Darkness Rising IC

[alderwitch]

"Let's not ever call me that again," Phantom said dryly, not looking up from the strands she held in her hands, "And, no. At least, not as long as you kill the creature before it eats the idiots who thought they could control this monster. Their dark gods have seen fit to provide them with zombies, not so much on wrangling said fell beast."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Working on it!" Avenger grabbed the monster by the head and smashed his own forehead into its again and again, trusting that the brain was the center of control even in the vast majority of undead. If it needed decapitation, well; he'd give it some decapitation to go with it. "Dead Head! We may need the shovel here!"

[Geez3r]

Atlas goes to make good on his word. He leaps across the room to clock the giant zombie, but he winds up hitting nothing but air as the creature's erratic movements evade the oncoming attack. Atlas' buries his hand in the concrete, which promptly shatters and breaks under the force of the blow. "Atlas vrassle zis monster!" roars Atlas as he pulls his fist out from the concrete, and turns to face the creature again.

[angrydurf]

The Creature seemed unfazed by Avengers renewed assault, twisted limbs moving to grasp at the vampire as Dead Head dispatched yet another cultist and the number of active zobies dwindled once more.

The Cultists began renewed incantations of protection though nothing to compare to the former ward they had erected. One breaks from the pack to frantically search the ornate robes on the ground before the beast and with a triumphant shout holds aloft an amulet wreathed in twisting shadow.

[alderwitch]

Phantom dropped the threads to begin charging a bolt of eldritch force between her fingertips. The shadow magics were just to control the zombies. At the moment the zombies really were on there side.

"We need to focus on the stitched horror first." Phantom opinioned in a clear and carrying voice as she directed the bolt high over Atlas' head at the monster's brain hoping to slow it down. The lightning sizzled and cracked past his ear to thud into the monster. She cased a baleful glance back on the cultist, "Don't you even think about it. You've all gotten yourselves in quite enough trouble as is."

[angrydurf]

Phantoms eldricht energy found its mark easily despite her allies cloase engagement, the magic coruscating over the creatures massive undead frame did however seem to slow the horrific monster. Twisted hands and arms grabbed futiley at Avenger trying unsuccusfully to pull the agile hero towards its gaping maw.

The Zombies slowly turned away from the monstrosity dominating the room and shambled inexorably towards Dead Head reaching out towards their fellow animate corpse as they gathered around him.

[Dr Archeville]

"Get out of mah way!," Dead Head shouted at the zombies, readying his shovel to bowl them over. He saw the next target for his wrath -- the cultist who'd just picked up a very nasty-looking amulet -- but the gathering zombies were making that difficult. "Ah don't want to do any more damage to y'all's remains... but if I gotta disable some of ya to get to the fiends what did all this, then it's what ah gotta do!"

Dead Head proceeded to beat down just enough zombies to clear a path for him to get to the cultist. He struck hard, fast, and clean, making sure to completely disrupt the foul magics animating the zombies, so as not to risk leaving any around still partially animated (and possibly with part of their original spirit still trapped within).

[angrydurf]

Dead Heads Swinging shovel made short work of the zombies immediatly between him and the foolish cultist who had grabbed the amulet. Seeing Dead Head bearing down on him his eyes grew wide and he thrust the amulet towards the protector of the dead fell incantations dripping from his lips, as Dead Head broke from the mass of zombies a beam of sickly Black light lanced out from the amulet. The Cultist stood hautily, "You are mine now zombie, the Master will be pleased." he sneered.

[Avenger Assembled]

"You!" Peering malevolently at the cultist with the amulet, Avenger focused his gaze directly on the bad guy. You didn't have to be Phantom to know that was some bad mojo, and that he needed to stop it fast before they were all in serious trouble. "Drop that toy before I FEED IT TO YOU!" he shouted, meeting the cultist's gaze and pouring his will down inside him like a torrent from a volcano, the sheer power of his undead nature washing against the man's fragile soul like a wave against a lone swimmer at the beach.

[Geez3r]

Meanwhile, Atlas and the giant zombie were squaring off for round 2. Atlas went in for an axe handle smash, but again the creature moved just out of the way. Thinking quickly, Altas reversed his momentum and caught the creature solidly with his back swing. As the creature is knocked off balance, Atlas continues his assault and tries to drag the creature forcefully to the ground so he can pummel it some more.

[angrydurf]

the full power of Avengers vampric nature crushed the will of the cultist easily, the amulet slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor the cultist silently awaiting his new masters command.

Atlas's crushing blow connected with a sickening snap of bone and sinew as the creature staggered back under the force of the strike. Atlas was easily able to throw the stunned creature to the ground while it was still realing from the mighty heros' attack.

As the creature looked to be bested the Cultists turned thier attention to the heroes themselves summoning fell bolts of shodowy force that they hurled forth with deadly intent. The volley of mystic energy snaked home to impact against Atlas and Dead Heads sturdy frames and wizzed past avengers head to slam into the wall behind him, even Phantoms insubstantial form was effected by one of the cultists attacks.

[alderwitch]

Phantom's breath whooshed out in a startled gasp as the bolt caught her full in the chest and knocked her back. She soldified before the force knocked her through the wall, instead smacking into it with a solid sounding thump.

Pulling herself back to her feet, Phantom shook her cloak out with the air of a disgruntled and now outraged feline.

"Fine. Now, my turn," Phantom growled, for the first time truely pissed in this altercation. Her hands curled into fists at her sides and charged with power. Phantom tossed the bolt of gathered energy at the head of the stunned monster. It sizzled white hot through the air and impacted with a sickening crack. "Now, who's next?"

