Rising from the depths comes a giant version of the Salamanders that have been plaguing Jiro. It raises it's arm and fires a bolt of flame from it's giant trident. Jiro ducks under the blast, but only barely. The heat is really getting to him.


[OOC: Take a level of fatigue from the failed fort save.
20:01, Today: Gamemaster rolled 4 using 1d20+3. Monster Init.
20:48, Today: Gamemaster rolled 14 using 1d20+10.  ]

Oh. Oh my, he thought, ducking under the blast of fire. "Kuso!" he shouted, adrenaline starting to surge in his veins, and channeled his ki. The monster was too far from any of the islands for him to reach, so he would have to rely on other means. Dancing quickly between stones, he tried to get to a part of the room with no innocents behind him.

"Wrathful Kami's Shout!"

[OOC: burning a hero point to de-fatigue myself, array is in blast, firing away. Acrobatic Bluff to feint as I fire on the run; DC 17.

17:58, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 10 using 1d20+8. Wrathful Kami's Shout on the big guy. On the very off chance that that hits, DC 25 toughness check]

The thing chortled loudly. "SO FAST TO FLEE, MORTAL. YOU SHOULD SURRENDER NOW, WHILE I AM STILL FEELING MERCIFUL."

He punctuated the last word with another fire blast, closing in for the kill.

[OOC: 01:14, Today: Gamemaster rolled 29 using 1d20+10. Attacking Jiro.
Be glad it doesn't have improved crit. DC 25 toughness save.
It's within melee range now. Assuming you don't get knocked back into the lava...]

Calling on his ki, Jiro willed the fire to flow around him, teeth gritted. That was too close. But he's in reach now. He moved in, dancing between islands, and growled, "I will not die to an overgrown worm like you." Then he dodged and struck.

[23:12, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 17 using 1d20+10. toughness check.
23:13, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 15 using 1d20+10. HERO POINT REROLL toughness check.
 - by the hero point rules, that 5 is modified to a 15, for 25 and a pass.
Acrobatic Bluff to feint, DC16 now, array is in ki strike.
23:19, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 18 using 1d20+12. ki striking the big guy.]

The blow is true, at the beast recoils in pain. At first it looks like it may have crippled the monster, but it shakes it off in moments.

"FOOLISH MORTAL! YOUR PAIN WILL BE LEGENDARY!"

It turns and points at the unconscious man laying on the ground. "YOU HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO PROTECT THESE VERMIN, PERHAPS I SHALL START YOUR LESSON THERE!"

A massive gout of flame streaks towards the man...

Impacting about 10 feet past him, in a rather embarrassing miss.

[OOC:
13:27, Today: Gamemaster rolled 10 using 1d20+8. Acrobatic Resist.
13:28, Today: Gamemaster rolled 12 using 1d20+10. Toughness Save.
13:29, Today: Gamemaster rolled 11 using 1d20+10. Toughness Save Fiat. = 21
13:30, Today: Gamemaster rolled 11 using 1d20+10. Attacking Man.
Monster - Bruised 1
Jiro earns a hero point for the fiat ]

"They are not a part of this, monster! Concern yourself with me!" Merciful kamis, please keep your heads down, people. Need to get his attention back on me...

He darted in for another strike, holding nothing back.

[OOC: 10:41, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 24 using 1d20+12. Jiro PAUNCH! AoA 5 Power Attack 5. DC 28 toughness save, I believe.]

Ki is good for more then opening boxes. It is quite useful for plastering fire spirits against the walls. The monster slides down the walls and splashes into the lava. It floats there unmoving.

[OOC 13:56, Today: Gamemaster rolled 13 using 1d20+9. Toughness Save.
KO'd ]

For a long moment, Jiro stood, fist still at extension, letting his heartrate calm. Finally, he found his voice. "Are you ladies okay?"\

As he waits for their response, he returns to the unconscious man, checking his vitals once more.

[OOC: 11:07, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 23 using 1d20+6. Medicine check - pulse or other vitals.]

As Jiro bends down to check on the woman, who has by now also passed out, something surprising happens.

She vanishes. Looking around, both of the other prisoners have vanished as well and the door has reappeared.

Alex lands on the very edge of the platform, but it breaks under the impact. She falls and at the last moment Alex snags a branch with her free hand. Her other hand barely holding onto her passenger, dangling below her. The branch creaks under the weight of the pair.

Meanwhile the buzzing is getting louder. Alex glances down and sees flickers of movement through the tangle of branches.

<OOC: Roll Init!>

Jiro paused. What the... He gave another look around the room, as if making sure they hadn't just all hidden behind a rock, or something. Then he made his way to the door, bounding into the holding room.

He looked to the guide, struggling for a moment with his emotions. Then, "Where they real?" He paid very, very close attention to the response.

