I See Fire - RPLOG
Participants
Date
9/11/477
Log
The Airship hadn't waited not much longer than a moment's notice as they filled up with whatever freeswords or mercenaries they could gather. The trip itself was speeded along with dangerous speed as almost a dozen mages devoted themselves to ensuring the craft sailed through the land with the fastest speed it could manage.
When the ship managed around half the distance until the expedition ground, the captain himself, a young graceful clan Mink arrives into the main hold to address those whom had volunteered. "I apologize for the express nature of this job, but as we stated the emergency is too great to delay over. It appears Varlin Blackback's expedition has come under heavy assault, from some sort of native lizard like population. We suspect they may be lost, but are uncertain. What we do know, is that they outnumber the defenders and had just began to assault when I was ordered to return for help. Varlin has also instructed me to warn all of you, that our opponents will most likely be -highly- dangerous, and that if you are not certain of your conviction to fight... Well, it is better you stay in the hold. For those of you whom will be joining the battle, we shall be roping you down through the main cargo door, as to touch down will be more dangerous than I desire for the moment. This being said, we have a limited amount of time for questions, and for you to prepare yourselves."
Calisiel is unsurprisingly unphased by the talk of danger. "Big lizards? Kill them. Simple solution." Not too concerned with the more important job of finding Varlin. "Which is why we're here, yes?" No real questions. Armed only with a staff, the crow just waits to get started.
Lucasiel was certainly in attendance, today. It sounded like it'd be an exciting evening! Done up in her full plate, helmet on her head and shield on arm, Lucasiel nods at the captain and props her axe on the deck. "Well. I will give it my best. I am hoping I get to come home from this! But I am ready. No hesitations or doubts."
Angus claws dig into the railing hard enough to make his knuckles white! The fox's jaw set as he tries hard not to look down. "Native Lizard like population? Did they disturb their nest or something?" He asks as he tries to take his mind off of how high they were, the golem sprawled across his shoulders somehow managing to look bored as it regards the rest of the group. "Also, how many beings are part of Varlin's expedition exactly."
Rainer hangs onto the deck's railing, slumped with his head angled over the side. He looks over wearily when the captain steps up to address them, brows furrowing and ears twitching about like he can't quite make sense of the words being spoken to them. "So... we're there now...?" He appears to start climbing, as if he planned to just throw himself over the railing and unwittingly plunge to his death, except he gets no further than propping his chest up there before tossing his head down, immediately followed by the telltale sound of one being revisited by a past meal. The rapid flight evidently not agreeing with him.
Shizuko stands with her arms crossed, watching the other Freeswords and listening to the captain; the older leopardess nods her head at the briefing, and her ears perk at Angus' question. She thinks for a moment, recalling a conversation she had had on a beach... "Fenris, I think it was, had mentioned fighting with a cave-dwelling 'dragon-hate-snake' thing. Perhaps these are related." She looks over at Lucasiel and gives the recognizable adventurer a small smile. "It has been years since I had an excuse to do a combat drop. It will be something! And the Dawn and I will watch your back."
"A combat drop, hmm?" Jera lands softly as he leaps from a nearby rooftop, gusts of wind blowing up to cover his landing as he dusts himself off. He's dressed in quite the regalia today. With a silken, violet cloak billowing around him. "You have my bow." His eyes narrow a little as he studies the crew. Relieved to at least see a couple of familiar faces tagging along.
The Captain looks over to Angus as he clears his throat. "Roughly fifty men at his command, with thirty workers. Walls a story and a half tall around the encampment made of wood, and three cannon teams. More than enough to repulse most threats, but he was incistent about us going for aid."
For those at the railings, the land below zips by in almost a blurr, before they slow as they begin to enter the mountains beyond Firebough. The Airship dropping low to just brush over the trees, as in the distance the booming of cannons cuts through the air, and a pillar of smoke can be seen whisping up from a small clearing through the trees.
Soon enough, the rear of the airship's doors is opened up, as several crewmen stand at the ready, throwing weighted ropes off and into the land below when the ship finally comes to a stop over the encampment. "Go! We don't have long to wait!" The Captain shouts out, as he begins to dash his way back up to his post, shouting orders as the Ship's own cannons open fire into the enemy below them.
