~ ~ ~ While standing on the porch taking in the 'fresh' morning air, which smelled strangely of smoke and the diffused sunlight filtering through the curious, hazy [smoky] layer hanging over the village, Hi'el brushes the silver buckle on his weapon belt, and conceals his equine Silenni features from general view beneath the magical illusion of billowy black satiny pants and shiny, leather boots.  He suppresses a yawn, covering his mouth, and slowly follows after Melanie down the road toward the main market square.  The young Silenni shakes his head not knowing what to make of the crowd of townspeople gathered in the market place when the Accolyte pointed out the mob.  He had very little knowledge about the day to day activities of the Elmshaders, so for all Hi'el knew, the gathering was a normal event... somekind of fair or flea markets, places which the Silenni found uncomfortable to visit for very long. ~ ~ ~ 

 ~ ~ ~ On approach to the milling mass of townspeople, they part as the tall Shadoweir walks among them, facillitating his easy passage through the crowd toward the road leading to the Temple.  As Hi'el moved among the inhabitants of Elmshade, the absence of any performer tents and market stalls immediately discounted any indication that this gathering was for a fair or flea market, and raised the question in his mind 'What IS going on?'  Just as he noticed the direction people were pointing, the Silenni heard Melanie's exclamation about the Temple burning, and sharply snapping his gaze in the direction of the holy place of worship, can only stare in stunned disbelief.  A view that Hi'el had become accustomed to seeing everyday since coming to Elmshade... the peaks and gables, the greenery and vegetation, the walls of stone, the doors and stainglass... all of those beautiful things were gone!  ...laid waste!  But ALL that could be rebuilt, but what of...  "SIANNODELL!!" he gasps. ~ ~ ~ 

 - - -  Around the General Store, the evil Familiar loops, checking for any signs the inhabitants were awake.  He notices the smoke issuing from the stone chimney, leading down into the kitchen and light shining from the windows of the kitchen, but everything else was dark.  Anh'Kiadis gives a toothy fanged bat smile as a most diabolic idea comes to him.  He lands on the top of the chimney, and changes to his demonic humanoid shape before climbing down over the edge into the hot, smoky entrance into the house.  The heat and smoke, though not quite so brimstonish, made the demonic Familiar feel right at home like he was back in the Abyss.  While stealthfully creeping down the stone chimney flue, "Yesssss, I llllikkke thisss! Sssso pppperrrfecct! What sssweet trrreatsss willl I fffinnnddd?" sibilantly whispered the fiendish Quasit to himself as he drew closer to the snapping and crackling fire burning in the fireplace. - - - 

 - - - At the mouth of the flue into the fireplace, Anh froze in place as a human hand holding a spoon stretched forth to stir the simmering pot, cooking over the fire, and watched intently, until it withdrew before making his final descent to the edge of the fireplace.  The goat-horned, bat-eared, mixed bat & canine fanged, dog head of the Quasit peered upside-down out into the kitchen with its glowing, luminescent, yellow, snake eyes, and lets slither out its long, black, snake tongue to scent at the woman grinding up some medicinal herbs at the table where her youngest son lay in feverish-delirium, swaddled in blankets.  Alice, her back to the fire place and glowing set of eyes coldly boring into her, was tending Heath, who'd caught the fever from swimming in the chill waters of the stream that flows by the Holy Shrine of Mielikki. - - - 

 - - - Anh'Kiadis devised a quick plan after looking the kitchen over for a few brief moments.  He securely lodges himself inside the roof of the fire place, and turns invisible before reaching down to quietly lift the hot cooking pot off the hoist. He sniffs and samples the contents of the pot with his snake tongue, and crinkles his nose at the unpleasant scent, shaking his head making a 'bleah' face.  The Quasit lifts the iron pot over its head, and patiently waits for the woman to notice her missing cooking pot and return to the fire place. - - -  

