Buttersnips dances in place, pirouetting like a Taldan ballerina, YES, YES, YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!! You hear that, you're going to die, bird-brain! Whoo-hoo! Well, I'm glad we could come to an accord, Your Majesty, She shakes Seori's hand vigorously. I would have hated of something untoward would have happened otherwise! MR.FLATBELLY! Bring them the antidote! The ridiculously dressed Ettercap walks over and hands each person a small vial of blue liquid. Buttersnips laughs merrily, Why that look? I just wanted to make sure if you didn't agree that you would not be able to side with that silly magpie! To make up for it, I have a gift for you! She reaches into one of the pockets on her butterfly dress, the insects rapidly attempting to flap their wings but unable to, and retrieves a small strip of silvery paper that looks like a prayer or blessing tag, Tian characters for 'Rest' and 'Hallow' being repeated a lot. This was in the shrine located behind the castle. It's what you Humans call a Prayer Tag. This one is keyed to lay to rest any sort of unliving being. You may need it to get up the stairs, since the dead are sort of noisy in that part of the castle. Just slap it on the wall and you're good to go! A nice compensation for possibly dying, yes? She claps her hands in joy and bounces around, completely oblivious to some of the expressions the group wears.
Seori accepts the prayer tag with the calmest countenance she can manage, despite the sudden tripling of her heartbeat at the word 'antidote.'
Poisoned...and the tea had no strange taste or odor at all...is this what an empress's life is like? To be targeted on all sides?
She wastes no time in sipping the blue antidote, bowing lightly to Mr. Flatbelly as he passes by. She's quite certain now that nervous sweats can be prevented by force of will, as her forehead remains dry.
"This will certainly help us balance the scales, Lady Buttersnips; my thanks. And, despite any possibly unfortunate ends which our gathering may have met, I must compliment your attendant on the tea."
And learn how to discern poisoned drink in the future...
Frakk me, So it was poisoned. Oh well not the time for afterthought.
Takeshi looks at the empty cup, and appears to tune out for a few minutes.
No taste, no smell,.. The perfect poison!
Buttersnips curtsies, You're very much welcome, Your Majesty. Glad I didn't have to be a terrible host and kill everyone! she says with a giggle. Mr. Flatbelly clicks his mandibles rapidly. Buttersnips picks up the tea kettle and throws it at the Ettercap, the fine porcelain shattering on his lumpy head, THERE'S NO REASON TO BE RUDE! *Ahem* Thank you for complimenting my manservant on the tea. You are not required to compliment his absolutely boorish behavior though, and I assure you he will be reprimanded for it! Now, if that is all, I have some duties to attend to.
Mamoru's eyes flashed as the antidote is delivered and the betrayal revealed. He upended the table with enough power to send it crashing toward the fae and thrust forward with his spear in one terrible, practiced motion. The rules of hospitality had been broken, and his ward endangered. He'd failed in his duty, but he would slay this honorless filth before he put his blade to himself.
"You will die for this treachery!"
The tea cup still in his hand, Takeshi's reflexes take over. He drops it onto the table, and it almost falls off. He searches for his bow and arrow, even as his lips starts to whistle a tune.
Hiriko sigh's before taking her feet. I did mention that they are crazy and operate using their own fickle morale compass. I wasn't kidding when I said that. Hiriko continues to mumble as she stands and pulls out a silver covered bolt. Need to start memorizing detect poison. With a quick incantation the bolt launches itself from Hiriko's hand.
Time slows to a crawl as the entire tea table leaves the ground; Seori's eyes freeze in shock at the enraged visage of her protector moving to slay their host. Her thoughts race as she witnesses Onitora reach for his spear.
Mamoru...Kami's mercy how did I not know he would do that?!
Thankfully her training kicks in just in time, carrying her to her feet, and sending her arms grasping the haft of Onitora's spear as it lunges, using all her strength in an effort to drive the tip harmlessly upward and away from any victims.
"ONITORA! You will not murder our host, no matter her actions! I know she poisoned us all, but the danger has passed and we are in accord; to slay her now would be betrayal in kind, and even less honorable! I understand your anger in this, but the failure is mine, not yours!"
Edit: hoping we find the antidote on the body though :P
Frakk Me ! was all Sophia could say
Mamoru upturns the table with the deranged Quickling still on it and proceeds to stab with his spear. Seori tries to stop his outrage, but is not quick enough. His furious jab causes the spear to pierce Buttersnips head as she lay on the ground with a sickening *SQUELCH* and the sound of stone shattering can be heard, the spear going straight through the creature's skull and planting itself a few inches into solid stone. Her corpse twitches for a moment or two, then ceases, a pool of scarlet spreading from her head, which now resembled a split melon, about a foot in circumference and steadily growing as the blood empty's from the massive wound.
Hiriko, noticing that Buttersnips is as dead as dead can be, takes aim at the Ettercap and whispers an incantation. A bolt flies from her crossbow, grazing the creature and causing a sickly orange ichor to leak from the wound.
Takeshi draws his weapons and releases an arrow.
>>
Surprise round,
From where she is sitting sophia will just make a gun firing motion with her nad and a ray will shoot off.
vs Touch AC
Takeshi's arrow grazes the Ettercap's hide, dealing only a minor wound.
Sophia's gesturing with her hands during the firing of the ice shard makes it veer off course, missing the Ettercap.
Alaren knocks his bow and fires an arrow at the arachnid creature, , his arrow nicking the Ettercap's arm.
Mr. Flatbelly lets out a chittering and rushes over to Alaren, snapping with it's venom-dripping mandibles...
Narrowly missing the Elven ninja.
Round 1
Vs Touch AC
Takeshi tries to repeat his earlier success and releases another arrow.
