For several moments Gergo was silent...he was not contemplating the battle to come, his distraction was more or less unhelpful to the entire situation. What finally broke him out of his short reverie was the talk and thoughts of strategy and tactics they would employ to take down the demon they would soon lure here; this reminded him of the potential for their encounter with Kikonu and what possibly could be the greatest battle they would have within the walls of this castle.
<I brought my bow and chakrams...but I'd be better off if he was in range of my axe. Is there anyway to stop him from flying?>
<And you will be fighting with us, is that right?>
Fridays looks back and forth between the others and nods. Once the conversation was over it would be time to barricade and prepare.
He couldn't help though but smile back at Zaiobe. The feralness of her simple actions, and her animalistic features complimented her beauty, rather than hurt it in his mind. Just like Haru and Valeria.
I have a question If I may ask, What... are your plans afterwards? When we destroy this fellow I mean. Do you intend to rule the roost here so to speak move on to greener pastures?
He asked biting his lip and not asking the darker thoughts he had about her possibly further actions. There is redemption in all things possible, Even a harpy might serve the goddess if it choose to.
If Zaiobe's smile was a disease then Gergo was happily infected as he mirrored with a toothy grin of his own. It made him wonder what she was smiling at though...Was it that she liked a good scrap? Or maybe that she was glad to be rid of her demon lover? The latter seemed more plausible to Gergo, she seemed less of a fight fanatic...that didn't detract from her allure of course, he almost could not help look back at her before taking his finger off her hand and moving on to help with the barricade.
He had such a beauty and she fancied him as well! But he chased her away because he thought it would be funny to hurt her...why do people always go to such a roundabout way to hurt others?! If you want to hurt someone, grab something sharp and don't stop swinging till they stop moving! But if you've got someone you care for like that you don't hurt them, even if you are mad...that's why we have tavern's! So we can start fights and take out our anger on people we don't like! Gergo's movements freely reflected the thoughts in his head; he was too eager when he carried or pushed things, moved in too much of a hurry, and while a rare small frown was on his face, his eyes seemed to be staring at something far away from this room and the people within it.
"You could travel with us! Although we'll probably head back to Sandpoint after this." Friday immediately offers without a thought.
Friday tilts his head in confusion, and ends up saying aloud, since his brain is drawing a blank, "I... what?"
Friday tilts his head the other way, but manages to organize his thoughts coherently. "I... why would I do that?"
An annoyed expression crosses Friday's face, and it's easy to tell its the Harpy's experiences rather than her words that are causing it. "People are nice in Sandpoint, and no one bothers Miss Valeria when she's there. Also, it's by the sea."
Of course Friday based his perception of "people" off of Shalelu, Ameiko, Koya, Haru, and Valeria since all the other townsfolk he avoided or avoided him. And to his knowledge of his much shorter time their than the others he himself believed that no one has ever bothered the Arcanist.
He frowned at Friday's suggestion. Miss Valeria was a teifling, something altogether different than a flesh and blood harpy wandering about. But. . . the people of Sandpoint were (for the most part) good.
It might take some time for them to get comfortable with you, but . . . I dont see why it couldnt work.
He added his thoughts to the discussion but said little else. He did keep an amused eye on Gergo, hurrying back and forth getting an occasional silly grin on his face
There's a few kinks in Friday's suggestion, but I think we can work something out when we have the time for it. For now; let's get that prep-work done.
Friday blinks before turning to the Arcanist. "No one bothers you Miss Valeria... do they?"
<Kaer Maga might be more welcoming...> Haru muses, but decides not to continue.
With the conversation over Friday will bow towards Zaiobe and, only slightly reluctantly, release her hand to go about fortifying the room.
Once Zaiobe announces setting into motion Friday nods before drawing the Whispering Shrike and looking around at those present. "Um, who would most benefit from the protection? Me, Gergo, Kavell, and Ishga are engaging him head on I believe, so that leaves Miss Haru, Valeria, and Zaiobe. Who would Kikonu most likely to target?" he asks, his voice going back to its usual quiet and stifled tone.
"That's what I was thinking too..." Friday mumbles while scratching the side of his head with the hoot of the blade. Unable to decide he turns to Haru. "Miss Haru, you're really good with tactics, who do you think I should use it on? Miss Zaiobe?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Zaiobe, this weapon is enchanted. If I touch it to someone it will transfer some of the wounds they receive to me."
Bookshelves were reordered, simple blockades were made, and his axe was out. Gergo hoped that Zaiobe was right about her former lover He'll be probably tougher than the crow-men, so that fighting him should be fun...maybe even challenging The warrior found an empty table and sat down on it, with one hand he held his weapon and with the other whet stone. Sharpening his weapons was not among his favored activities, it was so monotonous and repetitive but something's just couldn't be helped.