[OOC: taking 10 on sense motive on whatever he says in response, total 22]

"Frack me..." Alex swore.

She calls upon all her strength to swing the man up onto the platform, safely away from the edge.

[OOC: 14:25, Today: Alex rolled 20 using 1d20+4. Init.
14:25, Today: Alex rolled 26 using 1d20+6. Strength Check.  ]

Alex makes it look easy, and the man lands with a thump. That burden dealt with, Alex has no trouble making her way back up onto the platform.

A giant insect thing has risen into view. It looks like a cross between a man and a housefly. It is surrounded by a massive swarm of more common flies, and they start biting and harassing the girl.

The Guide is as unreadable as a stone. "That question you must answer for yourself. Now, do you face the metal or the earth?"

"Really? A fly? *sigh* What did I do with that frog?"

Alex shook her head, and readied herself for the attack she was sure was about to come.

OOC: Ready attack on the thing, though it's going to miss I'm sure.
14:40, Today: Alex rolled 15 using 1d20+12. Unarmed attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:43, Sat 05 Mar 2011.

For a long moment, Jiro's emotions roiled beneath the surface. Fury, caution, and frustration warred, before he finally schooled his features into neutrality. "I will think on that answer. For now, I will face the arena of earth."

I've taken on the two that seemed most dangerous, most likely to screw Alex and I over. It'll have to be enough. Alex can take the hard one this time.

Asuming I haven't just completely guessed wrong. Which would be of a piece with the luck I've had today.

The attack did come, as Alex predicted. It swooped towards her, nimbly avoiding her attack. Still the effort did mean that Alex had no trouble avoiding it's attempt to bite her.

She notices that there is liquid dripping from the thing's mouth. Liquid that hisses and bubbles when it drips to the trees.

[OOC: 14:43, Today: Gamemaster rolled 17 using 1d20+10. Attacking Alex. 

"FRACK!" Alex leapt back a bit from the fly as she realized it slobbered acid. "Right, going to put you down now!"

Alas, it was not to be.

[OOC: 14:45, Today: Alex rolled 18 using 1d20+12. Unarmed attack. ]

The fly does indeed dodge the blow. Instead of pressing it's attack, it darts towards the woman that Alex had rescued. She screams loudly as the thing grabs her and picks her up.

The Guide waves his hand towards the door for the Challenge of Earth.

He walks into the earth arena, a raised circle over a shallow pit. A bridge leads from the door to the circle.

A young Chinese woman walks out of a door on the other side of the room. The bridge she walks on and the door she entered from vanishes the moment she is in the circle, just as Jiro's bridge and door do.

The woman is dressed in a simple Gi. She's about 5'7" and moves with the practiced grace of a martial artist. She looks at Jiro for a moment in silence, then bows and falls into a ready position.

OOC: Init

"OH NO YOU DON'T YOU DAMN DIRTY BUG!"

Alex throws herself across the gap, and launches a furious attack

[OOC: 15:01, Today: Alex rolled 17 using 1d20+10. Acrobatic Jumping.
15:02, Today: Alex rolled 22 using 1d20+17. AOA 5, unarmed.
15:03, Today: Alex rolled 21 using 1d20+19. Grapple Check.
Damage if he fails the check. ]

Jiro returned her bow, slid into a ready stance of his own. In Chinese he said, "Greetings, miss. Before we start, I would like to say I hold no rancor against you. I hope this can be a friendly contest."

[OOC: 12:02, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 16 using 1d20+6. Initiative.]

Alex's blows seem to slid off the Fly's hard carapace. She lands unceremoniously on her butt as the fly drops it's prey on the ground and turns it's attention to this persistent aggravation. Alex narrowly rolls out of the way of the getting a 'bad kiss'

[OOC - 15:11, Today: Gamemaster rolled 29 using 1d20+10. Toughness Save.
15:10, Today: Gamemaster rolled 31 using 1d20+11. Grapple Check.
15:12, Today: Gamemaster rolled 13 using 1d20+10. Attacking Alex.  ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:15, Sat 05 Mar 2011.

"Ah, but I hold some rancor towards you, Jiro Koji." She says, her voice filled with anger. She explodes into movement, crossing the battlefield in an instant. "IRON PALM STRIKE!"

The palm strike of her hand passes within inches of Jiro's face.

[OOC: 15:19, Today: Gamemaster rolled 26 using 1d20+8. Init.
15:20, Today: Gamemaster rolled 15 using 1d20+10. Attacking Jiro. ]

Kuso! She's good. He darted back, then dodged in on the offensive, the blue light of his ki flickering around his body. "Who are you, stranger, and what have I done to you? I would like to know."

[OOC: Acrobatic Bluff to feint at 17; array is in Ki Strike.
15:59, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 29 using 1d20+12. attacking the young lady. DC 23 toughness save, and I hope like hell that's enough to hit, cause if it's not...]