Cry of the Mountain - RPLOG
Participants
Date
9/9/477
Log
The tunnel becomes noticably hotter as the group turns the corner and a dull red glow suffuses the area. The main shaft must be just ahead. Unfortunately, that is not the only thing ahead! In the tunnel, backlit by the reddish light from the main shaft is a group of three machine servitors scuttling about, seemingly at random!
"... what?" Lilly asks, slowing as the servitors come into view. Her grip on her axe tightens, and she stares at the things. "Those do not belong here. Right?" she asks, looking to Lucasiel.
Angus cocks an eyebrow as he stops, pistol raised a bot as he looks down at Mister and beckons the golem closer. "I....don't think so no, and I don't think they are the only ones." He mutters softly as he holsters his pistol and reaches down to his belt. Working with the leather ties he removes a set of metal knuckle covers, fitting them on and clenching his hands into fists to make sure they are on right. "Lets make sure we don't get caught by surprise."
Lucasiel keeps her shield raised as she continues along in the front, adjusting her grip on the haft of her battle axe as she eyes the servitors over from behind her helm. "I am not sure why they are down here, no... This isn't a creator ruin, is it? Sure doesn't look like it, and I'm tired of seeing them all over the place! Let's try to walk by them if we can. No need for a fight."
Rainer gets up on his tiptoes when those ahead of him pause, tilting this way and that to see what all the fuss is about. "Hey, you never know, maybe this cave connects to some old, buried Creator place. We'll soon see, right?" He ducks and weaves around the others, moving out ahead with little concern for the servitors. "They're probably just scoutin' the place to see what all the ruckus is, same as us."
Kalt frowns and readies her staff, tapping it against her hands as she looks at the servitors. "... Rainer, don't go bein' foolish now, m'guessin' their a bit crazy an' all from how their movin', an' gettin' cut up ain't gonna help us none." The Vixen calling out as she tries to stick to Lucasiels side.
Erratic as the three machines are, they react with very clear purpose as the party draws near! All three scuttle forward, lightning arching between their metalic mandibles, striking out at Angus, Rainer and Kalt!
Lilly turns as the servitors head for her allies, holding back for a moment as they zip past, lining up her attack. She raises her axe and then silently surges in from behind the servitors, flanking them and swinging her weapon in a wide cleaving arc.
Angus stumbles back as one of them comes right for him, stepping out of the way of it's little claws as he goes into a fighting stance before he realizes Lilly is coming in for the kill. He keeps Mister back as well, letting Lilly handle it as he turns to find another assailant he might be able to assist with, a calm look in his eye as he surveys the fight.
Lucasiel does her best to be sneaky! But then those pesky servitors start going for her allies, and it'd be remiss of her to let that pass! So, she whirls around and brings her axe up, letting the momentum follow through as she tries to bring the metal mass down towards a servitor in a heavy chop.
"'Ey now!" You're a all-star. Get your game on, get... paid! Rainer limbos out of the way of a bolt of lightning. Don't question it. When he swings back upright he's got his swords drawn, and he aims the business end of one at the trio of bots, brows narrowed and a challenging half-smirk on his muzzle. "You wanna get busted down to scrap, you picked a fight with the right guys!" Only then does he take the time to cast a smile aside to Kalt, adding, "Hey, how was I supposed to know they were the feisty sort?"
Kalt doesn't wait or hesitate once they show aggitation, the Vixen dropping low as she quickly manages to pull off the splits as the lightning flies over her head! A slight scoff is an answer to rainer, before she curls and rolls forward, springing into a jump at the end of her roll as she goes to bring the metal tipped end of her staff down on the offending servitor!
Lilly's slicing axe crushes one of the three servitors into a sparking pile of scrap and Lucasiel follows up with more of the same and Kalt downs the third! It is obvious that they were not really made for combat! They certainly can't be sentries. Once again, the party is assaulted by the blast of that horrible screeching cry! Just ahead, the tunnel to the central shaft looms.
Lilly twists at that horrible sounding screech, tense and at the ready. Once it fades, she begins moving down the tunnel again, steps carefully placed for stealth.
Angus flicks his ears as he watchs the Servitors go down, before he flinches at the screech again, putting a finger in his ear and wiggling it. "When we find this thing, lets muzzle it." He murmurs as he stands back up and turns around again, hands on his pistols as he starts walking forward with Mister on his heels.
Lucasiel flashes a little grin as the servitors fall under their combined efforts. "Well, that takes care of tha-" She cuts off again, wincing at the sound of the screech. "Gah. What do you think that is? Some kind of... Awful machine?" She shakes it off and shoulders her axe as she starts off towards the shaft, taking the lead once more.