"Whenever your ready to call him" He raised his head and halted the task at hand, shifting a few now half dried strands away from his face.
"Hold off for now, we don't know whether he'll focus his anger on Zaiobe or someone else. If he does start focusing on one person, you can ward that person. "
-Posted with Wayfinder
Listening to Haru Friday will give the archer a resolute nod and bow.
He too nodded and found a spot he hoped was mostly blocked from view beside/behind one of those bookshelves
"Gergo! You can't hide behind that support beam, it's too narrow! Get behind a bookcase!"
Finding a good spot Friday blinked a few times as he watched his companions... attempt to hide? He hopes. Was making yourself unknown something that was hard to do?
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Once the party has positioned themselves in ambush, Zaiobe gathers her bow & arrows, folds her wings around her and bows her head. The air around her seems to go still...
Time passes before the shuffling of footsteps can be heard coming from the library's stairs. The footsteps are interspersed with giggling and a chipper voice saying something in a singsong voice...
"何度も何度もカラスを浸漬するつもりは、カラスをつつく、カラスがつつい..."
A strange-looking red-skinned man with a large nose and a shock of wild white hair struts up the stairs, dressed in dark orange silken garb embroidered with teal lines on the shoulders. As soon as he spies Zaiobe, he grins and cackles. Zaiobe just glares at him, impatiently tapping one of her talons against the floor.
"Ah, darrrrrrling. I knew you wouldn't be mad at me forever." Kikonu spreads his arms wide and steps forward towards her, revealing a small, strange-looking weapon consisting of a farmer's scythe on a chain around his waist. "You knew it was just a joke, right? When would I everrrr do anything to hurrrrt you?"
"I see you decided to do some rrrredecorrrating, eh?" He grins and looks around at the recently-moved bookshelves. "Can't say I blame you for blocking the view outside--it's a HORRRRIBLE day." He looms over Zaiobe and licks her ear, causing the harpy to flinch.
"Although I rrrreally do wonderrr why that filthy human is watching us." His head snaps to where Gergo is hiding and he grabs the chained scythe at his belt. "I don't like having an audience."
Another growl comes from a different hiding spot.
"...I can wait no longer." The ringing of a steel sword being unsheathed sounds throughout the room and Ishgha steps out of hiding, his eyes burning with rage. "YOU HAVE A DEBT OF BLOOD TO PAY, COWARD!"
Kikonu recoils in surprise. "Wha--?"
And when the party steps out of ambush, Kikonu's face contorts into a twisted expression of hatred. "You... you traitorous WHORE!"
Friday bursts forth towards the red man.
Friday's spear pierces the red man's skin, but already he can see the wound starting to stitch itself back together! "OW!"
All the time they spent in hiding gave Gergo a small window to further anticipate and reflect on the battle to come. Zaiobe promised them that Kikonu would be a worthy challenge, but no matter how much Gergo tried to stay positive...a lingering doubt kept poking at the wall of optimism he had built around his expectations; it whispered with each poke what if he isn't? The wait became more arduous because of that, and Gergo remembered stopping himself from shifting his shoulders too much lest he'd be seen.
The warrior's grey eyes looked into the newly sharpened weapon, it gave a vague reflection of him, but for some reason he could not break away from the sight, he looked bored...no, more disgruntled than bored, he never liked hiding but he understood its necessity in battles, so it was something else, but what? The time at the graveyard, his thoughts of Fredrik? Zaiobe's tale, and the demon's senseless actions? He couldn't quite catch sight of the answer, but what he witnessed clearly was the vague reflection in the axe was not smiling anymore.
"Although I rrrreally do wonderrr why that filthy human is watching us." His head snaps to where Gergo is hiding and he grabs the chained scythe at his belt. "I don't like having an audience."
Another growl comes from a different hiding spot.
Gergo tried to laugh on the inside at being found first, because he thought it was something they'd would all joke about once this was all over, but the mental chuckle never came. What did came though was an over sense of impatience. How long was he supposed to wait before he could let his axe bite into Kikonou's flesh?
"...I can wait no longer." The ringing of a steel sword being unsheathed sounds throughout the room and Ishgha steps out of hiding, his eyes burning with rage. "YOU HAVE A DEBT OF BLOOD TO PAY, COWARD!"
Kikonu recoils in surprise. "Wha--?"
And when the party steps out of ambush, Kikonu's face contorts into a twisted expression of hatred. "You... you traitorous WHORE!"
