Ansrithar rockets forward past Damian and Min and tears into the lead Marrash, gnawing a chunk out of its hide. It yelps and spins to face the sleek white dragon.
@Dolo: Apparently, there is to be no sleep for you. A strange, metallic clacking and crinkling noise is approaching, seeming to come from all around.
1d20+0
Aside from being badly wounded, you cannot tell precisely what is wrong with Ana, but it probably is nothing that magical healing or Laying On of Hands couldn't fix, you reckon. Judging by her dress and physique, you would guess she is a monk. Probably a Q'adin monk, a follower of either Gorum or Cayden Cailean from the land of Goreme, a ways to the south of here.
Lin continues to skirt the edge of the town as Ans comes rocketing past to engage the enemy with a feral roar. Lin barely notices her cousin as she struggles to remain in the air as Min lines up his bow with the Marrashi to Ans's left side. He quickly releases two arrows off in rapid succession hoping that the minor magic of his bow would be able to punch through the defenses of these flying abominations.
Takes a hint from Min and fires his bow as well!
Deadly aim!
Attack
Damage
@Dolo: Apparently, there is to be no sleep for you. A strange, metallic clacking and crinkling noise is approaching, seeming to come from all around.
Dolo quickly breaks down his meager camp and stuffs it into his haversack, thankful for the extra-dimensional space considerations.
He looks around furtively, understanding dawning on him tha this camping spot was a terrible choice. Once he figured the best way to escape, he would.
@Dolo: Apparently, there is to be no sleep for you. A strange, metallic clacking and crinkling noise is approaching, seeming to come from all around.
You hear a voice that sounds like metal scraping against rock, it is painful to hear. It always sounds like it is coming from behind your ears, somehow. "llllluuuckbennnnderrrrrr...givvvve usssss baaaaaack ourrrrrrsseelllllvessssssss..."
Dolo is frightened by the sounds, and startled that his name is used.
"Don't harm me! Who are you? How do you know me? What do you want?"
He looks around furtively, not knowing where the sound is coming from. Despite his fear, Dolo thinks he has pinpointed the source of the noise and the voice.
"I did find some rings from a Marrashi warrior. Are they what you seek? Are they a part of you? How did they in up in his possession? How can I help you?"
Dolo's keen intellect quickly takes over his baser instincts of fight or flight. He understands the uniqueness and rarity of an event like this and his curiosity and thirst for knowledge drive his actions now.
As he speaks to them and he realizes what they might be after, he pulls the coin purse taken from the fallen Marrashi out. He gathers some of the strange ring in his hand and holds them out, ready to drop them if necessary.
As he speaks to them and he realizes what they might be after, he pulls the coin purse taken from the fallen Marrashi out. He gathers some of the strange ring in his hand and holds them out, ready to drop them if necessary.
Though you still cannot see them, you realize exactly what it is you are dealing with, and that the rings in the bag are indeed tiny slivers of the Metallum. There is another strange rustling crinkle and then you see odd metal lines moving through the rock at your feet. Bizarre alien tendrils of metal slide gracefully -- too gracefully, too fast -- up from the ground and hover querulously in front of you. They do not move with the wind. Bending towards the bag, they say "ooourrrssssellvesssssss"
Dolo tosses the rings in his hand gently to the hovering Metallum form, gauging how the "being?" reacts to the introduction of the rings into the host.
Dolo reaches into the bag and feels for more, careful to keep the gold coins separate as they have their own significance.
Dolo spoke in Telestari for the ritual so he tries it here. "Greetings noble Mettalum. I am Professor Dolo Luckbender." Dolo then rattles off the same questions he asked before.
