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Post by Ilia Underwing on Oct 26, 2010 3:41:43 GMT
Ilia took a deep breath and glared daggers at the Swamplord. Then she closed her eyes and chose yet another form. This one would be familiar to the Swamplord, if it could see her. She hoped it could not. And that it would not. Shrinking, and shaking out her newly sprouted feathers, Ilia in her itikar form looked up, and launched herself into the air. She flew up and up, above the trees, climbing to the sky as the Temple itself did. She took herself away from the Swamplord, hoping the distance would prevent at least some of the damage it could do.
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Post by Maerin on Oct 26, 2010 4:08:21 GMT
Initiative Order (Start of Round 18): 23 – “Something” In the Air 17 – Jynx 13 – Swamplord 12 – Ciquali 11 – Ilia (itikar)
Ignoring the rumbling and noises to the south, and the shaking of the ground beneath her arms and legs, Jynx reached the end of the “hose”. She saw, with a flash of hope, that there was a strong bubbling and burbling of the bloodstained swamp water near the end. Clearly, the swamp gasses from the vent flowed through the “hose”.
Jynx also found her wad of rags, scattered and soaked through, floating on the surface of the murky water nearby. Clearly, she had fell, and been somehow moved by the Swamplord to where she had awakened.
A cracking of vegetation around her brought her eyes up. Through the vine-choked trees, Jynx dimly saw two-legged creatures approaching. A quick look about her saw them coming from both east and west. A dozen or more, to her count, and no more than ten yards away. The hissing croaks from the creatures betrayed their kind.
The Swamplord’s horde had arrived…
Ilia watched the Swamplord spin around to face back towards the south. Looking, she saw that the odd cloud formation over where she remembered the chasm had actually been blown wide. It looked as though there was a massive updraft blasting up from the unseen chasm, though Ilia could see no sign of debris or the like being blown into the air. For the first time since setting foot in the Swamp, Ilia could see blue sky. Sunlight from beyond the thick cloud cover above shined directly down into the Swamp.
From the Swamplord came a long, low, growling moan. It sounded similar to the angry moaning howl from before, when the monster saw Ilia change to an eagle…but there was a different, darker quality about it to Ilia’s ears. If there were words in the, Ilia could not make them out.
The monster paid no attention as Ilia disappeared into the low cloud cover, about fifty feet above the ground. Both Swamplord and trees were lost from sight.
However, Ilia’s keen eyes noticed a…disruption…in the greenish-white mists near her. It was almost as though like something invisible was twisting, swirling and contorting the mists. However, the distortion did not seem to actually displace the misty air in the fashion Ilia expected she was while flying through the clouds. Ilia guessed that the area, which appeared to be keeping pace with her, was no more than five yards away, just outside where Ilia guessed the protective barrier surrounding the Temple lay.
***
The King suddenly looked up, and again pierced Kelrim with his glare. Again, Kelrim found he could not actually meet the King’s gaze for more than a heartbeat or two.
“Again with the lying, son of Jorek? So suddenly you change your tune, with all the insolence too. Are you sorry? I think not. I think your words mean little. From what you said earlier, you take pride in your…”mistakes”, do you now term them? Bah,” the King spat again in disgust.
GM OOC: Considering the latest series of posts, you can probably consider making and posting another Wisdom check to try for another hint or insight. Or something else, if you have a good notion. Assuming you survive to benefit, of course.
Otherwise, you probably are going to want to take a real good look, or another real good luck, at what has and has not worked for Kelrim again. At least you might have some ideas where you can expect the ‘stone walls’ Kelrim collides with.
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Post by Jynx on Oct 27, 2010 3:04:15 GMT
Jynx desperately and stealthy situated herself next to the “hose”, pulling the snake skin up high enough out of the water to drain whatever water that got into it.
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Oct 27, 2010 3:57:42 GMT
Ilia eyed the misty blob before her with distrust, but swallowed any fear it gave her. She got a fierce look on her avian face and hissed as she dove beneath it, down and south to her friends. She attempted to dodge any attacks that came her way, but she didn't know what to expect from the ambiguous shape before her.
