Mountaineering Investigations
- Hayatiento Aerie within the Redridge Mountains, just outside of Alexandria, Morning
The entrance to the Warrens within the Hayatiento Aerie almost always has a dull howl of wind playing across the front, making the unsettling rope bridge that connects the cave-like, cliff facing entrance to the main road through a mountains wobble with stomach dropping dips. Said wind is a pitch higher this morning, with grey overcast clouds muting all shadows.
A gaggle of egalrin are gathered near the entrance, the cave extending into a makeshift town-square with several more feathered folk scurrying about. The trio are clad in simple clothing, yet the patterns are intricate, borderline fractal across a menagerie of colors. Each sport greying plumage, a crack here or there on their beaks.
"We can't help bu' express our gratitude fo' ya'll comin' on up on such short notice," the muddy colored one of the trio waves, their hunchback self all but teetering on a walking stick.
A once-bright green man clears his throat. "Yes yes. We've all been patiently waitin' fo' us ta come ta a consensus ta post the dammed thing. An' by we, I mean I."
A fully grey feathered woman stares somewhat vacantly with milky eyes. Either absent minded, or not fully paying attention. "I'm Segith. That's Glicia. Th' mean one is Dahmi. And the pretty one is Diaga."
Dahmi elbows Segith, scowling. "The Speaker is not here."
"Anywho!" Glicia claps her hands together. "We're the Council- or, what's left of it- for the Sliabahgeiko. I hope wha' we submitted ta th' Guild help explains wha's goin' on?"
Garak inclines his head. "It is a pleasure," he assures the Egalrin that have come to meet them. "The Guild did explain somewha..." He glances at the other adventurers, partly to see if they're going to add anything and partly for a few moments to collect his own thoughts and consider his words. Finally he says, "You'd like to investigate the landslide at your previous Aerie. If so, I would be honored to help."
GAME: Eztli rolls fly: (8)+10: 18
A normal, sane person, would walk the rope bridge with some measure of caution. Few can ever accuse Rune of being sane. In fact, she almost seems to take it as a challenge to walk without holding onto any hand-ropes, simply balancing in a neat, straight line along the middle as if this were some acrobatic stunt. The wind is barely even acknowledged.
Thankfully she takes the actual meeting a bit more seriously. She steps up, giving a more formal bow of her head in honor of the council before offering a few greeting clicks and chirps in their native tongue. Then, it's back to the common language for her, "I'm... here more as a favor to a friend than just following up on a guild posting. Slixvah sent me. I owe her a lot, so I'm working on paying that back a little."
With a glance to Garak, she nods her head, as if confirming that his statements align with what she knows of the request.
Surely the wind wasn't that bad, right? With that many bird people heading to and from home, it should be easy enough to reach.
A small much less feathery looking figure flaps through the area, learning first hand they aren't as excperienced as they thought. The wind buffets them off course, and the sorceress has to spend some time scrabbling up the rocks a distance away. Evenntually she manages, and dusts off her robes as she walks over to where everyone was gathered. "Pleased to make your acquaintances! And no worries, we've had much less notice on some jobs, happy to help regardless." She greets.
Aelwyn had seen his share of ropewalking to not be too bothered, even if he did not partake in the self-challenging him over the drop like certain rogues did. "Tch, sometimes it does feel wings are cheating." The draconian lets out as he looks at the sky; trying to do his best with his glaive and the rope bridge.
Having appeared at the top, the Dragoon then bows graciously towards the egalrin. "This one has arrived, as debts are to be paid, and matters to be concluded. The matter of the landslide shall be concluded." He reassures the council, before his attention strays away... and then leans in to whisper towards the rest of the party. "... anyone seen an excessively large, green feathers? Vaguely like Ribbon, perhaps? ..."
Segith chuckles to herself as she watches Rune and Eztli enter the cave, bemused with how the makari gets battered around. The elders happily return Rune's chirps with their own with blessings of the wind and skies. Dahmi ruffles his wings a bit, shifting his weight as Rune invokes one that name. "Good, I'm glad ta hear there are those outside th' Aerie that want to see this matter to its end."
