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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2022 2:54:12 GMT
Hammett wills it and then it is so.
He arrives crouched down in a confined space, sees a flash of silk and limbs then a falling, twisting. A voice calls out "Dear god!". There is a clunk, a crash, a metallic squank, he smacks his head against someone else as they fall.
Pushing aside the silk and brass poles, he finds himself surrounded by red demons who stare back him befuddled. From behind he recognizes the voices of Leonil and Dorian swearing, arguing as they try to untangle themselves from the silk.
The sky is clear and looks suspiciously like Eshanta's. It even has wyverns circling high above.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 17, 2022 4:25:04 GMT
Well, that was... not exactly what he was hoping for, but still he was ready for action, and everyone around him was obviously surprised by his sudden arrival. That had to count for something.
But he had to be quick.
His eye spins to the trump of Wormwoods as his hand quickly reaches out and pulls away the silk sheets covering Leonil and Dorian. Going by the sounds of their voices and shapes of the figures he hopes to reveal Dorian first if possible, leaving Leonil still tangled up.
[[OCC: I'll describe his intended actions, you stop/take over the narration if/when he is interrupted or something he sees might stop him.]]
Hammett's new plan is to still use the Power Word Magic Negation, at full force with his psych and the extra boost from his eye (plus whatever new benefit having a broken Pattern infused eye might now impart), that should disrupt whatever magical leash Leonil has around Dorian's neck (and possibly disrupt whatever spell Leonil has Dorian under, or at least weaken it temporarily). He will then cut the leash with his trump infused sword and grab Dorian, trumping them away to Wormwood's. A good, old fashioned, hit and run job. Leonil might still be free, but at least Dorian would be rescued. And that is something he owed to the memory of Gerard.
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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2022 4:36:45 GMT
The demons are not stunned for long. They reach and grasp at him while he tries to free Dorian. The power word has the intended effect but his knees buckle under the draining power of the magic. He severs the chain while giving nearby demons all the elbows he can swing, then activates the card.
Hammett, Dorina, and a quartet of the demons appear in Wordwoods', sliding across a dining table and spraying the diners with glass shards, crockery, wine, and duck l'orange. One demon recovers quickly and knocks Hammett's sword out of his hand then begins to punch him. The other three set into the diners and staff.
"For Malficious! For Lady Kat!" they yell as they fight.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 17, 2022 4:45:10 GMT
[[OCC: Wormwood's is closed right now. I told the staff not to open until I returned after that last mess with the fire and riot and people dying. Should only be the normal crew there (Pinky, Emil, and the others) and Brennon and his friend. He has actually probably only been gone a few hours.]]
Hammett goes fully defensive for the next few moments, trying to catch his breath and take in the surrounding, he's not against using a chair as way of fending off the attacks, until he can get his sword back. Here in Wormwood's, and Carcosa, he can control everything, he just needed a moment to sort himself out.
So full defensive it is, while calling out to his crew to lend him a hand. Hopefully Brennon was there having a drink, or would hear the commotion from the rooms upstairs, and come running to help, especially since Pinky was sure to be right next to him.
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Post by Admin on Aug 22, 2022 0:15:36 GMT
"Hammett?" Dorian asks.
"Hammett! You murdered my father!" he yells and grabs Hammett by the throat and begins to choke him.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 22, 2022 1:50:45 GMT
[[OCC: Are my crew around and Brennon? Are they dealing with the demons?]]
Hammett grabs Dorian's wrists and applies as much strength as he can to avoid being choked unconscious. He doesn't expect he'll be able to overcome Dorian's strength, but maybe hold him off long enough to gasp out a few words, and/or give his crew and Brennon time to come to his aid.
"No--" Hammett gasps, "I was working with him--", gasps some more, "against Lady Vada--", he was getting light-headed, "Rescued you-- in his memory--"
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Post by Admin on Aug 25, 2022 4:17:19 GMT
Dorian's strength is comparable to Hammett's, so Hammett can prevent being choked but not much else.
"Liar! Killer!" Dorian yells.
It seems that everyone else in the room is too busy fighting the demons to help Hammett. He hears the sounds of expensive crystalware and furnishing breaking from all around the room.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 25, 2022 5:04:36 GMT
Hammett pulls on Dorian's wrists to prevent further choking, but not trying to force him off, "Not lying... Leonil was messing with your mind... Your wife knows the truth... Been working with her... She asked my to help save you."
He winces at the sounds of breaking glass and furniture and the worry about his people, "If I was lying why would I risk my life to save you?"
