Scramsax launches a nasty barrage of stones into one of the heads. The first stone leaving a nasty gash in the tough scaled hide while the second pulverizes the serpentine eye turning it into a useless mass of yellow jelly. Aterro's hammer appears above another head and comes smashing down only to be thwarted by the barnacle covered scales as it bounces harmlessly away. Vrindel tries to move away as Trevor rushes forward to cast his protective spell around the transformed druid.
Unfortunately, the hydra's hunger and anger at having another predator enter its lair overwhelms any influence of the paladin's spell. One of the heads lashes out and bites the big shark tearing flesh and fins with brutal efficiency. A second head also tries to grab the shark, but it misses badly, slamming into the water to create a huge splash.
The wounded third head swings toward the oncoming paladin. But instead of lunging forward to bite the knight, the young man receives a clear view of the hydra's gullet as it opens its jaws wide revealing the massive set of teeth inside. Then it unleashes a spraying barrage of acidic water toward Trevor who just barely manages to duck out of the way to avoid the caustic blast.
The eyes of the fourth head swivel toward the beach looking for the source of the fierce flurry of stones. Eventually its gaze narrows in on the hiding halfling and it lets out another bellowing roar. That outburst adds to Ibrox's fear and the gnomes blast of eldritch power misses its mark.
Scram winds up his sling, and as he does so briefly the spinning leather strap, blurred together to resemble a disc, glows bright as the sun as Khors' divine presence is channeled through it. Unfortunately, the unforseen miracle simply distracts the back alley creep...and his bullet goes skipping across the waves.
Noting the death glare in the one head's eye, Scramsax decides to play it safe and backs away from the melee...
The gnome takes a deep breath and steels himself removing his hand from his face. Remembering that the brethren of the GREAT DEVOURER can be defeated, he targets the hydra again and commands in a stern voice. "Ibrox." The blast impacts the creatures scaly hide.
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Aterro nods. This certainly appears to be the greatest enemy he has ever faced. Or, indeed, heard of any facing.
Through some instinct, certainly not his own, he quickly checks his surroundings. He might step back a bit, except the odd gnome-mage is standing pat, slinging spells. To tactically shift now would certainly doom the little one to certain death.
Commending his soul to Thor, he holds the Spear ready, and attacks at range with hammer and fire.
As it should be.
Trevor watches with great discomfort as the rocks underneath where he was standing just a moment ago melt away in a hiss of acid.
"Did this thing just try to melt me away?!" he says, incredulous, and not wanting to take in the sheer deadliness of this multi-headed monstrosity.
Then, finally, he snaps out of it, in some way, and strikes with his axe from below, trying to catch the jaw.
Vrindel - Shark feels the pain of the vicious bite, and looks directly into the eyes of evil. He takes off towards the shore at maximum velocity, and leaps from the water at the last possible moment, planning on landing on his feet near his companions feeling their teamwork is important to defeating this monstrosity.
Acrobatics?
Vrindel swims for shore, slipping left, right, and then leaping from the water with a powerful thrust from his tail. His form turns blurry as he twists through the air to land with only a slight stumble near Trevor. As the druid rejoins the group, Aterro smashes his holy hammer upon a serpentine brow and this time hears a satisfying crunch as bone and cartilage feel the thunder clerics fury.
Scramsax launches another stone toward the great beast, but this time it simply bounces off of the creatures thick, scaly hide. He then scurries further up the beach to where the narrow blade like shore grass blows softly in the spring wind.
With the shark no longer in the water, the hydra focuses on the land based intruders and potential morsels to fill its stomach. It moves closer to shore, the body rising out of the water to reveal a pair of thick, muscular, clawed fins that help propel the thing further into the shallows. Water continues to flow from the large body while the surf crashes and burst around the newly risen barrier in its path.
