Constructs tend to be slow and clumsy, so I take full advantage of that.
“Challemmge? Nrrt acterv hourrrs… cmm berk tamerrowww… OWWW!”
Getting telepunched wakes the fairy from her sleepy funk.
Hotcha activates her wings and flies on top of her foe’s head!
Confronted with a rather solid foe and nowhere to run since, well, the bastards can teleport, Yog'Moi adopts a stance he rarely assumes: a defensive one! He calls upon Hei Feng to protect him and then tries to trip his direct opponent.
Success: The target falls and lands prone.
Critical Failure: You lose your balance and fall and land prone.
Hotcha flies atop her foe’s head, pummeling it with her fists! Her bludgeoning attacks prove particularly effective, and she is able to stun the construct to prevent it from properly blocking with its shield.
Yog’Moi casts a defensive spell before tripping his assailant! Esh performs a similar maneuver, slicing at the soldier before stepping back. It blocks some of the damage with its shield, but Xin manages to slip past its guard to stab it twice as well.
The prone warriors get back on their feet as each construct continues to focus on its chosen foe. Most keep their shields raised, except for the one Esh tripped, as it has to stand and step forward to keep up with the elf.
“I wonder if you can see like normal people.”
To find out, Hotcha turns ⏩invisible. Her new sprightly trick keeps her invisible even when rapidly kicking!
"Let's work our way back to the others," says Xin to Esh.
"If you get close enough, I can heal all of us! These animated bastards won't be affected by it!" He actually doesn't know if they won't, but he truly wants to believe so. Surely clay isn't affected by positive energy?!
"Let's work out way back to the others," says Xin to Esh.
"Agreed," I nod, and repeat my previous actions, though with less success this time.
Hotcha lands another solid hit, but this time the construct resists the stunning attack.
Yog’Moi casts another defensive spell before tripping his assailant again!
Esh is not so lucky this time, critically failing his attempt to trip and falling prone himself! He gets back to his feet and slashes at the terra cotta warrior, but it blocks his attack with its shield.
Fortunately, Xin manages to land a critical hit! The damaged construct's clay body shatters, and it collapses in a heap!
The remaining soldiers attack, Yog'Moi's foe standing up again and managing to land a critical hit on the hobgoblin! All three raise their shields.
Hotcha is not so sure her invisibility is working on these creatures. He missed, but…
She contemplates doing a flurry and then stepping back, but she instead finishes her combo with a one-inch punch !!
Jumping up from between the statues feet, she yells, “After I make ya crumble with my one-inch punch, you’re gonna have a one-inch-NOPE, nope! Not ladylike, even when talking smack to an anatomically-incorrect statue. Ummm…
“HAIYAA!!”
I grumble as I pick myself up out of the sand, my foot smarting and the flames in my vision rising up. I control my breathing, and feel the shock in my arms as the warrior blocks my slash firmly with it's shield. I use the momentum to spin myself around and slash it low then high, like a dervish. My blade is slightly too long for that style, but I make it work.
Xin continues to move in step with Esh, coordinating his attacks with the elf's.
Unable to harm the animated clay with Hei Feng's divine anger nor with the blade of his sword, the hobgoblin finds himself in a world of hurt. He dips, ducks, dodges and dives, but the clay is unforbidding.
Hotcha’s flurry and follow up punch shatters the terra cotta soldier she has been battling! Yog’Moi grips his opponent again while Xin and Esh both land solid blows on the other construct. It steps forward in pursuit, slicing into Xin. The other one stands and attacks Yog’Moi, but his defenses hold.
The invisible fairy ▶️ steps where her tiny limbs can reach the next foe!
While Yog’Moi can’t see his littlest teammate, he’s sure to see some fireworks as she lands her attacks!
(Or perhaps two outta three, but that ain’t bad.)
Grunting in pain, Xin focuses on being methodical, striking and slowly drawing the construct back to Hotcha and Yog'Moi.
Yog'Moi's incantations cause his rune-clad girdle to shine. Once again, the enchantment will protect him for a brief period of time and that's all the hobgoblin needs to weave a spell of healing over Wu. The man's looking absolutely dire and if Yog'Moi doesn't help him now, it might be too late altogether too soon.