 - - - Ehliana's Familiar didn't have long to wait as Alice Conrad finishes grinding up the medicine for her son's soup, and upon turning back to the empty fire place with the ground up herbs, exclaims in shock "WHAT!!"  Upon hearing the tired woman's gasp of shock, Anh'Kiadis smiles devilishly, and to lure the woman to the fire place, sloshes a little of the medicinal concoction out of the pot, causing hisses of steam when it pours into the flames of the crackling fire.  The completely distraught mother of a sick child, unsuspecting of anything posing a threat to her, moves to the fire place, and almost hysterical, wildly looks inside it for the cooking pot with the medicinal broth her son needed, asking "The pot, where's the pot?!"  The moment the woman's head comes in view, Anh swings down holding the pot by the rim, and "BONK!!!!!" clobbers Alice square in the brain pan, laying her out unconscious on the kitchen floor. - - - 

 - - - The Quasit, visible after his attack, drops into the flames and soup-steam of the fire place completely at ease in the burning heat, and surrounded by flames, transforms into a large, jet-black wolf with glowing, venomous-yellow eyes, reflecting back the flames as it stares down at the woman and then young Heath, who was too delirious to realize the danger he faced.  The black wolf leaps from the fire place, and pads around the kitchen making a closer examination of all the implements at his disposal for slaughtering the Conrad family.  It was feeding time for the Quasit, and first up on the menu was human, woman, middle-aged.  - - - 

 - - -  Anh'Kiadis moves toward the unconscious house-wife, transforming into his small demonic form, and ripping the clothing from her, proceeds to use the apparel to tie and gag Alice, who thankfully remains cooperative and unconscious.  The Familiar was in Abyssal Paradise with the feast he was about to enjoy, but first had to ensure he could feed without interruption, meaning it was time to subdue the rest of the family before they awoke.  The Quasit, in his raspy, sibilant voice, begins quietly and happily singing to himself a little ditty, he'd heard ages and ages ago, "Thisss isss the wayyy we killll the ffffammmilyyyy, killll the ffffammmilyyy, killlll the fammmilyyyy.  Thisss isss the wayyyy we killlll the ffffammmilyyyyy, sssso earlyyyy innn the mmmornnningggg!" as he prowls up to the table where the delirious boy, Heath lay insensate to the world. - - -  

 - - - Hopping up onto the table to stand over the ailing youngster, delirious though the youth might have been, the nightmarish figure of Anh was enough to set the child to issuing a single piercing screaming [Willis still asleep, Alice still unconscious, Nick (goes to investigate) and Jared (goes back to sleep) awoken; Others interested in joining (Orion maybe), keep in mind pre-dawn conditions (why would you be up?), and send me a %d roll to detect (17% or less = exact location, 34% or less = heard the scream general location of market square)] before the Quasit placed a small clawed hand over his mouth silencing him.  Anh'Kiadis sibilantly whispers, "HUSSSSH!!!!! Littttle baaabyyy! We mussssnnn'tttt wwwaakkke the ottthhherrrs!" and immediately kills Heath, biting out his throat and absorbing his life energy and vital fluids from his body. - - - 

 - - - As the boy's body shrivels up into a descicated husk, his skull assuming a death's head rictus grin and his clouded-over eyeballs shrink in their sockets staring horrified and sightlessly upward, the Familiar grows slightly more robust, his limbs and body filling out with a bit more mass.  Anh growls out in pleasure "YESSSS!!!!!  Sssso gooddd!!!  Ssssswwwweeeettt appetizzzerrr!!!  Musssttt havvve MORE!!!" rolling his eyes in ecstasy as he makes his first human kill in many weeks, whipping his rat-like tail excitedly back and forth.  The Quasit leaves the dried-up corpse lying on the table, and grabbing one of the hanging, iron-cooking skillets from its hook, hops down to the floor, his clawed, rat-like feet clicking on the tile floor as he walked to the entrance into the kitchen from the rest of the combination home and store.  - - - 