The tiny rings bounce off the strange metal spikes that rise from the ground. There is a keening sound. "nnnoooooooo they are no longerrrrrr ouurrrrssssellvessssssss what have they done? whaaaattt...whhaaaaatttttt." A few of the metal spikes wrap up in to a ball around the rings. There is an odd crunching noise, then the ball reopens and a fine dust is washed away by the high winds. The keening continues while the creature speaks to you. ""lllucckkkbennnnderrrrrr you arrrre knowwnnn to ussssss...300 yeearrssss agooo we caaaame for the rockssssss for the energyy in themmmmm and they fight usssssss they fought ussss yourrrr shininggggg onesssss toook oursssellvessss and made ussss into shellssssssss we waantttt to eeat we mussssst eattt the energyyy the oresssssss"
The tiny rings bounce off the strange metal spikes that rise from the ground. There is a keening sound. "nnnoooooooo they are no longerrrrrr ouurrrrssssellvessssssss what have they done? whaaaattt...whhaaaaatttttt." A few of the metal spikes wrap up in to a ball around the rings. There is an odd crunching noise, then the ball reopens and a fine dust is washed away by the high winds. The keening continues while the creature speaks to you. ""lllucckkkbennnnderrrrrr you arrrre knowwnnn to ussssss...300 yeearrssss agooo we caaaame for the rockssssss for the energyy in themmmmm and they fight usssssss they fought ussss yourrrr shininggggg onesssss toook oursssellvessss and made ussss into shellssssssss we waantttt to eeat we mussssst eattt the energyyy the oresssssss"
Dolo tries to think about the history of the Metallum and the battle that was fought so that the alien entity didn't destroy this world by robbing it of its resources.
@Sir Damian:
One of the marrashi falls to the twin assault of Min and Belsarious, its body spiraling quickly down to the Bennaladi dirt. The rest pull up and fire. This time they aim for the riders, perhaps realizing the folly of attempting to take down dragons with arrows, leaving the luckless marrash trapped by Ansrithar to fend for itself. Not surprisingly, it runs terrified from the white dragon, and prepares to attack from a distance.
Fortitude save
"They got me1"
"Lets give them a taste of their own medicine"
Min smiles as the marrashi's arrow strikes him, instead of Lin, in the side. He gives a barking laugh at their attempts to bring him and Bel down, he spares a glance to Sir Damian as he comes bursting into view. "Indeed Belsarious let us show these abominations the power of our bows!"
The bond boiled as Lin worried for her rider, it wasn't often that the enemy adapted so quickly. She desperately hoped that he could hold on long enough for her to bring her claws to bare...
The poison burns in his blood, but Damian simply grits his teeth and rides the pain through. The one who shot will be the first one to die. His blood drips down the shallow cut made by the marrashi arrow, falling onto the town below. "It will take a lot more than that, creature of darkness." He lowers his lance in preparation for the charge.
At the slight downward angle, Keythan's descent is a swift one. Damian's teeth rattle as he grits them in a snarl, righteous fury pressing him forward. He connects with the beast, driving his lance straight through its black heart. The creature doesn't have enough time to register its demise, falling from the sky and hitting the ground with a heavy thump.
Damian spins the griffon around and lifts his lance high into the air. "Marrashi, dark spawn of the outer planes, you will die here today! You will be the first of many until your kind no longer preys upon this world like a cancer!"
@Dolo: You know that there is a relatively famous incident mentioned in certain religious texts of Iomedae, as well as in history texts of the land of Hallas, that talk about the arrival of an alien, extraplanar presence; what came to be known as the Metallum Aeternum. This hive-mind entity from a high-gravity plane of terrific density first sent forth its servants, the acid-coated and slug-like Delvers , to tunnel through the rock and determine if it was fit for them. Encountering the intense level of magic that is naturally present in the Land, the Delvers told the Metallum that it was ripe and delicious, and so the creature came across the planes to The Explored Land.
