Summer Scramble - Part B
It's a beautiful day out on the coast of the Inmost Sea. The Arcanists' Society has taken advantage of this wonderful weather and scouted out some warm sands and friendly waters. Which is what brings everyone here to the beach! There are little fire pits with freshly grilled vegetables, meats, and even fruits!
Except there's not much time to think about grilled fruits for those not familiar with the idea, because the heat is on! At some point, someone picked up a cloth ball and started throwing it around over a somewhat hastily-constructed, but surprisingly sturdy, ball-game net between two posts, and now there's two sides at ball-game war! Albeit with some people participating more enthusiastically than others in the game. There are, after all, plenty of delicious things over by the fire pits to eat.
The task of cooking has by and large landed on Telamon, who seems quite content to grill and cook all manner of tasty things. Some are on skewers, oruch-style, while others are laid out on an alfren grill over coals. He whistles happily, using mage hand to turn the food instead of a fork. Why on Ea would he not do so?
He sniffs at the results with a satisfied air, before glancing over at the game being played with a grin. "You lot are going to work up a serious appetite at that rate. At least we won't have to worry about anything going to waste." An unseen servant floats over with his haversack, and he pulls out a flask of tea, taking a sip from it.
The Beach. Finally. A moment to just... relax. To be with friends.
Harkashan is out and about, wearing absolutely nothing except for a loin cloth. His armor left closer to the food. The gleaming red patterns of his body constantly glistening beneath the sun's light. The strange 'flow' of lava wandering all across his body. Muscles shifting beneath scale. Keeping his body lower to the ground.
Notably, Harkashan doesn't use his feet or his hands to move the ball whenever it comes near him. Due to the Sith-makar traditions he grew up in, he keeps coiling his tail into a coiled up shape to catch it, playing against the opposite team!
At the same time, Harkashan's Swiftclaw keeps creeping towards the meat-pit in order to 'subtly' sneak away with some of the meat before it can be grilled.
Spoilers, his Swiftclaw is not very subtle. But it does mean that sometimes, Telamon - who is handling the food - has to deal with a large Swiftclaw head just pressing down on his shoulders, trying to 'budge' him out of the way before Telamon can 'ruin' the perfectly good raw version of the meat.
Rhar isn't an arcanimist. She isn't much of a swimmer, either. Water does terrible things to that hard-earned layer of protection that some refer to as dirt or grim. She does like the sunshine though, and sand! Afterall, it's alot like dirt, but -STRONGER!-
Also, it probably doesn't hurt that there's food and the smells of food.
Rhar is sprawled, minus her furs. Not all of them... probably.. hopefully? Her unbidden, lengthy and frizzy hair covers most of her, anyhow. That and fetlocks run the short distance up to her knees, too.
Most all of this blends well into her very large beach blanket. Which is to say Gurr, the very large wolf, flopped onto his side. He also enjoys the beach and sun and probably more of the water than Rhar. As it is a family-friendly atmosphere, there are also three miniature wolflings in various states of sprawl across him. One bats at his tail. One gnaws on his ear. One is drooling heavily around a handful of... something. The Baness of Night has brought the Banelings out.
Zeke was initially drawn here by the warm day and the promise of basking in the sand. Not at all because of the scent of cooking food. He hovers uncertainly nearby one of the fire pits, looking a bit torn. He's wearing far too much clothing to be totally comfortable. He wants to lay in the sand and bask. His stomach grumbles.
After a moment he wanders a bit closer to Telamon, looking at the other man and rumbling a little uncomfortably. "Sssa... Telamon?" He looks at the man hopefully. Ignoring the loud sound that his belly makes at the scent of the food so temptingly close. "Would you be willing to watch over thisss onesss armor?" He seems embarrassed.
The Goblin came dressed for the occasion, sandals on her feet, and a black, one-piece bathing suit of the latest fashion. Okay, the fashion is really four or five years out of date, but it doesn't seem to matter to Murder. She's avoided the water thus far, simply stared out across the Inmost Sea, some wistful look in her eyes.