Rainer turns his head in the... vague direction of the noise, admittedly difficult to ascertain with it bouncing off every single wall. Aside from flattening his ears for the duration of the screech, it seems to be bothering him less and less. "Alright, admitting: the two Small Clanners in a leaf costume theory is sounding a -little- thin at the moment." Perking right up, he begins to strut onwards, full speed! "Still, nothing for it but to see with our own eyes, right?"
"It ain't probably nuttin' that's gonna be showin' nice for us an' all." The Vixen's tail flicking as she sighs, Kalt's gaze flicking amongst everyone there before Rainer just begins to move forward full speed again, the vixen groaning as she sets her staff on her back and dashes after him! "Oi! Don't go gettin' stuck up you git!"
The tunnel opens up to reveal a wide ledge jutting out over the main shaft of the volcano! The heat is almost unbearable this far down, nearly level with the flowing lava at the bottom. But just ahead, at the edge of the wide ledge are two very strange things. One is a large, black, blocky structure, broken and spilling bits and pieces of scrap and swarming with servitor golems. The other is a reptile the size of a house, scrabbling and scratching at the wrecked structure. As the group watches, the creature opens its jaws wide and lets loose with that shrieking roar that brought the party down here!
Lilly groans as the heat gets even worse, rubbing at her forehead with her hand before she shakes her head and resolves to tough it out. She moves along the tunnel, axe held loosely in her hand... then stops, and stares at the giant beast. "... what?" she says, echoing her earlier self. "Huh. I wonder what it's trying to eat there."
Angus stops in his tracks and lifts the brim of his hat an inch up to get a better look at the biggin. ".....Is it to late to get a bigger gun?" He asks as his left hand dips to pull a white pistol from his belt, cocking the hammer back as he looks over the rest of the group. "We want the white or the dark meat?"
Lucasiel stops in her tracks and stares for a moment. "... Huh. Now that'll be a thing to bring down that is worthy of praise! So... Ah. How do we reach it, exactly? I don't think I can hit it from here." She props the axe on her shoulder for a moment, tugging off the tattered cloth 'shawl' that had been covering her. It'd only get in the way and likely catch on fire.
Rainer doesn't get much further than the mouth of the tunnel before stopping in his tracks. "Woah." He's surprisingly perky, considering his clothes and fur have pretty much been steam-dried by this point, and by the time the others have caught up his tail is wagging something fierce. "Would you -look at that-!" He laughs, quite heartily, and gestures with spread arms at the sight before them. "Oh, I must have been a -very- good boy. Well, let's get to it!" And out come his weapons-of-choice again as the pup assumes combat stance.
Kalt blinks as she stands beside Rainer, the Vixen's tail flicking as she gets a wide grin while looking over the scene. "Well, only way to gettin' there... Is to go runnin' on up~" The Vixen sparing no time as she drops low before dashing forward, running as fast as she can to get foolishly ahead of the group as she calls back at Rainer. "BETTIN' I CAN GO KILLIN' IT FIRST BOYO!"
Rokarion arrives running from the tunnel, "My apologies for arriving late. Did I miss anything?" He then stops in his tracks at the end of the tunnel, as he comes in sight with the situation, and hearing the same shriek again. He takes out a musket from under his cloak, from the looks of it not the best example of one, and prepares for invetible combat, before syaing in his usual clam tone, "Well, I am assuming diplomacy is out of the question?"
The jagged surface of the large ledge is hardly enough to slow Kalt down as she goes bounding toward the distant edge where the great reptile is screeching ineffectively at the broken structure. It is similar to one of the volcanic efreeti, in the way that a training yard sword is like a fine rapier, or a loaf of bread is like a wedding cake. The great beast is long and sinewy, with a long, whipping tail and glittering black scales. It does not seem to see the party yet, much more occupied with this bizarre, buzzing thing that has invaded its territory. It screams another challenge as the party draws near, whipping a gargantuan tail toward the fallen structure.
Ever pragmatic, Lilly follows along behind Kalt, letting the fox take the first hit since she seems so eager for it. "Yea, out of the question," she confirms, drawing her long, thin dagger as well.
Angus blinks as both Rainer and Kalt go bolting past them, his other pistol sliding into his free hand as he starts to move forward as well. "Go for the throat and under the arms, that's probably the weakest points!" He shouts as he watches the creature attack Kalt as he growls!
Lucasiel blinks as Kalt goes charging off. "Hey!" She growls softly and breaks into a run of her own, trailing up behind Kalt with her axe at the ready. Well! She was looking for a fight, at least, so she could hardly argue with the vixen's enthusiasm.