The famous architect and stonemason Beltz Wellrock, a dwarf, had the misfortune of being in his mine when the Metallum appeared, and almost lost his life that day. The Metallum brought many delvers and started consuming the ore, including precious metals. The dwarves fought back but while they could kill the delvers, albeit with some difficulty, their weapons were useless against a being made of pure metal. So it was that Beltz prayed to the Forgefather for aid, and to the Inheritor for courage, and Torag sent Beltz a vision, a vision of a suit of armor made from the incapacitated flesh of the Metallum itself! He also gave him a hammer that, while useless in battle, could work the skin of the Metallum. Iomedae gave Beltz's miners knowledge of war and magical weapons that could help defeat the Metallum and give Beltz raw material to work into armor and more weapons.
So it was, then, that Beltz and his son Wolf fought the Metallum Aeternum for a year and a day, with Beltz being killed in the final battle wherein the alien being and its delvers retreated far into the rock, beyond where the dwarves could reach it. Iomedae and Torag knew the Metallum would return, and so they put Wolf and his army, hundreds of dwarves all equipped in armor and wielding weapons made from dead parts of the Metallum, to sleep in a crystal cave in a crypt somewhere in the Mana mountains in the north of Hallas, to be awakened when the time had come for them to again fight the Metallum Aeternum, and drive it from this plane.
I'm on my blackberry and sadly can't see the spoiler tags. I will have to check it later or if someone doesn't mind emailing a poor sap lol I would appreciate it.
1d20+10
** spoiler omitted **
Once again going for Deadly aim!
Attack
Damage
Belsarious' arrow flies just wide of the mark as his targeted Marrash dodges to the side.
Syl carefully kneels beside the wounded woman, and can only believe what her faith tells her - that she must use what power she has left on this woman, and pray for the best. She places her hands accordingly, and channels through from her link, praying all the while that this will cure her of her ills and problems. Self-sacrifice was the utmost miracle she could give to others, and to lighten their load.
And that was Ansrithar's plan.
He charges again, his teeth seeking another taste of the creature's hide to rip it apart before it can escape again - and also seeks to entangle it within its jaws, hoping to keep it still. This way, he distracted them from the others, and kept the focus on him - and showed his true alignment.
The Marrash, fighting defensively, is just able to avoid Ansrithar's gnashing jaws.
Meanwhile, in the hut, the woman Ana comes to. Her breathing is still regular, but a bit labored. Looking at you, she seems to understand. She touches your cheek gently with her finger tips and whispers "...thank you...paladin..." She then slowly starts to get up, her eyes closed against the pain. "Have...have the orcs gone? Are they gone? Are we in danger?" She is looking around the hut, as if she has misplaced something and needs urgently to locate it.
As Min let's fly another set of arrows in a deadly arc towards another of the abominations, he spots the flames in the distant northeast. Even with the terrible sounds of battle all around him he couldn't help but stare at the distant flame...
Then his blood ran cold, the flames were moving. With his superior eyesight it was easy to tell it was moving towards there position, how fast though he couldn't say for sure...
He muttered a silent curse as he turned and tried to shout above the din around them.
"Damian! The flames in the northeast are slowly coming towards us!"
Nothing more needed to be said, Damian was a soldier and knew that whatever was approaching was still a ways off but the need for haste was still of the essence. Min nocked another thistle arrow and gave there remaining enemies a determined glare. None would escape this time, the lives of the remaining villagers were relying on their ability to move unseen. Having a single enemy in the air would ruin any plan they had, hopefullt though Lin could stay in the air long enough to finish this...
@Min:
The Marrashi reconfigure complexly into a defensive position, maneuvering so that Ansrithar is between them and Sir Damian. They apparently learned to respect the Cavalier's brutal charges. From this new formation they let loose another volley of arrows, but their spinning and ducking reduces their accuracy and all their shots are well off the mark. They are yelling and cursing in Auran, howling and rolling their eyes at you.
