Wow. I am dead. Had 96 hp. The crit did me in.
"Mal! Nooo!" Kelda screams from the battlements. You hear her anguish turn into beastly rage.
Heng moves to Malnival's side, kicking the oni in the gut hard.
Harlan frowns at Malnival's corpse but realizes the elf is too far away to save. He limps to Jiro's side, touching the samurai in an effort to keep him from death.
Jiro's eyes snap open as he gasps for air.
"Find the Amatatsu b**@!! Kill her!" Roaring, skin glowing with its inner rage, the fire yai turns to attack Parity, sweeping the massive tetsubo back and forth. Parity's illusory doubles keep him safe, and his fire resistance fends off a final shot of fire from the oni's third eye.
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"Where is she?" the tiefling wizard calls, and the atamahuta points towards Ameiko. The spell-caster then conjures a small cloud of golden particles around Ameiko, making her instantly visible. The dazzling dust hits Heng also.
With Heng's precognitive warning, Ameiko averts her eyes just in time. "Thanks!"
Kiyomi gasps as Mal falls. Hearing the foul oni call for Ameiko's death is too much for her. She continues to sing and points at the fire yai!
Parity seethes, "You will speak with respect to the Empress!"
And he unleashes a torrent of blows :
; use Terra Cotta Talisman to reroll attack
; blech
Parity leaves two deep cuts in the fire yai's red skin, and also avoids its fiery aura. It growls in pain from the new wounds, but Parity notices them slowly healing up.
Kiyomi's spell fizzles against the oni's inherent resistance.
Roaring furiously -- unarmored and wielding only her sword -- Kelda leaps from the battlement. She makes it just far enough to hack at the atamahuta as she falls, leaving a terrible wound. The oni slashes at her exposed in mid-air, and she crashes prone at its feet. In her rage, she hardly seems to care.
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Shaking her head in amazement, Hatsue moves to climb down after the Ulfen berserker.
Ameiko keeps moving, running out of the glitterdust and circling around towards the southern gate. Along the way she stops to heal herself. Sandru withdraws from the fire yai to stand by Ameiko's side.
Koya's spirit ally attacks the tiefling again, but fails to do more than be a distraction. Koya casts a spell and flies out into the courtyard.
Shalelu turns her focus on the fire yai, firing multiple arrows into it, point-blank. Only one arrow seems to pierce its thick hide.
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The last atamahuta slashes its blade at Heng, charging it with shocking energy.
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Once again Malnival performs a spot on impresion of a bear skin rug.
Heng takes down the third atamahuta with a string of heavy hits. As the oni drops, Kelda immediately sprints to Malnival's side, standing guard over his broken body.
Harlan completely heals all of Jiro's wounds with a single blessing. The samurai makes a noise of thanks.
"No!" the fire yai growls as his last oni henchman falls. "I will see this through myself!" He spins away from Parity and charges Ameiko.
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The fire yai blasts Sandru with a fiery blast from its third eye, knocking him aside. It swings its tetsubo at Ameiko, but her mirror images keep her safe for the moment.
The tiefling casts at Ameiko, dispelling the rest of her mirror images.
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Kiyomi tries again to cast hold monster on the fire yai.
Parity follows the creature and charges an acidic spell unleashing it in one explosive blow as he threatens Parity's long time crush.
"This demon regenerates ... hit it with cold, if you have it! I'm going to try acid ... just to see ..."
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Parity's attack drives Suishen right through the fire yai's armor, eliciting a roar of pain that makes the ground and walls shudder. You noticed too that the magical acid seems to halt its regeneration.
Kiyomi tries again to paralyze the giant oni, but once again her magic sloughs away ineffectively.
Jiro stands up and moves to engage the fire yai, shouting another challenge. "My allies are steadfast and true, fiend. We stand together in defiance of you and your false lord. You will find no death here but your own!"
Sandru bleeds...
Ameiko backs away for some space and turns herself invisible again. "I've got more where that came from!" she taunts the oni and tiefling.
Koya's spiritual ally slashes at the spell-caster again, but still cannot hit the elusive foe.
Koya flies down beside Ameiko, pulls a Harrow card from her deck and holds it up while calling for Desna's power. A burst of positive energy heals her, Ameiko and Sandru. ...
Shalelu fires a stream of arrows at the fire yai.
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Only one arrow manages to pierce the oni's heavy armor, but it is enough. The arrow pierces the fire yai's eye, sinking to the feathers. The oni roars again, a wailing cry of agony and rage, as its skin begins to glow brighter and angrier by the second.
A moment later, it explodes in a massive ball of fire!
