Hearing of the Lattimor calling for him, Mayhew takes off running in the direction of the trouble. The way he carries himself shifting subtly as he readies himself for a fight.

OOC: Those seeking the stray aneen can post again here.  This is currently Mayhew, Artor, and Derrick.

The trail is easy enough to pick up and  start to follow as it leads eastward out of the Scouts Camp and into the hardpan and scrub.  The sun is past set at this point, though, with twilight fading. Tracking will soon become more difficult.

In reply to Immortal Eye (msg # 49):

Loping beside the other two, cloak and bandages trailing, a glitter of emerald-noir crests like a wave across one shoulder. Artor notices it not, calling out softly as they hit the trail, “As twilight falls my eyes will adjust, but I will need one of you to interpret the trail”

Keeping an intent eye on a set of large tracks, Artor begins to part slowly from the others without realizing it.  His keen eyes, accustomed to the dark, notice that the surface has become more bare and sandy.  Ahead, the tracks seem to stop cold.  Artor reaches the spot where the trail ends.

Light footed as the trail ends, further wisps of coruscating void swirl around Artor in the twilight

Noticing a subtle shift in the sands at his feet, Artor leaps to the side and sprints backwards as two grasping arms erupt from the sands.  He is able to evade them and make it to the edge of the bare area, even as the appendages continue to emerge, ever longer, and lunge toward him, repeatedly striking the ground along the path of the Jack's footsteps.

OOC: Mayhew and Derrick would be close enough to hear this and see it at a distance.

Even as he continues to dance back, Artor slashes our with his light glaive at one of the elongated limbs chasing him

Derrick's ears perk up at the first sign of trouble and in a moment, he has whirled around to take in what is happening. A moment later, the large man has begun to lumber back in Artor's direction, shouting and pulling out his weapon as he does. "Hold on Artor!" Derrick builds speed with his charge intending to smash one of the arms with his mace as soon as he reaches it.

Assuming Derrick is at least at short range, he will use his action to move into immediate range of the arms. If he is at long range and a roll is required, let me know.

Artor's slashes whiff through the air.  Thus far, neither limb has reached past the ring where the vegetation starts growing.

Derrick (and Mayhew) are too far away to reach Artor quickly.  Having focused on the trail Mayhew was following, they lost track of their companion until the thrashing began.  Now Artor is just a silhouette leaping along the horizon in front of a deep violet sky.  Larger, longer silhouettes blacken the sky behind (beside?) Artor.

OOC: It will take two rounds to cover the distance from yourself to Artor.  If you succeed on a DC 4 (12 on d20) Speed roll, you'll be able to take an action when you arrive.

Hearing and seeing the danger Artor is in, Mayhew dashes toward the fight. As he moves, he makes sure his synth vambraces are in place.

"Take care Artor!" he calls out moments after Derrick. "We're on our way!"

---

OOC Speed Roll
  16:26, Today: Mayhew rolled 17 using 1d20 with rolls of 17.  Speed Roll.

Artor has but a moment to decide: lunge to strike the flailing limbs, their tips covered in spiky protrusions, or flee and hope that the creature beneath the sand cannot match his speed.

Derrick and Mayhew will reach him if he joins the battle, potentially putting them at risk, also.  If the creature is faster than it appears, it may not matter anyway.

With one eye on the others courageously rushing to his side, Artor swings wildly with his weapon once more - more to dissuade and impair the beast's movement than with any true focus - as he continues to dance around it. Still, he calls out to them, "Beware, it is swift and canny"

Having yet to connect, the spiked ends of the arms begin to tap the sand in Artor's direction.  Tap, tap, tap, swing a bit.  Tap, tap, tap, swing.  They move independently.  Tap, tap, ... swinging right at Artor.

For all his flailing, Artor’s constant unpredictable motion and swirling cloak keeps him safe

Derrick charges in recklessly at the arms from behind. Though he builds up an incredible head of steam as he rushes in, the arms are faster than he expects as he swings his mace in attempt to smash one of them.

Derrick rolled 19 using 1d20. Speed roll DC 3. Applying 1 level of Effort (3 Speed - 1 Edge + 1 Armor).

Derrick rolled 2 using 1d20. Attack with my mace DC Unknown. Apply my Aggression ability to provide an asset (2 Might).

Mayhew darts into the fray moments after Derrick. He attacks one of the creature's arms with his open paw.

---

OOC Unarmed is a light weapon, reducing the Difficulty by 1. He hits assuming the Difficulty starts at 5 or less. He does 4 points of bashing damage.
  16:13, Today: Mayhew rolled 14 using 1d20 with rolls of 14.  Unarmed Attack.

Mayhew's paw connects with one of the limbs, inflicting a solid crack to the carapace.  The other limb immediately reacts and swings toward him.

OOC: Ok, combatants.  Your enemy is currently a 4(12).  You are all within the circle of bare sand that the limbs are centered in.

Mayhew, please make a Speed defense roll.  Failure will result in being hit with spiky bits.  Describe as you see fit.

Artor can then act before the creature's next turn.

One of the creature's arms strikes at Mayhew but Mayhew is simply not that slow. He avoids the attack with the speed and agility of a trained warrior.

---

OOC He is trained in Speed Defense and his Vambraces count as a Shield. Difficulty is reduced to 2 (6).
  17:12, Today: Mayhew rolled 12 using 1d20 with rolls of 12.  Speed Defense (Trained, Vambraces).

With a sudden swirl of shadows and darkness and ... something else ... Artor leapt for the centre of the circle of sand, striking downward with his Glaive

As the arms flail dangerously at the others, Derrick makes a quick determination. Since he can't see any eyes, he decides the creature must use some other sense. He raises his mace and smashes it into the ground in front of the creature, then begins to bang the weapon on his shield in the hopes of drawing the creature's attention with the vibrations. "I will draw its attention! Over here!"

Attempting to Draw the Attack.

Artor's strike is true and potent.  As his glaive pierces the bare surface by the protruding limbs, a brief blast of sand swirling in black ether radiates out.

A deep thrumming sound vibrates the ground right before the center of the circle erupts as the hidden creature lunges out of the ground and toward Artor.  A beaked face of black carapace snaps as many shorter clawed appendages try to grasp at him.  The shell is marred by a deep gash along one side where eyes might be.  The wound is weeping drit-encrusted ichor.

The "abdomen" of the creature is much paler and the skin seems softer and more supple.  It is pulsing and veined, dragging behind the rest of the anatomy.


Derrick's pounding does draw the "attention" of the longer limbs, which attack him as a pair, independent of assault on Artor by the hideous main body.



OOC: Current positions- Artor, center; Derrick, NW; Mayhew, NE; Creature, facing N toward Artor
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:26, Thu 04 July 2019.

Despite the tunnel vision of his anger, Derrick is able to avoid the blows of both arms with a well timed roll and good shield placement. As he comes to his feet, he continues to try and draw the creature away from his allies in the hopes of exposing it's more vulnerable areas to their attacks.

Derrick rolled 19 using 1d20. Speed Defense DC 4 (Shield, Aggression).

Struggling to loosen his Glaive, Artor is slow to escape the creature’s lunge

The creature leaps far faster than the long limbs would have indicated.  Artor's thigh is firmly clamped in the creature's beak and one of the other appendages restrains his ankle further.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:39, Fri 05 July 2019.

Finally relinquishing his weapons and scrambling backward on all fours , Artor gasped when the creature’s beak latched onto the folds of cloak enclosing flesh - even as it was stained dark with void and blood. Crooning at the creature, symbiotically attached in his mind, he stroked the beak softly