Rakka's arrow and its trailing tail of debris knock down several of the terracotta warriors. The defensive line keeps the damage from being too catastrophic . They deflect Kioko's assault as well.
Kyrie crashes into the shield wall like a bull. She shatters several terracotta legs and arms.
The Old Man tries to break the squadron further, but they rebuff its fearsome staff. It turn its attention to the remaining captain, but the two animated statues strike and parry to a standstill.
The shield line in the squadron falls back, and terracotta swordsmen surge forward to assail those within reach. The Old Man statue is now so cracked and chipped that the finer details are gone.
Unending Assault! Round 5-6. Bold may act.
Blue Captain
Squadron (-186 hp)
Rakka (142/149 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kioko (188/188 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks) (Basic Reflex DC 33 vs. 27 slashing)
Kyrie (133/203 hp) (-17 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks) (Basic Reflex DC 33 vs. 27 slashing)
Old Man Statue (-142 hp; <50%) (shield other)
Humble (105/138 hp) (shielding other; +3 status bonus to all checks)
Frustrated as the statues avoid the worst of what he was hoping to be a catastrophic strike, Rakka draws another cloud of debris and fires again.
Kioko focuses on her swords and feels the weight change. She swings and then defends.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d8, Finesse, Uncommon, Versatile P
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Humble steps back and blasts the Troop with spiritual energy.
Kyrie’s plated armor protects her from the worst of the slashes as she continues trying to pound the squadron into clay dust. She cannily steps closer to the statue so that she can offer it the protection of her shield as well.
Rakka's arrow and comet trail strike the squadron, thinning out their ranks.
Kioko begins to flag as she fails to dodge the swordsmen and then fails to penetrate their defenses. Humble tries to lashes the terracotta warriors with spiritual energy, but his aim is off.
Kyrie withstands many of the sword strikes from the assaulting squadron, but she fails to inflict any damage with her own attacks.
The Old Man statue thrust and swings his staff against the squadron. The divine warden puts an end to the last of the smaller statues.
This leaves only the blue tinted terracotta captain. Seeing the giant statue as the clear danger as well as having noted how the aasimar bleeds with its strikes against the statue, the captain continues its assault against the Old Man. This time, however, the stone statue manages to parry every blow.
Unending Assault! Round 6-7. Bold may act.
Blue Captain
Rakka (142/149 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kioko (161/188 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kyrie (123/203 hp) (-17 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Old Man Statue (-142 hp; <50%) (shield other)
Humble (105/138 hp) (shielding other; +3 status bonus to all checks)
Kioko races over to the last opponent, trying to set up a flank for Kyrie.
She attacks and parries.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d8, Finesse, Uncommon, Versatile P
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Glad to see the end of the squadron, Rakka takes aim and sends another comet at the remaining statue. "This better be the last of these damn things!"
Humble moves for a clear sht, depending on the blessings of Irori to bolster his attack:
The members of Summary Judgement seem to get a second wind.
Kioko rushes to the opposite side of the terracotta warrior, trying to use the divine warden as cover. The clay captain manages to slice her deeply in the thigh as she passes. However, she returns nearly triple the force with her two blades. Each of them strikes especially vulnerable points on the statue .
Rakka's comet arrow strikes true and leaves the terracotta statue riddled with holes.
Even Humble is able to land his spiritual lance, which passes through the terracotta shell, burning the spiritual essence within.
Unending Assault! Round 6-7. Bold may act.
Blue Captain (-163 hp; <50%)
Rakka (142/149 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kioko (123/188 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kyrie (123/203 hp) (-17 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Old Man Statue (-142 hp; <50%) (shield other)
Humble (105/138 hp) (shielding other; +3 status bonus to all checks)
Kyrie cracks a chunk off of the captain with her strikes and raises her shield into a defensive position. The Old Man statue and the remaining terracotta warrior continue their duel. The Old Man lands a solid blow. Humble feels the pain as the captain lands a blow against the warden. Most of the fine details have been battered from the front of the warden, and cracks are beginning to form. The statue would surely be destroyed if not for Humble's selflessness.
Unending Assault! Round 7-8. Bold may act.
