The Brutal Beatdown
Log Info
- Title: The Brutal Beatdown
- Emitter: Delilah
- Characters: Delilah, Donna, Ashes, Elyanna
- Place: Underground: Magus Ectra Na'Garra's Manse
- Time: Monday, July 19, 2021, 8:55 PM
- Summary: Brutus and the adventurers fight in the tight confines of the laboratory. It's not that small, but Brutus is huge, occupying a lot of it. Ashes is his unfortunate focus until Donna gets his attention, and in his efforts to strike her, he trips. The opportunity is taken, Delilah casts some protective spells. Ashes, uncertain, uses her assassin's crossbow, and the bolt strikes true and deep, causing an internal fire to the beast. Elyanna keeps up her whipping, both punishing the mass of flesh and maintaining a jaunty tune which encourages her fellows. Donna beats on him, he tries to stand and is tripped again by Elyanna. Delilah puts a bullet in a skull while Ashes almost duplicates her first deadly shot, starting another internal fire. It is Donna, fighting in a fury, which smashes the construct to immobility. It never truly was alive. Poppy re-appears, explains that Brutus is the worst of Ectra's constructs, but there are others. Ashes delivers some healing and wonders what to do with the unfortunates who were made into the thing, as Delilah and Elyanna thank and reassure Donna.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Donna 5'4" 106 Lb Human Female A black-haired human girl in black robes. Delilah 5'4" 106 Lb Human Female A golden haired human girl in white robes. Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face Elyanna 5'11" 153 Lb Half-Orc Female A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NPCs of Note =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Brutus Flesh Construct Male-ish An unsettling mass, made from ten other people. Poppy Human Female A ghost, daughter of the body that became Ectra. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Delilah 5'4" 106 Lb Human Female A golden haired human girl in white robes. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Brutus is awake! Brutus smash! Brutus smash down door. Brutus smash floor. Brutus smash puny brawler. Brutus smash puny mourner. Brutus smash puny sorceress. Brutus smash puny keeper. Brutus feel stingy hurt. Brutus SMASH MOAR!
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+15: (1)+15: 16 (EPIC FAIL)
Brutus rounds on Donna, after the brawler attempts to wrestle him down and catches a bony club across her skull for her troubles. The massive abominaton draws itself up to full height, and all ten of its eyeless sockets focus on the dark twin and her entourage of illusory doubles. If it had breath, Donna would feel it; if the ringing in her skull would stop, that is.
Brutus raises the club arm and with an ear-splitting howl brings it down, with a swing that would surely turn anyone to pulp.
Except, he targets one of Donna's doubles; and not only that, but he misses, and gets the club jammed so far down into the floor that it does not, immediately, come free, and the beast howls with wild rage as it tries to yank the arm back out.
<OOC> Delilah says, "Okay, so Brutus doesn't really get flatfooted," <OOC> Delilah says, "until his next turn we'll say attacks against him get +3 on the roll." <OOC> Delilah says, "Delilah, meanwhile, is gonna cast Mage Armor on Donna." GAME: Delilah casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16
Delilah, for her part, doesn't like seeing her sister get almost mashed. Well, smashed, then almost mashed. Could've been worse. The golden twin's breath catches in her chest, and her skin turns even paler than usual. Hurriedly, she traces a run in the air, and then rushes forwards to stand behind Donna; she pokes a couple of the doubles without any effect, before her hand lands on Donna's back between the shoulderblades, and an invisible wall contouring to the brawler's form snaps into being around her.
"DON'T HIT MY SISTER AGAIN!" the sorceress yells up at Brutus, and looks for a moment like she's right about to muscle in front.
"Would Align Weapon help?" Ashes asks, receiving a headshake from Donna. Of course, constructions need adamantine, not holy weapons. She suggests, "I could channel again."
While waiting for an answer, she pulls on the lever on her crossbow, flips it open then pulls it to fold it against the stock. The grabbers pull the wire up to the catch, setting it and the safety. As she folds the lever, the bolt keeper pops up and she slips a bolt in and snaps that down. She raises it, flips off the safety.
- Line up.
- Exhale
- Fire.
GAME: Ashes rolls weapon3: (19)+8: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Ashes rolls weapon3: (20)+8: 28 (THREAT) <OOC> Ashes says, "So. it's a +1 flaming, so it's 2d8+2+2d6(Fire)" GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+2+2d6: (13)+2+(9): 24 <OOC> Donna says, "Fuck yeah!" <OOC> Delilah says, "A palpable hit, you cut it DEEP and burn it. Pose doing some serious damage!"
The bolt flies. It bursts into flame. The Arvek Nar's careful training earlier has paid off. The shot is straight to where a heart should be, and it vanishes into the hardened meat. The hole left by it's passing flares, spouting flames as it burns inside.
