Extracts in force : fly
Morvius visibly slumps as the spell hits him "Whu..? Huh..? Oh... Yeah..."
Immensely calmed and feeling splendid for the first time since his introduction to Talon went so disastrously wrong earlier today, Morvius flies over to Sindran. He lands a courteous distance away and places his clawed right hand on his chest, before bowing deeply.
"A thousand thanks, Master Sindran, for your timely intervention. I must apologise deeply for my behaviour; your friend - whose name I still don't know - may have provoked me but we are all ultimately responsible for our actions."
Morvius continues:
"I had in fact noticed the arrival of yon walking lumberyard, and I suspect we are of one mind as to how to proceed."
The spell has evidently made Morvius VERY placid, as he continues to talk at some length:
"Indeed, House Zaan (of which I am a proud scion) is a very minor tributary of the Chelish nobility, but we have ancient roots; and like all ancient families we have accumulated a number of sayings over the centuries, in addition to the motto on the House Crest."
Has he finished? Apparently not...
"The saying which currently springs to mind is indeed the oldest of our sayings and is unattributed, going back to time immemorial. It is a saying that I often bring to mind and it has stood me in good stead many a time. I would consider it a true honour to share it with you, if you speak Infernal (alas, it does not translate well). It goes *ahem*"
Morvius pauses, reflecting on something - the spell has evidently deeply affected him.
"Sindran... Sindran... Are you he whom the Cardinal refers to as 'Master Cindering Hate'? He spoke very highly of you, and I can see why."
"Now, I shall be happy to go and deal with yon treant - might I suggest an aerial assault? I have noticed that it appears to control the trees around it, which might make a more terrestrial battlefield approach somewhat hazardous. I should of course be honoured to attack the thing myself to show you what I can achieve."
As a swift action - via his prehensile tail - Morvius retrieves another extract from his person (targeted bomb admixture) and drinks it. He then pauses, somewhat embarrassed - although it is difficult to tell given his natural skin colour (blood-red leather).
"*Ahem*... Master Cindran ... I find I cannot obtain any violent impulses toward it - perhaps you could release me from your spell?"
"An excellent saying," Sindran remarks, pleased with its various interpretations. "I shall remember it."
"The Cardinal spoke of me?" Sindran gives the barest tilt of his head, apparently considering that piece of information.
He eventually appears mollified by the show of deference and the release of the spell is apparent to all affected, even when the half-orc makes no movement.
"Very well. Take point to show your capabilities."
Talon's eyes blaze with fury and his hand starts glowing a dark red and black (something even the others had not seen before), but at Sindran's intervention he calms down. He stands, looking at Morvius for a moment, then shakes his head and sheathes Rygat. "Not worth the time or the resources." Control yourself Talon, members in debt to the same devil are not to be fought. He is about to leave when an idea comes up. He takes out the schematics they've found and made on the alchemical golem, showing them to Morvius. "We found this earlier and want to get it working again. If you want something to do, it's probably right up your alley." Talon then goes off explaining all the magic and alchemy involved in the process, showing the kind of intelligence you would expect a wizard to have. As Morvius is reading through the papers Talon glances up at Sindran, as if to say Ya, I lost my head. Won't happen again.
Oret, realizing that Sindran intends to wait for the treant, takes charge of the situation as best he can. He considers their target for a moment, then speaks.
"Those that will be in melee need to swarm it as soon as possible. It might get off an attack, but should only swing at one of us as we approach. Considering that it's ultimately a tree, I suggest we stick to slashing weapons - axes and the like. I will try to keep it focused on me, if possible. We will hide ourselves in the trees and it will come to us."
"Those that will be attacking at range, hide in the cave until it arrives. We will draw its attention toward the trees, and you will attack from behind it so that we don't block your view. If you've been aching to burn something, Sindran, I'd imagine now is as good a time as any."
With that, he draws a single cold iron kama and makes his way to the trees.
Sindran obliges and heads into the cave.
"I can fall upon it from above."
Oret nods. "Very well, but you should still hide until it arrives."
Talon will set himself up in the highest location possible, wings covered in leaves and folded around his body.
As the tensions rise between Morvius and Talon, Caladwhen very visibly rolls her eyes while sighing impatiently. Men. So typical.
Preparing to object to their behavior, Caladwhen suddenly feels Sindran's spell wash over the would be combatants, and everybody else in the area. Being near emotionless to begin with, the spell appears to have almost no impact on Caladwhen's demeanor.
Looking over her shoulder at Sindran with a quick nod, Caladwhen appears appreciative of his intervention, if only for a just a quick second.
Potential conflict from within averted, Caladwhen quickly changes focus to the lumbering danger approaching "If the Treant is upon us, then yes," pausing, Caladwhen fires a quick glance at Morvius and nods before continuing
Taking to the air once more, Caladwhen addresses Oret's plan before producing her wand and heading back towards the caves "Oret, I can provide additional melee support by sending Kumanda and our baggage carrier to the front, you need but tell me where you intend to engage."
