Azazel really wants to devour the Compact metaphorically. Literally too, and he'll try for both, but he'll settle for one. Such is the case here. It's a shock to everyone when the dozens of floating mouths begin to appear, try to devour all who are present, but also the building itself.

In the Ambassador Salon, a bastion of class and actual debate, the Eater of Secrets has long passionately detested human beings trying to solve their problems with debate rather than violence. Even worse, they often have been able to piece together the long concealed secrets he jealousy guarded by having conversations here, and he's not about to let that slide. So time to eat the most reasonable people of the Compact.

OOC: OOC: Azazel is trying to eat his way through the room partly on his way to devouring a path down to the thinnest point. There will just be two offensive rounds, and no defensive rounds, checked at hard. However, he is incredibly aggravated by anyone playing up to the nature of the Ambassador. Anyone making a social check does so at easy, and successes there particularly infuriate him and help drive him off. Failed rolls still get dangerous bites.

Captain Curls, an attentive, ebony guard poodle, Aspira arrive, following Quenia.

Berenice checks charm and seduction at easy. Berenice is successful.

Aelgar Ahh, what counts as a social skill?

Quenia checks command and leadership at easy. Quenia is successful.

Jaenelle checks charm and manipulation at easy. Jaenelle is successful.

Cerys checks dexterity and huge wpn at hard. Cerys is successful.

Vitalis checks perception and empathy at easy. Vitalis is successful.

Skaldia checks dexterity and archery at hard. Skaldia fails.

Ripley checks dexterity and brawl at hard. Ripley is successful.

Jeffeth checks dexterity and huge wpn at hard. Jeffeth is successful.

Adalyn checks charm and manipulation at easy. Adalyn is successful.

Raven checks charm and seduction at easy. Raven is successful.

Captain Curls, an attentive, ebony guard poodle have been dismissed.

Aelgar checks charm and etiquette at easy. Aelgar is successful.

There's a swarm of little mouths all biting at the hawk near Skaldia. The hawk just looks mildly annoyed.

Raven happens to be here with Brother Aelgar having a drink and is currently trying to coax Aelgar to take a copy of her Rex'alfar manual for human husbandry "Seriously, it's an excellent read. I..." she trails off and looks up "...what in the ever loving...?" she glances around to make sure someone else besides her sees this shit.

The tall Velenosa woman draws her spear and without hesitation Cerys is running towards whatever danger comes her way. There's no magic, nothing beyond a woman and a very large weapon.

[MAGIC] You think you can /finally/ have a reasonable day. One full of /civilized conversation/ and maybe even /wine/, if any of that survived. But then!! Once again!! Azazel. Ruins. Everything.

Berenice rises from her (battered) seat in a storm of Lenosian fury. But then she smiles, and her voice is so very sharp in its sweetness. "I think," she coos, "that is /quite/ enough of that."

Quenia wields Flame Bringer, an alaricite long sword.

"Yeah, I can see that. Makes sense." Vitalis is being so very reasonable. And open minded. And sharing information. When the Mouths arrive, Vitalis pushes his seat back and rises to his feet, "And here he is, demon of the hour. Let's hear what he has to say..." He wraps Defiance around his fist, drawing a blade. Does anyone care no one is peacebonding their weapons anymore?

Skaldia doesn't /normally/ hang out here, but she is here today, looking to take a little break from all the fighting. Indeed, there are two hawks with Skaldia now, rather than just Libera. The new hawk is a rather beautiful bird, large and female, with a fierce, annoyed look. Skaldia tries to get her bow ready, clearly not ready for having to fight in close quarters. It's really not the best place for archery. After a moment, she sets her bow aside, and pulls a dagger out of her boot instead, her expression fierce. "You leave Hawk alone!" she shouts.

Ripley just wanted a drink. The lanky young man who looks like Berenice's most mish-mash hodge-podge fashion nightmare (Jaenelle would recognize some pieces that her husband seems to have owned at one point on the man) had found himself in this part of town, and in dire want of drink. In the hopes that it would dull down the demands of Death in his head. "It tastes like pink." The man sullenly says to himself at one of the seats, unkempty shaggy beard and looking at the clearly not pink drink but something very hard.

Then there's suddenly little swarms of mouths and his eyes follow them, face turning, lifting, falling, tracking the suddenly appearing maw like they're insects.

