Episode 24 " Just In Time..."

Photo Source: http://www.rolepages.com/group/demon-s-legion

May 12, 102 P.A.

Looking down on the 3rd ring's palace the party sees a group of 16 Gallu Bull Demons and a Balrog. Not far from the group of demons sits the shogun's palace with only a steal gate and a small group of mystified human guards separating them. Just as it looks like the demon platoon is going to advance on the gates, they sit to rest. The party is perplexed and argue with what they should do. As night fall approaches Runick decides to prowl away from the group and down to the shogun's palace. He scouts out the back, its clear. Runick returns to the party and talks them into going to the back of the palace. When they all prowl down to the back end of the palace they here a large creak of the palace gates. They scurry into positions where they can see the gate open.

Two lines of dozen human guards file out of the gate in formation and for a path way. Then a small unassuming human shogun proceeds down the guard path. The Balrog stands and meets the shogun at the end of the guard line. The party witnesses them exchange a few words, and in the same fashion that he arrived the shogun retreated back into his palace.

The Balrog turns and bellows, "The time of the reaping is nearly upon us. We must go to the villages and heard the sheep to city of Kyoto. The Emperor was wise indeed to allowing the people to live in peace,.. never the wiser that they're being kept for the grand blood sacrifice. Our brethren will flow into this dimension thousands and we shall feast upon it endless supply of souls. Now go bring the humans!"

The Gallu Bull demons turn and begin to march off to the villages near by. Takeo acts quickly and runs off into the woods making a racket successfully luring 6 of the bull demons in his direction. The rest of the party rush to help and they dispatch of a half dozen bull demons. Oliver then sends a magic pigeon to Hagi to warn that the remaining demons approach the village and that they will drop the magic barrier. The party sneaks around back climbs the fence and go in through a window on the second floor.

Photo Source: http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/07/while-youre-waiting
-on-the-space-war-heres-the-shogun-war/

Once inside Frank Hamilton feels the effects of a compulsion spell and convinces the rest of the party he knows the way to the throne room, only leading them into a trap. The party is imprisoned in a cell, Runick grabs the bars and melts them. Just as he goes to walk through the hole he falls to the floor paralyzed. The remaining party members start fleeing. Takeo is compulsed  to removed the helmet of his friends. Once removing Frank's helmet, Frank is compulsed to capture Trevor. Oliver and Trevor make a run for it. In the turmoil Runick recovers from his paralysis and runs to Trevor and Oliver's aid. Runick bursts into flames and begins running through the palace setting everything on fire. Takeo chases him and takes a few swings at Runick with his sword but misses each time. Even when Takeo is sure to deliver a death blow to his friend his hand jerks at the last second.

Runick finds the throne room. When he sees the shogun he rushes him with Takeo close behind. Then just a few feet before his intended target he stops, and does Takeo. Runick's has fallen to the compulsion and his flame is extinguished. In the chaos of the burning palace Frank is free from his compulsion and decides to psychically track Takeo and Runick. Oliver, Trevor and Frank running through the burning hallways following the "scent" upstairs.

Arriving upstairs just in time to see Takeo, Runick and the Shogun pass through a stargate. The floor begins collapsing and Frank begins to air walk out of the window and down to the ground. Oliver pulls out his wing board and flies out of the window hovering around. Trevor runs to the stargate and uses his abilities to read it, he only gets a destination, the 1st Ring. Trevor makes a mad dash for the window and dives.

As Trevor comes flying out of the window the roof caves in and the shogun's palace comes crashing down. Trevor hurls toward the ground.

Just in time Oliver swoops down and catches Trevor by the wrist, saving him from going splat on the ground.