Realizing that her tactic wouldn't work, Dizzy took out her mace. Attacking would nullify her temporary sanctuary with the goddess, but it looked like she didn't need it anymore.
Being careful not to accidentally bang Rex, Dizzy aimed for the small of the cat's back, just above the tail, and hit with all her might.
@Quinn - Who are you flanking with? Jibril is not threatening the croc. He's intimidating it, but not threatening it.
"Can you take it out alive?!" Vilhelm shouted at Rex as he finally saw the feline showing signs of weakness. The leader, after all, did try to limit the violence - all too late in Vilhelm's opinion, but more killing didn't serve any particular purpose, and if the voice of violence among the beasts could be silences, while also showing they were not after the cat people's blood...
Hoping the warrior would have in him and in his heart to consider the benefits of showing their moral superiority in addition to their martial prowess, Vilhelm stepped close enough to smack the feline with the flat of his glaive's blade, but the creature dodged another of Rex's punches at that very moment, avoiding Vilhelm's strike without noticing it and the invoker had to back away hastily to avoid bashing the martial adept on the side of the head by accident.
Jibril
miss
Both Vilhelm and Dizzy's attacks failed to connect, but Rex got in one good, solid blow. The moon cat staggered slightly, but kept his feet. He continued to viciously savage the brawler, biting his ear and cheek - nearly tearing his ear clean off. Both were covered in so much of Rex's blood it was hard to understand how the man was still standing.
The croc's bloodlust finally over-powered its desire to follow its leader, especially now that the leader was out of sight. Tired of being talked down to by the pointy-eared humanoid, the reptile lunged forward at Jibril.
Ready for just such a move, Quinn launched herself from the shadows, stabbing deep through the tough scaly hide, and hitting something painful underneath. The croc lashed out its tail at the rogue, who just barely avoided being knocked down by it.
The painful wound didn't stop the creature's attack, however. Jibril tried to avoid the massive jaws, but was just a moment too late. The rows of sharp teeth clamped viciously into the half-elf's lower leg, scraping bone and holding Jibril tight.
Rex continued his blood feud with the cat, once more pulling his elbow up to strike at the creature. This time he managed to free his arm enough to aim for the creature's head. "I've fought worse that you, cat man!" He shouted at the creature, as his first blow landed solid. Adrenaline was suppressing the pain from his wounds, but the unpleasant wooziness caused by blood loss was becoming harder and harder to ignore.
Quinn practically pounced on the croc's back as she buried her dagger in its back yet again. "Let him go you over-sized handbag. You should have listened to your leader."
This time, the invoker was taking no chances. He watched Rex and the feline brawl it out, waiting for the opportunity to strike. And eventually it arrived as the cat arched its back to prepare for another attack.
The flat of the glaive's blade hit the raging creature over its left ear, startling the creature more than hurting it, but it gave Vilhelm a prime opportunity to whirl his long weapon around and thrust with the blunt end, striking a resounding blow right between the feline's eyes, knocking its head back.
"Go to sleep, little kitten," Vilhelm grunted. "Us adults want to have a conversation and you aren't helping."
Jibril saw the croc's left foot go taught It's shifting it's weight forward, it's going to charge. He staggered backward and the tip of his bow caught on a root like the swamp was working against him. He didn't fathom the creatures reach. The swamp turned upside-down as a sudden burning pain raged through his thigh, then it was as if someone had tossed a bear a rag doll.
He couldn't get his left hand around but tried to grab the monster's nostrils and pry it's jaws open ...
but his fingers merely brush the creature's muzzle.
Dizzy was torn - she saw the croc attack Jibril and grab him. She almost ran to help him, but realized that the half-elf would be helped more if Rex was freed.
Seeing that the cat was nearly down, she prayed that her next hit would strike true.
The cat and Rex continued to struggle and wriggle around; it was hard to see where one ended and the next began in the moonlight.
As a result, Dizzy's blow went wide, merely batting the cat's tail aside. Rex got in one good solid blow, but it was Vilhelm's solid crack to the skull that finally knocked the moon cat out. Claws retreating from Jibril's skin, the moon cat slid to the ground, unconscious but still breathing.
