Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 2: Glimpses of Elyisima

[Balcerzak]

[[OOC: Kai-sama, your previous post strikes me with major amounts of wtf. There are no revenants. There's a single monster dude, and a field of wriggling white tentacle things, and accompanying mushrooms. I'm assuming that the "Monster Mesh" stats Snowy posted are for the tentacles that surround the monster dude, which will need to have a path cut through them in order to reach him. In light of the actual facts, I can't figure out any valid way to interpret your post, and thus I'm just going to ignore it. If this is a problem, let us reconcile in the Feedback thread.

At any rate, here's Tessa. First a little elaboration on the backstory snippets from the Sign-up thread, going through events up until I introduce her to the group.]]

Tessa was hungry.

She was also lonely, confused, sore, and a little sad, but mostly she was hungry.

It'd been four days since the afternoon the ex-mercenaries, or had they been just simple bandits, had stormed the monastery and Sir Dustin had sent her off on his trusty steed, while staying behind to defend his new way of life with the rest of the Brothers as best they could. She'd tried turning back the stallion, but no matter what she did with the reins, Trevor just ignored her, and kept true to his master's command to run. By evening, he'd settled down, and she gained reasonable control over him, but in the mad dash to safety, she'd gotten a bit turned around, and wasn't quite sure where she was.

She'd spent an uncomfortable night on the ground, then in the morning she'd told Trevor quite sternly that "We're going back to the monastery today." He swished his tail a bit, and snorted, but seemed to understand. It had taken all morning before she chanced upon some familiar territory, then after that they'd managed to find their way back at a much slower pace, arriving just as the sun was setting.

The buildings of the monastery were smoking, and ruined, and the invaders had left with whatever spoils they had plundered. Tessa only found two corpses she recognized, Brothers Elmo and Mitchell, as well as a handful of dead raiders. Everyone else must have escaped, she surmised, and that hopeful thought helped to temper her grief. She busied herself digging a pair of graves, and giving them a funeral service and praying after their souls.

The next day, she had set out with the intention of trying to follow everybody, and reunite, but she had little head for geography, and less skill at tracking, and before long she had found herself in completely unfamiliar territory. The next two days passed badly, as she had no supplies. She had found a small stream, and had followed that, so water was no problem, but she had nothing really to eat. The only things that had been in the saddlebags during her escape were two jars of medical supplies, and the burned monastery had been thoroughly looted so she had found nothing usable there. The few nuts and berries she managed to acquire did nothing more than whet her appetite, which was almost worse than not eating at all.

Last night she had left the cover of the forest, and slept on a hillside overlooking a road to... somewhere. Tessa had no real idea. She mounted Trevor, and eased him down to the road, and turned so that the sun was to their backs, and started off.

They didn't get far before an eerie sight befell their eyes. A field of swaying white flowers. But they were no flowers Tessa had ever seen before, and were they grew the grass all around was dead and brown. Trevor gave a small whinny and pranced in place, letting her know he was nervous about the situation. She knew well enough to trust the horse, and her own instincts were agreeing anyways, so turned around and they cantered off in back to the east.

Little time at all passed, before she ran into a group of people. Most were traveling on foot, and she couldn't really tell who was in charge at all. She pulled up to a stop and called out a little hesitantly at first.

"Hello~? I don't suppose you guys have any food? I'm lost, and super hungry right now, so I'd be so very grateful if you could help me out."

The action of talking gave her confidence, though, and her initial hail warmed up into a rambling monologue until somebody cut her off.

"I mean, I don't expect it for free of course, I'll find some way to pay you guys back. Oh and hey, did you know there's a field of amazingly creepy flowers just a bit further in the direction you're headed. I've never seen anything like them―"

[Ether]

"Hmm..." Damian turned towards the feminine voice.

She looked young,and she said she was hungry.It seemed she had began to rant,when he interrupted her.

"You're hungry...here..." Damian threw her a piece of meat that had not been touched when they had cooked it.

The girl seemed ecstatic,and began to eat the meat.

"Odd flowers you say...can you describe them?"