The first head comes roaring in toward Trevor and tears at the knights side and leg leaving gashes that quickly turn red with flowing blood. A second head strikes at the valiant knight and he is just able to block the blow with his shield. The wounded third head, not wanting to miss out on a potential meal, also lashes out at Trevor, but its missing eye foils its aim and the strike misses by a few inches.
The fourth head takes a great breath, pulling back momentarily before in leaps forward on its long serpentine neck ready to spray a blast of acidic water toward Aterro. But the creature suddenly chokes as the third head swings into it following the earlier miss. The anticipated spray ends up hitting the wreckage of the ship causing wood and iron to hiss, sizzle and pop as the vile fluid coats much of the side and upper deck.
Caught in a flurry of biting, venomous heads, Trevor stands firm and swings his axe with wild abandon. He is rewarded for his valor as the blade sinks deep into a scaled neck of the already badly wounded head and elicits a pained roar from the hydra.
Although recovering from his initial fright, Ibrox is still shaken enough that his aim is off and his blast flies wide of the mark.
Scram padded back across the sands with his hairy bare feet, satisfied he lost the hydra's immediate rage...
aw
...whip-cracking another bullet at the damaged head, aiming precisely at the gaping wound to hit the spinal bone directly.
When the dragon advances, the gnome follows the halfling and backs away. He targets it again and commands in a stern voice. "Ibrox." The blast impacts the creatures scaly hide causing opening a wound.
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Aterro tenses himself to rush into the fray, but pauses when he sees Trevor so valiantly engaging the beast single-handed. Did the paladin not seem so very different now? Did he not stand up to Aterro himself not too long ago? He did just call out that the beast tried to harm him as he fought with it.
Surely this must be a sign that the new Trevor is a Paladin of worth, and is proving his mettle with single combat with a worthy adversary! Aterro truly would not sully such a noble gesture by embarrassing him by trying to steal his GLORY!
"I respect thy nobility, Sir Trevor! I see you harvesting Honor and Glory in single combat, and I shall endeavor to only support as best I can. May the skalds sing of your victory!"
Aterro continues his supporting assault.
"Argh! It bit me! Aterro, you mind giving me a hand putting this thing down?!" replies Trevor as he swings his axe in a downward arc on the head that just took a piece of him.
Vrindel chants stomps his feet, and sends his trustworthy flaming sphere to work.
FLAMING SPHERE
DC 14 reflex for half damage
Vrindel catches one of the heads with his flaming sphere just as Aterro and Trevor converge on the same snapping maw. Flame, axe, and holy hammer combine to pulverize the serpentine threat. Moments later the halfling moves back in and paralyses the beastly head that he already blinded and it slumps lifeless to the ground creating a great wave of water that drenches Trevor and Vrindel.
Ibrox manages a hit on one of the two remaining heads as his eldritch energy sears scales and hide from the hydra's undulating neck.
The two remaining heads both rise up overhead and unleash great torrents of acidic spray toward Aterro and Ibrox, but both miss badly leaving the surrounding area a caustic, bubbling mess but the two heroes unharmed.
With half of the hydra's terrible heads lying or floating dead in the surf, it almost seems as if the battle is close to being won. But moments later a soft mewling sound can be heard which quickly grows into a serpentine hiss and roar as a newly formed head emerges from the hydra's body. Its newly born eyes and jaws wide open and starving for meat as it rapidly, amazingly grows into it's full size.
"You have to be kidding! How can this be!? How can we hope to win?!" shouts Trevor as he continues to fight.
The rogue tossed another cold stone into the dancing cloud of snake heads, targeting the weakest, before scrambling back out of range.
Acck! The gnome dodged the acid spray. He backed up as far as he could.
"Ibrox." He commands another blast at the hydra in a stern voice. The blast impacts the creatures scaly hide causing another wound.
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The acid went well wide of the armored saint, and Aterro called out. "Assist you? Well the rules of single-combat are clearly defined, and I would not insult you by violating that, lest I steal your honor!
But I suppose some succor will not be overly mis-judged.
And Thor's Hammer strikes where it will, so that hardly counts.
