Despite her wound, Swift still looked to be moving around well.  It was clear that it was her clothing that had suffered most from the attack.
If anything, the pain of the wound on her back was adding fuel to the fire of her temper.  So much so that she abandoned her usual attempts at concealing herself and began to circle around the smoke-wreathed form of her enemy, trying to place him between Frost and herself, and open to attack from both sides.


OOC: Trying to catch this guy in an "attack from both sides" position...
Activating Mindblast now too.  Rolled a 3 for next round.  (I hate the Dice Roller so much!)

While Swift Fox took position, the smoke surrounding the half-kai creatuere started to move, but rather than moving away from the ceature, it condensed around it's head and tried to push its way insdie the monster's mouth and nose, clearly attemting to fill its throath and lungs. The monster covered its face to try and avoid being chocked, but it didn't completely worked - no doubt helped by the fact that the essence of Mustow already had properties designed to drain air away from its surroundings - and felt to the ground, convusing and coughing hard for a moment.

That was when Swift Fox struck, the Jade Spike puncturing the monster's back and, when the monsted managed to push her away with its clawed hand, causing a lot of blood to suddenly gush out of the wound.

The monster managed to stagger back to its feet and moving away from the last remnants of the smoke, but it was clearly still shaking, and for once had no retorts to make, instead just eyeing the two Kai wairily, uncertain over who was the greatest danger of the two...

So, Frost's usccessful use of Nexus to choke the monster granted it a temporary -8 CS for this round; that'll persist as a -4 CS penalty next round while the creature recovers.

Swift, you lose 3 END but inflited a brutal 8 END damage to your opponent. Here are the stats for your opponent this upcoming turn:

Humanoid Kai Chimera: CS 17/21 END 12/25

Actions?

A savage grin crossed Swift's face as her attack drew blood from her enemy, even as it batted her away.
Quickly regaining her balance, she started to circle around to the opposite side of the creature as Frost was on, hoping it would find it more difficult to defend itself while being attacked from both sides.

Her eyes met Frost's for a moment and a faint hint of a smirk crossed her face, perhaps a silent approval of his manipulation of the smoke, or simply watching him for his next move.
She eyed the creature, studying its defensive stance, searching for an opening in its guard.
She had no idea who it had once been, perhaps an Initiate she hadn't met or had simply forgotten.  She had never really been one to get to know everyone in the Monastery anyway.
It was a skilled fighter, perhaps her guess at it being one of Starfire's former students had been close to the truth after all.
It didn't matter, it had been a Kai, but no longer.  It had become something else, an abomination, a mockery of Kai's chosen ones.  Another of Naar's dark puppets...

Just like you...

The thought appeared within her mind like an unwanted object drifting to the surface of a dark stagnant lake.  Like that same inner voice of self-loathing that had taunted her again and again in her nightmares.  As if he was still there, still holding her mind and body in a dark embrace, seeking to draw her back...
Back into the darkness...

On her head, the gemstones in the diadem she was wearing flickered briefly.

I'm nothing like you!

"I'm nothing like you!" she repeated, this time with her own voice.
Her mindforce flared up again as she darted forward, her anger coalescing into a blazing fiery blade in her mind which was projected at the mind of the half-Kai creature, even as the blade of her physical weapon was thrust forward, aiming under the creature's arms and curving upwards again towards its chest...


OOC: Attacking again.  Rolled a 4.  (At least it beats a 1) :)
Swift seems to be fighting with inner rage rather than skill here...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Sun 17 Feb 2013.

OOC: Oops, yes, that wasn't a spell at all, but Nexus again. I was reading from three different parts of the rules and got them all muddled up. Above post edited.

As Swift Fox's gaze met Ferret's, he noted her expression, but could make nothing of it. However, she had used the distraction of the smoke to put the enemy between the two of them, which suggested a rationale train of thought that he was at ease with.