[Balcerzak]

A tall man carrying a sleeping woman on his back had responded to her, and tossed Tessa a piece of venison. She tore into it with a vengeance, and her face brightened considerably. He also followed up with a question, and she took a break from devouring the jerky to answer back.

"Hmm, describe them... I'm not sure really, I didn't get close enough to get a good look, you know? They basically covered the field entire field, though. Tall, thin, white, wavy. It's strange, the grass all around them was dried up, brown, and dead looking. Also, Trevor here," she paused and patted the horse, "that's my horse... well, he's not actually my horse, but... Oh right! Trevor seemed to not like them, so I turned around and then I bumped into you guys."

She then resumed gnawing on the strip of meat, and looking around at the other members, trying to get a feel for the atmosphere.

[Inactive Account]

OOC: Damian and Aiya are on the packhorse, yes? It's properly saddled and able to carry up to two people (at lower speed, etc...) At any rate, nobody's double with Kelas, she's riding bareback...

Kelas examined the girl they had happened across. She seemed harmless; she looked to be a healer. Her horse stood determinedly between her and whatever lay ahead, ears back and tail switching: he didn't like whatever was tehre. Kelas' mare was also on edge, flaring her nostrils at some unusual scent, and the packhorse was decidedly nervous...

Kelas' attention turned back to the girl's horse for a moment. The stallion was obviously well-bred and well-trained, but built for strength more than speed, not a nomad's horse... perhaps the girl was a noble of some sort, as well?

"Can you show us these things up ahead?" she asked, dismounting. Strange plants... she'd seen poisonous ones and parasites that took over the native foliage. This sounded like something worse, though...

[Ansem]

Helios rolled his eyes. He would have lashed out and said something but he promised himself he would keep his mouth shut the whole way to Elysima except if it was important. He looked away hoping something would distract him but then he heard something. "Tall, thin, white, wavy. It's strange" Helios heard the girl say. "Sounds like mesh". "I could be wrong though". "If it is truly what i think it then...... Helios saw a bird. It distracted him. What a fool.

Edited April 18, 2010 by Kai-Sama

[Snowy_One]

"A mesh?" asked Esphyr, intrigued. "Like, say, the mesh of tree roots? Grass roots? You know; stuff like that? It sounds odd... But I don't know if that's even possible. I think we should check it out at the least. I mean... if it's violent, we can always run away and take a longer route."

[Ansem]

Helios stared at Esphyr. He must have forgot that he was muttering to himself and not thinking. "Sounds like it" Helios replied. "Mesh is usually not dangerous". "But since the girl said the grass around it was dead then something must be off". Helios waited for Damian's order.

[Inactive Account]

"If these are the things you think they are, how are they fought?" Kelas asked. They didn't sound like the sort of things arrows would be useful against...

[Balcerzak]

[[OOC: Oh, that's quite possible. Perhaps I misinterpreted the previous exchange. If they are riding the pack horse, pretend I said nothing about him carrying her last time, and instead made an appropriate statement. If for some reason they are not on the pack horse, insert the following somewhere into my post.

Tessa had a sudden idea on how to at least start repaying the kindness of strangers, and she quickly dismounted. Motioning to the girl on his back she said, "Here, if she's sick or hurt or something, have her ride on Trevor. He won't bite." /OOC]]

Tessa turned towards the new speaker, a woman clad in leather, riding bareback. She must have been from one of the nomad tribes she'd heard about but never seen before. She caught herself staring a bit, before realizing quite how impolite it must seem of her.

"You want to take a look at them? I suppose that's not a problem at all. Sure I can take you there. I don't really have a set destination, I was just trying to find a town and figured there'd be something along this road, but one way or the other doesn't really make that much of a difference. I owe you anyway, so I'll tag along until I can pay you back."

Tessa nodded, content with her decision. After she had finished, a small discussion had broken out between a man with green hair and a tall swordswoman, about nets or something. She couldn't imagine it being that important, so she just turned around and said, "Follow me, it's not that far," and began heading back to the field of white.

[Ether]

OOC:Damian wasn't on the packhorse,actually,I had forgot about it.He was carrying her himself.

