With one swift movement Caio swaps weapons again, stowing his sword as he stoops to grab his bow. His focus now shifts to the fleder hiding in the rafters and he lets two silver arrows fly at it. The first thuds harmlessly into the old wooden beams, but the other punctures one of the creature's arms, sending it swaying and scrabbling to maintain its purchase.

Alaris buries a glaive slash deep into the midsection of the rising fleder, and it drops back to the floor just as Ling cries out,  "We need to get higher, I can't risk them dropping on Sybaris and sending us spiralling!" The paladin growls in fury as Astrid's fleder flees into the thick shadows, made all the thicker by the light pouring in through the shattered roof. They see other fleder scurrying up the walls, and the danger to their friends is too much.

Their eyes shift from their natural heather-grey color to a searing silver. From their back, two massive wings of luminous radiance burst forth and lift the warrior off the ground with a mighty sweep of their shimmering pinions. Like an ignition of divine fury, Alaris Forien hurtles up towards the fleder sprouting arrows near Nikolai. Wings working to hold them in position, Alaris watches the various fleder, glaive at the ready.

"Do you want my friends? Do you hunger for their blood? Come taste mine first, twisted vermin!"

Just as Shiva and Ling reach the rooftop and Shiva begins to dismount, she catches sight of the dazzling gleam being emitted from Alaris' wings as they take flight. 

"Wow, seeing their wings just never gets old", Shiva says in wonder to Ling. "Hopefully well have our bases covered now." 

Looking out, Shiva spots the fleder perched on the balcony, and takes aim, firing more golden waves of eldritch force from her weapon. Both blasts make contact this time, and the fleder's breathe is haggard as it painfully brings its body upright. 

Nikolai peeks his head up under the roof of the ceiling to get a better idea of the location of the fleder in the rafters beneath him. He winks at the beast as the silvery motes of darkness swirl up from it's fallen brethren and being to swirl around the dangling monstrosity. A couple of quick steps puts Nik into a better position as he takes aim with Astra furora and sends two more dark silver bolts of energy slamming into the creature's torso, staggering it, but not penetrating the thick skin of the creature! The silver motes draw some of the life force from the fleder, but its vile nature resists the call of the darkness...

The fleder lurking amongst the rafters lunges at Alaris, grasping hold of the aasimar and dragging them towards it. It struggles trying to pull them in close, but fails to land a bite.

The fleder on the balcony snarls as the combined eldritch blasts batter it, surging up the wall and towards Nikolai.

There's a rumbling from inside the tower like the pounding of heavy feet, and another enormous fleder leaps from inside. The monster dives through the tall arch halfway up the back of the stone wall, and the ground shakes as it lands right in front of Astrid. Claws slice through the air just above her head, but fail to catch the dwarf, only to be followed by another attack from the other side. The blow sends Astrid tumbling across the floor and the knocks her head on the heard boards with a thud. The gigantic fleder scoops up the dwarf's limp form and immediately digs its jaws into her throat...

Astrid takes 21 piercing damage (reduced to 12 by DR) and 19 necrotic damage, reducing her max vigour by the same amount -> 1/32(51) Vigour and 16/17 Wounds

Ling's action.

One moment Ling is admiring Alaris' wings with Shivala, thinking "Yes, we've got this!". Then everything falls apart.

The fleder jumps and grabs Alaris mid-air. They fight, the creature tries to bite into them, but Alaris looks like they're getting the upper hand. The second fleder scurries toward them, straight up the wall, but with the three of them on the roof, Ling still thinks they've got everything under control. That is, until the massive, snarling fleder appears through the tower's archway. It dives into the church and goes straight for the dwarf, knocking her halfway across the church into the pews with a loud thud. Astrid isn't moving, but their enemy has not had enough. Ling watches in horror as the monster picks up the small woman and bites into her. Anger churns in her stomach and she clenches her fist. 