As to how we win, how do we win at anything? With heart, faith and STEEL."
A yellow beam of friendly light flows into Trevor as the spectral hammer continues its work.
"Who said anything about single combat!? Is your god of thunder speaking to you again? That thing has enough head for two single combats, in any case! So why don't you jump in and make Thor proud!?" shouts Trevor back at Aterro as he fights off the hydra.
Trevor's axe lands with a satisfying and resounding thunk as it bites deep into the neck of the nearest hydra head. Ibrox follows that up with a blast of eldritch power but while the blow landed, much of the power was deflected by the creatures scales.
Vrindel follows the knight and warlock by again slamming his sphere of flame into the same head. Scramsax and Aterro pummel it with stone and holy hammer. The cut, bloodied, and battered beast pulls back but as it does so it manages to tear into Trevor's flesh and armor, bloodying the knights shoulder. The second, unwounded head flashes down, but Trevor uses the flat of his blade to knock the lunging jaws aside. The third head of the beast continues to regrow. Its hungry eyes focus on the knight to fulfill its need for a first meal. With its scales still soft, it lashes out quicker than cobra and sinks newly formed teeth into Trevor's leg. The needle sharp incisors bite deep and rend flesh as it pulls back with a sizeable chunk of leather, armor, and flesh dripping from its bloody jaws.
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The halfling considered ::Are these guys going to win? Why the hell am I still here...?:: gazing back at the tree line, thinking how easy it would be to slip away and how he'd probably be forgiven...after all he isn't a hero like the castle stormers.
But Scram had a nose for opportunity, and with his comfy hammock already miles back south, he needed to either commit to these crazy adventures (and the juicy spoils they would no doubt bring) or seriously rethink some shit.
Then there was the dagger on his back...he felt the icy tingle through the newly purchased seal skin. Here was a weapon made for such beasts as this...but did he want to show this group his full hand just yet...
Those thoughts were what he let go as he charged back into range, the gentle whistle of his old leather sling cut the air in a tight rhythm, his calculating mind watching the pattern of heads weave about each other...predicting their weakness. Feeling that moment of a precision strike...
"Damn it! If they keep growing back, there's just no way we can beat it! Either one of you figures a way, or we run back as fast as we can!" shouts Trevor in a high pitch voice as he gets snapped and snapped.
"By Khors!"
Changing tactics, the gnome says "Ibrox," with a different inflection causing a whisper to be heard by the creature and wracking it with terrible pain.
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"Who said anything about single combat!? Is your god of thunder speaking to you again? That thing has enough head for two single combats, in any case! So why don't you jump in and make Thor proud!?" shouts Trevor back at Aterro as he fights off the hydra.
"Nay, man, Nay! This has nothing to do with me. This all about YOU talking to YOU.
When I met you you were as a mewling useless dog. But now, now that you have grown into man enough to stand up to me, to claim one I thought to raise in Thor's glowing light and you stole for the infinite war of Khors, that is no small thing!
This is thy Test of Manhood! When you are the only one to have bloodied a weapon in slaying so great a foe, then you will know that you have taken a great step forward!
So embrace the carnage. The man you will become is stepping from the boy you have been."
"Besides," Aterro chuckles, "I will not let you die."
Vrindel wracks his brain trying to figure out if he remembers anything about how to fight one of these monstrosities.
INT (Nature)... but can recall nothing as panic sets in.
"Let's spread out and move so that it can't attack us all at once. Maybe we can lure it out of the water it has a lot of bulk to move and might not be as maneuverable out of the sea".
Rolling ball of flame to a badly injured or newly grown head.
Flame damage
"What about YOUR test of MANHOOD, Brother!??" replies Trevor with a high inflexion as he dances with the many heads.
Strange whispers suddenly fill the air, their otherworldly voices link fingers scratching a chalkboard. While just an annoyance to his allies, the magic seems to drive the creature wild and mad as it shakes its serpentine maw back at forth, twisting and turning to try and dislodge the ethereal voices from its tiny mind.