 - - - The Vampire's Familiar hops up onto the countertop beside the doorway into the kitchen, and fades to invisibility with the skillet held in his clawed hands, waiting for the next wonder victim to venture through entrance as he was fairly sure the kid's scream might bring others of the family to investigate.  Again the Quasit's wait was not long, as the oldest son, Nick, having come downstairs, walked through the door, yawning, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and calling "Momma?  Wha...", and "BONK!!!!!" down he went pile driven to the floor unconscious with an over head swing of the iron skillet to the top of his head [Willis ever the sound sleeper, Alice still unconscious, Jared (still awake, heard the sound made by the skillet, and becomes curious)].  "Good bbboyyy!  Plllayyy deaddd." happily hissed Anh'Kiadis, again visible after putting the naughty boy back to 'sleep', and turns invisible once more, softlying singing "Thisss isss the wayyy we killll the ffffammmilyyyy, killll the ffffammmilyyy, killlll the fammmilyyyy.  Thisss isss the wayyyy we killlll the ffffammmilyyyyy, sssso earlyyyy innn the mmmornnningggg!"  The invisible Quasit hops down from the countertop with his trusty iron skillet, and wanders down the hallway to the base of the stairs that led up to the bedrooms to await his next choice morsel.  - - - 

 - - - Jared, impressionable and adventurous from living in a town full of heroic adventurers and role-models, heard the strange, whispered, sibilant singing coming from downstairs, and silently crept from his room and down the stairs, showing true promise as a prospective thief from the way he moved.  Slowing to a stop ten steps from the bottom of the stairs, where death awaited him, the young boy froze as some innner sense of wrongness and danger 'crept' over him, making the short hairs on his neck stand on end and telling him there was something there in the darkness that he couldn't see waiting to get him.  A pressing urgency to pee grew in Jared as he stood frozen on the stairs, trying to decide whether to flee or confront his fear as merely his vivid imagination playing tricks on him.  However the latent instinct for preservation was stronger, telling him THERE WAS DANGER, the youngster cautiously backed up the stairs never taking his eyes from darkness at the base of the stairs, and carefully placed each barefoot on the steps where he knew they would NOT make a sound.  Nick figured he could prove it was his imagination by backing up the stairs, and make whatever danger he believed was there come up the stairs to get him, which if almost anyone other than himself climbed them would squeak... ? - - - 

 - - - "Eirrrrnnnnn." squeaked one of the bottom steps as pressure was applied to it, and adventurous though Jared may have been some modicum of common sense was graced him as he immediately turned and fled up the stairs, yelling in the shrill decibile tones of a frightened prepubescent boy "Daa!!!  Daa!!!  Monster!!!  Monster!!". [Willis still soundly asleep, Alice still unconscious, Heath still dead ;), Nick still unconscious, send me a %d roll (40% chance to pin-point, 80% chance to hear general market place)]  Anh'Kiadis watched, as the boy crept stealthily down the stairs and stoppped ten steps from the bottom, and cocked his head to the side curious as to why the child had stopped and then started backing up.  The Quasit could smell the delicious scent of the boy's palpable fear sweating from his pores, and starts to climb the stairs after him, causing the aforementioned squeak to sound in the house and prompting the boy's screaming flight to where the father soundly slept.  Ehliana's Familiar grins in delight, sibilantly whispering "Yessss, runnn, ssscccammmppperr awwwayyy, annddd hhhhiddde, lllittttlllle rrrrabbbbittttt." and follows the potent scent of the child's fear and his trail of urine up the creaking steps "Eirrrrnnnnn, sssrrrreeekkk." straight to the closed door of the room into which he'd fled. - - - 

 - - - On the other side of the door, Anh listens to the boy bouncing on the bed, earnestly shaking and quietly pleading with his father "Daa!!!  Daa!!!  Wake up!!  Wake up!!  There's a monster in the house!!  It's coming to get US!!" and in response, Willis Conrad grumbles back "Huh?  What?  Oh, for pity's sake, Jared, damn it boy!  You were having a nightmare!" looking at the window to see it was still dark outside.  Jared protests saying "NO, Daa!!  Please!  Not a nightmare!  Real!!  We have to get help... did you hear that?" as strange scrabbling sounds come from outside the door, when unbeknownst to them, the Quasit had climbed the wall to hang from the rafter over the doorway to attack whomever emerged with the skillet.  Willis did hear the sounds, and looked perplexed at the door then at his son, giving him a head nod that he had heard the noises.  The shopkeeper loudly exclaims "Son, it's just your imagination!" while getting out of the creaking bed, and grabs up the stout wood cane he used on long walks, telling the boy "Just let me get my trousers on, and then we'll go prove you're imagining things, Jared.  Make yourself useful, go light that lamp."  Immediately upon uttering those words, Willis throws open the door to try surprising whatever might have made the sounds, and attempts to leap out into the hallway with the cane raised overhead to swing at anything he sees. - - - 