I twirl and dance around the construct, but it's shield and footing remain implacable.
The invisible Hotcha lands a pair of good hits on the nearby construct, setting it ablaze, though it resists being stunned or slowed. Neither Esh or Xin manage to hit as they fall back to Yog'Moi, who heals the party.
Hotcha's foe swipes blindly at her, but fails to hit. The other one steps up to attack Esh, but he parries!
“I’m gonna make you a gruffalo crumble!”
Hotcha follows her inexplicable taunt with a wild flailing of all four limbs! The lefts miss and the rights hit, the kick especially powerful!
I'm surrounded, they have nowhere to run now!
"Focus fire on this one," says Xin, indicating Orange. "Take them down one at a time. Esh, Spring and Summer!" He calls out a pre-arranged coordinated attack.
"What use is clay if it ain't filled with alcohol?!"
Between Hotcha’s, Esh’s, and Xin’s attacks, another construct falls! Esh fails to trip the final terra cotta soldier, and it blocks his attack with its shield, but the shield shatters and is rendered useless! The solider retaliates, landing one hit.
“Eat my invisible feet!” Hotcha yells as she ▶️ flies over to the last foe!
She lands a powerful ki flurry of kicks! (And whiffs should she need a 3rd strike!)
Xin rolls left to try to flank the monster.
With two powerful critical punches, Hotcha destroys the final construct!
Overwhelmed by the clay men's brutal assault, Yog'Moi takes a sip from a flask containing a strong drink before unleashing Hei Feng's blessing on everyone.
“Good as new! Thanks, Yog’Moi, and g’nite gents! You too, Ingdani!”
Hotcha finally remembers to check and see if Ahmitar made her a fairy bedroom. She’s pretty sure she forgot to ask this the last two nights.
“Oh, I’m not asking you to build anything,” she’ll explain to Ahmitar if she indeed has not already had this conversation. “If you could hang a bucket on a limb of the rainbow tree, that’s do the trick. I’d have privacy, be outta reach—even flying creatures would have a huge branch blocking access to me.”
If hanging a bucket is too much trouble, Hotcha will just crash in the acolyte’s bed. (She doesn’t mind having a big-person’s bed, even if the pillow alone is ample space for a fairy and her cat.)
"Hotcha," says Xin. "We all like privacy. But I want a line of sight to you... to all of us... while we're on the island. If you're in a bucket, you might as well be in another room. We've just been attacked in our sleep. I'm not risking one of us being attacked separately."
“Ohhhh, ooookaaaayyy.”
Reluctant tone aside, Hotcha appreciates the concern.
She finds an end table by one of the beds, and uses a hand towel as her blanket. After wrapping up, she bids everyone good night. She wills her luminous skin to glow a dim shade of canary-blue.
Ahmitar has indeed made a nice bed for Hotcha, though Xin's stern admonishment means she probably won't get to use it tonight.
And it seems as if none of you will get any sleep! Just fifteen minutes after the fight with the terra cotta soldiers has ended, there are dozens of flashes of light within the fighting arena! With each flash, another terra cotta soldier appears, until an entire squadron of the clay constructs has arrived! The squadron readies their swords and shields as they prepare to move as one toward you!
Xin's battle cry manages to put the squadron aback momentarily!
The hobgoblin knows that discretion is the better part of valor and gets out of harm's way before the terracotta blob washes over their group. He scrambles for the high ground and then calls upon his inner anger - how dare they interrupt my sleep?! - to connect with Hei Feng. The God answers his righteous anger by unleashing a terrifying lightning storm on the terracotta formation.
Hei Feng smiles upon Yog'Moi today, as the lightning wreaks havoc among the terra cotta warriors! Several of them are blasted apart!
The remaining constructs move in towards Esh and Xin. They lash out with their swords!
I hadn't even gotten close to relaxing enough to fall asleep, and the fires are blazing in my vision at this new interruption. I snarl as Yog blasts them with divine lightning, then follow up.
