Match of the Millennium

Description: A continuation of Illyria Finale - Ghost Of A Chance, where Sophia and Brandon seek to finish the job that he attempted not too long ago. However, fighting off the army of banshee took its toll on them. Will the lamia and the wizard have enough left in them to end the menace of Sylvanas, the Banshee Queen?

[MUNIN]
Deep within the barrow, all is not pleasant. The Banshee Queen brandon had battled is floating in the middle of a pillar of solid leyline energy! As a result, she has completely recharged herself since their prior encounter! The torches surrounding the room are still alight with unnaturally cold blue fire, only this time much brighter as more energy has seeped into the room, for whatever purpose only the designers of this structure would know!

The Banshee Queens formerly ragged form is much cleaned-up now than earlier, a sideeffect of so much ley energy. She appears much more youthful than before, skin an unearthly pale, with talons for fingernails. What was formerly rags around her body is now much more dignified and indicitive of her status as a queen, regal and flowing. Where her legs would be is nothing but the flowing strands of her dress, with only a gasous cloud beneath. Her long hair floats behind her, like someone submerged in water, flowing and drifting weightlessly.

[SOPHIA]
Of course Sophia isn't all that thrilled about the thought of fighting the banshee queen, still she's in much better shape than Brandon is right now. Plus the fact she can regenerate on her own to some extent didn't hurt either. Still she was starting to get hungry, but she did her best to try and keep her instincts in check. After all it was rather dangerous if she drained Brandon and she's not quite sure what would happen if she drained the banshees. It might have the opposite effect and heal them instead.

[BRANDON]
As Brandon follows Sophia into the chamber where he first battled the queen. Everything he sees is not particularly reassuring. Granted, he wasn't able to connect with much of anything so the Queen had plenty of time catch a breather as well as bathe in energy.

Brandon mumbles out a quip, mostly to keep himself emotionally stable, "Looks like the Queen received a leyline makeover. If I wasn't certain that this wouldn't be used responsibly, I'd start advertising it."

He then turns to Sophia, this time giving her advice that she might find useful he'd rather not have to cut loose with the last vestiges of his strength if he didn't have to. "Be careful. Her screams are dangerous and one of her screams can erect a barrier that turns your energy against you."

[MUNIN]
For a moment, it almost seems as if the queen is unaware of their presence....

As they walk in, and Brandon starts warning Sophia of the ensuing threats, her eyes open! Brightly-glowing blue points of light, brighter than those of the banshees outside, glaaaaaaaaare hatefully at them for a moment before locking on Brandon "You DARE defile this place AGAIN! You will SUFFER!".

In a sudden burst of speed and a loud screech, she bolts towards the pair, clawed hands to the sides ready to strike!

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen has joined the fight here.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|-------\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/------=|

In her zeal to get at her target, the Banshee Queen doesn't stop to go around anyone between them. Unfortunately, Sophia being in the lead means she takes the brunt of the queens initial wrath! Twin claws lash out at her, edges keen razors seeking to rend flesh, bone, scale, and anything else they touch!

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen successfully hits Sophia with Corrupting Touch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|=------\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/----===|

[SOPHIA]
Sophia tries to shield herself from the Banshee's Queen's claws but she finds getting tore up for her trouble. Still remembering what Brandon said she's going to forced to be more physical in this fight or she would get a repeat of when she battled Kelly. She can feel her body wither a bit as well, all this fighting was starting to take it's toil on her. She tries to ensare the woman with her tail to keep her from stabbing at Brandon.

[BRANDON]
Hoo boy! As predicted, Sylvanas was not happy to see Brandon again. Considering the reasons he's here and his experiences in the cave, his feelings aren't exactly hurt.

"Well... If you hadn't turned up your nose to the idea of releasing the Sacred Order acolytes I wouldn't have felt so inclined to return."

While Brandon seems to be breathing slowly as he attempts to keep his power from finishing the job the banshee army had started. He finds himself needing to add under his breath, "Besides, weren't you the one told your army to attack us? What did you expect to happen if we survived?"

