Game: Great minds think alike

As Ohalian scans the huge fiend that Liria has transformed into, the results are irritating: She has got one body, one beating heart, but the sensors produce every result five times - as if Liria was five beings in one.

Also, despite her wounds, she seems to be at perfect health.

Ohalian’s first shoot rips a wound into Liria’s left arm, the next shoot misses her. As Ohalian scans her again, the sensors show the same result as before his shot.

Ophelia asks the voice in her mind, but receives only a puzzling reply.

Be one as she is one, and be many as she is many.

This same sentence is also what Blackthornes hears in his mind as he asks the voice for help.

The Masked Gnoll charges at Liria again, and his flindbars hit her three times, and every time hard – hard enough that it feels like a few bones are short before breaking, and blood spills on the streets.

„Not for long, foolish mortal!“ Liria screams in anger at the Masked Gnoll.

[OOC: Just in case it wasn't noticed - this was a quick round, it's next round already! Blackthornes, your turn!]

Sheeram smiles. "Of course I will help you. Take this."

She reaches to the ground, and the floor turns fluid in a small area below her hand. Quickly, she pulls out a staff - looking like a thin, long branch with a single red rune carved into one end. "Hit with the rune, and the effects for any evil creature will be disastrous," she explains as she gives it to Ophelia. "But remember I want it back after this fight."

As Blackthornes asks his questions to Ian, or rather Tobias, Liria ceases her fighting, staring at the human before her.
"No way," she says, her eyes moving to the (still invisible) Ian. She raises her hands, and out of nothing, a small ball of fire appears between her fingers. She catches the ball with her right hand, then throws it at Ian, and as the fireball roars through the air, it grows to the size of a human - exploding short before Ian reaches the other succubus.

In the meantime, the remaining Harmonium Officers have slightly retreated, and the spellslinger among them casts a spell going off in a bright flash - and leaving each of the Hardheads with a number of mirror images. All of them are constantly moving, passing through each other, and leaving not a single image (or person) appearing real.

[OOC: @Fidrikon: Reflex saving throw, please, DC 15!

@Ophelia: As far as I can calculate in my currently tired state , if you move at full speed, you can reach any of the succubi in one round.]

Ian hears the roaring ball of fire coming from behind, and just as it explodes - inches away from him -, he manages to make a jump forward, landing on his shoulder and rolling over the street until he gets onto his feet again. As he comes standing up again, the flames vanish a mere hand's length from his nose (which gets painfully hot).

You are of no matter to me, stupid mortal!

This time, Liria's voice appears in MG's mind, angry, dark and intimidating. As the Masked Gnoll jumps at her, she simply grabs him by the throat, squeezing hard, then pushes him back onto the street - just like he truly didn't matter to her.

Without caring for him any longer, she begins to walk towards the invisible Ian.

[OOC: Okay then, Ophelia keeps moving this round, and reaches one of the other succubi in time for her initiative next round. That means, another round is finished, and it's Blackthornes' turn!]

The man in leather, who went with Ohalian and stayed at his side all the time, turns towards him. "Verification: The aim of the group is to kill Liria, correct?"

Stomping over the street, Liria charges after Ian, but her path is blocked by the Harmonium Officers. She stops, growling angrily, then raises her fists into the air, screaming in anger and hate. Her skin gets even deeper red than before, and the flames surrounding her body grow, until Liria is completely hidden in fire - and explodes in a huge fireball, engulfing the entire group of Hardheads.

A second later, the fire is gone, Liria stands on the street locking her gaze on Ian, and only charred skeletons and a few armour pieces remain of the Harmonium Officers.

The man in leather ponders for a moment, then replies, "I could have her. But she is more complex than usual. I am not sure I have the necessary logic adapters. Indeed, her paths of logic go beyond my logical understanding so far. Mother is working on it. On a side note, did you notice my personality development?"

Once more, the Masked Gnoll jumps at Liria like an Athasian slavepit wrestler – and Liria simply smashes him aside with her hand like he was some kind of insect.

[OOC: Sorry dread pirate! Hope you’re not as frustrated as MG seems to be

@Ophelia: You’ll get there at the end of the round.

This round’s done – Blackthornes, Ophelia and Ian have each reached one of the other succubi, Ohalian is still hiding, Liria is stomping towards Ian while MG still tries to get her into a fight. Blackthornes, your turn!]

[OOC: Whee, sorry! My bad. This interruption kicked me out of things a bit.]

Ian reaches the succubus in the red dress. As he gets near to her, he realizes that she does look right into his eyes, but all she does is step back slowly. With a single attack, Ian's rapier goes right into the woman's breast. She does not jump aside or defend herself, only looks into his eyes, showing shock and disbelief. As Ian pulls back his weapon, blood streams out of the wound, and the woman falls to the ground like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

Standing before the sixteen-years old girl, Blackthornes whispers his threat to her. The succubus only reacts with a panicked look on her face, flipping between looking at him and Liria. With one cut, Blackthornes' blade goes right through the girl's neck and cuts it open.

Dark red blood spills out of the half-beheaded woman's throat, tainting Blackthornes' weapon and clothes, and the street upon which the girl falls down - dead.

Just as Ian killed the succubus before him, he realizes Liria coming up beneath him. Stomping with her hooves, the ground shakes slightly for Ian as she comes nearer very quickly. The moment he turns around, she as already reached him, grapping him at his throat and lifting him up from the street.

„Now you’ll die, damned mortal – and suffer for eternity in my kingdom!“

Her grip gets tighter, and Ian has trouble breathing – as suddenly, Liria stands still, her eyes wide open in shock.

She opens her hand (or rather, her claw), dropping Ian back on the ground. Then, her skin rips open, her body twitches, and she shrinks. Obviously, she is in the midst of a transformation into – something else.

As the transformation begins, Ohalian’s sensor results begin to clear up: Two of the five listings disappear. It seems Liria is "only" three beings in one now. Not just that, her physical power and health fades strongly.

In the midst of her transformation process, Liria appears almost helpless, and as MG's flindbars hit her, the weapon leaves large wounds. Liria screams out in pain, although it is hard to say whether from her transformation or from the Masked Gnoll's attacks.

Ohalian, still scanning the situation, notices that for the very first time, the attack against Liria seems to have been successful.

Ophelia stands before the succubus, who silently stares into her eyes, shaking her head in a mixture of fear and hope. Her lips shape the word No...

... as the staff hits her right on her neck. Ophelia can hear the crushing of bones, but before the succubus can even scream out in pain, she is engulfed by a bright golden light. For a split second, Ophelia feels like looking directly into a sun - as the beautiful flash is gone, so is the fiend.

Those who look at the remaining succubus - in particular, Ian, who is running to her - notice that she seems to fight against something, as if breaking free of invisible chains... and suddenly, she spreads her wings and rises up into the air. "I will not die for you, Liria! You have proven your weakness, your death is meant to come!"

As the woman flies higher, Liria screams out once more, and the monstrous shell explodes. Flesh, blood, sinew and bones rain all over the place. What remains is the succubus Liria, a beautiful woman in a blue dress, both covered in blood and slime. Liria falls to the ground, obviously exhausted.