaining and controlling this new power. The third opponent who had disappeared into the ground took this moment to strike. The earth itself split open for a moment as the shorter stockier man was launched into the air, almost directly underneath Manfred. He had tunneled deep below the earth and had come up again infront of his target. The stocky bearded man landed infront of Manfred with a heavy thud even as the axe he was wielding came down and caught the wizard's shoulder, the immense strength of the man cutting into the armor Manfred wore and biting deeply, though by no means fatally.

[rhoenix]

As Per spoke the anger in Hrothgen's eyes, even in the dark, was visible. [Norse]Than I shall have the greatest of pleasure in removing your head and bringing it to your father![/Norse]

The thick troll turned and stuck something into the barrel that sat beside him, then he brought his torch to the fuse and hefted the barrel into the air towards Per and Agrilos. The barrel hit the ground infront of them and rolled, giving them only a moment or two before the fuse ignited the gunpowder inside.

He may not have understood Norse, but Agrilos got the intent behind the large armored figure's words, particularly when he threw the barrel of gunpowder with the lit fuse at he and Per.

Coming instantly to a decision, he sprinted toward some thick shrubbery and dove through it. Agrilos hoped that he got far enough away that the soon-to-be-exploding barrel of gunpowder wouldn't severely injure or kill him, but had two throwing knives readied in his left hand just in case.

[Rukia]

As Krystyna made her move the vampire suddenly sped up again, faster than he had been just moments before. Krystyna could feel something enter her mind for just a split second, long enough to befuddle her actions and then it was gone. The vampire's hands pulled back away from her own daggers as they reached desperately for their targets and then in a flash he was upon her, shoving with his full might and speed into the woman and sending her flying through the air to smash into the overturned cart. The weakened state of the cart combined with the force of the blow caused Krystyna to go through the cart, tearing through her clothing and leaving her dazed and bloodied. One of her daggers had caught the shoulder of the other vampire but his own armor had apparently held.

It had been such a long time since one of her own trick had been used against her. The feeling was more than unpleasant as she tried to shake the effects of the other vampires attack. She had no time to stay in the shambled cart. Her head felt foggy as she stood but she wondered why he had not gone for the kill. And still the mystery of who he was plagued her. She intended to find out and was not going to let him walk away. She pulled some debris from her arm but otherwise took no time in brushing herself off. She let out a Romani Curse that became more like a growl. Instead of going for another attack she steadied herself and tried to buy some mind clearing time. [Romanian] "You know your powers well. Who taught you the ways of our kind?"[/rom] She readied her weapons for an impending attack and made sure her mind was closed.

[LadyTevar]

On the other side of the city, a small russet-feathered owl landed on a branch to view the embattled town. Large golden eyes set in the moon-shaped face blinked, focusing on the fire and chaos as the battle continued.

I should help them.
You? What can you do?

... ... You are the Madness talking. I am not powerless.
... Not yet. But the battle is joined. What can you do to stop it now?

The owl shivered, feathers puffing out defensively, yet did not move. For now, at least, the owl sat and watched.

[Marcao]

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven…â€

[Comrade Tortoise]

As Manfred and Francesco openned themselves up to greater power, they were left open to attack as their attention was fully on the act of gaining and controlling this new power. The third opponent who had disappeared into the ground took this moment to strike. The earth itself split open for a moment as the shorter stockier man was launched into the air, almost directly underneath Manfred. He had tunneled deep below the earth and had come up again infront of his target. The stocky bearded man landed infront of Manfred with a heavy thud even as the axe he was wielding came down and caught the wizard's shoulder, the immense strength of the man cutting into the armor Manfred wore and biting deeply, though by no means fatally.

Manfred's world slowed to a crawl around him, even as the axe came down. He had opened himself up to his power and built a magical charge. He had intended to use it to track and engage his foe, but the power he had gathered around himself had triggered something. Something he had dared not trigger in a while. The power had caused mental blocks he had placed on his own access to magic to weaken, and he had a choice to make.

He was now up-close and personal with a wizard who's power was an unknown. An axe bore down on his shoulder, and he could not move to stop it, he was paralyzed by power. He would have to either seal the walls, which would take time he did not have, or he would have to accept the change in his abilities and pay for it with his very self, he chose the latter, but the release of that potential he could delay...

The wall inside his mind crumbled and broke, revealing to him shining spheres, each representing different spheres of magic. He could apportion power among them. Half of the magical power he had amassed he set aside for a spell that at this point needed to work. The second half, he drew out and touched to the sphere representing Counterspelling... but he would not access the power now. He would have to wait, getting it too quickly, especially under stress would lead to him being consumed by power and momentarily driven mad by it. That he did not want. So he built a wall, brick by brick around the sphere, with one brick missing, the hole by which he could access the sphere later and slowly draw its power into his knowledge.

