"Interesting technique. I wonder if I could teach that to Gilden."
"We can teach him, if you can command him." says one of the fire runners.
The gnoll moves towards the archer to shove him out of the ring.
After dealing with the archer, Whiteclaw's form shifts and the Gnoll becomes a white battle mare with dragon scales along her forelegs. Neighing a challenge, the gnoll/horse races to Kia's aid.
F4 salutes Whiteclaw cheerfully as she dumps him out of the fight and claps as she turns into a horse and barges towards Kia. His horse kicks instinctively as it catches sight of Whiteclaw, but the blow glances off her, doing no harm.
There is definitely a party atmosphere now. Whatever else this ritual does, there seems little doubt that the Bone Riders at least will be prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt. Whether their word will carry any weight with the other tribes is a matter yet to be determined.
Kia stand up and mutters to herself, pulling herself together. Then moves to Z12 and teleports to the centre of the field where she can be more useful and there is less chance of being pushed out.
"That's better."
Kia stands up, brushes herself down and transports herself to the centre of the fighting square.
"You are the best guests ever! Nobody's ever beaten daddy before!" shouts a small girl, who already bears a few tattoo marks on her arms and face. F1 flashes a wide smile at his daughter.
"I told you we can always learn," he shouts back.
Reason calls on Ioun to take some of the jaunty spirit away from his closest opponent. He also bolsters Kia's resurging strength.
A gust of smoke rising from the fire gets into Reason's eyes at a crucial moment. Ioun's power heals Kia, but can't bypass the cheerful egocentricity of the fire runner.
Beginning to laugh merrily, Vel sends Adalram over to the main cluster of foes, drawing on her familiar to better target her next burst of flame.
`
Vel channels her trademark flames into punching fiery fists which pummel at the horses. The riders are adept enough to avoid them. Her scrupulous attempt to avoid grievous harm meets with universal approval. The horses themselves seem slightly less impressed, snorting irritably and looking rather the worse for wear.
Arianwyn laughs an eerie laugh as his eyes glow. He locks his gaze with that of one of the riders.
"Good work." F2 nods approvingly as the residue of Arianwyn's attack thumps into him.
The Warleader turns to Whiteclaw, swinging the flat of her broadsword into the horse-shaped gnoll.
"Let's see if the dragonscales help you keep your feet. . ."
"Maybe not enough."
Shrugging slightly, she shifts to let the riders do their work.
"Still can't move. Shift the shape-shifter if you can." The Warleader leans on her sword and watches with a conneiseur's eye as F2's horse goes to work. The noise rouses her horse at last and it raises a bleary head.
"Oh, just get out of here. When you can." she tells it.
"You make a good good horse," comments F2 as his mount lashes out, pushing Whiteclaw over and kicking her through the perimeter.
"One for our team." He cheerfully salutes his prone opponent. "Get the hexer."
F3 canters happily across the ground to obey. A well placed kick takes Arianwyn off his feet and sends him skidding across the battlegound.
"We're similar, I think. We don't believe in defeat."
F4's riderless horse canters off the field in response to its master's call.
Whiteclaw goes back to gnoll form and rises to her feet. She almost says something, then decides not to.
As Whiteclaw returns to gnoll form, the nearest tribesman pats her approvingly on the back. "It is a hard game. You play well."
"Yrchacach!" Arianwyn curses softly in Elven as he lands, and Whiteclaw is removed from the fight.
"Yrchacach!"
Arianwyn:
"You were brilliant Whteclaw! Hopefully we can use the advantage you gave us. Stay in the centre if you can. Let's try to concentrate on one at a time. Starting with F3, I think. Well, that's what I think."
Not, quite satisfied, Kia calls on the Gift of Jarovit to spur her on.
Jarovit smiles on Kia as with his help, she strives to unhorse F3. Her sword strikes true, but years of training keep him secure in the saddle, wincing as the blade slashes across his chest.