"And, yes, tha's correct," Glicia bows her head, readjusting her grip on her walking stick. "I'm glad I put Segith in charge of th' details."
"You're ta fill out th' details...?!" Dahmi hisses quietly at Segith.
Segith scratches her beak, staring at Dahmi's shoulder. "... oh. It mus'uv slipped m'mind..."
Opting to ignore the absentminded elder and the hot headed one, Glicia smiles at the group. "Ta recapture it, aboutta year ago, our Aerie was nearly destroyed by a landslide. Some of our Aerie stayed behind ta' live with the Khazad nearby, the others, well, migrated here. We 'ave sent folks ta inspect th' rubble, but it is beyond our capabilities. And since we been gone a while, it mi' be a lil' dangerous. Now yes, it's all da way in the Sky Curtains, bu' we got a lil' help wit' gettin' ya'll there. Miss Unmesi?" she calls out.
A rust red and white, short egalrin woman decked in a rainbow of robes steps out from a nearby in-mountain building. "Hellloooo~!" she coos warmly, strutting her way up with an oversized sewing needle for a walking staff clacking against the stone. Dahmi shoots her a glare, but Segith gives a wave in her direction. Which is the wall. Slixvah ends up stopping just before the group, smiling at them all. "Imma be ya'll's pilot today, hope ya'll broughta snack! Gonna jaunt ya'll on over, take a lil' break, then me an' some otha's gonna roll up. Then get ya'll back in time fo' dindin!"
"Reall' anything you can find will help us immensely," Glicia sighs. The other Elders, even the random passerby's, garner a firm expression. This clearly means quite a lot to them. "We've turned over most things there, but it's gotten more dangerous as the wildlife is starting to reclaim the mountainside. Maybe ya'll can find somethin' we missed. Ya'll ready?"
Garak check his sword and then tugs both gloves one after another, opening and closing the fingers as he does. "I'm ready," he offers. Then he glances around at the other Alexandrians. "Would you all be amenable to a blessing to aid in travel." He gives their 'pilot' a small smile. "As a backup. A good army always keeps reserves, after all."
Listening to the request, Rune shifts her weight slightly. "Signs of what might have caused the landslide, information on what parts of the aerie survived beyond what you've already explored, anything else that might be of service to your people. Got it." She is elaborating a bit on what they had said.
And then, a familiar face arrives and Rune's expression brightens. "Hey there, Feathers. Fancy meeting you here." She offers the red and white female a wink. "Magical transportation, my faaaavorite." There's definite sarcasm there, but the rogue seems accepting that sometimes she just has to deal with the discomfort of magically being yoinked around Ea.
Finished with dusting themselves off, mostly due to the fact that they remember their abilities over the arcane enough to snap their fingers and vaporize the last of the dust and debris, the small makari stretches, and settles down. "Well, I was gonna ask why you needed to check, but I guess that answers that." Eztli responds. Anything particular you're looking for?"
The sorceress waves animatedly to the other egalrin joining them. "Good to see you Slix! Been to long. You're ready to take us there then I take it? Then let's go! Assuming everyone else is ready, at least. You are all ready, right?"
Aelwyn leans his glaive against himself as he looks at the wings of feathers squabble amongst themselves. Then his attention is taken by the sight of a very familiar figure. "Ribbon," The Dragoon greets with a bow of his head and flicker of his tongue. "This one shall trust one to take us for a wild ride."
Turning his head, he glances at Garak - a figure he does not readily recognize - but he bows his head at them. "The skies are never shy of their blessings, but this one feels another shan't hurt." He gestures.
GAME: Garak casts Wind Walk. Caster Level: 14 DC: 21
The pilot cackles to Garak. "Oh I totes understand! Unless you're Eztli, gonna have a hard time!" She fires off a wink in return to Rune and Aelwyn, and a wing wave to Eztli. "Heya Ruru, Flutter, Cutie~"
"She has the right of it," Glicia gestures towards the Rune to answer Eztli's question. "Anything you can find. We've combed over so much. Regardless, we best not waste daylight."
