The second launch strikes true, before the massed force can disperse in time. Screams of pain and anger rise towards the manor in the mists. Kensaku can see the mass of light breaking into many smaller, separate lights, perhaps too spread apart to successfully target enough of the enemy with the catapult. Even then, the lights begin to wink out, likely from the source being snuff out.
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Rika focuses inwardly after having stepped in front of the main door in, weapon drawn. Inwardly, she seeks out Pratts, their bond strong because of their desire to pits each other's will against one another. She focuses deeply, and call upon the spirit of the mighty bull, superimposing it on the raptor. Within seconds, the beast's muscles begin to bulk and bulge under the scales. She opens her eyes, checks on the creature's positioning before focusing her intent back on the door.
Come. Come. My blade is thirst.
Long minutes pass, until almost an hour has elapsed since the dock fire alerted the Pathfinders to danger. Coming out of the mists, hollering war cries, a group of footsoldiers charges to the house, splitting to enter the house from the front door and side windows. Kensaku sees one clambering into the room with her, as Rika and Pratts can hear the approach of more at the door.
20 Chomper
19 Pratts
17 Karasuma
17 Black
17 Rika
15 Blue
12 Green
11 Shigeru
9 Kensaku
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
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When it becomes obvious that the catapult had a reasonable success but not a complete one, Karasuma makes his way downstairs in the shadows to a door near Riku.
At first, the idea of diving into the mists and picking off the attackers one by one is a very attractive one... except he'd have to do it solo... and he knows he's not good enough to handle the entire invasion force himself if he was seen.
However, due to those same concerns of being isolated from the rest of the team, the attorney does NOT go into the first door -- if he did, then he'd get maybe one attack off before the rest of any possible opponents would return the favor.
It hampers his style a bit, but there's really no good fix for it at the moment.
Being a craftier sort, he attempts to secure the door next to him, so the opponents will be off-guard if they enter the room.
Karasuma deftly jams the door beside him to block the passage of the foes he hears breaking in beyond it. Clambering through the window behind Darshan and Kensaku, a Tian man hefts a heavy axe at the samsaran. The impact catches her offguard, blood flowing from the gash.
20 Chomper
19 Pratts
17 Karasuma
17 Black
17 Rika
15 Blue
12 Green
11 Shigeru
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
The door opens in front of Rika and Pratts, and the man's eyes widen at the sight before him. He cries out in a high voice as he swings his axe. To Karasuma's side, he hears someone rattle the now jammed door and curse.
17 Karasuma
17 Black
17 Rika
15 Blue
12 Green
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
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"Oh, gods, how did they get so close without being spotted? Bloody mist." Shigeru mutters to himself as he pulls out a small pouch and gestures casually over the wall.
He begins an incantation as he pours a dull reddish powder out of the pouch in intricate designs on the ground around himself. "Size and mass magnified, square and cube now defied. Size and mass magnified, square and cube now defied. Size and..."
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As the summoner begins the incantation, Chomper lets out a high pitch trilling noise followed by a baritone repetition of "Gettin' big! Gettin' big! Gettin' big!"
Then, with a flash of sharpened claws in the moonlight, the eidolon leaps over the edge of the lighthouse and digs a grip into the side of the rough brick wall. With a grind of chitin on stone they slide swiftly down to the ground and begin beating a path towards the main building.
Pratts claws find purchase in soft flesh, shredding the man savagely as he screams in pain. Chomper easily reaches the ground, as Shigeru focuses on his chant.
17 Karasuma
17 Black
17 Rika
15 Blue
12 Green (Damage: 18)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
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As the intruder swings at Kensaku, she reaches for her amulet, willing it to protect her... but too late to avoid the blow. She gasps in pain as the weapon cuts deep, and she feels a stab of irritation as her mental barrier forms just a second too late.
She feels frustration again as she has the wrong weapon for these quarters, before repositioning herself between Darshan and the table and bringing her Naginata down with a shout.
Kensaku brings her polearm to bear on her target as Darshan maneuvers around to knock the mans weapon away. His companion steps forward, swinging his axe inches from Darshan's face. In the hall, the double doors are both ripped open, leaving Rika and Pratts the only defense. The warriors axe swing hangs on the doorframe, sparing Rika its edge. In the grand hall, the door to the kitchen crashes open under the assault of the invaders behind it.
17 Karasuma
17 Black (Damage: 10)
17 Rika
15 Blue
12 Green (Damage: 18)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
Looking at his dropped axe in dismay, the first enemy fumbles at his belt, drawing a stoppered flask. Heedless of the Vudrani's harassment, he lobs the item at Kensaku! Unfortunately for him, it flies over the samsaran's head to smash on the ground in a burst of flame.
At the broken door, the enemy moves in, to be caught completely off guard by Karasuma's sudden appearance. The curved blade slices a nasty, bloody gash as he screams in pain, before gripping his axe and returning in kind. His blind swing makes a lucky connection, coming dangerously close to vital arteries before the tengu is able to twist away.
17 Black (Damage: 10)
17 Rika
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
15 Blue (Damage: 22, Bleeding 3)
12 Green (Damage: 18)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
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Rika lunges at the one Pratts has already attacked, stomping down on one of his feet, slamming the hilt of the blade into his face before stepping back just enough to slash at the man's throat, calling on a different animal aspect as she realizes that her belt already provides her with great strength.
Rika's blade lays open the mans throat, arterial spray misting the wall of the entry way as he topples backwards. If he yet lives, he likely will not for much longer.
As Rika turns, she sees from the corner of her eye a man descending the stairs in a serene pose. His feet hover just above the steps as he turns the corner, and his bare chest is covered in tattoos. He floats fully into the entryway before lashing out at Pratts. Not to damage, but to wrap him in a headlock!
