Capricia continues to close on the monster, circling the far end of the pit in the forest floor.
Caspian waits just long enough to receive Bimble's spell and then advances as fast as he can, pulling his rapier as he goes.
Sara doesn't want to get too close without her armor, but still she moves forward to help if needed, keeping up her oratory support "Watch its tail, and claws, OH and it's teeth. Hurt it enough to drive it off...I think"
While most of the group is moving up to get closer to the beast, Rossana takes a shot with her crossbow. It sticks into a nearby tree, missing the manticore, but the sound alerts the creature to the attack. Still blind it flies up into the air about fifteen feet, shaking its head back and forth try to clear its eyes so it can see what is going on.
Seeing the beast give up chase Moffis makes a break for it and does his best to hide behind the roots of an overturned tree as he calls out to you all "By the Gods, help me please! Kill that horrible thing!"
"Killing it is the plan, or at least making it GO AWAY!" Sara yells at the thing. "And don't stop and hide, keep running!" Sara yells at Mofis. "It is blind and fly, surely that isn't wise." she yells just in general.
The thing is in the air, and Sara has nothing but a sharp sword "Maser Ficklebopper? I don't suppose this thing can understand us, can it? Most of my magic depends on that."
Seeing the creature fly up into the air, Rossana quickly positions herself and sends out a wave of greenish energy to her allies.
"Oh good! Thank you!!" the baker yells back to the gnome as she considers what next.
Knowing that she has only one dagger to use at range against the flying manticore, Capricia doesn't bother flinging it. Instead she stays hidden behind the tree trunk, ready to charge and attack if the beast drops down lower...say to attack Ox-Boy Moffis.
Caspian heads for the tree nearest the manticore, trusting in Bimble's magic to help him gain height.
Sara stumbles on the fourth or fifth root as she runs toward the majestic killer. "Paving! Why can we have paved pathways here!" she snaps at Nature, being the city girl she is.
Finally, she gets close enough to the creature... too close probably, she notices she is the closest to it, and those claws... whoa.
"Master Bimble says you can understand common, so I wanted to make sure you knew your human-like face is about the ugliest I've ever seen. Looks like a dock worker I knew that got dropped on her face a dozen or so times growing up. Gods, is it hideous. I got a bag here we could cut holes in for you to spare the world from that mess."
Cutting Remark (Su): At 3rd level, a wit can wound with his words. The wit can spend 1 round of bardic performance as a standard action to deal 1d4 points of nonlethal damage + the wit’s bard level to a creature within 30 feet. Damage Reduction applies to this damage.
At 8th level, a target who takes damage from cutting remark is also sickened for as long as it remains within 30 feet of the wit and for 1 round thereafter. Additionally, the nonlethal damage counts as magic for purposes such as overcoming damage reduction.
At 14th level, a target who takes damage from cutting remark must also succeed at a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the wit’s bard level + his Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. A creature that makes a successful save is immune to the dazing effect of the wit’s cutting remark for 24 hours.
Cutting remark is a mind-affecting, language-dependent effect, and relies on audible components.
Rossana manages to fire off one shot and reload while trying to maneuver and get into position.
Caspian continues into the tree, finally coming in reach for a thrust into the beast's paw.
Capricia works her way around the back side of the creature trying to be quiet. Sara starts throwing insults at the flying creature which seem to visible rile it up a bit. Rossana takes a shot with her crossbow and since the creature isn't aware of it coming she connects but it only scratches the beasts flesh leaving a minor wound. Caspian climbs up the nearby tree thanks to Bimble's spell and strickes out at the manticore, again able to connect with it not knowing the attack is coming. Bimble uses a wand on himself to get some protection before preparing to cast another spell once the manticore regains its sight.
Even without it's sight the manticore felt where Caspian attack from and tries to bite him.
Luckily, he misses as the beast bites into the tree instead of Caspian. Moffis just cowers in place watching from his hiding spot as the group deals with the threat.
Quickly reloading, Rossana takes aim and fires once again, hoping her spell lasts a bit longer.
Caspian dances along another branch thanks to the magic in his feet and strikes again.
As the beautiful beast attacks a tree, the bard laughs mockingly. "Oh that tree will never harm another soul, mighty killer. Stupid as well as ugly, I see."
Capricia pops out from behind a tree, draws her dagger, and hurls it at the blinded beast.
for
With the beast still blind the group is able to hit it will all their attacks, even Sara's cutting words seem to aggravate it. It lashes out wildly at Caspian once again.
