The Screaming Xenu

Seamus raises a hand in front of the beastman.
"Easy Feathers, no need to be so hasty with the aggression. I'm sure who - or what - ever opened the door means us no ill will. Although it is bloody cold," he calls out to the open door, "Oi, come in and close the door will you, before we all freeze to death!"

A hunched figure clad in a heavy shroud of white and grey can be seen on the threshold.
They waver for a moment, struggling against the wind, before stumbling inwards exhaustedly.

There is a sudden rush of air- strangely, it is pulling strongly outwards.
The stranger barely keeps their balance, leaning heavily on the wall as the door succumbs, and slams closed behind them.
The crystal throwing dagger falls from the wooden frame with the force, and is caught, barely.
However, in this movement they fall victim to gravity, and collapse in a heap on the floor.

In the few moments that the door has been closed, the air has returned to it's normal welcoming warmth, and the stranger's clothes start to slowly fade from white into grey, and grow darker still, to a seemingly familiar garb of black and red as the crust of snow and ice begins to melt.

(OOC: What season is it? Should it be snowing outside?)

(OOC - I would assume Autumn, and I think this tavern is in southern Tion, so I wouldn't expect snow, but the air probably has a nasty chill)

Seamus rushes forward to the collapsed figure. He scans their cloak with his eyes, sensing something slightly familiar about it.
"Are you ok?" He asks, somewhat wary of the obvious magic about this person as evident from the changing colour cloak.

Johann goes to help the fallen person up from the ground.

"You alright? Some nasty gust of wind that was."

Hearing their voices, Xyx tries to face them, but her attempt to move fails.
She barely manages to turn her head up from the floor, towards them, revealing her bruised face.
Trying to open her eyes to see them, managing only to squint, the room is little more than a blur.
A murmured response is barely heard as she draws a shallow breath.
"...no...slave...dark...ness."
There is a slight movement as the outstretched hand opens to return the crystal dagger- and then she loses consciousness altogether.

As soon as Seamus realises who lies before him he shifts back into a fighting poise, left hand already on the loaded pistol at his hip. He speaks with a soft but decisive tone.
"It's Xyx, and she's injured. Now I don't know a lot about celestials, but I'm pretty sure you'd have to be pretty damn powerful to cause that kind of damage. I have no idea what's outside, but we're in for one hell of a fight if it decides to come through that door. I'm not sure about any of you, but I didn't plan to die when I came here for drink tonight."
Body still tense, he carefully removes the dagger from the unconscious Kallia's outstretched palm and tosses it to the beastman.
"I hope your magic isn't just for seeing fortunes, I'd like a bit of cover fire if everything goes to Vor'Shel."
He helps Johann lift the fallen celestial.
"Can someone please at least try and get her back on her feet? I'm at a loss when comes to the healing arts."

[EDIT - Didn't realise Johann was here, oops]

[I guess this is where I'm made of use ]

Lydia stands up, and rushes over to the unconscious body of Xyx.
"I'll give it a go...", standing in front of the casualty , Lydia places her hands to Xyx's shoulders, and mutters her healing words.

[OOC - Whoa... intense maaaan...]

Flinching at the birdkin's screech, Seamus takes a step back and removes his flintlock from his hip, pulling the hammer back until fully cocked. Then, as he draws his dagger with his right hand, he aims the pistol at roughly head height at the door, ready to greet whatever might come through with a burning lump of lead.

[OOC-Beastman divination, man . Also, BURNING lump of lead?]

Soars-With-Moonlight spun back towards the door, settling into a low hunting stand, ritualistic blade in one hand and the already-bloody crystal dagger in the other, ready for an attack.

The other occupants of the tavern are bewildered by these events.
Witnessing the reactions of the Birdkin and the Captain, most of those present cautiously eye the door.
It remains still and closed. There is little sound but for Lydia's quiet prayers.
A pool of wet has gathered on the worn wooden floorboards, mostly snow melt from the Celestial's velvet robes, but there is a strange iridescent tinge to the water.

