Return of the Emblem Chapter Nine: Consolidating Forces

[Acacia Sgt]

And so they went into town, where Raquel was able to make her purchases. Of the new items there wasn't much John took interest in. Well, maybe except for the Painkillers. Sounded like they could come in handy. But not for now, not for now. Eventually, maybe.

And so they headed back. Sophia, who had decided in the end to not go for that trip, but in the end it didn't matter. She was still able to buy a Barrier Staff. She had to be careful though. Her money was already on the low side now. What else money she had was left behind with her other things back at Weyland's Manor after all. Not that she had much of a voice on the matter anyway.

And while on the subjects of the staffs, having to carry two staffs now... well, it wasn't that much of an issue. She knew better than to mix-them up and use the wrong one by accident.

[sophia buys a Barrier Staff. Remaining points: 60.]

And so it was time to leave. Seems they weren't taking the mounts with them. Made sense, since they had no rush in going and any fight would be on the inside of the building at any rate. John considered taking Gil just for the ride, but the lack of light now and the fact Zach never stated the exact location would mean trying to follow them from above wouldn't prove to be ideal. He just grabbed his helmet to put on.

Gil just grunted at this decision, as he always did. But he wasn't complaining. At least John remembered to feed him before leaving. Besides, he'd have time to ponder about his recently wrongly reached conclusion.

-----

The road towards the manse didn't had much in being eventful. They were walking right into the wolf's jaws, but even so, it ironically was also one of the safest places to be when planning a counter. Well, at any rate, they got in.

However, before long, a sudden commotion surfaced, and without warning the chandelier above came crashing down, killing some, but more curiously, the girl that came down with it, axe in hand. At this point Sophia had taken her eyes off that sight, with only the noise of the crashing chandelier alerting her of the obvious conclusion.

<Looks like we were beaten to the initiative.> John noted. <Might as well, she alone might've... Wait a minute, to be able pull that off, and that hair and eyes... and with the organization involved here, could it be that...> Well, if that was the case, that explained it.

Well, never mind that for now, the cult was still a threat to be taken down. But at least some of the issues had been taken care of already.

Sophia finally dared to look back. Diverting her gaze from the damage, she instead looked at the girl who now had Zach nearby. Is she the girl we were going to save? She wondered, slight fear creeping up on her. A-and she did that? Just what did these people did to her? G-good thing we are here now to put an end to it.

And now it seems Bert was snapping. ''She's right though,'' John said. ''Regardless of the scene here, it doesn't change the fact the cult is tied with the organization and they're after us. We should focus on finishing them off first then.''

Edited July 5, 2012 by Acacia Sgt

[Phoenix]

Halls of Red

When Kerrigan was urged out of his office by a panicked guardsman, he knew that either their trap had completely backfired, or some trouble from within was brewing. He had no godly idea it could be both and at the same damn time. When he emerged at the top of the balcony, fury entered his heart. Cervantes wouldn't let something this disastrous happen; the goddess on the loose killing almost every cult member between her and their 'guests', one of those guests being his own apprentice. It didn't take long to put two and two together and get thirteen, but he had to be certain first, and this madness had to stop, immediately. They had to recapture both the goddess and capture Raquel before anything else went wrong. Kerrigan took out his tome, the Bolganone, and thrust his hand outward to make a grim declaration.

"Zachary! Bring the goddess and Raquel to me, immediately, or will you betray us here and now?!" He was soon flanked by some more capable looking forces, and the final participants entered the blood stained arena.

Raquel didn't give Zachary much of an opening to answer and shouted back. "We won't be taken so easily, especially not by perverted monsters like you! Prepare yourselves!" Raquel didn't know what to think of the girl's ability to wield an axe and cause so much destruction, but the cult had to be dealt with one way or another, and she was asking for help, not picking a fight with them. In some ways, she envied the girl's ability to fight back even in her situation, despite how gruesome it all ways.

Kerrigan's right eyelid twitched as he realized what was going on. There was no way Raquel could have known about any of that unless his apprentice had told her. Had he told her EVERYTHING? He had, hadn't he? And there plan was to march on in and challenge Cervantes directly? Fools. They'd regret coming despite the risks; he planned to make sure of that, but first he had to deal with the goddess before she started killing again. She was clearly hopped up on stims and more dangerous than her delicate little form would indicate. Bolganone could handle this, and she would live, but he wasn't going to hold back all that much with his traitorous apprentice right beside her. "You no good TRAITOR!" he shouted as he cast a massive fireball and hurled it down onto the two of them. The explosion ruined a large patch of the floor and sent the two back. Their goddess took the worst of it, but would be alright once she was seen to.

"Zach!" He didn't hold back at all, did he? That was brutal ... "Help Zachary and get the girl out of harms way. We have to hold the line from here."

"Hold the line?" Kerrigan shook his head in disbelief. "No, Miss Valcyn. This is the end for you and your little band. I'm sorry you came all this way thinking you could defeat us."