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Avoiding most of the blast and allowing his resistance to absorb a chunk of the rest, Parity starts for a moment when he sees Ameiko fall, but when Heng runs over to heal her and he sees her chest rising, he refocuses, looking up in the air for the caster, calling upon Suishen for yet more help as he moves toward her.
The tiefling spell-caster, only visible to Parity and Koya, quickly surveys the tactical situation. She makes single shake of her head, and says in a voice like a hoarse whisper, "The Jade Regent sends his regards." She then casts a spell, transforming her body into an air elemental, and flies away to the south.
As the din of explosions fades and combat magics die off, you get a sense of the larger conflict. Fires and the sounds of combat echo up from the forest village. Within the keep, the growing flames have completely consumed the eastern buildings, now lighting the night sky in a blazing inferno.
Ameiko comes to after Heng gives his curative potion to her. Malnival and Sandru remain fallen.
Harlan will quickly move to his brother and cast Stabilize (if he needs it) followed by another Heal.
He then makes his way to Mal.
"Oh Mal!"
Koya flies down to Sandru's broken and burned body, her eyes glistening but hard. "He and Malnival, a bit too brave for their own good," she tuts, but it is clear she is affected. "I can draw upon enough of Desna's luck enough to pull them back from the Boneyard, but the components are costly."
Ameiko nods her thanks to Heng as he helps her stand up. "I have the Amatatsu Seal as well. It has the power to revive one of them."
"Yes, we aren't hiding any more, they know we are here. Use the seal."
Paritys relief that Ameiko is OK is palpable and he stays within a few feet of her at all times, still.scanning for threats and a possible caster return.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Ameiko nods solemnly. She puts a comforting hand on Koya's shoulder, "We'll do what we can for Sandru. I'm sure he had some money set aside from recent trades that can help."
Ameiko takes the seal's warding case out from her pack and walks over to Malnival and Kelda. She carefully opens the case, revealing the jade dragon statuette inside. A silence fills the courtyard, blocking out the din of alarms from the village and the roaring flames. She sets a hand on Malnival's chest while holding the Amatatsu Seal over him.
A moment later, Malnival's soul returns, his body repaired. Sound resumes as normal.
With judicious use of his freezing breath, Heng is able to tamp the edges of the blaze, keeping it from spreading further around the keep. But without a deluge of rain or a superb bucket brigade, the eastern building of the keep will be lost.
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Having done what he could, Heng staggers back weary and bereaved. He gives a nod or shoulder pat to the survivors as he passes: Hatsue, Kelda & Mal, Jiro, Harlan, Parity, Kiyomi, Shalelu. He stands at Koya's side with an arm over her shoulder as they stand over Sandru.He looks somewhat relieved when she says that her God can restore him.
Kiyomi falls to her knees beside Mal and begins to sing a long paen to the lost and the departed, but stops mid-note when Ameiko revives him! She looks at the Empress with awe in her eyes!
"Empress! It is told that the true ruler holds the power of life and death in her hands. You have fulfilled that prophecy! All glory to the Empress! All glory to the rightful ruler!" She raises her voice in a clear ringing tone so that all may hear.
Ameiko waves Kiyomi off and helps her up. "No time for that now. There's still fighting out in the village." She waves everyone together, leaving Koya with Sandru.
After she organizes the group and makes ready to head out for the village, a contingent of Jiro's ronin meets you at the keep's shattered gate. Coming up from the forest village, they are battered and bloodied, with swords drawn. Seeing you all alive amid the fire and destruction, they are visibly relieved.
With a bow to Ameiko and salute to Jiro, the lead ronin explains. "The village was ambushed by tengu soldiers. We heard a thundering crash from the keep, saw the explosions, and came as soon as we could. We held off the oni pretty evenly, but the rest broke and flew off a few minutes ago."
Malnival's eyes slowly open and the elf frowns at the others as he attempts to set up. "Again. Again my soul has left this mortal coil oly to be pulled back and set in place. Thank you emperess."
The magus place his hand on Kelda's and lightly smiles at the fierce woman. "Ah, mearly a momentary inconvenience my love. Even death cant keep me away from you long."
Kelda hugs Malnival fiercely, laughing despite the dire state of your surroundings. "You must stop putting yourself in such trouble, love."
"Not just for me, but for her... or him," she adds, patting her growing belly.
Jiro takes charge of the ronin, ordering them to start a bucket brigade from the well in an attempt to keep the fires from spreading further. After a few minutes, he returns to the group.