Trevor brings his axe around and swings at the newly reformed head which had just taken a bite of his own flesh. Calling on the holy might of Khors he sinks his blade deep into the still soft scales creating a great geyser of blood and gore that covers him from head to chest. As the hydra reals, Scramsax steps up and launches another deadly stone that strike a particularly soft spot in the reformed head. The stone sinks deep into the flesh and buries itself deep into the skull and it falls lifeless into the increasingly bloody surf.
Vrindel tries to slam the ball of flame into the side of the fourth, badly wounded head, but having learned it's lesson, it manages to slip aside from the searing flames. But the creature isn't so lucky against Aterro's holy hammer. It smashes down with a head splitting crash splintering skull and scale.
Not liking the constant bombardment of flying stones, eldritch energies, holy poundings and searing flame, the hydra thinks of easier prey beneath the waves. Slowly the body starts to slide back into the surf. But even as it does so its hunger still calls and the second head lashes out on its long neck. In a single engulfing moment it bites down and grabs the stout knight in its jaws to try and drag him into the depths.
Seeing the creature routing, Scram tore forth a wicked, claw-like pice of cold iron from his back. Those who looked close could see the sea spray of the surf crystallize instantly on its sharp edge...
...tearing through its hamstring, and getting a chest full of blood spray in the process.
"Target the body if you can. Vrindel, the fire prevents the heads from regenerating."
"Ibrox." He targets the body of the hydra in a stern voice. The blast impacts the creatures scaly hide causing another wound.
Vrindel nods at Ibrox's wisdom, and rolls the ball of flame towards the creatures bulk.
Flaming ball of fire.
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"Me? Ha! Not that you noticed, by while the three of you were in the barn fighting off a couple of bandits, I was at the dock SINGLE-HANDEDLY slaying FIVE of them! And THEN I neutralized their leader WHILE he held a hostage!
Thor has rewarded me for MY test! What has--Trevor! NO!"
Aterro breaks off sharply as the last head grapples with the paladin and has him in a vice-like grip.
Forgetting all his previous speeches, the WarCleric CHARGES down the last few feet, THRUSTING the Spear of Thor at the hydra, putting ALL HIS MIGHT into a vicious attack.
Trevor tries as best he can to avoid the pull: "Oh no you don- Argh!" but fails.
With half his body inside the hydra's mouth, it makes it more straightforward to hit...
"Die! Die! Die!"
Unable to avoid the hydra's diving jaws, Trevor finds himself staring down the long gullet of the serpentine head, his feet dangling in midair, while the upper half of his body is gripped in the creatures deadly teeth.
The knight manages to get slide the sharp blade of his axe across the soft tissue of the hydra's mouth. Blood flows freely, completely soaking Trevor as his infuses his initial cut with the power of Khors. Those on the outside see the brilliant rays as they escape through the gaps betwen teeth and cause the beasts head to momentarily glow like a carved harvest festival pumpkin.
Taking courage that Trevor still lives, his companions come to the rescue. First Vrindel slams his sphere of fire into the side of the creatures offending head. Aterro joins the fray in full form, bringing forth the Spear of Thor with a devastating strike that nearly cleaves the beast's neck completely and follows it with another blow from the holy hammer. Ibrox adds his own eldritch power to the series of punishing blows which finally end with the broken head dropping back into the shallows with a resounding splash that includes a muffled yelp from the knight, still caught within the dead things jaws.
Meanwhile, Scramsax focuses on the main body, slipping into the surf and nearly relieving the hydra of one of its large flippers. The icy sheen left behind by the wicked dagger strike momentarily reflects the sunlight in a sparkling display.
Momentarily headless, the hydra's body continues to slip back toward the deeper waters, it's movement slowed some by the wounded flipper. As it slides backward, yet another growth appears from beneath the scaly, shell covered body and begins to regrow into a new head.