@Syl: "A-Ha!" Ana lets out an exclamation and holds up a growler of ale. The older farmer on the floor smiles, his eyes light up. "You finished it!" "Yes," Ana replies, "The instructions came from Brother Balsamon himself. First we must defend you, then I can try to help with whatever is happening outside." Ana takes a giant drink of ale, and some of her wounds begin to heal. She leads the farmer outside to where the boy and the three unconscious villagers you healed are lying. She pauses to center herself, then moves quickly through a complicated kata of some sort, slapping the ground with both hands at the end, causing a dome of gentle, bluish-white energy to form over the farmers. Ana nods in satisfaction, then takes another drink of ale. More wounds heal and a light blue-white glow starts to surround her. She looks quizzically at the battle raging in the sky between your companions and the Marrashi, then turns to you and puts her calloused hand on your shoulder. "Friend Paladin, you have done more good than you know. I can assist here, but...what is happening? Dragons...? Why are there dragons? Who is friend and who is foe?"
Damian makes a quick measurement in his head, skilled at estimating aerial distances. One of the Marrashi is just out of position, which would be its fatal undoing. Damian let's out a battle cry, zooming towards the creature. Barely making it around the white dragon, he brings his lance down just in time to plunge it deep into his foe. "There will be no escape!" The Marrash falls, a gaping hole in its chest spewing dark blood to the ground.
With a dismayed shriek, the doomed marrash realizes its mistake too late to save itself. The last thing it sees is Sir Damian and Keythan bearing down, then blackness.
Another enemy falls, dead before it hits the ground.
@Dolo: With that same hissing, rattling crinkle that accompanies all its movements, the Mettallum moves to surround you while you are ruminating on the history of the strange creature's comparatively short time here in The Explored Land; dozens of razor sharp edges form a strange circle around you. Again its bizarre voice; "lllluckbbeennnnderrrrr...whhhyyyy can we nnnnnotttt feeeeed herrrrre...? ...whhhhhyyyyy do theeeyyyy killll ourselvesssssss? whyyyy the smallll onessssss fight forrrr rockssssss? youuuu ssssawww usssss help the sssssshadow-touched one...you sssawwwww...you can hhhhheellllp usssssssss..."
"We have them on the run now!"
Deadly aim!
Attack
Damage
Belsarious' arrow just whistles past one of the Marrashi. It appears unperturbed and sticks to its defensive position, preparing to once again move away from Sir Damian's lethal lance.
@Dolo: With that same hissing, rattling crinkle that accompanies all its movements, the Mettallum moves to surround you while you are ruminating on the history of the strange creature's comparatively short time here in The Explored Land; dozens of razor sharp edges form a strange circle around you. Again its bizarre voice; "lllluckbbeennnnderrrrr...whhhyyyy can we nnnnnotttt feeeeed herrrrre...? ...whhhhhyyyyy do theeeyyyy killll ourselvesssssss? whyyyy the smallll onessssss fight forrrr rockssssss? youuuu ssssawww usssss help the sssssshadow-touched one...you sssawwwww...you can hhhhheellllp usssssssss..."
"What, pray tell, do you propose I do?"
@Dolo: With that same hissing, rattling crinkle that accompanies all its movements, the Mettallum moves to surround you while you are ruminating on the history of the strange creature's comparatively short time here in The Explored Land; dozens of razor sharp edges form a strange circle around you. Again its bizarre voice; "lllluckbbeennnnderrrrr...whhhyyyy can we nnnnnotttt feeeeed herrrrre...? ...whhhhhyyyyy do theeeyyyy killll ourselvesssssss? whyyyy the smallll onessssss fight forrrr rockssssss? youuuu ssssawww usssss help the sssssshadow-touched one...you sssawwwww...you can hhhhheellllp usssssssss...""What, pray tell, do you propose I do?"
