About 50 ft from the machine, Ghalen lets go and as he falls acitvates his draconic blood...his armor shifts and expands as Ghalen's form is replaced by that of a huge red dragon in full metal barding. His bulk slams into the machine, and he begins to bash, tear and rend the shell, trying to get to more sensitive inner workings...
Lands on the machine, draws a rather large revolver, and shoots any bits of it that are moving.
EDIT:
Haste - Source: Phaezeriel
Inspire Courage +6 (+6 morale on all attacks and damage rolls, +1d6 sonic per attack if the IE is susceptable) - Source: Ehos
Hope (+6 Hope bonus to attacks and damage rolls) - Source: Keme
Courage (+4 Courage Bonus to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, 20 temporary hit points, immune to fear and charm) - Source: Fei
Tyrrin responds to Phaezeriel, her efforts concentrated on preparing the non-coms. ::Yes, though the most powerful of spells still avoid me:: ::In addition, most of the protection spells available to me are only able to be cast on myself, so I will stick to healing as much as possible.::
Khassar flies in and attacks the machine with Pantasma lóstrego (it's adamantine).
Vai roars ferociously as the battle starts to be met. She feels bolster ed by the presence of her friends, Fei in particular. "Hold on Sadie, let's get close!" The wind is whipping by the at incredible speeds. Vai tried to pick a weak point on the machine, and teleports to it, cause Sadie to momentarily lose her orientation. Luckily she's strapped in, because she can feel the coiled muscles of the dragon unleash as Vai slashed at the machine, before teleporting once again to a different part of the sky, and slashing again. Blinking around the monstrosity and tearing various pieces out was Vai's plan.
"Hurry! It's deploying its cannon. You need to make this a melee fight before it can do that!"
The things that was Enre speaks in a voice that was primal "Very well. To the hunt." It than rushes forward the sword it was given raised in the air unleashing a roar similar to the one it had earlier, as it flew at the engine.
Arresting his ascent when he hears Ephebe's warning through the link, Fei quickly scans the field of battle from on high, locating Enre as he charges at the Engine. He then sends a mental message to the champion of Wrath.
**Enre - I...will try to make an opening in the the Engine for you. If you can get inside of it, perhaps you can demolish it faster than from out here.**
The young monk then takes aim at the topside of the Engine and rockets downward. As he plummets, he adjusts his course to avoid the others engaging the construct, picking up more and more speed as he burns away at the supernatural energies that will be useless in directly fighting this thing.
With one final push (and one proud glance at Vai as she valiantly visits ruin upon their shared foe), he slams into the Infernal Engine like a falling star, trying to punch a hole as far as he can into the mechanical menace.
The thing that was Enre watches as Fei hits into the thing before it flies to the area that Fei had just attacked. Flying into any hole that was made and if not unleashing a savage assault to help make one.
Aren't you glad Ripper hasn't done anything yet? Considering the way Enre's going at it though, I'm glad she's a more defensive character.[/ooc]
With a howl, Ripper leaps on to one of the chains holding the IE in place and begins to bite and claw her way through it.
Snarling as the chain rips across her, Ripper throws off some of the shriek despite her heightened sense of hearing and leaps at one of the IE's legs to hamstring it and bring it down.
"Come on, there has to be more I can do!" Michael thinks/screams to himself as the shriek from the machine rips through him and he presses his hands over his ears vainly."
Let me help. A small voice says in the back of his mind.
"Who are you?"
I am you. The you that you want to keep locked away. But the Seed is gone now, and you need help.
"How can I trust you?"
You can either trust yourself, or never see your family again. Never seen Nova, Cait, or Saffire. Trust or die.
It wasn't a difficult choice. Michael let that part of his mind free. What other course to take? His blue eye surrounded by azure flame, a thin bronze bubble of force surrounds him as two more appear on both sides of the IE and rush toward it with surprising speed.
Fei shakes off the worst of the Engine's initial retort to their attacks as his body begins to heal itself. Seeing the combined effect of his and Enre's attacks, he sends another message through the group's mental link.
**We need to combine our assaults on the Engine to keep it off balance. If we focus on hammering the hole Enre just opened and destroying the other anchoring chains, we may be able to cripple that cannon before it can try to fire again.**
The young monk then grabs one of the intact anchoring chains for a brief moment, absorbing some of the kinetic energy from the Engine's movement. As the stolen energy courses through him, he vaults up to that chain's connecting point on the body of the Engine, and attempts to tear it from its socket (and inflict as much collateral damage to the surrounding area as possible).