The Encampment itself is mostly in one piece, a large gap in the walls having been made by what looks to be a two and a half story, four legged dragon of some sort. Thick smoke flowing out from below it's scales, as it's eyesockets sit empty of any semblemence of a flame. The main threat however, appears to be what looked like almost a sea of shorter, lizard like beings with black stone scales, and fire for eyes that were mobbing at the barricades and through the opening, each carrying a shield of stone with a spear that possessed a stone end to it, sharpened to a fine point.
The Defenders were fighting as staunchly as they could, with two shield lines holding the mobs back from the hole in the wall, with the aid of the cannons which poured grapeshot almost endlessly into the swarm. Along the walls, sat the majority of the fighters, firing muskets and arrows down into those attempting to gain entrance, while dropping stones and whatever looked like it could do damage as well.
Varlin stood just behind the shield line, with a reserve force of ten men, his left shoulder wrapped tightly from a wound of some sort, as he calls out orders to his men, ready to plug any hole that needs to be filled.
Calisiel nods at the captain. Or whatever he is. Wasn't paying much attention to the insignificant details like 'who is that guy'. Scoffs at the beings with their bows and Dawns. Fancy weapons. Magic, superior. But, does as told and 'goes'. Can fly, thus, no need for no roping. USes air magic to assist her glide as she jumps from the ship and flies to where Varlin was, assuming it's him since, giving orders.
Lucasiel secures her axe to her back to free up her hands, taking hold of the rope and letting herself down after giving a salute to Shizuko. "And I will be watching yours. May fortune favour us today," she says as she goes down towards the ground. She doesn't hestiate, once she's down, bringing her shield and spear to ready, lest she be taken by an immediate threat.
Angus gives the Captain a nod as he looks down at the situation, whistling a little before he just takes a step off and takes control of his descent with Air magic before dropping down behind the shield wall as he draws his Saber and allows Mister to hop down to the ground.
Awesome! Rappelling! That's a skill he has, right? Rainer seizes a rope and, after a moment with his eyes closed to steady his wobbly insides, hurls himself over the rail. "IT BURNS!" Nope. Definitely not knowledged in the art of rappelling. He ends up swinging to and fro beneath the ship, just over the heads of the clashing forces below, holding onto the rope for dear life and flailing his legs about, occasionally kicking some poor bloke or another in the head as they stray into his path on the lowest part of his swing.
Jera
As soon as the ropes are down Shizuko takes one and is over the side. As soon as she lands she darts clear of the drop zone, quickly scanning the area before she makes her way to Lord Varlin. She remains quiet, her expression intently focused as she watches the horde of lizards and waits for a command from the battle leader.
Jera squeezes his hand for a moment, whispering something to it before his fingers bloom open, trembling as he controls a wisp that looks like air coalescing into a rough ball shape. He whispers a command to it, his unique echo making his cloak billow out as wind swirls around his body from his use of magic, and a fog of war starts to roil into the place...and then he makes his drop with the added cover. Ignoring the rope and choosing to land on his feet again.
Fenris leaps gleefully over the side of the ship a grin on his face. "Here goes!" he cries, ready to cushion his landing with a burst of air magic.
"Hold the lines damn it! We have to push them back out before they spill in beyond our control, or the workers and all of us are dead!" Varlin calls out, before the arriving Freeswords grab his attention as the group is reinforced by ten more Gifted. Rainer's rope itself is cut rather quickly by the airship, to let him fall to the ground after he had kicked one of the reserves in the head.
The Noble skunk wastes no time then as he turns and motions his sword to the group. "Quickly, before they change tactics I need you lot to push around the shield walls and catch them by surprise! We need a quick gap -now-!" The skunk himself motioning to his reserve unit as they make a charge around the right of the shield walls, screaming at the top of their lungs before crashing into the foreign creatures in a flurry of violence. One falling quickly from an errant spear to the chest, as Varlin and the remaining hack into the exposed side of the foes.
Calisiel nods at the noble skunk. Complies, moving around the shield wall. Hopefully with some other gifted freesword in platemail or something to block her. Wordlessly, she does some stuff. With fire. That is, trying to immolate a few of the attackers. With the flames and all that good burninating stuff.
Lucasiel nods her affirmative to Varlin from under her helmet. She takes a brief moment to take in the battlefield situation before she breaks to the side, moving around the shield wall to press the flank, shield raised and using the length of the spear to attack from behind its cover. She knew how to work a battlefield, certainly.