From what anyone can see, the Priestess's work seems to be working- Xyx's face seems less bruised, and her breathing more steady. While Lydia rests her hands on the Kallia's shoulders, her patient's eyes flutter for a moment, trying to blink them open, but fails. "...lost...not...follow...safe." she breathes. Her voice is strange, like several whispers, but you hear it clearly.
She tries to move again, and raises slightly, "...thank...helping."
With an shattered sigh, she is lost again, though this time you feel she is simply asleep, exhausted.

As the weight of her body shifts, she rolls from her side onto her back.
Her flowing coat front slips to the ground with a wet squelch, revealing a strange dark stain across the whole of her front.
There is a blood red, black edged hole in her stomach from the bottom of her ribcage to the top of her right hip, though this is healing into pale skinned flesh slowly as you watch.
Her red and gold embroidered shirt is blackened. On closer inspection it seems to be a burn mark.
Once you realise this you notice that there are other similar smaller marks all over her body and clothes.

(OOC - Those of you who know her better and/or may be inclined to notice such things, the flicker of flames that often dance within the skirts of her coat are barely visible, and on investigation are revealed to be little more than flickering embers.)

Kneeling next to Xyx, Lydia checks her over before smiling lightly.
"She'll be fine. Can you both carry her to lay by the fire?" She looks up to them, before motioning to the fire with a fur-skin in front of it. "Can you put her on the fur, to keep her comfy, please?"

Seamus safely de-cocks his pistol and holsters his weapons. Still slightly on edge from the previous rush of adrenaline, he turns back to Soars-With-Moonlight.
"Aurikai. Those invaders - or 'salvation' as they call themselves - from the far south. You must have heard about them and their golden fleet? Anyway, they arrived only a few months ago and I have no doubt they've brought their bloody holy war with them. But despite all their faults, there is one thing they are not - Dark. They hate the agents of the Fallen One as much as they seem to hate courtesy, and that means they've probably made whatever Darklings were already here very angry."
Helping Lydia with Xyx's exhausted body, he carefully moves the celestial over to by the hearth.
"Your healing seems to have worked great, thanks Lydia. But judging by the distinct lack of fire about her person, I'd guess her power is diminished somewhat."
Once finished resting Xyx in a comfortable position on the rug, Seamus takes a seat and calls to the barman for something strong.

(OOC - Additional option for those of you who may have come into contact with Xyx's blood- Lydia while healing her, Seamus while moving her, or indeed Soars-With-Moonlight (if you retrieve your crystal throwing dagger, as it would have been on her hands), you may choose to see the following vision. This could be in your mind's eye, like a memory or a dream, or perhaps it appears to you upon the surface of your drink, much like Galadriel's mirror.) For those of you who have not, I imagine you may notice the unusual stain (<-clicky link) somewhere on their person, on Xyx, or indeed on the floor where she lay.

While you sit comfortably in the tavern, something pulls at your awareness, a whispering echo on the edge of your ears.
On hearing your friend's distant cry for help, you go to them, rushing to their aid as quickly as you can.
Arriving where you know they should be, you are almost overwhelmed by the noise and confusion, though you do not feel as though it effects you as much as you might expect. There is a battle nearby- you can hear it, except- it feels wrong somehow. Looking around you find your friend, they seem injured, and you hurry to their side.

As you reach them, there is a powerful shout from behind you.
Turning to face the angered one, you are bombarded with insults and accusations- then blazing pain.
In shock, you fall back onto your injured friend, and reaching out, struggle to grasp hold of them, placing yourself between them and the attack that is still falling on you. Stubbornly you wrap your arms around the one you protect, and amid the blinding colours and sound, seek to escape, far away. The noise blinks out as everything goes black- and then white.

