"Something tells me that I'm not going to need any kind of glider. How much do you weigh Ben?" Trencius asks.
Trencius grins deviously.
He says, "It's a surprise."
I prefer to stay on the ground, whatever you're planning. Let's march to the Temple now that we've gathered ourselves. If what the uninvited guest said is true, with these numbers, it should be rather straightforward. But time isn't on our side. The longer we take, the more chaos is sown in Hartscourt. I can only wonder what's really going on here, but we need to save my daughter, first.
"Whoever's coming with me on the ground, let's move out."
Quintis is keeping both feet on the ground. The last thing he needs is a broken leg from a botched landing. He saw what Trencius can do, and that's fine by Quintis, but he's not interested in trying it for himself.
Thoril wavers at the suggestion "On second thought I'll keep my feet on the ground." Thoril takes up a position behind Lady Sonia.
Trencius flies to the top and avoids Benjamin's line of sight, before waiting on the roof for him.
"What took you so long?"
The Temple seems a lot less inhabited since the last time Ben got a bird's eye view. No guards outside in sight; none at the entrance, nor at the stairs. Something's definitely up, though, since the chimera statues aren't there either. The lights shine bright through the rain, which is falling steadily now. It dampens uncovered hair, and coats armor with a slick sheen of water.
Lady Sonia marches to the front gate, spear and shield ready.
"Hmph. Are we sure this is the right place? There isn't anyone here."
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Looking at Trencius: "What the... ? How..
Nevermind. Doesn't matter.
Place looks empty. Let's go in and have a look."
Ben assesses the distance, paces back from the roof edge about six feet, then runs and leaps into the air, launching himself towards the pagoda.
"S~%@, it's taller than I remembered."
Ben lands about halfway up the tall pagoda, catching an upturned roof corner. From there, he starts his long ascent.
Quintis, noticing Benjamin's heroic leap makes sure to distract anyone that may be about to notice by bashing his shield loudly on the gate. "OPEN THIS GATE!"
Lupus easily finds the latch even in the dark. The gate swings open silently. With the streetlamps off, the only light comes from the large braziers burning near the front doors to the Temple. The courtyard is empty save for the rain pounding against the stone tiles. It's like an abyssal ocean, full of nothing but water and uncertainty. And still, no one's in sight. The Temple looms before the ground party. Sonia waits for the gate to open completely before stepping into the Temple courtyard proper. The precipitation drowns out the sound of her boots.
"Hmph. Seems the nest is abandoned. Let's make haste to my daughter and get the bottom of this."
And then it appears. With the first crack of the storm's lightning, the beast rips through the dojo like a train through cardboard. The statue is very much alive, as Lupus may have guessed. Stone claws grind upon the floor as it bounds toward its prey, Lady Sonia. You couldn't keep track of it in the dark if not for its mane, ignite with a red-violet fire that trails even behind its reptilian-shaped tail. The fire smokes with evaporated rain, charging toward Sonia like a rocket.
Surprised as she is, she instinctively drops on one knee, raising her large shield to block the assault.
+ 3 = 8
The chimeric golem charges through Sonia like a propped ragdoll.
================================
As Ben pulls himself onto the roof ledge, he hears a muffled *thump*. At first, there's nothing in sight. But a flash of lightning electrifies the sky and reveals a shadowed silhouette. Ben easily recognizes the dark garb of the ninja. Looks like the Syndicate brought more than one from home.
"Ah, I was hoping for a fight." The mystic warrior almost sighs in relief. "The statues will make quick work of your friends on the ground. And we're already taking care of Hartscourt. And now I get to have some revenge, hmm?"
Like the lightning of the storm, the ninja's blade is unsheathed before Ben knows it. He makes a quick step and a quicker strike at the street runner.
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"Oh s!#@!" Ben drops to his back, hanging onto the roof with one hand. He accepts the ninja's strike to his leg, but kicks out with both legs, attempting to send the ninja flying off the roof.
The ninja easily avoids Ben's suicide throw, leaving Ben in a rather precarious position on his back. Fortunately, the roof is wet.
So much for surprise Trencius thinks to himself, before opening the wing folds of his coat and launching into the air with a heavy clap of his large wings.
He unsheathes his long blade and flies towards the ninja, trying to spot some kind of a weak point as he soars through the air above the rain-slicked city street below.
Result= 10
Result= 5
Trencius' blade tears into the ninja's left bicep, drawing blood, but the momentum of the attack leaves him off balance and gives the ninja an opportunity to retaliate.
Thoril hesitates for an instant at the sight of the chimera, before bursting into frenzied action, unable to find and obvious weakness in its hide.
+3=23
I get 1 damage die from the advantage and I'm just going to use the suggested 1 extra die from the combat table for the 23
Thoril feels his frenzy find its mark and cut deep as he dances around the chimera, the darkness shrouds the exact severity of the damage as he maintains a small distance between him and the beast.
