The Spirit of Firebough or Kalt Punches a Dragon Part II - RPLOG
Participants
Date
14/9/477
Log
The mountain looms large ahead. Firebough has been restless lately, strange rumblings and frequent tremors have frightened away the usually abundant holiday and tourist crowds. Standing under an overhang beside a large fissure in the side of the mountain is a rather petite looking saurian. Some sort of herbivore. She wears a light shawl and looks a bit old to be leading expeditions, though she is obviously hale and healthy. She wrings her hands anxiously as another tremor shakes the ground. "Not much time," she mutters to herself, her accent betraying her as Thera'Doran.
Thelergramor makes his way up the mountain; his full assortment of gear with him. Thel is in basilisk form; so he keeps from looking directly at anyone while he walks up to the woman. "Problem with the mountain, yeah?" Thel spoke without his usual fake Sweetwateran accent; using instead his native Thera'doran one.
Millicent slinks along the mountain paths, traveling with an easy load, taking only her light plate and two swords with her. Nothing else to it, really! "Ah, hello! Is this the place?" She asks, tail swaying behind her as she takes a moment to brush off her yellow coat.
Kalt humms gently as she makes her way up the mountain, tail flicking gently as she adjusts her jacket and weapons. "M'figurin' a lil'somethin' went an' happened eh? Well, figurin' ain't much we can go doin' 'bout that. But be feelin' free to go lettin' us know your plan ma'am, an' we'll work to see you safe an' all." The Vixen shifting some as she watches them all, brushing her hands off for a moment as she waits for the details.
Jera has finally returned back to town from his own personal training, and immediately finds himself embarking on a mission! He makes his way to the mountain, a little more seasoned in his heavy armor and finding it not a burden at all to make the long trek up. Bow at his side, he nods his head politely to two of his fellow soldiers and stretches a little. "Been a while."
Siyu brings his medical supplies, nearly all of them, filtered maskes,bandages, potions, tonics. The rodent is nearly weighted down wih all manner of ointments salves asnd healing potions. He grunts, wearing leathers, a bit thick, not expecting so much combat as reliefe and help.
"Only five?" the saurian foreigner asks, her voice tinged with worry, "I suppose it will have to do. I do not think there is time to wait." She hefts a large hempen rope attached to a small, but obviously heavy sledge laden with thick, cut stones. "Perhaps someone will help me to pull this?" she asks, "We will certainly need them in the mountain." The saurian adjusts her heavy leather gloves, a lovely, stylized image of fire burned into the backs. "I believe that with your help, I can quiet the mountain once more," she says, "I only need you to protect me while I work. I believe that there is a great beast at the heart of the volcano. You must only keep it at bay for a short while." She nods at the sledge of stones. "I will take care of the rest," she assures the group.
Thelergramor grins behind his mask. "A beast. Fun. So, hold back the dangerous thing while you quiet the mountain. I like when jobs are simple." The basilisk moves towards the sledge, offering to take the rope and pull it himself. "Let me take it."
Millicent scratches her chin and smiles. "Hmm. Protect you while you work? ANd a great beast? Seems straight forward enough! Well. I will do what I can, certainly," the fluffy being says, looking amongst her companions for the night to see who she recognized!
Kalt taps her staff on the ground and grins. "Aw, there probably sure as all hells is... An' ain't no need to go fearin', I'll be knockin' any beasties back into the pit which they done crawled out of an' such." The Vixen blinking at Thel moving to the rope before she sets her staff against her shoulder. "Aw yeah, go an' put your back into it! M'sure you can go managin' it!"
"Only? I'll have you know we'll be better than a battalion of mercenaries. And we work for much, much cheaper too." Jera snorts and then holds on to the end of the rope as an anchor so Thel won't trip on coiled rope and so the tension doesn't suddenly release and whip someone if he fumbles.
Siyu hms, "A beast? Prehaps I should add a layer of chain then." he considers as he adjusts his large heavyload of medicines and healing items. The rodent adjusting his glasses and looking over to the others.
The fissure is not difficult to navigate. The woman nods her thanks and passes one of the two ropes to Thelergramor, keeping the other for herself and trudging heavily ahead into the darkness. The stranger has obviously planned ahead, however and has a pair of good torches lashed to her sledge to provide light in the dark mountain interior. The going is fairly smooth with three people on the ropes.
After a moment, the fissure opens into a wide, natural cavern that slopes gently downward off to the left and upward to the right. "The closer we are to the flowing magma, the better," the saurian says, "Prepare yourselves." She leads the way downward.