Reason lets fly with another blast of light, after calling for Ioun's assistance.
Safely ensconced in the fire, Reason casually outlines the rider in cleansing light. The tribesman winces slightly.
"Your goddess has a sharp way with her. I'll remember that lesson." He nods slightly in acknowledgment.
Again bringing Adalram in for targeting aid, Vel shifts tactics to one of her more directed spells, flinging a pair of force bolts at the limned rider.
Distracted by Reason, F3 fails to notice Adalram flying closer and Vel unleashing a force ball at him. Catching him off balance, he falls and is sent sprawling.
"When we ride to war, you will ride with us," he shouts cheerfully, clutching what may be a broken collarbone.
Arianwyn stands up and dusts himself down. he then casually blasts at the downed rider.
Arianwyn rises, curses and sends feypower blasting towards F3. To his chagrin, the attack is just dodged by his opponent.
The Warleader moves slowly towards the centre of the battleground, gesturing to her horse with one hand and calling encouragement to her allies. Of a kind.
"Did the Sun Stallion kick you that you had to fall off? The fire mage still holds me, get on with it!" she bellows at F3.
"Good as..." is the cheery answer.
Horses flee the field in obedience to their riders, leaving only one mounted warrior still to do battle. Grinning, he turns towards Arianwyn, circles lightly past Kia and charges. Even the Kargzant sometimes get it wrong and his horse misses with its kick.
Resigned, the rider pats his mount and waits for retribution. "Bah. My fault. A child would do better," he remarks disgusted with himself.
Staggering to his feet, F3 runs at Arianwyn, pushing his flaming torch into the warlock's face.
"Back you go, worthy feyspawn."
"Come away from the edge!" Kia calls to Arianwyn, offering him a free chance to move further into the combat zone. Then she charges F3."
"Sorry.." she says as she collides with the Kargzant.
"Oof."
The tribesman takes Kia's attack in good part, and quirks an eyebrow as she cannons into him.
"Liar." he adds ruefully, rubbing his ribs.
Reason shuffles forward, digging his feet into the toasty coals, and launches another bolt of light at the badly damaged F3.
Still where she started the battle, and still mirthful, Vel brings Adalram around in front of the remaining mounted rider and attempts to startle him with her illusions.
More smoke billows upwards, blurring Reason's aim, but Vel has no such difficulty. The rider blinks, smiles, leans back and shakes his head at her,
"This is clever, but it takes more than that to take me from my horse."
Arianwyn moves further inside the safety of the battleground and tries to get inside the Warleader's head. She's having none of it though and shakes off his attack, continuing her own slow progress towards the centre.
Laughing, she gestures amiably to him. "Meet me over here! Your witch's spell is strong."
To her allies, she adds, "How about getting the devil out of the flames?"
She smiles broadly as she finally manages to free herself from Vels spell and leans on her broadsword.
"Good idea." F2 turns his horse and utters the command word. Hooves thump into Reason, removing him from his comfortable nest and F3 shifts out of Kia's way before charging towards the tiefling with his torch.
"Flameproof is good," he comments, turning the weapon so the end jabs into Reason's stomach, shoving him back towards the edge of the arena.
Kia moves up to F2 attempting to unhorse him as well.
"Come down here, please."
Kia's blade slaps imperatively at f2's leg, slicing through his stirrup leather and he slides, unwillingly off his horse and onto the ground.
"Persuasive, aren't they?" he comments to his Warleader, limping slightly from the fresh bruises.
Reason returns to his previous position and once again attempts to knock out F3 with a blast of light.
Reason returns to the comfort of his flaming nest and sends a devastating bolt of light into f3.
"Persuasive and very good." concedes the rider, staggering under the blow. He seems to be standing more by force of will than anything else.
Vel sends a pair of force missiles at the staggered runner. "And then there were two," she remarks happily. Finally electing to move from her original location, she ducks around the remaining runner to take shelter near Kia.