"Alright now, jus' hold still!" Slixvah beams, before walking up to each of you. She flips the staff around, the blunt point tapping at shoulders and pulling at something in the air- before an ethereal string manifests. She collects them, grunting as she gets them into a bundle in her hand, each one leading to each member of the party. Chanting quietly at first, then building in tone, "Kaet em omeh, unotycr adosr, ot het lapec-" she wraps the threads in the loop on the needle, "-I elogn, Yks Urctian, ouaitmnu ommam-" She sets the staff over her shoulder, cocks it back. Her voice breaks into serveral tones, as arcane glyphs waft off her staff and arms. "Kaet em omeh!"
She flings you. The sensation is not unlike being yanked by a rope. The world rapidly passes by, but at such a blur that nothing can really be observed. Plains, forests, mountains, cities, countries pass on by in an instant before the party abruptly stops upon a mountain trail. A burst of glyphs sprays outwards from the landing point. The sun is lower in the sky to the east.
The surroundings are... sad, to the say the least. Two large trails flank a chasm that whips debris and remnants of buildings to flutter from an intense updraft. Boulders, rocks, and dirt litter the entire span, the mountainside on the left has several dozen ruins that cracked open from the falling rocks, still bolted into the rock face itself. A barely holding together tapestry stuck to a cracked over sign flutters from the sheer and deadly drop to the right, it reading in Auran, "Sliabahgeiko Aerie"
The air is thin.
GAME: Rune rolls survival: (14)+18: 32
Garak takes a moment to orient himself. "In all my years and adventures, I've never quite travelled that way before." He glances at the rest of the party, ever mindful of the health and attitudes of his fellow adventurers. Then he glances at the trails. "Should we move up higher? Perhaps to where the landslide began. My gut tells me this couldn't have been a natural occurance..."
GAME: Garak rolls perception: (12)+20: 32 GAME: Eztli casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 12 DC: 16 GAME: Aelwyn rolls perception: (13)+1: 14 GAME: Rune rolls knowledge/nature: (3)+10: 13 GAME: Eztli rolls spellcraft: (5)+12: 17
The moment Slixvah starts chanting, Rune seems to brace herself, readying for the unpleasantness that always comes with such magic. She makes an unpleasant 'urk' of sound, and then a faint exhalation of air as they 'land' someplace entirely new. Taking a few breaths to steady herself, she looks around at the ruins and damage strewn out before them.
"I'll... look for any signs of unexpected people or creatures moving in or out of the area." She notes to the others. Then, she starts to make a slow, careful plot through the area, following a grid-like pattern in a way that was taught to her by someone she hasn't seen in a very long time.
Then, suddenly, she stops, shifting some dirt away from a very large quill. Shortly there-after, she finds another, and another. "Um... we've definitely got something up here that isn't Egalrin. Big." Taking a few more steps forward, she stops where there looks to be a den of sorts in the ruins, "I think... whatever it is has made a home here. And they aren't at home right now. So... keep an eye out." She offers the quills on the off-chance anyone else wanted to examine them. "I'm not familiar with the creature these came from."
Aelwyn stumbles as they get flung as well; then sharply inhales. Or attempts to. "... tch, this is high up." He lets out, holding a hand over his throat. "... very high." He looks over towards the ledge curiously. The ribbons tied near his horns flung about rapidly, before he backs away from the edge.
"Tch, unfortunate." The ruddy sith-makar clicks his teeth. "Yet a wild animal or two should not be the largest concern." Still holding onto his throat, he begins to head in direction of the center of the tower. "This one did not imagine it to be... this..." He gestures vaguely. "... sad."