Quinn and Jibril desperately fought the croc, but it was mad with the taste of blood, and the rogue's dagger was unable to pierce the tough scales. The tail thwapped at her again, but she easily dodged again.
The croc's teeth ground into Jibril's leg as it solidified its hold. It swallowed blood and no small amount of Jibril's leg muscle as it was shredded by the dozens of sharp teeth.
The croc then threw itself sideways, rolling quickly along the ground, dragging poor Jibril along with him. The half-elf was pulled down and ended up disoriented as the croc gained its feet again.
The croc then dragged Jibril backwards, towards the water. It moved backwards as quickly as it did forwards, and Jibril ended up with a face full of muck and mud as he was hauled along.
Miss
Jibril's body slapped against the soft ground and a ringing went through his ears. He let go of his bow to give himself two free hands. The crocodile-man repositioned its bite from its haphazard snap and this time it really found meat. With no trace of his elven calm, Jibril screamed out in pain only to swallow muck and red clay. He could smell the coppery spray of his own blood and could feel the colour drain from his face, his eyes looked panicked as he gasped for air. It will try to take me under water for a death roll - must - get - air He reflexively kicked out with his free leg at the creatures eyes, ears, and nostrils in a wild attempt to make it release him.
"You are not taking another one," Quinn snarled before lunging at the croc with her dagger as it tried to leave.
She then ran after it, desperate to keep it from taking Jibril into the water. She stabbed at it again.
Still running on adrenaline, despite his wounds, Rex runs barreling after the crocodile. "LET HIM GO!" He roared as he lifted the crocodile man from being on top of Jibril, before suplexing him back to the floor. Lifting his foot, he then tried to stomp on the crocodile's jaw.
Dizzy called upon the power of the goddess, hoping to scorch the horrible reptile and make it leave them alone once and for all. A bolt of fire flew from her outstretched arms straight to the green beast, blasting into its back.
"Your friend is down, but alive! Consider this proof of our intentions!" Vilhelm shouted, knowing the spokesman would still be close even though he had retreated away from sight. "Now please call off your pet before matters take their course!"
Ignoring the downed feline for now, Vilhelm stepped closer to help take care of the wild beast trying to turn the elf into a late-night snack. A moment of concentration and a wave of his hand launched another concussive blast towards the reptile.
The strike buffeted the creature but was nothing major to add to its collection of injuries, but once again the Fey enchantment laced in with the energy assaulted the beast's mind, conjuring images of frozen landscape and of burning cold that seeped into its flesh, robbing strength from its muscles, locking its joints, turning its simple thought sluggish...
The croc shook his mighty head once, clearing away the thoughts of ice, and nearly tearing Jibril's quadriceps from his femur in the process. Rex's attack left the croc on his belly, legs flailing only momentarily before getting them back underneath himself. However, those brief moments gave Rex enough leeway to get a vicious boot to the jaw, which nearly was enough to set Jibril free. Instead, the croc's blood mingled with the ranger's, all of it black in the moonlight.
Dizzy and Vilhelm's magical blasts singed and battered the croc, and Quinn's first attack pried off a few scales. It was bleeding from multiple wounds, but the reptile was tough, and it didn't let go.
Instead, it turned and fled flat-out, hoping to gain the water before Team Orra could rescue one of their two remaining original members. Unfortunately, the standing stones were a bit further from the shore than the croc would have preferred, and he couldn't quite make it yet.
Dizzy ran after the croc and Jibril, knowing after only a few steps that she wouldn't catch up in time. Before the croc got too far away, she called upon her goddess yet again, casting one of the last spells she'd prepared for the day.
The croc suddenly felt as though it were fighting the wrong foe. Surely it was the were-cat it should be attacking!
Muttering a curse as the reptile began dragging the struggling elf into the water and the feline spokesman failed to make an appearance to sue for peace, Vilhelm threw another blast of energy at the crocodile, hoping it would soon give up or at least abandon its meal while it ran for safety.
Rex continued to pursue the crocodile, trying to free Jibril from its grasp.
Jibril clawed at the sludge frantically, as he watched his friends get further away he took on the terrified aspect of a cat that knows it's going to be thrown into a well.
He kicked and screamed fruitlessly. His serenity was gone, and if he survived this, the crocodile-man would be the source of nightmares for years to come.