Scram spring attacks again, this time coming in fast from the left. He leaps up on Trevor's dangling shield, then free falls onto the hydra's chest with 2 blades in his hands. He uses the two blades like climbing pitons to work his way precisely to where the beating heart of the beast can be heard, then plunges the nastiest of the two blades deep within...over and over and over quite viciously.
"Trevor!" The gnome calls out when the would-be knight gets gulped.
"Ibrox." He again targets the body of the hydra in a stern voice. The blast impacts the creatures scaly hide causing another wound.
Trevor tries to get himself out of the jaw but gets stuck on a massive tooth. You hear him say something loud, with a lot of emotion, but thankfully the dead head's mouth protects your ears from his profanities.
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"YES!" Roars Aterro, the heart of battle well upon him. "Strike at him, my brothers! Let not this titanic embodiment of evil escape your RIGHTEOUS FURY! Let not it get away to gain breath and health and live on to torment future souls at this thrice-accursed rock! Let our good, strong hands make certain that it does not leave this land alive!"
So let it be said, so let it be done.
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Trapped and unable to free himself from the dead jaws of the severed hydra head and neck, Trevor finds himself tumbled and jostled in the surf. And although dead, the creatures teeth still grind and sink deeper into his flesh powered by the motion of the water and waves. Not to mention the real possibility of drowning as foul, bloody sea water quickly rushes in to fill the small space within the hydra skull.
Using the fallen knights shield as leverage, Scramsax launches himself onto the hydra's main body and proceeds with a ferocious attack that leaves the beasts chest a sliced, bloody mess while he dangles from the end of one of the blades lodged in the scaly hide.
Ibrox sends barnacles and other shells flying as he blasts a good chunk of the hydra's body away with eldritch might leaving a vicious bleeding scar just above the water line.
Aterro continues to push into the surf with the crackling spear of Thor. For a moment it seemed his aim was off, but the big cleric manages to bring the oversized weapon around at last and plunges it deep into the hydra's chest, just below the dangling legs of Scramsax. The halfing feels a tingle in his hands as lightning flickers and flairs from Aterro's spear and the creature roars in pain. It reels backwards further as quickly as it can while the regrown second head lashes down at the pike wielding cleric and manages to tear into Aterro's flesh.
Following the others lead to try and destroy the hydra's body, Vrindel sends his ball of fire slamming into the creature. Steaming billows into the air and fire and water meet with hissing fury.
For a moment, Scram had the crazy idea to follow the path of the lightning back into the hydras body with his tiny bladed hand...after all it would have been the path of least resistance. But with the burning saltwater foaming in his nostrils, the halfling had to abandon ship and seek dry land.
"Kill it! Kill it! Ibrox." He again targets the body of the hydra in a stern voice. The blast impacts the creatures scaly hide causing a small wound.
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"HO-oooooooooooo! Chants Aterro, singing the song of the ANCIENT Kings, pleased that he has spilt blood, for such as victory would not be meat, 'twere it a push-over. "Where are you, Trevor? You are missing all the glory! Now is no time to nap! Victory is all but upon us!"
In truth, he would say that no matter what the situation.
Vrindel decides that if Trevor is going to live then maybe Shark-Vrindel is his hope.
Vrindel runs to the surf, reversing his earlier actions, and belly flops into a shark run, hoping to reach Trevor and use his powerful jaws to help rip him from his toothy tomb.
Scramsax and Ibrox both fail to breach the scaly armor of the hydra's body, but then striding out further into the surf, with waves battering his chest, Aterro strikes using the longer reach of the mighty spear and pierces the beast final remaining heart. The regrowing head suddenly keens a mighty cry then collapses with the body into the sea, slowly sinking into the depths.
The halfling leaps from the dying beast, only to find the water is too deep for his feet to gain purchase and he must swim or sink into the depths with the fallen hydra.
Meanwhile Vrindel races to try and help the still struggling Trevor as the young knight appears unable to free himself from the wicked jaws of the dead hydra head.