<OOC> Aryia says, "also, if anyone wants to look at what rune has, its a DC 23 nature check to identify"
Garak squints through his spectacles at the signs pointed out, but doesn't recognize them either. Then he glances around. "Something over here as well. Does anyone else see...?" He takes off his specs and rubs his eyes and the bridge of his nose. Garak blinks a few times. Then he realizes where he's felt this sensation before. "I'm not used to the air this high." He begins casting another spell, touching first his own chest, then moving about to touch the other party members on the shoulder until he's reached each one. "Where was I..." he walks off towards a boulder, with a prism somehow implanted in it. A sash is caught on the prism, quite probably what drew his attention to it to begin with.
GAME: Garak casts Life Bubble. Caster Level: 14 DC: 20
Eztli was mostly fine with being teleported to new places, but she still takes a moment to steady herself, moving from one mountain to another. Best not to lose one's footing. The small makari takes a moment to look around, doing her best not to frown too much. "Lost a lot here, too. Bad in a lot of places." Eztli sighs. She snaps her fingers and takes another look around with eyes that were glowing for a split second, which squint in Garak's direction. "Just a little light headed but I'm alright. Yeah, something transmutation related with that boulder, or whatever that thing is, at least. Not sure what it is exactly."
GAME: Aelwyn rolls knowledge/nobility: (17)+3: 20 GAME: Eztli rolls knowledge/nobility: (10)+4: 14 GAME: Rune rolls knowledge/the planes+2: (7)+8+2: 17
Taking the quills with her, Rune looks over at the touch to her shoulder, taking a deeper breath than she'd previously been able to. "Thanks." She offers to Garak before falling into step behind him, taking a look at what he has managed to find.
Then, she halts in her step. There is a faint flicker of something iredescent in her eyes as she blinks, looking at the boulder and the prism. "Um... everyone be careful. I'm not totally certain but... I'm pretty sure that that is a dormant earth elemental." To which she curses under her breath in Makari.
"Why does it have to be elementals...." The rogue whispers. Then, clearing her throat and speaking at a normal volume, she adds, "Might explain the landslide, though... or at least contribute to it."
Aelwyn does make his way over as well, walking with a lazy gait. He tried to keep his eyes open for anything unusual - but to him, eeverything looked a little unusual. So - a golden shimmering sash, that seemed the most ordinary thing here. "A golden sash..." He pauses and looks over towards the half-elf.
"Certain?" He clicks his tongue, and then tilts his head. "This one supposes it makes sense, for is that not the golden ribbon of the arcanists from Rune?" He asks, then gives a pointed look towards well, Rune. He may have been grinning, before he turns towards the others. "... this one remembers the colour of that cloth."
"Giant quills and, shit, that's an earth elemental? You certain?" Eztli wonders, taking a few steps back. "What would a sash from Rune be doing here? The magic Rune, not the cool rogue-ish Rune." She elaborates, gesturing to the rogue as well. "There's more going on here I think. We should go look where these stones came from. Might be something explaining it there."
Garak's expression darkens. "Arcanists of Rune?" He edges closer to the sash, reaching out a hand. But he pauses before touching it. "We should take this back to show the Aerie..." his gaze shifts down to the prism. "'Dormant' elemental?" He repeats. "Does anyone know what sort of things might cause it to awaken...?"
As the party ponders the orgins of the golden sash and the dormant elemetnal, the whipping winds carry with it the sound of rocks scuttling nearby. A massive head peeks out from the ravine. It scurries up onto the opposite side of the ravine of everyone, moving with fluid grace on six legs, as a plethora of barbed quills running along its back and legs that puff up as a low growl echoes through. Their eyes glow with a blue light, as their hackles raise.
What does indeed make an elemntal come out of dormancy?
Probably a lot of activity.
The massive creature lowers itself, readying to pounce.