Round 1
Wyrd slips beneath the ground and moves towards the IE, easily closing the distance.
Round 2
Looking like a lava flow given the shape of a huge man, Wyrd rises behind the creature with the barest of effort, huge molten fists swinging. Wyrd's reckless attacks leave him less able to protect himself.
Round 1
As his friends charge the great machine, Phaezeriel focuses his will inside himself, splitting his mind in two.
This secondary mind turns its attention to the regenerative processes of his body, accelerating them significantly.
Round 2
Moving so he is close to Tyrrin and any other healers, Phaezeriel shapes his will into a powerful healing pulse. The healing energies from the pulse he redirects to those people who have been damaged by the Infernal Engine.
Phaezeriel speaks over the collective's group link. ::Who among you is resistant to being hurt by the IE's attacks?::
Phaezeriel speaks over the collective's group link. ::Who among you is resistant to being hurt by the IE's attacks?::
::The heat and cold it is emanating have not harmed me yet, and I should be somewhat resistant to its physical blows:: Fei replies through the link as he prepares to reposition himself.
Khassar dives into the hole and attacks the machine from inside.
::I'm immune to its acid.::
As the group readies its next attacks, Vai, Casseus, Khassar, and Michael feel their skin harden while being no less flexible.
::Ephebe, any chance you can come stand with myself and Tyrrin, you do not actually have to heal people directly with the collective in place. You can just heal any person you can reach, and I can redirect the healing to those who need it. Also you will amplify my own healing by a large amount.::
Those who have been injured by the Engine feel healing power flow through the bond of the collective and their wounds knit completely.
Ripper: 71
Michael: 51
Khassar: 20
Phaezeriel: 35
Back in the halls of Avalon
It hadn't taken long for the kids Professor Yrrum brought back to split up and investigate the school on their own. A few find their way into the garden or cafeteria, but most are rounded up by Matthias, Tal, and Gwenne for a little game of War in the gym. Most of the older guttersnipes didn't want too until they saw the castles... then it was the coolest thing possible right then.
Before long the battle is under way, with water balloons being thrown from catapults and 'soldiers' clashing in giant bubbles. It's about this time that Matthias, Tal, and Gwenne begin to realize their side is losing and try to think of a way to win...
In another realm
The dark stone walls seemed as though they hadn't seen life in a thousand years, only the echo of foot steps reveal the presence of life within these decrepit walls. A robed elf steps up to a strange magic circle while he signals to an eclectic group of warriors behind him to stop. The elf start studying the magic circle writing notes in a book. As a Serpentfolk speaks up gaining the elf's attention the magic circle ignites, bathing the elf with light.
With in the chaos of the halls of Avalon
A Ring of magical energy flashes into existence. Inside the outer ring a form of writing traces it's self in moments. A powerful magic can be felt flowing in the air as a figure starts to form in the center of the circle. As the shape of the figure starts to take a defined shape the on looker can see the pointed ears of an elf, the curved shape of a bow held at the ready.
"Chelontiss kuth ssheth!" Shouts the elf in a strange foreign language. Though he is holding a bow he doesn't seem to have a arrow upon him. Onlookers could easily see he is a scholar of some sort by the ink stains across his hands, the quill in his ear, and the open book in his hand. Slowly he lowers the bow as he sees the young people surrounding him. "Wheess kee ta?" He possibly is asks.
Within Avalon's Gym, a.k.a the Mini-War Zone
Silence takes over the gym quickly as all the children stop and look at the strange-speaking elf that suddenly appeared in their midst.
Three children seem to fly over the walls of one of the fake castles, but it looks more like they're riding invisible mounts. The land in front of Salis, two boys and a girl, and look at him curiously.
"Where you from, mister?" The oldest looking boy asks, hand on the chain necklace he wears.
The elf's gazed followed the three children as they flew toward him. Seeing they were children he slipped his bow into the satchel on his side. He took in his surroundings. They seemed as if they were in some sort of castle. Then the boy spoke up. "Where are you from?" A bit of an odd question to ask at first but it was a valid one. "How do I answer that. I truly have no home, but I started my journey upon Y-oda isle. I am also leader of a guild in Terellia, so you could say I am from there as well. Where am I? Is this somewhere in the Western Empire?"