"No fair!" Rainer blurts out, taking off after Kalt lickity-split, though not quite lickity-split enough to get into the path of that flailing tail, looking concerned right up to the moment she deftly dodges it, then laughing. "Maybe you lot should just hang back and leave this to the expert adventurer!" He keeps his eyes on that massive scaley tail, waiting for the next time it comes swinging to take a stab at leaping onto it. Fortunate he's got two big, sharp objects for the latching-on with. Even if alerting the creature to their presence this early is... not so wise.
The Vixen doesn't even seem concerned at that tail, the beastie telegraphing the move clearly enough that the vixen crouches low before vaulting over it! Twisting some in the air before landing on her feet, she continues dashing forward before reaching close to the building, a wide grin on her lips as she jumps up to grab a hand hold in one of the broken spots, before pushing herself up to run up the tilted side of the building... So close now, she could almost taste it!
Rokarion looks at the group, while his serene facial expression remain intact deep down he is just asking himself why is everyone rushing in without the hint of a plan. He glances the broken machine, most likely a Creator artifact hopefully it won't get damaged. Rokarion then looks again at the scene seeing Kalt as the closes one there, and also for some reason standing at the location where the creature is aiming for too. With the equations done in his head, and a circular motion of his forefinger, a layer of stone forms over Kalt covering her completely in another protective layer, that will hopefully remain intact for a while.
So far, the monstrous lizard has not paid much attention to the party, its horned, toothy head pointed at the golem covered wreck before it. The servitors themselves seem to be ignoring the reptile's attacks, aimlessly buzzing around the surface of the ruined structure. One of them comes skittering straight toward Kalt!
Meanwhile, the reptilian beast has reared back and is coming crashing down toward the ruined building with both massive foreclaws!
With the dra- the giant lizard distracted, Lilly darts forward. Remembering what Angus had said, she tries to move in along one of the beast's flanks, then lays into it with a fast flurry of strikes from her axe when she finds a good spot behind its arm.
As soon as Angus notices the thing reacting to them he holsters his pistols, giving Mister a command to stay back as the fox takes to the air with Air magic, but he didn't anticipate his landing right. The fox landing on the creatures back, but not close enough to the target as the fox turns around and draws his knife with his right hand. "Didn't think we would be facing an overgrown lizard!"
Lucasiel isn't one to stay her blade, once the others start the battle! She likewise seeks to take advantage of the weaker point on the lizard, bringing the axe up in an upward arc towards the fleshier underbits!
Rainer waits for it... waaaits for iiiiit... okay that tail isn't coming back. "Guh." New strategy! Seeing as the others are already beginning to swarm the thing, he makes a run on it too, going for the leg opposite Lilly. "Adventurer Rule NumberrrRRR ELEVEN! Go for their knees!" And that's exactly what he takes his swings at.
A short dodge of the rogue servitor, then the Vixen is quickly and deftly avoiding those crashing claws as she crouches low and launches herself up at the beasts face! Her left hand cocking back as a flurry of pure light collects around it, forgoing flames themselves as she calls upon some sort of inner power, before slamming her fist directly into the creature's nose mid air, a cocky, shit eating grin spread wide upon her face!
Rokarion moves to position himself at a good angle, before kneeling down, and taking aim at the beast with his musket, the weapon being not one of the best examples of craftsmanship, but hey it works. After a couple of seconds of concentration, Rokarion pulls the trigger and watches as the musket emits a banging noise and lets out the bullet.
The creature's downward strike is interrupted by the concerted efforts of the group. For the most part, the group's attacks are not enough to do much besides anger the beast, though they certainly do that! Rainer's strike manages to cut deep, drawing blood on the beast's back leg and Kalt's strike has the creature seeing stars briefly. Now is the time to strike!
Lilly continues to hack away at the lizard's leg, quite happy with her current strategy; let the flashier guys take all the heat while she'd keep working at crippling the lizard while it was distracted.
Angus stumbles as the thing starts to move, his dagger sinking into its flesh to eep him steady before he stands back up and moves towards his target as he swings his Blunderbuss around and takes a grip on it with his left. "Just die you damn beast!" He shouts as he steps up to where he things the back of its skull is before pointing the blunderbuss directly down, pressing it flush against the flesh before he pulls the trigger, the gun going off with a roar!
Lucasiel pulls her axe back for a moment and hoists it over her head before taking a short leap into the air, swinging the axe downward on her descent to use the combined momentum to try to slam the heavy weapon into the overgrown lizard's head. Wonder how thick that skull is...