 - - - But "BONK!!!!!" the human just wasn't quick enough on opening the door and leaping out into the hallway before Anh'Kiadis slammed the flat of the skillet right in Willis' face sending him reeling back into the room crashing down on Alice's makeup table splintering it into kindling and shattering the mirror.  Hurt with a broke nose, but not down and out, the Father nasally yells "JARED!!  Run!  Get help!" while struggling to rise as the flesh around his eyes start to turn black and blue and swell up leaving him practically blind.  Jared stands paralyzed in surprise and fear, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, staring up at the top of the doorframe where two glowing, venomous-yellow, snake eyes stare down at him and a sibilant voice whispers "Noo wwwhhherrre to rrrunnn lllittttlllllle rrrrabbbbittttt, and nnnooooo hhhelllpppp ffforrr you!!"  The Quasit, still hanging upside down from the rafter, rocks backward holding the handle of the skillet in both clawed hands below his demonic head, and on rocking forward, flings the skillet like a throwing axe at the young boy.  The skillet rotates through the air across the room, and "DUINK!!!!!" plows a furrow down the middle of the kid's sternum, rocking him back against the side of the bed then crumpling him to the floor, gasping for breath.  The Familiar grabs the door frame, and swings through the door, making a backwards sommersault before landing in the room on his clawed rat-like feet and throwing his arms wide, joyously exclaiming "Taadaa!!  Noo appllllausssse, thhhannnkkk yyyou, jusssttt yyyourrr LLLIVVVESSS!" - - - 

 - - - [Willis broke nose and eyes mostly swelled shut, Alice regaining consciousness (still tied up), Nick still unconscious, Jared conscious but stunned (breath knocked out of him)] From the wreckage of the destroyed, make-up table with pieces of broken mirror tinkling to the floor, Willis Conrad, through bleary, tearing eyes, watches the distorted image of the small demonic figure whirl through the air to land on the floor between he and his injured son.  The middle aged man snarls in rage at the demonic intruder and self-recrimination at himself for not believing his son's warning.  He grabs up one of the broken legs of the table, and throws himself at the Vampire's Familiar.  Willis nasally roars, "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF BITCH!!!" and dives onto Anh'Kiadis, slamming the little Quasit to the floor UNHARMED due to his nature.  Unfortunately, the Store Keeper didn't know what kinda critter he was fighting as he futilely beat at the Abyssal creature with the table leg without causing harm to it. - - -

 - - - The small Quasit hisses at the man, saying "You'll havvve ttto tttrrryyy hhharrrderrr tttthhhannn ttthhhattt!" then viciously retalliates with its sharp claws and teeth.  One claw rips across Willis' face, leaving bloodied shreds from the bridge of his nose clear to the left ear while the other slashes up his right bicep toward the shoulder, causing the old man to lose his grip on the impromptu club.  For the coups de grace, Anh'Kiadis bites with its large canine like muzzle into the Shop Keeper's mouth and cheeks, giving him the bloodiest french kiss of death!  Willis Conrad gives a muffled scream of pain and horrified fear for his family, making an impassioned prayer for help [God Call successful, 02% (Wow, well, what to you know someone was listening, didn't expect that.  Hmm, alright, seems like a good place to bring in Ash Blackmane, so let it be the Goddess Selune.)] as he felt his life begin to slip away. - - -