Things much like the shit that's been around the city the last few days and scaring the shift out of him. There's a shout from the jeweler and the glass he was holding is dropped even as he swats at the one mouth that comes for him with his gloved hands. "Mouths!" He yells out, as if maybe no one else can see them. He's punching and swatting anything near him with those fireweave covered gloves. "MOUTHS!" He then screeches.

Aelgar is not exactly a polished social paragon, being more a. well...nerd. He is a nerd of noble upbringing, though, and his work as a Prelate has involved some time rubbing elbows with more polished types. Plus, he is a very composed man who has grown much in the past weeks. All this being the case, he follows Raven's eyes and purses his own lips with a huff before opining, "I suspect the Eater has chosen our coompany for dinner, Raven. We are the lucky ones, no?"

"Wot?!" Jeffeth grumps and he slaps a maw in the face. "Get /out/ of here! What the fuck," he rumbles. "Just trying to drink some ale." Seriously.

"I intend to give Azazel indigestion, or heart burn, which ever comes first," Quenia remarks as she gets up from her seat. "I hope the rest of you are willing to join me in fighting against his attempt at breaking the world." She then rises from her own seat, wielding Flame Bringer, the Igniseri house sword, her eyes fixating on all the many, many targets.

It has been stressful, and Jaenelle would just like a glass of wine. She owns a bar, right down at the end of the ward but sometimes it is nice to get a change of scenery. As the mouths come, there is a look of annoyance from the Archduchess and when one comes close enough she rolls up a pile of missives and slams it down on it to crush it against the table. Her wine is then picked up and sipped once more as if it were nothing but a fly, and she turns towards the bartender, "the Black Fox doesn't have this problem. He knows better." The Lyceum did it once, he knows they'd send him running again.

Aelgar slips a wry glance at Quenia and wonders across the space between tables, "Now what possible objections would a lowly Scholar have to Lord Vellichor's best friend popping in for a bite?"

Adalyn is here with a talk dark hair man sitting with Vitalis, they both stand up looking as the mouths come, "Come on, just go way already." she looks at Fulgurium and then Vitalis nodding to them both as she moves to pull her spear off her back.

12 Grayson House Guards arrives, following Liara.

Raven grumbles "There's got to be an abyssal banishment spell. One of these days I'm going to fucking learn that shit." she frowns and eyes the mouths "Centuries and this is still the most interesting thing he can think to do." She wonders over her shoulder towards Jaenelle "How alarmed ought we actually be by this weaksauce, Your Grace?"

"Not one that's going to banish an Archfiend." Quenia calls over to Raven, doing best to stay away from any of the munching mouths of Azazel as he tries to eat patrons and Skaldia's hawk. She looks poised and ready to take a few swings at any that come too close.

Liara checks command and leadership at easy. Liara is spectacularly successful.

A half dozen floating maws fly towards different nonchalant inhabitants of the bar, one sputtering venomously at Jaenelle, "BE SCARED! YOU SHOULD BE FUCKING TERRIFIED, YOU INSECT! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO STUPID TO KNOW WHEN TO..." And then it explodes, and a few other pop at similar comments, and a number of the maws look so enraged they just start to disintegrate in mid air. A major still chase around patrons, while a few burrow into the floor.

((These are preeeeettty fast events. Another round of checks, and based on that will be how much of Azazel is getting to the thinnest point for tomorrow.))

Berenice checks charm and seduction at easy. Berenice is successful.

Aelgar checks charm and etiquette at easy. Aelgar is successful.

Jeffeth checks dexterity and huge wpn at hard. Jeffeth fails.

Quenia checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Quenia is successful.

Jaenelle checks charm and manipulation at easy. Jaenelle is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at easy. Liara is successful.

Ripley checks dexterity and brawl at hard. Ripley is successful.

Raven checks mana and occult at hard. Raven is successful.

Cerys checks strength and huge wpn at hard. Critical Success! Cerys is spectacularly successful.

Vitalis checks command and intimidation at easy. Vitalis is marginally successful.

Adalyn checks charm and manipulation at easy. Adalyn is successful.

Skaldia checks dexterity and archery at hard. Skaldia marginally fails.

Aelgar stands, if only because it makes sense and he is nothing if not sensible. There is an aura of calm about him, though, and he speaks with an easy tone, "Lord Vellichor did not gift us Knowledge and charge us with protecting and spreading it just to stand aside when some Abysmal abomination decides to eat it all." His voices iis quieter now, yet it resonates with a remarkable depth. "The Dream endures. Humanity endures. The Abyss is not welcome here."

