Midday during the second day of travel out of Day's Rest, Lemak and Norajia are the first to hear a dreadful braying sound dead ahead.

Clearing a small mound in the plains, you see a glyptodon (SIZ ~ 40) rumbling in your direction. You can tell it is in distress.
There is something or someone riding on its back, that comes into better focus as the creature lopes closer. 

  

Mabwe moves to put himself in the path of the stricken beast ushering words to try to calm it. It's no herd-man, but it is a beast, so he tries the same calming tone he uses for them. "Hush now, let's stop and get that thing off of you."


As he moves he is knows how to try to get the thing, a giant tick by the looks of it, off of the poor creature by casting distraction on it.

Violence is always solves a lot of problems.  Lemak rides up, dagger axe in guard position, in case either the parasite or the glyptodon might attack.  Channeling his spirit, he focuses on disrupting the rider.

Norajia smiles at the reactions of two of her new friends.

Raising her arm she also focuses her spirit on the approaching duo. She tilts her head to one side extending her first and fourth fingers and makes and eerie buzzing-whistling sound, rocking her hand from the wrist.

Vorrik is busy trying to calm the damned zebra. Why can't these nomads allow a decent Templar to ride a decent horse? He is good enough with a lance to pop that creature right off the poor beast's back, but no way under the sun this striped jitterbox he is riding would make that possible.

He makes ready his smaller, one-handed spear, and is prepared to jump down and ground its butt, ready for a charge, if needed.

Mabwe's calming voice and posture puts the poor glyptodon into a more controllable state.
As it rumbles past him, his Distraction spell descends on the tick, which turns its attention to Mabwe and leaps at him!

<OOC: Distraction is such an interesting spell, puts a giant target on the caster>

The large mammal succumbs to Norajia's sleep spell and crumples to the ground. 

A small bulge appears beneath the tick's exoskeleton with a sickening crackling sound as Lemak's disruption spell takes effect. It writhes in pain but then moves forward to engage with Mabwe.

Lemak gets within reach of the tick.<

Vorrik dismounts and is in readiness with his spear.

You see a few more ticks coming into view...

Norajia's smile turns to a frown as she sees the other giant ticks approaching.

She redirects her arm trying to repeat her party trick on the nearest one, but in the stress of the moment she can't control her magic.

She directs her sable Modesty closer to the felled Glyptodont

The foul smell of the tick removes doubt.  "Chaos!" roars Lemak.  He slides off Lobber, gives it a quick push to move away, then advances on the Chaos creature, swinging his dagger-axe down to crack it open.
[OOC: Sorry, I forgot Lemak's speech colour was Coral in some recent posts.]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:54, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Mabwe is prepared for the bite, knowing the thing will be concentrating on him. He tries to claw it and lashes out at any bite that comes his way.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:20, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Tuari lowered his lance and charged Odina towards the leftmost tick his intention to spear the beast and then have the big bison trample over the top.

Ooc
20:12, Today: Tuari rolled 27 using 1d10+1+6d6. Lance Damage
20:08, Today: Tuari rolled 17 using 1d20.  Location.
20:08, Today: Tuari rolled 53 using 1d100.  Lance Attack 75%.

Lemak brings his dagger axe down onto the already disrupted giant tick. The savage weapon splits the foul creature nearly in half.


Mabwe goes into a defensive squat for the blow that never arrives, as Lemak's dagger axe smashes into the tick.

Tuari gallops his bison into the path of the northmost tick, bracing his lance and transmitting the power of Odina into the blow. The tick is unable to evade and is skewered to death, followed by its remains being trampled into the earth.

Thangar fires an arrow at the southmost tick (#6), but it keeps lumbering toward Vorrik, the arrow sticking from its carapace.

Tick 3 engages with Mabwe.
Tick 4 and 5 engage with Lemak.
Tick 6 engages with Vorrik. 

Mabwe stands his ground ready for the incoming tick, ready to parry the bite he expects that it will try and ready to dig his claws into the disgusting creature.

With a roar of victory, Lemak lifts the head of his weapon up into the air again, sticky with the tick's ichor.  A savage grin at Mabwe, then he turns to the oncoming ticks, ready to swing the dagger-axe outwards onto the top of the first to come within range.