The queen of the banshee charges forth and as Sophia intercedes on his behalf, he almost has to remind himself that he gave his word that he would let her take on this fight. It felt odd to him to be one that was being defended but he gave his word and would not break it. He takes a couple more steps to put more space between himself and the darkstalker battle to make it less likely for him to break his promise because of an ingrained instinct towards protecting his allies.

COMBATSYS: Sophia successfully hits Banshee Queen with Epic Tail.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|====---\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/---====|

[MUNIN]
Sophias tail strikes true, for a moment ensnaring and curshing the Banshee! While it does it's damage, the women gives a look of pain, which then returns to one of fury! The ghostly creature fades a bit, slipping through and behind Sophia before solidifying again. Having struck her, the banshees ire is now centered on her instead!

At least, for the time being!

Brandon's words, while they may be true, are not given any visible response.

The Queen attempts to grab Sophia by the back of the neck, followed by slamming her face first into the stone floor, her hand burning with ethereal energy!

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen successfully hits Sophia with Grounding Throw.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           1/-------/=======|

[SOPHIA]
Sophia tries to pull away from being grabbed but she doesn't seem to have much luck as she ends getting slammed face first into the floor. She coils up in pain and there's a crunching sound as her glasses are cracked. Her red eyes squint a bit as she tries to make up what's going on around her. Not being able to see fully makes her both a bit desperate and her lose her cool a bit as opens her mouth. Poison drips from her fangs before she spits at the banshee queen to try and force the demon to free her.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen fails to reflect Acid Paper from Sophia with Noise Cancelling.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           1/-----==/=======|

[MUNIN]
Ghostly eyes narrow as the banshee opens her mouth. A soundless scream, unheard by the ears of the living, is broadcast from her maw. It catches the acidic saliva in the air, attempting to turn it back at Sophia!

The viscous is, luckily for Sophia, too heavy to entirely be sent back, and flies into the Queens mouth! She abruptly closes her lips as the substances is swallowed, and a look of pain crosses her eyes as she clutches at her throat with a clawed hand, too stunned at the moment to resume her assault.

[SOPHIA]
Of course at this point, Sophia's starting to lose her sense of reason as she tries to pry free from the Banshee Queen. The woman's screaming certainly isn't helping as she punches the undead spirit to try and break free of her before she completely loses her mind.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen dodges Sophia's Fierce Punch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           1/-----==/=======|

[MUNIN]
Sophias punch goes.... right through the queen as she phases out of space again, the goop of acid also dropping to the floor, though it's damage is done regardless.

The Queen stares angrily at Sophia before moving under her fist, rematerializing to solid state, and sending a backhand at the lamias cheek with as much force as she can muster!

This is followed up with another grab to the neck, and the Queen tossing Sophia as far as she can!

COMBATSYS: Sophia auto-guards Banshee Queen's Crushing Throw.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           1/-----==/=======|

[SOPHIA]
Of course the problem with phasing out is that the Banshee Queen has to release Sophia in order to do so. Which means the lamia has plenty of time to prepare before she phases back and she stretches out. She grabs the undead woman with her tail as she goes flying and uses her as a makeshift shield to protect herself from the impact.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen blocks Sophia's Light Reading.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|=======\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           1/-----==/=======|

[MUNIN]
The queens arms come up, catching and holding Sophias tail at bay around her preventing complete constriction!

Not wasting any time, she floats up and out of Sophias range, claws bared and dashing in, swiping in a frenzy of sharp edges at the snake-lady!

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen successfully hits Sophia with Charged Combo.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1    Banshee Queen
[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           1/---====/=======|

[SOPHIA]
Of course Sophia's not really thinking clearly at this point as pain and hunger have overtaken her thought process. Skin and scales go flying as she gets slashed at, but the banshee queen putting herself in arm's reach might not have been the best. She's about to unwilling conduct a little expirement, can the queen of the undead fill her hunger at all. She attempts to coil around her and crush what's left her physical body. As if that's not deadly enough her mouth opens wide and his full of a sickeningly green glow. Her fangs bite down and attempt to tear throug her flesh.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen reflects Binding Pact from Sophia with Sound Barrier.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|====---\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/----===|

[MUNIN]
The queen is not fast enough at the time to evade being coiled around despite her immaterial substance. However, her arms are left free, and as Sophia comes in to bite, she is stopped by the Queens hands, energy flaring between the queens palms and Sophias mouth! The Queen realizes after a second just what Sophia is trying to do, and turns the tables on her!