"I don't like it...I think it would be best to avoid the stuff altogether...if someone must check it out,I'd say Kelas is the best bet to scout it,since she's got the fastest mount." Damian said to the others.

"Either way,you seem to be a healer,miss...?"

The girl responded that her name was Tessa,and so Damian continued

"Miss Tessa,in our recent tenure,we have found ourselves in need of a healer...if you wish to repay us,traveling with our troope and lending your staff to our cause would be wonderful."

Before Tessa could respond,Aiya began to stir.

"D-Damian...?" She rubbed her eyes a little...when she had fallen asleep,he had been unconscious,but now it seemed their roles had been reversed.

"Damian!" She hugged him tightly seeing he was okay,nearly knocking them both over.

"Good,you're awake." Damian replied to her,setting her down.

[Balcerzak]

As the man gently inquired after her name, she realized that she had completely failed to introduce herself. Combining that with her first words having been to plea for food, she began to realize that she had perhaps made a terrible first impression. A flush of embarrassment stole across her face, and she stammered back, "...T-Tessa."

Hearing this, he continued on, and his next words did a fair it to dispell her worry about having bungled the situation. He must have an eye for detail, as he'd aptly discerned the situation, though her polished staff of red cedar with a fine globe of green glass set on top had probably made it easy for him. But perhaps more to the point, she had been invited to join them! And not only that, but it was a gentle invitation.

She was about to respond when the girl he'd been carrying awoke, Damian she had called the man, who was apparently in charge here if he were in position to offer to let her join. Tessa made a mental note of this, and let the two finish, they seemed to be quite close to each other, before replying.

"Is that alright? Truly? If you don't think I'd be a burden, then for the while then, I will gladly tag along, Brother Damian," she paused here, realizing she'd instinctively treated him as if he were monk, then moved to correct her mistake, "No wait, that's not right. Sir Damian?"

[[Edit: Damien -> Damian. Woops.]]

Edited April 18, 2010 by Balcerzak

[Ether]

The girl,Tessa,seemed to be quite polite,Damian noted.She had addressed him formally with a slight curtsy,even without any given reason.

"Of course.I hardly think the healing touch of one of the temple would be a burden,and you seem easily agreeable." Damian told her in response,and she seemed to light up upon hearing this.

"However,I would ask that you just call me Damian,in such a setting,prefixes such as sir are unnecessary,wouldn't you agree?"

[Ansem]

"That is not my field of view" Helios replied to Kelas. "I was hoping that you knew what they were but it seems you dont". "There is only one way to find out for sure". "That is after we get our intros over with".

OOC: What is a mesh. I keep thinking a tentacle that can grab you. I could be wrong

Edited April 18, 2010 by Kai-Sama

[Inactive Account]

The girl- Tessa- led them to the plants. Kelas noticed her horse, now walking alongside, getting more and more nervous. As they came into view, the mare swung around to stand in front of Kelas, snorting. "Move over, I need to have a look at these," she told the horse, and continued until she was a few feet away from the things.

They looked nothing like any plant she'd ever seen, white and sickly, swaying the wind. But there was no wind, Kelas realized. "They're moving of their own accord," she remarked, stopping a good distance away from the things, noticing the carpet of mushrooms below the flowers. She sniffed. "Smells like rot. I'm not familiar with these things, but I don't need to touch death to recognize it."

The edges of the strange field were slowly advancing, she realized with worry. She took several steps back. "We should go back and work out how we're going to deal with these things."

[Ether]

"That thing is horrid..." Damian said in worry,after seeing the plant mass.

"We should avoid this thing...even if it takes us a bit longer to get to Elyisima...I have a bad feeling about it..."

[Ansem]

"I dont think that is possible" said Helios. A bunch of mesh covered their exit. He took out his tome. "Got any plans Damian"?

Edited April 18, 2010 by Kai-Sama

[Snowy_One]

As the group looked out over the field of swaying tendrils, a sudden motion seemed to overtake them as a mighty gust. The many thousands upon thousands of infectious tendrils suddenly all quivered and shook, each and every last one of them swaying to point towards the gathered people. A massive motion and churning of earth sundered the morning peace as the field of rot suddenly burst into a spurt of rapid growth. Rotten dirt combined with the skeletons of cattle and a hundred thousand other nasty objects each of natural designs rose up behind the party in a massive wave of the strange things as they wove themselves together to form massive mushroomy tentacles; various bones and rotten pieces undulating through the wormy mass.