On seeing the schematics, Morvius' yellow eyes almost visibly light up; he falls into easy conversation with Talon without hesitation. As it becomes clear that Talon knows what he is talking about, Morvius is forced to reconsider his earlier opinion.
"It appears that I have misjudged you; I took you for a common thug and treated you as such. Might we try again? Morvius Zaan, at your service."
Listening to Oret and Sindran, Morvius appreciates the value of a two-pronged attack, but is dubious about the prospect of a ground assault on the treant. He says nothing however - he is still new to the group.
Instead, he follows Oret's instructions and flies to the cave, saying first:
"There is a chance that I might be able to knock the thing down with a bomb, which should give you an easier time of it - no guarantees, of course."
Talon frowns, watching his dark wings remain in contrast with the nature around him. He instead tries to find a log or a rock, something that he can hide behind entirely.
|
The thundering paces come ever closer. Slowly, the thick giant trees of the vibrant forest gently move aside to make room for something even larger. From deeper inside the forest, finally a larger-than-life canopy can be seen approaching. The treant easily towers another 20ft above the 70ft high peaks of the rainforest, and as it comes near, your neck aches from staring straight up, and you cannot help to realize the awesome powers of nature.
a slow, creaking, moaning voice booms in your general direction :
"" he lectures, ""
I think I have a pic somewhere...
This unique specimen measures a full 20ft in diameter, and his topmost branches scrape the clouds at nearly five times that much. Truly, a marvel of nature.
Talon's bones chill at the creature. These are what my brother spoke of. He stays in hiding but bows his head respectfully to the creature, and there is no deceit about it. He may be planning to end the Treant's life, but he respected his life and power.
Oret, not wishing to engage himself in conversation with a talking tree, moves quickly, slipping into a defensive pose and engaging Jurak.
Talon follows Oret into battle, flying up to engage the creature face to face and summoning the fire within Rygat to cloak the blades edge in flames, and then using his own power to make it burn even hotter, then as his blade connects fire erupts outwards.
Extracts in effect:
At Oret's signal, Morvius swoops toward the walking tree...
Morvius struggles to recall all that he can of the wooden beasts, but ultimately one fact is seared in his memory: FLAMMABLE. So ... mix reagents ... carefully ... doubling in size -> 8-fold increase in volume ... compensating ... beware Maxwell's Demon ... The explosive mixture within the vial seethes with energy, awaiting its coming apotheosis.
So... now ... focus. Morvius considers the nature of the Infernal Hierarchy; the way that it tricks, it evades definition, it slips with ease out of the constraints that mortal fools seek to impose. He concentrates on bringing this quality out from within himself - his mortal-tainted blood makes this difficult, but at his bidding a wreath of greasy haze coalesces around his clawed right hand and condenses. He allows the oily liquid to drip into the vial, counting the drops.
... seven, eight and ... nine. Nine is the perfect number, decreed thus by the Dark Prince since forever. Morvius remembers that the elfling girl treated the word with derision; she will learn better, in time. Perhaps that lesson will be at the Cardinal's hand, or Tiadora's - perhaps even Asmodeus himself. Morvius cares not. All his attention is on alchemy, on consummating a reaction between the reagents in his vial and the reagents that constitute his target, that wretched bit of wood made animate. A mercy, almost, to end its existence.
The force of the Infernal Hierarchy rests - at least in part - within that "almost".
Between the motion / And the act / Falls the Shadow. Morvius breathes over the vial, a prayer and supplication to the Dark Prince, pleading his case.
All this takes mere seconds, though to Morvius it feels longer - a lifetime of mixing, calculating, adjusting, measuring, invoking. Finally the bomb (although the word hardly seems adequate to describe what is literally concentrated malice, hatred, and treachery in material form) is ready and Morvius hurls it at the treant with a vile imprecation
x 1.5 for the treant's vulnerability to fire =39
A hit! The flames engulf the wooden giant, but the smoke - yellow and oily - does not rise; rather it sinks to the forest floor, forming a slick of grease around the treant's feet.
Is it possible that I shall never see a sight so lovely as - a burning sentient tree... Morvius watches, his mind already giving thought to his next move.
Watching closely as her allies begin to unleash fire and ash on the force of nature, Caladwhen considers the range of possibilities.
Fire was never my thing, but we appear to have an abundance of it.
Nodding towards her minions, she commands them to engage the Treant, instructing Kumanda to find a flank position opposite Oret, and the Anklyosaurus to flank opposite Talon. Lend your yourselves to the assault.
Now for something entirely new.
Folding her hands together, Caladwhen raises them towards her chest while closing her eyes. Resting in this position, Caladwhen whispers quietly in an unearthly and frightening dialect unknown to all around her.