But the smell of cooking meat draws her attention, and she soon settling down at the fire where silvery-haired Half-Sil is cooking. Her stomach growls noisily just as she opened her mouth, and it shuts with a click of teeth.
"Errr. Sir? May I have some of those skewers?" The Gobbo gestures to said skewers, which are within reach. "Unless you've made them for someone else?"
GAME: Harkashan rolls bab+wisdom: (7)+6+5: 18 GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (16)+25: 41 GAME: Zeke rolls Perception: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Harkashan rolls Perception: (19)+10: 29 GAME: Murder rolls perception: (1)+16: 17 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Rhar rolls perception: (10)+21: 31
The game goes on in the background as the conversation happens over food. But on this side of the game net, there's something weird happening with the water.
Something _really_ weird. Is that... bubbling? In the water? Like the Sea's boiling? Or something's about to come out of the water?
Telamon looks to Zeke with a smile. "Of course, Zeke. Just park it here. I'll keep an eye on it." He gives Hark's Swiftclaw an exasperated sigh, reaching up to scritch the inquisitive lizard's head. "Hark, your friend here is being pushy again! Do you mind if I give him something?" Actually, Telamon's not waiting, he reaches down to pick up a haunch of beef that was waiting its turn for the grill, and passes it to the 'claw.
"I swear, that beast is as bad as Pothy... Oh!" He looks at Murder, and nods, picking up two skewers and offering them to Murder. "Here you go. I think the chicken is better, myself, but they're both quite tasty."
"Go ahead!" Harkashan answers Telamon. "They deserve a treat now and again as well." As he bops the ball over the net using his tail.
The Swiftclaw catches the offered meat at the edge of his maw, then kind of throws it into the air, lifts its head, and opens its maw. The haunch of beef lands right into its gullet, and one can literally just see it devour it into its throat. Gurgh-gurgh-GULP!
Followed by it bopping the bottom of its head on Telamon's. Some kind of motion of appreciation? Or a request for more.
Suddenly, movement in the water!
Harkashan turns his head as Rune enthusiastically gets he ball across the net once more, as his gaze squints...
BOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffff.
The ball gets stuck on one of his horns and kind of 'deflates' in shape.
As he begins to approach the water, squinting. Stepping up on one of the rocks and casting a spell to try and get a better look at the waters.
GAME: Harkashan casts Owl's Wisdom. Caster Level: 9 DC: 17 GAME: Harkashan rolls Perception+1: (10)+10+1: 21
Rhar is mostly eyeing the food, though she also watches people bat the ball around. It would be more fun if they used sticks, she thinks; and not just to hold up the ropes. Speaking of sticks, she waves a paw at Telamon. "Have meat-stick?!" Two of her favorite things in one easy-to-hold package!
Then she hears the sound of the ball deflating, and turns. She also sees bubbles in the water. Obviously the sound and bubbles must be related and she points with a laugh. "Someone blow butt bubble in sea!"
Zeke shifts from one clawed foot to the other, waiting for Telamon's response, but the other man seems well engaged by the starving swiftclaw and Murder who looks as hungry as the swiftclaw is. He seems relieved when Telamon agrees that he can leave his armor with the other man. He starts to pull off the cassock that covers his armor when he notices... Is that water boiling? He stops mid-motion. Stares at the water.
"Telamon." He says slowly, and edges toward the water a few steps to investigate. He flicks his eyes toward Harkashan across the beach a ways. Good, he's not the only one that's noticed it. He edges a little closer. "Thisss one thinksss there isss sssome-thing in the water." This is a little louder.
Murder peers at the swiftclaw as it seems to be contemplating running off with a choice selection of raw meat, and she makes a little face as the 'claw is rewarded with a haunch. Her expression immediately brightens at being offered two skewers, "Thanks very much!", she says cheerfully. She struggles to get both into her mouth. She is barely able to close her mouth, even after taking the skewer sticks out, her cheeks ballooning out as she chews.
Murder offers Zeke a wave as she chews, cheeks almost painfully stretched.