Banshees use drains as well, and have been doing so for a long long time. They also know how to turn the process back on itself!

The queen surges her own power, and turns Sophias back on itself, creating something of a feedback loop for the poor Lamia, causing her own chi to flow out, then back in at a rate that would cause harm to her in the process! The shockwave caused by this gives the Queen room to manuever out of the bind, and begin to move into position to continue her assault!

[SOPHIA]
Sophia screams in pain as she sucks her own energy dry. Unfortunately for her the banshee queen has much more experience at this than she does. It looks like she might got herself in over her head here. The pain makes her come to her sense a bit but the situation is getting worse for her by the moment. At this point it doesn't look like she stands much of a chance here but she doubts the banshee queen will simply let her back down. She needs to get her as far away as possible first.

She grabs at her with her tail once again, but this time not to smother but instead to toss her into a wall.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen dodges Sophia's Rebound Throw.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|====---\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/-----==|

[MUNIN]
Once more, the Queen fades a bit, Sophias tail passing right through and grab nothing but empty air!

Rushing in close, the queens claws come out, and she attempts to grab Sophia by jabbing her claws into the womans midriff near where her tail and torso meet, digging through skin and scale as she lifts her up, turns, and flings the reptilian gal at a nearby wall!

COMBATSYS: Sophia blocks Banshee Queen's Improvised Throw.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|====---\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/-----==|

[SOPHIA]
Well, her plan hadn't gone quite as Sophia expected as the banshee queen dodged and decided to return the favor. Well, half of it. The claws do dig slash through her sweater cutting both skin and scales she doesn't manage to throw her. Instead Sophia opens her mouth once again in hunger, this time she doesn't try to drain her. Inside her long forked tongue attempts to push the woman back off of her.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen blocks Sophia's Thesis Statement.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[                    \\\\\\\\\\  <
Sophia           0/-------/---====|

[MUNIN]
The Queens other arm swings out, intercepting the tongue and struggling to hold it back. Her other arm attempting to grab Sophia retracts back, knocking the tongue away! In the process, as it goes off to the side, she floats in again, sending a glowing-fisted punch at Sophias face! Whatever other tricks she has aren't brough to bear in favor of a more direct attack!

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen successfully hits Sophia with Fierce Punch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen
[                          \\\\  <
Sophia           1/-------/=======|

[SOPHIA]
Sophia gets smacked in the face rather hard and is dazed by it. In last ditch attempt to get the banshee queen away from her before she blacks out she wraps her tail around the queen once again to try throw her into the wall. Hopefully she can stay vertical enough to try and make an escape before she has a chance to recover.

COMBATSYS: Sophia can no longer fight.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Brandon          1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen

[BRANDON]
Brandon had been biding his time, attempting to restrain the urge to rescue his rescuer, after all he didn't want to make the fight harder for the lamia than he knew it already was. He had fought the queen once before, after all. He finds he can no longer sit still. He needs to force a disengagement from Sophia and then from there determine if the move should be making a hasty retreat or finishing the job.

The mystical detective charges in as his energy rends at his own body as he lets rip a trip of energy bolstered jabs, followed by a haymaker and then a downward two fisted hammer blow.

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen dodges Sophia's Dissertation.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Brandon          0/-------/<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen

COMBATSYS: Banshee Queen dodges Brandon's Cascade of Five Suns.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Brandon          0/-------/<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0    Banshee Queen

[MUNIN]
The Queen pulls that tired trick of hers once more, but only just barely.

The Queen floats low, Sophias tail passing right through her body in what would otherwise have been a grazing hit! Only the temporary intangability saves her from being picked up and thrown by the lamia.

When she rematerializes, however, Brandon is making his move! Wide glowing eyes stare at him in suprise as he has the upper hand, and it is only because of her superhuman ability to move and remanifest herself that she evades his grasp! His strikes DO come close, and the energy he emits burns the edges of her form in the process! While it does no direct damage, it is NOT comfortable for her, and she hisses angrily in recognition!