Blue Captain (-239 hp; <50%)
Rakka (142/149 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kioko (123/188 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Kyrie (123/203 hp) (-17 hp) (+3 status bonus to all checks)
Old Man Statue (-153 hp; <10%) (shield other)
Humble (94/138 hp) (shielding other; +3 status bonus to all checks)
Humble fires a spirit bolt that just sizzles in the dirt.
He raises his spellguard shield.
With a flank set up, Kioko's blades slice quickly in a blur.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d8, Finesse, Uncommon, Versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d8, Finesse, Uncommon, Versatile P
She ends with crossed swords.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Kioko more than makes up for Humble's unfortunate aim. With three precise blows, she dismantles the remaining terracotta captain. The inner sides of the shards pulse with golden energy for a moment before it evaporates.
After several tense moments waiting for the other shoe to drop, the night sounds of the jungle return. Ingdani touches her stud earring and looks to the side as if listening. She turns to you a moment later and says, "The other bases that were assaulted are reporting that they have repelled the assaults or are expected to be victorious soon. You had best get to bed soon so you're rested in the morning."
Humble expends his last two channels. Conservation of resoursed allows one not only to survive, but thrive. The bounty of frugality.
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.
Humble rolls his eyes at Hao Jin's ostentatious display. However, he hears the words and prepares a heightened Show the Way for the day, aiming to be the first there.
Nothing impedes your hike from your base camp to the travelling tower. Once inside the tower, you take the hall that you have passed through before and emerge on the north end of the island. With Abadar's guidance, the hike from the destination tower to Mount Haminabu is blessedly short and easy.
As you approach the mountain--the tallest peak on the island of Bonmu--you can see the Ruby Palace dominating the summit. Abadar's guidance leads you to a trail at the base of the mountain, which leads you a fraction of the mountain's height. Afterwards, however, it is a slow and heart-pounding climb to the peak. Once you crest the edge at the peak, you find several teams lining the magically flattened path to the Ruby Palace. These teams do not appear to be headed into the palace but merely come to spectate the arrival of the finalists. You see Tino and his compatriots among the spectators. They cheer your arrival with Tino clapping loudly. The kitsune, Ji-Yook, tries to look bored, but she winks and gives you a hand sign under her crossed arms signaling her encouragement.
The red-haired, ever youthful sage, Hao Jin, waits for you to approach. Ingdani holds back and moves to stand with the spectators as you walk to the sage. Hao Jin holds out her hand. "Please present to me your necklace and your ten silver feathers," she instructs.
Liquidity.
Humble reaches into his sleeves and pulls forth the feathers as well as the necklace.
Kioko returns the enthusiasm of Tino's team with a nod. When the group approaches Hao Jin, she reamins in the back and lets Humble do any talking.
Hao Jin accepts the necklace with a polite smile and then gestures with a flourish as she transforms the necklace into a fighting fan made of finely crafted silver feathers with rubies for accents. "Congratulations," she says with a more sincere smile, "I look forward to observing your progress." She hands the silver fan back to Humble. "Please, enter the Ruby Palace, join the finalists who have already made it, relax, and wait for the remai--."
The sage's words are cut short as a ray of green energy strikes her and turns her to a pile of ash.
"No!" you hear Tino cry out over the noise of shocked gasps and exclamations of incredulity. You turn toward the sound as a fight breaks out between several Tian Dan in matching tabards--a silver crescent moon setting on the horizon against a navy blue field--and Tino's Toughest.
Two of the tabard wearing fighters break free of fight and rush toward the entrance to the Ruby Palace.
Rakka dives for cover as the ray strikes the sage, already pulling his bow from his shoulder to return fire!
Humble shrugs. Surely the Ruby Phoenix herself has contingencies in place for such crude attacks as assassination by ray.
He flips the fan and hands it handle-first to Kioko before raising his shield.
Kioko deftly grabs it from Humble and draws her katana. She moves to handle the threat.
Kyrie moves to intercept the villains as they rush toward the entrance to the Ruby Palace. The villains find themselves repelled by an invisible barrier. Frustrated, they turn around.