Raquel 18/18

Mireille 21/21

Zachary 15/15

---

Bert 18/18

Veronika 15/15

Ranyin 15/15

---

John 27/27

Sophia 12/12

Grant 21/21

---

Chelsea 15/15

Nanahm 18/18

Faatina 15/15

Kerrigan(Erratic)

Bard A (Aggressive)

General A (Defending)

---

Knight A (Defending)

Swordmaster A (Aggressive)

Fighter A (Aggressive)

---

Magician A (Defending)

Shaman A (Aggressive)

Cleric A (Aggressive)

---

Knight B (Defending)

Archer A (Passive-Subvert)

Archer B (Passive-Subvert)

---

Knight C (Defending)

Swordmaster B (Passive-Aggressive)

Fighter B (Passive-Aggressive)

---

Magician B (Defending)

Shaman B (Passive-Aggressive)

Cleric B (Passive-Aggressive)

---

Knight D (Defending)

Archer C (Passive-Subvert)

Archer D (Passive-Subvert)

Kerrigan

Class: Level 4 Sage

Raw Stats

HP: 8 STR: 0 MAG: 10 SKL: 10 SPD: 9 LCK: 2 DEF: 3 RES: 3

Simplified Stats

HP: 24 MT: 10 Hit: 10 Evade: 11 AS: 9 Defense: 3 Resistance: 3

Weapon 1: Bolganone (Rex Tome)

Item: Elixir

Book: Skill (Overblast)

Overall Stats

HP: 24 MT: 10(17 if B) Hit: 10 Evade: 11 AS: 9 Defense: 3 Resistance: 3

Bard A

Class: Level 5 Bard

Raw Stats

HP: 7 STR: 0 MAG: 4 SKL: 7 SPD: 9 LCK: 3 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 21 MT: 4 Hit: 7 Evade: 12 AS: 9 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Mend Staff

Special Weapon: Combat Knife

Overall Stats

HP: 21 MT: 4(5 if CK) Hit: 7 Evade: 12 AS: 9 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

General A

Class: Level 1 General

Raw Stats

HP: 10 STR: 6 MAG: 0 SKL: 3 SPD: 5 LCK: 1 DEF: 11 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 30 MT: 6 Hit: 3 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 11 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Advanced Barrier Lance

Special Item: Bulwark

Overall Stats

HP: 30 MT: 6 Hit: 3 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 11 Resistance: 1(5 if ABL)

Swordmaster A,B

Class: Level 1 Swordmaster

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 7 MAG: 0 SKL: 10 SPD: 10 LCK: 2 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 7 Hit: 10 Evade: 12 AS: 10 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Silver Sword

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 7(10 if SS) Hit: 10 Evade: 12 AS: 10 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Fighter A,B

Class: Level 5 Fighter

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 9 MAG: 0 SKL: 6 SPD: 5 LCK: 2 DEF: 3 RES: 2

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 9 Hit: 6 Evade: 7 AS: 5 Defense: 3 Resistance: 2

Weapon 1: Precise Axe

Special Item: Barrier

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 9 Hit: 6(9 if PA) Evade: 7 AS: 5 Defense: 3 Resistance: 2(3 if B)

Magician A,B

Class: Level 5 Magician

Raw Stats

HP: 6 STR: 0 MAG: 8 SKL: 6 SPD: 7 LCK: 1 DEF: 2 RES: 2

Simplified Stats

HP: 18 MT: 8 Hit: 6 Evade: 8 AS: 7 Defense: 2 Resistance: 2

Weapon 1: Defending Tome

Special Item: Bulwark

Overall Stats

HP: 18 MT: 8 Hit: 6 Evade: 8 AS: 7 Defense: 2(6 if DT) Resistance: 2

Shaman A,B

Class: Level 5 Shaman

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 0 MAG: 10 SKL: 7 SPD: 5 LCK: 1 DEF: 1 RES: 3

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 10 Hit: 7 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 1 Resistance: 3

Weapon 1: El Tome

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 10(12 if ET) Hit: 7 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 1 Resistance: 3

Cleric A, B

Class: Level 4 Cleric

Raw Stats

HP: 3 STR: 0 MAG: 7 SKL: 6 SPD: 3 LCK: 3 DEF: 3 RES: 4

Simplified Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7 Hit: 6 Evade: 6 AS: 3 Defense: 3 Resistance: 4

Weapon 1: Mend Staff

Weapon 2: Basic Light Tome

Overall Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7 Hit: 6 Evade: 6 AS: 3 Defense: 3 Resistance: 4

Knight A,B,C,D

Class: Level 4 Knight

Raw Stats

HP: 7 STR: 6 MAG: 0 SKL: 3 SPD: 4 LCK: 1 DEF: 8 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 21 MT: 6 Hit: 3 Evade: 5 AS: 4 Defense: 8 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Barrier Lance

Special Item: Bulwark

Overall Stats

HP: 21 MT: 6 Hit: 3 Evade: 5 AS: 4 Defense: 8 Resistance: 1(4 if BL)

Archer A,C

Class: Level 5 Archer

Raw Stats

HP: 3 STR: 7 MAG: 0 SKL: 9 SPD: 8 LCK: 3 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7 Hit: 9 Evade: 11 AS: 8 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Ambush Bow

Overall Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7(10 if ABTs) Hit: 9 Evade: 11 AS: 8 Defense: 1(0 if AB) Resistance: 1(0 if AB)

Archer B

Class: Level 5 Archer

Raw Stats

HP: 3 STR: 7 MAG: 0 SKL: 9 SPD: 8 LCK: 3 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7 Hit: 9 Evade: 11 AS: 8 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Iron Bow

Special Weapon: Rifle

Overall Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7(18 if R) Hit: 9 Evade: 11 AS: 8 Defense: 1(0 if IB) Resistance: 1(0 if IB)

Archer D

Class: Level 5 Archer

Raw Stats

HP: 3 STR: 7 MAG: 0 SKL: 9 SPD: 8 LCK: 3 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7 Hit: 9 Evade: 11 AS: 8 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Iron Bow

Special Weapon: Blunderbuss

Overall Stats

HP: 9 MT: 7(18 if B) Hit: 9 Evade: 11 AS: 8 Defense: 1(0 if IB) Resistance: 1(0 if IB)

Victory Condition: Rout ALL enemies

Defeat Condition: Team cloak or team dagger are completely wiped out before the rendezvous, or entire party is wiped out afterward.

