Capellan
Explorer
"Good Friends & Fine Spirits" by Mystic Eye Games - Part 7
Ming Li turns and drops to one knee, hauling the stricken elf's head above the level of the putrid morass. Seeing the monk distracted, the slime beast raises a tentacle overhead, then swings down viciously. However, the blow slaps harmlessly into the slime. Without even looking at the creature, Ming Li sidesteps the blow, still keeping Anastria's head above the sewage.
Sirdros steps closer to try and help his sister, but the distraction of the thing's tentacles prove too much for him, and his attempt to cast a healing spell fails. Meanwhile, the others have no more luck: every blow slides off the creature's tough hide, or is batted aside by one of its tentacles.
The creature itself has no such problem. Briar narrowly avoids the tentacle that swings at him - stumbling backward in the muck, the young thief almost falls - but Macwood is not so lucky. Deprived of his usual fast reflexes (though not his equally fast mouth), the halfling cannot dodge the blow, which crashes down heavily on his head and left shoulder. Knocked unconscious, the bard falls, though his light frame means that he does not immediately sink into the slime.
Sirdros drags Anastris back onto the ledge at the side of the room, and - not wanting to lose another spell - tries to stabilise her by non-magical means. The slime beast tries to take advantage of the priest's distraction, but the heavy half-plate armour he wears keeps him safe.
"Briar, I need a distraction!" the Padre moves up beside Macwood, raising his shield to cover them both. "Keep this thing off me for a few seconds!"
"Oh sure, I'll ask it out for dinner or something ..." the young thief ducks another swinging tentacle, then shouts an expletive and lunges with his blade, wondering if he will survive giving the priest his moment's distraction.
A blow from a tentacle hammers into Briar's side, and he is knocked to one knee, his vision swimming. As he stumbles, he feels his blade wrench in his hand. Fearing he will drop the weapon, he tightens his grip, wrenching it back with all his strength.
It is only when the creature bellows in pain that Briar realises why his weapon jarred in his hand.
The wound is a deep one, and thick, black-red blood pumps out of the creatures' torn flesh, creating a darker stain in the mud brown sludge.
Making the most of the beast's pain and distraction, the Padre leans down and hauls Macwood back toward the far edge of the room. He deflects one tentacle with his shield as he goes, though a second swings in underneath it to batter against his ribs.
By now, Briar and Ming Li are the only two left in combat with the creature. Anastria and Macwood are down, and both of the clerics are fully occupied in keeping them alive. Things look grim for the company: an assessment that is compounded as the beast continues to batter the monk and the rogue, while neither adventurer lands a blow.
"Little help here, guys?" Briar swears, falls on his rump in the slime, then scrambles aside of another of the creature's blows. The young man is by now almost as covered in sewage as Anastria or Macwood. "I need a partner who can actually hit this thing."
Ming Li, who has just unleashed a flurry of blows that may as well have been raindrops, for all the effect they had on the creature, does not react to the aspersion. Instead, she reaches out and hauls the rogue to his feet. She then steps nimbly aside of a tentacle and slams both fists down on it, causing the creature to snatch it away with a pig-like squeal of pain.
"Show off." Briar grins, "See? You just needed the right motivation." The rogue steps away from Ming Li, cutting a shallow wound across the creature's side as he does so.
Both the Padre and Sirdros - now outside the apparent reach of the creature's tentacles - utter the incantations of a cure light wounds spell. Within moments, Anastria and Macwood are conscious once more, though Macwood in particular looks as if he is only staying upright through sheet willpower.
The elf maiden has no wish to risk the creature's tentacles once again. Snatching up Sirdros' bow, she sends an arrow flashing through the gap between Ming Li and Briar. The shot flies too high, however, the arrow shattering against the wall.
Macwood has no such sense of circumspection. Yelling a complicated and outrageously obscene war cry, the halfling charges straight back into the (for him) chest-high sewage. Unfortunately, Kewpie Doll scrapes ineffectively off the creature's side, despite the enthusiasm of the halfing's blow.
The bard has, however, distracted the slime beast's attention from Briar, and the young rogue seizes the opportunity. Lunging under the creature's upraised tentacles, he raises his shortsword above his head and swings it down into the gaping mouth.
The beast convulses, tentacles failing. Briar is scooped up and hurled against a wall, while Ming Li is also all but knocked from her feet. These sudden and erratic blows are nothing more than death spasms, however: the creature convulses once more, then suddenly collapses into the slime, sending a wave of the foul substance sweeping across the room.
Macwood - mouth still open in mid war cry - bears the brunt of the wave. Its one of the very few moments that leave him speechless. Perhaps because he is too busy retching.