"The ssshhooorrrrt onessssssss...unnnderrrrrgrrrounnnnnd...tellll themmmm we dooo nnnott meaannnnn harrrrrrrrm, onnnnnly to feeeeeeed. Mmmmake themmmmm sssstop kiiiilllllliing usssssss. WWeeeee cannnnn paayyyy youuuuuuu"
"The ssshhooorrrrt onessssssss...unnnderrrrrgrrrounnnnnd...tellll themmmm we dooo nnnott meaannnnn harrrrrrrrm, onnnnnly to feeeeeeed. Mmmmake themmmmm sssstop kiiiilllllliing usssssss. WWeeeee cannnnn paayyyy youuuuuuu"@Dolo: With that same hissing, rattling crinkle that accompanies all its movements, the Mettallum moves to surround you while you are ruminating on the history of the strange creature's comparatively short time here in The Explored Land; dozens of razor sharp edges form a strange circle around you. Again its bizarre voice; "lllluckbbeennnnderrrrr...whhhyyyy can we nnnnnotttt feeeeed herrrrre...? ...whhhhhyyyyy do theeeyyyy killll ourselvesssssss? whyyyy the smallll onessssss fight forrrr rockssssss? youuuu ssssawww usssss help the sssssshadow-touched one...you sssawwwww...you can hhhhheellllp usssssssss...""What, pray tell, do you propose I do?"
"I know not why the do what they do. I have very little influence in their affairs. I will look into the matter, rest assured. That is the best that I can offer under the circumstances."
The Marrashi reconfigure complexly, fanning out again and unleashing another hail of arrows. While the majority of them fly well wide of their targets, one hits belsarious, wounding him as Lin attempts to dodge.
On the ground, a monk steps out of the hut that Syl went into and begins performing a complex kata. She finishes with a flourish and a smack of her hands on the ground, and a dome of pure ki energy covers the surviving villagers. She takes a giant swig of ale and drops her stance, then, centering herself before her next move.
After Min's shouted warning, you're all able to see the same thing he does; the fires from the north are getting closer. It's hard to tell how soon they'll arrive, but they're coming.
@Dolo; you, too can see the fires from the Northeast moving south. It's not a big stretch for you to guess that they are heading to the place your companions went.
Aiming at the enemies in the back rank of their defensive formation, Min lets loose another deadly pair of arrows into one of the wounded Marrashi, as the abomination begins to falter. He nocks another arrow and aims at the one next to his previous target, he takes notes of its wounded state as he puts tension on the bow. Lin on the other hand continues to fly over the enemy position to give Bel and Min the best possible attack angle.
"Belsarious lets focus on their wounded, that way we can put an end to them quickly and leave them no chance to break off!"
"Brook! Start moving the survivors to the town to the west. We'll cover from the sky, but you need to get them moving!"
With another devastating charge, Damian thins out the number of enemies by one. He can tell that they are simply harrying them to slow them, but Damian won't allow that to happen. They will begin to move and fight at the same time. With these cannon fodder troops, his main worry will be exhaustion instead of injury. The sooner they knock the enemy out of the sky, the more time they'll have to rest.
"You are right Min!"
Deadly aim!
Attack
Damage
"The faster we remove the fodder tha better!"
Between Min's deadly bow and Sir Damian's lethal charges, the Marrashi have been reduced to four in number. At this rate, there is no way they'll be able to delay you sufficiently for the far-off forces to the northeast to reach your position.
As Belsarious' arrow grazes an evading Marrash, Ansrithar launches another attack, damaging another of the flying outsiders with his razor teeth. Meanwhile, on the ground, At Sir Damian's shouted order Brook immediately sets about working on makeshift litters for carrying the three unconscious villagers, with Sylsalvitae's assistance.
Min Syl
"The ssshhooorrrrt onessssssss...unnnderrrrrgrrrounnnnnd...tellll themmmm we dooo nnnott meaannnnn harrrrrrrrm, onnnnnly to feeeeeeed. Mmmmake themmmmm sssstop kiiiilllllliing usssssss. WWeeeee cannnnn paayyyy youuuuuuu"@Dolo: With that same hissing, rattling crinkle that accompanies all its movements, the Mettallum moves to surround you while you are ruminating on the history of the strange creature's comparatively short time here in The Explored Land; dozens of razor sharp edges form a strange circle around you. Again its bizarre voice; "lllluckbbeennnnderrrrr...whhhyyyy can we nnnnnotttt feeeeed herrrrre...? ...whhhhhyyyyy do theeeyyyy killll ourselvesssssss? whyyyy the smallll onessssss fight forrrr rockssssss? youuuu ssssawww usssss help the sssssshadow-touched one...you sssawwwww...you can hhhhheellllp usssssssss...""What, pray tell, do you propose I do?"