Reward: 15 points

Hint: Defeat dangerous enemies before committing to defense.

BATTLE START

PLAYER PHASE

Battlepost limit is 8 and shared by Team Cloak and Team Dagger

Edited July 1, 2012 by Phoenix

[-Cynthia-]

The cultists were initially in a state of disarray following the attack of the "goddess", but quickly managed to regroup in an attempt to find her. The sage Kerrigan led one group to search for her near the front entrance, while a warlock led another group that was searching for her near the center of the estate.

As they entered the great hall, the cultists saw an unfamiliar group of armed people approaching from the opposite direction.

"What the-? Destroy the intruders!" the warlock ordered, erecting a barrier of pure darkness in front of himself.

"I think they've spotted us," Nadya commented to the rest of the dagger team, demonstrating her supreme mastery of the obvious.

Enemy Group B

Warlock A (Erratic)

Bard B (Aggressive)

Mercenary A (Aggressive)

---

Soldier A (Aggressive)

Mage A (Aggressive)

Monk A (Aggressive)

--

Savant A (Passive-Erratic)

Bard C (Passive-Aggressive)

Mercenary B (Passive-Aggressive)

--

Soldier B (Passive-Aggressive)

Mage B (Passive-Aggressive)

Monk B (Passive-Aggressive)

--

Thief A (Passive-Erratic)

Archer E (Passive-Subvert)

Fighter C (Passive-Subvert)

Team Dagger

Gytha 24/24

Synthia 12/12

--

Aneda 18/18

Gabbie 21/21

Nadya 21/21

--

Davod 15/15

Blake 15/15

Gar 9/9

--

Valter 15/15

Shadrak 18/18

Robin 15/15

Warlock A

Class: Level 2 Warlock

Raw Stats

HP: 7 STR: 0 MAG: 10 SKL: 8 SPD: 6 LCK: 1 DEF: 2 RES: 5

Simplified Stats

HP: 21 MT: 10 Hit: 8 Evade: 7 AS: 6 Defense: 2 Resistance: 5

Weapon 1: Dark Aegis Tome E

Overall Stats

HP: 21 MT: 10 Hit: 8 Evade: 7 AS: 6 Defense: 2 (12 if Aegis Tome) Resistance: 5

Bard B, C

Class: Level 5 Bard

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 0 MAG: 5 SKL: 8 SPD: 8 LCK: 4 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 5 Hit: 8 Evade: 12 AS: 8 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Basic Fire Tome E

Weapon 2: Mend Staff

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 5 Hit: 8 Evade: 12 AS: 8 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Mercenary B, C

Class: Level 5 Mercenary

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 8 MAG: 0 SKL: 8 SPD: 6 LCK: 2 DEF: 2 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 8 Hit: 8 Evade: 8 AS: 6 Defense: 2 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Warden Sword E

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 8 Hit: 8 Evade: 8 AS: 6 Defense: 2 (8 Warden Sword) Resistance: 1

Soldier A, B

Class: Level 4 Soldier

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 6 MAG: 0 SKL: 7 SPD: 4 LCK: 2 DEF: 4 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 6 Hit: 7 Evade: 6 AS: 4 Defense: 4 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Killer Lance E

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 6 Hit: 7 Evade: 6 AS: 4 Defense: 4 Resistance: 1

Mage A, B

Class: Level 4 Mage

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 0 MAG: 8 SKL: 7 SPD: 4 LCK: 2 DEF: 1 RES: 2

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 8 Hit: 7 Evade: 6 AS: 4 Defense: 1 Resistance: 2

Weapon 1: Elwind Tome E

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 8 (10 Elwind) Hit: 7 Evade: 6 AS: 4 Defense: 1 Resistance: 2

Monk A, B

Class: Level 4 Monk

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 0 MAG: 7 SKL: 8 SPD: 5 LCK: 1 DEF: 1 RES: 2

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 7 Hit: 8 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 1 Resistance: 2

Weapon 1: Precise Light Tome E

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 7 Hit: 8 (12 Precise Tome) Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 1 Resistance: 2

Savant A

Class: Level 2 Savant

Raw Stats

HP: 8 STR: 0 MAG: 8 SKL: 9 SPD: 5 LCK: 1 DEF: 4 RES: 4

Simplified Stats

HP: 24 MT: 8 Hit: 9 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 4 Resistance: 4

Weapon 1: Plague Light Tome E

Item: Shining Barrier

Overall Stats

HP: 24 MT: 8 Hit: 9 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 4 Resistance: 4 (6 Shining Barrier)

Thief A

Class: Level 5 Thief

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 2 MAG: 0 SKL: 9 SPD: 9 LCK: 5 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 2 Hit: 9 Evade: 14 AS: 9 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Special Weapon: Combat Knife

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 2 (6 Combat Knife) Hit: 9 Evade: 14 AS: 9 (doubles 6 AS or less) Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Archer E

Class: Level 5 Archer

Raw Stats

HP: 5 STR: 7 MAG: 0 SKL: 9 SPD: 6 LCK: 3 DEF: 1 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 15 MT: 7 Hit: 9 Evade: 9 AS: 6 Defense: 1 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Improved Precise Bow E

Overall Stats

HP: 15 MT: 7 Hit: 9 (15 Improved Precise Bow) Evade: 9 AS: 6 Defense: 0 (-1 Bow) Resistance: 0 (-1 Bow)

Fighter C

Class: Level 5 Fighter

Raw Stats

HP: 9 STR: 9 MAG: 0 SKL: 5 SPD: 4 LCK: 2 DEF: 2 RES: 1

Simplified Stats

HP: 27 MT: 9 Hit: 5 Evade: 6 AS: 5 Defense: 2 Resistance: 1

Weapon 1: Ambush Axe E

Overall Stats

HP: 27 MT: 9 (12 to those above 50%) Hit: 5 Evade: 6 AS: 4 Defense: 2 Resistance: 1

Note: You must rout all of Enemy Group B before reuniting with Team Cloak.