<OOC> Elyanna says, "ok, to try and trip him with the whip first, then whip him good, still maintaining inspiration" GAME: Elyanna rolls cmb+1+3: (17)+7+1+3: 28 (Trip attempt) <OOC> Delilah says, "You yank him off his feet. :3" <OOC> Delilah says, "He *does* get an AoO in on you for the whip use, but we'll deal with that after." <OOC> Elyanna says, "i have whip mastery" <OOC> Donna says, "It keeps her from provoking AoOs. :D" <OOC> Donna says, "And he takes a -4 to his AC against melee attacks. For being prone." <OOC> Donna says, "Also he gets a -4 to his melee attack rolls." GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon1-5+3: (3)+11+-5+3: 12 GAME: Elyanna spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. <OOC> Elyanna says, "There's a part of me that really wants to spend the rpp on a reroll.... but there's a larger part of me that's come up with the exact same roll at least 25% of the time i've done so in the past" <OOC> Donna says, "You'll want to move the RPP from another alt so it can get noted properly. :3" GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon1-5+3: (3)+11+-5+3: 12 <OOC> Elyanna says, "F" <OOC> Elyanna says, "t" <OOC> Elyanna says, "D" <OOC> Delilah says, "Becuase this is bullshit, I'm going to let you roll ONE MORE TIME for free." GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon1-5+3: (12)+11+-5+3: 21 GAME: Elyanna rolls 1d3+8: (3)+8: 11
Elyanna's growls and croons, effecting a curious doppler as she bobs and weaves amongst her lash-cracking pirouettes continue to inspire the group as Brutus buries his weapon into the floor.
The Keeper soungs the words of, "Your chance!" in an odd sing-song within her melody as she snaps her enchanted lash behind her back as she had back in the days fighting Emerind in Am'shere, battling to save the Fieu's servant in her first trip to the beyond. As oft before, Maidenhead manages to snare a weight-bearing leg and yanks it clean out from under the construct before slithering free to end with the timely >Crack!< over Elyanna's head in a flourish before being set forth once more. Here, she strips embalmed meat from enchanted bone as the construct thunders prone to the ravaged floor.
A savage, interlaced sneer parts carmine lips, as Elyanna's eyes are alight with battle and the chance to save.... her friend. Another stride on the path to setting her life's course to right.
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (3)+12+1+1+-2+3: 18 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (19)+12+1+1+-2+3: 34 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (5)+12+1+1+-2+3: 20 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (14)+12+1+1+-2+-5+3: 24 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (18)+12+1+1+-2+-5+3: 28 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (6)+1+2+3: 12 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (2)+1+2+3: 8 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (6)+1+2+3: 12 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (2)+1+2+3: 8
Donna's concussion-fogged eyes light up as the monster topples, burning and sluggish, to the ground. "Heh... thanks, D... El... Buncha fukkin lifesavers, y'all are..."
Whatever is wrong in her head, it doesn't affect her muscles any; her spiked fists scream through the air with just as much precision, and lant with just as much power, as ever... Only now they're aided by their target not hitting her back.
<OOC> Delilah says, "Brutus is in a rough spot. He'll be getting back to his feet and roaring angrily." <OOC> Delilah says, "Also, since he's slowed, that's his whole turn. And, Elyanna, that pose was awesome." GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1: (3)+12+1+1: 17 GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon1: (12)+11: 23 GAME: Elyanna rolls 1d3+8: (2)+8: 10
Brutus' leg is torn out from under him, sending the mighty golem smashing face-first into the floor, where he is set upon by Donna and pummeled, along with a serious crack of the whip from Elyanna. All of this is on top of the massive wound incurred by Ashes, scored deeply into his rotted flesh.
At last, the club arm is yanked free, and the monstrosity rises from his inglorious position; horribly damaged, on fire, and struck once more with the whip, but still alive. Still ready to fight. The abomination's skulls all open their jaws wide and the thing howls with outrage, rounding its attentions on Ashes once more.
<OOC> Delilah says, "Clarification, Delilah will step back 5 feet and then shoot." GAME: Delilah rolls ranged: (10)+7: 17 GAME: Delilah rolls 1d8: (8): 8
Delilah's eyes widen as Brutus gets back to his feet and howls. "All that, and the blasted thing isn't dead yet?!" Not to mention, it's large and in charge and she's right next to it, and even with the damage done to it, it's still very capable of doing an unacceptable amount of damage to *her*, so she wises up, steps back, and raises her borrowed pistol to open fire.
The bullet hits one of the skulls square in the forehead, adding an extra hole right there -- and that particular skull stops moving. The other four, naturally, howl in their continued outrage.
