"Another portal? I doubt that's a coincidence. See if you can make any sense of it, Yog'Moi."
Xin leaps into the sky, the wings on his flying boots flapping hard. "What do you want to bet this has something to do with the Lightbringers?"
We move towards the dragon as a team, spreading out as we approach to avoid all getting caught in its breath weapon.
Esh, Hotcha, and Xin take to the air, while Yog'Moi bounds along the ground beneath them. You rush down towards the harbor, past fleeing citizens, to where the creatures are wreaking havoc. You get relatively close to the dragon before it turns its head to glare at you angrily, fire burning in its eyes!
Xin's battle cry sets the dragon back on its heels, but the dragon's sheer presence is terrifying as well!
Hotcha ▶️ flies to the dragon’s tail and literally kicks its butt! (maybe)
There is fear in her eyes, as she babbles internally, Dragon beats fairy, fairy beats berry, nothing beats dragon…??
Only somewhat shaken by the dragon’s presence, Esh enters a rage and moves in to attack. He misses, but Hotcha is able to capitalize on the flanking position. Despite her fear, she lands a good hit!
Xin moves to support Hotcha, inspiring her with his presence. He drives his blade into the dragon’s neck, a critical hit that weakens the mighty creature!
Roaring in rage, the dragon goes into a frenzy, coiling around Xin. It grabs the rogue with its tail, but misses with its claw.
It then squeezes Xin hard enough that it threatens to make the man pass out! Its bleeding wound stanches itself.
In the waters below, the giant fish continue to rampage...
"Esh!" Xin gasps, wrapped in coils of muscle. "I'll just... keep it busy here. Kill this thing, would you?"
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“Un-tail him, ya big purple dimension-hoppin DINK!”
Hotcha punch-kicks the becayden out of the dragon!
Hotcha zips outta the hot air fifty feet straight up! ▶️
Yog'Moi starts pounding his enormous belly like a drum but with zero rhythm or feeling to it. The cacophony ends in a cataclysmic crack as the air itself splits and lightning strikes at their foes.
The lightning crackles between the monsters. The dragon dodges some of it, but both fish take the full blast, thrashing about in anger.
Esh's initial attacks fail to pierce the dragon's scales, but when Xin urges him onward, he delivers a solid strike! The rogue tries to take advantage of the hit with an opportune backstab, but his attack doesn't harm the dragon.
Hotcha punches the dragon twice, temporarily stunning it! She flies up high out of its reach.
The dragon shakes off the stun, then it snaps at Esh while squeezing Xin in its tail! The tail then uncoils enough for the rogue to slip out!
The enormous fish turn their ire on Yog'Moi, swimming a bit closer before inhaling violently, sucking in the heat around the hobgoblin and threatening to yank him off the docks!
Success: The creature takes half damage.
Failure: The creature takes full damage and is pulled 30 feet toward the kun.
Critical Failure: The creature takes double damage and is pulled 60 feet toward the kun.
The hobgoblin starts to slip and slide as Goka's warmth makes way for a frigid surprise, causing the boardwalk to turn into a treacherous thing. "No, no, no! You'll end up in my frying pan!!!"
Hotcha ▶️ descends and strikes!
Thanks to Xinspiration, Hotcha lands multiple attacks!
She doesn’t fly out of reach (yet).
“If ya see an opening, Xin, I’ll clobber this guy!”
Taken aback by the fishes' ability to suck the life out of the air, Yog'Moi switches his attention from the dragon to the finned bastards. He uses the sharp contrast between Goka's warm air and the fishes' cold to supercharge his next thunderstrike, and attempts to put their foes into Hei Feng's frying pan.
”Hotcha, when I lunge right, you strike low!”
Both of the fish take the full brunt of Yog'Moi's lightning, further wounding them!
Esh can't find a gap in the dragon's defenses, but Hotcha does as she flies back down and pummels it twice. Xin stabs the dragon, then calls out to Hotcha, who delivers a critical uppercut to the dragon's jaw! Seizing the advantage, Xin stabs the dragon again, and it's enough to finish off the badly wounded creature! The dragon groans as it plummets from the sky, falling into the water with a huge splash and blast of steam from its superheated body!
Even as it falls, though, one of the fish dives down beneath the waves and enacts a powerful spell, causing the water near the docks to swell up 10 feet and flood the area! The other giant fish swims through the newly risen water to get to Yog'Moi biting him and trapping him in its jaws!
Hotcha ▶️ swoops over to somewhere above the fish!