[Acacia Sgt]

Now it seems the cultists were ready to fight them despite their initial plans pretty much ruined at this point. And now someone came, which, judging from his words and attack, was the teacher that Zach had talked beforehand.

That magic blast... Sophia thought, now more amazed than afraid. Looks like I did the right choice in purchasing that staff. Unfortunately, it was too late for that previous fire blast, but now the two were injured. No matter what, I must help out! With that resolve, she ran towards the two.

<This isn't good. Even if healed, they may have trouble heading back.> John thought before going after her.

Once Sophia reached them, she held her healing staff over the two. John arrived shortly after, ready for anything... well, perhaps not one of those fire blasts. Or magic in general, but you get the idea.

[roymbrog]

As team dagger entered the mansion, both Valter and Synthia were on high alert. The horseman walked at the front of the group with his bow drawn and arrow loosely nocked. The first cultist they stumbled across was getting an arrow in the neck.

Synthia, in contrast, tried to keep in the middle behind Gytha. If enemies attacked from in front or behind, she didn't want to be the first one hit. One hand was on her tome just in case.

----

As team dagger entered a rather large hallway, Valter spotted the armed cultists rounding the corner just as they spotted the intruders. While their apparent boss shouted his own orders an arrow was already flying. As the arrow lodged itself in the neck of one of the bards next to him, Valter was already backing away from any possible retaliation.

Roll: 3, 4, 3

AUTOHIT

6 + 4 = 10 – 1 = 9 DMG

NO COUNTER

Bard B's HP: 6/15

Valter's HP: 15/15

OoC: Fun fact, arrows to the neck are often not (immediately) lethal. Bullets on the other hand...

-----

With cultists streaming into the hall, Synthia panicked a little. The very powerful dark magic user leading them immediately lead to worries about her health and safety. Of those barriers she could detect a few belonged to light magic users, one of which happened to be starting her down. She stared back. As he began to cast she struck first, cutting through his side with a spear of wind just before she was hit by arrows of blinding light. Her enhanced barrier took the brunt of the blow, but it still stung like hell.

Synthia's Roll: 1, 2, 6

7 + 1 = 8 – 6 = HIT

6 + 2 + 2(WTA) = 10 – 2 = 8 DMG

Monk A's Roll: 6, 6, 5

12 + 6 = 18 – 11 = HIT

7 + 6 = 13 – 6 – 2(WTD) = 5 DMG

Monk A's HP: 7/15

Synthia's HP: 7/12

He started to get up, but Synthia was determined to keep him down. "Gytha, finish him!" she shouted to her teamate.

+1 point Gytha/Synthia

+1 point Valter/Robin/Shad

Edited June 29, 2012 by roymbrog

[Mercakete]

He had to disagree. What if it'd all been a lie? What if this wasn't really a cult helping the organization? But the following events seemed to add credence to that story and Raquel basically declared war and suddenly they had no choice but to fight. We should've left when we had the chance... Blast it, I wish I had Riz with me. I could use her help right now. Norbert thought, noting the large, open space the entry room held, especially with the chandelier on the ground. The one in charge was at the top of the stairs on the balcony, too, which meant a lot of running up stairs if he wanted to reach him. It looked like he'd be doing a lot of running. Fun.

"We don't have a choice anymore," he grumbled, maces at the ready before dashing off with the intent of ending this as early as possible by crushing the serpent's head. However, a heavily-armored cultist blocked his path. "BLAST IT!" that was annoying. So, he redirected his attack at the last minute.

Norbert attacks Kerrigan but is redirected to General A!

WTA!

((5+2)+4)-6 = 5 = hit!

(7+4)-11 = 0 damage!

Norbert's maces smashed against the armored cultist, but failed to even rattle the enemy, who immediately retaliated with his lance.

WTD!

((3-2)+5)-6 = 0 = hit!

(6+5)-4 = 7 damage!

The attack was just quick enough that the lance smashed into Norbert's side as he tried to pull away from his opponent, momentarily pinning him between the weapon and the handrail. He coughed as he retreated backwards a bit to avoid immediate confrontation from this wall of a human being. That went well. he bitterly thought, trying to ignore the pain in his sides.

General A 30/30

Norbert 11/18

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, they all knew this was a possibility. Already the magic and arrows were flying. Synthia blasted off a spell then asked for her help. She didn't have to ask twice. Gytha charged forward to finish off her teammate's target.

(7+3)-6 = 4 = hit!

(7+4)-1 = 10 damage!

Gytha's slash cut diagonally up from the magic-user's left hip to his right shoulder. He fell back, literally, so Gytha retreated back so she was in front of Synthia again, poised for her next attack.

Monk A 0/15

Gytha 24/24

Gytha and Synthia +5pts

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

Battle was joined as the defenders of the manse made their appearance. And a fine display of weakness presented itself as it did so. Gar rushed into one of the soldiers before the poor fool could even get his lance ready and quickly tore apart his throat with a flurry of three quick slashes. The blood sprayed over Gar's green cloak before he retreated back into formation with the others. The soldier was dead by the time Gar returned, along with another of the defenders number, and a third with an arrow lodged in the throat of irony.

