Jack cannot make out Tolruk’s words, so he takes a step further onto the platform, pulling a vial out of his handy haversack and fiddling with it along with a crossbow bolt.
Braegan jogs up the steps and onto the center of the platform, straining with eyes and ears for the remaining animal, but unable to locate it. He then offers a potion to Ebenadar. "Um… Ebenadar, right? Come have some healin' while we wait fer the manticore."
Ebe gives a wide smile at Braegan, accepts the potion, and tosses it down his throat.
Crugonk looks around, seeing the flaming ship and the dead lions on the platform. "Yeah, really a safe place that." No sign of the Manticore nor of the lady that was supposed to lead them, "Chances are she sunk with the ship." Crugonk repositions himself, then shouts for Jhock "Jhock! Where's the F#@[]#g Manticore?"
Jhock looks around, trying to see said manticore, his hands squeezing the shaft of his Scythe. He yells back at Crugonk. "Don't see it!" He then waits, his eyes glaring at the flaming ship, as if it's giving off a wave of ill fate to come, perhaps.
As soon as Jhock replies and his eyes scan the spreading inferno, he sees a volley of spikes fly at him.
One spike misses, one glances off Jhock's scythe, and two land home. One of the spikes embeds itself deep in Jhock's lower ribs.
The crowd roars at the return of the invisible predator!
Mandra and Khan take up defensive positions near Crugonk, waiting for the invisible quarry to make itself known.
Thinky flies southward over Crugonk and company, and shouts down, ”You be looking like you could use aerial support if spiky kitty shows up, yes?” She laughs wickedly.
Karl quickly sticks his wand in his belt and picks up his shortswords before setting up in a sprinter's stance, preparing to leap over the deadly spike trap.
Realizing his disadvantageous position, and lamenting his ineffective healing potions, Jun Yu darts for cover behind the ruins to the south and downs another potion.
Twang quickly moves to the platform now that the way is mostly clear.
Holding his spot at the top of the pillar and glancing out over the battlefield, Vidor says, "I think that is to be going well, no. It seems to me we are winning this little fun."
Ezendra sprints from the north, and head up the platform. ”Miss me, boys?” She slaps Tolruk on the back and smiles. ”We’re going to have to kill the kitty before we can get to the release mechanism, old friend.”
”Blasted!” Tolruk replies.
Dark Arrow looks puzzeled and chimes in, ”I don’t get it… don’t we win if we kill the manticore?”
”No, runt,” Tolruk reprimands, ”It’s a trapped arena. The longer we take to hit the release, the more traps show up. Every few seconds a new one gets added.”
Cowboy climbs over the rubble and hauls himself up on the southeastern ledge of the platform.
Tolruk barks again at Vidor, ”You going to flip that switch now that everyone’s clear?!”
Guttersnipe chugs another potion and heads to the northern side of the platform
The crowd starts to murmur at the momentary lull in bloodshed. However, as the burning ship creaks and cracks, masts breaking and flames spreading, the cheers start up again.
Round 9!
Feeling a little crowded on the platform Jack moves along to it's southern end, loading his bolt to Jacelyn and scanning for a target.
To Mandra that's near him "I'm glad you pinned that lion for me to charge, just make sure your kitty doesn't get in the way."
"Shouting at Thinky: "If you can point to me that damn beast you are more than welcome, got any mojo to make it visible or at least trackable?"
Then moves Murak to near the injured monk "You are lucky you can jump that high." he mocks him, recalling their previous conversation "Still got some fight in you left?"
He then consumes another of his potions
Seein no reason to open himself up to being spiked by an invisible foe, Vidor attampts to fade into the background as the chaos continues to increase around him. "Bregean, I'll be there when it is you are needing me!", he calls out behind the barbarian.
Still standing still -- arrow to cheek -- Braegan speaks to anyone listening, "Anyone got any ways of killin' that thing's invisibility? Heck, anyone got any rope?"
"Aye, I got rope."
There's a wicked gleam in Braegan's eye, "Tie it to my arrow?"
Ah! That's better! Always one for following the crowd, Karl takes off for the platform, leaping over the lion's corpse and the spike trap.
*C Mandra the Shredder and Khan 22
*B Braegan Longclaw 21
*C Jhock "The Reaper" 17a
*C Crugonk "the Beaster" and Murak 16c
*C Ebenadar 15
*C Dumb Karl 14a
*C Jun Yu of the Black Serpent 12
*C Twang Slugbitter 10
*B Vidor Varkony 7a
The four spikes land home all over Jhock's giant frame.
Feeling a little crowded on the platform Jack moves along to it's southern end, loading his bolt to Jacelyn and scanning for a target.
As the spikes are launched, Braegan pulls his bow up, fletching to cheek. His eyes focus on the area from which the spikes originated, his body frozen in place -- ready to release the arrow. As he watches and waits, he murmurs to those around him, "The flames on that ship don't look right. Burnin' too fast. Like they're alive and movin' on their own."
Jhock holds his ground, scythe ready, waiting for the manticore to make itself known.
Crugonk speaks to Mandra that's near him "I'm glad you pinned that lion for me to charge, just make sure your kitty doesn't get in the way." Mandra heads up near Jhock, to get out of the way and better face her foe if it decides to show itself.