The answer came all too quickly, but still he wasn't glad, and that could be seen plainly on his face as he stepped from his hiding place his axe firmly gripped in one hand but there was no stance...not even his wild and unrefined one. It was just him standing tall with his right side facing Kikonu. The usual upturn on the corners of his mouth were nonexistent, instead his lips showed a straight emotionless line that perfectly matched the annoyed look in his eyes, but this transformation did not end at a change in expression and lack of proper fighting stance. Gergo's very posture; the way he raised his head slightly, the way he stared down at Kikonu almost made it seem like the usually jovial warrior was looking down on the demon, that he was disgusted to be even in his presence and above it all he looked unamused and bored.
What stillness possessed Gergo was shattered within a moment. In an instant he was in front of the red demon. His axe was raised far above his head, the muscles of his arms flexing along with his weight as the man gathered every bit of momentum he could to put behind his attack. The sound of Gergo's boot echoed through the chamber as it crashed into the floor and what followed the howl of the wind as the axe descended at diagonal angle, an inhuman power and speed pushing towards Kikonu.
Greedy's head perked up, it flapped its wings and turned its head from right to left "DEAD MEN! DEAD MEN!"
Gergo lands another solid blow, widening the wound inflicted by Friday much more. "ARGH!"
Haru starts singing.
Moving from her hiding spot quickly, Valeria tried to position herself where her new trick wouldn't hurt anyone else (or if it did, then it was someone who could take the hit).
Normally; a spell is magical energy funnelled through specific formulae to achieve a desired effect - wizards do it through training while sorcerers do it without realising (albeit with notably simpler mechanics). That simplified nature of the sorcerer's magic made Valeria curious if one couldn't just bypass such complexities entirely.
It required she draw on a specially-cultivated reservoir of energy within herself (rather than the ambient energy normally used for conventional spells), but the resulting gout of flame she unleashed from her hand certainly got the job done.
Such rude words belay a rude nature, I wont have it.
He said focusing on the inner reserves of goodness that resided in his soul striking at the red skinned man with all the strength he could muster.
Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Cha bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability.
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Everyone in Valeria's line of fire manages to dodge the worst of it, but they're still singed.
Kikonu outright shrieks in pain as he feels fire lick his face, and narrowly avoids Kavell's holy swing. Zaiobe hisses and unfurls her wings to reveal her longbow, nocked with a flaming arrow.
Before she has a chance to fire, Ishgha leaps forward with his blade swinging wildly!
And he manages to cut a gash into the demonic man's side, even as it begins to heal over.
Zaiobe aims her bow as best she can and fires a shot...
...this one hitting him right in the groin. The wind is driven from his lungs.
Felt that, huh? Guess his regeneration's the same as in the story's I've heard about trolls - can't heal burns. She wasn't sure if troll regeneration actually worked like that or not - and was in no position to try and remember at that moment - but confirming even one of Kikonu's weaknesses was a help.
Sadly, the melee had started in earnest now and, unless Kikonu took to the air and she could get a clear shot from below, there was no way of using her flames again without even more friendly fire incidents - she did make a mental note to apologise to Gergo and Zaiobe later, though, she should have mentioned the flame trick while they'd been preparing.
She was sure, however, that Kikonu would identify her as a serious threat - she wasn't sure how her flames compared to Zaiobe's flaming arrows, but any source of fire-based attacks were going to draw his attention if he had even the slightest whiff of self-preservation instincts.
With that in mind, Valeria quickly erected a barrier around herself to make it harder for the tengu to hit her.
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For a moment, everything goes still as Kikonu's eyes well up with rage and pain. His blood drips from the many wounds he's sustained, the droplets *sizzling* as they land on the hard cobblestone floor. He coughs, sending another gout of blood drizzling from his mouth.
He looks back at Zaiobe... and giggles madly. "...clever girl. But not clever " He suddenly roars as his form begins to shift and warp...
The sickening *CRACK* of bones suddenly expanding mixes with the tearing of flesh and silk as a pair of bright white wings sprout from his back. His face twists from a red-skinned, long-nosed caricature of a human man into something else entirely--the skin peels back from his face to reveal throbbing, blood-drenched muscle. His once white eyes glow a bright, solid orange, and his red skin lightens to a pale teal colour mixed with rust.
His fanged mouth opens into a sneer, and he chuckles. It's not the same mad laughter he was indulging in before--this time, it's utterly cold & devoid of mirth.
"Catch me if you can."
And with a flash of light... he disappears from the library. Great gales of his mad laughter can be heard from downstairs!
Zaiobe stares for a moment in shock before her hands begin to shake with visible rage. Ishgha growls in anger and starts racing back down the stairs.
Eyes still aglow from his celestial heritage mixed with a paladin's zeal he moved almost as fast as Ishgha rushing for the stairs.