[angrydurf]

The bolt of eldricht force slammed into the creature sending chunks of dead flesh and ichor flying though the creature seems largely uneffected by the loss its undead frame continueing to struggle ineffectively to free itself from Atlas' vise like grip.

The zombies surge forward once more to surround Dead Head and those nearest the Revoltin' Revnant swing mighty undead arms to pummel his corpsen shell.

[Dr Archeville]

"Not... gonna... let you...," Dead Head struggled against the cultist's mental power, which stopped as soon as Avenger came to the scene and laid his own mind-whammy on him.

"No time fer hugs now, gals!," Dead Head said as he dislocated his spine enough to flop back and avoid the strikes of two zombies, "I've got a trinket to deal with!"

The zombie shambled as quick as he could to the amulet, re-setting his spine to and upright position and lifting his shovel high above his head as he did. When he was almost at it, he leaped up a bit so as to add just a bit more downward momentum to the strike.

I have no idea if this is going to work.

[angrydurf]

The shovel comes down on the amulet with a deep tolling ring. The surface of the gem spiderwebs with tiny cracks but the amulet remains intact. To those attuned to such things however a dull throb of shadowy necromantic energy pulses from the damaged amulet.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Your friends will die if they keep fighting us," Avenger informed the cultist he held with his malevolent gaze. "And so will you. Painfully.Best if you stop them now before I get angry." He focused his will on the cultist's like a shining ebon blade, slicing the strings of his will and making him dance to his tune.

[Geez3r]

Atlas continues his assault on the giant zombie. He lifts the patchwork creature high above his head before slamming it back to the ground over and over again, battering every inch of the creature he can get his mits on and throwing the creature around as it were a rag doll. Ordinarily Atlas wouldn't fight like this, but zombies merited that extra special touch of brutality to bring down.

[angrydurf]

Bone and sinew snapped as Atlas brutalized the monstrous creature keeping it too off balanced for it to gain any leverage with its many limbs. The cultist instantly fell under the sway of Avengers dark gaze and turned on his fellows dark incantations dripping from his lips and shadowy energy gathered at his fingertips. The it suddenly dissipated as the cultist convulsed collapsing to his knees.

The others prepared to cast another volley of dark energy at the assembled heroes when inky shadows erupted from the convulsing cultist warping into a strange window into darkness. The Cultists fell to their knees with declarations of "THE MASTER COMES!"

Phantom can feel the portal aligning soon it will open connecting to a shadowy nether realm.

[alderwitch]

"Nice try." Phantom slashed one hand out from the folds of her cloak, parting the dark folds. If before she had sorted and collected the shadowy strings of the spell, these she snapped with a single curt gesture. They had a view of the darkness forming up into a murky mirror before it shattered from the pressure that pulsed out of Phantom's palm. With a rustle, she resettled her cloak around her body once more and strode forward. Phantom's voice was a livid growl, "You have no idea of the forces that you are playing with. I should toss you all into the shadows to learn the folly of your ways. You foolish, arrogant amateurs!"

She spat the last like it was the foulest curse she could think of.

[angrydurf]

The cultists eyes grow wide in panic as the portal is obliterated, they begin to try and gather themselves up to defend once more but clearly are shaken by this turn of events. Continuing their last command the zombies once more shuffle forward to surround and pummel their fellow animate corpse.

The Creature continues to try feebly to regain its bearings or find purchase to against the red giant holding it aloft but to no avail.

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head felt a brief flash of terror as the cultists cheered at the arrival of their Master... which faded as soon as Phantom slammed the door in the Master's face.

"Nice one, Phantom!," he cheered as he dodged four more zombies. Three missed him by a mile, but one connected, with enough force to knock his jaw half off!

"hat's no 'ay to treat a 'ellow 'eader!"* Clearly a lolling tongue and improperly attached jaw would not stop him from talking, "'ut I 'orgi'e ou -- I know yoouuu ain't in control!"**

He raised his shovel again, and brought it crashing down upon the cracked amulet. "I 'ope 'is 'orks!"***

* That's no way to treat a fellow deader!

** But I forgive you -- I know you ain't in control!

*** I hope this works!

[angrydurf]

The shovel once more slammed down onto the mystic amulet the fissures in the gem growing and finally rupturing spilling forth a torrent of necromantic energy almost blinding to those sensitive to such things. The room was filled with the howling of the spirits that had been bound within the dark amulet and the shadowy force of the amulet spilled forth over the entire room like a fine mist.

The cultist control of the zombies however seemed to be broken for the moment as the corpses shambled about in a disorganized mess some attacking each other others wandering off or just standing still as if awaiting instructions.

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack fought off the wave of darkness tugging at his mind, pushing forward on the sheer bloody bile that usually sustained him in a fight. "Atlas!" Avenger called to the raging red giant. "Break it!" And with that, he hurled himself at the startled cultists, raising his fists and laughing malevolently as he tore into them like a wolf among some very naughty lambs.

[Geez3r]

"Vorking on IT!" roared Atlas in response. He flung the creature around, slamming it to the ground with a loud smack. He planted himself on the shoulders of the creature, grabbed a hold of the creature's head and did his level best to yank it off its neck. He hoped his teammates would hurry up, he didn't know how much longer he could hold the creature back.

[angrydurf]

With a horrific rending sound the head portion of the Creature separated from the patchwork body sending up a geyser of foul smelling ichor to cover its giant red assailant. The body lay suddenly and eerily still in the aftermath of its destruction.

Avenger fell amongst the cultists easily dispatching any who didn't manage to avoid his wrathful blows. The remaining cultists scrambled over each other attempting to flee further into the abandoned tunnels.