Tybus charges, not wanting to lose the element of surprise, after charging his katana with his arcane strength.
When it becomes apparent that nobody else needs mystical assistance, Callomeleth casts the enchantment upon his bow. He then readies an arrow for when Kikonu appears. Once the large-nosed winged creature pops into existence, he lets the arrow fly.
Cast magic weapon on my bow.
Lamsfel steps toward the creature, readying an action to attack if it comes into reach.
Tristan also advances 20 feet.
Zaiobe also snaps a shot off at the yamabushi tengu as it appears.
Both Callomeleth's and Zaiobe's arrows find their marks. Kikonu jerks under the assault, and he swears at her in Minkaian, reaching for his own bow.
Zaiobe laughs silently, seeing Kikonu raising his weapon, and she makes a mystic gesture. A whirling, multihued aura suddenly surrounds her, making it difficult to see the harpy herself within.
That's no way to talk to a lady, mate! Ye got the animal wrong, besides, Tybus calls out.
He then closes the distance rapidly, Song of Sparrows crackling with energy. With a two-handed grip, he brings the sword down on the creature.
Tristan charges the remaining distance. Whatever that creature is, it is up to no good.
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Lamsfel likewise charges the creature, knowing that he is most effective up close.
Tybus' blade makes contact with Kikonu - and the crackling energy around the blade simply disappears. The yamabushi tengu has no chance to gloat about it, however, because the strike itself is deep and bloody, and the fiend staggers under the attack. He gets no respite either, as Lamsfel and Tristan deliver their own blows.
Gan dashes past the yamabushi tengu and readies himself to strike at the fiend's exposed back. The fiend, badly wounded and only staying upright due to sheer fury, tries to focus his attention on channeling arcane energies without exposing himself to harm.
Unfortunately, he cannot maintain his focus well enough to create the effect.
Tristan takes another swing, moving so as not to turn his back on the harpy.
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Lamsfel shifts to provide a flank to an ally or to provide one later, if he can't do it this round.
He strikes at the creature with the enchanted wakizashi.
Your wanton destruction has caused the suffering of others, and now this suffering shall be delivered to you tenfold. Iro-Shu has weighed the evil in your heart and found you guilty--You cannot escape the judgment that awaits you.
As the dual-minded entity speaks, an intense glow surrounds him. Gan drops his spear, slashing at Kikonu with divine power.
Tybus twists his mouth in disappointment that his spell failed to bypass the creature's defenses, though partially mollified that his steel struck true. Setting himself from the reckless approach, he decides to keep up the martial assault.
Tristan sidesteps and swings, but even wounded as he is, the fiend manages to avoid the attack. He is not so fortunate where Lamsfel is concerned, stumbling and staggering - and that leaves him unable to prevent Gan from literally ripping out his spine with the teeth of Woké Qing. Kikonu screams and falls, blood flying everywhere. Horribly, though, the wound begins to close even as you all stand over it, no matter how Gan savages the body.
As the yamabushi falls, Callomeleth rushes over to see how his friends fared. "That was easier than I expected it to be," the elf confesses, though he quickly notes that Kikonu still draws breath, even though Gan continues to shred the tengu's body. He turns to Zaiobe with a confused look upon his face. "How do we kill him? He refuses to die!"
Zaiobe raises and waves her flaming arrow.
Let's take his head, shall we? Tybus offers, grimly.
"Fire. The 'lady' said we need fire."
Lamsfel retrieves a flask of alchemists' fire from his pack and holds it up to the mute harpy. "This?"
Gan holds up a blood-stained claw at Lamsfel, rummaging around with the other as he produces a torch and flint and steel from his backpack.
Save your liquid fire--this will serve.
Gan lights his torch and sets the body aflame. In seconds the corpse is alight, and it is clear the unholy regeneration that kept the fiend alive has ceased.
Zaiobe nods in satisfaction, and she meets Callomeleth's eye, mouthing thank you in exaggerated form.
Then she turns and shoots Tybus in the back before launching herself into the skies.
"I knew it. Tristan drops his sword, draws his bow and fires two arrows at the retreating harpy.
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Tybus unslings his bow and sends an arrow at the traitorous harpy.
Callomeleth narrows his eyes at Zaiobe, raising his bow to fire upon her. "I should have known," he says, loosing the shaft. "Anyone who would betray their lover would betray anyone."
Fire!!!
The burning arrow skids off of Tybus' armor and flies past to land in the castle's courtyard. In response, Tybus and Tristan both send their own arrows arcing upward, and each proves more effective than Zaiobe's was, causing her to jerk in midair as she is struck. Callomeleth fires as well, but her magical protection manages to deflect that one, and the shaft spirals off into the air.
The arrow had passed by so close he could feel its heat. After sending a shaft back at her, he yells at her, I don't know what madness seized ye, but it didn't have to be this way! We could've helped ye!
"That's just it, Tybus, we did help her," Callomeleth says, scowling as his arrow is deflected by a scintillating field of color. "We just forgot to ask what happens after her lover is dead."
Gan picks up the longbow from the ashes, imbuing an arrow with some of his power. He draws with a practiced hand and fires at the treacherous harpy.
Lamsfel drops Whispering Shrike with an elven curse and snatches his bow from his back before sending a missile skyward.
Lamsfel and Gan also shoot up at the harpy, and her magic proves no more protection against them than it did against Tristan or Tybus. Seeming displeased by the apparently archer-skill among her onetime allies, she takes a longer moment to focus her shot before loosing again.
If anything, though, the attacks are even less effective than before, as the two arrows bury themselves in the dirt a few feet on either side of Tybus' boots.
Tybus gets a desparate, wide-eyed look as the flaming arrows streaked toward him, but were mercifully off-target. He sends another arrow at her, then looks around for some cover he could duck under within reach.
Lamsfel draws and lets fly again.
Satisfied that one of his arrows struck home, Tristan lets loose another volley.
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