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay. load crossbow and shoot, and if I must 5' step back to avoid Brutus AOO" GAME: Ashes rolls weapon3: (19)+8: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Ashes rolls weapon3: (6)+8: 14 GAME: Ashes rolls 1d8+1+1d6: (7)+1+(6): 14
"It's like killing ten regular people." Ashlee says in monotone . Her eyes are wide, she's battle-calm. She'd love to flee but that would be much worse, for her, for her companions.
Instead, she goes through her reload procedure. Drop the lever, crank it back, watch the catches set, return the lever, set the bolt. Raise. Sight along the barrel. Take the safety off.
- Exhale.
- Fire.
The bolt flies true. Almost as finely as the other, and while it misses vital spots, it's a nigh perfect shot. It penetrates deep, bursts into flame. She's hit something important.
<OOC> Elyanna says, "ooc spend another bardic, 5' to flank with donna if i can without exposing the casters to a rush," <OOC> Elyanna says, "then whip him like a bad bad boy" GAME: Elyanna spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon1: (9)+11: 20 GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon1-5: (8)+11+-5: 14 GAME: Elyanna rolls 1d3+4+4+1: (2)+4+4+1: 11
The Keeper continues her energetic, yet rigidly controlled dance, punctuating the sound of her voice with the rapid pops and cracks of Maidenhead. Well, more accurately, her voice is supplementing the rhythmic beat of the enchanted tresses, even as she flicks out again and again at Brutus. Elyanna's proficiency with the weapon, keeping a normally wild lash so tightly constrained on her recoveries as to threaten none of her associates enables her to turn even her misses into notes in the chord, as she does now. The first of her assaults cuts another furrow in the unnaturally galvanized flesh, while her followup simply leaves Maidenhead's sonic crack over one of the earholes amongst Brutus's harem of skulls.
<OOC> Donna says, "Okay. Flanking, low HP, hurt construct... Full attack, shit's gotta be downed." GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1+2-2: (10)+12+1+1+2+-2: 24 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1+2-2: (7)+12+1+1+2+-2: 21 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1+2-2: (18)+12+1+1+2+-2: 32 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1+2-2-5: (16)+12+1+1+2+-2+-5: 25 GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1+2-2-5: (3)+12+1+1+2+-2+-5: 12 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (1)+1+2+3: 7 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (5)+1+2+3: 11 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (1)+1+2+3: 7 GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (3)+1+2+3: 9
"FUCKOFFFUCKOFFFUCKOFFFUCKOFF--" Donna roars as her fists continue to rain down upon the creature, spearing leathery flesh and cracking bone, heedless of the blood flowing into one eye and for the moment, more or less utterly surrendered to her rage.
Fury might be about the only thing keeping her standing at the moment, and when the fight is over it's *entirely* likely the brawler will be more or less useless, the way one of her arms clicks every time she raises it above shoulder height...
There are a lot of reasons to be wary of someone who chooses the inelegant form of fisticuffs as their primary means of combat. Because without the elegance of monastic training, beating something to death is a brutal, frightening affair. Armored fists crunch into bone, and *every last skull* that isn't shattered gets a piece of Donna's rage-driven fists.
Once the monster is driven into the ground, and perhaps a couple inches further, and the twitching has stopped... The dark twin weaves a couple steps back, panting like a steam piston, bloodied and beaten, arms hanging between her knees. After a couple seconds like that, she rears back, and screams to the heavens;
"DOES ANYONE *ELSE* HAVE A *FUCKING PROBLEM?!*"
<OOC> Ashes says, "healing hex is CMW at my current level, and channel" GAME: Ashes rolls 3d6: (12): 12 GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+10: (11)+10: 21 <OOC> Ashes nods, 33 on Donna, and 12 for the rest of us
Ashlee watches Donna's brutal fury, knowing now that more than Oruchs can properly rage. She flinches her head to the side, avoiding a chip of flying bone even as she is pulling her crossbow through its reloading cycle.
Which becomes unnecessary, as the brawler smashes the construct, pulping, crushing, bending and breaking that which held it together so strongly. It is done. She lowers her crossbow.
Her hand rests on Donna's shoulder, the one which clicks, and now feels numb. The Mourner concentrates more, touching the holy symbol on her breast, "Feui of the Tears, take away our pain." The sensation of emptiness spreads, encompassing all and binding wounds.
Ashlee unloads her crossbow and slips it into her satchel. She will never doubt whether her choice to keep it was wise again. The misenchanted assassination weapon has found its true home.
She stares at the hulking remains of Brutus, "Something should be done with the parts of the people that made this." She's not sure what. Perhaps more fire.