-
Quinn took off in a dead sprint, lunging at the were-croc that had become the bane of their existence.
Her dagger tried to find purchase in the scaly hide.
As the croc dragged the screaming half-elf off to a watery grave, Team Orra sprang into action. Rex and Quinn charged at the retreating croc, pouncing with fists and daggers as they got in range. Rex managed to get in a vicious blow, and the croc saw stars. Again, Quinn's aim was off and she was unable to pierce the scaly hide.
Vilhelm's blast of eldritch energy skimmed over everybody's heads, knocking a raven out of tree nearby instead. The angry corvine, seeing visions of ice and death, cawed loudly in defiance, adding its voice to the cacophony of battle.
Then Dizzy let loose her spell, and the tide of battle suddenly changed. The croc stopped in its tracks, suddenly ignoring the person in its mouth and the four others attacking it. Dropping Jibril less than ten meters from the swamp and certain death, the huge reptile turned suddenly, and ran back the way it had come. Dizzy and Vilhelm had to jump out of the way as it charged at the unconscious mooncat.
The mooncat never had a chance. The croc arrived with mouth open, lower jaw scooping up bits of mud as it approached. The toothsome maw closed on the injured cat's midsection, and the cat never awoke to flinch as its spine was broken.
Vilhelm blinked his eyes in surprise when the crocodile suddenly abandoned its meal and almost bowled over the invoker in its hurry to savage the fallen feline.
'So much for showing good intentions,' Vilhelm thought, wincing as the reptile's jaws snapped shut and the unconscious cat's body was dragged and thrown around. He had only a vague idea what had happened but surely Dizzy's spell had had something to do with it - Vilhelm was certain enough it had been a temporary binding of some sort. Which would mean that sooner or later, it would end and the crocodile would no doubt get back to its previous tricks.
Another blast of energy clipped the reptile, casting its animal mind briefly back to the cruel wintry landscape.
Jibril, tears in his eyes over the pain in his thigh, tried running on the shredded meat that was left there. He didn't ponder why the creature let go, this was his chance. His blurred vision was completely focused on his bow.
Rex looks baffled as the creature drops Jibril and instead viciously murders its companion. The shock is enough to cool of his adrenaline rush and he start to feel the severity of his wounds. Trying to shake it off, he turns to Jibril and offers a hand. "That was insane! What's it doing?"
Turning his attention back to the creature suspiciously, he considered their severe wounds and moved in front of the Jibril. "I think that thing has damn near lost its mind, but I am not sure its done with us yet..." Rex reach for the longspear on his back. "But, it's not going to take me without a fight!"
Pleased that her gambit worked, Dizzy took a swing at the croc as it ravaged its ex-friend. However, her foot slipped in the muck and she failed to connect.
Like everyone else, Quinn was momentarily surprised as the were-croc did a complete 180. It dropping Jibril was unexpected enough. It attacking one of its allies was downright shocking. However, Quinn's reflexes were quicker than her thoughts and she was pursuing the reptile again in no time. As far as she was concerned, it killing Duncan and almost killing Jibril had rendered its life meaningless.
The croc shook off the spell-induced compulsion. Turning, it saw a plethora of enemies to choose from. Choosing one, it charged.
The end was quick. Impaled on Rex's spear, blasted by Vilhelm's eldritch energy, and stabbed by Quinn - it was all too much for the man-croc. Blood bubbled in its throat, and after twitching once or twice, it fell still.
Rex used his foot to push the crocodile off his spear. "Well, that was pretty stupid of them..." he muttered with the air of someone who was almost trying to hard to sound casual and flippant. Quickly, he put his spear away on his back, hoping to do so before his companions saw how much his hands were shaking and working hard to push away other memories of large toothed creatures and bloodied companions. "So...everyone still got all their limbs?"
Jibril hopped over to his bow with much less urgency and took it up again. He used it a little crutch like as he looked to the dead crocodile, "I am sorry, I promised only you would die, and here it is you have murdered your friend. May peace follow you to the silver shore and the great rising sun.". He looked to the moon-cat leader, neither attempting to go back into it's sacred circle nor straying more than ten feet from his friends.
"Niraiya tukkankalaic", he muttered in a sad listless tone to the leader.
