"Let's see what information I have on these Terror Birds..." Mira scans her databases for useful knowledge.
Mira can think of no actual creature with that name, nor is "Avis Asinorum Terribilis" anything other than gobbledygook as far as naming conventions are concerned.
Mira giggles softly in amusement. "My, it seems these 'Avis Asinorum Terribilis' simply do not exist. I suppose we will just have to see what it is that we are really dealing with in this next room."
Otto chuckles at Mira's statement. "Well that's helpful. I guess we just grab these eggs and try not get eaten in the process."
Although Oster's first attempt isn't effective, a second attempt gets the job done, and he pushes open the door.
As it opens you see an amazing sight. Somehow, it seems as if you have passed into some vast wilderness preserve. You see blue skies and feel the sunlight on your face. You feel a warm breeze and hear the sounds of chirping birds in the distance. The floor appears to be a plain of fine green grass. You see four structures, each composed of three five- by ten-foot offset platforms on top of an eight-foot high pillar, separated from each other by about a three-foot jump. They look a bit unstable. Set on various tiers of the towers are thirteen glowing eggs, each the size of a football. They shimmer in the bright daylight. On the ground are eight birds, each as tall as a man. They are wearing modern composite armor that includes both a helmet and a shoulder mounted repeating crossbow. Beyond these monsters are six dancers, all in extremely daring bird costumes, right now standing still. Hovering high in the sky over everything is a three-sided scoreboard, slowly revolving to show all of your names and statistics. It describes the monster team as Team Terror Bird.
"Oh, axe beaks," Oster thinks to himself. "They look bizarre in that armor, though. If I wasn't still feeling that wight I might start wondering if this whole thing is just a bizarre nightmare."
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Okian looks to the rest of the party and smiles. "Perhaps those of us more inclined to defense can hold off the armed ones while the others obtain the eggs?" He chuckles a bit. "Or we could always use our tried and true method of everybody rushing in and killing everything in sight." He says playfully.
"Ah, axe beaks, of course. Now that, I can tell you plenty about."
Most of the axe beaks remain where they are, but three are close enough to attack Okian and Oster, and they do so. None manage to harm the heroes of Pentakill, however.
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Although not all of the birds themselves attack, the heavy crossbows mounted on their shoulders do so. Rounds are fired at everyone but Otto. One bolt each hits Oster, Okian, Mira, and Ko.
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Otto, along with his four doubles, ducks out the door and heads left to the north-most nest.
Round 1
Oster grunts as he's shot, but there isn't much to do at this point now that they've been swarmed. He steps closer to one of the beasts, studies it for the weak points he knows about, then thrusts forward with his rapier.
Oster puts one of the terror birds down easily.
Ko tries to pull one of the birds towards him, but the crossbow bolt in his shoulder throws off his aim.
Okian's blade doesn't quite have the same brutal efficiency as Oster's rapier, but it still badly wounds the "terror bird," which turns to flee. It's place is taken up by fresh arrivals, though, which flock toward Ostar and Okian with murderous intent. One, already back in the corner notices Otto's stealthy movement, and runs to confront him too. Oster's defensive stance keeps his rapier between him and the birds' vicious beaks, while Okian's armor does the same for him. Otto would not have been so fortunate, but the terror bird attacks one of the illusory doubles rather than the sorcerer himself, destroying it but leaving him unharmed.
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Even as the birds' cruel beaks snap and slash, the crossbows mounted on their shoulders fire another volley. This time, Oster feels one of the bolts catch him in the chest, barely missing a lung. Okian likewise takes bolts in each arm, sending blood pouring down his sleeves and making his hands slick with coppery fluid. Mira takes only a minor cut across her forehead, thanks to a timely twist of her head that kept the shot from removing an eye, and Ko likewise is creased by shot, leaving a deep slash but nothing life-threatening. Otto is again shielded by his illusory duplicates, but the crossbow bolt does destroy another one.
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Even as the PCs attempt to recover from this onslaught, a new wrinkle in the room appears: from somewhere off to their right, a large rock suddenly comes into view, as though hurled by a giant. It flashes toward one of the egg-holding towers in that corner and slams into the lowest platform. The entire structure shakes and groans under the assault, and the eggs wobble ominously.
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Round 2
Oster is just starting to feel like he's getting the hang of these birds when another crossbow bolt hits him square in the chest. "Damn," he wheezes. But there isn't a lot of time to spend worrying about the injury with so many of the birds still up in his face. He takes a moment to study the one that very nearly got him, then spits a gob of blood in its face as he thrusts his rapier into it.
This wrinkle with the rocks hitting the platforms is also concerning. "Get the eggs while you still can, Otto! We'll keep these oversized chickens occupied!" Shouting is difficult with the chest wound, but this is the room with the three locks all over again. They don't have time to deal with all the problems sequentially.
Otto looses a few expletives as two of his doubles vanish. He reaches down to touch the egg and casts a spell, immediately feeling his body lighten.
As soon as Otto touches the egg, it vanishes, and 2 points appear on the scoreboard overhead.
Mira makes some feinting attacks at the northmost bird, creating an opening for her allies.
Ko steps into the room and attacks the nearest terror bird.
Ko's flurry of fists and blades annihilates another beast.
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Okian was sent reeling by the bolts as they slammed into him, stumbling back for a moment before bringing himself back to position, hefting the heavy blade once again. He stepped forwards, using the movement to add more power to his swing, the blade falling down once, twice, into the bird before him.
Okian's first attack strikes the "terror bird" easily, but the beast dodges the second fairly easily. Still, the wound drives the bird away, sending it fleeing to huddle against the far wall.
Most of the other birds are not so reticent, however, and snap their beaks toward the heroes. None manages to make contact, and even Otto's illusions are safe.
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The crossbows mounted on the birds' backs are less forgiving, however. As the first one fires, the bird jerks - almost angrily - and Mira and Oster try to take advantage of the sudden opening. Oster's blade cuts lightly, but it is just enough to drop the bird before the crossbow fires. The others largely miss - though Ko dodges only from a quick shout from Mira - but Oster takes yet another bolt.
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Round 3
Oster notices, painfully, that the mounted crossbows on these birds are proving much more effective than the avian creatures themselves. So, assuming for the moment that Okian and Ko will adequately handle the two that are still up in their faces, Oster instead steps a little farther away and fires some force missiles at those that have fled in order to put them down for good.
Otto and his two remaining doubles float up to the second platform and touch the next egg before moving on.
Otto floats up and claims a second egg for Pentakill, and the scoreboard registers another 2 points for the team.
Ko stares at the vast bird before unleashing his blows with a supernatural quickness.
Ko's onslaught easily dispatches another bird. Of the four that remain, two are badly wounded and seem unwilling to approach you for fear of further hurt, while the ones that threaten Okian and Otto are essentially unharmed.