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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2854791" data-attributes="member: 1210">The vomit hounds are terrible to behold, and the stink that roils from them could blister paint.  Matted fur caked with dried blood, bile and (literal) vomit encrusts the beasts.  They move with feline grace, but thick dull scales line to their bodies beneath the disgusting fur, giving that first impression the lie.  Behind each of the strange creatures, a long, thin tail whips back and forth.  Their massive clawed paws flex and scratch at the bile-eaten floor.  Their heads are horned, scaled and covered in clumps of fur.  The foul stench coming from them reminds Inoke of vomit.Over the telepathic link, Inoke calls, Hey guys, there’s something else coming out-The beasts spray him with foul streams of burning vomit.  He cries out in surprise as half of the damage proves to be divine, bypassing his energy defenses.  It is shockingly powerful.  The sprays of vomit wash over the thorciasids that led Inoke into the chamber, as well, and the bugs writhe and squeal, obviously harmed by the smoking, stinking vomit.  Inoke winces and grits his teeth; then he takes a mighty swing and smashes one of the thorciasids still attacking him square in the center of its body!  He puts his back into it and, with a series of blows taking only seconds, crushes the nasty roach-like thing.  Then, utilizing a greater contingency bestowed upon him by Orbius, he activates a maximized extended Marius’ double actions and continues to squish the bugs.  They are in his way: in the way of his reaching the vomit hounds, who had completely ignored their presence when spraying their vomit at Inoke.  Behind him, the door bangs opens.  Lester stands squarely in the frame, calling out invocations to the elements, and a lightning-substituted meteor swarm blasts the biggest of the bugs directly in the thorax!  Spells begin detonating left and right as the party steps up their attack.  One of the vomit hounds surprises the party by growling at the thorciasids, “Attack, you stupid bugs!”  But with the party as a whole attacking, the battle quickly turns in their favor.  Sonja uses a reverse gravity to force the vomit hounds out of melee, and Alcar pounds the thorciasid leader to death.  The party turns to the vomit hounds, to finish the battle.Then there is another shift in the battle, as two familiar forms tumble into view- Axon and Axel!*  Though our heroes destroyed them before, the wickedly-skilled nimblewrights appear to have been rebuilt or replaced.  They spring into position smoothly, rapier-hands at the ready.  There’s something funny about their faces, Sonja realizes, but what-“Ahh, we already killed those guys!” Lester complains.Then, from behind Axon and Axel, more figures come tumbling forth.  They, too, spring into fighting stances.  And they, too, prove to be... Axon and Axel.  More tumble in- “They’re numbered!” exclaims Sonja.“Uh-oh,” says Gerontius.  “It’s some kind of new model!” exclaims Sybele.“You know what these things are?” Chakar is nonplussed as an even dozen enemy nimblewrights begin advancing on our heroes.  Twelve, gulps Horbin, four Axons, four Axels and four... others.  This could be tough.  He cannot help but recall how deadly the originals were.  Twelve.The Axons and Axels move smoothly forward to attack.  Those of the new third model- oh, heck, let’s just call them Axars- more or less hang back.  As they press forward, Sonja notes the numbers riveted to their foreheads.  There is Axel-1, but over there is Axon-7.  There is Axar-12.  To the left is Axon-19...No more time for thinking.  The nimblewrights join the battle.Next Time: Enter: a Bile Lord!  And we’ll be in new territory by the end of the next update! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />*Axon and Axel were a pair of advanced nimblewrights that the party found in Bile Mountain in service to the Bile Lords.  Back in 3.0, they had a threat range in the neighborhood of 6-20.</blockquote>

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