Angus cocks an eyebrow as he listens to the Skunk, just giving a nod instead of making a comment as he turns and rushes in along. He brings his right fist to bear, curling the golem glove up into a fist to bring to bear against the closest of the lizards, his golem hot on his heels as he attacks.
"Somebody stop this crazy thiiing!" Rainer cries out over the din of battle, all his leg-flailing really only serving to keep the momentum going. Until, of course, they cut the lines from above, right as he's nearing the apex of his swinging sending him, rope and all, flying into the lizard ranks. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT" blurted right before he crashes down, toppling a handful of lizards with him, and then more surrounding them, in domino effect. How convenient they were so densely-packed in that particular spot.
The older leopardess turns her head to Varlin as he gives his orders, and then Shizuko gives him a sharp nod. She draws her longest blade, the glyph-etched Crimson Dawn, and whispers a word to her sword as she lets the inscribed equations run through her head. "Come, young wolf. To the battle," she says, giving Rainer a small smile before she sprints around the edge of the left flank. She roars out a mighty kiai then dives into the fray, her blade trailing gold and greenish flames as she joins the effort to drive the lizards back.
Jera stays at the back lines now. Ordering his wisp about. The ball floating into the midst of combat and just exploding into a blinding array of lights.
Overwhelming odds with no holds barred? Those were circumstances Fenris could really dig his teeth into! "I can get you a hole, Varlin," he calls out, taking a huge, air assisted bound toward the massed ranks of lizard men. There is little time for any more words as the feline throws himself headlong over the shield wall and lets loose with an unrestrained blast of elemental force, blades of flame and wind blasting from his form as even the earth before him seems to ripple! Have to say hello, after all. The liger only wishes he knew what on Promise these things were! He had wanted to seek some counsel, but there had been no time!
The combined effort of the shield wall, and the two flanking attacks appear to be sufficient for the moment as their foes are slowly driven back over the fallen body of the dragon. The spells ripping into the ranks, though Calisiel's fire magic appears to embolden a handfull, whom fight with more vigor than before and an almost single minded fury against the shield wall, felling one of the soldiers before the hole is closed. Rainer himself is left with the sanctity of a second as the lizards are too confused by the assaults to target him, but must dodge through his own friendly spells being sent at the enemy he is amidst!
"Just a foot more! Shields take the lead, Freeswords back behind the line! Reserves, go aid the cannon crews and get them unto a better firing position so they dont rip through us if the shields falter!" Varlin calls out, as him and his remaining reservists pull back from the fighting, a few panting as the skunk wipes black blood from his sword before yelling up to the wall. "Jenkins! Give me an estimate on how many more we have!" A short tailed newt poking his head over the way to look down then before responding. "The field is filled mister blackback! Still more in the woods! Recomending we have the airship dock as we've a moment to allow the workers out!" Varlin merely tsking at this, before motioning to the freeswords. "Those of you whom can provide ranged support, get to the walls and help thin the tide for the shields. Those whom cannot, go and aid in ensuring the shield line is held."
Calisiel doesn't seem to have helped much with the fire! And doesn't have too man options for other magics... "Dammit..." Plots. "Shit. I'll help the ranged fighters!" Moves to the walls, and, instead of doing anything overtly apparent, uses some of that guiding wind to help the ranged peoples with their accuracy.
Lucasiel nods at Varlin and calls back, "On it!" She falls in with the shield line, keeping her large kite shield raised and ready, reinforcing the line and taking jabs with her spear when the opportunity presents itself, but taking care not to to over expend herself yet.
Angus shakes his gloved hand to try and get some of the black blood off it as he sheaths his saber, his ears flicking back and forth as he eyes the blackback and draws the cutdown musket from his belt. "I'll support the ranged." He mutters as he moves up on the battlements to take aim at the nearest of the creatures before firing.
Rainer pats the lizard beneath him on the back appreciatively. "Thanks for the catch, buddy." The others around him are starting to collect themselves, so he figures he best get ready to defend himself, too, stomping on the head of that scaley he'd just thanked to make sure he stays down. Sword then drawn, he prepares to face off against the circle closing around him, laughing confidently despite the obvious odds. "Come at me!" Instead, fireballs come raining down into the attacking ranks around him, but when one lands a -little- too close for comfort -- that is, strikes down a lizardman directly adjacent to him, he decides, "Yeah... outta here. Bye!" And turns, seizing the savage by the back of the head and hoisting himself up onto its shoulders, from which he proceeds to make a mad dash, stomping from shoulder to head through the crowd, using each landing to spring him onwards to the next across the sea of snarling salamanders. "'Scuze me. Comin' through. Pardon me. Nice sword! I'm comin' back for that when you're dead. Heads down. Up and away. Look out. Don't mind me."