Hotcha yells to Xin, “Ya think I can use the magic that nun taught me? Just point me to a spot that’s like 20 feet from ya!”
Hotcha awaits the boss’ orders!
Xin slides under the slashing blades of the terra cotta warriors as rises smoothly to his feet just beyond their sword points.
"Well done, Yog'Moi!"
Seeing their mechanical movements, his general's mind quickly calculates their positions a few seconds later. Seeing Hotcha free, he shouts "Hotcha, there! Between the two with notched helms!"
Hotcha moves and attacks.
In addition, she throws a punch from the commanded position!
Not wanting to get into the thick of things, Yog'Moi keeps himself side-lined but does contribute to the fight by warding Esh from harm.
The troop fares better against Hotcha’s blast, dodging the worst of it. Still, it’s enough to destroy several of the statues, reducing the size of the enemy squadron. Esh lands a solid hit, but both Xin and Hotcha’s strikes miss.
Across the way, the statue of Irori’s herald, the Old Man, suddenly springs to life! It rushes across the battlefield and swings its staff at the terra cotta warriors, but it comes up just short.
The constructs raise their shields as they lash out at Esh and Xin again.
“You heard the Old Man! GET OFF MY LAWN!”
Hotcha hurls fire, and itty-bitty bit of ice…
…and a whole lotta lightning!
Diving out of the way of the oncoming horde, Xin parries and ripostes, while calmly calling out advice to Esh.
Yog'Moi sustains his protective enchantment and weaves lightning to once more strike at the terracotta army.
Hotcha delivers a punch to one of the soldiers before unleashing her wrath again! The few remaining soldiers to survive the fury quickly fall to the rest of your spells and attacks.
You are able to rest a few more minutes before yet another wave of soldiers teleports into the temple! However, with the powerful statue of the Old Man on your side, it's only a matter of time before you emerge victorious once more.
Once the final terra cotta soldiers have been destroyed, the attacks on your team finally come to an end. The statue bows to you before returning to its place in the shrine and becoming dormant once more.
They say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Indeed, you feel yourselves better prepared for the challenges that still await you on the third and final day of the prequalifier.
Hotcha bows to the Old Man, thanking him. She is confident in her ability to sneak about using her invisibility!
Xin joins Hotcha in a formal and respectful bow to the Old Man, thanking him and The Master for their aid.
"The Lady Hao Jin is testing us," he says. "I am proud of each of you. Rest now, my friends, and make ready for the new day. I will take the first watch."
He brings Hotcha's bucket over and places it on a pole thrust into the ground (the halberd of one of the terra-cotta warriors). "Your privacy, my friend. You can keep it and our security both. I will wake you for the second watch. Sleep well."
With that, Xin washes up and sits cross-legged in the midst of the camp, quietly reciting his koans and the Thirty-Two Truths of Irori, preparing for the day ahead of them.
Fortunately, the rest of the night passes without incident. You are able to rest and prepare for the final day on Danger Island.
Before you depart from the temple of Irori, though, a dull roar, like an earthquake, disrupts the serenity of the third morning of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament pre‑qualifier. Monkeys, birds, and rodents screech in terror as a plume of red fire erupts from the peak of Mount Haminabu near the island’s center. The blinding flames paint the sky violet and blast away the clouds around the mountain before dramatically twisting into the unmistakable form of a blazing crimson phoenix.
“Good morning, competitors!” a woman’s voice echoes across the skies of Bonmu, emanating from the phoenix. “I, Hao Jin, the Ruby Phoenix, congratulate you for surviving Danger Island so far. We now begin the final day of this pre-qualifying round for the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.”
Cheers echo distantly across the jungle island. The voice continues: “I have placed a palace here on the peak of Mount Haminabu and invite you to join me and my guest, Empress Nai Yan Fei, for a pleasant evening of stimulating conversation, fine local food, and rousing entertainment. To join us, simply bring me your phoenix necklace and ten silver feathers. This will secure your access into the palace as well as the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. I await all of you who are worthy of the honor. You have until sunset to reach the mountaintop. Fight well, combatants.” With Hao Jin’s final words, the phoenix erupts into a halo of brilliant fire and disappears.
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