"It seems the time to leave is upon us. We could spend more time in preparation -- gathering resources and training -- but I fear staying here for much longer would only invite more such attacks. With the death of Ningankona, we have dealt the Five Storms and Jade Regent a serious blow, but they have many and more to throw at us."
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Heng nods, "It is time to go on the offensive. We have discussed moving forward and now we see that this time has been a luxury. War is upon us."
After the meeting with Hirabashi Jiro, Heng returns to his quarters to meditate. His mind floats free lost in a place beyond time and space, he loses himself to the flow of mystical force and allows whatever visions may come to reveal the future to him.
Harlan is inconsolable at the death of his brother, and refuses to leave his side until Ameiko mentions the village is still under attack. Once the fighting as ceased he moves among the wounded, using all of his restorative powers to heal the injured.
Kiyomi moves among the worst of the wounded, singing her song of loss, hope and redemption.
Malnival slowly gains his footing and kisses his wife on the cheek before casting a spell. "We still have much to do."
Recast fly on himself.
Harlan and Kiyomi move out into the village to help with the wounded and morale. Ameiko, Shalelu close at her side, comes along as well. Jiro and Hatsue continue to oversee the fire brigade. Koya stays with Sandru and moves his body to a secure place.
With a long hour's effort, you are able to re-secure the village and keep, with the fires down to only smoke and smoldering.
"Get some rest and pack your things," Jiro advises, doing his best to stave off the fatigue you all feel. "We'll march in the morning."
While everyone rests, or tries to, you settle into a meditative trance and try to divine the future. As your spirit vision becomes more distinct, you find yourself on a slow but forcefully flowing river. You sense it's current is like destiny, pulling you ever more quickly to a predetermined destination. On the shores to your left and right rage conflicts of hazy and nondescript factions. Their battles do not concern you, only the doom awaiting at the river's end.
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Heng awakens early the next morning, still somewhat sore from the great battle of the previous day. He takes a while after packing his meager belongings to walk through the burned and battle scarred fort which was their one home in this land. After this one act of self-indugence, he focuses back on the moment and sees to helping pack the caravan and ordering the troops.
"Time to fight, then ... suppose we should enjoy this one last night of peace, eh?"
Parity's words belie the weariness he feels, tired of fighting, tired of travelling, tired of never being given respite ... the months have felt like years.
He listens to one of Kiyomi's songs, letting his magical eyesight fade so he can appreciate the beauty of the song, before he leaves her and the rest to sleep.
Parity will approach Heng and Jiro, "What is our path, and what do we truly expect to meet along the way?"
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Parity will approach Heng and Jiro, "What is our path, and what do we truly expect to meet along the way?"
Heng's hand goes to his freshly shaved scalp. "I reached out to the place beyond time and space last night. I saw us on the river floating through a mighty battle. Our goal lie ahead. I could not see exactly what was ahead, but I sensed that it was our destiny."
Hirabashi Jiro is up and active before dawn, organizing the upcoming deployment. He meets you in the courtyard, flasks of strong tea brewed and available. You notice that the bodies of the oni have been removed.
"I had hoped for a few more days or a week to prepare properly, but such is the will of the gods. We will march to the shores of Lake Tsukishuzuku. I have already sent out fast riders with letters of credit to procure barges, and any other watercraft available. We will embark there, crossing the lake and taking the river south."
"Barring another magic-aided ambush, I do not expect any resistance until we reach the southern provinces, and even then little. As I mentioned, the Jade Regent has withdrawn the core of his forces to form a blockade around Kasai. Until we engage the river trade in accordance with our strategy to take Akafuto, I expect a force of our size will not be challenged."
"With favorable weather and a little luck on our side, we estimate we will reach our destination within six weeks."
As Ameiko and the rest of the group join, Jiro respectfully bows and adds, "We will not abandon Seinaru Heikiku completely. The fortress will remain our home and hub, and the village now has a life of its own. I plan to leave behind a token force to keep things in order, and make repairs."
Koya coughs politely and speaks up, "Some of us have discussed this, and have decided to remain behind. I would like to remain so that I can procure enough materials to raise Sandru, should Desna smile up us." She pauses a moment, collecting her emotions. "Kelda is with child, and though she would happily charge into battle at Malnival's side, I will have none of it." To this, Kelda laughs, but nods at the wisdom. "Shalelu will remain also, should Jiro allow it, to lead patrols and protect the village."
"We'll be fine, my dear," Koya winks with a smile.
Koya then frowns in thought. "If I can track you by scrying, so can our enemies. Perhaps you should find a way to mask yourselves from prying eyes. They know you're coming, but not the exact when or where."