Shizuko halts her advance as the shield wall catches up, dropping back at Varlin's call to listen to her new instructions. She bows her head to the skunk and, after a moment's consideration, sheathes her blade and picks up one of the spears of the fallen lizards. She lurks behind the shield wall, moving back and forth as she prowls; any time it looks like one of the shieldmen are being pushed back she steps up to deliver precision thrusts between the shields, and help hold the line.
Jera watches Rainer charge into the fray. And even though he has his face mask raised, there is still worry strewn upon his face. He had a bundle of arrows nocked when the order was passed, but now he just holds a single, barbed arrow on the ready to shoot any errant lizardmen breaking through. He whispers to his wisp again though. Who charges up a bolt of lightning. Though he loses focus and it doesnt have quite the intended effect...the wisp just flaring out almost like a flashbang!
Fenris takes once more to the air in a math assisted leap. "I can help on the wall!" he calls out as he alights, turning to look out over the sea of enemies. The liger is full of questions, but there seems to be little time for that sort of thing! The liger raises his hands and blasts a scythe of carefully prepared wind magic into the milling horde.
Varlin seems to waste no time, as he dashes up the wall as well, grabbing a mage and yelling at him, whom then seems to focus his effort on getting an air math assisted message up to the airship. "Keep at it along the line! We're going to pull out understand? I will not have us swarmed over by these monsters!" The Skunk pulling a pistol from inside of his coat to fire down into the mass below as one of the reservists moves back to assist in getting the workers ready.
Upon the shield wall, the group holds steady as the strikes from Shizuko and Lucasiel slowly aid in cutting through the creatures that threw themselves upon the shields. Each shieldman's shield working to provide each other with cover from the strikes of the creatures, though even that is fallible as a shieldman next to Lucasiel is felled by a spear through his visor, and has the hole quickly covered by the man to HIS right, to ensure it stays sealed.
From up above, Calisiel's magic aids greatly as arrows fly forth with a greater lethality, and even Angus' shot ends up going through one of the creature's eyes. Fenris' spell manages to tobble a few, and kill two of the beasts, while the arrows and shots from the rest of the men on the wall seem to be doing the most damage. From the distance though, a low roar is heard, almost akin to the sound of steam mixed with rocks crashing against each other, as a large four legged beast is herded out from the woods, toppling a tree and crushing many men below it. The beast itself is thick and stocky, with thick obsidian scales all around it's body. It's mouth a open circle with numerous rocky teeth, and a fire near the back of the throat. A long spiked tail takes up the back portion as well, occassionally swinging to kill a few of it's handlers as it gives out another cry.
Rainer meanwhile, manages to just barely make it to safety as a spear gives a light cut along his back, though save for that the wolf somehow managed to miracuously survive that situation.
Calisiel squints at the... big thing. "Great." Quickly glances around those nearby, briefly considered stealing one of their weapons to fight it with. Decided against it. And since all her offensive knowledge of magic is blown on fire, and the big lizard has fire in its throat... "Eh, fuck it." Looks over to Rainer. Who now has a cut on his back. "I'll help with that later!" Has medical supplies. But, for now just sends fire at the big one. Which may not reach from where she is.
Lucasiel doesn't miss a beat as the shieldman to her side drops. Knowing that the one that landed the blow probably left itself open to do so, she takes a quick shield-poke with her spear towards the offender, hoping to trade a life for a life. If anything to buy more time.
Angus stares at the creature as it bellows it's challenge, his gun finding it's way back into his belt as he turns to the nearest defender with an idea. "Tell the cannoners to focus their fire on the Creature that just appeared, no grape shot full sized cannon balls." Turning he looks around, focusing on Calisiel and Fenris as he cups his hands and shouts before pointing to the creature. "The fire in it's mouth, it might weaken it if we can snuff it out.... " His ears then perk up as he has an idea, and he turns to shout again. "Try and use it against the others!" He exclaims before directing Mister to fire a bolt of Flame into the fray of stone bodies.