Standard action: Full Defense Move action: Move toward friends
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Post by Maerin on Oct 27, 2010 6:32:39 GMT
Suddenly, Kelrim felt his head again swim. He felt, almost, like he was choking. But, before either a coughing fit or vertigo could really set in, the dwarf’s vision grew dark. The King was lost from sight.
Kelrim felt, at the last, a sense of returning to his home forge…but this time it felt real and accepting of his presence. Then, he passed on out of the world.
*** Initiative Order (Start of Round 19): 17 – Jynx 13 – Swamplord 12 – Rogue 12 – Ciquali 11 – “Something” in the Air 11 – Ilia (itikar)
Jynx tried to move slowly and stealthily. But her legs were weakened and numb. Her vision swam at even the slight exertion. And water around her sloshed as she got the pipe clear of the water.
The approaching ciquali froze. Their gaze was fixed upon Jynx and her fallen companions. Jynx saw their eyes, rolling grotesquely as they looked from one body to the next.
Suddenly, the two nearest ciquali, staring directly at Jynx, charged towards her. Their mouths opened wide to reveal the rows of sharp teeth. They had seen her!
The monsters were about ten feet from where Jynx lay when a long, grey form suddenly bounded over Jynx. It smashed, snarling and jaws snapping, into the nearest ciquali, causing both to halt.
It was difficult for Jynx to tell, but Rogue appeared already badly hurt. Though the wolf stood upon its rear legs as it locked muzzle into the billowing throat of the ciquali, Jynx could see one foreleg not being used to paw at the creature. Rogue’s flanks and back were streaked dark red with blood that was clearly that of the wolf.
The others surrounding the companions began approaching, cautiously, obviously watching for other attackers out of the trees.
Ilia dove. Just passed the disturbance, suddenly, what sounded very much like a thunderclap snapped just behind her. The noise was enough to dizzy Ilia, but she held to her evasive flight, back towards where she had left her companions. She felt a tremendous headwind smack her face and wings for a brief instant….and then the wind was suddenly gone again.
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Post by Jynx on Oct 27, 2010 18:42:44 GMT
At the sight of the Ciquali taking notice and charging for her, Jynx could not stop her terror from bursting out of her mouth in a whining, frantic sort of scream. She fumbled to positioned the flint and steel in front of the snake skinned pipes. Please work!! Jynx then tried to spark the gas that now flowed freely out of the "hose".
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Oct 28, 2010 3:25:37 GMT
Ilia continued to fly down towards her friends, keeping out of the Swamplords sight as well as she could, still wary for...whatever it was that the Swamplord sent.
Standard action: Full Defense Move action: Move down and south to friends
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Post by Maerin on Oct 28, 2010 4:38:45 GMT
Initiative Order (Start of Round 20): 17 – Jynx (unconscious) 13 – Swamplord 12 – Rogue 12 – Ciquali 11 – Ilia (itikar)
Jynx struck flint to steel again. And again. Nothing happened. The chunk of flint nearly dropped out of her weakened grasp, and she had to brace the hand against the end of the hose nozzle.
Jynx struck the flint one last time, and a brilliant burst of bright flame erupted out the end of the hose. Jynx screamed in pain as the fire enveloped hands, arms and one shoulder. Then darkness again descended over her, washing away the horrific pain.
GM OOC: Jynx reacquires the Disabled condition. Because she took damaged while Staggered, she is again Unconscious as well.
***
Ilia was drawn by the sound of Jynx’s brief scream. She dove below the cloud cover to find Jynx laying in the water. The hose, lying on the motionless Vassa woman, spouted a bluish-tinged orange fountain of flame diagonally ten feet in into the surrounding vegetation. One tree was already smouldering in the fire.
Ilia saw the fallen companions were surrounded by perhaps forty ciquali. One of the monsters lay dead with Rogue standing over it, a couple yards from Jynx’s fallen form. The ciquali, however, appeared reluctant to approach the wolf or any of the fallen companions.
Jynx seemed protected from the fiery fountain laying directly upon her by virtue of the water she lay mostly submerged in. However, it was equally apparent to Ilia as she flew down towards the group that Jynx would likely be drowned by her “protection”.
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Post by Jynx on Oct 29, 2010 1:35:24 GMT
From the darkness that was her unconsciousness, Jynx's sense urgency and determination to survive forced her to swim back up into the harshness and terror of her current reality.