Dizzy breathed in relief as silence fell over the swampy island. Then she almost fell. She'd had a close call - they all had.
Moving over to Jibril, she gathered her team together like a mother hen. Then, placing her hand over the sigil of healing, she channelled the power of the goddess down over them.
She then took the healing wand and used it to heal the last of the cuts and bruises.
Quinn kicked the croc as it collapsed to the ground. "At least we got justice for Duncan." Then she muttered under her breath, "Even if it is only temporary."
The allowed herself to be corralled by Dizzy and breathed a sigh of relief as the healing energy flowed through her torn flesh and knitted it together again. "Thank your goddess, Dizzy."
She looked around to see if there was any other looming threat. "We need to find our token. There didn't seem to be anything inside that stone circle so should be check out wherever those drag marks led to?"
"Niraiya tukkankalaic", he muttered in a sad listless tone to the leader.
It was Vilhelm’s time to be surprised when Jibril muttered words in Sylvan. Perhaps he should have realized the elf understood the language, from how he had reacted before, but Vilhelm had thought he had merely recognized it, since he hadn’t made a comment.
"Now where did that third cat go?"
”He was close by before, I’d imagine he’s still close enough to have observed how the battle ended,” Vilhelm said, touching the small rune-carved stone disc he wore as an amulet underneath his clothes, shivering as the Fey-blessed stone’s magic washed away some of his mental fatigue. He tried to peer into the shadows around the standing stones he had seen the spokesman vanish.
”It is done! Not the way we hoped to end it, but we still have a chance to prevent more bloodshed! Will you talk with us again?!” Vilhelm hollered into the night, calling for his patrons’ blessings to lend a touch of glamor to his voice.
While Rex, still had some noticeable injuries, the channels of healing did much to seal his open wound and the brawlers breathing became even once more. He nodded in agreement with Quinn, "Agreed...praise be to...uh..." He gets a slightly guilty look on his face and asks Dizzt. "Who did you say you worshiped again?"
He looked a bit surprised, as Vilhelm continued to try an reason with the creatures. He rubbed his temple and looked down at the two dead creatures. If we couldn't talk reason to them before, when we had done little more than accidentally trespass...somehow I don't think they'll be interested in what we have to say now. Still, he kept his cynicism to himself. While he doubted it would be successful, he did feel there was more to this story that would cause these creatures to fight to desperately and he felt guilty about how things had ended. We didn't really have a choice though, did we? We tried not to kill them...but that they were out for blood...and Duncan... He thought, trying to ease his concience.
They looked in the stone circle, but it was again empty. Taking a closer look, they were able to see that in each upright stone, a set of two or three strange symbols had been carved overtop of the old ones. The original symbols were liquid and alien, seeming to shift under their eyes. The new ones, however, were rigid and angled. None of them were familiar.
Following the drag marks, Team Orra made their way around the circle, and soon found themselves staring at a stone structure. It looked to be made from the same sort of stones that comprised the circle. Rectangular, there were three stones on each side, side-by-side, touching but not mortared together. Another stone made up the back wall, while a final one lay across as a roof. Though there was no front wall or stone, it was pitch black inside. Not even Dizzy could pierce the blackness.
Yes and yes. Approximately 15 feet by 45, and 30 feet high.
"Well that looks ominous" Rex muttered, as he stared into the darkness, "So, I'm guessing it's probably where we are supposed to go." Reigning in his sarcasm a bit, he adds more respectfully to Vilhelm, "At bare minimum, it looks like your friends may have been taken here."
While Rex, still had some noticeable injuries, the channels of healing did much to seal his open wound and the brawlers breathing became even once more. He nodded in agreement with Quinn, "Agreed...praise be to...uh..." He gets a slightly guilty look on his face and asks Dizzt. "Who did you say you worshiped again?"
Dizzy smiled. "The lady goddess goes by many names. Whatever name ye give her in yer heart, she'll be glad of."
***
Staring into the blackness, Dizzy was perturbed not to be able to see past it. "This darkness, it's no natural thing. I cannae see what lies inside." Raising her voice, she called out, "Are ye in here, Sir Kitty-Man? We've no wish ta fight ye again, but enter we must."