Hammett hoped the mention of Lady Shelley would help snap Dorian out of his haze.
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2022 7:28:05 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/KNcD60p/Dorian~jpg "Liar! You kidnapped me because you're too cowardly to face me alone and hoped your demons would rend me to the bone." He takes the opportunity to drive his knee into Hammett's softer spots releasing Hamm's grip on his arms. They fall to the floor With Dorian on top of Hammett and squeezing...
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Post by Hammett on Aug 28, 2022 16:19:16 GMT
Damnit... Dorian's mind was completely messed up by Leonil. It was going to be hard to make him see reason, but he had to try. And it was going to be risky and words wouldn't be enough...
Hammett begins drawing on the power at the heart of Carcosa. Here in this primal shadow he was in control, and the psychic strength renewed him quickly from what he had used rescuing Dorian from his chains. With his mind sharp, with their eyes locked on each other, and a skin-to-skin connection in place, Hammett tries to break through Dorian's mental defenses and engage in a mind-to-mind connection. He had no idea how mentally strong Dorian was, but Hammett was no slouch, especially with the power he was drawing form the shadow, but he had a fall back plan, even if Dorian was able to dominate him mentally, then he would still learn the truth. Hammett wasn't lying, he wasn't trying to kill Dorian, he didn't kill Gerard or Random, Leonil had Dorian chained up and a prisoner, and Hammett had been working with Lady Shelley. It was all there, Hammett would either make Dorian see it, or Dorian would see it for himself.
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Post by Admin on Aug 30, 2022 16:54:39 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/KNcD60p/Dorian~jpg Dorian, son of Gerard, the man who would be king in Amber, is no slouch when it comes to Psyche himself. A mental confrontation will take time to resolve, and Hammett doesn't have time to spare as Dorian's strong hands choke the life out of him. Luckily, it doesn't come to that as Conrad, with a demon clawing at his back, bull-rushes Dorian and knocks him off Hammett. Dorian recovers quickly and draws his sword, forehand, backhand; then, two heads fly off their shoulders. "No more tricks, Hammett. Now you die!" he says. The headless demon, spouting blood out of his stumpen neck, continues to swing its clawed hands about destroying more of the furnishings in Wormwoods'.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 30, 2022 17:54:03 GMT
[[OCC: Did he just "kill" Conrad?]]
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Post by Admin on Aug 30, 2022 18:57:29 GMT
[[OOC: Yup. Conrad was still really beaten up from the last battle in Kasaba. But, hey, look on the bright side, he brought that demon to its death. Such selfless sacrifice. Besides, as an 'item' you could easily find another, but this time with a thicker neck and less noble soul.]]
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Post by Admin on Aug 30, 2022 18:58:20 GMT
[[OOC: Also, if Hammett falls to Dorian then the status of Conrad is moot.]]
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Post by Hammett on Aug 30, 2022 19:33:18 GMT
An uncommon rage floods through Hammett, a rage not often, if ever, seen by those who know him. Across Carcosa thunder rumbles and the earth shakes an rolls as the very shadow reacts to Hammett's baser instincts. He is a god here. The very fabric of the shadow and it's reality is his to bend and shape at his will. And he is not happy.
"Damn you!" he spits out at Dorian. This weak-minded, puppet of a man, enslaved to Leonil was going to pay for his actions.
Hammett clutches his fist and the ground beneath Dorian's feet bursts apart. Giant tendrils of rock and stone wrap up around the puppet prince's legs and on to his arms, tightly confining him in place, leaving him unable to move. Hammett is not gentle, only his deep seeded loyalty to the memory of Gerard prevents him from killing the man, but he cares not if Dorian suffers a broken bone or two in his legs or arms, especially if he keeps struggling against the ensnaring stone.
Similar pillars of stone, only sharper and deadly, shoot out from the ground into any of the remaining Demons that might still be fighting his people.
[[OOC: It is going to depend on if Dorian has a magical sword, whether Conrad is permanently dead or not. Here in Carcosa his minions are spirt folk, who solidify themselves as needed. If it was a normal sword that cut off Conrad's head then he will be able to reform in a few days, once his spirit form has rested. If it was a magical sword, like a Pattern Blade or such, then Conrad will be really dead. As a side note, when his minions are out in shadow they are fully material, which means if they died outside of Carcosa, then they are really dead. That is why Hammett was very worried about Pinky and Conrad those other times. Side note, Hammett would consider it bad form and very disrespectful to his crew to simply go out and "replace them" with a shadow version if one of them dies. ]]
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