With all caution thrown to the wind she races in, grabbing at his throat with a glowing, burning hand! Once she has contact, the Queen attempts to slam him against the ground, followed by throwing him across the room from her!

COMBATSYS: Brandon interrupts Last Gasp from Banshee Queen with Seal of Binding.
*KNOCKED AWAY*

[                           \\\  <
Banshee Queen    1/-------/=======|

COMBATSYS: Brandon can no longer fight.

[                           \\\  <
Banshee Queen    1/-------/=======|

[SOPHIA]
Well, at least Brandon's attack serves as enough distraction for Sophia to back away, but escaping would to prove to be a more difficult challenge. She was hoping he could at least stun the queen long enough to escape but he doesn't seem to have much more success than she does. The question is what they could do now, she doubts the queen will just let them go.

[BRANDON]
Brandon knows he doesn't have enough in him to finish the queen since his series of punches couldn't connect with the form of the undead creature. The only option he really has left is to peel the banshee off and take off with Sophia until they can come up with a more permanent solution to this menace.

He thinks to some of the notes given to him by his mentor Trish and he feels the energy flow through him causing intense amounts of pain.

He can see the banshee draw near and as her glowing hand clutches at his throat a circle of arcane formulas and runes forms right below the banshee, binding it in place and sapping its energy before a bright pillar of light erupts tearing her grip away from him as he collapses to the ground.

"She's binded but it's not permanent. It'll buy us a little of a head start but not much more than that."

He starts crawling towards the exit of the chamber, not quite able to get his feet under himself yet.

[MUNIN]
A look of pure hatred is given to Brandon as the Banshee Queen is bound by his formula! She struggles initially against this, which proves no use!

A blood-curdling scream pierces the air as the pillar of light bursts from the ground, causing immense damage to the Queens form, and sending her flying backwards with it's sheer intensity! The results are not suprising. She does not look to be in good shape. A good chunk of her form is just gone completely, the ragged edges of her presence appearing to struggle to remain coherant and in some sort of material form. A deep dark void is all that can be seen within her through the large gash, and the light in her eyes seems to flicker.....

Slowly, she manages to right herself upright in the air, eyes focusing on the pair, trying to move through the haze of anguish Brandons attack has brought on..... For the moment, her movements are also hampered by the prior binding as well, the ropes of which still keep a grip on her........

[SOPHIA]
Sophia decides it's good time to leave as well and slithers towards the exit. She doesn't have much energy left and is doing everything in her power to keep from feeding from Brandon. She lets out a hiss at the banshee queen as leaves, trying to discourage her from following them. She would have to get stronger and do more research before fighting her again. At this point it would be difficult to get much coherent out of of Sophia.

[BRANDON]
Brandon slowly works himself to his feet. His body is screaming at him due to the pain of directly using his power. He can also see that his ally is in a bad way as well. Having observed how she fought, he can tell that the trip back to the Sacred Order camp might be dangerous if something wasn't done soon.

He pulls his tarot deck out of the leather pouch on his hip and hands it over to the lamia.

"You might be able to draw some of my power off of my deck. It hasn't been fully charged since my first fight with the queen but it might hold you over until we get to camp."

[MUNIN]
Slowly but surely, Brandons bindings fade, and the Queen comes closer and closer.... until finally, they are out of the room, and she can only glare daggers at them, for the moment unable to cross the threshhold!

As heavily damaged as she is, she does not stay there long. Floating back to the center of the room, the leylines flare up again as they were before when Brandon and Sophia entered. Floating here, the Queen once more begins to regain her power and reenergize herself, preparing for whatever future her master calls upon her for!

[SOPHIA]
Sophia will take all the help she can get at this point, after all going berserk and draining everyone back at camp's energy would lead to further problem. She takes the offered deck and begins draining energy from it. Hopefully he didn't need it too badly because she can't really control her hunger at this point. She really needs to find a way to store excessive life energy so she doesn't have to worry about losing control so often.

Log created on 19:39:16 05/13/2018 by Brandon, and last modified on 10:24:49 05/14/2018.