Rakka gets the jump on them as they try to figure out what to do next.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 1. Bold may act.
Rakka (160/160 hp)
Mage (red)
Warrior (yellow)
Humble (148/148 hp) (shield raised)
Kioko (188/188 hp)
Kyrie (203/203 hp) (shield raised)
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Rakka dashes under the nearby tree for a better angle. As he draws back an arrow he shouts "Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine!" As he releases the arrow toward the mage, it becomes encased in a ray of sickly green energy.
The arrow strikes the sorceress in the shoulder. Sickly green energy seeps down the arrow and into the wound. Her veins glow with green light for a moment as she grits her teeth and clenches her fist .
The woman repays the favor by quickly chanting and gesturing. She raises both of her hands in an upward motion, and dozens upon dozens of inky, black tentacles with octopus-like suckers rise out of the ground and wrap around each of the members of Summary Judgement, squeezing painfully.
The warrior then charges Kioko--who stands at the edge of the tentacles--unarmed. As he comes within reach, he reaches toward the katana at his side and draws it with both hands, slicing upwards as he does. The blade cuts through Kioko's collar bone and bleeds profusely .
Rudely Interrupted! Round 1-2. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-48 hp)
Warrior (yellow)
Humble (136/148 hp) (shield raised) (grabbed)
Kioko (-89 hp; 188/188 hp) (grabbed, bleed 2d8)
Kyrie (-11 hp; 203/203 hp) (shield raised) (grabbed)
Rakka (149/160 hp) (grabbed)
+
First things first. Kioko tries to get out of the tentacles.
Freed from the tentacles, she Steps out of the affected area and defends against another blow.
Her wounds start to close up.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
He raises his shield.
Rakka then fires a bolt of spectral energy at the mage
Kioko breaks herself free and takes a defensive stance a moment before Humble calls upon Abadar's power to invalidate the magical hazard that might remind some of their vivid dreams.
The mage cannot escape the spectral arrow, but she twirls and avoids the physical arrow and its trailing spectral claw.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 1-2. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-62 hp)
Warrior (yellow)
Humble (136/148 hp) (shield raised)
Kioko (102/202 hp)
Kyrie (-11 hp; 207/218 hp) (shield raised)
Rakka (149/160 hp)
Kyrie enters her battle stance and advances on the mage, not wanting to leave such a threat unchallenged.
As Kyrie approaches the sorceress, the mage chants and gestures, summoning crackling energy between her hands. She thrusts her hands toward Kyrie. The knight moves with preternatural foresight and grace as she dodges a torrent of electrical energy. Without a grounding, the energy then sails over the edge of the mountain to disperse into the sky . The sorceress does not look enthused by this.
The samurai leaves Kioko in her defensive position and advances upon Rakka, identifying him as more problematic. With two quick slashes, the warrior leaves the magus bleeding . He seems specialized in dealing with foes with no allies nearby.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 2-3. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-62 hp)
Warrior (yellow)
Humble (136/148 hp) (shield raised)
Kioko (102/202 hp)
Kyrie (207/218 hp) (shield raised)
Rakka (45/160 hp)
Kioko eyes both opponents (Hunt Prey), then rushes after the samurai.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d6, Finesse, Uncommon, Backstabber plus
plus 1d10 persistent fire
"I use this bow because I want to" Rakka says, a grin spreading over his face as he wipes away a trickle of blood from his beak, "not because I have to." With that, he seems to inhale energy from all around himself, focusing the power at the tip of his beak which takes on a spectral hook to it as he pecks viciously at the knight.
Distracted by Rakka, the samurai just barely misses his parries as Kioko assaults him. He whirls and cuts Rakka as the tengu summons the magical energy to channel into his beak, but he cannot get his blade back into a defensive position fast enough to avoid the painful peck.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 2-3. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-62 hp)
Warrior (yellow) (-84 hp) (reaction used)
Humble (136/148 hp) (shield raised)
Kioko (102/202 hp)
Kyrie (207/218 hp)
Rakka (20/160 hp)
Humble frowns. What a start to the morning! He mumbles a prayer, halo flashing:
Then he strides to Kyrie.