It turns out there's a good reason for everyone (except Murder) to be distracted by what's in the waters. Something really strange happens. Three... heads? come out of the waters.
No, six.
No, nine!
This is getting out of head! Err, hand! Either way, they do _not_ look friendly.
Rhar blinks as heads come out of the water. Alot of them. She hops up to her feet. "Gurr! Get-" She looks to him to direct him, but has already rolled over to his belly, having carried the li'lins with him. Which puts a good 600 pounds of wolf between the water and the quarterlings. Because he is the best boy.
That leaves Rhar looking around for a stick. Preferably her sharp one, but any one can do in a pinch. "Pack up! Ware! Heads in water! Protect!"
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (18)+17: 35 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (11)+17: 28 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (5)+17: 22 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (18): 18 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (7): 7
One of these odd creatures begins wailing. It's a horrific noise that particularly targets three people. While Zeke seems unaffected, Harkashan and Rhar both are assaulted by:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
That's going to get annoying quick.
GAME: Telamon casts Greater Shadow Conjuration. Caster Level: 18 DC: 26 GAME: Telamon casts Haste/Quicken. Caster Level: 18 DC: 25
Telamon looks up at Zeke's worried tone. "Eh?" Then the heads pop out, and Tel heaves a huge sigh, followed by a quiet curse. "And today was going so peacefully, too..." Then his hands begin to move, as he rises to his feet, his hair floating around his face as his eyes blaze with starlight. "Anungal, silig gissu, namsimug gesse."
Smoke pours from his hands, swirling out next to him. Movement within the smoke -- a serpentine tail, a pointed ear, a lithe arm holding a lyre. Then the lillend emerges from the spectral smoke, her delicate features a match for Telamon's wife as she begins to play her lyre, filling those around her with hope, will, strength. Meanwhile, Telamon clenches a fist. "Lukas, sa-i'iz!" he chants, stealing a tiny fragment of Time -- and a silvery light flashes around him, before arcing to his friends and allies, quickening their movements.
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (17)+17: 34 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (16)+17: 33 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (12)+17: 29 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (10): 10 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (22): 22 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (16): 16
The Goblin is blissfully unaware of monsters surfacing in the water, her whole world is chewing a mouthful of delicious, grilled meats. Oblivious to the reactions of the others, it is only when Rhar yells a warning that the Goblin glances over her shoulder. Coughing, almost choking, the mouthful of deliciousness is swallowed, Murder standing up.
Her hands trace out arcane symbols, and she growls out something in Goblin-squeak. Her muscles begin to swell a little, bulging and firming up, gaining muscle tone. Charging forward, she jumps up and down excitedly. "Hey fish face! Dontcha know that faces are only supposed to have TWO EYES?! And LIKE... FOUR faces is four too many, and they're all ugly! Did ya fall out of the ugly tree an' hit ALL the branches on the way down?!"
More yelling from another collective of the screaming heads. One has to wonder if they'd be any nicer to listen to if they were talking heads instead, but alas, their screams target Murder, Harkashan, and Rhar, this time injuring ears more grievously.
GAME: Harkashan casts Blessing of Fervor. Caster Level: 9 DC: 19 GAME: Harkashan rolls 5d6: (19): 19
Pack up! That's a term Harkashan knows. The Sith-makar quickly slithers over to his allies, only to suddenly be hit in the back by a fierce sonic scream that sends him stumbling. The sand slipping between his clawed feet, but he manages to stay upright.
He glances back quickly; "I am guessing we are in someone's territory." The Sith-makar guesses, before the second assault hits. The Sith-makar crumples even as Telamon's effect rises up. Blood dripping from Harkashan's muzzle as his insides are getting somewhat pulped.
Normally, his armor is his Divine symbol. But in this moment, he reaches up instead, touching the gem between his horns...
Throwing out his other hand, he sends out a large spell of celerity, intermixed with a wave akin to a flow of heat - his spell loaded with the Death Singer's divine presence, starting to heal wounds.
"I do not bear my armor. So I will have trouble against this onslaught." Harkashan roars. "I will do my best to keep us standing. But do not tarry!"
