The forest floor shudders as the demon hauls itself higher over the blasted ledge. Frost flakes from the tunnel mouth behind Austin, and the rescued girls bunch together in fear.
On the demon’s shoulder, the battered White Devil survivor bares his teeth and raises a hand toward the fleeing captives. He has no interest in the cave anymore, only in stopping the escape.
Striker
Keep moving. I hold him here.
Striker shifts in front of the girls, blades up, body low and ready. The demon snorts hot breath into the cold air and flexes its scarred claws against the stone.
Austin Ithens
The rider is watching the girls, not me.
Austin’s footing finds the broken edge of the ledge as the tremor passes through the ground. Behind him, the cave mouth gapes open, the only way back into the tunnels now cut off by the monster’s bulk.
The White Devil Survivor
Run, then. I only need one of you.
✓ Quest Accepted
Repel the demon's charge
“You gather light spirits in your hands, directing them into the demons face as Striker steps up, "Girls!" She shouts, "into the forest, I'll take care of this thing!" She raises her blades, looking over her shoulder at you. "Austin, you've done more than you needed to. But leave this to me. This is an elven affair, suited to be dealt by elven hands. I cannot have you put yourself in harms way any more. Doing so would dishonor myself and by extension all true elves." You step right beside her, your heart hammering in your chest. "I-I can't do that. Sorry, Striker. But I could never face my big sister if I ran away now. So you are going to need to put up with me just a while longer." Striker's face falls for just a moment before she refocuses on the demon, who is finally recovering. "Very well, then I will graciously accept your help." The demon roars, shaking the area as the girls finally make it to the treeline. The White Devil yells at the demon to kill you and Striker.”
SUCCESS (Great Arcana, rolled +0)
Austin thrusts both hands toward the demon’s face, and a hard white glare blooms between his palms. The light spirits lash outward in a sudden sheet, flooding its eyes and the rider’s reach with searing brilliance.
The White Devil Survivor
Gah, blind it!
The rider recoils, one hand snapping up to shield his face. The demon jerks sideways, claws gouging stone, its charge breaking into a stumbling skid at the cave mouth.
Striker
Now! Move, girls!
Striker surges past Austin’s shoulder, blades cutting a bright arc as she drives the monster’s attention away from the fleeing captives. Behind them, the elf girls spill into the trees, their footsteps hammering into the dark.
Austin Ithens
The light is taking.
The demon shakes its head, half-blinded, and the rider claws for balance with the demon stone still clenched in his hand. He snarls into the glare, no longer charging straight through the mouth, but held in place long enough for escape or pursuit to split the scene open.
Quest Complete
Repel the demon's charge
“Striker rushes the beast, swinging her blades at the monsters legs, "Show me what you can do, Austin! Prove that my faith in you is not misplaced!" She yells, spurring you into action. You steel yourself, now that it is darker, it is the perfect opportunity to use shadow spirits. You launch tendrils from your hands, wrapping them around the demons head and pulling as hard as you can to bring it off balance.”
SUCCESS (Great Arcana, rolled -3)
Striker’s cry cuts through the night as she lunges low and hard, her blades flashing at the demon’s forelegs. The beast lurches, its weight shifting wrong, and Austin’s shadow spirits answer the opening.
Austin Ithens
Now.
Dark tendrils surge from Austin’s hands and coil over the demon’s head, binding horn, jaw, and brow in a choking net. He yanks with all his will, and the monster’s snarling face jerks sideways.
The pull works. The demon stumbles off balance, one claw skidding through broken stone as the rider nearly slips from its shoulder.
The White Devil Survivor
Hold it steady! Don’t let them drag us down!
Austin’s shadows hold, but the strain bites back. Cold drains through his arms, and one black thread frays into smoke as the rider slams a fist against the demon stone.
Striker
Good. Again, Austin, keep it off balance!
The demon reels toward the cave mouth, half-blinded and twisted, while the surviving slaver claws for purchase and the treeline waits behind them, open or dangerous depending on who moves first.
✓ Quest Accepted
Protect the rescued elf girls from the demon
“The rider doesn't seem interested in a prolonged struggle; the cost of commanding a demon of this size must be steep. He commands the demon to free itself and head into the woods to grab the escaped slaves. Striker and you both know, even without exchanging a word, that such a thing cannot happen. In a gamble, you look to Stricker and ask if she trusts you. She nods, and without a second thought, you use wind spirits to launch her up, with the aim of having her get on top of the demon's shoulder where the rider is. Striker wobbles as she travels through the air, tackling the man right off his perch as the two tumble onto the ground, battling for the demon stone.”
SUCCESS (Great Arcana, rolled +1)
Austin answers with a sharp gesture, and the wind spirits catch Striker like a thrown blade. She lifts cleanly off the broken ledge, cloak snapping as she arcs toward the demon’s shoulder.
Austin Ithens
Trust me.
Striker twists in the air, lands hard against the rider, and drives him backward. The demon bucks, losing its balance as both of them tumble off its back in a tangle of limbs and clutching hands.
The rider hits the churned earth first, the demon stone flashing loose in his grip. Striker rolls with him, blades forgotten for a heartbeat as she slams into his guard and keeps him down.
The White Devil Survivor
No, no, mine!
Above them, the demon lurches free of Austin’s shadow hold and snarls toward the trees, uncertain and furious. It does not charge the girls, but its head snaps in every direction, searching for the nearest threat.
Striker gets one hand on the rider’s wrist and the other on the demon stone, her teeth bared as the struggle locks in place at their feet.
Quest Complete
Protect the rescued elf girls from the demon