“Someday, I’ll tell stories about how I zapped fish thiiiiiiis big!”
Hotcha spreads her arms to the length of a rather large goldfish, which is the best her little fairy arms can do. Then those little fairy arms call down thunder and lightning!
Yog'Moi's world is one of pain and torture as oversized teeth try to tear him apart. Not even his magical shield can do much to counter-act the fish's desire to undo him.
With a groan and a scream, he returns the favor and unleashes all his anger in divine retribution.
Yog'Moi wracks the fish grabbing him with negative energy, then Hotcha unleashes a blast of wrathful magic that further wounds both giant fish. Esh rushes down to attack the fish grabbing Yog, and while he misses with his fist attack, his second attack finishes off the badly injured creature! The fish releases Yog as it thrashes about in its death throes.
The last fish dives deep below the water and does not resurface, choosing to escape rather than remain here and die. The battle is over, and the bystanders who have been watching the fight cheer your victory!
Hotcha flies over the cheering crowds, dancing through the air…
…then hovering by her teammates to bow to the crowd alongside the men.
“Ha! How about that? Three Men and a Fairy are dragon-slayers! Aaaaand fishermen!
“…and a… fisher-fairy.”
Yog's first instinct is to dive after the fish. The priest of Hei Feng does just that, but having never set any swimming speed records, he's no match for the fish - not even when fuelled by righteous anger. A valiant effort is given before he eventually retires from this folly.
And so an angry hobgoblin resurfaces and lifts a fist out of the water which he shakes with anger. Incoherently he sputters and mutters inane insults at the fish while getting out of the water.
The sight of the slain fish does manage to raise his spirits as visions of fried fish fillet start filling his head. "Heh." This time there's little humor to Yog'moi's voice. "This is the second time we are witness to an elemental ... breach? T'beats me whatever this was, but even I know this isn't supposed to be normal."
I reach down to help the incensed hobgoblin out of the water, nodding along with him.
"Indeed. I cannot imagine this is coincidental."
The portal closed during the course of the battle. Studying the currents of magic still hanging in the air, Esh comprehends that the portal was created by fell extraplanar energies. It has something to do with a demiplane, and bears similar magical energies to the air rift that formed in the opera house. Beyond that, though, it is impossible to accurately determine the cause of the sudden eclipse that brought these monsters to Goka.
Hotcha raises her hand. “Ooh! Ooh!” She doesn’t wait to get called on. (She never did as a schoolgirl either, which at times made her wonder what the whole point of hand-raising was.)
“Raq and the boy-sprites were telling me there’s a ley line. It broke or something, so they came here from the First World. I guess I can go through it too, or I could if my wings could keep me off the ground long enough.
“But anyway, ya think that ley line and the rift we beat up and this—” She points to where the portal was. “—are all, like, different symptoms of the same sneeze?” (Schoolgirl Hotcha never questioned the point of metaphors.)
"Sneeze?" asks Xin, feeling as though he walked into the middle of the conversation.
“My metaphor needs work,” Hotcha admits. “In plain Tien, I mean these rifts have been opening for a while if sprites flew in from the First World.
“I’m wondering if there’s a connection, and if we should visit Raq and the boy-sprites and see what they know about this stuff.”
"Why not?" asks Xin. "But don't you think Hao Jin is best suited for this sort of thing? None of us have any idea what's happening."
Perhaps speaking of Hao Jin is a means of summoning her, for it isn't long before the Ruby Phoenix herself arrives on the scene. Her kimono flutters behind her as she flies up to examine the lingering magical energies in the air. "Hmm. I do not think the timing of these extraplanar phenomena is a coincidence," she says. "Somebody or something is attempting to distract from or interfere with the upcoming tournament. Rest assured that I will remain vigilant for any potential meddling. I would appreciate if you bring any further odd occurrences to my attention."
***
Soon enough, your first week in Goka reaches its conclusion. All of the fighting teams and patrons convene once more, though this time they meet at the grand arena at Goka’s Cliffside Court, where the main events of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament are set to take place. Now that all the teams have had a chance to acquaint themselves with the city of Goka and the tournament’s various patrons, the time has finally come for the patrons to bid on the teams they’d most like to sponsor during the tournament. But before that, the patrons want one final chance to see how the teams fare in an actual arena.