Two.

Gar sighed and threw off his no-longer nice new cloak. He cleaned off his knife and resumed his combat stance. Hopefully the rest of these louts would be just as pathetic, his fancy black outfit took a lot of money to have custom-tailored and it would be a shame to stain it with blood.

Gar triples, Gar always hits, Gar deals 5 damage minimum, Gar Vantages, Soldier A dies.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587141/

Redundant critS!

Blake/Davod/Gar +5 points (5 total)

Edited July 4, 2012 by Script

[Eail]

Before Zachary even had a chance to respond to his teacher's claims Raquel had opened her mouth and shouted back at him. Next thing Zach knew there was a stream of fire headed for both him and the girl, not even having time to shield her with his body Zach was sent flying from the explosion and collided hard with the floor below him with the girl nearby. A few seconds later he started to feel the familiar feeling of pinpricks which probably meant he was being healed by someone.

Zach managed to rise to his feet shakily while seeing the pegasus knight attempt to charge Kerrigan to no avail. Wiping off the blood he could feel rolling down his head and matting his hair Zach reached into the inside of his clothes to grab his tome, he planned on using it as soon as the world stopped spinning from that explosion.

[Phoenix]

The Gloves Come Off

Raquel stood back and began to focus her powers. With Zach almost up and ready for action again, she could enhance both his and Mireille's abilities for a short time.

Zachary and Mireille +25% skl and spd!

Raquel hp 15/18

Raquel uses Rescue Staff on Zachary!

+2 points for Raquel/Zachary/Mireille

The Blades Come Out

They didn't get as far as they might have liked, but at least there were plenty of cultist greeters to keep them company, Gabbie thought with a shrug. She readied her lance in case another opening presented itself, but for now, it seemed best to hang back, and see just which enemies were intent on doing what.

Shadrak on the other hand saw that his decision to join dagger as an attack and backup healer wasn't the wrong choice after all. He could already tell he could easily be working his butt off between now and the rendezvous. First thing was first. Healing was needed. Synthia had gotten the monk's attention and might not last another round.

Shadrak heals Synthia!

+7 hp

Synthia hp 12/12

+2 points for Robin/Shadrak/Valter

Edited June 29, 2012 by Phoenix

[Acacia Sgt]

Seems both Zach and the girl were fine, though the latter was still unresponsive. Looking over, Bert seems to have wanted to charge at Kerrigan, despite the fact he was still on top of the balcony. Either way, a General intercepted him. Perhaps the Sage wasn't quite out of reach, but still, any attempt to get at him would need to overcome that General.

<Might as well, a distraction is as good as any.> John thought, before charging at the General.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587229/

(1,2,3)

Hit: 6+1 = 7>6 HIT

Damage: 8+2 = 10-11 = <0 NO DAMAGE

The spear impacted on the General's armor, but it didn't do even the slightest damage. Either way, he was only distracting him so he got in position to parry the incoming counterattack.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587231/

(4,5,6)

Hit: 3+4 = 7>5 HIT

Damage: 6+5 = 11-17 = <0 NO DAMAGE

The General's own spear also went for a thrust, but John was able to deflect it with his shield. This should prove distraction enough for others to sneak past him.

[Ether]

Pain. Fire, a searing pain coursed through her body as the flames engulfed her. The small girl collapsed under the weight of her own body, looking up at the sage who had fired the blast, a small rage welling up in her, but not enough to retain her strength.

*********

So that was the girl they were supposed to rescue? She seemed plenty capable, Faatina noted, though it was short-lived, as an immense magical blast took out the area in which both she and the new Sage had been, leaving it naught but a crater.

The man had been pulled back, but the girl was still there, injuries abound. Several of the cultists were making their way towards the fallen girl, supposedly to recapture her.

"Isn't the whole point of this to get her out of here? Are we really just gonna let them take her back?" Faatina questioned to nobody in particular, before charging towards the crater in the floor of the manse.

'Three enemies. They all had small hand axes, probably not actually meant for fighting to much as threatening the injured girl. They don't seem trained in combat, perhaps simply preachers?'

The first man to the right noticed her as she approached. He went to swing the small axe but to no avail, as his legs were swept out from beneath him by the lance, knocking him hard to the ground.

'One down.'

The single man on the left began to turn at the sound. It was a simple enough matter taking him out, the rough edge of the Iron shield smashed into the side of his head, felling him instantly.

'Two.'

The third managed to get a hit in at the very least, the wild axe swing tearing at Faatina's arm. As she retreated away from the man, he continued to assail her, though without her back turned, the blows were easily parried by her shield, and an opening came easily enough, the man's axe deflected to the side, it took little effort to stab the spear clean through his chest, and toss his body off her shield. Turning back to the cultist she had merely disabled, it seems he had knocked his head as he fell, which was good enough for the time being. Approaching the fallen girl, Faatina gently attempted to rouse her.

"Hey, c'mon. You're gonna be alright, I'm gonna get you to the back, alright?" Faatina spoke gently, receiving a slight, but visible nod from the girl. Scooping her light frame up, Faatina retreated with the girl to behind the lines.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Ether

[-Cynthia-]

Cloak

Seeing that the general was engaged with her allies, Veronika decided to attack their leader who seemed capable of throwing very large fireballs. She tried to run him through the chest, but he swerved and she only managed to pierce his shoulder.