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (5)+17: 22 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (2)+17: 19 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (19)+17: 36 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (18): 18 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (16): 16 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (16): 16 GAME: Zeke casts Commune. Caster Level: 18 DC: 20 GAME: Zeke rolls 4d8+18: (16)+18: 34
Everything happens so fast. Zeke doesn't have time for anything it feels like. Harkashan is heavily wounded though, the blood makes Zeke's gut clench.
Flesh. Freshly cut and bleeding crimson.
He reaches out to the Dragonfather for strength and for healing. "Thisss one will heal you Harkasshan." He says, his voice surprisingly gentle in spite of the combat that they've been suddenly thrust into. He presses his flesh and blood claw to the other male's arm and pours the warmth of the Dragonfather into the other sith-makar.
"Be sssafe." He's not sure who he's talking to, but there's too many people in danger. He rushes to the left and forward, roaring at the sea-creatures he doesn't recognize. Trying to get them to pay attention to him. "HERE!" He's wearing armor. He's a good target. "Attack thisss one!"
He needs to protect the others. Such a beautiful day should not be turned to such. He wants them to be able to go back to their joyous game and sweet meats.
Rhar is in agreement with Zeke! Well, mostly. People have to be protected, and they can't just let these roly-poly fish(?) heads keep screaming at everyone. She scrambles about to pick up her sticks: the big round one and the sharp pointy one. Then she starts to move towards the water. "Come! We stop! Rhar protect!"
GAME: Rhar rolls will: (18)+11: 29
One of the groups of heads swims closer in the water. Then all of them suddenly pivot to look right at Rhar--she's the one who is the noisiest--and it's actually terrifying, to see three heads coiled on seaweed-tentacles from the water staring at you.
But Rhar's seen worse, and whatever they're doing doesn't seem to have much of an effect.
GAME: Murder casts Fly. Caster Level: 10 DC: 16 GAME: Telamon casts Resist Energy. Caster Level: 18 DC: 20 GAME: Telamon casts Resist Energy/Quicken. Caster Level: 18 DC: 24
Murder visibly flinches as the songs make her head hurt and possibly make her ears bleed. Though that could just be the sauces from the meat skewers. Her red eyes begin to glow faintly, but she closes her eyes and forces herself to relax a little. "Just a little bit longer." The Goblin's hands draw another arcane symbol, and she utters more odd words in Goblin-talk.
"Sorry, what's THAT?!", she screams at the sirens, "I can't hear you over the sizzle of our barbecue! Why don't you COME ASHORE. We'd LOVE to have you for dinner!!"
Letting out a huff of breath, the Goblin mutters "Prestochango.", and her bathing suit begins to fade away, revealing black leather armor, a belt full of pouches, and a greatsword (to a Goblin anyways) on her back.
"Gababum emegar," Telamon chants, laying a hand on Harkashan's shoulder. A shimmer of silvery light washes out, lingering on the makari's frame. "That should keep those sonic blasts off you." A glance over at the summoned azata, and he grins. "A bit of cover here, my dear?" The lillend smiles mischievously, and taps Telamon in turn on the shoulder with her tail while singing something -- and the half elf vanishes.
But he hasn't left. Footprints appear in the sand as he strides up next to Murder who is hovering, preparing to take flight. Another snatched handful of time, and another chant, and a gentle touch on the goblin's shoulder. "That should protect you from the screaming," he murmurs with a grin.
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (3)+17: 20 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (2)+17: 19 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+17: (16)+17: 33 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6: (16): 16
More screaming from the three heads, but thanks to Telamon's well-placed magic, their effects are seemingly nullified by those who they target.
GAME: Harkashan casts Prayer. Caster Level: 9 DC: 18
Harkashan goes down to a knee, when Zeke touches him. The Sith-makar looks up, tail shifting, one hand touching over Zeke's in that moment. "Thank you, Shaman Zeke." He rumbles to him.
And when Telamon lays a spell of resistance upon his body, Harkashan takes a deeper breath, managing to feel the repelling energies around him. A strange 'innate' understanding allowing him to understand what just happened - even before Telamon's voice reaches his ears. As whispers from the Fire Plane touch his mind.