Thelergramor is unable to not smile at the premise of fighting some dangerous beast in a magma filled mountain. Thele just continues onward; having no problems at all with the sledge pulling. "So, close to the magma? Any particular idea what we might be up against?" His tone is almost a bit too enthusiastic.
Millicent casts her glance around the fissures, tail swaying idly. "This is quite a neat sight, though, I must say. I've always liked the mountains! Thought not quite as much as the valley." She takes stock of the host's preparations, nodding gently to herself in quiet approval.
"Giant Lizard thingie, careful to not go gettin' crushed under it an' all. Or gettin' knocked into the magma an' all... But yeah, ain't nuttin' to go gettin' too worried 'bout... Went an' punched one before, an' killed it fine." Kalt's grin one of pure, one hundred percent optimisim as she stands with the group, ready to follow with as they enter the new area.
"Hmm. No water mages about?" Jera studies the group and furrows his brow for a moment. "Being able to make stepping stones of magma would be useful."
Siyu makes sure he has on his medical gloves. Inscribed in all three healing elements. Fire, Water, Earth. The runes spark a b it for being so opposite but he nods. "I shall try to keep you all alive. Do be careful there is only so much my medicines can do." He glances at Jera, "I am skilled enough wih water..."
As the party treks carefully downward, this looks like it will be an easy mission! Nothing at all in the tunnels aside from a trio of shattered machine servitors! The tunnel ahead is lighted with a lurid, red light and the party finds themselves on a shelf of stone extending a few hundred feet ahead, jutting over the shaft of the volcano. The magma flows below, bubbling in a way that seems worryingly active.
"There at the edge," The saurian says, pointing to a small peninsula jutting even a little further over the magma, "I will need to work over there, but I think that the-"
She is interrupted as a crooning sound, like a building sized dove bubbles up from the magma, followed shortly by a bubbling and heaving from deep beneath the surface. "It's here!" she cries, "I need you to distract it!"
Thelergramor glances over at Kalt. "Yeah? Punched it? I punched a dragon in the throat, once. And then it collapsed on me and tore me up with it's blades."&r &rAs the crooning sound is emitted, Thelergramor takes the shortbow from his back, readies the crossbow strapped to his wrist and draws an arrow. "Distract it? Why not kill it outright?" The basilisk pulls his mask off. Would only hinder some of his abilities, and stands a bit back from where the noise came from.
Millicent rests a hand on the hilt of the 'smaller' sword at her hip, but doesn't draw yet. "Distract? Well, I suppose we can do that! If it becomes needed. Maybe it will just ignore us, if we are fortunate, yeah? We shall see!" As an afterthought, she starts to tug off her yellow jacket and folds it up, tucking it away into her bag where it should be safer.
"Meh, mine were probably bein' bigger." Kalt shooting a quick smirk at Thel, before twirling her staff as she nods to their charge. "You asked an' paid for it, M'gettin' to distractin' then!" The Vixen taking a deep breath in before yelling as loud as she could manage. "EH! YOU UGLY SONNUVABITCH! WE WENT AN' KILLED ONE OF YA BEFORE, GO ON BACK TO WHIMPERIN' IN QUIET!"
Jera makes a second check on his soul gems and then when he hears the warning about distraction, stiffens a little. "D-Distract?" He quickly nocks a few arrows and gets ready to turn the beast into his personal pincushion, deciding to let Thel and Kalt stay in front. For now.
Siyu looks up at the rather large problem in front of the group, and he just raises both brows. "Distract...that? Oh hells." he tightens his glove and his mask, swallowing hard . Hanging in the back and hoping that everything goes all right!
The very mountain trembles as the saurian rushes away, dragging her sledge of stones. "I only need a few minutes!" she calls over her shoulder, "Just keep its attention!"
The magma below EXPLODES violently. For a moment it seems as if the volcano is erupting! But as soon as the scattered magma settles, it seems as if that would have been preferable! The explosion of magma was only the backlash from an enormous claw erupting from below to grasp the edge of the stone protrusion! Slowly, a huge head raises itself over the lip of stone, flaring reptilian eyes the size of wagon wheels precede a cavernous mouth. The creature's huge jaws open and a blast of furnace hot air screams across the area. Even the largest of Royal Goods would be less than a mouthful for this behemoth!
Thelergramor blinks several times at the large friggin' lizard. He focuses his basiliskian petrifying gaze upon it, then darts off to the side and attempts to create a wall of darkness between him and the creature, whilst screaming random profanities.
Millicent gives a low whistle and leans forward a bit, starting to advance on the lizard at a brisk jog. She's in no particular hurry, and she's got no ranged weaponry on her person to pester it with, so she just takes a run for it! She'll deal with the attacking when she gets there.