(3,6,5)= 11 damage. Kerrigan 13/24 link

Kerrigan unsurprisingly countered with a lot of fire, which Veronika narrowly evaded, as it scorched the nearby wall instead.

(3,2,6)= Miss link

+1 Ranyin, Bert, Veronika

Dagger

Other people on her team had already engaged...but no one seemed interested in dealing with the leader. "Guess I'll deal with this one myself," she stated, sending a beam of light magic at the warlock, killing him instantly.

(5,6,6)= CRITICAL HIT! link 9+6+2= 17-5= 12x2= 24 damage! Warlock A 0/21

Aneda/Gabbie/Nadya +5 points

[Eail]

http://invisiblecast...r/view/3587261/ +10 points for Zach/Raquel/Mireille

Finally the world stopped spinning for Zach, seeing that one of the members of Raquel's group had extracted the girl took a huge weight off his chest. Atleast she wouldn't be in the crossfire for this.

Charging a spell and putting all he had into it Zachary saw the heavily armored man and the swordswoman rush towards Kerrigan, with the man being stopped by the knight but the woman continuing past and slashing her blade at Kerrigan. Managing to land one blow before having to retreat from the fire. Taking energy from his own body was pushing Zach to his limits.

'I need more! Come on, I need to make this count! ......... THERE!'

"By the proclamation of Nature, may thine soul be seared to ash! Come agape, maws of hell, and swallow my enemies whole, it ends now Kerrigan! ZAKER!"

Zach yelled as he shot a furious bolt of blue lightning at his former master, blowing a hole straight through his chest.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Eail

[Snowy_One]

Robin watched as Valter's arrow took flight and lodged itself in the neck of one of the bards. Robin loaded up her own arrow in kind and took aim... only to watch as Valter's arrow lodge not in a lethal spot or a spot for take down, but rather a spot where the bard would bleed out over time. In the neck. She had hit that spot many times before when hunting and knew full well what it meant. The bard was doomed. The only way he could survive was if proper medical attention was given right away or if they lost and one of the enemy healers decided to spare him, not a likely outcome for the poor bard.

"<I am sorry. Forgive me, friend, but this is mercy.>" she said as she took aim, closed her eyes, and let her arrow fly.

Her arrow was lethal. As sharp as glass, as light as glass, and honed to an edge unobtainable by hammer and steel. She didn't need to see the result. She knew he was dead from her second strike. A pang of regret, betrayal, and remorse shot through her, but she had taken lives before. She could live. She could do her best to remain true. This wasn't murder, it was mercy.

Robin hit on bard B: 6, 1, 4. The bard sings his own funeral dirge and dies from 7 damage dealt (7 + 1 - 1). http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587275/

[Acacia Sgt]

The sudden burst of lighting was hard to ignore. And what a surprise, they actually were able to finish off the leader. Sophia sighed in relief. That was quick, now we don't have to fear of getting burnt that badly. It was a short respite though, the rest of the enemies would still try to go after them after all. So she quickly went to find anyone that was injured. She quickly found someone in Bert, who now had a sensible reason to be injured this time around. So without further, she used her staff to treat his wounds.

[bert healed to full. John, Sophia, and Grant +2 points. Total gained by CT: 2.]

[-Cynthia-]

Seeing his combat team fall, the mercenary decided to charge forth and defeat one of the dangerous enemy mages.

(3,5,6)= Hit! 15-1= 14 damage. Synthia 0/12

The mage began to panic as his comrades fell around him, sapping his physical strength to channel a deadly attack at one of the archers. (Overcast -3 Spd, +3 Mag)

(4,2,1)= Hit! Robin takes 15-1= 14 damage. Robin 1/15

Enemy Group B

Warlock A (Erratic) 0/21

Bard B (Aggressive) 0/15

Mercenary A (Aggressive) 12/15

---

Soldier A (Aggressive) 0/15

Mage A (Aggressive) 15/15

Monk A (Aggressive) 0/15

--

Savant A (Passive-Erratic) 24/24

Bard C (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

Mercenary B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

--

Soldier B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

Mage B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

Monk B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

--

Thief A (Passive-Erratic) 15/15

Archer E (Passive-Subvert) 15/15

Fighter C (Passive-Subvert) 27/27

Team Dagger

Gytha 24/24

Synthia 0/12

--

Aneda 18/18

Gabbie 21/21

Nadya 21/21

--

Davod 15/15

Blake 15/15

Gar 9/9

--

Valter 15/15

Shadrak 18/18

Robin 1/15

Edited June 29, 2012 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

ENEMY PHASE

Bard A attacks Bert! Rolls 5,2,4!

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587294/

HIT!

-2 hp!

Bard A doubles! Rolls 6,2,5!

HIT!

-2 hp!

Bard A hp 21/21

Bert hp 14/18

Swordmaster A attacks Bert! Rolls 5,3,3!

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587299/

CRITICAL HIT!

-12 hp!

Swordmaster A doubles! Rolls 3,4,1

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587300/

HIT!

-10 hp

KO!

Swordmaster A hp 15/15

Bert hp 0/18

Fighter A attacks Raquel! Rolls 3,3,2!

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587303/

HIT!

-11 hp

Fighter A hp 15/15

Raquel hp 4/18

Shaman A attacks John! Rolls 6,6,6!

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587309/

LETHAL HIT!

-36 hp!

KO

Shaman A hp 15/15

John hp 0/27

Cleric A attacks Raquel! Rolls 5,2,6!

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587313/

MISS!

