bermuda triangle ♔ hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel

[cigam]

WHO || David, Charming, Emma, Gold, Hook, Francesca, Risa, Zatanna Zatara, Giovanni Zatara [closed]
WHAT || Following the compass to find Zatanna's mother
WHERE || The Devil's Triangle
WHEN || April 23rd [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's been a long journey at sea, as the Knights, Zatanna, and her father followed the enchanted compass' guidance from Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean. Risa stands on the bow of the boat, a shawl wrapped around herself as she stares out into the gathering gloom, frowning.

"The Devil's Triangle," she announces, out of nowhere. "That's our destination, isn't it."

Comments

[uncease]

[Meanwhile, Charming turns to Zatara because it's time to have dad talk.]

What do you know about them? Your daughter won't leave without her mother. We have to find a way to bring them both home.

[unhand]

[Hook's hand goes to his sword.]

How about one of you takes her place, then? If it's so important to you.

[amazingzatara]

[ zatanna's expression falls at the implication of her mother's quickly faltering lifespan, and zatara's eyes scan the ground wildly as he considers charming's question. ] I--

It's been so long since we met, and she told me so little. [ his brow furrows as he struggles desperately to remember anything useful.

in the meantime, the sorcerer sneers at hook's question. "Because only our dear Zatanna inherited the medulla jewel - you might call it a genetic anomaly, passed from mother to child. One that can save our people. Any of us would gladly make the same sacrifice, but I'm afraid we have no option but Zatanna." He places the butt of his staff to the ground with a clang. "So I'm afraid I can't let any of you follow through on your vows to take her away." he flourishes the scepter suddenly, and bellows out several words in an unidentifiable language...

and everrrrrrryone has to make a will save. those who get UNDER a 14 have fallen THRALL to the magi! until further notice, they will obey all orders issued by the magi, regardless of personal feelings, etc. those with a 15+ manage to resist the spell like the smooth mothafuckas they are, aww shit.

and as the spell settles on them all, the sorcerer gives his first order, gesturing at Zatanna: "Seize her!" ]

[unhand]

[And Hook with his whopping will save of 10 moves quickly, turning and reaching for Zatanna (atk 14, grapple check...5 if that hits) with his hand and hook. Too bad the hook has no opposable thumbs, huh.]

[socialgraces]

[Francesca knows he's cast a spell, but she can barely feel it reverberate off her before it merely dissipates, leaving her unaffected (Spell Resistance 30). For such powerful Magi, something is definitely off. But she also sees how easily he's enthralled Hook, and she'd like to finish this before someone's forced to do something they'll regret.

Sneaking around the back of the group (Hide 30, Move Silently 32), she waits until she's in the mage's blind-spot to draw her sword and plunge it into the man's back and through his heart (attack 32, damage 34).]

[layonhands]

[ Zatanna is so focused on her mother that she doesn't expect the sudden movement of the pirate near her side... and Killian gets a solid grip on her, hook at her throat. The mage's pleasure at how quickly his thrall worked keeps him from paying any attention as Francesca sneaks up behind him - and it's not until the blade comes piercing out through his chest that his laughter is choked off and he looks down in horror. ] K-kill them... [ He manages to gurgle those words to his thralls, but they are his last. Life drains out of him visibly as he slumps to his knees, and something in his eyes changes entirely...

In fact, those not enchanted who get a spot check of 15+ will definitely notice that in the moments before his death he looks entirely bewildered, casting his eyes around wildly as if trying to understand anything that is happening, all traces of the malevolence there moments ago gone.

Risa turns around and raises her hands towards the stone wall, and the entire length of it glows white and then vanishes as she dispels it. ]

[undealt]

[Gold's spot check is 18, but it's wasted on him, because he sincerely doesn't give a shit. More important things. Like, oh hey, now is the perfect opportunity to whack Hook across the back of the knee with his cane to get him to drop Zantana (atk 13). It would have worked out a lot better if his attack was higher. Fuck Hook's high defense.]

[cigam]

[ well, at least having a cane whizzing at him distracts hook enough for zatanna to pull some sweet magician moves and worm out of his grasp with an amazing 39 escape artist check, dayum gurl. it does take her whole round though, but she backs away from him five feet to stand closer to charming and dad. ]

[uncease]

[With his nat 20 will save, Charming is playing super defender of Zatanna. As the others shift under the command of the mage, alarm raises in his expression. He nearly raises his sword to hack at the pirate (sry bro) but stops himself as Zatanna slips away from the pirate's grasp. His attention snaps to the mage as he calls out his second command. AND WITH A SECOND NAT 20 SPOT CHECK I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING, he sees the expression shift to confusion. ...And a third nat 20 wis check (something is seriously disturbed with rng right now guys...) he clicks those pieces together, wondering if perhaps the mage was just a pawn.]

Get back! [He calls to the others still under the spell's control.] Gold! Zatara! Can you break the spell? [He'll use his action to move directly in front of Zatanna, sword in hand. Prepared action to swing at the first fucker who comes near him... unless it's Emma...]