Elyanna's lash spirals around her for the beginning of another chord as Donna finally silences the abomination, and with her pirouette turning more into a turn-on-a-heel two-step to soak momentum, her arm rises overhead to break her stroke. She steps closer to the dark sister then, coiling the tresses of Maidenhead with practiced care and returns her to her place before reaching out for the brawler's shoulder, "No one in the room." the hobkin quips with a little smirk, "Well fought." As Ashes's healing invocation washes over them, she takes a deep breath and sighs as her notable, if less significant wounds are mended some, then turns her way, "Fine shooting." then to Delilah, "Both of you."
The observation about the constituency of Brustus's misbegotten being prompts another sigh, this one more rueful than relieved and she nods, "Perhaps a pyre, once we have what we need." A thought, then a look of veiled concern to the Mourner, "Would that be enough?" she asks softly.
Delilah watches as Brutus is beaten into a well overdue grave, and her shoulders slump as she sighs audibly. "Thank the Gods," she declares, as she moves to support her sister while Ashes is healing her; an act that earns the Mourner a grateful look. "I am strongly hoping that was the only one of those."
"Ectra only made one of those," Poppy supplies helpfully, re-emerging from a wall where she'd been hiding. "But she had other experiments. I don't know if any of them were... or are... I mean..." she taps her fingertips against each other, "Alive. Or whatever you'd call that."
Delilah, meanwhile, has been busy claiming the most comfortable chair she can find, and walks up behind Donna with it. She slides it across the floor until it bumps the back of the brawler's knees, and then takes her sister's shoulders and pulls her backwards. "Donna. Sit. You look like you're going to pass out. How's your head?"
The golden twin looks back up at Ashes and Elyanna. "You two were amazing. And neither of you had to be here, either, so... thank you. A lot."
Donna starts as Ashes' hand touches her shoulder, expecting there to be blinding pain... and the healing that follows is relief enough to drive her completely into unconsciousness. As it is, she mumbles a thanks, dropping onto the indicated chair and looking among her friends. "...Anyone, like... mind if I just sit here a sec? Catch my breath? Know I shoulda been expecting somethin', but, not *that.* An... thanks, alla y'all. Don't think any of us woulda survived without any of ya."
"I think a pyre would be." Ashlee says thoughtfully, shaking her head as she looks at the lump, "it's the only way to free them from... the combination."
She examines the chair Donna is sitting on, resting her hand on the back of it. Hoping it is not flesh of some person, expecting even the furniture of the manse to reflect it's owner's macabre existence.
"We have time. And... animated, describes them Poppy." The ashen Arvec stares at the dark twin, "You stopped him. We helped." "Active?" Elyanna suggests as Poppy shows doubt in her wording.
The compliments from Delilah get a cultured bow, though the expression of her gratitude prompts a look toward Ashes. A moment's consideration, then a look back to Delilah, "We said we would help."
She whistles her intricate maintenance diddy, and a wave of cleansing works itself over the chair Donna is eased to collapsing into, then the brawler herself while the hobkin looks for another piece of furniture to rest upon, herself.
So settled, she rests her elbows on her knees and looks to her friends in turns, but affirms Ashes's words with a nod.
Delilah massages her sister's shoulders, and not so surreptitiously feels over as much of the brawler as isn't covered by armor, looking for obvious problems like broken bones. "Well I sincerely hope that's the last one of those," she agrees, nodding towards the defeated flesh golem. She looks just as it twitches, and locks eyes on it, freezing in place; but all it does is twitch, which is unnerving but ultimately not harmful. So far.
"Ectra had many experiments," Poppy affirms. "She did not tell me what it was she was doing, though. She only told me which of her prisoners I should bring for her dissections and when. I know that she saved... parts. Kept them preserved for later. She was fond of keeping brains that she didnt eat, for..." she gestures towards the golem. "Those sorts of things. I think. ...I am not sure, I was... I don't... know things. I've always been stupid. I'm sorry."
"Ignorance of this is nothing to apologize for." Ashlee says, stepping closer and crouching. She touches the flesh construct. Stiffens as she does. She's no longer ignorant, understanding its body. A gift that keeps on giving.
"Nothing..." The Mourner says again. Staring. She slowly stands.
"Ash is right," Donna says tipping her head back and closing her eyes as Delilah none-too-subtly checks for breaks that the Mourner's magic couldn't find. "Don't ever be sorry for not knowin' stuff you ain't had call to learn. My bet is, you'd be a lot sadder an' angrier if you knew what she was doin', an' not just how it ended. Some things, it ain't worth knowin' too well."
"no, child. You were kept. There is... a difference." Elyanna chimes in, now directing her prestidigitation to one of the other ladies.
She draws her waterskin from her belt and takes a sip to moisten her throat after all that singing, then seeing Ashes interaction with the amalgamation asks, "What's wrong??" <goblin-talk>
Silence
Inspirational watching
https://youtu.be/_DP7St_G2IU?t=50
https://youtu.be/yLtzA0A7w90?t=45