Working effectively in tandem with someone had always been very difficult, only Silver Raven seeming to act in a properly logical way that Ferret understood, but Swift Fox's manoeuvre seemed to confirm that they had the advantage. If the creature they faced really had been a Kai, it was surely still dangerous and capable of attacking with great cunning, despite its wounds; but there was perhaps some level of understanding between Swift Fox and Ferret now that hadn't been there before and that made it reasonable to assume that they had the upper hand.

Ferret saw his fellow's blade curling round and up towards their enemy's chest and reacted immediately by aiming low on the opposite side, trying to stab in below the ribcage.


OOC: I did think the Dice Roller was pretty sucky, but I have to say that as of right now, I'm kind of happy with it - combat rolls of 7, 0 & 9! Wheeeee - watch the completely non-melee-combat-orientated Kai go! :D

As Dusk Rat watches her fellow Kai move in, her gaze flicks over to Brook...

Just as Swift Fox and Frost Ferret prepared to strike at the same time, the creature seemed ready to launch some form of counterattack, but before it could act, the massive form of a black dog appeared from the side, barreling into it.

The crature managed to avoid Brook's attack spinning to the side in an impressive feat of agility, but in doin so, it opened its side to Swift Fox's attack; the dagger entered the monster's body and pinned it to its position, such that it had no chance to retaliate when Frost Ferret buried his shortsword into its belly.

Even as it tried to escape the steel trap it'd fell under, flailing his arms around and hitting Swift Fox's on her cheek with its claw, it was clear the creature had no chance to succeed, neither of the Kai willing to let it go. After a moment, it realized this as well, and tried to spoke, but only gurgling sounds and a red froth filled it's mouth, before it closed its eyes and lowered its head, dead.

And that was it for your enemy, then. Swift Fox, as first attacker, you get the +1 from Animal Kinship for fighting alongside an animal, which gives you a CS of 19, same as what Frost Ferret had; thus, we have a combat ratio of +2 for both of them.

That means that Frost takes no damage, Swift takes 3 (and since this was a roll of three, you've also gained a scar on your face in place of losing another piece of equipment), and the monster loses 18 in total, which kills it happily.

You won! Congratulation for the success; also, both of you, Frost and Swift (but not Dusk Rat) lose 1 CS due to fatigue, as usual. :)

Yaaay we won :D. Now let's cut some bits off these critters and take them back to Toran so the wizzy guys can see whether it Valador or not who put 'em together in the first place :D.

OOC: Actually I rolled 4.  Or did you mean something to do with the three of us?

I mis-spoke; I meant that you'd rolled 3 last turn, and so you had to get a scar, since I already damaged your leather waistcoat this battle. Ihope that clears it all up? ^_^

OOC: Ah ok, just checking :)


Swift stood there for a moment staring at the creature as it died.  She barely seemed to notice the blood dripping down the side of her face, her expression relaxed as if her rage was draining away along with the monster's lifeblood.
She pulled the Jade Spike free from it, staring at the red-stained blade before looking back at the creature.
She no longer looked angry, in fact she looked quite badly shaken, perhaps something else occurring to her now that she was no longer blinded to it by her inner rage.

Shaking her head, she stepped back from the monster and glanced towards the others before turning towards the remnants of the hilltop camp.
She thrust the dagger back into her belt, not bothering to clean off the blood and took up her bow and a single arrow, looking around for the Giak who had been there before...


OOC: Is the Giak still there?  Or has it done the smart thing and fled while it could? ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 14:34, Mon 18 Feb 2013.

The giak is still in shock, since two hours haven't passed yet; in-game, it will have perhaps been fifteen minutes, if that, since the end of the battle at the hilltop.

Speaking of which, are you already up there, Swift, or still climbing to reach it?

OOC: Heading that way from where we were fighting.  She's after the stuff in the red tent.

Alright, be sure to make a post when you get in the "hilltop" area on the map, but before entering the Red Tent. You can kill the giak from distance with your bow if you want, and then recover the arrow once you're close enough, or you can kill it by hand once you're there. Both can be done without a roll.