Kalt doesn't wait even a second after the big beastie shows itself, the vixen dropping her staff over her shoulder as she charges full speed at it! No moment is given pause, and no part of her plan questioned by her logic as she then springs forth into a leap to attempt to grab unto the giant beast! Whole hearted determination fueling her as she cries out gloriously. "M'GONNA PUNCH IT IN THE EYE!"
Jera swishes his tail for a moment and calls up his wisp. Yelling an order for it to go at the monster. Though in his haste he's forgotten which wisp he brought! He lowers his bow just a little, deciding not to shoot in the direction that Kalt is jumping is and instead aims pinning shots centered towards those large, monstrous legs to see if he can't hamber the reptilian gargantuan's movements.
Siyu just stares, are these beings fucking nuts. Jumping...onto a creature into a lava pit, "What if it just submerges you..." he grunts hard and begins tryind to draw water into his hands, hoping against hope he can draw enough watr to cool and harden a patch of magma enough to catch one of the idiots fighting over and open pit of bubbling death. Tossing a water blessing onto everyojne first.
The gigantic beast lets loose another furnace scream, shaking the very stones beneath the party's feet. Its huge, luminous eye follows Thelergramor, the screaming wolf becoming an interesting target. His basilisk powers seem to have no noticeable effect on the behemoth. Kalt slams hard into the beast's blazing hot flank. Her ward rune blazes to life, protecting the vixen from the lava-hot temperature of the creature's hard scales, and she manages to catch her fingers on one of the scaly protrusions of its skin. The beast pays her no more attention than a horse might a fly, giving a toss of its head to dislodge the pest.
Jera's shots, while well aimed simply bounce off the monster's armored hide. What kind of weapon was that foreigner making that she thought could beat this thing!?
Thelergramor blinks as he realizes that his wall of shadow likely isn't going to help much against something that large, especially since he may have gotten it's attention with his screaming. And as Kalt throws herself upon the lizard, he grins wider, seeing her jump at it before the darkness obscures his view. "Yes! More of that Kalt!" Seems he approves of the recklessness as he draws back an arrow and fires it through the darkness; a near blind shot against a huge target.
As Millicent approaches the creature at last, she draws her sword and sets her eyes on the leg of the creature trying to haul itself up. Bringing her blade up, she makes a swift strike at it, trying to bite as deep as she can with the metal. Maybe she could make it lose its footing? Eventually.
There was no way in this life, or the next, Kalt was about to let go of her vantage point on the beast, instead focusing on the excrutiating climb to try and get near the beast's eye! Her hands gripping each protrusion tightly as she trusts in her timely rune to keep her safe while she makes this dangerous journey... But, if she should succeed, hopefully she'll be in the perfect spot to give her friends the support they truly need!
"Crud. It's like shooting at a stone wall." Jera grumbles and reloads, then thinks better of it. "Well. Time to try what I learnt in the field." Now that he's calmed down, he switches bows for a moment to his longbow rather than his more favored shortbow and notices that his wisp is the fire one, grumbling. He issues a command with one finger pointed at his opponent's chest, the wisp drawing a target in a shadowy fire. The kit fox nocks a particularly serrated arrow and draws his bowstring all the way back. "Don't miss." He grumbles. Then takes his shot designed to shatter armor.
Siyu feels the rumble and he loses his feet. The healer in the back struggles and tries to stand up as the beast will haul himself onto the ridge. "Distraction! Remember! Just distract it! Colors and movment you don't need to kill it!" he calls out. He gets up unsteadily to his feet and tries to focus on keeping everyone alive. Once more water is tossed out, hissing into steam. Trying to keep everyone cool and keeping from being scalded.
So far, the group is fulfilling its role as a distraction. The creature seems wholly absorbed with the party on this side of the vast ledge, leaving the saurian woman to her work on the far side. The beast is not satisfied with hanging from the edge, however and begins dragging itself forward!
Millicent's fast, powerful strike is enough to draw the monster's attention and it raises the struck claw and attacks with a titanic downward strike! The blow does divert the magma beast's attention from Kalt, allowing the vixen the time she needs to inch her way along until she finds herself precariously perched on a hard ridge of bone near the thing's eye!
Jera's shot flies true! wedging itself into a gap between the scutes on the creature's belly, drawing its ire his way! The reptile's second monstrous claw reaches out toward Jera, magma cascading off its flanks as it struggles to drag itself onto the outcrop! Meanwhile, Siyu is effectively keeping the air and area cool enough for combat to continue.