He withdrew from his trance, just as the axe hit his shoulder, rended through his armor, and bit into his shoulder, deeply. It hit, but did not split bone. manfred pulled back with a strangled gasp of pain, and drew his mace, knocking the axe blade from his shoulder with it. Then he uttered the word that would release his spell

"Immobilaris" and he focused his will to a sharp point, trying to take control of the water in the other wizards body. To immobilize it, so he could not move, and could not circulate the blood.

[The Silence and I]

John was not looking well in this fight and as the creature moved to attack it's weakened foe Visira came up behind it. Almost seeming to sense that there was something behind it the creature turned and it's blade caught Visira in the gut and pulled up into his chest, the mighty strength of the beast being enough to either push or break the weakened chainmail. Visira's own daggers did not do as well, one cut deeply into the exposed forearm of the beast as the other struck against the chainmailed chest of the creature and did not penetrate deeply, John was given an opening however.

When Visira rushes in John opens his mouth for a moment but says nothing and instead slightly shrugs his shoulders in a "that'll do" sort of fashion. As his opponent turns to deal with the oddly mobile Visira John raises his shield, bracing it to strike the creature, and rushes forward to close the very short distance before the creature has time to turn back towards him.

He cannot achieve any great speed as the gap is very small, some five or six feet perhaps, but John has always been heavier than he looks and he looks pretty damn heavy. As he is about to collide he raises his sword, face contorting painfully, and lets gravity help him swing as hard as he can at the creature's legs. At the point of expected collision he throws his shoulder into his shield so as to maximize the impact.

[Marcao]

(GM Request)

[Charon]

Agrilos had been wise in running, but running through shrubs had not been the best way to go. Branches caught the Djinn's gear or just did not get out of the way and the Djinn was stuck half-way in the shrub.

Per meanwhile had run as fast as he could away from the barrel, but was nowhere near as quick footed as his ally, as such the mountain troll trusted in his thick armor to absorb the blow.

The vampire who had been assaulting Krystyna had been about to move in to strike when her question gave him pause. [Romanian]I was taught by the same man who taught you. And I was there when the Inquisition you betrayed us to impaled him on silver and laughed as he screamed in pain for days.[/Romanian]

Francesco could feel the blurriness in the edges of his vision fading as his power spread and filled into new niches that it had not covered before, both of his targets were distracted, talking, and close to one another. Perfect for recieving the touch of God's fury.

Manfred's own spell struck it's target and the effects were noticable. Manfred did not achieve a complete immobilization but more than enough to give him an easy shot at his opponent. Unfortunately for Manfred, the man was not alone. The air exploded in deep black smoke infront of Manfred's eyes as an imp burst into this world and struck Manfred full in the face, it's long sharp claws digging into his skin and peeling at the flesh.

John moved swiftly upon his opponent, who's own movements were severely hindered by both the attack of Visira and his own attack upon the Revenant. Despite this though the vampire lucked out as his foot shifted just enough to keep John's blade from cutting through most of it, and the vampire was instead left with a shallow slice along his leg, which was still enough to hinder him some. When John's bulk hit the monster shortly after all three men went tumbling to the ground under the extremely heavy force of the blow.

The world around the town suddenly erupted in fire and noise and death as the barrel exploded. Fire filled the lungs of Agrilos and Per as the gigantic explosion filled the area. Earth flew into the sky as trees were torn from the ground and splintered under the force of the explosion. Per was hit by the blastwave and knocked to the ground by the pressure of the wave. He could feel his sword arm shatter in three places as his internal organs seemed to twist and risk collapsing upon themselves from the force of the blow. Dirt and wood bounced off of the troll's armor as arrows would. Per remained conscious, but his world was a blur and he was in no condition to right himself.

Agrilos faced far worse straights, for although he had been further away from the explosion he did not have Per's thick armor to protect him from shrapnel, nor did he have the trolls natural resiliance to this level of punishment. The Djinn's legs and arms shattered under the force of the blow and it was only by the virtue of Agrilos being more than a normal human that his internal organs did not turn into a pulp. The fire caught the Djinn and burned away great chunks of skin and hair as it lit the shrubs he had dove into. Thankfully, the Djinn lost consciousness before he could register most of the pain.

The other troll had faired only a little better, he had been knocked unto one knee by the force of the explosion as the fire ravaged the landscape around him. The troll did not get back to his feet however as the other man in full armor moved closer to him.

In the town itself, all were taken aback some by the force of the explosion as a deep orange wave of fire filled the forest and knocked down some of the smaller trees. Clods of dirt flew through the air and impacted hard against the outer walls. Seconds later the fireball finally subsided but the damage was still not completely evident for the mass of acrid, black smoke that was quickly spilling out over the countryside and into the village.

[Marcao]

Individual strands of power were manipulated with contemptuous ease as he forged the spell which he desired. He had no doubt in his mind that he had grown, he had no doubt that the eyes of God rested firmly upon him now more than ever. He could worry about the price he would pay later, right now he had only one goal in mind; the creatures whose nature and very existence to God had to be removed quickly from his earth. He would be the conduit for divine judgment.