GAME: Garak rolls knowledge/arcana: (18)+10: 28 GAME: Eztli rolls knowledge/arcana: (5)+9: 14
<OOC> Aryia says, "nevermind it flings 4 quills at everyone with a -4 through the wind" <OOC> Aryia says, "aelwyn, rune, eztli, garak" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+20-4: (11)+20+-4: 27 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+20-4: (3)+20+-4: 19 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+20-4: (9)+20+-4: 25 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+20-4: (7)+20+-4: 23 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d8+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d8+7: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d8+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Eztli rolls reflex: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Garak rolls reflex+2: (7)+7+2: 16 GAME: Aelwyn rolls reflex: (15)+9: 24 <OOC> Aryia says, "here's what happens: the quill lodges in its flesh, causing the creature to become sickened until the quill is removed. Removing one quill requires a DC 20 Heal check made as a full-round action. For every 5 by which the check exceeds the DC, one additional quill can be removed. On a failed check, a quill is still removed, but the process deals 1d8+4 points of damage to the victim."
In near horrid alacrity, something this large surely cannot move so fast. The massive feline? Animal? Whatever it is, it darts like moving liquid over its den, barely impeded by the rubble and ruins, as its mane raises again, only for it to violently whip its rear towards the party, as a spray of quills screech through the air, impaling most of the party!
Pain lances through in sickening waves.
GAME: Garak casts Prayer/Quicken. Caster Level: 14 DC: 22 GAME: Garak casts Blessing of Fervor. Caster Level: 14 DC: 19
Garak flinches at the quill. He starts to turn to keep the prism in view. It might be just the worst tactical situation were the dormant creature rise and then force the party to fight two enemines in two different flanks. Then Garak's eyes widen, and he doubles over and wretches. "Watch it...some kind of...poison." He stumbles a few steps away from the prism. "Serriel, lend us your aid in battle!"
<OOC> Aelwyn hrmhs. "I'll just use tactician to give outflank to everyone and move to 4,13, I think." GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+19: (10)+19: 29
Aelwyn turns his head at the local wildlife turning around the corner. And then (nearly) all of them get quilled, which he quickly yanks away with a snarl. The matter of the golem is instantly gone from his mind. "Hark and spread out, lest we all be struck like this. And," He flashes his teeth, then makes a gracious bow to the others as he starts to back away. "Let our dance of blades begin."
He runs across the bridge in quick movement. And even despite the quilled beast's tail nearly knocking him out while he was running across the chasm - the Dragoon's ribboned ruddy form spun and flickered, like he were in a play of sorts.
GAME: Eztli casts Form of the Dragon I. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22
Eztli blinks, everything happening so quickly and suddenly having a rather unpleasant barb sticking out of her. "I'm not sure what you are, but you're going to fry for doing that." The makari growls. "Give me the strength to lay this beast low!" She hisses in draconic, before bursting into flames, which flicker and elongate,dissipating and leaving a bright brass dragon in their place, which is thankfully still small enough to slink across the bridge.
GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+19: (18)+19: 37 GAME: Aryia rolls 2d6+10: (8)+10: 18 <OOC> Aryia says, "reflex save dc 24" GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (5)+21: 26
The rogue-ish Rune is certainly keeping her distance from the boulder in question. "I mean, I don't want to go prodding at it to be certain. My daggers don't do jack shit against elementals. No fleshy bits to stab." She explains.
She seems just about to comment on how often the confusion about her nickname comes up, but then the quilled monster makes themselves known, causing enough commotion that it may very well also awaken the elemental nearby. "Fuu--" She starts to curse.
Seeing it shoot quills at her allies, Rune turns her attention to it. "So... I'll go after the prickly one over there." Rune really dislikes elementals, it seems. Enough so that she nearly runs into an attack by the quilled creature. She saves herself at the last minute by rolling, causing a quill to catch her armor and imbed in the ground nearby, leaving behind a gash where it would have caught her arm if she hadn't been faster.
Hissing, she raises a hand instinctually to her arm, and then settles her gaze on the creature, weapons at the ready. "Fuck this thing has a long reach."