Cleric A hp 9/9

Raquel hp 4/18

Kerrigan was struck down, and failed to get another word out before collapsing to the floor, betrayal being the last thing on his mind. It was a tough loss for the cultists, but they couldn't mourn now ...

They quickly struck back, and even Raquel wasn't spared from their wrath. One of the axe wielders rushed her and slashed right through her cloak. Had she not already been stumbling back, it could have taken her arm. She stumbled to the floor and tried to get away as another enemy attacked. The light wielder sent a surge of power her way, and she narrowly avoided it by diving to the ground. She could barely think straight seeing so much of her own blood running down her cloak. All she could do for now was back off and cling to her injured arm.

Raquel 4/18

Mireille 21/21

Zachary 15/15

---

Bert 0/18

Veronika 15/15

Ranyin 15/15

---

John 0/27

Sophia 12/12

Grant 21/21

---

Chelsea 15/15

Nanahm 18/18

Faatina 15/15

Kerrigan

Bard A 21/21 (Aggressive)

General A 30/30 (Defending)

---

Knight A 21/21 (Defending)

Swordmaster A 15/15 (Aggressive)

Fighter A 15/15 (Aggressive)

---

Magician A 18/18 (Defending)

Shaman A 15/15 (Aggressive)

Cleric A 9/9 (Aggressive)

---

Knight B 21/21 (Defending)

Archer A 9/9 (Passive-Subvert)

Archer B 9/9 (Passive-Subvert)

---

Knight C 21/21 (Defending)

Swordmaster B 15/15 (Passive-Aggressive)

Fighter B 15/15 (Passive-Aggressive)

---

Magician B 18/18 (Defending)

Shaman B 15/15 (Passive-Aggressive)

Cleric B 9/9 (Passive-Aggressive)

---

Knight D 21/21 (Defending)

Archer C 9/9 (Passive-Subvert)

Archer D 9/9 (Passive-Subvert)

PLAYER PHASE

Edited June 29, 2012 by Phoenix

[Acacia Sgt]

The battle turned to a more aggressive stance at that point. Sophia saw Raquel get attacked, so she quickly hurried at her side to heal her.

[Raquel healed to 17/18 HP. John, Sophia, and Grant +2 points. Total gained by CT: 4.]

John and the General were still pretty much deadlocked. However, a small break took once the lightning happened, both stepping back. Both turned to see at it, and then looked back at each other. However, the General diverted his gaze at another thing first, then turned back.

Puzzled by this, John turned to see what he saw, only to find a potent force of dark magic hitting him with barely enough time to register what happened. Needless to say, it was enough to knock him out cold in an instant. Seems the enemy took this opportunity to distract him as well.

[Eail]

Still panting from his attack on Kerrigan, Zach focused his attention on a new foe. Deciding on taking out the heavy armored one away from him Zach began to charge his power once more, before unleashing it at his foe. A much smaller blast than the one that had just killed his teacher, but still powerful enough to penetrate the knights armor and kill him.

Zach attacks Knight A

Zach HP 15/15

Knight A HP 21/21

Auto hit! deals 17 Damage

http://invisiblecast...r/view/3587383/

Zach HP 15/15

Knight HP 4/21

Knight A counter = AUTO MISS

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587396/

Zach Double = AUTO HIT killing knight A

+5 points for Zach/Raquel/Mireille

Edited June 29, 2012 by Eail

[-Cynthia-]

Daggerside

Dispatching of the boss quickly, Nadya went over to heal Robin, who looked as if she had been hit by a hurricane. She moved out of the area quickly to avoid being caught in the inevitable crossfire.

Nadya heals Robin. +13 HP Robin 14/15 +2 points Aneda, Gabbie, Nadya

Cloakside

Seeing that Zachary had dispatched the knight with his magic, Veronika rushed in and dealt two swift slashes to the chest of the fighter that had injured Raquel, killing him.

(1,2,2)= Critical hit! 8-2= 6x2= 12 damage. (3,2,2)= Critical hit! another 12 damage. Fighter A 0/15 +5 points Ranyin, Bert, Veronika link

Edited June 29, 2012 by -Cynthia-

[Mercakete]

One of the enemy sword-fighters managed to get a strike in behind Gytha and stroke down her ally, but retreated before Gytha could get a hit in of her own. Quickly checking back, it looked like Synthia was unable to fight, but would survive. "Synthia could use some help!" she called out before charging in after the enemy to strike at them herself, attempting to protect Synthia from further harm while dealing damage to the enemy.

Gytha attacks mage A!

(7+3)-6 = 4 = hit!

(7+2)-1 = 8 damage!

She managed to cut into the spell-caster's arm, but he retaliated with a spell that sort of reminded her of Synthia's spell-casting.

(7+3)-8 = 2 = hit!

(13+6)-2 = 17 CRITICAL 34 damage!

Yep. Just as powerful as Synthia's. That was Gytha's last thought before she blacked out, having been blasted back by an incredibly powerful wall of air that knocked the wind out of her.

Mage A 7/15

Gytha 0/24

-5pts Gytha

+1pt Gytha & Synthia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pain began to ease some as he analyzed the situation. That was when he noticed he was being healed. "Thank you," Norbert uttered to Sophia before returning his attention to the battle. John managed to distract the armored man some, so he didn't have to worry about being pursued at the moment. Veronika managed to get to the guy in charge by taking the opening John had made. Then, Zach started yelling something and fired off his magic, killing the enemy commander. Well, that was good. The pegasus rider even smiled. Things were bound to get easier from here.