Or you could not kill it at all and simply head straight for the red tent, if you prefer. Either way, be sure to include your actions towards the giak in your post, and do not enter the tent. :)

For long moments after the creature had stopped moving, Ferret stood looking at it, fascinated by what could have been done to change a Kai into such a thing - the physical change was almost more incredible than the morale one. Eventually he looked up to see Swift Fox moving away towards the top of the hill. Remembering her words about having something to retrieve, he knelt momentarily to wipe his sword clean, then started after her. As he walked by Brook, he gave the dog what he hoped passed for a friendly pat on the head and tried to convey his gratitude, though his was too mentally exhausted to put any effort into using his Animal Kinship skill to do so. The presence of the dog reminded him that Dusk Rat must have been behind its actions and he looked back to see if his fellow was making her way forward also.

Swift slowly clambered up the hill, pausing as she neared the earthworks at the top.
Putting the arrow to her bow she stared over at the stunned Giak, examining it for a moment before shaking her head and putting the bow away again.
It was clearly not likely to be a threat any time soon, and she had something more important on her mind.  The map she noticed earlier in the tent would show her where to find it, she hoped.
Besides, the idea of leaving someone alive to tell their enemies what had happened to their camp appealed to her.  Perhaps it would serve as a bit of a psychological jolt to whoever was behind this plot.

She glanced back down the hill at the other two Kai and the dog, Brook.
The faintest hint of a weary smile flickered over her face, although it was gone too quickly for anyone to be sure.
Turning away she continued into the camp, heading in the direction of the red tent...


OOC: I have a bad feeling here for some reason...  ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Mon 18 Feb 2013.

Ah, well, might that be because I foreshadowed it pretty heavily and you're good at getting clues? ^_^

Just as Swift Fox started to move toward the Red Tent, when suddenly, a decomposing hand exploded out of the ground, grabbing her leg and dragging the Kai Lady down with a sudden, superhumanly strong movement.

Then, a moment later, another hand did the same, and a creature slowly emerged, mounds of earth and dirt falling from its black cloak. Under the hood, all three Kai could now clearly see that the skin was yellow and decaying, with black worms slythering all over it; the nose was missing, in its place only a hole from which sprouded a tin piece of bone. Bone was also visible on the left cheek, right under the empty eyesocked, inside whom burned red fires shining with malice.

The Helghast then raised its right hand, pointing at Swift Fox, who was encased up to half-tight into the earth, and spoke, its voice cavernous and deadly:

"I won't let you get back to your Monastery, Kai Lords; you will all die here, right now."

Tah-Dah! You didn't really thought you'd avoided to fight this one, did you? But, Frost Ferret's tactically smart move allowed you to face it alone, rather than in the with that sympatic gaggle of allies you just exterminated. So, don't feel bad - delaying it this this long was a great accomplishment!

Now, though, it's time to worry about your opponent. Frost, assuming you want to get into melee range of the Helghast, it'll take you one round - just like the creatures took one round to reach you. Of course, you can do anything you want while running - if you go for something that is too hard to do when running though (like say, shooting a bow) then I'll be asking for an Hunting roll.

Dusk Rat, for you it will take two full round to reach the hilltop, while Brook could be there after just one, just like Frost. Be warned though: if ANYBODY in this battle rolls a 1, and Brook is anywhere near the helgast, he'll be killed.
Swift Fox, you're entrapped and can't move from your position. Luckily, you can still reach any weapon on your belt... although the Helghast, as always, can only be wounded by magical weapons. Given your position, you get a -4 CS penaly for bad placement on the battlefield.

Escaping from such a trap alone would be impossible for a normal person, but you're not normal, are you? As such, you can escape it by beating an Hunting DC of 13... and of course, you need to spend one full round on it, during which you'll be counted as unarmed, which is another -4 CS.

As for your opponent's stats:

Helghast Commander: CS 25, END 33/33

Of course, this will be one round at a time. Actions?

Bleh, typical, I go away for a few hours and then find there's been a million posts made while I was gone, blowing any chance I'd've had to warn Swift about the still-buried Helghast before she went and stomped over its spot. Whups :P. Anyway, it's nearly 1am and I need to go to bed. I may as well hold off for a moment anyway, seeing how I have no ranged attacks and don't really want to risk Brook. I'll see how things go, I suppose,and take action as necessary if I see a chance.