"Please!" comes a ragged call from across the way, "Just a few more minutes!"
Thelergramor can't see shit through his wall of shadow, so he emerges from it. The basilisk glares at the beast, noting Kalt is up by the eye and too close for him to shoot at without potentially hitting her too. So, he moves quickly to a better shot angle; getting closer in the process, before aiming his wrist mounted crossbow for the unobstructed eye and firing a bolt when the best opportunity arises.
Millicent narrows her eyes as the foot comes stomping down. She leaps out of the way of the strike, but the impact on the ground shakes her enough that she stumbles over onto her rump. She doesn't let that keep her down, though! Soon, she's rolled back onto her paws and takes another two-handed strikes at the same foot, with a diagonal bottom-to-top slash.
The moment had finally arrived, the Vixen edging onto the side of the eye as she closes her eyes and focuses for the briefest of moment. Her head had to be clear, her cause just, and this single attack, -perfect-. So, as Kalt prepares, her fist clenches and she cocks her arm back, opening her eyes in that single moment as her hand flashes in pure unadulterated light before she swings it forward! Her fist cutting through the air as she moves to strike into the eye with her light wreathed fist. "TO THE GROUND, BEAST!"
"I think it's time to call a retreat soon..." Jera only just barely manages to get away from the beast's wrath, though he loses a plate of armor to a small speck of magma. He spends the time looking for where the beast is trying to clamber up and then points his wisp in the direction. "Blast the rock it's climbing. Blast it!!" The wisp delves into the magma for a moment! Storing up some to fire it's volcannon towards the rock.
Siyu grunts hard, "Bring it down? All right ,let's do it. Bring it down!" he will smack both palms onto the rock ledge and trie to weaken it with earth mgic. Just weaken it hoping to bring it down with it's own weight.
Thel's shot goes wide of the massive beast, but Millicent's well timed strike cuts deep into the monster's scaly claw, causing it to flinch and draw back a little. Then Kalt strikes.
There is brilliant flash of light and the beast rears back, flailing wildly! It slides quickly back over the edge and its scrabbling claw is blown away from catching a grip by Siyu's earth magic and the rather endearing little puff of flame from Jera's wisp. The volcano's magma surges and splashes violently as the creature tips back into the molten tide!
Yes! She had managed it, she had--- Wait. Why was her perch sliding back? Kalt's gaze flipping between the scene as she realizes what's going on! "Shitshitshitshitshit!" The Vixen collorfully exclaims as she lets go of the creatures scales, falling down to land attop it's grasping claws for a brief moment before jumping to safety once more, tucking head first as she rolls out the landing, and comes to on her knees! The Vixen panting, drained of most, if not -all- of her energy from the attack and then escape. "We get'em?"
"Fucking crossbow!" Thelergramor scowls at it, the turns his attention to Kalt riding a giant lizard into a lava pit. Then remerges and ends up kneeling on the ground. "Uh... You got it, I think. Also, FUCK YES!" A cheer, as he is almost in reverent awe of Kalts sheer badassery. The basilisk walks towards the pit; patting Kalt on the shoulder if she lets him when he passes her, before peering over the ledge.
After landing another solid blow and seeing the lizard start to fall with Kalt's attack, Millicent takes a step back and smiles softly. A polite nod of acknowledgement is given to the fox before she turns and starts to make her way back towards the one that had hired them sword still in her hand for the time-being.
Jera readies his arrows with air magic! In case he needed to push Kalt to one side lest she fall into magma. She makes the jump though and then he puts aside his bow, panting a little. "I guess we need a bit more work together, buddy." He carefully calls the wisp back to nestle just out of reach of his hands.
Siyu is breathing hard, sweating, and he tries to make sure his glasses and his braid on still straight. The rodent still trying to be prim, even after all that. Sliding up on his feet he draws a deep breath. "All right...okay. Is everone all right? Is anyone injured?" he looks back over at the bubbling magma cauldron.
The magma heaves and churns beneath the party's increasingly precarious perch. Then, strangely, the molten lake calms for just a moment.
Suddenly, with an ear splitting roar, the magma lizard explodes from the volcanic reservoir, splashing molten rock everywhere as it flings almost all of its huge bulk onto the broad outcropping between the party and their charge!
Thelergramor chuckles a bit as he pears down into the magma, while it calms with the seemingly defeated lizard beneath it. Right up until it jumps back out, very nearly slamming down on top Of Thele. "Oh, shit!" He barks as he dives back; dropping his hat in the process. The basilisk draws a venom soaked arrow and aims for the eye again before firing.