Bleeding is good enough, Rainer reasons, even if the leg is still functional. He'd kiss his swords, if they weren't drenched in the blood of this behemoth. Popping 'round the leg, he goes running below the beast's underbelly, sizing up the cleave Lucasiel made on her way along before him. "Not bad... but I'll bet a week's pay I can do..." The canid comes skidding to a halt somewhere roundabouts he perceives to the mighty monstrosity's chest, angling both swords up towards it. "...BETTER!" And with that cry he thrusts both blades straight up--!
Kalt begins to slightly fall, realizing she'd have to do -all- that work to get back up, she makes a desperate gambit and grabs hold of the beasts head to keep her up there! Taking a deep breath as she closes her eyes a moment to focus, letting the heat and everything else flood her senses as she builds up to do the next step of her crazy plan!
Rokarion looks around the area. Deciding on a plan, Rokarion spots the damaged knees of the lizard, hmm might as well cripple it even further. With that Rokarion focuses on it, and with the equations done, sudden zephyrs of air move like scythes towards the damaged knees of the beast.
The party now has the reptile's full attention as it opens its mouth wide and screams a brain shaking challenge! It is all Kalt can do to hold on as she finds herself dangling from a catfish-like whisker on the lizard's snout! The steel on stone scream rattling her in her armor.
Lucasiel's gravity assisted blow is also a success, chopping heavily into the foreleg opposite the one Rainer previously injured. The injured legs cause the creature to topple forward, adding its own weight to Rainer's vicious upward attack and opening a sizable gash on its hard, white underbelly.
Meanwhile, Lilly has managed to draw the beast's ire with her consistent, painful chopping and the monster's rear leg lashes out at the shark.
Up above, Angus's shot goes a little wide as the creature lurches beneath him, but he manages to keep his perch.
Rockarion's wind scythes, while well planned and well aimed, simply lack the power to cause much damage to the gargantuan lizard.
The creature flails about as it crashes down, unable to support itself on its injured front legs!
Lilly is rocked by the lizard's hit, stumbling a few steps to the side before she regains her balance. The fight is on, though, and the beast is down and wounded; she gathers herself and then quickly rushes forward, attempting to use a quick lunge to bury her viciously sharp knife under a scale along the lizard's neck, hoping to hit something vital.
Angus growls as his shot is goes wide, the Fox cursing the creator damned snake under his feet as his right handdraws his dagger once more. He sinks the blade into the creatures hide and draws the large pistol he had from his belt to point directly at the creature again. "Die you bastard!" He shouts as he fires again!
Lucasiel gives a little internal cheer as the giant lizard reacts to onslaught, but she doesn't let up there! "Don't let up!" As if she had to say it. The axe goes up again, but as it goes back down it flickers with her dark math, doing her best to enhance her attack even further!
Rainer brings his teeth to bare in a triumphant grin as, from his perspective, the beast seems to crumple from his blow. This gradually fades as the lizard does not -stop- descending. "I didn't quite think this all the way through, did I." He abandons his swords lodged to their hilts in the behemoth's body as he makes a break for it, but he started his escape too late, and down it comes upon him, pinning him belly down on the less-than-cozy and uneven surface of the rocky ledge, not a sound escaping him but the air rushing out of his body... and short of him gaining the ability to lift 3-400 times his own weight, this is probably where he'll be for a while.
Falling was bad, very, -very- bad! Kalt merely gritting her teeth as she grips the whisker tightly before throwing herself up, her left hand catching a hold ontop the beasts head as she manuvers to the safer position of right ontop of it! As soon as her right hand gets an equal and firm grip then, her left hand raises up once more with a flurry of white as she swings it down at the Beast's eye with force!
Rokarion not having anything else to do, well anything else that won't damage the team with, Rokarion concentrates on the stuck Wolf. He uses earth mathemagic and attempts to cover the wolf with a layer of stone, won't help much probably, but better than nothing.
The reptile crashes hard to the ground, bleeding from a bevy of wounds and flopping about heavily in pain and confusion. It makes a strangely sweet, but abundantly loud crooning sound before blade, bullet and magic bring it down for good.
Lilly draws her blade back out, flicking it clean and sliding her knife away. "Dang, that was a big one..." she comments. Then she frowns, and her tail flicks. She looks around at the rest of her group, and yes, Luca, two foxes, but... "where'd that wolf go?" she asks.
Angus lets out a roar of a cheer when the creature goes down, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he looks down at the others with a wicked grin. But then he pauses, his grin starting to disappear when he realizes. ".....Where's Rainer?" He asks as he sheaths both pistol and knife to climb down and try and look for the wolf. "...Please tell me we didn't lose him."
Lucasiel lets out a heavy sigh and draws her axe back in, propping it up on her shoulder. "Not bad, not bad," she mutters before looking around to see if she can help find the wolf. She'd rather not go losing people!