"Look, if this is about that horn I cut off your boss, you can have it back!" Rainer proclaims as he continues to make his way across the heads and shoulders of the lizards, until he's close enough to the wall he manages to leap and grab onto it, snarling in pain as he feels sharp metal scraping down his back as he hauls himself up onto the rampart. On hands and knees just out of the fire he folds his an arm behind his back and holds it overtop of the wound, cringing every so often as he looks this way and that over their ranks. "Anyone seen that skunk? 'Cuz I owe him an 'I told you so' -big time-."
"Did you see that? He is the most..." Shizuko starts as Rainer climbs up onto the wall. "The..." she trails off again, then shakes her head and turns her attention back to supporting the shields, taking opportune jabs at the lizards as she gets the chance. "Ahhh hah. A big one."
"You heard the command. Retreat." Jera's seeing colored flashes, but the big beast is hard to miss. He charges up his arrow with swirling air magic to make sure it hits its target with stopping power. A blasting rod is stuck into the ground to cover him while he is not quite certain of his surroundings and vulnerable to enemy attacks. Taking aim with his unaffected eye shielded by his hood. And then he looses his signature snipe manouevre with the wickedly barbed arrow.
Fenris noted the excitement from the lizard men when struck by heat. Could they really be cold blooded? Perhaps a change of strategy was in order. The liger focuses for a moment, then latches on to Angus's idea. Now was an excellent time for an old fashioned kitsune prank! He grins mischievously as he imagines the rear guard of the lizard men suddenly appearing to be members of the expedition! That should cause some confusion! Fenris nods at Rainer as he scrambles onto the rampart. "Nice of you to join us!" he says, deftly slotting a new soul gem into his pendant.
The men upon the ramparts nod and shout down to the cannoneers, whom begin to wheel their charges up unto raised platforms to be able to fire over the heads of the shield wall soldiers, and right at the creature. "Hold the line until the workers are inside of the ship! Cannons fire when ready! Wall, concentrate upon the big one or we're going to have a bad day!" Varlin shouts from his spot on the wall, pulling out a second pistol to fire at the big beast. Jera's shot rings true as it pierces into the creatures wide mouth, blowing open a chunk of what must be flesh to cause it to howl, before Calisiel's spell feeds it some, causing it to roar loudly and throw it's handlers off and around like weak pieces of paper, before begining to charge. The bolt of fire from Mister works to help embolden a group of the lizards, whom promptly turn to ransack the group that Fenris' spell had betrayed into appear as expedition members, causing a fight in the rear that is discheveled from the charging beast tossing them aside on it's way for the hole in the wall.
The Cannons finally let off, the iron balls whizzing over the heads of the shield wall, with two colliding into the beast's sides, ripping off large chunks of obsidian to reveal the soft flesh beneath as it stumbles for a moment. "SHIELD WALL, BREAK BACK TO THE SIDES AND FORM BACK ONCE THIS THING CHARGES IN!" The skunk calls from atop to those holding the line below, Lucasiel's spear piericng the head of the creature that had killed the soldier moment's before.
Calisiel smirks at the creature. Which seems to have been fed instead of burned. This is an issue. "Fire. Not working." Scratches her beak, squints at the chaos. Figuring the best thing she could do now is leave... No, that won't help. Instead, works some more air magic to assist the cannoneers. With the accuracy and things.
Angus grinds his teeth as he watches the creature continue to charge, his gaze switching from the battle underneath the ramparts before turning back to the creature as he notices the exposed pieces of flesh as he squares his jaw. "If we reload half the cannons with grape and half with iron we can focus on the exposed flesh, while keeping a punch in reserve if it gets to close. Let it eat some iron as it charges." He comments to the skunk before turning to Fenris, noticing Rainer for the first time. "We need to slow this creator forsaken thing down, think some ice might work?"
Lucasiel heeds the call and begins to make her backwards advance, never turning her back to the enemy. Taking to the side, she maintains her guard while making sure she's not going to be trampled by the creature. And to take stabs at anything -else- that tries to slip in in the mean time.
Rainer gets to his feet and takes his arm off his back, quickly checking for blood in his fur, then casting his gaze across the unfolding chaos. Drawn back by the sound of Angus' voice, he turns towards the todd and blurts out, "Well fire's obviously not working! Who keeps throwing those, anyway?! Tell 'em they need to cut it out! ...almost got my fur burnt off back there..." Drawing his ornate sword, the pup flashes his longtime friend a toothy smirk, "You know what's -always- effective, right?"