However, it misses him once again though as it draws back it seems to be able to see again as it glares at Caspian with a snarl, showing its mouth full of sharp teeth.
Face to face with the manticore Caspian refuses to back down and stabs it once more, spearing the creature through one eye!
Well, that isn't good, Rossana notes as the creature regains its sights. She sends another crossbow bolt as she hopes Bimble's spell will reblind it.
"Can you NOT see that you are surrounded, outnumbered, and soon to be dead. RUN you stupid ugly beast!" Sara yells at the creature, feeling once again a little bad since she does truly see the creature as magnificent.
You unleash an insulting tirade so vicious and spiteful that enemies who hear it are physically scorched by your fury. When you cast this spell, make an Intimidate check to demoralize each enemy within 30 feet of you. Enemies that are demoralized this way take 1d10 points of fire damage and must succeed at a Reflex save or catch fire. Spell Resistance can negate the fire damage caused by this spell, but does not protect the creature from the demoralizing effect.
Unable to reach the hovering monster, Capricia readies a charge should the thing descend to slicing-and-dicing range.
for
Once Bimble sees the creature has regained its sight he casts a spell as another burt of glittering dust erupts around the creature.
The beast can't see yet again as it is covered int he magical glitter. Caspian takes full advantage of the creature being blinded once again and strikes out cutting into the manticore with a deep wound. The beast lets out a horrible cry but still seems more than capable of continuing the fight.
Capricia now on the other side of it gets ready to charge as soon as it gets low enough to the ground but that seems unlikely to happen anytime soon between the blindness and Caspian continuing to injure it. Sara casts a spell as she unleashes a litany of rude remarks directed at the beast.
Even blinded though it manages to avoid the worst of the effects from the spell, but still takes some damage. Rossana lines up another shot and hits the manticore once again with a bolt.
Frustrated the creature unleashes its full furry at Caspian.
The manticore, in its rage manages to bite Caspian in the leg and rip out a good chunk of flesh. Tasking Caspian's blood it roars in delight. Luckily Caspian is able to avoid being raked by its massive claws that hit the nearby tree instead.
"Will you just die!" Caspian calls out as he attacks again, before moving to try to throw the creature off a little.
Rossana winces as she sees Caspian's wound, but reloads and fires again, hoping to take the beast down soon.
Sara continues her verbal assualt on the creature, bringing up its smell, its mother, so on and so forth.
Capricia continues to ready a charge should the manticore descend.
Caspian strikes the manticore again, giving away his position once more, while Sara continues to exhaust the creature with her beratting. It breaths heavily and seems about ready to pass out but it just isn't quiet there yet and strikes out in rage at Caspian once again.
It's exhaustion shows when it isn't able to land a single blow on Caspian.
Fighting while perched in a tree was not something Caspian had ever expected to do, but it's going fairly well right now...
What a trophy this one will make! Rossana thinks as she shoots another bolt.
Sara is running out of ideas on how to insult the creature so she goes with a truth "You are a beautiful creature, stunning in your strength and pure chaos, but in the end you are going to die here today because you refused to Run Like You SHOULD HAVE!!"
Capricia continues to fume as she waits for the thing to get a little bit lower....
While the others miss with their attacks, Sara's sharp words seem to get the best of the beast as it passes out from exhaustion falling to the ground.
Caspian descends from the tree, takes a deep breath and then stabs the manticore, running his thin blade through its ear and deep into its brain - a lethal blow that does no further damage to the creature's hide.
"This monster is quite a prize." He says. "We should take it back to the manor, Titus will be quite envious."
Rossana gives a small howl upon the creature crashing down. Her excitement keeps her unable to talk for a few more moments, but once she calms a bit, she rushes up with a grin. "Of course. We'll show them what a real hunt is like!"
Capricia strides up to the dead beast, falcata at the ready. "My thoughts are similar, but I wonder if we can truly carry the whole of the beast back. Perhaps just its head would suffice?"
Glaring at Mofis, she adds, "And I think it wise for you to concede that you've been 'slain' as well and not try something stupid like running off...."
Once the creature is dead Moffis slowly stands from his hiding spot a deep frown on his face as he just shakes his head repeatedly mumbling "No....no...no...." He seems to be in some state of panic.
When Capricia calls him out he just slumps over on the ground nearly crying.
Moffis's reaction isn't quite what she expected, so the gears in Capricia's head start to turn.
"You were supposed to lead us into an ambush by the beast, weren't you?" she accuses. "Who put you up to it--Lord Titus?"