Rain fell in torrents as a figure came into view down the now muddy path toward the school, the water noisily splattering on the long, leather cloak as they ran, splashing in puddles. The moment they entered through the doors, they lowered the hood and revealed a pale toned female elf with light blond hair and eyes that glowed red as if an inner fire was radiating out from them. Around her neck hung a pendant in the shape of a teardrop with living flames inside. The water on her already seemed to evaporate as she rotated the stiffness out of her shoulder.
I better hit the gym to loosen up she thought as she turned and walked, her footfalls echoing in the halls. When she pushed the doors open, she sighed in disappointment. What laid before her seemed to be a 'war' with... balloons. Just as she was about to turn and head to her room, a figure started to appear and form out of nowhere.
"Chelontiss kuth ssheth!" "Wheess kee ta?"
She cocked her head to the side as she looked at he stranger. While she understood what the person said, she was still confused at how they got there. All she could say to this was...
"What the hell?"
"Chelontiss kuth ssheth!" "Wheess kee ta?"
Translation: "By the Gods of Light!" "Who are you?"
The thing that was Enre, does not seem to be fazed at all by the steam that attacked it, though it can be seen that it is damaged. It than takes both of the hits of the engine but only one seems to cause any damage at all to it. Finally at the shriek it lets out just a loud massive roar, as if the engine was challenging it, as it does so some of its wounds start to heal. With that it moves into the hole once more and unleashes a savage assault.
The thing that was Enre, does not seem to be fazed at all by the steam that attacked it, though it can be seen that it is damaged. It than takes both of the hits of the engine but only one seems to cause any damage at all to it. Finally at the shriek it lets out just a loud massive roar, as if the engine was challenging it, as it does so some of its wounds start to heal. With that it moves into the hole once more and unleashes a savage assault.
** spoiler omitted **
1d20+28
1d20+28
"How do I answer that. I truly have no home, but I started my journey upon Y-oda isle. I am also leader of a guild in Terellia, so you could say I am from there as well. Where am I? Is this somewhere in the Western Empire?"
"Um... I've never heard of those places. Papa might, he's in charge and really smart."
He looked confused when the boy told him he had never heard of the places he had mentioned. As far as he had traveled everyone he came across had heard of the Western Empire. For it was the richest Kingdom in all of Palladium. Y-oda was a strange land not to be known of as well seeing as how the Library of Bletherad was there and these children didn't look like they were backwater farmers.
In a strange language he replied. "Could you introduce me to your Papa, perhaps he could enlighten me to my situation."
In a strange language he replied. "Could you introduce me to your Papa, perhaps he could enlighten me to my situation."
"Yep! He's the Headmaster here, so a lot of new people go to meet him anyway. His office isn't far." The boy explains as he heads for the gym doors, where the other two seem to have gone to talk to the elven girl.
"What the hell?"
Two small children* hurry over to Karla, concern on their faces.
"Um, you see, we wanted to have a War like all the students are, and since they were all gone we figured the gym would be free for a little bit so it was the perfectplaceandweweregoingtocleanupaftersopleasedon'tbemad!" The girl says, speaking faster than she needs two.
"Yep! He's the Headmaster here, so a lot of new people go to meet him anyway. His office isn't far." The boy explains as he heads for the gym doors, where the other two seem to have gone to talk to the elven girl.
Salis nodded to the boy and started to follow. Salis glanced around at all the young faces surrounding the room. The majority interested in the strange elf that had appeared in the middle of there war. The others now disinterested with the event and started conversing with each other.
Salis looked to the 2 children now talking to an elven maiden. at First it was the language that had caught his attention. It was odd he had never heard it before, and he had though he had at least heard every language in the world spoken once. Then the glowing eyes of the elf became more apparent. Salis became interested, but it would have to come later though. Figuring out where in palladium he is takes priority at the moment.
“Okay, if Papa was watching us, then he knows we're coming. So...” Shortly after leaving the gym, the little boy opens a door labeled “Basic Arcana” and looks inside. “Hi, Papa. I brought the man who just appeared in the gym.”
"Thank you, Matthias. You can go back to the gym now." A man in green robes says from behind a desk. The sign may have said "Basic Aracana", but this isn't a classroom. The headmaster's office is rather plain, with two bookshelves, a desk, and a oval window overlooking a garden. The man turns his attention from his(now leaving) son to Salis, placing what looks like a card on the desk in front of him. "Welcome to Avalon Academy. Now how about we get straight to the point? I am Headmaster Antairus, and I'd like to know how you got through my school's wards and into the gym."
