Hotcha’s wings remain as the battle fades. They embody her favored deities in that her wings bare seven colors—of liquor! Her upper wings, the hues of wines: red, rose, white and plum! Her lower wings, hues of ale: pale, gold and stout.
When Yan Fei asks her to seek the source, Hotcha soars high above the chariot.
Away from the noise, the sound is easier to follow. Can she pinpoint the source?
Hotcha is able to tune out the distraction of the chaos Mogaru's rampage is causing and focus on the music. It is definitely coming from the southeast, towards the center of the city.
As you begin to direct the chariot in that direction, however, a more immediate situation attracts your attention. In their rush to evacuate Goka’s smaller northern islands to the city proper, hundreds of innocent citizens and visitors have crowded onto the Seven Dragons Bridge. The bottleneck is flustering the already panicked people; when they see you flying overhead, the crowd screams in unison for help.
As they do so, a strange portal opens up at the peak of one of the bridge’s towers. The portal is similar to the one from which the underworld dragon emerged before the tournament,but this time an even more monstrous creature emerges. This titanic, crystalline avian has a cloak of crystal shards that reflect countless stars and moons. Its shriek echoes across the bridge!
Your battle cries do not faze the creature!
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"Keep flying!" says Xin as he exits the chariot, winged boots fluttering furiously.
Xin swoops down over the crowd and shouts. "Gokans! Calmly now. Show the true Gokan spirit! Help those around you. Move off the bridge in an orderly fashion! Goka has never fallen to an enemy and it won't do so now! Move with purpose and charitable thought!"
"[b]You lot focus on doing the smacking and I'll make sure these drakes take us to where we need to be!", Yog'Moi yells as he brings Hotcha and Esh closer to some nearby debris. He chips in by summoning a massive spiritual weapon that starts doing what it can to break the debris apart.
The others seem to have directing the civilians well in hand, so I guess I'll be the mosquito. I draw my sword and concentrate, twisting fingers and words into the appropriate spell.
Xin quickly calms down a large portion of the crowd below, allowing them to make an escape. He gives Hotcha an extra impetus to move as Yog moves the chariot towards the debris and summons a spiritual weapon that begins to slice at it. Meanwhile, Esh teleports onto the giant bird's back and stabs it twice, the force damage from the elf's spell proving particularly effective!!
Shrieking in anger, the enormous bird cranes its neck to get to Esh, pecking at the elf with its beak! It scores a critical hit, quickly snatching up the barbarian, then swallowing him whole with a mighty gulp! The elf is assaulted by cosmic energies as she struggles inside the beast's gullet!
If the monster dies, a swallowed creature can be freed by creatures adjacent to the corpse if they spend a combined total of 3 actions cutting the monster open with a weapon or unarmed attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.
Hotcha ▶️flies down and finishes off the debris pile that Yog’g blade weakened!
The bird rotates it's head completely backwards and gulps me down effortlessly. Inside is dark and airless and, unexpectedly, instead of slimy acid and foul odors, it's surprisingly dry and odorless. Though the pressure is crushing. For a moment, I inanely wonder what Hotcha would think of the differences between this and the previous times she's been swallowed. Then I shake my head and focus. I don't know if I'll have enough energy to cast this spell again. I better get it right the first time.
Satisfied at the crowd's reaction, Wu Xin surveys the field. Hotcha and Yog'Moi are attacking a pile of debris and Esh... where is Esh?
Xin looks around, uncertain, but then his gaze returns to the bird and his eyes narrow. Ever since his bout with Ran-to, Xin hasn't felt able to center himself in the Void. In fact, he's feeling quite wrathful and this avian has just agreed to help him work out his issues.
With Esh coming out of the creature looking anything but fine, the hobgoblin turns the chariot around and commands the drakes to get him closer to the elf. As he weaves magic to heal Esh, he lacks the necessary freedom and concentration to maintain his spiritual weapon. "Ah, c'mon!!!"
Hotcha pummels the debris until it shatters enough to allow another crowd of bystanders to safely flee the bridge! One crowd remains.
Xin flies up to the enormous bird and tries to feint, but the creature doesn't fall for the rogue's ploy. He manages to land a good hit, though the acid doesn't harm the creature.
Esh suddenly teleports out of the giant bird's gullet, slicing it as he appears behind it! As the creature thrashes, Xin takes the opportunity to backstab it, enfeebling it and slowing its movements! Yog'Moi heals the elf as he appears.