<OOC> Aryia says, "it uses a swift action for a gaze attack on aelwyn. Aelwyn, fort save" <OOC> Aryia says, "dc 23" GAME: Aelwyn rolls fortitude: (17)+13: 30 <OOC> Aryia says, "it five foot steps closer, one bite one aelwyn, two swipes on rune, and eztli is just in tail range for a slap" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+24: (17)+24: 41 <OOC> Aryia says, "grab attempt" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+32: (19)+32: 51 <OOC> Aryia says, "2 claws on rune" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+24: (19)+24: 43 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+24: (8)+24: 32 <OOC> Aryia says, "32 does not conrim on rune" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+24: (4)+24: 28 <OOC> Aryia says, "tail slap on eztli" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+19: (10)+19: 29 GAME: Aryia rolls 2d6+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d8+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Aryia rolls 2d6+19: (4)+19: 23 GAME: Eztli rolls reflex: (19)+10: 29
With horrid speed, the creature whips its tail around like a supersonic whip, smashing the dragon on the bridge and making it wobble and teeter, only to pounce onto Aelwyn, picking him up and hauling him to the sky, crushing his scales in its maw.
This leaves an opening for it to rear back on four legs, two claws swiping high and low against Rune, her just barely able to dodge one, but another leaves a too close gouge on her side.
GAME: Garak casts Power Word Blind. Caster Level: 14 DC: 22 GAME: Garak rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2 GAME: Eztli casts Liberating Command. Caster Level: 12 DC: 17 GAME: Aelwyn rolls escape artist+20: (18)+3+20: 41
Garak stumbles his way onto the bridge. He barely makes it to where Eztli is, still coughing and wheezing. He casts a baleful look at the quill still sticking out of him. He sees quills bouncing off of others and clattering to the rocks. Each one is a fortunate turn. As long as they can be targetted, the entire party is still in danger. "Serriel," he beseeches. "Take away it's sight!"
The prism on the boulder starts to grow a brighter, golden light shimmering out from the. Dust and pebbles start to fall from it, as nearby boulders animate and piece themselves together.
<OOC> Aryia says, "51-100 it misses" GAME: Aryia rolls 1d100: (29): 2 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+24: (4)+24: 28 GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon11+1-4+2: (6)+18+1+-4+2: 23
Aelwyn snarls and exposes his teeth as he is yanked up on the creature's mouth. His glaive was useless! But then he hears... dragons, and for some magical reason he manages to wrestle himself free from the creature's terrifying grasp. "Tch! Did not even ask!" He spins around. "Anyone know what this is?" He calls out, before slapping his glaive onto the ground several times, sparking flames. There's a motion in him, as he slowly runs in an arc, drawing parts of a perfect circle, with the tip of his flaming blade and swings!... only to hit air.
GAME: Aryia rolls 1d100: (41): 41 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+19: (3)+19: 22 GAME: Aryia rolls 1d20+16: (7)+16: 23 GAME: Eztli rolls 17d6: (55): 55 <OOC> Eztli says, "wait, no! DC should be 24"
Eztli is slapped rather hard and unpleasantly by the creature, the dragon darts away from the beast, perhaps not far enough, but certainly in range for the brass dragon's maw to fill with flames that spill over the beast, covering it in flames as well as a long line behind it. "Don't know what it is, but the sooner it's down, the better. Golem's not far behind us." They growl.