More violence...is this the only way to secure the future?
Seori winces at her regrets before drawing her sword and dashing towards the attacking ettercap, bringing her blade down in a practiced cleave.
"Faster." Mamoru rumbles to his charge as he carefully pulls his spear free of the floor, mostly ignoring the disgusting spider creature.
Hiriko moves to clear her line of fire and barks out another incantation and lets fly a second bolt at the ettercap.
Alaren, in the heat of battle, nocks his bow and fires...
Missing Mr. Flatbelly, who takes a moment to retaliate, snapping with venomous jaws again...
Landing a bite on Alaren's shoulder with a wet crunching noise. Alaren feels disoriented for a moment...
Fighting off the poison coursing through his veins.
Takeshi aims and fires as well, the arrow whizzing by the Ettercap's head.
Seori dashes forward and cleaves Mr. Flatbelly with her blade, carving a swathe across his chest. Emboldened by Mamoru, she strikes again and misses his head by an inch.
Sophia hurls a bolt of fire at the creature, which quickly dodges the attack by shifting his torso and leaning to the right.
With a whisper, Hiriko's bolt flies from her crossbow and plants itself in the Ettercap's gut with a sickening *PLOP*.
Mr. Flatbelly, injured by the group, turns his full fury on Alaren, lashing out with his sickle-like claws and envenomed mandibles...
Missing with his claws, but savagely biting Alaren's throat, blood gushing from the wound as he crumples to the floor, unconscious.
The spider that Mr. Flatbelly rode earlier skitters into the room and takes a bite at the fallen Alaren...
The arachnid's mandibles drive through the Elf's skull with a sickening *CRUNCH*, killing him in a manner eerily reminiscent of Buttersnips death mere moments ago.
Takeshi begins humming a song, hoping the others will not feel the dread that he is beginning to feel about the death of their sneaky friend.
Mamoru sighed at the incompetence of his new allies, but bared his teeth in a devilish sort of smile when the song started. Perhaps this Takeshi person was not a complete waste of flesh after all. He always appreciated music added to the flow of battle.
The big oni stepped forward to engage the giant spider who had just killed whatever his name was.
Round 2
Sophia move back to a corner of the room and Mr Flatbelly I order you to kill that spider !
Seeing Sophia's intent Hiriko prepares A simple evocation waiting until after the monster attacks its mount or clears its senses.
Distraught at the breakdown of events and dismayed at the sudden death of another friend, Seori is nonetheless determined to end the battle before losing any more comrades. She weaves around the ettercap's side, trying to maneuver closer to the exit to block any escape, and ends her step with a low stance, cleaving across the ettercap the moment it makes it's move.
Septic moves into position, blade ready to strike if Mr. Flatbelly succumbed to Sophia's spell and attacked the spider.
Sophia finishes her incantation and a nearly imperceptible red sparkling mist appears over Mr.Flatbelly's eyes. Once it dissipates, you see his eight-fold eyes glow a red, then return to normal. He looks at the oversized spider and clicks his mandibles angrily.
Hiriko holds her spell, tiny golden sparks dancing between her fingers, waiting for the perfect opportunity to release the dazzling arcane light to disorient her foe.
Manoru brings the spear down hard on the spider, planting deep within it's abdomen. He then twists the spear and yanks it out, shattering chitin and revealing the disgusting milky fluid surrounding the spider's viscera.
Mr.Flatbelly, his mind twisted by Sophia's spell, savagely attacks his former pet...
Clawing and tearing furiously. The spider twitches, barely able to keep it's footing.
Seori takes her swing, cleaving into Mr.Flatbelly and leaving swathe of opened tissue in her blades wake.
Hiriko releases her spell, a blinding cloud of spark exploding in front of Mr. Flatbelly...
ignoring the brilliant display of light.
The spider chitters pitifully, and turns to attempt to limp away.
Mamoru turned his attention to the one called Flatbelly. He knew he should have killed it when it did not leave with the other mongrels.
He took two quick, loping steps and thrust with his spear, lancing it's tip past his ward and into the disgusting spider thing.
Takshi is trying to find an opening where he can fire his arow into the big thing. Mamoru's spearthrust foils his attempt, and he fires wide in order not to hit his weapon.
Round 3
That Frakking worked to our advantage, I am really Glad Mr Flattbelly ripe the Frakk out of that spider instead of one of you. she says bursting in laughter.
the sticks her hand out again in a gun like motion and from the tip of her finger.
Vs Touch AC on whomever ever is left alive
Hiriko notices Mr Flatbelly's complete lack of interest or concern in the pretty lights she created switches to firing another bolt hoping to take the creature down before he is able to deal any significant damage. With a brief incantation one more missile leaps from her hands and attempts to find a worthy target.
Seori sidesteps once again in an effort to secure the ettercap's flank before it can decide to flee, attempting to cut it down once and for all.
Seori maneuvers to flank the horrible verminoid and swings her blade with all her might to try to finish the fight. In her zeal, her swing does not hit the intended area, but sill manages to cut into the monster's flesh.
Sophia fires her icicle, motioning like she is firing a dragonfire cannon, as the Tian lands call firearms. The icicle plants itself firmly in the Ettercap's emaciated gut, eliciting a pained shriek from him.
Hiriko's bolt plops into Mr. Flatbelly's head, sending him to the ground, sickening ichor oozing from his head, but still breathing.
Mamoru, determined to never have to look at the foul creature again, jabs the blade at the base of Mr. Flatbelly's neck, severing the spine with a loud *SNAP*. Mr. Flatbelly twitches for a moment, before letting out a gurgle and going limp, apparently dead.
The wounded spider still limps down the main hallway, visible from the door. It moves in the direction of the front gate.