Another touch of Harkashan's hand, this time onto Telamon's. "Thank you, friend." He rumbles, and rises up proper. There's a shake in his legs. Healed as he may be, wounds closed, he's still a bit 'shaken' by the sonic assault. But his legs find purchase in the sand. And without the armor on... Harkashan is remarkably swift of foot!
Stepping forward, his entire posture rising up. His tail lashing at the sand.
"I was having a nice beach party! I understand if this is your territory, but you are attacking with intent to kill. I'm going to need you to leave!" As a wave of energy spills out. Drawing from his enemies' power, and giving to his allies!
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+25: (4)+25: 29 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6+15: (16)+15: 31
One of the collectives of three heads moves forward in the water. But the heads themselves don't do the talking at this time.
Instead, it's the massive lump of meat and teeth that they're connected to. It bites into Harkashan, _hard_, drawing blood in all of those scales.
GAME: Zeke casts Greater Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 18 DC: 23
It's a fight, that's for sure. Everyone is in it now, and there's nothing to stop that. Zeke frowns when the creatures ignore him - to his perspective - entirely, and he sees Harkashan rushing forward. He hisses, and reaches out for the power of the Dragonfather again. "We walk into battle now Dragonfather."
He is never alone.
The blue-scale grows a pair of massive fluffy white wings and he uses them to help propel himself forward as fast as he can move toward the sea-monsters. "ATTACK THISSS ONE!"
His demand is born of more fear than fury. He doesn't want to see anyone else hurt.
GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25+1: (17)+22+1: 40 (THREAT) GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25+1: (11)+22+1: 34 GAME: Harkashan rolls Khopesh+1+2: aliased to weapon1-strength+wisdom+1+2: (10)+8+-1+5+1+2: 25 GAME: Harkashan rolls damage1: aliased to 1d8+1: (7)+1: 8 GAME: Rhar rolls damage25+damage25: aliased to 1d6+7+1d6+7: (5)+7+(6)+7: 25
Rhar points her sharp stick forward after the thing rises up out of the water to bite Harkashan. That's a good thing! Er, the exposure, not the biting. "Go for belly! Go for throat! No let escape!" She scrambles her way forward, leading with the sharp stick, to wind up between the Makaris' feet. All the better to slash at the three-headed biting whatsit!
GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+17+2+2+1: (18)+17+2+2+1: 40 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d8+6+2+1: (5)+6+2+1: 14 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+25: (5)+25: 30 GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6+15: (11)+15: 26
Even as Zeke moves, taking advantage of Rhar's opening, a sword of crystal stabs into the creature before him and comes back out covered in a layer of blood. He looks down at his own hand... No the weapon that is his hand, in surprise. He hadn't been thinking. He'd forgotten really until the instinct had kicked in as he was running.
"We will quell these beasts." Says a woman's voice from his hand.
He is never alone.
Another grievous chomp into Harkashan from one of these sirens--but this time, it doesn't find purchase. Harkashan is aided by his allies, protected by them and their care, their teamwork, their blessings.
GAME: Murder casts Fireball. Caster Level: 10 DC: 16 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+12: (8)+12: 20 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Murder rolls 10d6: (42): 42 GAME: Telamon casts Resist Energy/Quicken. Caster Level: 18 DC: 24 GAME: Telamon casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 18 DC: 24 GAME: Murder rolls perception: (20)+16: 36 GAME: Telamon rolls ranged+1+2+2+1: (19)+11+1+2+2+1: 36 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+16: (19)+16: 35 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+16: (6)+16: 22 GAME: Telamon rolls 36d6+2: (123)+2: 125
The Goblin startles at the soft touch to her back, turning around to see... nothing. However, she squints, noting the slight steps of someone stopping just short of her position. Laughing, she reaches out, attempting to pat whomever it is. "Thanks!"
There's a puff of sand as she shoots into the air, and begins to maneuver over the battlefield, observing how it flows. "I think we got this!"