Quintis hurls his spear mightily at the oncoming beast, the Amentum snapping as it rifles the shaft.
14+2=16 "Good - Deal damage"
19 damage
The heavy pila smashes hard into the chimeric golem, punching deep into the stone, cracking it. Quintis smiles to himself and hefts his shield as he draws his short gladius, his senses tingling, ready to battle the beast. It's a terrifying and exhilarating thought, even as the spear hangs out of it.
Its fiery mane flares out in a blast in the moments of the attack. Flames lick Thoril's face, the heat just far enough away so as not to burn him. The chimera grinds its stone teeth in pain, projecting grating growl that blends in with the rainfall. A slice from Thoril's blades is still crumbling slowly as it moves. The beast quickly hops at Lupus and paws him away with a powerful scoop.
Sonia is still picking herself up off the slippery courtyard as the chimera turns its attention toward Thoril. Like the dojo and the Lady before, the golem kicks its legs and charges!
=====================================
Ben's kick does better good than he thought, as the ninja is punted off-balance into Trencius' blade. A flash of lightning illuminates the blood flying through the air. Their foreign adversary nimbly spins away in what seems like a hovering pirouette, and lands without effort on the eel-slick roof tiles. As he lands, he throws a pair of shuriken which spin neatly through the night to bite both Ben and Trencius.
With no visible apprehension Thoril maintains his stance as the golem charges, waiting to strike.
+3 =22
A crack of lightning illuminates Thoril's frenzied features for a moment before he pushes off to meet the stone monstrosity on its charge.
An instant before they meet Thoril dodges to one side and plunges his swords deep into the golem's side as it charges past.
6+7+7+3=23 Damage total
The swords give no quarter to the already cracking stone hide of the beast handily ripping through the defense.
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"This has to be perfect" Ben's only hope is to leap from this building to the next, in the process, knocking the ninja off the ledge. "Here goes nothing."
Ben, makes a mighty leap toward the adjacent building. He shoulders the ninja off the ledge easily. Everything seems perfect, until he feels the weight of a hand on his ankle, pulling him down. "F!#@!"
Trencius tugs a shuriken from his side with a grunt, just as Ben plummets off of the edge of the roof. The metal star falls to the rain-slicked concrete rooftop with a clang.
"Hold on!" he bellows. His boots beat into the water as he tears to the edge of the roof and dives after his falling comrade. The wind of his descent forces his eyes to water. His gut knots with fear as he plummets.
Quintis doesn't see the wizard leap, but in the same instant begins his own leap into melee, the rain pounding down around them. He charges the chimera as it readies itself for a charge, smashing it hard in the face with his shield, then slamming his gladius down on the beast's neck.
Increased due to spending advantage.
17+3=20 "Very good - Deal damage, roll +1 damage die"
Increased due to spending advantage; Increased due to high attack roll.
19+3=21 damage
Quintis's shield stuns the beast long enough for him to plant his sword deep into the neck of the creature and kick it backwards, off balance, stumbling heavily, pounding the ground with enormous heavy stone feet. Quintis drops his sword to more quickly pull out and ready his other spear. With it in his hand he is ready to deal with a foe above him or before him, melee or ranged. As the lightning flashes anyone looking can see that Quintis's face is overcome by ecstasy. This isn't soldier's work. This is the work of heroes.
Finally up on her feet, Lady Sonia dashes towards the chimera as fast as her boots will allow in the rain-slick environment. Without hesitation, she slams herself shoulder-first into a flying tackle, shoving her shield against the crumbling body of the golem.
10 + 3 = 13
Her gambit sends the golem away from Lupus, who feels the rushing wind following a tail swipe that barely misses his face. Fire licks around the shield and whips Sonia through her armor, burning her skin.
"Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng!" yells the ninja as he's pushed off the edge. No number of fancy ballet moves can save him now. He doesn't even get to stab Ben with a hidden knife as he's shoved toward the empty air between the third story and the ground. As another bolt of heaven's fury crashes across the sky, Ben and Trencius catch their adversary wearing smiling eyes - and then he vanishes in the darkness, his black clothing blending in with the inky night. They hear the sound of wood striking the courtyard.
A bundle of firewood lay where the ninja's broken body should be.
The chimera rears, tossing Sonia away and sending a hail of rocks and pebbles across the courtyard. Houdini brandishes his katana atop the golem's shoulders, and as his steed returns its front legs to the ground, he produces a scroll from his garments. With one hand he whips it into the rain-soaked air, and its cream-colored parchment streams out longer than you'd expect. It comes to rest across the chimera's back, and the mystic warrior starts mumbling in foreign language and moving his hands and arms in arcane gestures.
Whatever it is, it can't be good.
"You okay?" Trencius asks.
He's doubled over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard.
"What do you think we should do next?"
"He did some ninja magic b$~%!%&!. Probably just some kind of flashy teleport spell. He'd be long gone by now."