A mass that suddenly surged about, encompassing the entire party with it's massive girth.

OOC; I'm unsure. Is this a scouting party, or the entire group?

[Ansem]

OOC: The whole group

Roster

Damian

Aiya

Ian

Morgan

Kelas

Esphyr

Helios

Tessa

Am i missing anyone?

[Inactive Account]

Kelas was back on her horse in an instant, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow. She targeted the base of one of the tentacles.

Kelas: (2,4,4) Hit! Kelas does 5 damage.

The arrow tore through the side of the thing, but it was not yet severed. Quickly ahe nocked another arrow and loosed.

Kelas: (5,3,5) Hit! Kelas does 0 damage.

The arrow nicked the side of the tentacle, not doing any substantial damage. Kelas' mare backed up as the group edged closer together.

(Kelas: 12/12 HP, Monster Mesh(no.6): 13/18 HP)

Edited April 18, 2010 by _____

[Snowy_One]

OOC: I'm gonna test out the new battle system. This means I will make the attack, and the next poster will handle the attack description and numbers.

IC: As the tentacles started to swirl in about the party, Esphyr was more than ready. Years working as a fighter and mercenary had made her more than skilled enough to react swiftly to the sudden ambush. Esphyr's sword was out in a flash, gripped firmly in both her hands as she quickly tried to size the situation up. All about her, the meshwork of tendrils, topped with the bones of formally living things, rose up like a living wall.

"Don't try to fight your way out! If even one of these tentacles touches us, it will devour us up! Keep moving to the point where there are less of them, and for the sake of the Goddess, watch you feet or else they'll entwine you!"

With that, she decided to take her own advise. With her sword in hand she quickly charged away from the wall and deeper into the field. Her sword swung low to the ground, trying to cut and sever any of the tendrils close to the ground before they could grow up to form something massive.

Esphyr is attacking Tendril #5. Arcanium is not active. Esphyr will double-attack it currently

[Ether]

Esphyr yelled out,and retreated from the advancing wall.As she swung her blade low,to sever the tentacles,hitting the base twice,and dodging a thrash in her direction.

Damian and Aiya followed her lead,rushing towards the same tendril.

"Gae-Borg!" Damian swung his crimson lance,and Aiya swung her blade towards the tendril.

Combat round start:

Esphyr(2,4,3) 4 Hit - 0 Evd,Hit! 8 Mt - 6 Def = 2 Dmg

Tendril(1,2,6) 4 Hit - 5 Evd,Miss!

Esphyr(4,5,1) 6 hit - 0 Evd,Hit! 9 Mt - 6 def = 3 Dmg!

Mesh(5) - 13/18 Hp

Damian and Aiya attack Tendril(5),both double,Damian is using his crimson weapon.If Damian kills it in his rouns,have Aiya attack another

OOC:I don't like this.it doesn;t feel right,and between people potentially ninjaing eachother,and time issues,I'd rather stick with the old system

[Inactive Account]

Damian: (1,3,4) Hit! Damian does 3 damage. Damian loses 1 HP.

Damian's lance bit into the tentacle, but was partially deflected by a chunk of bone. As he readied for another hit, the tentacle whipped out at him.

Mesh(5): (5,3,3) Hit! Critical hit! Mesh does 6 damage. Mesh regains 3 HP.

Damian staggered as the thing slammed into his stomach, but regained his footing and swung again.

Damian: (6,6,2) Hit! Damian does 8 damage. Damian loses 1 HP.

Damian: 7/15 HP, Mesh(5): 5/18 HP

The lance cut deep into the monster this time, but it was not yet finished. Aiya charged forward to help.

Aiya: (3,2,5) Hit! Aiya does 2 damage.

Aiya's blade nicked the tentacle. She ran for a better hit as it readied itself to attack her.