Kyrie launches a three-hit combo at her foe.
Humble fills Rakka with as much vitality as he can and then begins moving toward Kyrie.
The Knight of Lastwall slams her shield into the sorceress' face, splitting her lip and probably breaking her nose. The mage regains her senses enough to dodge out of the way of Kyrie's subsequent blows.
The mage speaks a word to focus herself and then conjures a fist full of lightning, which she slams into Kyrie's breastplate. The strike is electrifying, and tiny arcs of electricity snap and burn as they leap from metal piece to metal piece on the knight.
The samurai moves out from between the two tengu and continues to duel with Rakka. The enemy cuts Rakka twice, undoing a good bit of Humble's efforts, but it would have certainly imperiled the magus if the aasimar had not.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 3-4. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-118 hp)
Warrior (yellow) (-84 hp)
Humble (136/148 hp)
Kioko (102/202 hp)
Kyrie (144/218 hp) (persistent electric 7, Flat DC 15 at end of turn)
Rakka (55/160 hp)
Kioko continues to follow the samurai.
She strikes twice, then defends.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d6, Finesse, Uncommon, Backstabber plus
plus 1d10 persistent fire
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Rakka waits for Kioko to strike the flanked samurai, then takes a quick hop back out of the man's reach. Once clear, he sprints away, trying to put some distance between himself and the warrior as he fires an unerring spectral arrow back at the man.
Kioko cuts the warrior with her sword and then slashes deeply with the Ruby Phoenix fan, which sets him on fire.
Rakka pounds the samurai with spectral force.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 3-4. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-118 hp)
Warrior (yellow) (-135 hp) (d10 persistent fire)
Humble (136/148 hp)
Kioko (102/202 hp)
Kyrie (144/218 hp) (persistent electric 7, Flat DC 15 at end of turn)
Rakka (55/160 hp)
Humble regales the wizard with a tale of how a dead mouse in the hand can make one rich. Just find a rube with a hungry cat.
He punctuates the tale with a bit of spirit blast.
While Humble befuddles the wizard, she maintains her wits and parries the spiritual blast with her hands. Then Kyrie slams the wizard with her shield, forcing the woman to be even more defensive to avoid further bruising.
Electricity crackles through Kyrie's armor, blistering her.
The sorceress speaks another short incantation, forcing herself to focus, and then reaches out to touch Kyrie. Her cold touch threatens to drain the knight's vital essence.
The samuari's eye gleams with eldritch insight as he turns towards Kioko, the only foe in immediate reach. The burning armor gives him a fiendish appearance as he strikes past Kioko's defense to pierce her arm. She manages to parry his following slash. However, still burning, he then charges towards Humble.
Rudely Interrupted! Round 4-5. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-144 hp; <50%) (+some temp hp)
Warrior (yellow) (-142 hp; <50%) (d10 persistent fire) (reaction available)
Humble (136/148 hp)
Kioko (75/202 hp)
Kyrie (137/218 hp) (Fortitude DC 33 vs. 17 negative) (persistent electric 7, Flat DC 15 at end of turn)
Rakka (55/160 hp)
Kioko keeps chasing after her prey.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Slashing, Agile, Deadly d6, Finesse, Uncommon, Backstabber plus
plus 1d10 persistent fire
She makes sure to defend afterward.
Slashing, Deadly d8, Two-Hand d10, versatile P
Rakka draws power into his bow, firing off an arrow wreathed in a spectral claw toward the armored warrior.
Kioko chases down the samurai and cuts him with her katana before ripping through several plates on his armor with the Ruby Phoneix fan. Rakka tries to finish off the warrior, but the man knocks the arrow out of the air with his sword .
Rudely Interrupted! Round 4-5. Bold may act.
Mage (red) (-144 hp; <50%) (+some temp hp)
Warrior (yellow) (-215 hp; <50%) (d10 persistent fire) (reaction available)
Humble (136/148 hp)
Kioko (75/202 hp)
Kyrie (137/218 hp) (Fortitude DC 33 vs. 17 negative) (persistent electric 7, Flat DC 15 at end of turn)
Rakka (55/160 hp)