Shizuko discards her borrowed spear as the shield line begins to open up, drawing her miao dao again and then slinging the long scabbard over her shoulder. She guards the flank of the shield line as it falls back, viciously assaulting any lizards that try to take advantage of the opening, then gives the onrushing dragon-beast a feral grin as she watches it approach.
Jera watches the shield line disperse and grins. He dismisses his wisp with a soft sigh, his leadership abilities lacking evidently with all of the wisps. Instead, he focuses on himself to reswitch his sacred family to that of a pegasus. "ONWARDS!" He finally sounds out for the first time in combat, mask sliding to reveal a silly, overly delighted grin on his face. The fox feeling revitalized enough that he draws his bow and looses a small flurry of arrows into the oncoming contacting horde of enemies.
"There!" Fenris says, a grin growing on his face as a new skillset suddenly becomes readily available. The liger closes his eyes for a moment, turning his eyes skyward, his breath suddenly showing in a plume as the temperature around him plunges. "I think you may be on to something, Angus," he says without a hint of sarcasm, "let's give it a try." His grin gives way to a look of intense concentration as he does his utmost to keep the effects of his working at the wall from spreading back to the evacuating workers.
The shield wall falls back seemlessly, Shizuko hacking a few Lizards that try to make their way past, before Jera's arrows rip into the main group, felling enough to cause them to retreat slowly... Which proves to be a fatal mistake. The charging creature slows in the cold brunt of Fenris' spell, and manages to trip it's way in through the hole, crushing those that had tried to retreat back from Jera's arrows!
"Now! Shield Wall take to the hole and hold, Freeswords take down that -thing-! Men of the wall, FALL BACK TO THE AIR SHIP!" The Skunk motioning his sword, as he jumps down and makes his own run for the gap with the shield wall as they effectivly 'trapped' the creature in the middle of the camp. The cannoneers reloading as fast as they can, though the beast's ire may take them before that!
The workers all loaded up, the men of the wall are quick to abandon their posts, making a mad dash for the ship's docks as the shield wall is left to hold the line as best they can.
Calisiel was told to bring down the big thing. So... She makes an epically poor decision. Using them wings, air magic and all the other stuff relevant to flying... flies up. And then at the big lizard. Having immediately regretted the decision, she nevertheless divebombs at its head with her staff. Completely silent, she is. No words.
Figuring that the actual shield wall could handle it, Lucasiel fills in the roll of 'Freesword' this time and turns her attention to the beast. With a roar, she charges forward towards its side, imbuing her spear with dark math just before delivering a thrust.
Angus watches the Creature fall, turning to Rainer as he smiles a bit and draws his sword. "Charging recklessly at our foe with swords drawn?" He answers, flashing a smile at the skunk as he picks up his Golem under one arm before dropping off the Battlements upon the Creature to slash at it with his blade
"Hoooh yes!" Rainer twists an all-too-excited grin, holding back while Angus leaps down. He taps the tip of his sword against the edge of the rampart, humming as he looks the beast over head to tail. "I'm thinking... DIVINE!" A sudden thrust of his blade into the air over his head, followed by taking it in both hands and winding back, "SENTINAAAL...!" Then the wolf surges forward and leaps for the giant lizard's head, swinging his sword down to put the weight of his fall into piercing that hide. "STEEEE-RIKE!"
Shizuko skirts around the killing floor where the freeswords are squaring off against the beast, gathering her strength and her focus. When the group assaults it, she comes at it from the other flank, lunging at one of the exposed spots in the dragon-beast's hide with her wicked blade and throwing all of her channeled rage into ther assauly.
Jera is content with the damage he's dealing, his fingers bleeding from drawing back the bowstring so harshly. He swaps out his bow and channels his energy into his blasting staff instead, hoping the stick's haphazard projectiles find their mark.
Fenris decides the best way to proceed is to keep the beastie pinned down, and the cold seems to be doing the trick! The liger focuses again, doing his best to lower the temperature on the reptilian monster to freezing. And if it slows its fellows? So much the better.