To that end, each team is scheduled to take part in an exhibition match against another team. Whenever a pair of teams is taken to the fighting grounds of the grand arena, are sequestered indoors in order to prevent them from seeing their competition in action before the tourney. The only people in the audience are the patrons, the patrons’ closest friends or attendants, Empress Nai Yan Fei, Hao Jin, Archbanker Miang Malii, and Master of Ceremonies Tagada Emmi.
To excite the crowd and narrate the fights for spectators without a good view of the arena, Hao Jin has hired a Gokan native named Tagada Emmi to emcee the tournament as well as the preliminary exhibition showcase. Emmi is well suited for the job—she has served as the announcer of dozens of drake races at the Icefang Aerie and has hosted more than her fair share of sporting events, both high-profile and commonplace. For the Ruby Phoenix Tournament, Emmi has chosen to wear red traditional Tian-Shu attire in honor of the Ruby Phoenix, and she has adopted her most excitable and enthusiastic persona (which, conveniently, is her natural disposition). She is bombastic, hyperbolic, and unnecessarily descriptive, filling in gaps in the action with open questions about the fighters’ next moves or what they could be thinking. Rare is the moment during a fight when Emmi fails to offer some truly colorful commentary.
After all teams team have completed their exhibition matches, they will march down the tree-lined plaza adjoining the arena toward a podium where Archbanker Miang is standing. There, each team will sign the contract that officially swears them in as contestants in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.
When the time comes for your match, you find yourselves facing Tino's Toughest. The rules for this fight are simple: incapacitate the other team by any means necessary. (Clerics and healers stand at the ready in the adjoining buildings in case any of the fighters are at risk of death or permanent injury.)
As you walk out onto the grounds of the grand arena, you see the spectators watching eagerly. Empress Nan Yai Fei sits beside Lady Qiu May Shai, and she smiles when her eyes meet Hotcha's, raising a hand in greeting.
Tino, Ji-yook, Takatorra, and Yabin the Just all shake hands with or bow to you as a sign of respect. "We’ve come a long way, my friends,” says Tino in a hoarse voice. It’s hard to tell whether he’s speaking to his own teammates or to you; he seems genuinely moved to be facing off against you. "Let's give it our all!"
Each team is placed on an opposite side of the arena as Tagada Emmi flies in the air above you, buoyed by magical flight spells. "Our next match is sure to delight, amaze, and astound! Ladies and gentlemen, for your entertainment, may I present Three Men and a Fairy versus Tino's Toughest! Ready? FIGHT!" Emmi raises a crimson flag and waves it in the air, beginning the fight!
Eager to engage, Tino's Toughest beat you to the jump. Yabin starts things off by casting haste on his entire team. Takatorra expands their wings, lifting off the ground as they fly toward you. Ji-yook scurries forward and hurls a dart at Esh's boot, trying to pin the elf to the floor. Tino moves in front of his teammates and focuses his ki, blasting you all with force!
Success: The creature takes 26 force damage.
Failure: The creature takes 52 force damage and is pushed 5 feet.
Critical Failure: The creature takes 104 force damage and is pushed 10 feet.
We're up against Tino's toughest. I ponder back on my previous thoughts about how a fight between us would go. They are VERY quick on the draw though. I growl and yank the dart out of my foot, then cast my favorite spell.
Unharmed by the Ki Storm, Hotcha ▶️energizes her wings, ▶️flies…
Striking the strix with nonlethal blows, Hotcha says, “I can’t leave you in the sky all by yourself!”
Tactically, it’s because she hopes her stun attack will keep the bird-person busy.
Xin doesn’t want this to disintegrate into four separate one-on-one fights. He hurries after Hotcha, hoping to put her target down as soon as possible.
”Don’t’ get caught in the middle, Yog’Moi! Join Esh!” he yells.
Yog'Moi withstands the Ki blast and manages to hold his ground. A quick glance to left and right tells him that if he doesn't act fast, he'll be flanked by two hasted opponents. While he doesn't fear a beatdown, he doesn't particularly cherish it, and so he dives forward to find strength in numbers.
Hotcha flies up to meet Takatorra, punching the tengu twice. The warrior resists being stunned. Xin flies up alongside Hotcha, delivering a critical hit to Takatorra!
Yog’Moi moves at Xin’s urging, casting Tino down with Hei Feng’s power and slicing at Takatorra with his sword. Xin takes advantage of the opening by stabbing the tengu, another critical hit!
Meanwhile, Esh pulls the pinning dart free and teleports across the arena to deliver a critical hit to Yabin!