The enormous bird unfurls its crystalline cloak of stolen realities, releasing a wave of cosmic energy that washes over those nearby!
The energy ripples over the bridge as well, but luckily your efforts have thinned the crowd enough that nobody else is hurt this time!
It then claws at Esh, knocking him away!
The hobgoblin's muscles start to tighten up to the point it makes him want to scream if only he could. He fiercely resists the spell and hastily incants one last healing spell before once more succumbing to its atrophying effect.
The world explodes into a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds as the bird does... something, and reality seems to splinter around us. Fortunately, the bird knocks me out of the way, and I manage to escape without significant harm. Then Yog slaps me on the back as I feel a wave of healing wash over me. I turn to thank him only to be met by a literal stony visage. He's quickly turning to stone. I growl and all I can see is fire as I hack and slash at the bird.
Hotcha rushes the other debris pile—
“Hey, everybody! Outta the pool! You don’t have to go home but ya can’t stay here!”
Hotcha destroys the last of the debris, allowing the remaining civilians to escape the bridge!
Yog'Moi moves to heal Esh as his body continues to petrify. Xin delivers a critical strike to the enormous bird, then Esh moves back in to strike the monster twice. Seizing the opportunity, Xin delivers yet another critical strike, and with an echoing shriek, the cosmic avian plummets to the bridge, impacting it with a huge crash! The swilring lights of the cosmic cloak flicker and die.
Hotcha claps the dust off her handwraps as the last of the people escape.
She’s ready to dart into the fray, when suddenly—
—she is blown backwards in a burst of bricks and feathers!
Thankful to have wings that don’t expire she flies up, back, away from the dust.
“Everyone okay? I believe we were heading south before things went south?”
“I could use a drink.”
Yog'Moi is about to hand Hotcha a drink when he suddenly stops mid-motion.
“Hey, thanks for the—AAH?!” Hotcha taps on the petrified hand gently. “Yog’Moi… wha—? Why???”
Tears trickle down Hotcha’s cheeks as she flits back, Aghast. “Sh-shelyn’s t-temple. We gotta go there. Now.”
Her eyes dart to Xin and Esh. Both are far more suited to flying a drake chariot.
"Buh..."
"Well, we aren't going to lift him. I could barely do that when he was flesh. We're going to have to bring the help to him. Hotcha, how much time do we have before the next match?"
With visions of forfeiture in his head, Xin rushes to the drake chariot and rockets towards the temple. And no, he's not stop stopping for directions. Hotcha better know where they're going.
Hotcha flits near the reins to point the way. “I spent the day there. It was so fun! I’m sure they’ll help Yog’Moi!”
As for the next match—“We won the tourney fair and square! No kaiju’s gonna mess up our victory.
“The prize maybe.”
You rush through the skies over Goka, past the towering form of King Mogaru as the kaiju slowly stomps through the harbor. The enormous reptilian being's yellow eye tracks you as you soar past, and he takes a swipe with a massive claw, but you manage to steer the chariot around the attack and make it to the temple safely.
Once there, the priests quickly assess the situation, using their magic to restore Yog'Moi to flesh!
After a few minutes' respite, you return to the skies to find the source of the eerie song that is seemingly drawing King Mogaru into the city. But once more, you see citizens in peril!
Mogaru’s initial path of destruction directly intersected with Gon‑Yan Factory, an alchemical manufacturing plant and warehouse for volatile materials located in Goka’s industrial sector. The factory’s destruction has caused toxic spillage to seep into Xu Hong Bay and lap up onto the docks. Although Gokan firefighters have managed to quell the factory’s fires, several monsters have taken advantage of the catastrophe to harass and endanger nearby panicked dockworkers and passersby.
Two large, shadowy oni are practicing a slow, methodical dance along the docks to their master’s screeching music, grabbing any citizens in the way and flinging them into the toxic waters along the docks. In addition, three creatures that resemble giant cockroaches with razor-like legs scuttle about, causing more chaos!
Your shouts get the oni's attention, one of them shaken. But they react quickly to your approach. They strum their enchanted musical instruments, sending sonic missiles careening towards you! Xin and Hotcha are hit!
The insectile creatures continue to attack the citizens trying to escape!
Esh easily identifies the oni as shadow yais. Many shadow yais crave the pleasures of music and go to great lengths to secure bardic or musically inclined supplicants. Smaller beings who refuse to submit to a shadow yai are subject to painful, drawn out, and strangely beautiful deaths, for a shadow yai has a special way of evoking melodic cries and screams from their victims: a veritable symphony of pain.