As Mandra heads north, she narrowly escapes a spinning steel saw blade that bursts from the ground to take a swipe at her, before resetting. The crowd cheers.
Crugonk then shouts at Thinky, "If you can point to me that damn beast you are more than welcome, got any mojo to make it visible or at least trackable?"
”Sadly not, knight. Naught I can do but wait for it.” Thinky stays hovering where she is.
There is a murmur of discontent amid the crowd at the lack of action.
Crugonk then moves Murak to near the injured monk "You are lucky you can jump that high," he mocks him, recalling their previous conversation "Still got some fight in you left?"
Ebenadar takes a defensive position behind one of the pillars, trying to remain out of sight the best he can while scanning for sight of an enemy, but cannot find one.
Ah! That's better! Always one for following the crowd, Karl takes off for the platform, trying to leap over the lion's corpse and the spike trap.
Unfortunately he doesn't quite clear the trap, with the cramped quarters, and fails to jump out of the way as the trap skewers him.
Jun Yu races for the platform to join the rest of the group.
Twang still cannot locate the manticore, and disappears behind a pillar.
Seeing no reason to open himself up to being spiked by an invisible foe, Vidor fades into the background as the chaos continues to increase around him. "Braegan, I'll be there when it is you are needing me!" he calls out behind the barbarian.
Still standing still -- arrow to cheek -- Braegan speaks to anyone listening, "Anyone got any ways of killin' that thing's invisibility? Heck, anyone got any rope?"
Ebenadar replies, "Aye, I got rope."
There's a wicked gleam in Braegan's eye, "Tie it to my arrow?"
Tolruk shouts in fury, ”Why the blazing hells won’t anyone throw the gods forsaken levers???” He kicks Dark Arrow, and urges him to do it. Tolruk then speaks to Braegan, ”Are you an idiot? You can’t fire rope with an arrow! It’s too damned heavy!”
Dark Arrow goes over and starts to pull the switches, but the first one is stuck. With great effort he manages to flip it, and you all hear a deep, droning hum from underneath the platform.
Ezendra starts climbing up one of the tall pillars, joining Zayle for aerial superiority. Guttersnipe opts to do the same.
Ezendra yells down, ”If we can get it in the water, it’ll leave an impression, and footprints once it leaves the water!”
Sir Snarl holds his ground, scanning for the manticore but not being able to spot it. ”C’mon, beast, show yourself!”
Cowboy stands in an alert and calm stance as he waits for battle to come to him.
Spikes fly from the blazing ship’s prow, again targeting Jhock.
Spike 1 ; damage
Spike 2 ; damage
Spike 3 ; damage
Spike 4 ; damage
-->Spike 4 confirmation: ; damage
Four spikes find their mark in Jhock's giant frame.
Jack and Braegan cannot determine where the spikes originated from, as the blazing ship and smoke, debris, and distance are too much. The flames look like they are growing more animated, however…
The ship is a blazing inferno, and nearly the entire ship is now ablaze. A fierce howl of fury emanates from the manticore as the flames get closer. Has it been injured further…?
ROUND 10!
Jack stares at the gathering group ontop of the ruins, looking from one to the next trying to see if anyone's got a plan or is willing to take the lead. Himself coming up blank he just shrugs and hunkers down, waiting for a sign, any sign, of what to do next.
Glancing over at the burning wreckage he sees the prow untouched by flames, it would be logical to assume the manicore was there, but Jack didn't feel up to wasting his poisoned arrow on on a maybe so he waited.
Jhock grunts as he's spiked again, growling a little under his breath, and backs away from the ship, then pulls out a potion, getting ready to drink it.
If not, that's fine. It's just how i was thinking about it
Mandra narrowed her eyes at the boat trying to somehow spot the invisible creature, as she did so she noted a section of the boat that was not on fire quite yet and a quick and rather reckless plan began to form in her mind. If the Manticore was anywhere perhaps there was the best place for it to be with a quick look to Khan and an order to stay where he was Mandra charged at the wall closes to herself that was near the ship intending to scramble up it so that she could then reach the ship and perhaps the Manticore.
(If possible}
Once she was up on the wall Mandra would leap onto the boat itself digging her claws into the wood and scramble up it as well hoping that she had been correct in assuming where the Manticore might be.
Perception:
Climb:
{If needed to get up onto the boat assuming I can) Climb:
Crugonk on top of his horse sees all the other grouping at the ruins in the center. Then sees Jhock been hit out of nowhere again.
"Idiots, a ranged invisible opponent and they close ranks. Really a good move."
He awaits there, drinking another one of his potions.
If he is lucky the Manticore will start to hit on the big group and he could manage to pin her position.
Then he sees Jhock headed back to his position.
"Even better, if the beast walks this way it can choose between me, the floating target and the big ugly one, more chances to stay alive."
Then sees Mandra and thinks "What is that crazy woman doing? Well if she just volonteered for playing bait, that's fine to me."
And he gets ready to charge.
Dripping with water and blood, Karl steps behind a pillar, dropping his swords and attempting to activate his wand of cure light wounds while his more tactically minded teammates work out a strategy.
Whew! Anyone else need freshening up?
[ooc]
5' step to O-28
Draw wand of CLW
Use wand of CLW on self
UMD:
if successful, heals