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Oct 29, 2010 3:34:19 GMT
Quickly taking stock of the situation, Ilia notes Jynx's position and the fire hose and immediately flies down, hoping she wasn't dead. She told Rogue she was coming so that he wouldn't be surprised, and dove into what appeared to be the mouth of the flames. She landed behind Jynx, turning her head to hiss a challenge for any agareshi that dared come near. She went on to change yet again into her monstrous elephantine form. She glared around, daring the agareshi to come closer. The reflection of flames in her tiny black eyes seemed to intensify as she lowered her trunk towards the small, prone form beneath her.
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Post by Maerin on Oct 29, 2010 4:54:24 GMT
Initiative Order (Start of Round 21): 17 – Jynx (unconscious/dying) 13 – Swamplord 12 – Rogue 12 – Ciquali 8 – Ilia (elephant)
Jynx remained unconscious, and unaware of both her success and that she was now drowning in the very water that protected her from being further burnt.
GM OOC: Jynx is now Dying, due to drowning.
Ilia watched the ciquali carefully as she descended and took up her elephant’s form. As she did so, she again heard a low, long moaning bellow from the Swamp behind her, back towards the Temple. It was the Swamplord. The sound, Ilia thought, was very much like the one the Swamplord had used at the start of the battle to call its minions.
The ciquali did not hesitate. Those closest to Ilia hissed malice at her and Rogue, then turned and ran. Southeast, it seemed. Ilia could hear crashing movement behind her. The Swamplord too, it seemed, was departing towards the southeast.
GM OOC: As there is still a real possibility of Jynx dying, we will remain in Combat Time.
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Post by Jynx on Oct 29, 2010 5:28:50 GMT
Jynx lay unconscious with no awareness or knowledge as to what was happening to her body in the real world. All was darkness to her.
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Post by Ilia Underwing on Oct 29, 2010 17:51:28 GMT
Ilia warily watched the agareshi leave, but still kept her elephant form, just in case. Stepping towards the flame, Ilia was able to look at the woman, but was taken aback by what she found. She found that the once-elegantly dressed and sophisticated Lady she knew was now blood-stained and tattered, blistered and bleeding skin a near-death pale. Or perhaps it was deathly pale… Ilia did not know. She delicately wrapped her trunk around Jynx and slid her from beneath the fire hose, trying not to singe herself or her friend in the process. Then, with all haste, Ilia gathered her strength and began to heal the woman, hoping it would be enough to save her from what she wished with all her heart was the brink of death and not death itself. That made Ilia’s mind wander to other places momentarily... She saw that Rogue was in rough shape, but she didn’t see the ghostly visage of Sage, nor any sign of the twins. But she fought those thoughts to the back of her mind, and concentrated on healing the Lady Jynx.
Move action: Lift Jynx from water Standard action: Begin healing
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Post by Maerin on Oct 30, 2010 4:40:34 GMT
Jynx was badly hurt. Indeed, Ilia’s first sense was that Jynx was dead. Water filled her lungs, she had clearly lost a lot of blood, and the burns that covered her hands and arms to the shoulder had sent her into a deep, deep shock. Clearly, it was going to take considerable time and effort, days anyway, of Ilia’s magical care in order to restore Jynx to anything significantly resembling good health. But she had to keep the Vassa woman’s soul in her body first. Ilia poured all her healing power through the woman, slowly coaxing her back towards life.
The body in Ilia’s trunk writhed, as automatic reflexes coughed and expelled the water. Ilia could feel the fire of life, all but extinguished, very, very faintly rekindled.
The ciquali vanished into the Swamp. Sounds of their passage, and that of the Swamplord, faded away.
GM OOC: We are now out of combat time, and back into a more regular posting mode.
Jynx, you lose the Dying condition. However, you gain another -1 Con penalty. As this raises your total Con penalty to a -6, you are pretty much totally on the cusp of reverting to a Dying condition again under pretty much any stress at all (including that of waking up). Put another way, your character is in a coma.
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Post by Jynx on Nov 3, 2010 2:34:25 GMT
Jynx hung limp in Ilia's trunk.
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