[MAGIC - MARGINAL FAIL] Skaldia tries to summon the power within her to deal with the gibbering mouths that are attacking Hawk, trying to summon those feather quills that she often sprouts, but she really needs to be shapeshifted for it to work. And inside, it's a lot harder to shapeshift. She could to it, but the confines make it difficult, and so a few quills shoot out at the maws, but not enough to do any real damage or make a difference against them. "Hawk! What can I do?" she cries, trying to fling the mouths away by trying to stab them with her dagger.

[MAGIC] That's it. Azazel insulted Jaenlle. Quenia brandishes Flame Bringer and steps in, her movements faster than they've seen. She hacks and slashes at each of the mouths, making sure to trounce them hard with her sword. She steps out of the way, making certain to dance around those attempting to attach her, doing her best to work within the crowded salon.

"No..." Jaenelle's voice is like silk, low and dark and something you'd wish to keep you warm in the night. Her hands move to the table and she leans forward, rising slightly from her seat with a growing smile that might cause people to pause before speaking again. "I am Jaenelle Velenosa, the Archduchess of Lenosia. The Grand Duchess of the Lyceum. Remember my name because it is you who should be terrified. It is you who should look over your shoulders in the shadows. It is I who will be remembered long after your name is forgotten." Then as if to prove a point she flicks her wrist in dismissal and another mouth bursts as she looks towards Raven, "we can't have nice things anymore."

Raven sighs and lifts a hand, small tendrils manifesting around her and Aelgar reaching out and f licking irritably at mouths that come near them "Ain't no one scared of you now fuck off." she gives Aelgar a mock pout at the unwelcomedness of the abyss.

Raven says, "clearly not, your grace."

Aelgar twists a quick, serene grin at Raven even as he raises a hand toward the dental models.

[MAGIC] Berenice has no weapons to draw or brandish. (That's not true; she's got hairpins on her somewhere.) She has only herself, the full force of presence and personality, and the fury of absolute noble entitlement. "I don't believe you have the proper /breeding/ to be here," she declares, words sharp enough to cut. Physically /cut/.

Vitalis looks at Adalyn and Fulgurium sidelong and nods at the sentiment. He is bowing up and preparing some sick burn when Rat arrives and it totally throws off his timing. They're still working out the blocking for the apocalypse. Vitalis is off book at least -- with all this metaphor, maybe he should have gone to the Black Rose!

Liara, likely having heard the ruckus from outside, comes into the Salon, and the sight of the dozens of floating maws is maybe more a source of faint bewilderment than shock at this juncture. The Princess of Bastion was once quite a frequent sight at the Ambassador Salon, in fact, and may not be best pleased. "Stop that," she says, this towards the maws that start to burrow, as if she is in fact expecting them to pay attention. While she is armoured, she does not even dignify them by drawing Elvesbane. Instead, she appears to assume that words will suffice. "Remove yourself, nibbling one. This is a place of shared knowledge. It is not for you."

Then, because it is the done thing, she addresses a, "Good evening," to the properly-mannered people in the Salon.

The space isn't quite conducive to tossing a spear, but Cerys is precise. The woman holds her weapon tight in steel covered hands. There's determination in her eyes, combat is a way of life for her, so is protecting others. Then she watches, waiting for one of the maws to open, and then the princess goes about a little dental work, stabbing her spear squarely in the center of it.

Adalyn wields a diamondplate spear ringed with duskstones.

Someones scared of them. Ripley's scared of them. Scared and very confused why only a few are wielding weapons and her gaze darts from person to person while reaching out to the mouths that still get near to him, and swatting them away. "What are they...." Another swat. "Why..." He doesn't finish the sentence out loud. He's just swatting and clapping mouths between his hands.

Adalyn pulls her spear out, "Your really annoying you know that Azazel." her voice is calm and her eyes look to Vitalis as he is off and then to her dragon friend. She takes steps forward about to strike at the mouths trying to bite things.

One maw just shrieks in such outrage at Berenice's line it explodes on its own, while Cerys tears through numerous of them. Many of the maws appear particularly infuriated at Berenice, Jaenelle, Liara, Aelgar and Vitalis, the things popping in outrage, while others are cut down while they try to bite and devour peopel alive. A handful of the little maws burrow into the floor and escape, but an overwhelming majority are killed. The Ambassador Salon has been saved, surprisingly in tact, and they are victorious.