"Ling, get me down there, now!" Nikolai shouts next to her. Not needing to be told twice, she turns and pulls him onto her broom, hardly losing speed as she whips past. Through the roof and down into the church they go, and as they descend, Ling holds on to Nik with one hand while reaching out with the other, her eyes darkening all over. Both fleder suddenly emit high pitched shrieks as shadows twirl around their heads and with another snap of her fingers, these tendrils zap into their ears, deafening them. "Drop me!" Nik yells over the screeching and without hesitation, Ling pushes him down. She extends her hand after him as if to catch him and his fall slows until he softly lands right next to Astrid. Even though she obeyed him without question, dropping Nikolai into the middle of battle feels like tearing out her insides and offering them up to the elements. No, he's got this - Alaris? She spins around, her white hair a flash of light. Alaris and the fleder are a tangle of black and white wings, turning in the air. Being unable to help them any further and trusting that Nik will get Astrid out of there, Ling speeds back up and wipes the sweat of her forehead, breathing hard. She takes a moment to focus on thoughts of clear, open night skies again, making sure to keep the other three creatures entranced. When she resurfaces, she shares a look with Shiva that says: It's hell down there.

Nikolai smiles as Ling follows his lead without questioning him. A brief thought hits him just as she pushes him. 'Good girl, she's come so far from when we took her in...' And then the shrieking and screaming recalls his attention as his feet lightly touch down on the ground next to the dwarf locked in a death grip with the massive fleder. She looked on the verge of death, pale and bleeding everywhere... he just hoped he wasn't too late! Nikolai locks eyes with the fleder and stares the monster down as he wraps his arms around Astrid's waist. "Peace, Astrid, it's Nikolai. I've got you!" His eyes never leave the fleder's as a dark aura begins to build around Nikolai and Astrid and he grins, showing his canine teeth in a predatorial smile as the dark aura streaks between them into the chest of the fleder which begins to swirl like a vortex. The fleder's eyes widen as Nikolai and Astrid feel an abrupt gravitational shift as the vortex draws them inward... "She's mine, beast." Nikolai whispers as the two of them are sucked into the vortex with a cacophonous explosion of sound that rattles the sensitive hearing of the creature a searing burn sizzles in its chest as the vortex flares with a bright white light as it collapses in on its self...

At that same moment Nikolai and Astrid are standing safely atop the roof. Nikolai looks at the severe wound that is rapidly draining Astrid of her life force with worried eyes. He did all he could, there was nothing more he could do. "Astrid, you must heal yourself! Call upon your goddess."

     Astrid watches as the fleder flee up to the rafters. She beams confidently at the group’s early success and turns back to Caio. “Well, looks like it’s just the two of us here to hold the ground floor.” She smirks. “You got some wings you're hiding too?” She nods her head back to the paladin that just sprouted a pair of wings and took to the air.

      Then, a chill runs down her spine and her keen perception detects a large shadow looming overhead. Boards crack and splinters fly. The impact alone is almost enough to knock the cleric to her feet, and the Astrid turns to find herself toe-to-toe with another one of the elder fleder creatures. “Scribe, protect me!” Her smirk fades and she grit her teeth. She easily ducks to avoid the first claw of the monster and then pulls her shield in close trying to brace for the claw from the other side. Her attempt is fruitless. The dwarf is unable to withstand the powerful blow of the monstrous bat and she is knocked to the ground – with a thud as her head makes contact. A cut opens up over her eye and everything becomes a blur to her. The giant fleder scoops up the dazed dwarf and, being infused with the desires of vampires, sinks its fangs into Astrid’s neck. The sharp pain momentarily breaks through her stupor from the blow to her head.

      Time slows down. Her eyes go wide, staring far into the distance. Images from the recent days come to her when she was saying her goodbyes to her parents just before she set off from Kazad Azgaraz. Her mother, Nelstrid Silverscar, was so hopeful to get answers as to her own mother’s disappearance and that honor would soon be restored to the clan. Now, as she feels her life being drained by this abomination, all she feels is disappointment and failure.

      The chaos from within the room causes her to return to the present, though still in a haze having half her life drained. Through watery eyes, she sees a bluish figure descending like an angel. "Peace… I've got you!"  She finds herself unable to form any words, only producing incoherent sounds as she reaches out to this savior from Brightmantle. A portal appears next to them, to the dwarf like a book opening up before her. With a thunderous crash, she feels weightlessness as they pass through the threshold.... then, fresh air. 

The massive fleder hits the room like a hurricane, and Caio is already reaching for his sword and shifting the Raven Queen’s hungry ire to the behemoth as all hell begins to break loose.

The severity of Lings eyes tell of the dire shift in combat. Taking several steps forward, Shiva sees the giant fleder, Caio rising to meet it, Alaris entangled with one of the creatures, and Nik cradling a horribly wounded Astrid. The veins along her arms and neck visibly rise beneath the skin as her heart pounds, turning her blood into fire as her rage urges her forward.