Mesh(5): (2,5,4) Hit! Mesh does 4 damage. Mesh regains 2 HP.

The mesh swiped at Aiya's side as she ran. She ignored the pain and swung her blade around to attack.

Aiya: (1, 5, 5) Hit! Critical hit! Aiya does 15 damage. Mesh defeated!

Aiya: 8/12 HP

Aiya's sword went cleanly through the tentacle, severing it from its base. Panting, she backed up to Damian, looking for her next move.

Kelas shifted in her seat, turning for a better aim as her horse half-reared, stamping on the things that grew to ensnare her feet. "Aim for the bottom of the thing!" she yelled.

OOC: I'm waiting for a "turn" to go by to give other people a chance to attack... waiting for the next "player phase", I guess. So the next poster doesn't have to do any rolls for Kelas' next attack, she's still getting ready...

[Snowy_One]

With a steadied aim, Kelas drew back her bow and took careful aim. It wasn't like it would be difficult to hit the field of tendrils after all; the things were everywhere. However, if any good was to be done, she would have to score a hit on some area that was, somehow, vital. She carefully drew in a deep breath as her horse reared up, causing the whole field to seem to lurch about in her vision. Never the less, she at last seemed to spot what seemed to be the core to one of the several meshworks. Quickly, she released an arrow at what seemed to be a small well of the stuff coming up from the ground; only to have several more of the tendrils form a veil over it; protecting and deflecting the arrow from the core.

Undeterred, she quickly knocked another arrow and took aim at the core. Yet, as she drew her bow back, one of the tendrils latched onto the hoof of her steed. The horse bellowed in fear as it tore to the left to break loose; causing Kelas's shot to suddenly pull to the left just as she fired. It was a testament to her marksmanship that the arrows path was not altered too badly, but still it shot past the core; only lightly scraping the many tendrils that formed it.

Dice rolls. 3, 1, 1. CRITICAL

Damage (1+2-4 = 0) CRITICAL: 1 damage dealt.

Second attack: 6, 3, 2

Damage (3+2 - 4 = 1) 1 damage dealt)

Mesh 1 (16/18 HP)

Catching note of the twin precision shots, Esphyr too began to search for something within her own meshwork that served as a core, and quickly spotted it on her own.

"Oh Sword of my eternal woe

she who stains crystal sky with crimson tear

You have followed me both high and low

Yet no matter how far I run, you are always near

I hate you with passion undying! I despise every fiber of your being!

I rue the day you came unto my life, to haunt a mere child!

Behold my wrath and my fury! SWORD OF BLOODY WRATH!"

The crimson plasma that formed her own Crimson weapon flowed over her blade, coating it and sheathing it in a red light formed of demonic power. She looked firmly at the core as she raised her sword high; seeking to thrust it deep into the core of the being and sever it there.

OOC: I hope that was okay __________. Esphyr double-attacking with both her Crimson Weapon and Arcanium active.

Edited April 18, 2010 by Snowy_One

[Inactive Account]

OOC: Ah, that's fine, I just thought I'd wait on attacking to let someone else get a chance... At this point I guess there are two damaged meshes and three at full health remaining? In any case, I'll wait a bit again...

[Ether]

Esphyr landed a heavy blow on the core,however,a thick vine knocked her away.After recovering,she swung at the core again,weakening the Mesh.

Damian and Aiya moved to assist her,Damian attacking first,swinging his Gae Borg down on the core that Esphyr had just attacked.

Combat round start:

Esphyr(1,5,1) 4 hit - 0 Evd,Hit!11mt - 6Def = 5 Damage!

Mesh2(you never specified)(2,2,4) 5 Hit - 5 Evd,Hit(I think),4mt - 1Def = 3 Damage! Mesh2 recovers 1 Hp!

Esphyr(3,6,5) 6 hit - 0 Evd,Hit!12 Mt - 6Def = 6 Damage!

Mesh2 7/18

Esphyr 6/9

Damian attacks Mesh2!Gae-Borg Activated!

Aiya attacks Mesh2(If Damian fails to kill it),Mesh1 if Damian kills Mesh2