Vitalis looked like he got a particularly has been staring into the middle distance, worrying the end of Defiance between his fingers and kicking a stray Mouth here and there. And then they're gone. "Ah!" The burrowing. "And I was just about to perform a spontaneous love poem. I know he's a fan." He frowns at the departing maws sinking into the ground. "I think we struck a blow, but- that can't be good."

Aelgar waves the lifted hand dismissively, even as the mini-bites sink away. Is that a soft, vague *glow* about him for a moment? Then comes that parculiar, resonating voice, "Begone, foul spirit. Lord Vellichor commands you!" Then, a moment later, voce normal, he wonders of Raven, "So, you believe this book worthy? I have to admit, all knowledge is worthy, my friend. What need we do to get it done?"

Raven says, "Write it down and perform the ritual to protect it from the eater." she looks up and around "Everyone alright?"

Liara peers at the maws as they vanish into the ground, with a purse of her lips into a muted frown. She glances up again shortly after, with a little nod in evident agreement with Vitalis' observation, and then to Raven.

Aelgar nodds at Raven with a grin. "I think we can do this." Around the room, eyes flickering methodically, he wonders of the august patronage, "Who needs help? I am Brother Aelgar of he Scholars of Vellichor and I will help any in need."

Is everyone alright? Ripley looks honestly terrified and his drink is spilt on the table. Between this, yesterday and the perpetual night that's been happening. The jeweler looks like he is hyperventilating. "I'mgoingbacktomyforge.I'mgoingbacktomyforge.Nothinghappensthere.It'llbefinethere." Hurriedly to himself even as he's standing up and making for the door, looking around him self as if there might be more mouths about to pop at any moment.

Quenia puts the sword away and then starts to settle back down at her table as she notices something amiss, looking quite miffed. "Damn. He ruined my meat and cheese platter!" She's definitely upset with Azazel now.


**********************************************************************
As quickly as it started, the many attacks around the city were defeated, with little bits of Azazel being quite literally bored to death in many cases, or more traditionally dealt with by being cut or crushed into tiny pieces. Unfortunately, a number did burrow down through the floor, as the Archfiend gathers himself up and prepares for one final battle.
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"/Well/." Berenice smooths a hand down the front of her gown, glaring at the bits of the floor where the maws disappeared. "This is why they shouldn't allow the commons in here."

In about as companionable gesture as one is ever likely to receive from Liara, she lifts a gauntleted hand in an effort to pat it reassuringly to Ripley's shoulder as he passes by towards the door, which she is still standing near.

Standing with her spear in hand, Cerys pulls out a cloth and wipes the end before she affixes it back to her back. The princess rolls her slender shoulders under her steelsilk. Bernice's comment shatters her typically stoic features and she cannot help but chuckle. Indeed.

Raven signals to Aelgar she'll just be a minute and rises and ambles over towards Ripley. She rests a hand on Ripley's shoulder and seeks his gaze, "Hey, hey, HEY!" she pats his shoulder "You're alright, everyone here is alright, he was just trying to scare folks. It'll be alright, ok?"

"I remember why I stopped coming here," Jaenelle says as she finally stands, looking at the holes in the floor. Only a small bit of worry on her face through the careful mask she wears. "I will be retiring, I own my own vineyard." She doesnt even need to come out for wine!

Jeffeth grunts as the maws disappear. He treads over the mouthy carcasses, easily snapping and squishing them beneath heavy boots. He reaches from the illustrated demon confession book that has fallen off the shelf and drops it down one of the holes burrowed in the floor. "We're coming for you!" he rumbles after it.

Aspira leaves, following Quenia.

"No, no it's not going to be alright." Ripley replies to Raven, looking at the book dropped down one of the holes, the squish of little demon mouths under Jeffeth's boots. The High Lord of Grayson patting his other shoulder. "This is not going to be alright. There's no sun! There's so much death!" He shakes his head. "She wants so much right now. I'm going to go hide in my forge and hope this ends soon. Please gods let this end soon."

A stretch and Cerys meanders out of the Ambassador, "I like the wine at the Fox better," she dare says before she leaves.

Aelgar looks to Ripley and wonders in a relaxed manner, "Your forge? You work metal?"