Caio is a black clad arrow as he launches towards his quarry. His fury is ice cold, his face a stoic mask. Within moments he is in range, dashing through the shadows left in the wake of Nik’s magic even as they cling to his form. Suddenly a foot plants into the ground and his momentum shifts upwards at the grotesque visage dripping with his newfound friend’s blood.

As she sees Caio moving into range with the enormous ceature, Shiva breaks into a full sprint. Charging across the roof, she makes towards a large hole near its center. With three long bounds, she launches herself up, then dives through the opening towards the melee. She doesn't even hear the wind whistling in her ear as she plummets towards the ground, such is the intensity of her rage-fueled focus on her target.

Silver rings against silver as their blades meet. Caio’s sword soars skyward just as Shiva’s sword crashes down like a tidal wave. The brilliant arcs both find the fleder’s face at their zeniths. Its grimace is nearly split in two, and a ruinous scream bursts out of the crimson wreckage. The creature can barely comprehend the double sided assault, and still the warriors continue their momentum: Shiva continues her infernal descent as Caio spins and sends the blade back around for another strike.

When she is no more than just 30 feet above the unyielding floor of the church, Shiva strikes out with her blade. A metallic clang resonates through the air as her weapon momentarily meets that of Caio, before plunging into the fleder's armpit. The hunter then turns on his heel in a flash of movement to deliver another lethal blow to the abdomen, as Shiva throws the momentum of her fall, tearing downward along the side of the beast and dramatically slowing her descent. Planting her feet on solid ground, she rips the sword free, sending steaming viscera splattering out of the open wound. With Caio now at her side, she straightens to attack again.

The fleder leaps from its perch and slams into Alaris Forien, who rises to meet it on lambent wings. They release their glaive with one hand, cocking back a spiked gauntlet and preparing to smash the fleder's face with it, when a massive crash turns their head and they see the gigantic creature carve into Astrid. Suddenly, the paladin's arm weighs ten tons and everything, even turning back to face their foe, takes a supreme effort of will. They works their wings furiously, groaning as they try to shake off the wave of languor that washes over them as their magical celerity fades.

The giant fleder is disoriented by the load boom that reverberates about the temple in the wake of Nikolai's spell, and as Ling strips it of its senses the beast falls into a feral panic. Wicked claws thrash around wildly, striking at Caio and Shiva with awesome strength.

Shiva takes 13 points of slashing damage, halved for rage and reduced to 2 by armour. -> 19/31 Vigour

Caio takes 18 points of slashing damage, reduced to 14 by armour. -> 47/62 Vigour

The fleder struggling with Alaris digs its fangs into the paladin's neck, but thick armour protects them and only a little blood is drawn.

Alaris takes 7 points of piercing damage (reduced to 1 by armour) and 3 necrotic damage. Their maximum vigour is reduced by 3. -> 47/65 Vigour

The remaining fleder amidst the rafters throws itself on Caio from above, but the powerfully built elf grabs the monster by its claws and tosses it aside!

Caio takes 11 points of slashing damage, reduces to 7 by armour. -> 41/62 Vigour

Ling's action.

Between Nik and Astrid reappearing on the roof and Shiva immediately flinging herself down into the church, Ling doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. When she sees how skilfully Caio and Shiva coordinate and take the giant fleder apart, she goes with the first option. When the climbing fleder attacks Caio - and fails, she knows it's safe to dive back down into the church. Hover just a little higher than Alaris, Ling draws the shadows from the corners and passages of the old building and sends them crashing over monsters on the ground in a dark wave. The huge monster is knocked over, but smaller, more nimble fleder manages to keep its footing.

Quote from Lyrel >>

At that same moment Nikolai and Astrid are standing safely atop the roof. Nikolai looks at the severe wound that is rapidly draining Astrid of her life force with worried eyes. He did all he could, there was nothing more he could do. "Astrid, you must heal yourself! Call upon your goddess."