<OOC> Rune says, "5ft step towards the creature. I assume since Aelwyn was able to attack it that I am in flank with him? If so, going to take the extra attack from BoF and full-round attack it." GAME: Rune rolls weapon1+2+1: (18)+22+2+1: 43 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1+2+1-2: (10)+22+2+1+-2: 33 GAME: Rune rolls weapon2+2+1-2: (19)+22+2+1+-2: 42 (THREAT) GAME: Rune rolls weapon2+2+1-2: (2)+22+2+1+-2: 25 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1+2+1-7: (20)+22+2+1+-7: 38 (THREAT) GAME: Rune rolls weapon1+2+1-7: (3)+22+2+1+-7: 21 GAME: Rune rolls weapon2+2+1-7: (13)+22+2+1+-7: 31 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1+2+1-12: (18)+22+2+1+-12: 31 GAME: Rune rolls weapon2+2+1-12: (20)+22+2+1+-12: 33 (THREAT) GAME: Rune rolls weapon2+2+1-12: (6)+22+2+1+-12: 19 GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (9)+21: 30 GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (15)+21: 36 GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (1)+21: 22 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (5)+21: 26 GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (9)+21: 30 GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (6)+21: 27 GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (1)+21: 22 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Rune says, "I'll use my free re-roll on one of those." GAME: Rune rolls reflex: (11)+21: 32 <OOC> Aryia says, "gotcha, yeah you get one quill stuck in you, you are sickened. also it looks like the 25 becomes 27, which confirms due to the AC penalty from blind" GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon11+1-4+2+4: (2)+18+1+-4+2+4: 23 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1+1d6+8d6: aliased to 1d6+3+1+1d6+8d6: (6)+3+1+(4)+(31): 45 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1+1d6+8d6: aliased to 1d6+3+1+1d6+8d6: (5)+3+1+(4)+(24): 37 GAME: Rune rolls damage2+1+1d6+8d6: aliased to 1d6+3+1+1d6+8d6: (5)+3+1+(4)+(28): 41 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1+1d6+8d6: aliased to 1d6+3+1+1d6+8d6: (2)+3+1+(1)+(32): 39 GAME: Rune rolls damage2+1+1d6+8d6: aliased to 1d6+3+1+1d6+8d6: (6)+3+1+(1)+(18): 29 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1+1d6+8d6: aliased to 1d6+3+1+1d6+8d6: (2)+3+1+(4)+(27): 37
Dealing with the spined creature is already turning out to be a more difficult and bloody ordeal than she'd previously thought. Wounds drip red down along her arm and sides from the creature's attacks. "Taking it down, you got it."
The one thing many people don't expect when they look at the little rogue, is just how much she can utilize the distraction that her friends bring to a fight, to her own advantage. In this case, when the creature wheels back towards Aelwyn, it leaves the beast open for Rune to close the distance.
A blade slashes along the back of one leg, then rolls beneath the creature to hamstring the other. It's haunches drop to the ground, tail lashing as Rune uses the off-balance moment to jab a blade in along the belly, spewing gore as it flails out at her. Ducking underneath one of the swiping claws, she spears upward with one blade, then along the neck with another, until finally she is right beneath the creature's head. It wobbles a bit, before the head rolls forward, impaling itself onto both blades so that the tips of the weapons stick out.
Just how much of the gore on Rune is her own, and how much is the monster's, is hard to tell.
The elemental assembles itself, growing taller. One story, two stories, three stories high! With a lumbering stride, pebbles fall into the ravine from the shaking earth. The sound of grinding stones and rumbling comes from its core, as all the way on top of its body is the... tiniest rock, with speckles of minerals that look like a tiny face.
It watches across the ravine.
The bandersnatch hisses and haws as it can't seem to find the tiny nuisance that rips into it, only to fall further onto the metal blades as its blasted in the face by a stream of intense fire from dragon Eztli. Harried by Aelwyn, it can only swipe lamely at him, before the cut hamstring makes it meet its demise from Rune's expert swordplay.
The elemental plops on the ground, looking more like a pile of rocks. Rumbling.
A few beats later, there's a burst of cyan runes that appear near the entrance to the destroyed Aerie. The pilot from before- Slixvah- falls face first on the ground, head spinning. Along with two other egalrin, a towering figure of green and white with a longbow held in hand, as well as a somewhat shorter, but still muscular and older egalrin of white and green with a handful of bolas.
They pause, staring at the carnage. Slixvah gets her head together, but grows quiet at the sight. And it's not the skirmish that just happened.
The older egalrin with the bolas strides forward. "Glad to see you're all in mostly one piece. We were a little worried about the altitude, so we were gonna check up on ya'll-"
Slixvah, through her daze, blinks through some tears that were building up as she was staring at the damaged sign. As her attention settles on the elemental. "... w-wha' in th' fuck is Pebble doing here??" she chokes out.
-End Scene-
Combatty
<OOC> Aryia says, "Map! : https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mf38qonld7i"