Norajia moves behind Lemak and Mabwe ready to try to use her healing magic on whoever gets injured.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:01, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Tuari reins Odina round to his right and lines up on on of the ticks attacking Lemak with a shout "Hiyip!"


OOC:
06:32, Today: Tuari rolled 32 using 2d10+2+6d6.  Special Lance Damage.
06:31, Today: Tuari rolled 3 using 1d20.  Hit Location.
06:22, Today: Tuari rolled 11 using 1d100.  Lance attack.

<OOC: Yay! Rpol.net is back! Couldn't get on before>


The remaining ticks attack. Lemak swings his dagger-axe at SR 5, it bounces off the turf next to the tick.Vorrik jabs his spear on SR 6 at tick 6. The vicious blow penetrates its exoskeleton and vile blood pours out, somehow it still clings to life.

<OOC: lots happening in SR 8>

Tuari reels about and makes another charge, closing in SR 1-5 and striking the foul chaos creature, killing it instantly. It is stuck about a third of the way up his lance and won't be easily removed. 

<OOC 10:27, Today: Gargle rolled 73 using 1d100.  tick 5 fumble roll.10:26, Today: Gargle rolled 79 using 1d100.  tick 6 on Vorrik.10:26, Today: Gargle rolled 100 using 1d100.  tick 5 on Lemak.10:26, Today: Gargle rolled 55 using 1d100.  tick 4 on Lemak. those are unlucky ticks>

The ticks lunge forward with their sickening mouthparts dripping with slime, but all fail to connect with their targets. 

Mabwe bashes tick 4 both during its failed attack and again with a savage uppercut, sending it tumbling where it lands dead on its back, 8 hairy legs quivering.


At the end of the round there are two ticks left. 

Shaking her head at the lack of success of her magic Norajia awaits the dispatch of the last couple of giant ticks.

<OOC looks like there were migrating to new servers https://rpol.net/display.cgi?gi=1&ti=51&date=1535621437>

By the way, one thing you notice about tick #5; it has been shimmering and confusing to look at, distorting the light around it.

Perhaps that contributed to Lemak failing to tag it yet with his dagger-axe.

Somehow during its failed attack, it has stopped shimmering although it still looks aggressive. 

Mabwe turns to assist with the tick next to Lemak, unless the Storm Bull follower sticks it with the axe before he can help, in which case he heads for the stricken glyptodon to check it over.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:12, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

If Norajia sees Mabwe moving to inspect the glyptodont then she will join him, and assess its injuries.

Tuari drops his lance and pulls out the heavy mace at his side as he pushes Odina to trample the nearedt tick before he can hit the furthest tick attacking Vorrick.

OOC
10:27, Today: Tuari rolled 6 using 1d20.  Mace hit location.
10:27, Today: Tuari rolled 10 using 1d8+2+1d6.  Mace damage.
10:26, Today: Tuari rolled 68 using 1d100.  Mace attack.
10:25, Today: Tuari rolled 20 using 1d20.  Hit location Trample.
10:25, Today: Tuari rolled 22 using 6d6.  Trample Damage.
10:25, Today: Tuari rolled 19 using 1d100.  Trample .

Lemak exhales in relief.  His swing down had left an opening, but luckily the tick had not seized the opportunity presented.  He swings again, but this time with a horizontal sweep, hoping to cleave the tick and swat it aside at the same time.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:25, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

SR  5 Lemak delivers a killing horizontal swipe into the cephalothorax of the tick, cracking it open.
Ichor gushes out of the wound.
Tuari's bison clomps over the remains grinding them into the turf.

SR 6 Vorrik thrusts at the remaining giant tick, which is badly ailing. His spear penetrates deeply enough into its shell to deliver the killing blow, and the final chaotic tick has been defeated.

Norajia and Mabwe inspect the magically anesthetized glyptodon.
Norajia's inspection reveals that the tick apparently did break the skin of the large shelled mammal but that it is not showing any signs of disease. It is crumpled on the ground in an awkward fashion.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:57, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

Norajia turns to hail the others "Beware of the ticks, they carry disease!" However she seems confident that the gylptodont is OK, despite it lying awkwardly. She looks at its dimensions and at Mabwe's and tries to put its head in a more comfortable position.

Mabwe concentrates on the area of the puncture mark trying t work out the best way t treat it but with little luck. Finally he says to Norajia "Can you see to its wound?"