Anything But Normal, Sailing the Endless Falls...

[Kelleris]

29/41 hit points (ouch); 7 spell points remaining

As the saberwing's razor-sharp wing rakes across his side, Lupaz winces momentarily from the pain, but snaps his head back in a long howl before any but the most observant combatant might be able to notice. As he does so, a momentary shadow passes across the deck and writhing strands of shadow-stuff burst forth from the deck near the Hound of Ill Omen, distorting his features into something horrible and otherworldly. The blood from his wound seems to boil off, leaving a black and empty gash that has no apparent ill effects on the dog. He advances menacingly on the already shaken saberwing, clearly disdainful of its power.

Ouch! I can't take too many more of those... But if I can make this thing think I'm the real predator here I'm sure it can find better things to do than beat on me.

Seeing Nissa poking at an irate saberwing behind him, Lupaz sends her a quick telepathic message:

Wait for a moment, if you can. I will dispatch my shadow to aid you in drowning these berserk glass sculptures.

[sblock] Heh, Rystil is correct. I didn't even notice the damage reduction until he pointed it out, though. My hps take the extra 2 damage into account now.

Anyway, I am casting Phade's fearsome aspect and attempting an Intimidate check to demoralize against the already-shaken saberwing (a swift action due to the spell). If it works (saberwing's HD + Wisdom modifier + any bonuses against fear - 4 for dark companion and already being shaken against a DC of 28 because I rolled a flippin' 2 on the check), the saberwing will be frightened for 2 rounds and forced to flee. Unless it's being controlled somehow, I don't see it coming back after that, especially since it will still be shaken. Worst-case scenario nets us at least 4 rounds of it flying away and back, or more if the Khora Aisa can outpace it.

I tried to dimension door into a flanking position with Vaukriel too, but the dice really hate me tonight. I'll send the dark companion over to assist the drowny-lady instead, after it gives the saberwing a penalty on its morale check. [/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

(ping)

 

[Erekose13]

Vaukriel tumbles behind the saberwing trying to find an opening. He channels Kelgore's Fire Bolt through his blade as he strikes.

[sblock=ooc]Tumbling Attack - Opposed Tumble Check (1d20+15=23) Tumble check to flank by himself. Cast Kelgore's Fire Bolt as part of the attack w/o AoO. Melee +13, Dmg 2d6+6+3d6(fire)+3d6(sneak)
attack; weapon dmg;fire dmg;sneak dmg (1d20+13=32, 2d6+6=15, 3d6=10, 3d6=10) = 35 dmg total

hp 29/50[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

(hee...ping...again )

 

[Kelleris]

(Our faithful pinger! )

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

OOC: Sorry, the DM's been pulling overtime and it's faster to respond to the games I'm in than post to the games I'm running. Anyways...

Lupaz darkens the very air around him with fear and nightmare shapes, and the already-shaken saberwing takes one look at him and starts shrieking in pure, unmitigated terror.

Valerian takes the more direct route, and flips himself behind the nearest saberwing, bringing himself in line with Lupaz, and channeling fire into his weapon as he does. Beacon of Dawn slams down across the saberwing's back, fire erupting from its deadly points. With a shriek of tortured glass, the creature falls into shards at the illumian's feet.

The frightened saberwing, terrified both from Lupaz's curse and the death of its companion, flees into the shard-filled air above the Malestrom. The remaining saberwing takes one look at the situation... and flees with its companion.

Despite the victory, both Lupaz and Valerian can feel more blood pouring from their wounds.

Around you Captain Merri and the crew of the Khora Aisa are frantically making adjustments to the sails, following the bellowing directions of their captain. The deck lists slightly as you hit the outer edge of the Malestrom; the captain is apparently using the whirlpool itself to slingshot you through the worst of it. Nissa, who has seen one or two oceans and ships in her time, realizes this is an insanely risky piece of seasmanship. Either he'll get you through in time to intercept The Pungent Shrew... or you'll be sucked down into the heart of the churning glass!

The remaining saberwings on Trebuchet and Nissa's side of the boat also take to the air, but unlike the frantic winging of their companions, these more heavily wounded saberwings are preparing for another stoop. A mad red light shows in their eyes. Both Trebuchet and Nissa see them wing out of the way, and hold their attacks. At the top of their dive, they scream defiance at you and power towards the Khora Aisa with the speed of a thunderbolt!

Not loathe to help with the defense, Valerian and Lupaz join their friends. As the saberwings close, Trebuchet erupts in thundering shout that rumbles through the crystalline saberwings. The two previously hurt by its magics explode into powder at the touch of sound, while the third continues unabated, insanity and fear in its gaze from the Hound's aura. At the same time, Valerian and Nissa reach out for the final saberwing.

Valerian's spikestick skitters off the saberwing's slick skin, but Nissa's gentle touch proves more potent. The saberwing crashes to the deck, water running from its mouth. In a few more seconds, it drowns.

In the sound of your triumph, the clashing of glass grows louder, and you can see you're picking up speed as the Khora Aisa starts to scream around the edge of the huge, deadly whirlpool...

[sblock=OOC]Saberwing 6 fails his save and flees on his turn. Valerian hits with a 23, doing 35 points of damage and killing saberwing 5. Saberwing 4 says, "screw that noise!" and blows this popsicle stand. Saberwing 1 and 2 begin to climb back up in the air to make another attack run, moving 60 ft up this round and turning. Moving things along swiftly, the saberwings come back, Trebuchet catches two in his shout spell for 29 points of damage each, and 1 & 2 die. Lupaz's Dark Companion scare #3, Valerian's attack of 16 misses, but due the saberwing having Lupaz's Evil Eye on him, fails his save against Nissa's Drown attack by one, and chokes and dies. Whee![/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

There's a whirr, and the row of metal discs retracts back into Trebuchet's body, merging seamlessly with the rest of his metallic hide. He uncovers the 'X' shaped wound in his chest and crans his head down to peer at it curiously. Through the ragged edges of torn mithril can be seen strange glows that flicker on and off in different colors, separated by dark shapes whose form and function is impossible to determine.

"Engaging self-repair," Treb announces to no one in particular. Runes blaze to life here and there across his chassis, and the wounded metal seems to become semi-liquid and start to draw back together.

Satisfied, he looks back up.

"I think that went rather well," he opines. "I am glad we had a chance to engage in wholesale slaughter once more before potentially being dragged to our destruction!"

(repair moderate damage for 16 points! http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1580908/ )

 

[Shayuri]

(plaintive ping)

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Nissa looks sadly at the birdlike creature as it drowns from the water that fills its lungs, her eyes brimming with tears--even though it was a murderous beast, it looks just like an animal, and it hardly seems capable of evil intent. She gently folds its wings in a resting pose before returning it to the sea, hoping that its spirit will be able to rest in a way that the creature could not in life.*

 

[Erekose13]

Vaukriel looks around at the rest of the crew. With the ship far from out of danger, he does not pause long to make sure everyone is okay and certainly pays no attention to his own injuries. He makes his way over towards the captain to make sure that everything is under control because that Maelstrom is looking awefully sharp.