Shadow yais regenerate unless burned by acid or fire. Their touch harms their target's spiritual essence in addition to its body, dealing negative damage and potentially draining them.
Esh has no idea what the bugs things are!
“Xin! Wanna squish a bug?”
Hotcha waits for Xin to act before she moves▶️.
plus 1d6 bleed plus TWO debilitations[/ooc]
Yog'Moi tries to keep up with Hotcha and chases after the sprite. He calls upon Hei Feng to protect the sprite from her nasty-looking foe: not even Yog wants to think about eating this thing.
Hotcha and Xin team up to take on the nearest bug-thing, slowing, wounding and weakening it, as well as making it bleed and burn! It’s not quite enough to take it down, though. The creature rears up and tries to eviscerate Hotcha with its claws! It lands one lucky hit.
The other bug nearby scuttles closer, then it opens its maw and fires a beam of burning fire at Hotcha and Yog!
The shadow yais shift their focus to Esh, blasting him with missiles of pure sound!
Yog'Moi is all over the place as he uses flask and ancient hobgoblin traditional medicine to patch himself and Hotcha up. He ends up next to Xin, ready to administer aid to him.
Shadow Yai's. Powerful foes, but at a disadvantage against fire. How unfortunate. Their blasts of sound hit me hard as I nudge the chariot towards them, fire streaming out from my mouth.
Hotcha dodges the fire easily. Yog’Moi’s heal takes care of the rest.
The fairy flanks with Xin!
She switches targets, attacking the yellow bug that breathed fire on her!
"We need to find whoever or whatever's playing that music," says Xin. "Hotcha, Springtime Wave on three. One, two, three!"
Hotcha clobbers her foe again!
Xin stabs the wounded bug, scoring a critical hit and killing it! He inspires Hotcha, who turns and delivers a critical falcon punch to the next bug. The sprite follows up with her own flurry of critical strikes, then a one-millimeter-punch to finish the bug-monster!
Meanwhile, Yog'Moi passes out healing spells. Esh steers the chariot toward the two shadow yai and breathes fire upon them! Both manage to avoid some of the burning breath.
The last insectile monster scuttles closer and fires a beam of burning flame from its maw!
The shadow yai closest to Esh draws their glaive and slashes at the elf, scoring two critical hits! The other one runs up into the air, shadows gathering around their feet to support them off of the ground. They try to pummel Esh with their draining fists, landing one hit!
Success: The creature takes 2d6 negative damage.
Failure: The creature becomes drained 1 and takes 3d6 negative damage. As long as the creature is drained as a result of this ability, it loses the ability to speak above a whisper. When the creature attempts to Cast a Spell with a verbal component, it must succeed at a flat check or the spell is disrupted. The DC of this flat check is equal to 5 plus the creature's drained value (for example, DC 7 if the creature is drained 2).
Critical Failure: As failure, but the creature becomes drained 2 and takes 6d6 negative damage.
Hotcha thinks the bug is a pest that needs to get squashed. (Yes, Hotcha isn’t that much bigger than regular bugs and this bug is way bigger than her. But still—)
She dodges the fire breath easily, then ▶️soars into the bug’s personal bubble!
With a trio of critical hits, Hotcha squashes the third and final bug! Only the two oni remain!
"Xin, Esh needs my help!" The hobgoblin looks at the marshall hoping to get some inspirational pointers.
"Yog, go!" says Xin, seeing Esh's danger. He runs to Hotcha and point out the problem to her, too. "Oh Esh! Go!"
Hotcha flies forward up at a slight angle.
With Xin's guidance, Yog'Moi runs across (and over!) the water to close the gap to Esh and bombards him with healing magics.
The others must have finished the bugs, because suddenly they're there to take the pressure off, and Yog is healing me. That's good. I move to better positioning and attack.
The shadow yai takes an attack of opportunity on Xin as he closes with them!
Esh moves to flank the yai with Xin, landing two hits thanks to Xin's support! Xin backstabs the yai as well, weakening and slowing the oni.
The wounded yai turns its ire back on Esh, slashing with their glaive and landing one hit.
The other one attacks Yog'Moi, tearing open grievous wounds!!
Yog'Moi barks a defiant laugh at the oni as he weaves healing magics to restore both himself and Esh. "Ha! We'll weather the storm, you won't!!!"