Her fingers weave a larger, more intricate pattern than before, her words low and guttural shout.
GAME: Telamon rolls 3d8+7: (7)+7: 14
Her fingers weave a larger, more intricate pattern than before, her words low and guttural, as if Goblin-talk wasn't really meant to say these words. A glowing ember forms in the palm of her hand, while the other hand finishes the evocation. The small, flaming coal is held aloft. "Go back to the abyss, and sing your songs no more here." It looks flashy, the flaming coal hurtled down, the low-pressure WOOMPH, the flames that fully engulf on of the sirens, and lick over the others like a hungry beast. But Murder's disappointed by the results as the flames don't stick around long, and the monsters below simply look.. angrier. "Honestly... why do people love this spell so much?"
A quickly murmured chant from empty space, a ward against sonic energy. And then Telamon appears, bearing an ivory rod carved with images of ravens. "I grow tired of this disruption," Telamon growls, leveling the rod at one of the sirens. A low, sonorous incantation falls from his lips, as energy builds up around the rod. "Ilim, sugzag gu ubri, sahar!" A beam of coruscating blue-white energy blasts forth from the rod, slamming into the siren and gravely wounding it, though it does not fall. "My servant, forward! Harkashan needs your help!"
Still playing, the lillend glides through the air, a vision of elven grace despite the serpentine lower body. Her black-scaled tail uncurls, passing over Rhar's hand to tap Harkashan lightly on the back, mending some of his wounds with that touch.
After receiving its massive blow from Telamon's magic, the furthest-out seaweed siren wails softly, retreating back into the waters below and exiting the fight.
GAME: Harkashan casts Archon's Aura. Caster Level: 9 DC: 18 GAME: Harkashan rolls 5d6: (15): 15 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25
Harkashan is well aware that without his armor, he is at great risk here. But still, he moves forward. Unerring. Unafraid.
So as the giant thing rises before him, he tries to bring his blade up, trying to halt the thing from getting to him. But his blade isn't strong enough to hold back the enemy. The bite sinks into his shoulder and her roars out...
Pain, but also a battlecry. He is here now. At the front line. It is time to do the work!
At at the edge of that battlecry, as another bite approaches, come his allies. Protecting the lava-scale Sith-makar, with shield and body. Harkashan using his claws to pull the initial one off of his body.
There's no doubt a rumbled 'sorry' he remarks to Zeke and the others as they have to move forward to protect him and save him. But in this moment, they must deal with their foes. Luckily, Telamon's disintegration ray manages to send one of them fleeing!
Encouraged by this upset, Harkashan touches his chest with his claws. Those red marks on his body starting to glow deeper. Steam seeming to come off of him. Beneath him, sand starting to... glow. Almost like it were melting and turning to glass. His markings deepening. Searing, before he sends out a loud second roar, and a wave of flaming red light begins to emanate from him. Weakening one of the Seaweed Sirens nearby, though the other manages to shake off the effect of his aura.
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+25: (1)+25: 26 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+17+2+2+1+1: (7)+17+2+2+1+1: 30 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+17+2+2+1+1: (13)+17+2+2+1+1: 36 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+12+2+2+1+1: (4)+12+2+2+1+1: 22 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+17+2+2+1+1: (7)+17+2+2+1+1: 30 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+5+2+2+1+1: (17)+5+2+2+1+1: 28 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d8+6+2+1: (6)+6+2+1: 15 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d8+6+2+1: (3)+6+2+1: 12 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d8+6+2+1: (8)+6+2+1: 17 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d8+6+2+1: (1)+6+2+1: 10 GAME: Zeke rolls Fortitude: (20)+14: 34 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
Zeke starts to move toward Harkashan, trying to figure out how to reach the other, but his weapon has other ideas. "Defend them Zeke! Protect the innocents!" The creature tries to bite him as he hesitates in indecision, and his weapon clangs into place; protecting him as it is meant to do. He too is an innocent in its opinion.
"Use the power granted to you by the Dragonfather!" He nods and stabs the weapon into the body of the creature before him. Again, again, again, and again. He watches the blade strike true every time; as though divinely inspired. It _is_ a weapon of his God.