For better strategical thinking, Swift Fox, on the map I gave you you're halfway between the G and the Red Tent.

Swift let out a yelp of surprise as she was dragged downwards.  Her hand went instinctively to the hilt of the Jade Spike, but as she realised what her enemy was she reached instead for the handle of the axe she had gotten from Wol-Dumar.
"You think you can beat us all then?" she replied, spitting at the creature's face even as she pulled the axe from her belt and swung it as hard as she could at the arm that held her...


OOC: I thought we hadn't quite gotten rid of him.  Didn't expect him to come up right under me though!  eep! (O.o)
Unless Brook is some sort of magical dog he probably couldn't hurt it anyway.
Lucky me I hung onto that axe from before :)
Rolled a 4 though.  Really not gonna last much longer with these low rolls :(
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:25, Tue 19 Feb 2013.

Ferret heard the cry and saw Swift Fox fall up ahead of him. He knew immediately what must have happened and ran forward, seeing the helghast rise from its all-too-impermanent grave as he went. He could see that his companion should have a chance to strike as the creature slowly pulled itself up out of the ground, so tried to time the mental shove just right.

Well, this will be interesting...

Just as the Helghast's claw moved forward, Swift Fox's axe raised to meet it, opening a big, bleeding gash into the creature's arm. However, that didn't seemed enough to deter the undead as it tried to close its hand around the girl's throat... and then, suddenly, was pushed back by a sudden wave of wind, which sent the undead crashing into the ground, leaving a bleeding wound on Swift Fox's neck but failing to get a solid grasp.

Even if the Helghast moved to get up, the time was enough for Swift Fox to pull herself out of the ground she was stuck into, and for Frost Ferret to reach her side; then the two kai and the darkspawn face each other, all waiting for their opponent's next move...

Swift, thanks to Frost Ferret intervention, you only take half damage, and inflict full: with a combat ratio of -8(!) that's 2 damage to the Helghast and 3 to you. Then the two of you have one round free of Helghast, which I'm pushing ahead through by using it to get Frost on the hilltop and you out of the ground, so that now we can have a proper brawl. :)

Helghast Commander: CS 25, END 30/33

Actions?

Swift stumbled out of the hole in the ground, and spun around to face the Helghast, raising the axe into a defensive position.
She glanced towards Frost Ferret, meeting his eyes and giving a brief nod, clearly acknowledging his help.

Her gaze dropped to the axe she held for a moment, a faint hint of a curious expression crossing her face before her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Raising the axe again, she watched the Helghast, waiting for it to make a move...


OOC: -8 isn't too bad.  If I remember right -9 and below means your enemy has the chance of dishing out instant kills on a critical hit?  Ouchies.
Anyways, waiting till it attacks again, then I'll try to dodge to the side and swing the axe at its neck.
Rolled another 4!  The Dice Roller is definitely out to get me this time! (O.o)
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Sat 23 Feb 2013.

At least you can can hurt this thing - I don't think I can personally do anything much right now...

OOC: Well if Swift bites the dust, you could always try to grab that axe she's using :)

Ferret's responsive nod to Swift Fox was more certain than it ever would have been before, stemming from his recognition of some connection between them that had only flickered into life during this battle. It caused an unknown sensation inside him, one that he could not interpret, except to realise that it was useful and could strengthen him, even though his mind hadn't quite caught up with a reason for feeling so sure about the efficacy of their abruptly coordinated actions.

Something suddenly struck him, however: what he'd wished they could have done right from the start - he couldn't do it, but perhaps he could make it seem like it was happening, particularly as it surely hadn't escaped the helghast's attention that someone or something had been manipulating the doomwolves before.

Using the scant moments that he and Swift fox stood side-by-side while the helghast got to its feet and readied itself to attack, he sheathed his sword and leaned close to his fellow's ear. "Use the dagger," he hissed, offering an open palm to take the axe from her, "when it's not looking."