Vitalis arches a brow at Berenice for the sentiment, he is married to a woman once 'common.' But they've all just won a ... strange victory and it's time to put the plans discussed here in motion. "I think that was as good a signal as any that we have much to prepare yet." He tugs the points of his vest down and smoothes the fabric before offering Adalyn his arm. He looks with some bemusement at the dark-haired man they entered with. "You are, of course, welcome to accompany us."

Raven nods to Ripley "Alright. Take care of yourself, eh?" she seems puzzled by the reference of 'she' but lets it go. She flashes Aelgar and encouraging grin as she she offers towards Ripley "I got some rum here if you want it." she returns to her table with a heavy sigh.

"mm a jeweler." He points to Berenice, no attempt to be discreet, hand shaking. "I make some of the stuff she wears." Points to the just departed duchess. "A lot of her stuff. Skulls. I make skulls for people." Raven has rum. He's eyeing it. "It's just gonna taste pink."

Liara is probably not here to strike up reassuring conversation, so instead she just smiles faintly to Ripley, then gazes across the Salon. Then she turns to step outside, where a griffin greets her. "Everything all right, eh?" Sign of the times, really.

Adalyn places her spear back onto her back, looking to Vitalis her hand rests on his arm. "Yes, come. " she says to the dark haired man, "I think we may need to set him with a room M'lord." she says softly to him. She moves so she is leaning on him just a little.

12 Grayson House Guards leaves, following Liara.

Skaldia is still here, looking at Hawk carefully to make sure the ginormous hawk is not injured physically, or at least, not too badly. Libera seems fine. She flew up to the highest place she could, and now flies down again. The birds follow the huntress as she hurries on her way out of the salon.

Libera, a quiet hawk, Hawk leave, following Skaldia.

Vitalis smiles and tucks Adalyn's arm close to his side, "It's been a lovely bit of apocalypse, you all. Good evening. Day? Whatever time it is." Who knows! And with that, Vitalis turns and makes his way out.

Berenice feels no judgment of her classism in this, The Classism Salon, Capital of Classism. She just tosses her hair one final time and saunters on out.

Raven says, "until next time, Lord vitalis."

Adalyn leaves, following Vitalis.

Aelgar nods to Ripley in a friendly manner, engagd and confident still. "An artist, then. The Knowledge Vellichor placed in our trust included much related to the working of stones and metal, the nature of heat and the making of tools. The god gave us this so that you might create the beautiful works people here wear. You are already a Disciple in a way. Perhaps you will someday stop by the Shrine and learn more? Meanwhile, know that you are honored by Lord vellichor and by me for the way you honor Him and His Gift. You have done well and the Eater abomination as flown in part because of your use of the Gift." Aelgar smiles warmly, and again there seems something different in him. Something.

Raven bows her head to those leaving "Fare thee well, be careful." she frowns and grumbles "Wonder how we get the sun back?" she wonders to Aelgar.

Aelgar is eyed beneath the flaps of the hat he's wearing, as if unsure precisely what the man is trying to say. But it works in getting him just a little out of his head enough. "imma Harlequin." Already a disciple of something. But he's a little less jittery. "I'm.. I'm going to go to my forge. I need to get this pink out of my head before She get louder." There's a furtive glance to Raven and making sure there's space for others to exit, he's trying to slip out of the door, hunched over and cautiously looking up at the sky before scurrying off in his mis-matched armor.

Aelgar shrugs to Raven and then grins mischeviously. "We send the little mouths to the Abyss and then signal the sun all is clear!"

Aelgar waves good-naturedly to the exiting Riply.

"I can't drink here," Jeffeth rumbles in complaint for all the dead mouths hanging open and drooling on the floor. "I'm going to the Black Fox." Stomp stomp stomp, crunch crunch crunch, he leaves.

Raven tilts her head "there's little abyss oasis all over the place, brother Aelgar." she looks up and her eyebrows lift "Alright, enjoy your evening." she looks to Aelgar "Amazing the shit one gets used to when one grows up on the streets of Setarco. Rum?"

Aelgar slides a glass across for filling, his grins only slowly returning to a more lightly amused visage. "Indeed. Arx has proven to be a life-changing experience for me."

Raven drains her glass "I suppose I should check in with the Iron guard." she rises to head out herself.

Aelgar tips his own glass up, then slaps it down and rises. "I have to make sure the Archives are safely secured against mouthy things, then get some rest. We are not done yet."

Raven says, "Be safe, brother aelgar."

Aelgar waves and wanders off int the night.