"And yes, I have wings. Surprise!" he says the last word with an exhausted smile.
Thoril's swords clatter against the courtyard floor as he drops them in favor of heaving his crossbow off its shoulder sling and into his hands.
"I don't know what the hell he's doing but I don't like the looks of it!"
He levels a center of mass shot at the ninja.
+3 = 16
The bolt rips through the ninja's garb, grazing his side and staining some of the black cloth to red.
Thoril doesn't let his eyes off the exotic warrior as he calls out.
"Sonia, you still standing!?"
Quintis, expecting that things can't get too much worse tonight, calls upon his flagging reserves of subtle magic, , and hurls his spear mightily at the ninja.
Advantage → Increased attack, damage, and the shattering weapon effect.
17+3=20 "Very good - Deal damage, roll +1 damage die"
Shattered and 11 damage
Thoril's crossbow bolt distracts the ninja from the impromptu magical ritual, but the injury gets shaken off as quickly as it's inflicted. Quintis' spear, however - it would take a well-prepared Criss Angel to avoid that. And he's no where in sight.
The spear rotates midair with such force that on impact it catches and twists the night warrior's outfit, ripping part of it away and tearing it to shreds. The ninja is pulled along with the escaping fabric and is launched backwards off his mount.
The golem, upon losing its rider, shudders violently before crumbing to the ground. A blast of fire sparks out as the chimera is reduced to its base element of varying sizes, from large chunks to fine dust. A glowing mass of unknown substance lies in the middle of the rubble, the last remaining light of the creature's infernal mane.
The ninja lies on the courtyard, bloodied and beaten. Judging by the movements of his chest, he's still breathing. But he pulls out a hidden knife, slowly, weakly. And puts it near his throat.
Sonia gives Thoril an affirmative as she rejoins the group.
Time slows. Moving your legs is like wading through glue. Boots stick to the ground as though taped. The raindrops float from the sky. You could see your reflection in each one, if you were paying attention. The knife touches flesh.
Who else is rushing to the ninja?
Quintis drops his shield and begins a headlong sprint for the bastard, vaulting over the crumbling golem, hands outstretched at the man's neck to staunch the wound he knows he'll be to late to prevent, shouting curses in a forgotten language. "Futue te ipsum, fellatrix! You're not getting off that easy you filius canis.”
Rage fills Thoril's features, "You won't take the pleasure of spilling your blood from me you coward!" he drops his crossbow and takes a sprint similar to Quintis, though less impeeded by his armor it is obvious that he too will fall short.
The knife bites into his neck, but it doesn't get too deep before being knocked away by the vengeful vigilante group .
"Gao yang jong duh goo yang!" he sputters. "Do it quickly, swine!"
Lady Sonia lets a muffled scoff loose at the sight of the wounded ninja. Her face is twisted with disgust.
"Do what you will with this pawn. My daughter is most likely inside that temple. I will waste no time."
With that, she turns on her iron-plated heel and marches toward the front door, spear and shield at the ready. The storm isn't letting up. The rain keeps falling, pounding at the earth relentlessly. The darkly clouded horizon is still being backlit by flashes of lightning, and it seems the wind is starting to pick up. It whistles and howls as its currents buffet and blow against wall and parapet and steeple.
It may be difficult for any large winged persons to glide easily at this point.
"This rain is going to be the death of me..." mutters Trencius.
"So what's next, Ben?" He asks as the Urchin brushes past him and to the side of Lady Sonia.
"Front door it is!" Trencius follows suit, staff at the ready.
"It's your call for what to do with the 'prisoner', Quintis. I don't care, but you'd probably prefer he sees lawful 'justice'."
Thoril speaks before going to collect his swords and catch up with Lady Sonia and the rest.
"Hey, wait for me!"
Sonia swiftly marches to the front doors of the temple without looking back. In stride, she busts open the doors with a heavy shoulder-tackle and lumbers into the temple proper.
It's an open area. Wood-slat floors polished to reflection. There are no tables or pews like other places of worship, but pillows and throws of various bright colors in circles and sets in front of a large bronzed statue of a multi-armed eastern deity or hero. The ceiling is vaulted, higher than it looked like it would be from the outside, and is adorned with eastern writing and characters in large, beautiful, and ornate script. In each corner of the area there's a shoulder-high vase with bamboo growing out of it, pruned and gardened to look as from a painting. Speaking of paintings, on the walls are broad parchment scrolls with watercolor scenes of the eastern lands: a woman rides a horse through green rice-paddy fields, a frog rests on a leaf next to a flower in a pond. Small windows line the top of the walls, to let in sun- or moon-light. It has a beautiful atmosphere.
Except for the corpses.
"Sonia!" It's the Captain, from before. A small number of his troops remain standing. The rest lie on the ground in puddles of blood, mingled with fallen Syndicate.
"Could've used your help a few minutes ago..."
It appears the battle has just concluded.