Ming Li turns and drops to one knee, hauling the stricken elf's head above the level of the putrid morass. Seeing the monk distracted, the slime beast raises a tentacle overhead, then swings down viciously. However, the blow slaps harmlessly into the slime. Without even looking at the creature, Ming Li sidesteps the blow, still keeping Anastria's head above the sewage.
Sirdros steps closer to try and help his sister, but the distraction of the thing's tentacles prove too much for him, and his attempt to cast a healing spell fails. Meanwhile, the others have no more luck: every blow slides off the creature's tough hide, or is batted aside by one of its tentacles.
The creature itself has no such problem. Briar narrowly avoids the tentacle that swings at him - stumbling backward in the muck, the young thief almost falls - but Macwood is not so lucky. Deprived of his usual fast reflexes (though not his equally fast mouth), the halfling cannot dodge the blow, which crashes down heavily on his head and left shoulder. Knocked unconscious, the bard falls, though his light frame means that he does not immediately sink into the slime.
Sirdros drags Anastris back onto the ledge at the side of the room, and - not wanting to lose another spell - tries to stabilise her by non-magical means. The slime beast tries to take advantage of the priest's distraction, but the heavy half-plate armour he wears keeps him safe.
"Briar, I need a distraction!" the Padre moves up beside Macwood, raising his shield to cover them both. "Keep this thing off me for a few seconds!"
"Oh sure, I'll ask it out for dinner or something ..." the young thief ducks another swinging tentacle, then shouts an expletive and lunges with his blade, wondering if he will survive giving the priest his moment's distraction.
A blow from a tentacle hammers into Briar's side, and he is knocked to one knee, his vision swimming. As he stumbles, he feels his blade wrench in his hand. Fearing he will drop the weapon, he tightens his grip, wrenching it back with all his strength.
It is only when the creature bellows in pain that Briar realises why his weapon jarred in his hand.
The wound is a deep one, and thick, black-red blood pumps out of the creatures' torn flesh, creating a darker stain in the mud brown sludge.
Making the most of the beast's pain and distraction, the Padre leans down and hauls Macwood back toward the far edge of the room. He deflects one tentacle with his shield as he goes, though a second swings in underneath it to batter against his ribs.
By now, Briar and Ming Li are the only two left in combat with the creature. Anastria and Macwood are down, and both of the clerics are fully occupied in keeping them alive. Things look grim for the company: an assessment that is compounded as the beast continues to batter the monk and the rogue, while neither adventurer lands a blow.
"Little help here, guys?" Briar swears, falls on his rump in the slime, then scrambles aside of another of the creature's blows. The young man is by now almost as covered in sewage as Anastria or Macwood. "I need a partner who can actually hit this thing."
Ming Li, who has just unleashed a flurry of blows that may as well have been raindrops, for all the effect they had on the creature, does not react to the aspersion. Instead, she reaches out and hauls the rogue to his feet. She then steps nimbly aside of a tentacle and slams both fists down on it, causing the creature to snatch it away with a pig-like squeal of pain.
"Show off." Briar grins, "See? You just needed the right motivation." The rogue steps away from Ming Li, cutting a shallow wound across the creature's side as he does so.
Both the Padre and Sirdros - now outside the apparent reach of the creature's tentacles - utter the incantations of a cure light wounds spell. Within moments, Anastria and Macwood are conscious once more, though Macwood in particular looks as if he is only staying upright through sheet willpower.
The elf maiden has no wish to risk the creature's tentacles once again. Snatching up Sirdros' bow, she sends an arrow flashing through the gap between Ming Li and Briar. The shot flies too high, however, the arrow shattering against the wall.
Macwood has no such sense of circumspection. Yelling a complicated and outrageously obscene war cry, the halfling charges straight back into the (for him) chest-high sewage. Unfortunately, Kewpie Doll scrapes ineffectively off the creature's side, despite the enthusiasm of the halfing's blow.
The bard has, however, distracted the slime beast's attention from Briar, and the young rogue seizes the opportunity. Lunging under the creature's upraised tentacles, he raises his shortsword above his head and swings it down into the gaping mouth.
The beast convulses, tentacles failing. Briar is scooped up and hurled against a wall, while Ming Li is also all but knocked from her feet. These sudden and erratic blows are nothing more than death spasms, however: the creature convulses once more, then suddenly collapses into the slime, sending a wave of the foul substance sweeping across the room.
Macwood - mouth still open in mid war cry - bears the brunt of the wave. Its one of the very few moments that leave him speechless. Perhaps because he is too busy retching.
It had to be Macwood or Twinkle...