"Listen. My friends may be in trouble. I have to go help them. They appear to be in danger and I must go warn them." offers Dolo, hoping to get the Metallum to take a less hostile position around him and allow him to go free.
He refuses to commit or promise to anything but he will look into the matter further.
@Dolo: A single spike of the Metallum hovers in front of your forehead. It is very long and sharp, and lethal-looking. Then, smooth as gently rippling water, the metal transforms into a bizarre, three-fingered hand. "...lllluckbennnnderrrrrr...ourrssellvesssss willl llllet you lllleavve...firsssst we would touch youuuuuuu...letttt ussssss showwww you...sssshooowww youuuu our paainnnnn...thennnn you willllll underssssstannnnnnd..."
@Dolo: A single spike of the Metallum hovers in front of your forehead. It is very long and sharp, and lethal-looking. Then, smooth as gently rippling water, the metal transforms into a bizarre, three-fingered hand. "...lllluckbennnnderrrrrr...ourrssellvesssss willl llllet you lllleavve...firsssst we would touch youuuuuuu...letttt ussssss showwww you...sssshooowww youuuu our paainnnnn...thennnn you willllll underssssstannnnnnd..."
Reluctantly, with great trepidation, Dolo reaches out his diminutive hand to grasp the Metallum's grip. His hackles are raised and his mind is prepared as well as one can against the unknown.
Dolo mutters prayers under his breath to Iomedae, waiting for something to happen.
As the Marraashi move into yet another formation, Min has a hard time following his target as Lin tries to keep up with their nimble enemies. He releases his first arrow and barely has time to see it veer off target, he doesn't pause as he nocks and releases his second arrow not knowing if it will hit.
Lin brings herself around to shield the side of the village from the oncoming enemies, seeing as they have suddenly split up. She gives an angry roar at the Min's target as it nimbly skirts outside the rage of her claws.
"Let me have another shot at em."
Deadly aim!
Attack
Damage
"I am surprised they still have fight left in em!"
"Let me have another shot at em."
Deadly aim!
Attack
1d20+7
The four remaining Marrashi are holding to their formation, though their constant baying in Auran is getting less and less forceful with each one of their comrades that falls out of the sky. Reaching back, they pull forth their diseased arrows, hoping to give each of you a nice parting gift of filth and contagion. They let fly arrows, two at each of you and two more for Ansrithar from the Marrash in front of him.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the Monk Ana has completed another kata and at the end of it, as she is in a deep, strong, stance, a bluish-white fireball launches forth from her hands at the wounded Marrash that Min just hit with a Thistle arrow. The fireball explodes against the outsider, singeing its fur.
Unfortunately, the Marrashi land a few hits with these diseased arrows, striking Min and Belsarious and Ansrithar. Syl's white dragon howls in pain as the strange outsider poison seeps into the wound.
@Sir Damian:
As the Marrashi unleashed a volley of diseased arrows at the three of them. Min twisted in the saddle and threw his shield out, to just barely deflect one of the arrows coming at Belsarious. Before he had time to recoil though a powerful pain lanced through his side as he was struck, with his blood running freely down his leg and along Lin's silver scaled side as he painfully turned back to take hold of his bow. He sucked in a shallow breath as the pain in his side was intense, that arrow was buried in deep and he wasn't enjoying the idea of digging it out later. He quickly nocked another arrow and put tension on the bow as he aimed at his previous target.
"They look to be losing their resolve, no matter what we can't let any of them slip away..."
Lin felt the pain from the arrow striking Min and she gives an angry growl at the nearest Marrashi. She would rend it from the skies for what they had done to her rider!