Gritting his teeth, Yabin casts a quickened spell, protecting himself with a cloak of colors. He then casts another spell in an attempt to petrify Esh. Ji-yook rushes over to flank Esh, clawing at the elf.
Tino gets back to his feet and moves to follow Yog’Moi, swinging his fists. Takatorra unleashes a barrage of blade strikes at Hotcha and Xin, but only manages one hit against the fairy.
Hotcha sees the opening!
“Falcon PUUUUUUNCH!!”
She does a barrel roll into ▶️flank position with Xin in ▶️Jellyfish stance!
With one drop of spilled wine, wounds heal and flesh is knit back together. But when Yog'Moi spills the entire vial of this rare rice wine, Hei Feng roars in anger and strikes at Tino and his companions with reckless thunderous regard.
”Hotcha! Summer Rains and Winter Storms!” says Xin, describing a previously-planned attack from their long training as a team.
___________________________________________________________
At Xin’s call to-battle, Hotcha strikes again!
“Spinning bird KIIIIICK!!”
I bull my way through Yabin's spell as I half-dodge out of Ji-Yook's way. I'm flanked, but that's fine, if they're devoting more resources to dealing with me, that means my companions will have the numerical advantage. I'm confident that I can keep these two occupied more than long enough for the others to deal with their opponents.
But as I turn back to deal with the sorcerer, his magic sends starbursts of light through my vision, and I swing blindly to try and keep them at bay.
Hotcha pummels Takatorra twice. Xin scores another critical hit, then calls for Hotcha to strike again. The sprite’s spinning kick knocks the tengu out cold, sending them crashing down to the ground below!
Tino and Ji-yook dodge some of Yog’Moi’s lightning, but Yabin takes the full blast. The nagaji’s spells protect him from Esh’s attacks.
Tino focuses his ki into his fists as he pummels Yog’Moi, scoring two hits. Ji-yook slices Esh with her claws, and Yabin blasts the elf with magic missiles before raising a shield of force.
"Focus Fire on Yabin," says Xin.
Xin encourages his team to go after Yabin, then does the same himself.
Yog channels the last remaining bit of harmful energy through him and wraps Hei Feng's anger around Tino's legs. He then gives the vile energies a firm tug and attempts to knock Tino down.
[ooc]On a critical hit, the target’s armor (if any) takes 6d6 acid damage (before applying Hardness); if the target has a shield raised, the shield takes this damage instead. The acid damage dealt by this weapon ignores the target’s acid resistance.[/ooc ]
Hotcha ▶️flies within 30 of everyone!
She dances from over 10 feet in the air, looking to Yan Fei momentarily as she sings a tune by two bards named John. They’re probably human or maybe elves, or they might be giants—everyone is to Hotcha! She lets her bells keep the rhythm, and she claps and she twirls, and offers her target a friendly wave!
Hi!
I remember your name
It’s Yabin
MY
POINT IS
HI!
YOUR HEAD’S ON FIRE!
Oh damn
You must’ve got one of them
Combustible heads I’ve read
An article all about them
You’re on fire
You’re on fi-hi-hire
I won’t lie
You’re on fiiiirrrrrrrre
Combustible heeeeead
Combustible heeeeead
Combustible head
I won’t lie-hi-hiiiii!
They catchy tune might get Tino’s team dancing, might not make them flat footed, but whatever. Hotcha rains fire on Yabin. She really wasn’t lying!
[ooc]If Crit Success, +15 HP and +1 to next attack!
Hotcha’s sparks slam into Yabin, and while his shield blocks some of the damage, Xin takes advantage of the opening to stab the nagaji and take him out of the fight!
Hotcha rains down fire on the sorcerer and he's clearly done. I turn back to the kitsune and try to keep up with her quickness, circling around her to allow Xin to flank her.
Yog’Moi casts Tino down with another blast of Hei Feng’s power, while Esh maneuvers around Ji-yook and slashes the kitsune.
Tino gets back to his feet and then rushes over to flank Esh with Ji-yook. Both warriors attack the elf, trying to take him down! Tino lands two punches, but Esh fends off all of Ji-yook’s attacks.
Hotcha disappears! The ⏩invisibile trickster then drops from the sky and Ki-flurries Ji-Yook!
”Esh! Two Kingdoms, One People!” he shouts, signaling a prepared joint attack.
Tino takes advantage of my flanking maneuver and flanks me instead. I can't dodge both him and Ji-yook, so I prioritize her, assuming that her claws are more deadly than his fists. I hope so, because those fists hurt. I whirl, slashing at both of them to try and create some space.