Taking in his surroundings Salis answers. "I'm not sure how I got through your wards. I could come up with a theory if I had more of an idea of where I am. So tell me where in Palladium am I or did I get pulled through some rift into another realm?" His words held and a hint of urgency.
"As I have never heard of 'Palladium', I'd say you're in a different realm."
Slowly Salis reaches into his bag pulling out a large books. Illegible writing is scribed across the cover.
Looking through the book he asks. "May I ask what realm this would be. Perhaps I have some information of this plane. If so I'll just have to find a way to jump through the rift here. If there isn't a rift here only something from your world could pull me in to this one. Perhaps some sort of spell that gives the caster what he needs." His gaze moving back the Ryo hoping that what ever information Ryo has will lead them to a conclusion of what has happened.
Salis knows that this Ryo has been sizing up if Salis is a threat to his school or not, but as always Salis prys for information as much as he can along with giving the information that he needs to give up.
"Someone one here..." He leaves the sentence incomplete as he thinks. "This is the Agartha, a planet on the Material Plane, in a part of the Dragon Empire. On the fringe to be exact." Ryo supplies. "I don't think the realm has any other name, actually. I've never thought about it."
"Well that is unfortunate. It will take me years to piece together what realm this is using what I find here and researching other planes connected to this one. Well I guess I should prepare myself for life in this realm." A kind of hopeful smirk makes it's way across Salis's face almost as if he was hoping for this out come.
"We are prepared to help you, if you require it. The Academy has the best library on Agartha, though some may dispute the fact."
"Why thank you, but I can't just stay here with out doing something to earn my keep. It goes against everything I am..... Perhaps there is something here I could lend my expertise to. Though it seems most my skills will only slightly transfer here." Salis didn't want to intrude upon those here, however before he ever thought about going out into the world. It would be best to have a look at the library here. Perhaps it would held the knowledge he needed. At the very lest he would be able learn these peoples language here.
He smiled and responded with flurry of options. "This is a grand gesture, but I offer my services out of more of a feeling that I need to for myself." He then started spouted off. "I am quite knowledge about the enter workings of magic. Knowledge of dimensions and planes is also a sort of specialty of mind. I have traveled quite a few though. From what I can see and sense they are not quite the planes your used to. Once I have confirmed that the life forms of this world are like my own I could easily lend my knowledge of monsters and demons to you. I would even be willing to pay my board with my books I have written both fictional and historical tales though they are written in languages from my own world. So I doubt they will be of much use here."
"They can be translated." Ryo replies, grinning slightly. "You do realize that historical tomes from your realm would be fiction here, right? No offense, of course."
"Yes I get that most will look at it like that, but if I start calling it fiction it means I have given up my past. From this point I may just want to rewrite everything from scratch till I come across things I know." A smirk grew across his face. Almost telling the headmaster Salis was going to enjoy making new discoveries, researching, and writing his books.
Salis pulled a few books out of his satchel. "Perhaps these books may have some useful knowledges here. The first is mostly of demons and otherworldly creatures, the other is of magical theory. If you can translate them you can keep them. Though how useful they are here is to be determined." Salis had always been a man full of information. It was shocking to find that almost all of what he knew was now useless. He now turned to the two subjects he had been a leading expert on. Magical theory and Demonology. Magical theory he had been a bit of a strange thing for him to know since he had never been a caster, but he knew the inter workings of magic like no other. Demonology he had became a expert on out of necessity rather than want.
A young man approaches the gates of Avalon Academy. He has nondescript brown hair and eyes, a person that nobody would ever look at twice, the thing that attracts attention to him is the way that he walks, it is as if he has a secret and is laughing at the whole world, because he is the only one who gets the joke.
he looks around as if now that he is here he is slightly unsure as to what he should do next.
Continues to fly Ephebe around to get maximum healage where needed...
As the group readies its next attacks, Vai, Casseus, Khassar, and Michael feel their skin harden while being no less flexible.
::Ephebe, any chance you can come stand with myself and Tyrrin, you do not actually have to heal people directly with the collective in place. You can just heal any person you can reach, and I can redirect the healing to those who need it. Also you will amplify my own healing by a large amount.::
Those who have been injured by the Engine feel healing power flow through the bond of the collective and their wounds knit completely.
** spoiler omitted **
::No good, Phaeze. I can only cast through the shells in my Caster. I have to be able to shoot someone to heal them. Since it's not normal spell casting I don't think it will work through the collective.::
Walks through the gates and attempts to find the main office. (or at least someone who knows where the main office is...)