     "Huh... Wha-?" Astrid blinks wide a few times, trying to reorient herself. She brings a hand to her neck and feels the warm, slick sensation of the blood. "Mend." She intones to her god in dwarvish. "God," she slurs correcting Nikolai. "Brightmantle is my patron." She takes a calming breath and notices the clamor from the fight below. She rolls over on her stomach to peer through one of the many holes of the roof. She shakes her fist at the large monster that Caio and Shivala seem to be making quick work of, but her spell doesn't have any effect. She rises on wobbly legs and looks over to Nikolai. "And, thank you."

 Nikolai shakes his head at Astrid. "Yes, yes... 'god', 'goddess'. Same thing!" He takes a moment to get a better view of the battlefield below and spots the massive fleder lying on its back, cut nearly to the core by Shiva and Caio. 'So reckless that one. I had hoped to temper that rage of hers, but...'

He aims down towards the beast with Astra furora and sends two of his dark silver bolts of energy streaking down. The first bolt blasts into the skull of the massive fleder, ripiping off a large chunk of skull and splattering flesh and bone into the stone flooring beneath it with a sickening crunch sound! The creature tries to scream in pain, but the trauma to its exposed brain turns the sound into a sort of garbled, horrible sound! The second bolt silences the scream as it rips into the fleder's throat, sending a burst of bone fragments, dark blood, and flesh in all directions as the beast's throat and jaw is obliterated from the concussive force of Nikolai's spell. The fleder's destroyed, massive head skitters across the floor, spattering blood in grotesque patterns across the once holy place.

Nikolai grins at the terrible display of his power and turns back towards Astrid again. "Of course, you would have done the same for me. You are one of us now. We look out for each other, never forget that. Now stay behind me, I will keep you safe."

There’s a slight, grim smile as Nik finishes off the massive beast. As the shattered skull falls to the floor, Caio spins and with precise grace slashes twice at the smaller fleder now behind him.

The obliteration of the giant fleder paints a streak of blood across Shiva's face. As it falls silent, a toothy, maniacal smile curls onto her face. She remains planted, staring at the chest of the creature in expectation. After the passing of a moment, she moves on, "Not a pinata, huh. ****er."

Turning her attention to the fleder that attacked Caio, she flanks along the side of her friend. With two powerful swipes, she cuts deeply into the chest of the pale sanguisuge.

Alaris vanishes, leaving the fleder grappling a cloud of silvery mist.

The paladin reappears several feet below and closer to Caio and Shivala, still focused intently upon the foe above. Two mighty slashes cleave into the fleder and burst with radiant power! The fleder falls apart as the glaive rips into its abdomen, and Alaris' wings pull them out of the way of the dropping parts.

Alaris wings their way over to hover above their friends, ready to protect them from anything else from above.

The remaining fleder throws itself upon Caio, slipping past his blade to grab elf and dig its fangs into the warm flesh of his neck. The wound across its chest rapidly closes as it drains the ranger's lifeblood.

Caio takes 12 piercing damage and 3 necrotic damage to vigour. His vigour max is reduced by 3. 26/59 Vigour

Meanwhile, the hide of the larger, fallen fleder starts to crawl and undulate, as though something is bubbling up beneath it. A cloud of black smoke erupts from its wounds and orifices, pouring up and out through the holes in the roof like an airborne river of tar.

Ling's action.

"YESSS" Ling shouts when the fleder drop like flies down in the church. Alaris manages to free themselves and finally, it looks like the tide has turned. When the black smoke begins pouring out the huge monster, Ling tenses and readies herself, but it moves right past her and out through the roof. "What was that?" She calls out to the others, but does not take her attention away from the battle. Focusing on the last fleder left fighting, she conjures up images of sunlight and holds its gaze as it dumbly stares back at her. Its features contort into a mask of fear, but she does not let up until it is cowering, trying to protect itself with its wings.

     "Good shot!" Astrid congratulates Nikolai as his blast takes the large fleder down. However, as the smoke begins to pour from it, the dwarf pulls back from the hole which she was peering through. She thinks back to the fiendish creature that emerged from the one in the catacombs. "Oh! No, no, no!" She realizes that this is likely a fiend that was possessing the creature. With palm out, she reaches a hand toward the inky form as it streaks by. A silvery ball of radiance begins to form and stretches from her grasp as she holds her aim.  "Brightmantle, guide my aim" Like a comet, the bolt of energy arcs towards her target and strikes true. Wincing from the shriek she turns her gaze for a moment. She looks up hopefully. "Damn!" She watches the substantially diminished form, now also glittering, continuing to rise and move towards the north.