The creature barely has a moment to right itself before it's dive bombed from all sides by the Freeswords, Cal's staff strike causing a slight fracture in the Obsidian plate covering it's head, while Angus and Rainer both manage to sink their weapons into it's exposed flesh to cause it to howl out in pain. Shizuko and Lucasiel managing to ellicite a second howl from the beast, as Lucasiel manages to sap some of it's energy to refresh herself. Jera's blasting rod manages to find a perfect mark as well, blasting away more Obsidian scales painfully from the beast, before Fenris' spell begins to freeze it some... The creature almost instinctivly sensing it's heat sapping away more, takes a deep breath in, before pillars of fire erupt from between it's scales to warm it up! Rainer managing with singed fur, along with Angus who's ward rune absorbs the brunt of the blow for him, while Lucasiel manages behind her shield to absorb most, though her metal shield now glows red hot, and her gauntlets are rather painful for the moment.
The Cannoneers let out a shout for the Freeswords to watch out as they fire, two cannonballs missing wide to strike holes into the wall, while the third manages a perfect shot, ripping through flesh and scale to reveal a large gash down the creatures left side as it stumbles and tries to right itself.
Calisiel blinks at the fire, and is now on the ground. Next to a large lizard. "Shit." Does the things. The flying back up to once again divebomb the head with the staff. Considers lighting the staff on fire first... But that wouldn't help.
Lucasiel snarls as her shield and the gauntlet holding it become quite uncomfortable, but at least she knows where to hit now! Or at least she thinks she does. She readies her spear for one mighty thrust, trying to stick it right between the scales where those flames had come from.
Angus does his best to twist the blade as it bites into the creatures flesh, a string of curses being torn from his lips as fire washes over his Ward rune causing it to Flash brightly before popping, the fox being singed after his shield takes the brunt of it. Pulling his Blade he looks over to Rainer, making sure the Wolf is okay before he works to sink it once more into the creatures flesh as the cannons fire.
Rainer instinctively turns away from the flame geyser, raising arms to shield his face, but once passed he immediately turns back with a loud, mocking laugh. "WOOOOOOOO! What was -that-? I've had hotter campfires!" He's clearly oblivious to the large patch of charred-black fur that runs over the upper right of his back from middle to shoulder. The mutt twirls his sword and stabs it into the giant lizard a few more times, not really with sufficient force to get past its scales, but then he spies the lengthy gash opened by the cannon fire and his grin broadens. "There! Hit it -there-!" And to the opening he goes dashing, skidding to a halt when he gets there and swinging his sword down on it like a club... over and over and over...
Shizuko rolls away from the beast as the shout for the cannons is called, the leopardess taking a moment to focus all of her fury into her next strike. When she sees her opening, she leaps at the dragon-beast and delivers a vicious slash along its exposed flank, letting the poisonous activated metals bite deep.
Fenris frowns down from his perch on the ramparts. "Good trick," he mutters at the little pyrotechnic display. Seeing the heat glowing from Lucasiel's shield and armor he grimaces. "Got you covered!" he calls, doing what he can to coat the panther's armaments in frost magic. It should help finish the monster off! But failing that, it should cool things off! The liger turns to survey the rest of the battlefield.
The Beast shuffles slightly as the group continues to beat down upon it, the strikes to the open wound causing a low howl from it as the frost imbued weapon of Lucasiel finds it's way below a scale and into one of the fleshy vents for it's fire, causing it to slacken lowly as it's then delivered a deep and devastating slash from Shizuko to it's flank, as Calisiel's strike falls harmless upon it's head. The beast taking a few steps forward then, before falling down to the ground in a beaten slump, unable to continue fighting after being assailed by cannons and magic with weapons.
"QUICK! While it's down, get to the ship Freeswords! We'll hold here for a little longer before joining you on the ship! Now go!" Varlin calls out from the shield line, skewering one of the creatures upon his blade, before dumping it's body off to the side as he goes after another. The cannoneers waste no time abandoning their posts as they run for the ship, the dock for the air ship a bit of a run to get to, but once there it's a simple set of winding stairs up to the safety of departure!
Fenris nods at the call, sending out a last pulse of frost magic, hoping to slow the lizard soldiers as everyone breaks for the ship. The liger leaps carelessly from his place on the ramparts, trusting in his air math to see him safely to the air ship!
Calisiel doesn't need to be told twice to leave. "Alright, I'm out." Flies back to the ship. With the air magic assist. Must replace the staff later! Useless! "Need more magic... Hmm."