(Also, please feel free to substitute an actual friend in place of the unknown stranger. For example, I imagine Lydia might see Johan, Seamus perhaps Hans, or maybe it's a childhood friend who you simply have not seen for years. Sorry David, I don't know any of Soars' pals. =p The same goes for the accusations, and the location, perhaps it is where you grew up, and the enemy could be one previously fought. The details will vary depending on who sees it, but the story remains the same.)

Noticing something some kind of odd liquid on his sleeve, Johann rubs a little onto his finger, which he instinctively licks in attempt to see what it is, before his eyes widen. You see a look of fearful resignation on his face as he realises this was probably a terrible idea, given Xyx's reputation...

*Sigh* "Probably shouldn't have done that.."

As Seamus raises his drink to his lips, his nostrils flare with the familiar scent of alcohol. However, beneath the strong smell, he can also detect hints of other odours - burning, fresh earth, a metallic tang, and - strongest of all - blood. His pupils dilate as he stiffens in his seat, heart pounding. The vision flashes before his eyes, vibrant and clearer than the air above the clouds, yet once the ordeal is over, the memory quickly fleets until he is left with only a feeling not entirely unlike deja vu.
"I wasn't expecting something that strong..."

[OOC - Might as well have the vision as well]

Johann splutters and coughs a little, before he sits, half-drops, into a chair.

Pinewoods, upturned earth, thick walls. Steel on steel. The crashing of stone and metal. The snapping of bones and the cries of pain. A mortal wound. An enraged roar. The dull thud of blunt iron on flesh. Silence and numbness.

[An unrelated dream that Johann may experience after the first one, something I've been toying with:]

He seemed to be running. Running faster than any normal man could; dashing across the white field. Feeling hard, strange feet below him, he saw that he was a horse. Not the kind in the corners of old barns, the pitiful creatures sometimes seen for sale for next to nothing at a market. The kind of horse seen in paintings and in the old stories. A magnificent stallion, white as the snow beneath him, strong as castle walls. Swift as the wind. Then it was gone, fading and changing. He was in the sky, looking down over icy mountains, over green valleys and frozen rivers. A raven, black as night and twice as quiet. All seeing and all knowing, as he soared over the world below. Again the vision changed. Bounding over roots, bushes, rocks. Speeding through the wintry wood like an angry gale. He felt his legs surging with adrenaline power as he raced, throwing up the frozen earth behind him, his nostrils inflamed with the scent of frightened blood. He threw back his head and let out a howl that echoed throughout the misty forest. His brothers were near, so was prey, but something else, something other. The sun shot across the sky and reached dusk in a heartbeat. All was shrouded in pale grey, and then the world went black.

Johann awakes after what seemed to be hours to him. He had fallen asleep, and yawns now. he rubs his hand across his face.

[Tired mumble] - "What the Vor'shel was that...?"

Lydia looks towards the oddly coloured blood on her hands, just seeming to zone out as she does so. Unblinking, the vision begins in her head, toying with her dreams and memories, manipulating them into something they never were.

The clash of steel. The roar of battle. The constant calling of her name - Lydia, Lydia, Lydia, Lydia. A field of red. Her love in her arms. Blood soaked hands. The end of life. The sob of a broken woman.

Blinking back to reality, Lydia looks around to make sure he's still there. Relieved, she wipes the odd substance on her dress, before drawing her attention back to Xyx.

(OOC: You guys are made of so much win.)

The Celestial lays still in the chair that the Captain placed her in.
Her eyes are closed, and if you watch her closely, you can make out the rise and fall of her gentle, quiet breathing.
A faint wisp of steam rises from the damp coat, and she shivers. Her features are blank, but for an occasional flinch.
Though Lydia's healing has closed the worst of her wounds, it is strange to see her like this, scratched and torn, and silent.

[OOC - We need a Bard here who can use a song to let Xyx regain her mana...]

Looking over to the others, particularly Xyx, he laughs, seeming a little out of breath.

"I'm not the only one then, it seems?"