17 Black (Damage: 10)
17 Rika
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
16 Xun
15 Blue (Damage: 22, Bleeding 3)
12 Green (Damage: 39, Unconscious, Bleeding)
11 Pratts (Grappled)
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange
7 Red
6 Yellow
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As Shigeru chants the words of his spell and pours the iron powder he rotates slowly in a circle. The dusty substance falls slowly to the ground in intricately linked geometric patterns, directed by his magically charged will. Upon completing a full 360 degrees the lines connect to make a full magic circle which promptly bursts into flame as Shigeru incants the final words of "ENLARGE PERSON". The smoke from the fire quickly flows together into a single stream of gas and snakes its way down the side of the tower to engulf Chomper.
The spell complete, Shigeru rushes to make his way down to the lower floors in a much more mundane way than his eidolon.
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The smoke wraps around Chomper as the eidolon makes their way around the building. Expecting the spell, they greedily bite as the smoke with their many mouths and hastening its application. As the smoke is both consumed by maw and absorbed by skin, Chomper's flesh stretches and bulges. Muscles expand and bones lengthen with sickening pops. In mere moments the eidolon has doubled in height, quadrupled in size, and octupled in mass.
Chomper rounds the corner of the building, sees the shattered window, and hears the cries of pain from within. Slowing only slightly, the creature lashes out and claws the unrecognized foe within as they continue past toward the wider egress of the double doors.
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Cursing her missed strike, the samsaran jerks her blade upward in an attempt to catch the opposing duelist off guard, but fails as her wound flares in pain from the force in the swing.
She fumbles with her belt a little before drawing a thin stone wand covered in protective sigils and pictograms from one of its loops, regretting she didn't prepare to use its power before just now.
Pratts savages the tattooed man with claws, eliciting a grunt of pain but failing to force him to release his grip. Chomper rounds the building and delivers a heavy swipe down his targets back. Both men scream in terror at the leering eyes in the window. Despite the distraction, Kensaku fails to connect around Darshan and the protruding wall of the house. Karasuma and Rika attempt to dodge the swinging axes of their foes, but the distraction of the Xun holding Pratts allows the one remaining in the doorway to strike a blow to the tiefling.
17 Black (Damage: 10)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
16 Xun (Damage: 16)
15 Blue (Damage: 22, Bleeding 3)
12 Green (Damage: 39, Unconscious, Bleeding)
11 Pratts (Grappled)
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
7 Red
6 Yellow
Screaming in terror, the heavily wounded warrior swings wildly at Darshan before ducking to the side for cover from the horror outside. The first assailant, seeing the ineffectiveness of his fire, reaches for his axe despite the danger. He hefts it at Darshan as well, but the Vudrani nimbly dodges aside of both blows.
17 Black (Damage: 12)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
16 Xun (Damage: 16)
15 Blue (Damage: 22, Bleeding 3)
12 Green (Damage: 39, Unconscious, Bleeding)
11 Pratts (Grappled)
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
7 Red
6 Yellow
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Karasuma draws the shadows around himself to make himself less of an obvious target.
He makes the enchanted cold iron blade dance in front of him, hoping to land a blow and end the first opponent before he gets whacked again.
As a follow-up to the original question of the blade, for the heck of it he adds in his beak, to keep his opponent off-guard if nothing else.
Karasuma's sudden strike catches the man by surprise again, and he pitches to the floor, blood spattering the wood where so recently Amara Li had served you all tea.
17 Black (Damage: 12)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
16 Xun (Damage: 16)
15 Blue (Damage: 48, Unconscious, Bleeding 3)
12 Green (Damage: 39, Unconscious, Bleeding)
11 Pratts (Grappled)
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
7 Red
6 Yellow
Just as the wrangler is about to secure Pratts in a neutralized state, Rika cuts deep into his side, nerveless fingers losing their grip on the ropes.
17 Black (Damage: 12)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
7 Red
6 Yellow
Shaking off the rope, Pratts savages the man in the doorway, carving painful gashes that leave his lamellar armor stained red.
17 Black (Damage: 12)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
7 Red (Damage: 27)
6 Yellow
Pratts sees his chew toy get pummeled and twisted in a horrific manner, leaving the man bloodied and bruised on the threshold of the house.
17 Black (Damage: 12)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 10)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
7 Red (Damage: 34, 34 Nonlethal, Unconscious)
6 Yellow
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Magic trails from the wand in Kensaku's hand as she speaks the command word, a faint, translucent blue smoke pouring in front of her and coalescing in a perfect circle that is convex on the side of her opponents. She then puts the stone wand bacl I her belt and returns her grip to her naginata, ready to strike any who come to close.
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Darshan jabs the man as he picks up the weapon, but fails to knock it from his hands again, deftly dodging the clumsy swing. The other assailant maneuvers around the room, attempting to dodge Kensaku's strike and get inside her reach before swinging out himself. On the opposite side of the house, Karasuma's foe edges into the room, his own axe swing hesitant as he tries not to look at the bleeding corpse of his companion. Darshan is also easily able to dodge the enemy attack.
17 Black (Damage: 17)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 21)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
6 Yellow
Karasuma and Pratts eviscerate the lone remaining foe, while Rika steps in to aid Darshan, cleanly slicing the head from the enemy's shoulders.
17 Black (Damage: 51, Dead)
17 Rika (Damage: 7)
17 Karasuma (Damage: 10)
11 Pratts
11 Shigeru
10 Chomper
10 Darshan
9 Kensaku (Damage: 21)
7 Orange (Damage: 18)
6 Yellow (Damage: 35, Unconscious, Bleed 3)