Well, it would have, maybe, but the remaining enemies weren't really happy. It looked like they could organize themselves well enough, too. Uh-oh. A good number of the cultists charged against them and it looked like he was the first target. The pegasus rider hadn't realized how deep into the enemy ranks he was still standing. Stupid, stupid--!

He raised his maces to shield himself as he tried a tactful retreat, but had to brace himself as a flash of burning light washed over him. It didn't hurt too much, but it was still a problem since it bought the cultists some time. He was about to start retreating again when another burst of light hit him with the same results. Blast it, I can't stay here! He gritted his teeth. This wasn't looking good. He was alone in this part of the battlefield, again wishing Rizen was there with him. Suddenly, he felt an intense, sharp pain in his back, causing him to tighten his jaw even more and inhale sharply. He didn't register it right away, but a swordsman had just run his blade into his back. He hadn't noticed the man sneaking behind him. He only realized what had happened after the quick swordsman's next attack: a slash across his his back that knocked him to the ground with enough force to bruise what it didn't cut and the force of his head hitting the hard ground in conjunction with the pain from the rapid attacks was enough to make his head spin. He couldn't hardly think, let alone get up. The occasional, soft groan of pain did escape him, however, as he laid there.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Mercakete

[roymbrog]

As the cultists charged Valter didn't have much time to think, but he didn't need to. He simply pulled back and released an arrow at the first clear shot.

Novice ring activated

+4 Str

Turns left: 2/2

Roll: 3, 2, 4

10 + 3 = 13 – 6 = HIT

6 + 2 + 4(NR) = 12 – 4 = 8 DMG

NO COUNTER

Savant A's HP: 16/24

Valter's HP: 15/15

As the projectile buried itself in the man's shoulder, Valter took note of the damage their enemies had caused. So far, the only person down was... Oh. “Dammit, Synthia...” he mumbled, running over to pick her up while the cultists were reasonably distracted. He managed to carefully lift her (when did she get so heavy?) and move her some distance back before Gytha came skidding past him on the floor. “...We need a healer over here."

Synthia was vaguely conscious of being moved, but most of her senses were clouded by the intense pain. The first time she'd been stabbed she hoped would be her last. No, wait, that sounded bad. Anyway, it hurt like hell. Her shirt was all bloody too, wasn't it? Shit.

[-Cynthia-]

Enemy Group B

Warlock A (Erratic) 0/21

Bard B (Aggressive) 0/15

Mercenary A (Aggressive) 12/15

---

Soldier A (Aggressive) 0/15

Mage A (Aggressive) 7/15

Monk A (Aggressive) 0/15

--

Savant A (Erratic) 16/24

Bard C (Aggressive) 15/15

Mercenary B (Aggressive) 15/15

--

Soldier B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

Mage B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

Monk B (Passive-Aggressive) 15/15

--

Thief A (Passive-Erratic) 15/15

Archer E (Passive-Subvert) 15/15

Fighter C (Passive-Subvert) 27/27

[Phoenix]

Cloak's Troubles

"T-thank you." Raquel forced out as Sophia healed her arm. That fighter wasn't through yet, or at least that was what he thought before Veronika sliced him to ribbons. Raquel picked herself up and let go of her arm now that it was healed. "You two saved my life ..." She wanted to say thanks once again, but lost her words again and just stood there feeling all sorts of things for a moment; guilt, residual fear, relief, shock ... she couldn't wrap her head around all of it just then.

Dagger's Troubles

It was ridiculous to see teammates dropping one after the other, though the losses were still on the low end so far. Gabbie had still had enough with just sitting back and took the only opening she could see in that moment, that mage who was charging up his power. There was no way he would be able to avoid her attack, she figured, and she was right. She brought her lance down over his face and split the front of his skull, which unfortunately did not kill him. She had to pull back and thrust a second time into his chest to finish him off.

Shadrak also didn't have Nadya's healing prowess and so left the wounded to her and instead turned his attention toward the vulnerable enemy. He kept his tome in his left hand and off to the side just out of view as he began charging toward the man, an effort to convince him he was about to be punched in the face. As Shadrak pulled back, the mercenary swung at him only to have his weapon blown away by a burst of dark magic, and his hand was ravaged by the energy. "Hah!" Shadrak laughed as he performed the same feat once more, only this time killing the man with a blast to the head that sent him into a backflip and ended with him crashing on the floor. The blast knocked Shadrak back as well and he fell to his knees panting. "Okay ... that technique takes up a little too much energy. Maybe something less powerful but more precise next time ..."

Gabbie attacks Mage A! Rolls 5,1,1!

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3587417/

CRITICAL HIT!

-10 hp

KO!

Gabbie hp 21/21

Mage A hp 0/15

+5 points for Aneda/Gabbie/Nadya

Shadrak attacks Mercenary A! Rolls 6,4,1!

HIT

-15 hp!

KO!

Shadrak hp 18/18

Mercenary A hp 0/15

+5 points for Shadrak/Robin/Valter

[-Cynthia-]

Enemy Group B

Warlock A (Erratic) 0/21

Bard B (Aggressive) 0/15

Mercenary A (Aggressive) 0/15

---

Soldier A (Aggressive) 0/15

Mage A (Aggressive) 0/15

Monk A (Aggressive) 0/15

--

Savant A (Erratic) 16/24

Bard C (Aggressive) 15/15

Mercenary B (Aggressive) 15/15

--

Soldier B (Aggressive) 15/15

Mage B (Aggressive) 15/15

Monk B (Aggressive) 15/15

--

Thief A (Passive-Erratic) 15/15

Archer E (Passive-Subvert) 15/15

Fighter C (Passive-Subvert) 27/27