"Dragonfather." He murmurs humbled.
GAME: Rhar spends ONE use of CHALLENGE +4. GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25: (14)+22: 36 GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25: (7)+22: 29 GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25-5: (16)+22+-5: 33 (THREAT) GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25-10: (12)+22+-10: 24 GAME: Rhar rolls weapon25-5: (15)+22+-5: 32 (THREAT) GAME: Rhar rolls damage25+cavalier: aliased to 1d6+7+cavalier: (1)+7+14: 22 GAME: Rhar rolls damage25+cavalier+damage25+cavalier: aliased to 1d6+7+cavalier+1d6+7+cavalier: (3)+7+14+(4)+7+14: 49 GAME: Rhar rolls damage25+cavalier: aliased to 1d6+7+cavalier: (6)+7+14: 27 GAME: Murder rolls weapon38+1+1+1+2+2: (17)+15+1+1+1+2+2: 39 GAME: Murder rolls damage38+1+2: aliased to 1d10+5+1+2: (4)+5+1+2: 12
"Go pack!" Nothing like some extra encouragement when things need to be disintegrated, aura'd, or just hit repeatedly with sticks. After Zeke's lead in the last one, she bares her teeth at the thing and growls "RHAR!" An introduction, to be somewhat civil... before she starts scolding it with slashes from her sharp stick. "No bite!" She slices. "No ask first!" She slashes. "No nice!" She sticks. Until it can be stuck no more.
Murder, from her vantage point, observes, planning where she can lend her strengths, brandishing her sword. Seeing the beast being beaten back by the combined efforts of the others, she cheers! "Oh yeah! Beat it down!" As it starts to flee, the Goblin begins to drop from the sky! "RRRRAAAAAHHHH!" She halts suddenly, inches from the surface of the sea, bringing her sword down in an overhead chop!
Drawing a line of blood to add to its injuries, the Goblin looks disappointed, yet still throws insult at its fleeing back. "OHHH, you'd BETTER run!"
And finally, peace again. Telamon gestures, and the summoned lillend blows a kiss before dissolving into smoke that swiftly dissipates. "Well," he says in an annoyed tone. "They were rather rude. Everyone all right? I think there's still some food to be had, and I'm pretty sure the skewers haven't gotten overcooked."
He pauses. Then looks around for Harkashan's Swiftclaw. "...Unless Hark's pet has eaten everything it could find..." he says in a tone that just screams, 'I fully expect this to be the case'.
Harkashan looks back as the last creature rushes away, and looks up at the lillend blowing her kiss.
Then, back to where the skewers and food was. And...
"Yeah..." Harkashan rumbles. All the raw meat is gone. The stuff that was grilled fully untouched.
"I think it got off with the rest of it."
"Is everyone okay?", the floating Goblin says. Murder looks around, pleased that everyone appears to be ambulatory, and at worst, only bleeding a little.
She spots Telamon, and makes an immediate beeline for him, arriving at his midsection in the "flying hug" formation.
Her muffled voice can be heard.. "Hey, thanks for that, you made the screaming go away! Are these your abs? Man, you're built like a Jotunblood...
"Run big fishy!" Rhar adds to Murder's calls to help encourage the other whateverthehellsthosewere to continue away from the beach. Then she looks to the others, lowering her sticks. "Pack good? Pack safe?" Her compatriot pack seems to be upright enough, so then she turns her eyes to her inner pack. Her paws follow as she heads back to Gurr the pup-sitter, who may or may not have done so literally to keep kids protected.
Quietly and unobtrusively the sword of crystal reverts to Zeke's more functional claw. He flexes it a few times, worry in his gaze as he looks at his limb. He watches the others return their attention to the beach and lets out a sigh. Suddenly basking sounds like a poor idea. He'd ask if anyone remains injured, but everyone seems hale enough to celebrate. To talk amongst themselves.
The blue-scale crouches by the shore, washing the blood from his claw. Watching the water for further trouble. Apart from everyone else, but not alone.
Never alone.
-End