"Belbau dosst dro fashka ulu ussa!"
Upon uttering the words, Caladwhen's opens her hands revealing flowing and turbulent dark energy that seems to have materialize out of nothing. Opening her eyes, they appear to be swirling with the same energy as she looks intently at the Treant. Outstretching one hand, Cala points at the lumbering hulk and whispers harshly "Tarthe!"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Aerent charges forward, and completely misses the massive living tree standing right in front of him.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Finally - someone to protect!
The nature of Jurak's task is impossibly dull. Consider him acting as a warning, when whole years go by and there's nobody to warn.
You can imagine his lifted spirits, as finally some new life force is near - he now may once again Execute his Sacred Task!
But what's this??? In the middle of his carefully formulated and weekly rehearsed warning, Jurak is rudely interrupted by a tap on his stem.
|
|
Looking down, Jurak spots the Evil Creature, brandishing a weapon, nonetheless!
Jurak hesitates not, and takes a terrifying step forward, extinguishing the Evil like an insignificant insect.
(reflex DC 29 half)
The tree now is directly above (in fact, ON) Oret. As a result, Oret is now [pinned] under the tree, getting stung by dozens of unpleasant roots.
Oret > Sindran > Aerent > World - SA/AOO > Morvius > Talon > Caladwhen
Sindran in the cave starts the circling motion of his spell, summoning a great ball of fire.
In the sky above the treant, heat begins to gather in one place, becoming more and more visible until a spongy ball forms itself and begins to drop right onto Jurak's head.
Talon roars in pain as his skin gets shredded, and he raises Rygat, about to release his fury before pausing. This isn't some small foe to trifle with, be smart. He raises his left hand and curls it around him, creating mirror images of himself. He then brings his flaming sword down for another blow.
|
- fire deals 50% extra damage to treants. Everybody is already using that, but now you formally know.
- Treants can bend the laws of nature in odd ways. They may shape, bend, and even animate the trees around them. Thinking of what a treant this size may do to an entire forest is sending some unfamiliar warning signals down your spine.
Sindran: 6 fire dmg = 9 dmg
Morvius: 26 fire dmg = 39 dmg
Talon: 25 fire dmg = 37 dmg
Rygat is making soft noises, humming contently for a change, as Talon chops off a stout branch from the Treant's canopy. "would a hmmmm hmmm chuck if a mmhmm mmhm.."
end of round 1; 85 damage.
Sindran watches impassively as the sphere he cast continues to burn on top of the treant.
Seeing that it doesn't move, he repeats his spell and casts yet another sphere on top of the treant, right next to the first one.
"I say, those of you on the ground - be aware that thing can control the plants around it - much like our own elfling lady treats corpses. What you do with that information is up to you of course, but I thought you might like to know... "
Unless something drastic happens before Morvius' action, he'll throw another grease bomb:
fire damage
Bombs remaining (today): 10
Watching as Oret disappears beneath the treant, Aerent attempts to channel his abyssal fury into a blow against this protector of the Horn!
Oret recovers from the treant's attack and lashes out with his kama. It travels almost too fast to follow, and looks awfully impressive...and that's about it.
|
|
With the added threat of Aerent and Talon surrounding the treant, Oret finally manages to get to a spot where he can tear off a shred of the Treant's bark.
Wary of the grease, the treant ignores flaming balls focusing entirely on the alchemist. (The treant delays its actions until after morvius)
a booming voice echoes through the woods. ""
Then, only slightly less loud, his slow, mooing calls out to the nearby forest, as Morvius predicted: ""
around you, three giant trees slowly uproot themselves. (well, not so giant as Jurak - but still...)
Aerent stubbornly ignores the spectacle, and uses his trident to twist off a root from the Treant's feet.
Oret:13 dmg
Sindran:13 fire dmg, 14 fire dmg; 40 dmg
Morvius 22 fire dmg; 33 dmg
Aerent: 21 dmg
Fearing for his life, he moves towards the casters -
- but the only progress in that direction he makes, is by way of gravity...!
Jurak is falling - his canopy covers a 50x50ft area, most of the SE corner, so everyone currently there is in danger of getting struck unless you move, - reflex dc18 half.
"Only if it burns loudly enough."
It seems that there is at least one thing more lovely than a burning sentient tree - a falling burning sentient tree...
Morvius performs a gleeful Infernal jig in mid-air
"Down you go, soilsucker! *ahem*"
Realising that this lacks a certain dignity, Morvius stops and carefully smooths down his velvet cloak.
Callista? Morvius ponders what this might mean: a calling, a spell, what?
On the principle that if he strikes the shepherd the sheep will be scattered - and that, unless they can fly, they can't harm him - Morvius ignores the animated trees, taking care only to fly out of their reach.
fire damage
Aerent dives out of the way of the falling treant!