 - - - As they struggled on the floor, a pair of spectral, feminine eyes opens in the orb of the moon, strangely causing the light shining through the bedroom window to intensify as they looked on at the life and death struggle.  The Moonmaiden, having heard the plea of one of Her Worshippers and witnessed the dire straights of the Conrads, finds one of Her Favorites travelling under Her Light in a distant land of the world, and like a magnifying glass, a ring of bright, moon light contracts around Ash Blackmane until all he can see is whiteness.  At the same time, in the bedroom of Willis and Alice Conrad, more blinding whiteness fills the room along with a soft sultry voice, saying "Your prayer is answered, Willis.  Save them, Seeker.  You have MY Blessing [Aid & Protection from Evil]."  In the background of the Goddess' voice, Anh'Kiadis shakes and screams aloud "Aaaa!  Aaaa!  Ittt burrrnnnsss!! Ittt burrrnnnsss!!" in pain [3 hps] from the Holy White Radiance filling the room and 'burning' him. - - -

 - - - Soon the White Radiance and the Voice of the Goddess' Selune fade from the bedroom of Willis and Alice Conrad leaving one smoking, slightly burnt and quivering Quasit on the floor outlined in a glowing moonlight radiance [Faerie Fire], AND the Help the Shop Keeper had prayed for in the form of Ash Blackmane, a young man of no more than eighteen winters old.  The human stands less than six feet, weighing perhaps 170 pounds, with long black hair and eyes, and dessed in high, soft leather boots, dark gray in color, brown leather pants, a pale shale green shirt, and a deep emerald green cloak.  The young man carries in his hands an Iron-shod Staff, and has a pair of Elven-made Long Daggers at his waist. - - -

 - - - Not surprised by the sudden translocation from far across the continent of Faerun near the City of Westgate to the far western reaches of the High Forest NOR the situation in which he found himself, Ash takes immediate advantage of the discomfitted situation of the Quasit, and none too gently smashes the cold-iron shod end of his staff against Anh'Kiadis' throat [5 hps], sending the Vampire's Familiar skidding across the floor to thump up against the bedroom door jam.  "Gaa!  Ga!  GAA!" gags Anh as he claws at his crushed throat, and upon seeing, through panic-stricken, venomous-yellow, serpent eyes, the Warrior enshrouded in spectral, moon-lit radiance, hoarsely croaks "Aaaggg!" in fear.  The demonic humanoid's form blurs as it changes into a large black wolf, and scrabbles its way into the hallway fleeing from Ash Blackmane.  The Seeker crosses the room after the Quasit, delivering a parting blow to the fleeing Familiar, and strikes it across the back of its hind leg at the knee joint [6 hps], evoking a hoarse yelp "Rrrrppp!" of pain.  Anh'Kiadis turns invisible, his form wavering out of sight, but his wolfish form remained outlined in silver luminescence as he raced down the stairs pursued by the Ranger.  Ash Blackman vaults over the stair railing of the second floor, and lithely lands midway down on the steps as the silver outlined silohuette of the wolfish Quasit made the 'U' turn at the bottom of the stair making bee-line for the kitchen. - - -

 - - - [Willis unconscious and knocking on death's door, Alice conscious (struggling to free herself), Nick regaining consciousness, Jared conscious but stunned by the Visitation of the Goddess] Lying in the middle of the doorway into the kitchen, young Nick comes to very groggy, and in great pain with a huge throbbing knot on top of his head.  Disoriented and whimpering at the horrible blacksmith hammer using his head for an anvil, the young boy struggles with his uncoordinated limbs, trying to stand, and almost makes it to his feet when the silvery outline of Anh'Kiadis in wolf form bowls him, sending him flying back shrilly screaming "Daaaaaddddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!" onto the kitchen.  Behind the fleeing the Quasit, the Seeker smoothly lands at the bottom of the stairs having leaped from the mid-way point on the stair case, and continues chasing Anh.  The Vampire's Familiar, hardly breaking stride from his collision with the child, leaps at the fire place changing in mid-air to its small demonic form, and lands unharmed among the flames, sending a shower of sparks and embers out into the kitchen.  Arriving just in time to see the little demon creature disappear up the flue, Ash smashes through the back kitchen door out into storage yard of the General Store, and looks up at the chimney at the exact moment sparks, flames and smoke belches up from it, giving birth to the silvery outline of a large bat frantically winging away to the northeast. - - -