[uncurse]

[ spoiler: it's emma, with her will save of a whole nine.

and because she's been sticking close to papa before the spell hit, when he turns to bark orders, it leaves her with a free shot at him from his other side. she raises her gun and fires a shot off at him (atk 20, dmg 6), which gets him in the shoulder.

that's what you get for being in the way of zatanna, motherfucker.

she'll be really, really sorry later. ]

[cigam]

[ /npcing david who... also failed. THRALL TOWN. and he rounds on risa, and backhands her across the face so she can't go around dispelling anymore of the bad guy's magic :| (atk 23). and then pulls his longsword, ho shit. ]

[unhand]

[Hook turns and slashes his hook at Gold's face (atk 23, dmg 6) and man, somewhere he isn't even upset about this because he's really enjoying trying to kill Gold. IT JUST FEELS SO RIGHT. He draws his rapier, turning to face Gold with an almost feral grin.]

[undealt]

[You know what.

He saw this going a lot better.

Getting hooked in the goddamn face does not make one exceedingly good at spellwork and since he botched his concentration check with flying colors trying to cast a spell... Yep. He's fucked. He's so fucked. HE CAN'T EVEN RUN. HOW IS THAT FAIR.]

[amazingzatara]

[ zatara's got your back, gold. he waves a hand in hook's direction and says the magic word: ] Mrasid! [ and hook's rapier goes clattering across the ground. ... his hook got a nat 20 resistance save though so i guess he didn't get anymore dis-armed than he usually is.

ha.

ha ha ha.

zatara looks around rapidly at the disintegrating scene, and his eyes affix on sindella up on the dais. something seems to be occurring to him...

when the two guards up there turn on francesca, because, well, she just killed their boss. they both draw swords and swing at her with 15s that won't come even close to hitting, abandoning their chained up charge for the moment. ]

[socialgraces]

[She was hoping killing the spellcaster would end the enchantment, but apparently that's not the case. Seeing the chaos enfolding before her and deftly dodging her attackers, she briefly glances down at the mage's crumpled form and the staff lying beside him. In less than a second she disappears, completely invisible to anyone watching.

Now hidden, she crouches low, grabbing up the staff (which is still visible even as she holds it) and brings the orb adorning the top down hard on the platform (attack 23). It shatters.

She drops the staff immediately, still invisible.]

[layonhands]

[ risa tries to cast another spell in david's direction but fails her concentration check and it fizzles out as he gets an attack of opportunity on her :C his sword slices into her arm and she cries out, backing away ]

[undealt]

[Gold gives Zatara a nod of gratitude and casts a Daze spell on Hook now that he actually can, because there's no such thing as overkill and he doesn't want him coming after him with the hook. He doesn't even pause to see if Francesca's breaking the staff did anything. He just felt like blinding Hook for a bit.]

[uncease]

[David makes a daring dash to Risa once he hears her cry out. Unfortunately, the conflict of raising his weapon to a teammate continues to make him hesitate. His attack not only misses, but he stutter steps and falls, his sword sliding out of his hand and across the floor (attack crit fail...damnit).]

[cigam]

[ zatanna doesn't exactly like watching emma try to murder charming over here, so she's going to risk trying something: she waves a hand at Emma and shouts: ] Raelc ruoy dnim! [ but something bizarre happens, and it's as if the spell backlashes against her. her hand whips to her temple as she cries out in agony, stumbling back a few steps ]

[uncurse]

[ meanwhile, emma critfailed an attempt to shoot gold. arden can choose how horrible the tears and recriminations are. ]

[cigam]

[ emma got lucky because... her gun just jams. aw yis.

david-bot, in the meantime, steps forward and puts his foot on top of charming's sword, bringing the point of his to other-david's neck and digging it in a little. ]

[unhand]

[Hook's a high enough level that he's FINE way to underestimate him Gold. Especially as he just... got a nat 20 on his next attack. He steps in and slashes at Gold's shoulder, this time (atk nat 20, dmg 8).]

[amazingzatara]

These aren't the homo magi... [ it's said quietly, but anyone around him can make a listen check to hear, as he suddenly seems to come to a terrible conclusion, and moves towards the dais, nat 20ing scaling it with astounding agility for an older dude to rush towards sindella. he waves a hand at the guards and shouts: ] Peels! [ one of them collapses to sleep instantly, but the other charges and catches zatara on his blade, cutting his chest ]

[socialgraces]

[ Welp she's out of clever ideas to break this enchantment, except to rely on the cleric. That is, if Risa ever gets the chance to cast a spell. So she's gonna work on that.

Still invisible, she uses heroic surge and lunges her sword through the guard with his back to her (attack 18, damage 36) and she's already running toward the main group as he slumps over dead at Zatara's feet. She heads toward Gold, deeming him the worst off, and never even pauses as she slams the hilt of her sword into the side of Hook's head (attack 26-4= 22 for 29 damage). But she's still invisible, so he won't even know it was her.

Sorry Hook, you're just too good with that... hook. At least its subdual damage :/ ]

[layonhands]

[ well, you got her her opening... and she better act fast, because charming's about to get it. risa spreads her hands and casts break enchantment... shattering the spell binding the other party members. they regain their heads, only to see giant crowds of armored people filing down the streets all around them, boxing them in. ]