Lucasiel doesn'tneed to be told twice. She raises her spear in salute to Fenris for his help before taking off back for the airship. Her 'retreat' is paused only to ensure that the others all make it safely abord.
Angus stands up, flicking his blade to get most of the blood from it as he turns to nod at Varlin, heading towards the Airship before he stops and waits at Lucasiel's side as he pulls his musket, helping others on board before he boards himself.
Rainer looks up to see everyone making a run for it. "Awww, but we're -winning-!" he whines, lingering a few beats longer, then poutingly stabbing the poor monstrosity beneath his feet one more time before jumping off it and making for the airship. "That skunk is -the- biggest party pooper."
Shizuko wrenches her blade free of the corpse with a grunt and a snarl, giving it a swing to dislodge blood. She turns her attention to the hole in the wall and considers. Calculates. And almost heads in that direction before she shakes her head, sheathes her sword, and hurries back for the airship.
Jera finally shakes off the battle zoning that he suffered and pulls back his mask. Exhausted from all the effort he put into his tricks and fancy things. He heads on to the airship, after salvaging an arrow or two.
The Freeswords manage to get a hefty speed for retreat, save for those whom flew straight to the ship. The stairs of the dock giving a last hurtle for them, but they all manage unto the deck safely, for better or worse that is. Once they were inside the ship, the Shield wall gives one last push forward, before Varlin throws a bomb into the midst, and they make a run for it. The explosion gives them a wide berth from the creatures, though as they run it becomes aparant their pursuers are -far- faster in the open, four of the remaining men falling before they even reach the docks to spears and claws. The Noble skunk waving the airship to take off frantically, as they reach the stairs, the enemy hot upon their heels. With barely any word between them, Varlin and the three remaining shield men turn at the base of the stairs and strike out, downing the first of their pursuers as they step back up the stairs, slowly fighting while retreating. A stumble for a single moment, claims the life of one of the shield men as he's dragged down into the mass of creatures.
The Airship itself begins to creak to life, air magic taking full effort into it as it begins to lurch from the dock slowly. Varlin and the remaining two shield men making their stand on the stairs halfway up, using the twisting and narrow corridor to force the foe to fight one on one as they hold the line to keep them from swarming the airship. Without a moment longer to await, the ship is finally free of the dock, turning slowly in the air as the sight of the swarm of creatures can be seen still covering the encampment and fiel like flies upon a meal.
Calisiel cares not for the dead or the 'heroic sacrifice' Varlin is making. She's kind of a bitch like that. Nods at Rainer's talk of the skunk being a party pooper. "He is, yeah. We had that. I think." Leans on her staff. "Need a better weapon." Yawns. Isn't paying too much attention to anything. Looks over Rainer. "Hey, wolf. You're bleeding." Gets out the medical supplies. Tries to help him. Without permission. Whispers something to Rainer.
Lucasiel watches over the side and grimaces under her helmet, giving a slow shake of her head. "At least he went down fighting," she murmurs as she leans on her spear to catch her breath. "What a battle that was. Been a while since I've been on anything that large of a scale."
Rainer turns a puzzled stare and knitted brows towards Calisiel, ear twitching at the words uttered into it. "Um, yeah, I probably got a scrape or two." From his tone his mind is obviously elsewhere, and while the crow tends to his largely superficial injuries he scans the other beings on deck. "Where's the bossman?..."
Shizuko takes up a guarding position just onboard the airship as she waits for Varlin to arrive... then sees that the young noble has given up on the retreat. She scowls, and for all the world looks like she may be ready to go grab the skunk and drag him back... but then the moment passes and the airship is off and away. Shizuko is slow to leave the view of the scene below, her gaze taking in the swarm of lizard-like beings beyond counting, then huffs. "That is what they said about my husband, too, Lucasiel." She takes another breath, then turns and looks around for the other Freeswords. "Oh well. Others will take his place, I am sure. Fenris? What did you do to anger these things so? You were with the party that found their cave, didn't you say?"
The air ship lurches once it is facing the correct heading, the mages working the magic to have it propell through the air back on to the city. The group left to treat their wounds and relax for a moment, before being almost treated to an inquisition by the academy after landing. After a few hours of answering questions however, everyone is left to be free to go back to their daily routine, almost as if nothing had happened at all...