The spell continued to grow beneath his incessant coaxing with each passing moment the spell becoming larger, more complex and if anything more lethal. Within a dozen heartbeats it was a familiar thing, a tapestry that he had woven before but he did not stop then. He continued, adding more strands of power, inverting the weaves and going in new directions. This spell would be special. When the spell finally neared completion his lips parted and he found himself speaking.

“For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever…â€

[The Silence and I]

John seems to ignore the thunderous noise and heavy wave of pressure coming from the forest and quickly rolls on top of his opponent, dropping sword and shield and attempting to pin it somewhat with his weight and using his surprisingly flexible legs to wrap around the creature's own legs. In a pseudo sitting position atop the creature he attacks its face with his heavy fists as rapidly as he can, some 4 inches of a previously hidden blade popping out of his right sleeve and serving as a punching point.

"You are starting to bother me."

[LadyTevar]

The thunderous explosion nearly knocked the owl out of her tree on the far side of town, forcing her to flutter and flap her wings to keep her perch.

What was that? the voice was extremely loud in her head, as her sensitive hearing echoed from the loud booming roar.
Fly and see?
No, too dangerous
But I want to know what that was.
Yes
no
yes
no
yes

The barn owl leapt off the branch, the wings beating silently, carrying her the long way around the town to see what had caused the explosion. Curiousity killed more than just cats.

[The Village Idiot]

The sudden explosion left Visiras ears ringing as the trio hit the ground, but the situation at hand held his attention with an iron fist. With the severity of his wounds and the akward position that they had landed he had few options, and even fewer to inflict much damage on the creature. But options and outlook be damned if they were going to stop him. John had gained a better position after the fall, and began beating upon the creature. Not wanting this advantage to dissapear he did his level best to hamper the creatures movement in hopes to keep it from fighting back as much as possible and prevent it from looseing himself from the brawl.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Manfred saw the bright flash, then felt the shockwave a fractional second before the sound-wave it. This Was not the most comfortable thing in the world, Manfred felt dizziness and felt sick to his stomach.

He had not planned for this, as the imp tore into his face, his blood pressure went up, and he panicked. But instead of cowering like others when faced with an earth mage and an imp, manfred changed. The human that he typically was, the paranoid, somewhat manic but fundamentally decent individual left the circle of his consciousness, and the cold, sociopath that the others met in the tavern only hours before stepped in. His eyes went white and he brought his mace back. He brought the mace forward in an arc that would intersect nicely with the Imp's face. But this was incidental, only the most efficient way to perform the necessary somatic component for the spell he was casting. As the mace was moving, both back, and toward its target, he opened the flood-gates of power to his soul, harnessing the eldritch power he held within into a spell.

"!Zurücktreiben!" the german word for repel, spoken as a command and directed toward all the water in a pie-slice shaped planar band(stolen from The Silence) with an origin point at the imp's face and extending toward and past the wizard's mid-section, at a slight downward angle. This would create not only a backward impulse but also sheering forces on the targets that would cause internal injuries.

[Shark Bait]

The world around the town suddenly erupted in fire and noise and death as the barrel exploded. Fire filled the lungs of Agrilos and Per as the gigantic explosion filled the area. Earth flew into the sky as trees were torn from the ground and splintered under the force of the explosion. Per was hit by the blastwave and knocked to the ground by the pressure of the wave. He could feel his sword arm shatter in three places as his internal organs seemed to twist and risk collapsing upon themselves from the force of the blow. Dirt and wood bounced off of the troll's armor as arrows would. Per remained conscious, but his world was a blur and he was in no condition to right himself.

Agrilos faced far worse straights, for although he had been further away from the explosion he did not have Per's thick armor to protect him from shrapnel, nor did he have the trolls natural resiliance to this level of punishment. The Djinn's legs and arms shattered under the force of the blow and it was only by the virtue of Agrilos being more than a normal human that his internal organs did not turn into a pulp. The fire caught the Djinn and burned away great chunks of skin and hair as it lit the shrubs he had dove into. Thankfully, the Djinn lost consciousness before he could register most of the pain.

The other troll had faired only a little better, he had been knocked unto one knee by the force of the explosion as the fire ravaged the landscape around him. The troll did not get back to his feet however as the other man in full armor moved closer to him.

OOC: sorry for lack of post had one written ferret deleted it, then school attacked.

Per only had time to drop to one knee and pull his shield in front of himself as the barrel exploded, the fire washed over him to fast to inflict serious burns followed by debris that merely bounced off of his armor. But the shockwave that followed tore into him viciously and he could feel his right arm shatter from the stress as his insides burned and ached. When the explosion passed he finally looked up, his ears had streams of blood trickling from them, a dark color not quite right for human blood, blood clouded his vision as well . His right arm hung weak and useless by his side barely clutching his sword, looking over his situation he dropped his shield and sword and his head hung low. He prayed silently to himself that the imbecile that had thrown the barrel had blown his foolish head off, but after angling his head slightly he could see through his rapidly tunneling vision that he had been denied even this simple comfort.